Envisioning a new youth services space is a joint effort on the part of the architects, design professionals, staff, board, and community. It requires an examination of the mission and roles of the library and how the library utilizes space to satisfy the needs of the community and, in particular, the needs of families and … Continue reading Designing Space for Children and Teens
Promote healthy conversation. In every community there is someone (a physician, nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, etc) who can address women’s health issues. Plymouth (Mich.) District Library worked with the speaker’s bureau of the local hospital to present an exercise and nutrition program. Ask a local physician. That’s what the Bartholomew County (Ind.) Public Library did … Continue reading (At Least) 21 Programming Ideas for Women’s History Month
I recently started teaching another great group of future librarians at San José State University about Web 2.0 technologies. I’m always in awe of their enthusiasm for the subject matter and for their chosen field. This year, I also feel a little sad, knowing that some of them will likely struggle to find work after … Continue reading Your Virtual Brand
I find it fascinating that so many people try to put a sad face on retirement. Just think of the common terms we use for retirement: "over the hill," "being sent to the glue factory," "hanging up the spikes," "riding into the sunset," "being put on the shelf" (presumably intended for librarians), and "being put … Continue reading I Blog, Therefore I Matter
Progress implies change. Not all change is progress, but all progress requires change. Change can be planned or unplanned. Libraries have experienced some serious unplanned changes in the recent past; they have been buffeted by changes in technology and scholarly communication and the downturn in the economy. Even so, most libraries have adapted wonderfully to … Continue reading Embracing Change for Continuous Improvement
What makes a library inspiring to its users? The key component is the relationship it builds with the people it serves. Seattle Public Library is a showcase for this attribute. In 2008, just in time to face what has become a global financial crisis, the library completed the 10-year "Libraries for All" campaign, which resulted … Continue reading Inspiration, Seattle-style
What is the recipe for creating a circulation worker? You add three or four able-bodied individuals, one tablespoon of a circulation study guide, bake for about one month of trial-by-fire on-the-desk experience, and you have what is called the circulation worker. As a former circulation worker who ultimately became a reference librarian (in other words, … Continue reading The Faces of Circulation
What’s your favorite book? If you’re like me, that’s a tough question. There’s the one that captures the mood you’re in, the one that pulls you out of the mood you’ve been in, the one with those charming turns of phrase, the one with the cunning plot turns, the one with the better-than-you’d-hoped-for ending, and … Continue reading Some of My Favorite Reads
Many librarians have tried to play a role in educating young adults about developing a presence on social networking sites. They have warned teens that nothing online ever really disappears and that compromising photographs or derogatory posts can impact their future job prospects. Online identity is built upon all of the things we have put … Continue reading Brand Perception 2.0
First the bad news: The local economy is down, half of your branches close early three days a week, and staff hours have been cut by 20%. Now the good news: Circulation and gate count have skyrocketed and people who haven’t been inside a public library in decades are lining up for library cards. While … Continue reading How to Thrive by Design in Tough Times
Thanks to solar panels, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and a gift of carbon-offset credits, Rangeview Library District’s new Anythink Brighton, Colorado, branch is believed to be the first carbon-positive library in the United States. The building, which opened in September, offsets 167,620 pounds of carbon dioxide—16% more than it is anticipated to use … Continue reading New Colorado Facility Becomes First Carbon-Positive Library
I don’t usually get to attend the Charleston Conference (in fact, I’ve only been to one), so I look forward to seeing the annual Charleston Conference Proceedings. The 2008 edition showed up on my desk this past November (around the time that the 2009 Conference was taking place). The theme for 2008 was “The Best … Continue reading Charleston on My Mind
