House of Books No More
If you open a browser on your phone, tablet or computer and search for the definition of a library, you might find the following:…
The Guelph Library Project
The Guelph Public Library has been trying to build a new main library for many years. Many, many years. The current 1965 facility is…
Leadership and the Development of Library Accessibility Policies
This year I have had the pleasure to be a part of a hiring committee for a new librarian position and, rolling up my…
Let Them In: Volunteers in Academic Libraries
In the fall of 2012 I was a third year history undergrad at the University of Guelph with a growing sense of angst about…
Big Bookstore School Library Fundraisers
In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular practice to hold school library fundraising events at a large bookstore chain. We have all…
User Experience and Translatability: Compatible or in Conflict?
UX (User eXperience) is not an easy concept to pin down, but there is general agreement that it focuses on the total subjective experience…
Project Goldilocks: Getting Library Learning Space “Just Right”
While there is a lot of discussion surrounding learning commons and you can certainly incorporate current trends, I think that to create productive learning spaces for students, collaboration with students is key.
In Praise of Maker Culture
My library doesn’t have a makerspace. We don’t have a 3d printer, a CNC router, or a laser cutter. We don’t have piles of…
Let’s Give Them Something to Tweet About: Applying Best Practices at Western Libraries
In The Librarian's Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media (ALA, 2013), Laura Solomon advises that social media is “incredibly easy to learn but can take a…
Mine the Gap: Leveraging Open Access Through Citizen Engagement in Science
The progress of science is a cumulative process, one that fundamentally depends on the rapid and widespread dissemination of new findings, so that they…
The Chattanooga Zine Library
The Chattanooga Public Library is a champion for the new role public libraries play in the 21st century. There is no place where this…
You’re a New (and Employed) Librarian … Now What?
Congratulations! You just got your first job as a brand spankin’ new librarian! You got a whole lot of support to get you here.…
Size Matters: The Small Library as Place
Wilberforce, Ontario is tucked under the southern border of Algonquin Park in the municipality of Highlands East which has a permanent population of 2,700…