Back at the end of March, I wrote about something I was calling "community reference." The idea was as radical as it is obvious: people with questions may not think to ask a librarian, so the library needs to send the librarians to the people.
Sometimes, those questions are big -- so big that whole neighborhoods or municipalities wrestle with them. Here's an example: how do you build and sustain a vibrant "downtown?"
That question, that conversation, that intersection of private and public interests, is happening everywhere in the county: the Town of Castle Rock, the Town of Parker, the City of Lone Tree, the unincorporated area of Highlands Ranch.
I mentioned in my previous article that we were working with a group of town planners and local business people in Parker. They wanted to understand regional and historic architectural styles. They wanted to share information about planning maps. They were looking for images that allowed people to understand what other proposals might look like: trails to explore local history, locations for new signage.
So we sent some librarians to their meetings. We met separately with some of the key players to interview them. And lo and behold -- they had precisely the sorts of questions that librarians are trained to answer.
Well, we did our research, and then ran across a new twist. Librarians have always answered short questions quickly. For longer things, often, we get people started with some resources, then check back with those people to see how they're coming along.
But for this particular community project, that wouldn't work. We had to figure out a way to communicate that research back to the group.
What we came up with is, I think, a template for similar projects.
First, one of our reference librarians, Colbe Galston, delivered the library's original Power Point presentation on "turn of the century Colorado architecture." Then, we took a whole host of informative material, much of it produced by people outside the library, and put it up on a project web page we call an iGuide. (Many thanks to Contact Center Librarian Don Dickenson, who structured and formatted the content.)
That page can be found at www.douglascountylibraries.org/Research%20Tools/infoguide.php. (Or if you're just navigating your way through, start at our main page, then click on the Research Tools tab, then the iGuides choice on the left side of the page, and finally, scroll down to Parker Downtown Development.)
What you'll find there is pretty interesting -- the collective memory of a community, the collaborative effort of the public and private sector. It's also a terrific starting point for other communities interested in what kind of issues matter in the creation or redevelopment of a downtown.
You might also browse some of those other iGuides. They represent a new kind of reference service: "pre-packaging" of information to address topics of local interest. You could probably piece much of this information together yourself, but the iGuide saves you the trouble. We link to things we know are of value -- items in our physical collection, articles in the electronic journals we subscribe to, related websites, and many other things that might never have occurred to you.
So what's the job of today's reference librarian? There are several:
* to respond to your questions when you contact us at the library, as we have always done
* to be alert to key community issues and questions, and to dive into the meetings outside the library where they are being discussed
* to help figure out just what the real questions might be
* to provide solid, authoritative information in response to those questions
* to deliver answers back to our community in a variety of formats, up to and including executive summaries, presentations, and virtual resources available 24/7
* and finally, to archive those presentations and resources, and thereby provide a way for a community to acknowledge and understand its own emerging identity.
This wasn't the kind of librarianship being taught when I went to school. But Douglas County, today, is a complex place. It deserves a library that knows how to help.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
June 21, 2007 - A LIFETIME IN THE LIBARY, by Cindy Malone
Do any of you remember when you checked out a book in the "old days," i.e. the Sixties? They would take an actual photograph of your card and the removable library card pasted into the book. You would stand there at the checkout counter, and the librarian (complete with glasses and a bun) would step on a foot pedal, triggering the bright light photo and a neat 1960’s mechanical noise, taking the picture, so as to trace you if you became overdue or worse.
I wasn’t even in kindergarten yet. I know that because they moved my neighborhood library in southeast Denver down a few blocks to a wonderfully larger space. My first memories are of the old library, and of going home and playing with the stacks of books my mother checked out for the whole family. I would open the book’s cover, where the library card holder was pasted in, then step on my imaginary foot pedal. I’d make the picture sound myself, then "stamp" the library card, and put it in the book. I’d go through the entire stack, then hand the books to my imaginary mother (who was no doubt, making dinner or polishing the furniture in the house. These were the 60’s, you know.) "Thanks for coming in, Mrs. Hopko," I’d say to her. Then I would proceed with the stack to the nearest heating vent (our tri-level was cold in the wintertime!) and curl up with those books, adult and children’s.
