Have you signed? There’s an online petition titled “Tell HarperCollins: Limited Checkouts on eBooks is Wrong for Libraries”. So far the petition has over 61,500 signatures. You can access the online petition and related information here. How long before this petition has an impact? Only time will tell, but try we must!
Tag Archives: News
Grand Rapids Area Library Branding is Featured in ALA Direct
Did you see it? Grand Rapids (Minn) Area Library was highlighted in this week’s ALA Direct newsletter. Kudos to Grand Rapids Area Library and Director, Marcia Anderson, for developing and actively using a branding campaign that highlights their fantastic programs and services. Since 2006, Grand Rapids Area Library has been using the “@ your library” brand to identify upcoming events and offerings at the library. It has been an incredibly successful campaign, with a weekly column in the local newspaper devoted to the @ your library information. Read more here.
Congratulations Movers and Shakers!
Movers and Shakers was launched in 2002, and it spotlights librarians and others in the library field who are doing extraordinary work to serve their users and move libraries and library services forward. With the 50 members of the class of 2011, the group now exceeds 500.
Take a look at this year’s lineup at http://tinyurl.com/45dff53 and consider following them through your social networking tools too!
Minnesota Library Futures Initiative Update
Minnesota Library Futures Initiative Update: 3/1/11
The Minnesota Library Futurists are continuing with their exciting work. Their last meeting was held at the Plymouth branch library on February 11th. A portion of the day was used to discuss marketing and advocacy for libraries, while the majority of the meeting focused on planning, logistics, and outcomes. The Futurists plan to revisit the topic of marketing and advocacy in the near future.
The January meeting was held on January 21st at the St. Paul Academy and Summit School. The discussion focused on the topic of technology in libraries. Additionally, the group benefited from a panel of four forward-thinking professionals from a variety of backgrounds. The conversation between the panelists and the Futurists explored real world conflicts that information professionals face when using technology in libraries — and the world beyond. For more detailed information about this and past meetings, please visit the MNLFI website. A Twitter feed (@MNLFI2025) has been added to the site and the blog continues to abound with innovative posts and ideas.
The next MNLFI meeting will be held on Saturday, March 19th at Saint Mary’s University’s graduate campus in Minneapolis. The focus for the day is Education and Information Literacy. Guest speakers include Doug Johnson, Director of Media and Technology at Mankato Schools, and Tom Eland, Librarian from Minneapolis Community and Technical College. This free event, from 9:30-11:30AM, is open to the library community, but space is limited. If you plan to attend, please RSVP. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Kate Peterson (katep@umn.edu, 612-626-3746).
Minnesota Library Futures Initiative Update
On December 10th the Minnesota Library Futurists gathered at the St. Cloud Public Library to discuss the general outlook for Minnesota in 2025, with the goal of creating a common framework for the Futurist’s work in upcoming months. In preparation for the meeting, Futurists researched current trends and outlooks for demographics, economics, education, and technology. For each of these areas, mini-SWOT analyses were performed.
Additionally, Futurists analyzed and discussed the current political climate and how it could impact the library landscape in 2025. Ideas for how libraries will move forward into the future began to present themselves as the day came to a close. These ideas have been recorded for further examination.
The Futurists are also excited to announce that a website and blog are now available. The website is available at https://sites.google.com/site/mnlfi2025/home, and will be used to convey information about the MN Library Futures Initiative, the 23 Futurists, the key focus areas, future-forward bibliographies, archived recordings of guest speakers (when available), and plans for upcoming meetings. Feedback and ideas from the library community are welcome on the MNLFI blog at http://mnlfi2025.blogspot.com/?zx=4e5a215efb8b40d7. The blog will include updates from the Futurists, but the hope is that those with an interest in the future of libraries will also post to the blog. Questions, commentary, and ideas about the future are encouraged.
The group’s next meeting will take place at St. Paul Academy on Friday, January 21st. The focus for the day is technology.