The ALA has begun promoting its American Dream Toolkit and each reference chafes my sensibilities. These days, the notion of an “American Dream” bumps up against some pretty harsh realities: 1 in 4 children on foodstamps, devastating unemployment, millions of homes foreclosed, millions of people without access to adequate healthcare and public education. With so
◊ Change Management ◊
Hmmm… if libraries remove computers
Last week, two posts came over LISNews in close proximity. Both originated with librarians and address key questions about the future of libraries.If Libraries Remove Computers, Will Anyone Come? is a short piece by Wired Campus covering a lengthier post by Brian Mathews. Mathews asks “… if students don’t need our physical collections or computer
Celebrating and agonizing over libraries together
A reader comment on Friday prompted me to reflect upon my work as The Radical Patron. In response to the post Creativity & public libraries, part 2, Justine wrote: Re “You think public libraries need to be saved and I think their time as come” you are so right – even if our time has
The LoC & Twitter: the horror, the horror
This, dear reader, is what I saw while navigating the voluminous digital record of April 14th – 21st, a momentous week in American library history. News of the Library of Congress’s acquisition of Twitter’s archive set me on my course. Announcements trumpeted across the principals’ blogs. Twitter’s dignified, concise and authoritative statement was a masterful
Libraries, help lighten our ecological footprint
Remember libraries … from an ecological point of view, [that's] the virtuous way to go. Daniel Goleman, author of Ecological Intelligence: The Hidden Impacts of What We Buy, during a recent interview with public radio’s Tom Ashbrook. By way of introducing Life Cycle Assessment, a cradle-to-grave methodology for evaluating environmental impact, Daniel Goleman refuted the
Creativity & public libraries, part 2
There are many proven, highly transferable techniques for fostering creativity within organizations. The process of re-imagining an organization, let alone a worldwide archetype, is less established. My own thoughts about libraries have changed significantly since last Spring and it has been a productive, albeit difficult, evolution. The change was catalyzed late last year when I
Pro-creativity lists for public libraries, part 1
Thanks to Mary, a reader who commented last week on HBR’s anti-creativity list. The list was helpful, she said, and a list of pro-creativity ideas would be even better. That really got me thinking, as did her vital question of balance — between fostering creativity and saying no to new ideas, having an idea and
Thoughts on anti-creativity
Count me among the masses (judging from blog posts, tweets, stumbles, etc) who liked the HBR’s Anti-Creativity Checklist by Youngme Moon. I’ve uttered every statement on the list at least once and have heard them many times. We all have, which is why the video has gone viral. Amidst all this activity and exposure, I
Another rich opportunity for participatory librarianship
The world is not changed by those who stand ready. The world is changed by those who act, who shape, who reach — not when asked but when necessary. R. David Lankes, ILEAD U Keynote, February 2010 Last week I promoted a public library initiative of extraordinary consequence: librarians taking the lead to engage the
A patron response to participatory librarianship
This week I featured excerpts (here and here) from recent presentations by R. David Lankes. This passion and these ideas merit conversation and engagement — for if they remain a mere artifact, just another Powerpoint or post or tweet — they become part of a dynamic Lankes urges his audiences to move beyond. So here’s