I could read most of the words. My mother tells me I started reading at age 3, as she was helping my kindergarten-aged brother to read. I remember I caught on much more quickly than he did, and I would blurt out the correct words as he was trying to piece together G and O in "Go, Dog, Go!" by P.D. Eastman. My brother has dyslexia, but no one knew what that was then, and in a way, his drawback was my opportunity. I remember the exact moment I figured out the words, Dog, and Big Dog, Little Dog in the book, like a Helen Keller-like revelation, and at the same time my mother telling me not to read out loud because my sibling was trying so, so hard to figure it out on his own.
As an awkward, very shy teenager with no figure and glasses, the library and everything in it were my haven. Other kids, including my brother, were out riding bikes, playing kick-the-can, but I was curled up in my dad’s recliner, reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and Nancy Drew. Later on, I read Charles Dickens, then T.S. Elliot, John Steinbeck and Shakespeare, sometimes over and over again.
As a TV reporter in Great Falls, MT, the library was one of the first places I looked up in town. It was a haven then, between busy hours of constant work, and what seemed was always winter. I started reading biographies of people in the West, especially women, understanding a little bit better how isolating that kind of life was, even though I was surrounded by 50,000 other souls, the smallest place I had ever been for an extended period of time.
Now, twenty years later, the library isn’t just a haven. It’s a bonding place for myself and my children, two little girls. My youngest can’t read yet, but loves to look at all kinds of books, and now, of course, the computer. My second-grader and I have spent many of our most happy and content times at the Philip S. Miller library looking for the newest Magic Tree House books, looking for the biographies of Abe Lincoln that she found on her own for her class report. She’s shy with adults, but has no problem asking the librarian for information on anything.
My husband and I take the girls there just about every Sunday. It’s a new family tradition. The best feeling I can have is seeing my 8-year-old daughter’s eyes as she looks for books, DVDs, books on CD, Leap Frogs or CD-ROMs. Or when she proudly looks something up on the library computer and finds it herself, then settles down to read it. I know that glow.
And have since I was three years old.
I wasn’t even in kindergarten yet. I know that because they moved my neighborhood library in southeast Denver down a few blocks to a wonderfully larger space. My first memories are of the old library, and of going home and playing with the stacks of books my mother checked out for the whole family. I would open the book’s cover, where the library card holder was pasted in, then step on my imaginary foot pedal. I’d make the picture sound myself, then "stamp" the library card, and put it in the book. I’d go through the entire stack, then hand the books to my imaginary mother (who was no doubt, making dinner or polishing the furniture in the house. These were the 60’s, you know.) "Thanks for coming in, Mrs. Hopko," I’d say to her. Then I would proceed with the stack to the nearest heating vent (our tri-level was cold in the wintertime!) and curl up with those books, adult and children’s.
I could read most of the words. My mother tells me I started reading at age 3, as she was helping my kindergarten-aged brother to read. I remember I caught on much more quickly than he did, and I would blurt out the correct words as he was trying to piece together G and O in "Go, Dog, Go!" by P.D. Eastman. My brother has dyslexia, but no one knew what that was then, and in a way, his drawback was my opportunity. I remember the exact moment I figured out the words, Dog, and Big Dog, Little Dog in the book, like a Helen Keller-like revelation, and at the same time my mother telling me not to read out loud because my sibling was trying so, so hard to figure it out on his own.
As an awkward, very shy teenager with no figure and glasses, the library and everything in it were my haven. Other kids, including my brother, were out riding bikes, playing kick-the-can, but I was curled up in my dad’s recliner, reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and Nancy Drew. Later on, I read Charles Dickens, then T.S. Elliot, John Steinbeck and Shakespeare, sometimes over and over again.
As a TV reporter in Great Falls, MT, the library was one of the first places I looked up in town. It was a haven then, between busy hours of constant work, and what seemed was always winter. I started reading biographies of people in the West, especially women, understanding a little bit better how isolating that kind of life was, even though I was surrounded by 50,000 other souls, the smallest place I had ever been for an extended period of time.
Now, twenty years later, the library isn’t just a haven. It’s a bonding place for myself and my children, two little girls. My youngest can’t read yet, but loves to look at all kinds of books, and now, of course, the computer. My second-grader and I have spent many of our most happy and content times at the Philip S. Miller library looking for the newest Magic Tree House books, looking for the biographies of Abe Lincoln that she found on her own for her class report. She’s shy with adults, but has no problem asking the librarian for information on anything.
