Published by
Michelle on
November 10, 2010 in
Continuing Education, General, Public Libraries, Special Libraries, advocacy, conferences and programs.
Tags: ABOS, ARSL, blog, conference, rural, Scholarship, winners.
In August, the Colorado State Library welcomed applications for $250 scholarships to attend “Magic in the Mile High City”: the joint Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) Conference in Denver, October 14-16. The scholarships were intended to cover the cost of registration for the 10 individuals chosen.
The winners were staff from the following libraries:
- Conejos County Library District
- Costilla County Public Library
- Delta County Libraries
- Lamar/Prowers County Bookmobile
- La Veta Regional Library District
- Park County Public Library
- Pine River Public Library District
- Red Feather Mountain Library District
- Wetmore Community Library
- Windsor-Severance Library District
One of the scholarship requirements was that each recipient write a brief blog about why their attendance at the ARSL-ABOS conference would significantly impact their library and community. The blog entry might also contain information about a great session they attended, a meaningful networking opportunity, or anything else the attendee may have taken home with them.
Some blog excerpts:
“Attending the ARSL/ABOS joint conference in Denver for the first time afforded a number of experiences, but the primary impression was that of opportunity: the opportunity to meet a number of peers from far-flung geographies… and to find that their problems and successes were at times the same as ours and in other instances uniquely different. It was the opportunity to debate nuts-and-bolts issues such as handling tourist library usage in smaller, recreation-oriented rural towns. And, it provided the opportunity to listen to, and sometimes meet, fine speakers and leaders in the library world including Colorado’s own Pat Wagner and Jamie LaRue. “ -Creed Kidd, Red Feather Lakes Community Library
“I learned there are many ways to do outreach in your library, from doing job resume assistance to having a pot-luck centered around a culture your community has not yet experienced! It all makes a difference to them and you. People don’t always know how to ask for help or admit they need it. If you have a caring staff that is trained to reach out and meet that needs of the community you serve, you are rich in friends and your community will be changed for the better. We are leaders even when we don’t realize it. We serve because we love what we do. The patrons aren’t the only ones who walk away with a smile when we help them meet their need(s). “ -Sheri Eirhart, Lamar/Prowers County Bookmobile
Hello Colorado Libraryland!
As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the Next Generation Colorado Virtual Library will be in part a showcase and a repository of some of the amazing stuff you’re doing across Colorado. In order to highlight your greatness, we need to find out about and grab whatever it is you’re creating out there in libraryland. To that end, we’ll be asking you to send us your content periodically, so that we can tweak it, web-ify it, and present it to the world. The first module we’re tackling is technology training, and we want the best technology training material libraries in Colorado have to offer!
What We Want
We trust you know what your patrons need better than we do, so we plan to devise content areas once we take a look at what gets submitted. We have some ideas (see “More on ‘Content’” below!), Continue reading ‘We Need Your Patron-Centered Tech Training Materials!’
Published by
Shelly Drumm on
October 22, 2010 in
Innovation, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Special Libraries and advocacy.
Tags: AskColorado, collaboration, Colorado Virtual Library, CSL, SWIFT, technology, training.
Or at least we hope you’ll give it a shot, once the dust settles.
When the Colorado Virtual Library (CVL) was launched over a decade ago, it was a new and exciting resource, unlike anything available in the Colorado library community at that time. But times have changed, and we regret to confess, the CVL hasn’t. The way that we use the internet and the kinds of tools available to us are changing at a breakneck pace, and the rate of change is only accelerating. It’s with all of this in mind that we’re approaching a complete redesign of the CVL.
Our Approach
While technical decisions are still in the works, we know we’ll be building an ever-changing collection of content modules (more on that in a minute!) around a central core of heavily-used library services such as AskColorado’s awesome 24/7 reference service, SWIFT interlibrary loan (soon with more patron-initiated functionality!), and access to valuable digital collections. Those content modules will be developed on an as-needed basis, allowing us to be more responsive to your needs and those of your patrons. Continue reading ‘Not a User of the Colorado Virtual Library? You Will Be!’
