Category Archives: library patrons

Libraries and entrepreneurs

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In this season, politicians at all levels of government seek votes by talking about our weak economy and what they’ll do to create jobs. Meanwhile, libraries are quietly (or perhaps not so quietly) doing something about this problem. I have already written about library services for the unemployed. There are a couple of paragraphs there about supporting local entrepreneurs, and in fact, many people use unemployment as a spur to start their own businesses instead of looking for a new job. The topic deserves more careful attention. The importance of entrepreneurs Some of the nation’s most successful companies have started during economic hard times. The number and rate of new businesses has steadily declined in recent years. On the one hand, the most recent declines can be explained as a result of the economic meltdown we have suffered. On the other hand, decreasing numbers of startups over a period of decades may help to explain why recovery is taking so long. We’ve all heard arguments over whether large or small corporations create more jobs. As it turns out, the age of a company more accurately predicts its power as a job creator. Nearly all new jobs (as opposed to job … Continue reading →

Teenagers, libraries, digital media, and learning

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To many grownups, teenagers always seem to be goofing off with various electronic toys: cell phones, music players, game consoles, portable computers, and the like. Teenagers certainly consume a lot of digital media. Libraries are discovering that this same passion for digital technology can help develop creativity and critical thinking skills. In November 2011, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, along with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, made grants of $100,000 to twelve museums and libraries across the country to develop digital learning laboratories for teenagers. They will announce another round of grants in November 2012. Chicago Public Library’s YOUmedia Chicago Public Library’s YOUmedia inspired the grant program. It is a special space where teenagers can use equipment provided by the library to create the same sorts of media that they consume. Creativity requires the development of certain skills. Digital creativity, of course, requires digital skills. But creativity has always required a variety of intellectual, social, and emotional disciplines. The electronic age has not changed that fact at all. It doesn’t work to plan a new program for a particular constituency and then dictate how it has to work. Development of YOUmedia has required some cultural … Continue reading →

They asked the librarian what??

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Reference librarians are in the business of answering questions, whether helping someone plan a major research project or pointing the way to the drinking fountain. Most questions are pretty routine, but some patrons ask funny questions. They have no idea what they really want, and occasionally appear not even to understand that they’re in a library. Some patrons want a particular book. They just can’t remember the author or the title. They might ask by color, but often as not, they’re wrong about that, too. Here are some memorably funny reference questions, along with the eventual answers.

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Libraries nourish creativity

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“One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out” — Jeff Bezos So how to you go about inventing your way out of a tight box? It requires curiosity and creativity. Libraries themselves have been in a tight box lately. For centuries, they have functioned mostly as repositories of information. Rightly or wrongly, society seems to be coming to the conclusion that it does not need repositories any more. For the past several decades, libraries have been reinventing themselves into idea factories. Why did society start building large collections of books for public use in the first place? To make them available to a wide public that otherwise could not afford to get them. Even a small library’s collection contains more than even the richest of citizens could buy. The same principle guides newer library services today. Media lab Many libraries, both academic and public, offer media labs. Even smaller libraries can set aside one fully loaded workstation where patrons can find advanced software and the peripherals necessary to use them. The Barrington Area Library, for example, has One MacPro computer with dual monitors A tablet computer Professional grade microphones A … Continue reading →

Helping the reference librarian help you

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Do you need help answering a question? Ask a librarian. Specifically, ask a reference librarian. You’ll usually find at least one at the library’s reference desk. Now, some libraries are starting to do away with reference desks as a special service point. In some cases, at least, that means they have decided to have the librarians roam the library, or parts of it, looking for people who need  help. If you see a librarian at a desk who seems to be busy with paper work, go ask your question. You will not be interrupting anything important. The librarian needs something to do while waiting for you to come over. That’s the first thing to know about reference librarians: they want to answer your question, and they make themselves visible so that you can find them to ask it. In fact, nowadays, you don’t actually need to go to the library to use the services of a reference librarian. You can call on the phone. You can send an email to the library. Many libraries also provide reference service by chat or instant messaging. A second thing helpful to know is that the librarian knows, before you ever ask your question, … Continue reading →