My husband and I take the girls there just about every Sunday. It’s a new family tradition. The best feeling I can have is seeing my 8-year-old daughter’s eyes as she looks for books, DVDs, books on CD, Leap Frogs or CD-ROMs. Or when she proudly looks something up on the library computer and finds it herself, then settles down to read it. I know that glow.
And have since I was three years old.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
June 14, 2007 - your turn
I've been writing this weekly column about libraries for 17 years. My readers know what I think about libraries. (Hint: I like them. A lot.)
Over the years, I've met thousands of library patrons. In Douglas County, they're a remarkably literate bunch. By that I mean that they're not just readers. They're writers, too, whether that's a short note, a long email, a thoughtful letter to the editor, and even their own books.
They have library stories to tell, too. Here are just a few, sent to us recently.
"We enjoy this library so much, and being on a fixed income, do not usually purchase books or subscribe to magazines ... The NEW LOOK of the Lone Tree Library is just lovely and your staff is not only helpful, but friendly too." - Judy and Paul Bodenberger.
"I am writing you today to say how important the Library and its resources are to our family. I am a Homeschooling Mom, with a daughter in 5th grade, and an Autistic son in 3rd grade. Your library is an invaluable resource for research, entertainment, and education. If I didn't have such a great facility so convenient to me, my ability to give my child a quality education would suffer." - Tammy Breeding
"We are a family of five with four library cards. We make at least two trips to the library each week to return books or pick up books ... the Highlands Ranch Library is a full package for our growing, learning, curious family." - Brent Rollings
"I take advantage of so many events and activities that the library offers that I wouldn't like to think of my life without it. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable, and the facilities are modern, well-lit and inviting. The literacy program is important, and I personally know of a student who benefited tremendously from it." - Jean Sherer
"I quit my professional job and I’m a student … again … working on an associate degree at the community college. ... Whether I’m in the reference or non reference areas, the reception and assistance that I’ve received is exceptional!!" - Tomiko Takeda
"Our grandchildren ask every week if they can go to the library, I believe particularly for the excitement and familiarity of being there, getting new books, and of course visiting the fish tank. ... Our library is a big part of our lives!!" - Tom Stanley
"Mom was a reader and because of her example and love of books, my siblings and I are all readers. We were taught if you don't know the answer, seek it out in a book. I have a deep love and respect for libraries, great or small; I find them havens of quiet knowledge and respite from a busy, crazy world." - Cris Wilson
As I've thought this over, I've decided to give more of a voice to the folks who actually use our services. To that end, I'm happy to announce a "guest columnist" program. Once a month, I'm going to give over this space to one of our patrons.
If you have a story to tell about what the library means to you and your family, drop a line to Katie Klossner, our Community Relations Manager, at kklossner@dclibraries.org. She'll send you the guidelines (basically, keep it between 500 and 700 words!). We'll keep this up for a few months and see what people think of it.
Meanwhile, thank you all for your really astonishing support of the library. It's a Douglas County value!
Over the years, I've met thousands of library patrons. In Douglas County, they're a remarkably literate bunch. By that I mean that they're not just readers. They're writers, too, whether that's a short note, a long email, a thoughtful letter to the editor, and even their own books.
They have library stories to tell, too. Here are just a few, sent to us recently.
"We enjoy this library so much, and being on a fixed income, do not usually purchase books or subscribe to magazines ... The NEW LOOK of the Lone Tree Library is just lovely and your staff is not only helpful, but friendly too." - Judy and Paul Bodenberger.
"I am writing you today to say how important the Library and its resources are to our family. I am a Homeschooling Mom, with a daughter in 5th grade, and an Autistic son in 3rd grade. Your library is an invaluable resource for research, entertainment, and education. If I didn't have such a great facility so convenient to me, my ability to give my child a quality education would suffer." - Tammy Breeding
"We are a family of five with four library cards. We make at least two trips to the library each week to return books or pick up books ... the Highlands Ranch Library is a full package for our growing, learning, curious family." - Brent Rollings
"I take advantage of so many events and activities that the library offers that I wouldn't like to think of my life without it. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable, and the facilities are modern, well-lit and inviting. The literacy program is important, and I personally know of a student who benefited tremendously from it." - Jean Sherer
"I quit my professional job and I’m a student … again … working on an associate degree at the community college. ... Whether I’m in the reference or non reference areas, the reception and assistance that I’ve received is exceptional!!" - Tomiko Takeda
"Our grandchildren ask every week if they can go to the library, I believe particularly for the excitement and familiarity of being there, getting new books, and of course visiting the fish tank. ... Our library is a big part of our lives!!" - Tom Stanley
"Mom was a reader and because of her example and love of books, my siblings and I are all readers. We were taught if you don't know the answer, seek it out in a book. I have a deep love and respect for libraries, great or small; I find them havens of quiet knowledge and respite from a busy, crazy world." - Cris Wilson
As I've thought this over, I've decided to give more of a voice to the folks who actually use our services. To that end, I'm happy to announce a "guest columnist" program. Once a month, I'm going to give over this space to one of our patrons.
