The document discusses libraries and their importance from various perspectives. It provides over a dozen quotes from authors, journalists, and others emphasizing different roles libraries play such as being places of imagination, culture, education, and community. The quotes portray libraries as storyhouses, delivery rooms for ideas, and tent poles supporting communities. Melvil Dewey is quoted noting libraries should provide information, inspiration and recreation through any means, including new technologies.

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

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

3. I work here …

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

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

9. "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/

10. "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/

11. "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 .

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

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

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

15. "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/

16. "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/

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

18. "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/

19. "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/

20. "Libraries are where dreams
begin."
Jamie Freveletti
Author

21. "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

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

23. "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/

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

25. 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)

26. 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/

27. A library …
So what are your thoughts?

28. "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/

29. "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/

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

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

33. 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/

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

37. Urban Spoon

38. Reality ► Print is in peril

39. “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/

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

42. Distribution Center Distribution Agent Distribution format

43. Distribution Center Distribution Agent Distribution format

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

45. 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/

47. 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

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

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

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

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

52. Chauvet Cave – 32,000 yrs old

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

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

56. 

58. HOMAGO

59. 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

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

69. 

70. Deeply Local

71. http://history.denverlibrary.org

72. http://creatingcommunities.denverlibrary.org/

75. http://www.columbusneighborhoods.org

76. http://www.columbusneighborhoods.org

81. DOK Cultural Heritage Surface Table

85. http://dallaslibrary.org/ctx

88. ScanJose.org

90. 

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

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

93. Jessica, University City Library member since
2001

98. http://youtu.be/NXzEV9iakNA

101. 

102. http://youtu.be/KFH0j8AS1PQ

103. http://youtu.be/KFH0j8AS1PQ

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

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

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

111. • 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/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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