December, 2007

...you've likely chatted with Kami Griffiths, our interviewer extraordinare! Kami has talked to hundreds of libraries, learning how things get done, how libraries make things happen with few resources, and how libraries are eager to share their experiences so that others can learn from their mistakes and triumphs.

When I talk to librarians about the MaintainIT Project, I sometimes mention that even if you think you have nothing to offer the project, someone else may learn from your experiences. On the web site, we say, "remember what may be 'that's nothing' to you may be an 'aha!' to someone else."

Well, yesterday, Eliza Wingate from the Ukiah branch of the Mendocino County Library shared a discovery that fits snugly into that category. She wrote:

This may be a bit off-topic, but really, it's right on the money.

Last night while Christmas shopping, I overheard two of the shopkeeps chatting about what they're eating for dinner, what they're doing over the holidays, and what classes one of them will start next term.

Libraries use volunteers or local help all the time to fill the gaps in the services they provide--program support, shelving, circ desk duties, and sometimes technology. The latter can be tricky, and as Becky Heil from Dubuque County Library in Farley, IA shared,

Who on your list could use a great deal on a laptop? How about practical information on printers, too? Over at the TechSoup blog, Willow is spreading the joy by sharing the inside scoop on where to find information that'll help make technology purchases a little less stressful.

Louise Alcorn, librarian, author, and wireless expert extraordinare, recently responded to a blog comment worth talking about.

Take a photo of your Cookbook at your library, and join the MaintainIT Cookbook Flickr group! It's easy, fun, and well... FUN! Check it out!

We hear about how libraries are using--or not using--games in their libraries all the time. Some offer games, others don't--it's a big topic to chew on!

Just the other day, Beth McNeer from Allendale-Hampton-Jasper Regional Library from South Carolina shared her worries around kids disrupting other patrons while playing games. To mitigate this concern, her library is thinking of starting a game night:

TechSoup (MaintainIT's parent organization), is gearing up to give you free stuff to keep spam at bay. Check it out!

All sorts of ideas are coming together this fine December morning...

First, I wanted to tout the inspired work of Annie Adamson, the System Administrator/Teen Young Adult Librarian/Reference Clerk -- that's a lot of hats! -- at the Caldwell Public Library in Caldwell, ID. You can read more about her in the latest Library Feature.