If you have a story to tell about what the library means to you and your family, drop a line to Katie Klossner, our Community Relations Manager, at kklossner@dclibraries.org. She'll send you the guidelines (basically, keep it between 500 and 700 words!). We'll keep this up for a few months and see what people think of it.
Meanwhile, thank you all for your really astonishing support of the library. It's a Douglas County value!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
June 7, 2007 - library sponsors open house on future
I wonder if this is true for anybody else: the more you know about things, the more amazed you are that anything ever works.
It reminds me of a day in high school. Our math teacher had just told us something surprising: there were an infinite number of points in a line. Divide it in half, divide it again, keep dividing, and you could keep going forever. Immediately after that, I had Physical Education, in which I was expected to run 50 yards.
"That's impossible!" I protested. "Before I could run 50 yards, I'd have to run 25. There are an infinite number of points in a line! You can't expect a high school kid to run an infinite distance!"
In exchange for this thoroughly commendable cross-disciplinary insight, I was made to run not just 50 yards, but the entire circumference of a football field. I remember it with pride -- the day I did the impossible.
But seriously, no matter what profession you're in, it's a battle of increasing expectations. You learn to do some task with competence. Let's say, to use a library example, that task is reading a story to children.
But then you start to realize that a successful story time isn't just about your own ability to read dramatically and with color. It's also about having the setting right.
And once you get the setting right -- an enclosed space with carpeted floor and seats for the parents -- you realize that there are other factors. Again, just to continue an example, you need a large enough parking lot for the parents and children to make it to the event.
To get the parking lot large enough, you need a big enough plot of land.
To get the right sized plot of land, you need enough resources to buy it and pave it.
To secure sufficient resources ...
The point is that no matter how small your task (not that telling good stories to children is a small task), it takes place within a larger context. And your understanding or competence in that larger context can have a big effect on your ability to get something done.
There's a trap here: you can get so demoralized by your inability to ensure world peace that you can't work up the energy to go grocery shopping. Creativity and dedication can get things done no matter where you find yourself. The trick is to be in the moment, to do your best with what you've got.
On the other hand, you have to at least TRY to understand and to influence the larger context. That's just being responsible, and it reflects a more mature understanding of your business.
Along those lines, I want to invite the public to come talk to us about library plans. In order to maintain current standards of library service, we're going to need more space. "To secure sufficient resources," our public, that's you, need to know about and approve of those plans.
So we'd like to share them. At the following dates, places and times, I'll be available to chat with anybody about our standards, our projections, and anything else on your mind about the library's future. At various times, I'll be joined by board members. I hope to see you there!
I can promise this: it beats running laps around a football field.
6/16 Highlands Ranch Library. Formal presentation: 1-2 p.m. But I'll also be there for half an hour before, and an hour afterward.
6/30 Parker Library. Formal presentation: 1-2 p.m. Again, I'll be there from 12:30 to 3 p.m. to catch stragglers.
7/7 Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock. Formal presentation: 3-4 p.m. I'll be there from 2-5 p.m.
7/8 Neighborhood Library at Roxborough. Formal presentation: 1-2 p.m. I'll be there 12-3 p.m.
7/9 Neighborhood Library at Lone Tree. Formal presentation: 7-8 p.m. I'll be around from 6-9 p.m.
It reminds me of a day in high school. Our math teacher had just told us something surprising: there were an infinite number of points in a line. Divide it in half, divide it again, keep dividing, and you could keep going forever. Immediately after that, I had Physical Education, in which I was expected to run 50 yards.
"That's impossible!" I protested. "Before I could run 50 yards, I'd have to run 25. There are an infinite number of points in a line! You can't expect a high school kid to run an infinite distance!"
In exchange for this thoroughly commendable cross-disciplinary insight, I was made to run not just 50 yards, but the entire circumference of a football field. I remember it with pride -- the day I did the impossible.
