Eric has been good enough to send me two media video clips in as many days, and I'd like to share them with you.
The first is a touching, heartwarming story that just about brought me to tears. It's a woman from Jackson County, Oregon who describes what an emotional, transformative experience the library and library staff have been for her, in her life.
Her article led me to the Jackson County blog--which I had read before but it's worth reading again now, as closure time nears.
Concerned citizens have started the Save Our Library Political Action Committee. This is way cool but too bad it had to come to this...
A TV clip from the CBS Early Show that looks at positive (Princeton, NJ) and negative (Jackson Co.) library funding areas. Nice plug from Leslie Burger in there. Their overall report saying library funding is up...which I am not sure jives with the recent LJ article. But mainstream media...that there was coverage at all is something.
And speaking of, Katie Couric did a page in her online notebook about libraries recently. Her message reinforced that libraries=books, but she did have good mentions of the additional materials you'll find there like DVDs, internet access and more.
Funny how no one mentions the marvelous electronic databases you can gain access to? Or more importantly, the wonderful, kind and caring librarians who can help kids discover magical new lands and help adults continue to grow and expand their world-views? It seems like mainstream media is focused on the stuff--but Meghan O'Flaherty's connection is clearly with the people first and the stuff second....
It makes me think that the people in the library--librarians, paraprofessionals, volunteer help--are even more important than your collection, in terms of helping people connect with (and support) your library.
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4 comments:
Alice -- thanks for weaving these isolated impressions into a cogent tale. Library staff do provide personality, context, and those added personal extras that complements the collection of content. The building also has its part to play. Content, space, help, and community -- a library is the sum of many things.
Alice, People are content too. We need to expose our communities and staff just as much as we need to expose our databases and holdings. We can only do that through the local braches. When I search for information, I'd love to turn up neighborhood experts as well as articles, DVD's and books.
Oooo I LIKE this idea!! It makes your library the connector place in your community. How can we set it up?
Of course, I am imagining all these experts lining up to be cataloged into the local system! (And would we add them to WorldCat? Perhaps we add them as "Aquatic Gardening Experts" and then the holding symbol is your local library?) Okay now I am feeling dorky ...
Not dorky at all, Alice. Remember I blogged about this a while ago? http://scanblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/readers-advisorywhere.html
I really really wish experts were catalogued so that you'd see them show up in a search you did on "plants for shade" for example. This seems like such a no-brainer...is it the straightjacket of MARC that prevents people from being catalogued?
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