Category Archives: Library in Community

A Perfect Marriage: Libraries and Voter Info

Posted on October 10, 2012 by cbecker53

It’s October 10, and the fact that Election Day is November 6 is much on my mind. One of the most important things libraries can do is inform citizens about their important right and duty: voting.   There are many ways … Continue reading →

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Bringing the Library to Your Home!

Posted on October 5, 2012 by cbecker53

I spent last week in Minnesota with my mother and sister; much of the week was actually spent in the hospital in Rochester, because my 91-year-old mother had some kind of incident, probably a very tiny stroke or seizure.  She … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Service, Elderly, Library in Community, Persons with Disabilities, Public Libraries | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Policies for the Good of the User, not Just the Library

Posted on August 29, 2012 by cbecker53

Although the article “A Tale of Two Students” (American Libraries) is about schools, it could just as easily be about public libraries.  It contains two scenarios about school acceptable use policies. In one scenario, Michael learned about appropriate online conduct, … Continue reading →

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Library as Post Office–A New Opportunity for Partnering?

Posted on August 22, 2012 by cbecker53

  So perhaps you’ve heard about a new initiative from the United State Postal Service called the Village Post Office (VPO) program.  It allows businesses, convenience stores, and libraries to offer limited postal service. “This lets the town keep its … Continue reading →

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We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (Let’s not go Backward)

Posted on August 11, 2012 by cbecker53

As I celebrate my 40th high school class reunion, the early 1970s are much on my mind. The public library of my youth, the library I worked at after school and on weekends, has come a long way.  The building … Continue reading →

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Recognizing Burnout (and What to Do about it)

Posted on August 6, 2012 by cbecker53

The recent American Libraries “Will’s World” column struck a chord with me.  “Your Mileage May Vary” deals, in a facetious way, with the topic he calls “library fatigue,” but more commonly known, I think, as burnout.  Especially among those of … Continue reading →

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Little Free Libraries

Posted on July 26, 2012 by cbecker53

So much has been written about the Little Free Library project, there’s little I can add. Started in 2009, the concept is simple:  little boxes that look like miniature buildings (originally 20” wide by 15” deep by 18” high), mounted … Continue reading →

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A New Kind of Librarian

Posted on July 15, 2012 by cbecker53

The term “embedded librarian” has been around for awhile now, but it is still relatively new, and not well understood. Embedded means rooted or planted within, and most of us became familiar with something akin to embedded librarianship when the … Continue reading →

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Libraries are Hot Stuff!!

Posted on July 6, 2012 by cbecker53

The big news this week is the heat—I mean, the HEAT—as a record-breaking heat wave continues to sweep much of the United States.   The cool thing for libraries (pardon the pun) is that the heat wave provides them another … Continue reading →

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Be Powerful–Be a Partner!

Posted on July 1, 2012 by cbecker53

I’ve written before about the importance of library partnerships—personally, I think partnering with other agencies, organizations, and your community strengthen your ties to your community, and also increases your standing among tax payers. But you can’t just phone it in.  … Continue reading →

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