But seriously, no matter what profession you're in, it's a battle of increasing expectations. You learn to do some task with competence. Let's say, to use a library example, that task is reading a story to children.
But then you start to realize that a successful story time isn't just about your own ability to read dramatically and with color. It's also about having the setting right.
And once you get the setting right -- an enclosed space with carpeted floor and seats for the parents -- you realize that there are other factors. Again, just to continue an example, you need a large enough parking lot for the parents and children to make it to the event.
To get the parking lot large enough, you need a big enough plot of land.
To get the right sized plot of land, you need enough resources to buy it and pave it.
To secure sufficient resources ...
The point is that no matter how small your task (not that telling good stories to children is a small task), it takes place within a larger context. And your understanding or competence in that larger context can have a big effect on your ability to get something done.
There's a trap here: you can get so demoralized by your inability to ensure world peace that you can't work up the energy to go grocery shopping. Creativity and dedication can get things done no matter where you find yourself. The trick is to be in the moment, to do your best with what you've got.
On the other hand, you have to at least TRY to understand and to influence the larger context. That's just being responsible, and it reflects a more mature understanding of your business.
Along those lines, I want to invite the public to come talk to us about library plans. In order to maintain current standards of library service, we're going to need more space. "To secure sufficient resources," our public, that's you, need to know about and approve of those plans.
So we'd like to share them. At the following dates, places and times, I'll be available to chat with anybody about our standards, our projections, and anything else on your mind about the library's future. At various times, I'll be joined by board members. I hope to see you there!
I can promise this: it beats running laps around a football field.
6/16 Highlands Ranch Library. Formal presentation: 1-2 p.m. But I'll also be there for half an hour before, and an hour afterward.
6/30 Parker Library. Formal presentation: 1-2 p.m. Again, I'll be there from 12:30 to 3 p.m. to catch stragglers.
7/7 Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock. Formal presentation: 3-4 p.m. I'll be there from 2-5 p.m.
7/8 Neighborhood Library at Roxborough. Formal presentation: 1-2 p.m. I'll be there 12-3 p.m.
7/9 Neighborhood Library at Lone Tree. Formal presentation: 7-8 p.m. I'll be around from 6-9 p.m.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
May 31, 2007 - Authors Coming to Our County
Ah, summer, the season of lawn mowers and pollen. But there are compensations.
My daughter will be home from her first year at college overseas. My son will be able to start making claymation movies again, having blasted through his final weeks of infernal math homework.
For awhile, young people will bask in the heat and indolence of seasonal downtime. Then, of course, they'll get bored.
What to do?
Well, shortly we'll be rolling out our summer reading program, with its usual complement of programs and prizes. We will also offer our usual comfy, air-conditioned spaces, and literally hundreds of thousands of tempting library materials. (Parents: do NOT tell your children that reading in the summer will keep their skills sharp, helping them ramp back up when the summer is over. It will, of course, but it's best that they don't know.)
I also wanted to take this opportunity to talk up some coming attractions.
About a year ago, the library did a host of open meetings around the county to find out what people would most like to see from our library foundation. The message came through loud and clear: you wanted to see live authors.
We've learned that to set up big events takes time and money. But one way to get authors here faster is to team up with others in the business. So I'm very pleased to announce our partnership with Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch. Together, we'll be hosting a visit from author Anna Quindlen.
Her latest novel is "Rise and Shine," a story about "two sisters, the true meaning of success, and the qualities in life that matter most." The event will be held at Tattered Cover Bookstore Highlands Ranch Town Center on Friday, June 8, 2007. We'll be offering a limited number of free tickets (one to a customer) beginning at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Quindlen speaks at 7:30 p.m., then signs books afterwards. I've heard her before, and she's a wonderful speaker.
A second series of events features Denver's Poet Laureate, Chris Ransick. Ransick is a fine writer, with a quiver-full of pointed questions about the role of media in our society.
He'll be appearing, for free, at the following places.
* Highlands Ranch Library: Saturday, June 9 at 10 a.m.
* Neighborhood Library at Lone Tree: Thursday, June 14 at 7 p.m.
* Parker Library: Thursday, June 21 at 7 p.m.
* Philip S. Miller Library: Thursday, June 28 at 7 p.m.
