Helene Blowers International Young Librarians
Academy Yentspils, Latvia - August 2012 http://www.flickr.com/photos/drown/148206233/

I work here … 21
locations 1.5 million people 15 million circ

I work here …

A library … A short
compilation by Helene Blowers | HeleneBlowers.com

A library has been described
as many things by many people …

"In a library we are
surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends imprisoned by an enchanter in paper and leathern boxes." Ralph Waldo Emerson http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootbearwdc/13647107/

"A library is not simply
a repository of books, it is the symbol and center of our culture - a door and a window for those who might not otherwise have such doors and windows." Amy Tan Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/3463984860/

"The library is a societal
tent pole, There are a lot of ideas under it. Knock out the pole and the tent comes down“ Michael Connelly Author .

"Libraries are raucous clubhouses for
free speech, controversy, and community." Paula Poundstone Comedian http://www.flickr.com/photos/taste/1338042635/

Libraries store the energy that
fuels the imagination." Sidney Sheldon Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfallen/2102384345

"Libraries are the latest fashion
for the brain." E. Jean Carroll Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/moriza/149187332

"A good library is a
place, a palace where the lofty spirits of all nations and generations meet." Samuel Nig http://www.flickr.com/photos/environment/2167097486/

"We all love to hear
a good story. We save our stories in books. We save our books in libraries. Libraries are the storyhouses full of all those stories and secrets." Kathy Bates Actor http://www.flickr.com/photos/hansvanrijnberk/2598234846/

"Libraries are places where the
imaginatio n begins." Heather Barbieri Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/esparta/472155815

"A library, to modify the
famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life." Norman Cousins Political Journalist & Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabi_menashe/218574269/

"A library is a true
fairyland, a very palace of delight, a haven of repose from the storms and troubles of the world." Avebury http://www.flickr.com/photos/59195512@N00/802607313/

"Libraries are where dreams begin."
Jamie Freveletti Author

"A library is both comfort
food and inspiration, opportunity for growth, and the place where anyone can come for personal enrichment." Judy Strong http://www.flickr.com/photos/smanography/3056487326/ Author

"Libraries are the doorway to
a thousand worlds." Kristan Higgins Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/denn/184158506/

"Libraries are the air an
author breathes. The creative storehouse for the writer's soul. The single indispensable link to the next generation of readers." Andy Straka Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/dearbarbie/2105903679/

"Libraries: cafeterias for food that
feeds the mind." Louise Yelin Author http://www.flickr.com/photos/fornal/394740182

But perhaps one of my
favorite thoughts on libraries comes from the Father of Modern Librarianship himself … (be sure to pay special attention to his caveat)

A library's function is to
give the public in the quickest and cheapest way information, inspiration, and recreation. If a better way than the book can be found, we should use it." - Melvil Dewey (1851-1931) http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigberto/2650932169/

A library … So what
are your thoughts?

"What matters here is technical
capital, it's social capital. These tools don't get socially interesting until they get technologically boring. It isn't when the shiny new tools show up that their uses start permeating; it's when everyone is able to take them for granted.“ - Clay Shirky, Ted Talk 6/09 http://www.flickr.com/photos/milivoj/2166043959/

"Too much light often blinds
gentlemen of this sort. They cannot see the forest for the trees." - Musarion [1768], Canto II http://www.flickr.com/photos/rowmuse/309542801/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerlos/3119891607/

Reality ► The digital book
is changing everything. http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndecember/2914192044/

Reality ► Mobile builds bridges
faster Six in 10 people around the world (60%) now have cellphone subscriptions, signaling that mobile phones are the communications technology of choice, particularly in poor countries. – UN Report, March 2, 2009 Up from 2002 – 15% Internet worldwide: 11%- 2002 >> 23% - 2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/wink/192265445/

Reality ► Augmenting is the
new information window http://blog.stratepedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/42A94156-89A4-4D61-84FA-FE426B647889.jpg

Urban Spoon

Reality ► Print is in
peril

“As many newspapers struggle to
stay economically viable, fewer than half of Americans (43%) say that losing their local newspaper would hurt civic life in their community "a lot." Pew Research Study: Stop the Presses (March 12, 2009 ) http://www.flickr.com/photos/gog/21039882/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smohundro/3362589055/

Distribution Center Distribution Agent Distribution
format

Distribution Center Distribution Agent Distribution
format

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sabine01/717745775

It’s not the death of
the book to fear… it’s our dependency on formats as our community (service delivery) value! http://www.flickr.com/photos/aprilzosia/2585184283/

The Information Age, is an
idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously. - Wikipedia, 9/09

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaeming/3788942583/

The information age of now
… http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekai/473003133/

We Think
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiP79vYsfbo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/distortedsmile/18500026/

Chauvet Cave – 32,000 yrs
old

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laanba/165758145/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eternallyluna/154946086/

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HOMAGO

YouLit Magazine is an online
arts and literary publication for teens by teens. We feature poetry, photography, essays, illustrations and design created by teens out of Youmedia in the Chicago Public Library. youlitmag.tumblr.com

http://www.fflib.org/about-us/services/fablab

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Deeply Local

http://history.denverlibrary.org

http://creatingcommunities.denverlibrary.org/

http://www.columbusneighborhoods.org

http://www.columbusneighborhoods.org

DOK Cultural Heritage Surface Table

http://dallaslibrary.org/ctx

ScanJose.org

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http://www.plcmc.org/fotofun/default.asp

http://www.plcmc.org/fotofun/

Jessica, University City Library member
since 2001

http://youtu.be/NXzEV9iakNA



http://youtu.be/KFH0j8AS1PQ

http://youtu.be/KFH0j8AS1PQ

Aarhus Public Library - MindSpot
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sidselbech/2532760443

Modern Librarianship isn’t about …
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lgb06/4390432853

Modern Librarianship IS about an
APPLIED SERVICE… http://www.flickr.com/photos/michelleleonard/3464424050

• Knowledge consumption -> knowledge
creation • Brings world to community -> Bring community to themselves • Promote the library -> Customers to market the value • Community services -> Community Impact http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandi_22/474558156/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandi_22/474558156/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kubina/50366633/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/lkusuma/818295509/

Books Spaces Research information tools
Computers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Soap_bubbles_2.jpg ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thales/2782129254
?

Remember it’s not really about
the bubbles … http://www.pssl.com/images/ProdImage01/500/BUBBLE-BLAST.jpg

It’s about …
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53539456@N00/437085000/

Helene Blowers Digital Strategy Director
Columbus Metropolitan Library Slides @ Slideshare.net/hblowers http://www.flickr.com/photos/3l3na88/2539032486/