As this is my last column as president of the Public Library Association, I would do myself a disservice if I did not go to the issue that is always on my mind when I speak, mentor, council, or just generally get to talk about what is on my mind. Let me introduce the topic […]
Technology gives libraries plenty of tools for meeting our patrons in a space beyond our physical walls. Having a presence across a variety of social media turns each platform we use into a service desk. We can engage the public in an environment that is comfortable to them, and in turn we are able to […]
The Naperville (Ill.) Public Library (NPL) has been ranked number one in its population category in all ten editions of the Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR).1 NPL has also received a five-star rating by Library Journal and has been named one of “Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For 2009.”2 Donna Dziedzic […]
The Monday after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, the director of a rural public library situated about 70 miles inland arrived at her library to find a woman sitting in the parking lot, in tears. As a Katrina evacuee, this woman only had her car, her dog, and the clothes on her back. She […]
Human libraries function similarly to other libraries except that in a human library, people—rather than books—are available for checkout. Those who volunteer to be “human books” are “people with a particular personal experience or perspective on life” and have often been stereotyped in some way.1 The human books agree to converse openly with other members […]
As the current economic climate continues to plague library budgets, there has been increasing discussion of outsourcing public libraries. Those with an interest in learning more about this trend are left sorting through rumor peppered with fact as they try to ascertain “Who is outsourcing?” “How does this happen?” and “What can be done?” Library […]
OCLC Launches WorldShare Platform OCLC Online Computer Library Center recently announced the launch of the OCLC WorldShare Platform, which will enable library developers, partners, and other organizations to create, configure, and share a wide range of applications that deliver new functionality and value for libraries and their users. The OCLC WorldShare Platform facilitates collaboration and […]
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