A third new feature is a spanking new TV program. This time, our Foundation is teaming up with the good folks at the Network DC -- also known as Douglas County Television. I'll be interviewing authors for about half an hour apiece -- time enough to find out what makes them tick, and to probe just how these books come to be written. Watch for "Authors! @ Douglas County Libraries" coming to you soon.
So remember. If you're a child, there is marvelous fun to be found at the library. If you're an adult, we're working to give you the opportunity not only to read compelling and interesting work, but to meet the people who create it.
Who knows? One day, it might be YOU that we're inviting to a signing.
My daughter will be home from her first year at college overseas. My son will be able to start making claymation movies again, having blasted through his final weeks of infernal math homework.
For awhile, young people will bask in the heat and indolence of seasonal downtime. Then, of course, they'll get bored.
What to do?
Well, shortly we'll be rolling out our summer reading program, with its usual complement of programs and prizes. We will also offer our usual comfy, air-conditioned spaces, and literally hundreds of thousands of tempting library materials. (Parents: do NOT tell your children that reading in the summer will keep their skills sharp, helping them ramp back up when the summer is over. It will, of course, but it's best that they don't know.)
I also wanted to take this opportunity to talk up some coming attractions.
About a year ago, the library did a host of open meetings around the county to find out what people would most like to see from our library foundation. The message came through loud and clear: you wanted to see live authors.
We've learned that to set up big events takes time and money. But one way to get authors here faster is to team up with others in the business. So I'm very pleased to announce our partnership with Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch. Together, we'll be hosting a visit from author Anna Quindlen.
Her latest novel is "Rise and Shine," a story about "two sisters, the true meaning of success, and the qualities in life that matter most." The event will be held at Tattered Cover Bookstore Highlands Ranch Town Center on Friday, June 8, 2007. We'll be offering a limited number of free tickets (one to a customer) beginning at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Quindlen speaks at 7:30 p.m., then signs books afterwards. I've heard her before, and she's a wonderful speaker.
A second series of events features Denver's Poet Laureate, Chris Ransick. Ransick is a fine writer, with a quiver-full of pointed questions about the role of media in our society.
He'll be appearing, for free, at the following places.
* Highlands Ranch Library: Saturday, June 9 at 10 a.m.
* Neighborhood Library at Lone Tree: Thursday, June 14 at 7 p.m.
* Parker Library: Thursday, June 21 at 7 p.m.
* Philip S. Miller Library: Thursday, June 28 at 7 p.m.
A third new feature is a spanking new TV program. This time, our Foundation is teaming up with the good folks at the Network DC -- also known as Douglas County Television. I'll be interviewing authors for about half an hour apiece -- time enough to find out what makes them tick, and to probe just how these books come to be written. Watch for "Authors! @ Douglas County Libraries" coming to you soon.
So remember. If you're a child, there is marvelous fun to be found at the library. If you're an adult, we're working to give you the opportunity not only to read compelling and interesting work, but to meet the people who create it.
Who knows? One day, it might be YOU that we're inviting to a signing.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
May 24, 2007 - My Book
Well, I did it. I wrote a book, and it got published. I unpacked my six free copies on a Friday night.
By Monday, I'd read it four times.
There's good news and bad news about being a published author. Here's the bad news.
The copyediting process caught several things I'd missed. For instance, I told the same story twice, in two widely separated sections of the book. The editor asked me which one I wanted to cut, and I picked one.
But in the final review, both of them were still there. So I sent in another correction.
Well, both stories are still there. My goof made it all the way to the final copy.
So some readers will come across this duplication and think, "Is this author so dim that he doesn't realize that he already wrote this?"
Answer (since I did indeed submit the manuscript this way): Yes.
I'm a little disappointed that my errors survived the process. But I'm also mature enough to realize that if anything can be counted on TO survive, errors are at the top of the list.
But let's move on to the good news.
I wrote a book!
It's something I remember telling my mother I would do, way back when I was in kindergarten . She clearly valued books, as witnessed by our well-dusted bookcases, crammed with her Book Of The Month Club selections.
I dedicated my book to a man who had a profound influence on my life, my maternal GrandDad. He was the one who first taught me that to question was the very essence of humanity. I think he would have liked this book.
He was an amateur historian, with a fascination for the American Revolution. I have come to share it.
The name of my work is "The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges." It was published by Libraries Unlimited, so it's a professional piece.
I'm grateful to the publisher, especially my editor, who taught me how to build a book. Before then, I only knew how to build poems, essays, and articles.
