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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

6 Ways To Become a Power User of the Public Library - BOOK RIOT


You have a library card and you know the library is more than just a “Netflix for books.”
Maybe you know about your library’s ebook offerings and maybe you know
you can borrow audiobooks or DVDs. But how can you make the absolute
most out of your local library? Here are 6 tips for becoming a power
user of the public library.




Worth noting: not all public libraries offer the same
services, so not everything mentioned here will be available to all
users. Some libraries offer more and some may offer less. These
variations exist because of funding differences, library size, location,
and a host of other factors, most of which are out of control of the
library itself. The one common denominator among these tips, though, is
that they’re all things you can ask about at your library.




Likewise, this is geared toward the American public library system, so your mileage in other countries may vary.


BLD0085361. Get to the top of the holds list for hot titles


Did you know many libraries order books well in advance of their
publication date? Librarians are knowledgable about what’s coming out,
and they often put in purchase orders for titles weeks, if not
months, before publication. This is especially true for books that are
garnering buzz or are new titles by popular authors.




Many times, those titles appear in the library catalog not long after
the order is placed. Even if the book isn’t on shelf, when the library
has ordered a title and it shows up in the catalog, chances are good you
can put a hold on it.




Say you’re reading our 5 To Watch For
feature and you see a title coming out at the end of the month that
looks great. Go to your library’s catalog and see if you can put a hold
on it. If you can’t do the hold from home, call the library and try
to do it over the phone. This’ll get you ahead of the game, and you’ll
be one of the first people to read the book, likely not long after it
releases.  Read more...

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Ferguson Library Becomes Refuge for Adults and Children Amid Strife FERGUSON, Missouri — Aug 20, 2014, 3:17 PM ET By COLLEEN CURRY and MICAH GRIMES

Amid all of the strife engulfing Ferguson, Missouri, this month, there is one spot in town that has become a refuge for children and parents: the library.
The Ferguson Library has been an oasis of calm since the town's residents erupted in anger at the police after a Ferguson cop shot and killed an unarmed black teen, Michael Brown, on Aug. 9.
It has used Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to offer residents a place of respite for them to get bottled water, check their emails, and avoid the unrest developing on Ferguson's streets.
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Sco
Gloria Pasley & Betsy Anderson outside the public library, willing to take students in

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Why the Public Library Beats Amazon—for Now - WSJ

As E-Book Subscription Services Grow Their Catalogs, the Age-Old Institution Trumps All

Monday, August 4, 2014

How a New Dutch Library Smashed Attendance Records - Shareable





Facing declining visitors and uncertainty about what to do about it, library administrators in the new town of
Almere in the Netherlands did something extraordinary. They redesigned
their libraries based on the changing needs and desires of library users
and, in 2010, opened the Nieuwe Bibliotheek (New Library), a thriving community hub that looks more like a bookstore than a library.




Guided by patron surveys, administrators tossed out traditional
methods of library organization, turning to retail design and
merchandising for inspiration. They now group books by areas of
interest, combining fiction and nonfiction; they display books face-out
to catch the eye of browsers; and they train staff members in marketing
and customer service techniques.




The library is also a Seats2meet (S2M)
location where patrons are empowered to help one another in exchange
for free, permanent, coworking space, and they utilize the S2M Serendipity Machine
to connect library users in real-time. They also have a bustling cafe,
an extensive events and music program, a gaming facility, a reading
garden and more. The result? The New Library surpassed all expectation
about usage with over 100,000 visitors in the first two months. It is
now considered one of the most innovative libraries in the world. Read more....