On June 28, FOX News affiliates in Boston, New York and Chicago each ran 5-7 minute segments on public libraries. Though I never imagined myself endorsing content distributed by FOX, these news clips have provided the best coverage I’ve seen of our public library dilemmas. They did a good job highlighting the value delivered by
◊ Business of Libraries ◊
Getting the brush off @ your library
It’s disconcerting how often I get the brush off when seeking basic service or information from libraries. Some examples: A few months ago, I phoned the ALA library in search of the photo used in Libraries – protect that brand. I described the photo clearly, shared that it was an American Libraries cover and that
Libraries as hubs of civic discourse
Oleg Kagan’s comments to my July 7 post and another librarian’s comment on the Lead Pipe blog suggest the idea of public libraries becoming hubs of civic discourse is worth exploring. Do citizens really want it? Oleg described an unsuccessful civic program at the Will & Arial Durant Branch library in Los Angeles: “we invited
Thinking ’bout library card statistics
I often see statistics on the number of card holders referenced in library materials. For example, in its recent promotional flyer How Libraries Stack Up: 2010, the OCLC compared the number of public library card holders to the number of credit card holders. I’m curious to know how this statistic is compiled and what it’s
Thinking ’bout library gate count statistics
On May 11, Jay Leno quipped “People here in Los Angeles are upset at the mayor’s proposed plan to cut the budget of libraries… they want to cut library budgets and this could affect as many as nine people.” City Librarian Martin Gómez responded to Leno “… these cuts are no laughing matter to the
LC-Twitter, another bite at the apple
In The LoC & Twitter: the horror, the horror I expressed discouragement over my industry observations during the weeks following the Library of Congress agreement to archive Twitter. An opportunity arose to revisit the subject in Library Journal and I returned to form with some straight-ahead analysis and thoughts about new information needs in the
The Goodnight, Gutenberg blog
Folks interested in publishing and technology will want to check out Slate.com’s Goodnight, Gutenberg from publishing-exec-turned-author Marion Maneker. A few recent articles may be of particular interest to libraries: The Cloudy Revolution: The iPad will speed the shift from desktop to Web-based computing. The Future of E-Readers Is Brighter Than We Knew Does It Matter
Could this be @ your library?
If I worked for the National Public Library Corporation, I’d include moving visuals like the ones below in my architecture collection. In addition to reference materials, the collection would include resources for library programs that drive community participation, education and enjoyment such as: physical and online references for in-house exhibits project outlines for researching &
Of course librarianship is a profession
The Radical Patron is pleased to welcome guest author, Michael Henry Starks. Following a 25-career in Marketing and Communications for IBM, Michael is in his first year of library school at Indiana University in Indianapolis. A couple of weeks ago, Ryan Deschamps, e-Learning Manager at the Halifax Public Libraries in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and writer
Waking up to The American Dream Toolkit
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