I saw a notice recently about a library awareness campaign running from the Jefferson County Public Library. 
This is interesting advocacy strategy and one more way to help drive traffic to the library’s site. After a period of several weeks, the library will post a survey testing the knowledge its visitors, with an opportunity to win gift cards worth $70. You’ll find more detail, plus learn some things about the library at the DYK page.
Short Article in Wall Street Journal on Oct 17th
Libraries Offer Free Resources
By Jonnelle Marte
Exerpt: “Looking for free financial resources? Go to the library.
Many libraries offer free access to financial websites that require paid subscriptions. Others provide free financial-literacy programs.
One site is Morningstar.com, where library patrons can access analysts’ research on stocks and mutual funds and other portfolio tools. The accounts at the libraries are similar to Morningstar’s Premium memberships, which cost $179 annually, but don’t include the ability to save a personal portfolio or sign up for alerts.”
Pichado Photography
A businessman’s letter to the Director of the Manitou Springs Public Library – Margaret Morris (post flood).
“The library is good and dry and all the noisy equipment is gone.
If we can provide any help getting the library back in order let me know and MediClean will take care of it during our regular scheduled cleaning. I will also donate the time I spent out there Thursday. I think Public Libraries are the greatest! I know if it wasn’t for the help I received at my local Public Library I would have never been able to start my own business. I spent a lot of time at the my local Library learning how to use a computer before I could afford to buy my own. A Library is also full of many other resources helpful to the small business person. Also the Free computer classes & helpful staff helped out a lot too. My way of giving back.” ~ Charles Blue
Published by
Michelle on
August 19, 2010 in
Academic Libraries, Butterfly Project, CAL, Community Collaborations, General, Public Libraries, School Libraries, Special Libraries, advocacy and institutional libraries.
Tags: awareness, branding, campaign, Colorado, library, logo, marketing, statewide, what's next.
Colorado’s Statewide Library Awareness Campaign is: What’s Next?!
Vision: * Libraries move communities into the future. Every resident of Colorado will discover their library to be a place of curiosity & discovery; ideas & experiences; inspiration & imagination. They are places of endless possibilities.
Mission: * Libraries are excited about patron’s questions, we assist patrons with their needs during transitional times in their lives. What’s Next?!
Goals: * To shift the general public’s perceptions so they understand that libraries change with the times, are not just books and provide critical help to people during times of personal or community transition. * To reinvigorate the value of libraries and secure future funding of Colorado Libraries.
Tagline: * What’s Next?! Your future. Libraries help get you there
We are moving forward and have the logo, mark, fonts and style guide. Please refer to the style guide for explanations on file types. These are all available on the Brand Items page.
We are working on the website and marketing kits which should be ready by the CAL conference in October 2010.
Contact Debbi MacLeod with any questions.
Please read further – past the bullet points. I dare you not to get misty-eyed. ~ Judy VanAcker
Libraries mean business. ~ Aspen Walker (Douglas County Libraries)
- We help people get their small business started, and provide resources to help them excel and persist.
- We draw folks into town and commerce centers, and then they spend their money in area businesses (did you know that the Philip S. Miller Library is the number one reason people visit downtown Castle Rock, Colorado? Between January-July of this year, the library has already 285,566 visitors. That’s almost 9,500+ people a week! And when they do visit, they spend at least $20 in surrounding stores. We’re an anchor store… with a benevolent [and fun!] social purpose).
- We offer an amazing return on investment. I only pay $42 a year in taxes to fund my local library, but I enjoy hundreds of dollars worth of materials and services every year. In fact, for every dollar invested in my library district, we return at least $5 in value. Magic? No. It’s the sheer wonder of the public library.
- We help people find jobs. My friend Tana, shared a poignant story with me earlier this year, based on an actual experience she had working in public libraries:
Continue reading ‘Libraries Mean Business and so much more’
What You’re Saying