This is great!! The news coverage of LiLi: Fraser Valley Regional Library’s mobile initiative (not an app – a loaded car!). We reported on LiLi’s conception last week. Here’s her debut!
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Smitty Miller, Community Develop Librarian for Fraser Valley Regional Library (Abbotsford, British Columbia) ”gets it.” She REALLY “gets it.” She “gets” that libraries need to be “in” the community, not just think the community is going to come “in” to the library. She “gets” that community development is about interaction and conversation. She “gets” that the library needs to be a fun, happening place, connecting with people where people are — “at food banks, shelters, senior homes, and other community hubs.” And she’s done it. WOW has she done it! I had the absolute privilege of meeting Smitty 2 years ago when she’d been asked to lead the Library’s project to bring in a book mobile service. After doing her research into bookmobiles (if you want to know anything about bookmobiles, just ask her — the conversation is worth it – she’s infectious!), she put forth to the Library that developing deeper inroads (ok, the pun IS intended) with the community demanded a different type of librarymobile. Different they got. This is LiLi – Library Live and On Tour! A “mobile initiative’ LiLi is a 2012 Nissan Cube, designed to deliver the library to people by “shattering stereotypes and misconceptions about library services. LiLi is an adult literacy initiative “targeting folks aged 19+”, first by getting their attention, then prompting conversations, making friends and then offering services. LiLi, “the coolest little library car you’ll ever see” features: undercarriage glow (oh yeah!!) the back opens to reveal a mounted 40″ plasma digital Continue reading Now THAT’S a Mobile Library! Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) has been operating an innovative leadership program for the past four years. Spearheaded by Anne Marie Madziak, The APLL Institute (pronounced “apple”, this stands for Advancing Public Library Leadership) is specifically designed for those who aren’t yet in senior management positions. Running over 24 months, participants only need to travel to on-site classroom setting twice – once at the beginning of the program and then at the close. During the intervening months they participate in 12 online courses and discussions. I’m delighted to be a part of this program as instructor of the Planning course. Anne Marie and I are in the midst of reviewing and redesigning this course. To inform our review Anne Marie contacted graduates of the first 2 programs. What she heard not only informs this leadership program, but has implications for other management and leadership learning events. Here’s Anne Marie’s comments: As coordinator of APLL, I’m keen to understand what the lasting benefits of the program are two years after graduation. Are there courses that continue to be of relevance? The 9 APLL leadership practices that frame the program are: Inspire and hold the vision Reach for exemplary service Make intelligent decisions Embrace strategic and purposeful change Create a learning environment Cultivate relationships Develop individuals Sustain a healthy workplace Navigate municipal and community connectedness Are these leadership practices still useful or long forgotten? Are there particular skills, knowledge or competencies attributed to the program? With a new cohort beginning the program Continue reading APLL Leadership Program This is a follow-up to “EPL: Extraordinary Public Libraries” describing how Edmonton and Halifax Public Libraries are integrating library services into communities. Thanks Ken Williment for alerting me to an article he & Pilar Martinez recently published in the Swedish BIS: bibliotek i samhalle. Ken, Community Development Manager @ Halifax Public Libraries and Pilar, Executive Director Public Services @ Edmonton, wrote Canadian Libraries: Innovating & Creating Inclusive Services. It details the development of their respective community-led services and Halifax’ asset mapping. At a time when many North American public libraries are touring Europe to learn from the innovative libraries there, it’s great to see a European profiling Canadian innovation. On the one hand, I’m still a bit amazed — ok, a lot amazed — that it has taken us this long to grasp the fact that “community-led” services should be the heart of libraries’ service portfolios. It’s one of those smack-my-forehead-this-is-so-obvious moments for us as a profession and for the library sector. On the other hand, I’m relieved and delighted that we are on the right track — and that Edmonton, Halifax, Vancouver, Regina & other public libraries are leading and willingly helping public libraries along that track to transition their services from librarian-led to community-led. Edmonton Public Library's Community-Led Toolkit – available for all Jeff Wisniewski of University of Pittsburg updated the crowd at NYPL’s “Engaging Communitities, Promoting Learning” conferenceon the current state of mobile, and encouraged them to consider the implications for libraries. I adore Jeff – he is intelligent, knowledgeable, articulate, incredibly funny, and a fantastic speaker. Plus – he’s just a great guy. Here’s his main points, which every library needs to consider (and I know if I didn’t get things right, he’ll correct me!): Jeff, Ruth Kneale (left) & Amy Buckland (right) at Internet Librarian 2011main points, which every library needs to consider (and I know if I didn't get things right, he'll correct me!):
mobile is moving beyond being a utility for connecting people to the library to being a place for integrating content into workflows and processes for people; this integration allows mobile to be a place in which people engage, innovate and build communities; apps no longer just allow libraries to contact people, but now to bring content alive for people new superphones are merging tablets & phones with 5″ screens (imagine the possibilities for libraries) Library Journal’s Patron Profiles are incredibly informative. Among other things, these Profiles tell us that: library users who prefer e-books are more “active library patrons” who visit the library more and read more books 23% of patrons couldn’t get e-books because of technical difficulty, and 44% couldn’t get e-book titles they wanted Apps Libraries Need to Pay Attention to & Leap Frog From: TeenBookFinder - produced by Young Adults ALA & to be Continue reading Mobile Apps: Implications for Libraries Actually, EPL.ca is Edmonton Public Library. I’ve referred to it as both “Extraordinary Public Library” and “Engaging Public Library” for its work in truly embedding itself into its communities to do what public libraries are meant to do: make a positive difference for the people in the community. While this is the mission of many public libraries, EPL takes deliberate steps to actually live its mission: “Our