First off, hi! Thanks for taking a look at my my first post on this new blog about libraries, policy, and technology. On June 1st, I began as the first director of newly-formed Hood River County Library District in Oregon. Yes, I am yet another librarian writing yet another library-related blog.
Second, an answer to a question that’s undoubtedly crossed your mind: whyever would I want to start reading another library blog? The profession certainly isn’t lacking in them. Indeed, if you’ve been interviewer or interviewee for a library position recently and the question arose, “How do you stay current in the profession?” blogs were likely mentioned. Also, it seems like a rite of library school is to start your own blog. Do you really have the time to read another one?
And if I were you, I’d ask the same question. Your time is precious, and really, what more do I have to say that others haven’t covered? Hopefully, I can give you a few compelling answers to that question.
- A unique situation: In 2010, Hood River County’s libraries were recently the source of national library media attention. This might sound like a good thing, but alas it was because they closed. Completely. All three locations. For an entire year. The libraries were previously a department of Hood River County, but, thanks to a successful but contentious ballot measure, they have reopened as an independent special district. What this means is that, through the virtual pages of this blog, you get to see the rebirth of a library. Recreating its procedures. Hiring its staff. Building its policy infrastructure. And doing so on a shoestring budget. How can you pass up a story like that?
- A unique perspective: In addition to a unique library, I have a unique background: I come from nowhere. Hood River County certainly isn’t nowhere; it’s a bustling, outdoors-oriented town in the middle of one of the most beautiful areas of a pretty darn beautiful state. And it’s only an hour from the awesomeness that is Portland. But while Hood River isn’t nowhere, Langlois is. Langlois is my hometown. Yes, that is the extent of its Wikipedia entry. Why? Because the town – I’m sorry, “unincorporated community” – has maybe 300 people in it. The Langlois Public Library, the first library at which I worked and still the closest to my heart, serves 732 people. This background makes me particularly sensitive to the needs of small and rural libraries. Think Jessamyn West, but not as cool or funny. Considering how libraries should respond to downloadable media or the rise of the tablet computer means little when you can’t even get access to high speed internet. In addition to Langlois and Hood River, I’ve worked at a bunch of different libraries of all shapes and sizes. This experience gives me a unqiue perspective that I hope you’ll find interesting.
- A unique amount of policy wonkishness: I get geeked by policy. My fellow library school students at the University of Michigan School of Information were excited by conducting storytimes or teaching students about new databases or finding the perfect book recommendation for that eager reader. I, on the other hand, was excited at studying municipal finance, creating collection development policies, and learning the difference between managing public organizations versus private ones. I was interested enough to get a second degree in public policy, to go along with my already super-wonky parliamentary procedure background. So if you desire a bit more policy and management with your plethora of technology, collection development, and public service blogs, read on.
- A uniquely open approach to technology: Do you know who’s awesome? Nicole Engard. Do you know why? Because she’s just as devoted to openness in the technology that libraries use as she is to the information to which they give access. I believe that open source, in all that we do, is a natural philosophical fit for libraries specifically and governmental institutions generally. Hood River County Library District belongs to the Sage Library System, one of the flagship projects of the open source ILS Evergreen. Its website runs on Plinkit, a library-oriented website template built on the open source CMS Plone. My previous library consortium, the Coos Count Library Service District, had amazing open source setups for their public computers, something I hope to emulate at Hood River. So if open source technology, and open policies generally, interests you, this blog may as well. And yes, I do eat my own dog food. This blog is powered by WordPress, written in Chromium on a computer running Fedora, and spruced up with GIMP.
If any of this piques your interest, please read on! If any of it, or my opinions and musings, drives you nuts, comment! Hopefully, we’ll all have a bit of fun and learn a bit from this yet another library blog.