Public Libraries Survive and Thrive in the 21st Century

Just wanted to remind everyone that you can still register for the PLA Institute: Public Libraries Survive and Thrive in the 21st Century to be held at ALA Midwinter on Friday, January 7, 2011 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Registration is open until December 29, 2010.

Rob and I will be presenting "21 Ideas for 21st Century Libraries" during the afternoon session. We'll provide you with ideas and best practices--covering facilities, marketing, staffing, community collaborations, customer service, and technology--that will help your library thrive in the 21st century. Learn how to manage, in good times and in bad, and how to incorporate innovative new ideas in your library.

Overall, our goal is to inspire you! We want you to leave the session motivated and enthused, even in the light of tough economic times. Think of tough times not as a negative, but as a positive--a prime opportunity to make changes and improvements and to offer service like you never have before.

For more information and registration details visit the PLA @ Midwinter website.

More on the Shoppable Library

I originally wrote a post on 10/07/2010 about the "shoppable library" concept that can be seen at the new public library in Almere, Netherlands. Many of you who have participated in Rob's and my "21+ Ideas for 21st Century Libraries" sessions over the past few months have wanted more information. So, here's your chance...

Check out the article in the Contemporist magazine for more photos and additional information on what they did. I love their description of the run versus fun library "shopper."