mission is simple. We share! We share with our city, our community, our customers and ourselves. We share stories, ideas and experiences. We share our space! We are Edmonton’s largest lender of all kinds of information and entertainment. Our greatest passion is creating connections that help, grow, inspire and change.” Last week at New York Public Library’s “Engaging Communities, Promoting Learning” conference developed by Information Today Inc., Pilar Martinez, Executive Director of Public Services for EPL spoke on a panel about EPL’s experiences and then delivered a powerful, packed workshop on the Roadmap for Reaching Out to & Working With Communities. EPL’s Community-Led Service Philosophy Toolkit (revised July 2011) is available on their website. Just by making this rich resource available EPL is demonstrating that they reach out to all communities, including the library community or, for that matter, the social service and public service communities; this Toolkit can and should be used by any organization focused on positive impacts within a neighbourhood or constituency. The excitement was palpable in the room that attendees could freely access this incredible tool after the workshop. Continue reading EPL.ca: Engaging Public Library Now THIS is exciting. Yeah yeah, they are announcing a new iPad 3 today – which many people can’t afford. That’s exciting to some people, but what’s REALLY exciting is this: Online Newstand Project: an application that brings the incredible content in those databases for which public libraries pay hundreds (ok, thousands) of dollars to the surface for people to “see”. As we know, most people don’t understand what the heck a database is and as soon as we tell them there are “100′s of journals” in that “paid-for website a.k.a. ‘database”, their eyes glaze over. Thanks to “Steve Butzel, a website and database developer whose real job is serving as the assistant director at the Portsmouth Public Library in Portsmouth” for developing this tool to provide “easy, enjoyable access to popular and scholarly magazine articles by providing dynamically generated persistent links to feature length articles in each of the magazines included in the Newsstand. To read an article, all a patron has to do is click on the article they want, login at the next screen with their library barcode or student ID, and bam, they are connected directly to the article. Patrons don’t have to know what a database is or how to search one.” Eureka!! Have a look at this – and imagine the possibilities. No, better yet, enable people to “see” the possibilities!
As libraries continue to push the boundaries on their role and their impact on communities, campuses & organizations, they need to look at other types of institutions & programs for inspiration. Like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s new 13,400 square foot, $15 million Visitors Center complex in Seattle. Thanks to CIO.com for a slideshow of the opening, and this description: “The center includes a number of interactive sections like the Innovation & Inspiration Gallery, where folks can take a “Find Your Skills” quiz or create their own inventions out of Tinker toys and all manner of other objects. Visitors are encouraged to take digital photos of their “ideas” and post them online.“ The press release for the Center explains that once people have completed the “Find Your Skills” quiz to help them identify their own strengths and passions, they proceed to “explore various stations aligned to their strengths that ask them to solve real-world problems and share their solutions with family and friends. Newsday also highlights the Center’s opening, “In one of the first galleries, a wall of wooden blocks with dates on them can all be flipped to reveal photographs and bits of information. A large wooden globe is fun to spin, but it also works like a computer mouse to sail through a map of the world. Kids could also bypass the interactive displays and go straight to the fun room at the end of the walkway by the windows. There they’ll find games and toys and other hands-on Continue reading Gates’ Foundation’s Interactive Center: An Inspiration for Libraries? Come hear Wellington County Public Library’s experience at the OLA Poster Session on Thursday February 2, Lower Lobby of the Convention Centre, Noon – 2:00 p.m. Reinvesting in the Carnegie Legacy: Small Public Libraries, Big Community Impact Danielle Arial Wellington County Library Throughout the last decade, the County of Wellington has exemplified a commitment to community investment. In that time, nine of their fourteen branches have been renovated or reconstructed, with the five others to be completed over the next six years. Reinvestment in the County’s five original Carnegie libraries substantiates the very real return on investment Andrew Carnegie imagined. These innovative building projects create healthy, vibrant communities: barrier-free accessibility combined with environmentally sustainable construction standards lay the foundation for significant community impact. Accessible washrooms and parking, along with assistive technologies exemplify the County’s commitment to barrier-free service. Living roofs, rainwater collection for washroom use and daylight harvesting are just a few of the initiatives incorporated into the County’s Green Legacy Building Standards. The poster session will inspire other municipalities, providing ideas as to how they can renew this worthwhile investment. I had another “wth?” experience at a public library yesterday. (For those of you who know me well, you know that’d I am much more likely to have said “wtf?” but I’m being diplomatic with “what the heck?” here.) Here’s the situation: our daughter struggles with mental illness & addictions. She & I were room-hunting for her in an urban area where she can attend programming. We’d look at several places & then wanted to check out some other places, for which we needed the web — both for email & a bit of searching. I’d been using my Blackberry, but the screen is pretty darned small, so I was delighted to locate the public library, and even more delighted that it was open! I encourage her REGULARLY, to find public libraries for directions to social services & to access the web. When she was in Hamilton I encouraged her to use Hamilton Public Library. Hamilton Public Library is outstanding, and is to be commended, for their services for those struggling in our communities. So I assumed the urban library we were entering yesterday (NOT Hamilton Public Library) would be as wonderful for her to deal with as HPL had been. I was delighted that we’d be able to benefit from the public library in a city (not to be named) and that she’d now know where this particular branch was for future usage in this new city (not to be named). However (yes, there’s a “however”) as we went through the Continue reading Another “wth?” Library Policy |
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