But I think part of me wishes it could have been put out by a popular press. For one thing, professional books are ridiculously expensive. Mine costs $40, which is absurd. It's a short book.
For another, I'd really like more than librarians to read it.
The essence of my book is this: the meaning of the public library is very like the meaning of the Declaration of Independence.
That is, the deep idea behind the founding of our nation was "inalienable rights." Another way to look at that is "equal access to the law."
It took a while for the people to catch up. "All men are created equal" means not only men, but women. It means not only property owners, but also the people who were once considered property.
But that's easy and obvious these days. There are other folks who are still denied that equal access or treatment. With a little thought, I bet you can name them.
The deep idea behind the public library is "equal access to information." That means the poor have as much right to our cultural heritage as the rich.
But not just the poor. It includes our young. It includes a host of people whose backgrounds or views may be viewed with suspicion by today's majority.
Public libraries, finally, are about the fulfillment of the American dream. It's a vision that's still a little challenging, a little ahead of, the current zeitgeist.
But that's what I've always loved about public libraries.
We are one of the best examples around of a society actively devoted to an attentive life, exuberant liberty of inquiry and expression, and the frequently bewildered pursuit of happiness.
So I wrote a book. And I'm happy.
By Monday, I'd read it four times.
There's good news and bad news about being a published author. Here's the bad news.
The copyediting process caught several things I'd missed. For instance, I told the same story twice, in two widely separated sections of the book. The editor asked me which one I wanted to cut, and I picked one.
But in the final review, both of them were still there. So I sent in another correction.
Well, both stories are still there. My goof made it all the way to the final copy.
So some readers will come across this duplication and think, "Is this author so dim that he doesn't realize that he already wrote this?"
Answer (since I did indeed submit the manuscript this way): Yes.
I'm a little disappointed that my errors survived the process. But I'm also mature enough to realize that if anything can be counted on TO survive, errors are at the top of the list.
But let's move on to the good news.
I wrote a book!
It's something I remember telling my mother I would do, way back when I was in kindergarten . She clearly valued books, as witnessed by our well-dusted bookcases, crammed with her Book Of The Month Club selections.
I dedicated my book to a man who had a profound influence on my life, my maternal GrandDad. He was the one who first taught me that to question was the very essence of humanity. I think he would have liked this book.
He was an amateur historian, with a fascination for the American Revolution. I have come to share it.
The name of my work is "The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges." It was published by Libraries Unlimited, so it's a professional piece.
I'm grateful to the publisher, especially my editor, who taught me how to build a book. Before then, I only knew how to build poems, essays, and articles.
But I think part of me wishes it could have been put out by a popular press. For one thing, professional books are ridiculously expensive. Mine costs $40, which is absurd. It's a short book.
For another, I'd really like more than librarians to read it.
The essence of my book is this: the meaning of the public library is very like the meaning of the Declaration of Independence.
That is, the deep idea behind the founding of our nation was "inalienable rights." Another way to look at that is "equal access to the law."
It took a while for the people to catch up. "All men are created equal" means not only men, but women. It means not only property owners, but also the people who were once considered property.
But that's easy and obvious these days. There are other folks who are still denied that equal access or treatment. With a little thought, I bet you can name them.
The deep idea behind the public library is "equal access to information." That means the poor have as much right to our cultural heritage as the rich.
But not just the poor. It includes our young. It includes a host of people whose backgrounds or views may be viewed with suspicion by today's majority.
Public libraries, finally, are about the fulfillment of the American dream. It's a vision that's still a little challenging, a little ahead of, the current zeitgeist.
But that's what I've always loved about public libraries.
We are one of the best examples around of a society actively devoted to an attentive life, exuberant liberty of inquiry and expression, and the frequently bewildered pursuit of happiness.
So I wrote a book. And I'm happy.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
May 17, 2007 - Build Green!
Over 15 years ago, my wife and I wrote an article called "Green Librarianship." It was based on a lot of research, just coming out at that time, about how our buildings were making us sick.
Back then, a few vendors tried to offer alternatives to the toxic glues used to hold down carpets, the formaldehyde-soaked pressboard used for insulation, and hermetically sealed heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. And most of these vendors were seen as kooks.
Some of the more intriguing experiments were things like the "earthship," invented by Michael Reynolds, and embedded in southwestern facing slopes around Taos, New Mexico. Earthships tapped into the heat sink of the earth, and many of them got by without any heating or cooling -- completely off the electrical grid.
