Social Library, Volume 104
Jennifer Peterson
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20 March 2018
The latest edition of our Social Library highlights innovative ways libraries are using Facebook to connect with communities. One library is circulating fishing poles and another created a video to show that yes, people still use libraries. One library is winning awards and another is reopening after renovations. And perhaps most intriguing of all, is a library that is now open 24/7! If you'd like to see your library featured in a Social Library edition, please let us know via [email protected] or find us on Facebook.
- Sterling Municipal Library in Texas shared this wonderful photo promoting their Fishing Pole Checkout. An informative brochure provides details on everything from obtaining a fishing license to safety tips. The poles can be checked out for a week and come with line, weights, hooks and floaters—everything but the patience needed for a successful trip!
- Livingston County Library in Missouri created a video in response to the question "Do people still use the public library?" The video provides an effective response using library usage data. "We get some interesting comments at times on how slow and boring it must be to work at a library. We can guarantee you that's not the case!
Have a look at just how busy our library is in a year. What do you think, with your help maybe these numbers will be even higher next year?" Thank you to Amy Dickerson, the library's social media coordinator, for answering questions about creating the short video in the Libraries & Social Media group on Facebook.
- Pueblo City-County Library District in Colorado was awarded the 2018 Leslie B. Knope Award for Best Library in America. Hosted by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL), the competition launched in December with more than 100 nominees. Each round generated great enthusiasm on social media for the competing libraries, with votes from community members and even state and local elected officials. The winning library gathered hundreds of photos of proud and supportive patrons on social media and ELGL provided wonderful posts highlighting the competing libraries. The award is named after Leslie Knope, the protagonist in the TV sitcom Parks and Recreation, who ironically, is not a fan of the public library. In a Pueblo-Chieftain article, the director of community relations for the library said that the award "was something that brought the community together." And to keep the recognition coming, just one week later, the library was named a finalist in the nation's most prestigious award, the 2018 National Medal for Museums and Libraries. Congratulations to all the staff and community who are making this such an award-winning library!
- Chicago Public Library announced the grand reopening of the newly renovated Carter G. Woodson Regional Library in Chicago's Washington Heights neighborhood. The Endeleo Institute, who spear-headed the community-led renovation in 2014, shared a wonderful video about the library, which houses the largest collection of African-American history in the Midwest as well as the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection.
- Cebu City Public Library in the Philippines bears the distinction of being the only library in the country open 24/7, thanks to a student's request on the mayor's Facebook page. The request was made on a Sunday, and the library was open 24/7 beginning the following Friday. Mayor Tommy Osmeña (who provides his personal phone number on his cover photo!), seems to move quickly in many of the decisions he makes, but it's yet to be seen if mayors in other cities move as fast!
