Public libraries have received good press in 2009, although professional librarians have not. This summer produced a spate of stories about librarians “playing against type”1 that did more to reify negative images than dispel them. Reputable sources reported on librarians organizing book cart races, competing in roller derbies, and getting tattoos. Interestingly, none spoke about
◊ Advocacy ◊
iGoogle page of library news & blogs
This week, as I read some really interesting news and blog posts, I wondered if folks might be interested in an iGoogle page of library info sources… Simply click on the image to install.
We like books in Boston
Massachusetts has the oldest library system in the nation. It may also be taking the lead to replace the institution. During the summer, a suburban high school ditched its library for a new technology center. On Friday, the Boston Globe reports that a prep school in central Massachusetts is following suit. 457 reader comments have
Libraries as Acts of Civic Renewal
Excerpts from a beautiful speech by Carnegie Corporation1 president Vartan Gregorian to the Kansas City Club, Oct 17, 2002. Libraries contain the heritage of humanity, the record of its triumphs and failures, its intellectual, scientific and artistic achievements and its collective memory. They are a source of knowledge, scholarship and wisdom. They are an institution,
A winning approach for library advocacy
Here’s a shout out for the ALA’s Privacy Revolution. It’s off to a real good start, for it: Puts its cause right out there. Says important stuff clearly and concisely. Makes good resources readily accessible. Works with allies. Issues a call to action. Its focus is privacy and freedom, although this campaign also lights the
Make some noise for your library
Library professionals typically put public service above all else, even in the face of massive budget cuts. This can have the unintended consequence of weakening advocacy. Librarians Getting the Shaft, as Usual is the Annoyed Librarian’s frank commentary on the subject. Others have also alluded to it. The ALA’s Keith Michael Fields penned a March
No libraries, no memory, no history
As a symbolic space, a type of collection, a kind of building, the library gives institutional form to our collective memory. Public libraries and other institutions established boundaries between public and private life that have become crucial to the modern meaning and experience of community. Community in postmodern America has itself become a function of
Don’t pull the plug on libraries
A new campaign from British Columbia, Don’t Pull the Plug on Libraries, addresses the core, unmet needs I see in American public library funding advocacy: An organized central resource for library advocates. Direct, concise information for the public and public officials. Here are a few of this campaign’s strengths: Its name is a call to
This is your taxes at work
Stop what you’re doing. Really. Stop now and read this newspaper article about how regional libraries in Santa Ana, CA are fostering community and well-being in these difficult times. Author Kate Huh does a beautiful job of capturing the range of valuable qualities and activities we support through our taxes. Libraries are a great example
The WABAC machine, episode 1
This shift in focus from book to reader brought the agency into the lives of people; from being a collection at a distance, catering to bookish individuals, it became a source of stimulation and guidance for a wider segment. A visit to the library was not a trip to a dull enclave with solemn rows