But along with geodesic domes -- another very cool structure -- earthships never caught on in the public sector. Neither did they capture the commercial market.
Times have changed. Based on new technologies, and a far more sophisticated understanding of energy use and needs, even Manhattan banks are going green.
Based on our own analysis of what it takes to run a library, we've learned that the big cost of a building isn't its construction. The big cost is operations, and energy use is a significant part of that.
These days, we spend a lot more time talking about the use of light and light bulbs, waterless urinals and landscaping, and the specs of our electrical systems. And we're seeing real savings.
I believe that we're at a tipping point. When banks are building green, then they're going to start approving loans for green construction, too. I think the public sector is in a position to demonstrate to the rest of the economy what long term planning for building operations should look like.
To that end, the library is sponsoring a free, open-to-the-public seminar called "Building Green: Trends and Opportunities in Douglas County." It will be at our Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock, on Thursday, May 24, from 2-4 p.m.
Our keynote speaker will be Tom Hootman, Director of Sustainability and Senior Associate of the architectural firm RNL in Denver. He is also President of the US Green Building Council Colorado. Hootman is "LEED-accredited." That means that he has been certified in a variety of techniques under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. He'll provide an overview of what's going on in today's construction.
Next we'll have a panel of folks we don't often hear from: the people responsible for the maintenance of public buildings. Our panelists will be Buddy Gregory, Facilities Manager for the Town of Castle Rock. Lee Smit is the Energy Manger for the Douglas County School District. Vicky Starkey is the Facilities Manager for the county. Representing the library will be Richard McLain, our Facilities Manager. They're some very bright people working on some very smart things.
I've asked them to respond to two main questions:
1. What "green" projects are underway right now in your agency?
2. What do you think your agency SHOULD consider? That is, what exciting project might really demonstrate the value of truly long term thinking?
If you'd like to hear about something that just might change the way you think about, and pay for, the sustainability and health of your buildings, please join us.
Back then, a few vendors tried to offer alternatives to the toxic glues used to hold down carpets, the formaldehyde-soaked pressboard used for insulation, and hermetically sealed heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. And most of these vendors were seen as kooks.
Some of the more intriguing experiments were things like the "earthship," invented by Michael Reynolds, and embedded in southwestern facing slopes around Taos, New Mexico. Earthships tapped into the heat sink of the earth, and many of them got by without any heating or cooling -- completely off the electrical grid.
But along with geodesic domes -- another very cool structure -- earthships never caught on in the public sector. Neither did they capture the commercial market.
Times have changed. Based on new technologies, and a far more sophisticated understanding of energy use and needs, even Manhattan banks are going green.
Based on our own analysis of what it takes to run a library, we've learned that the big cost of a building isn't its construction. The big cost is operations, and energy use is a significant part of that.
These days, we spend a lot more time talking about the use of light and light bulbs, waterless urinals and landscaping, and the specs of our electrical systems. And we're seeing real savings.
I believe that we're at a tipping point. When banks are building green, then they're going to start approving loans for green construction, too. I think the public sector is in a position to demonstrate to the rest of the economy what long term planning for building operations should look like.
To that end, the library is sponsoring a free, open-to-the-public seminar called "Building Green: Trends and Opportunities in Douglas County." It will be at our Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock, on Thursday, May 24, from 2-4 p.m.
Our keynote speaker will be Tom Hootman, Director of Sustainability and Senior Associate of the architectural firm RNL in Denver. He is also President of the US Green Building Council Colorado. Hootman is "LEED-accredited." That means that he has been certified in a variety of techniques under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. He'll provide an overview of what's going on in today's construction.
Next we'll have a panel of folks we don't often hear from: the people responsible for the maintenance of public buildings. Our panelists will be Buddy Gregory, Facilities Manager for the Town of Castle Rock. Lee Smit is the Energy Manger for the Douglas County School District. Vicky Starkey is the Facilities Manager for the county. Representing the library will be Richard McLain, our Facilities Manager. They're some very bright people working on some very smart things.
I've asked them to respond to two main questions:
1. What "green" projects are underway right now in your agency?
2. What do you think your agency SHOULD consider? That is, what exciting project might really demonstrate the value of truly long term thinking?
If you'd like to hear about something that just might change the way you think about, and pay for, the sustainability and health of your buildings, please join us.
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