Infoblog

Archive for the ‘Interesting Libraries’ Category

One of the 2009 Eureka! Leadership Institute fellows, Thomas Vose from Riverside County Library System, put an idea from the Institute into action. I’ll let one of his mentors from the Institute, Kathy Gould, tell the story:

Last fall I had the privilege of serving as a mentor for the Eureka Leadership Program for emerging California library leaders. During the residential leadership institute that kicks off the program participants work in small teams to build leadership skills through action learning, exercises, and case studies. During one of the exercises the team that I was working with came up with an idea for a mobile library cart to enable library services to be delivered and promoted at locations throughout a community.

Today our Eureka team got an email from team member Thomas Vose, the Manager of the Lake Elsinore Public Library in the Riverside County Library System. Thomas had taken that idea of a mobile library cart and turned it into a reality …

Thomas reported that people were able to sign up for library cards and check out materials, and that he plans to take the cart to the local Senior Center and park, and to an upcoming Children’s Fair in the community.

Read more about it on Kathy’s blog.

This George & Joan podcast came about as a result of a conversation they had at ALA Midwinter with Gina Millsap, director of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. The library acted as neutral convener of a special program that helped citizens interested in running for local offices gain a working knowledge of the political process. The library didn’t actually present the program: they brought in the folks representing all the pieces of the process to discuss how it’s all done.

“Sunnyvale Voices: From Settlers to Silicon” includes more than 20 short reminiscences about the history of Sunnyvale as told by residents (Vince Cala’s were my favorite.) Each oral history is available in print, audio, and video. The project was funded with an LSTA grant. If you’re thinking about doing an oral history project for your community, more information about what it involves can be found in the Project Manual [PDF].
Are there other California Libraries using YouTube? Please let us know via the comment section.

For those of you who don’t know, I live in Berkeley and used to work at the BPL until I left to go with Infopeople. I love my library and am so proud of them for this foray into our multimedia and interactive world. It’s imbedded in the BPL website but I think you should go directly to Berkeley Public Library, An Intimate Portrait on YouTube so you can see the comments folks have left. It’s a simple little video giving some useful information about the library… but… it’s funny!!! I even showed it to a couple of non-library folks and they laughed.

Here’s a cool teen program you and your library can apply to be part of: How I See It: My Place. It’s a California Council for the Humanities program, in partnership with Califa.
Here’s the short spiel:

“How I See It: My Place” is a new program for California libraries that will provide all the resources librarians need to successfully implement a ten-week digital photography documentary project for teens – activities, equipment, supplies, funds and training.

Applications will be accepted from today (Dec 10) until Jan 17, 2008. 20 libraries will be selected to participate in the program, which will take place in the summer and fall of 2008.
A tip o’ the hat to the California State Library blog for the link.

And for your Friday viewing pleasure, from wannabe librarian’s blog, we have a link to the world’s most beautiful libraries (found via her exploration of the publib discussion list).

If you haven’t seen Isaak Kwok’s blog, Blogging Librarian, take a look.
Isaak works at the National Library Board of Singapore as an Adult and Young People’s librarian.
His entry on interesting libraries in Canada highlights the 103-year-old Haskell Free Library and Opera House. There is a black line running along the floor of the library that signifies the international border between the USA and Canada. Library visitors can enter from the Canadian side and emerge on the American side without going through Customs!

If you missed NPR’s Talk of the Nation’s February 27, 2006 program titled, If a Library Is Bookless, What’s In It? be sure to listen.
Here’s the description:
The “Bookless Library.” Is it a contradiction in terms, or a sign of the times? Information technology changes as soon we think we understand it. With mammoth collections to maintain, libraries are struggling to keep up — and to redefine their role.
What helps make the evolution of libraries so complicated are two related questions: What is the library’s role — and who should pay for it? The squeeze on county and municipal budgets prompts many to wonder if they will continue to pay for these institutions. Others insist that the public library plays a vital role as a community center and as an intellectual oasis, a place to reflect as well as a place to learn. But if it’s to survive, it has to adapt.
A range of approaches are meant to help design a library for the 21st century.
Guests:
Tom Frey, executive director, The DaVinci Institute
Jo Haight-Sarling, director, access and technology services at the Denver Public Library System
Charles Brown, director, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, N.C.

Even if you don’t want to read all 45 pages of this Urban Libraries Council study of some highly effective Chicago public libraries, you should at least take a look at the “Engaged Libraries Toolbox” that shows how to assess your library’s community standing and possible partners.
The Engaged Library: Chicago Stories of Community Building [PDF].

From the August 7 issue of Marylaine Block’s Neat New Stuff on the Net.

Although it was written last November, I just ran across this interesting San Jose Mercury News story — Selective enforcement of poker rules hurts library.

Say you’ve got a good cause, like the children’s story-telling section at the Almaden library. Say you’ve got a supporter, like the Almaden Business Association. And say you have a good way to make $8,000 or $10,000, playing on a national craze by holding a Texas hold ‘em tournament. . . .