Good to Great
"Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don’t…
Libraries in Society
Libraries in Society (Clive Bingley, 1978) was published in the year that my career in public libraries began. In this reader, edited by David…
Remembering What You Read: Reading Journals & Collection Knowledge
Has your mind ever drawn a blank when a customer asks your opinion about a book? You know you read it but can’t remember…
Helen McDonnell
Meet one of OLA’s 5,000 members. An interview with random OLA member #34: Helen McDonnell, CEO, Callander Public Library. Helen and I both have the prospect…
The Right ‘Man’ For The Job?
I am a big fan of titles which have question marks in them. The most important element of Open to All? The Public Library…
Investing in RA: Skill-Building Strategies
It’s one of the skills all library staff should know, but few are truly comfortable with: readers’ advisory. What do you do when a…
Kelli Van Buskirk
Meet one of OLA’s 5,000 members. An interview with random OLA member #33: Kelli Van Buskirk, Acquisitions, Adult Department, North Bay Public Library. Kelli and I…
Pokémon GO! 7 Ways a Library Took on a Phenomenon
Did you get caught up in Pokémon GO! fever? While the pace was frantic, Halifax Public Libraries was able to stay astride, and we…
Blue Ocean Strategy & Public Libraries
We like to think that public libraries are unique, and in many ways they are. The chances are that if they had never been…
Snowshoes at Greater Sudbury Public Library
This past year the Greater Sudbury Public Library was fortunate to partner with the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area and Rainbow Routes Association to receive…
Let’s talk about the ‘F’ Word!
I mean Friends … as in Friends of the Library! They are a blessing and a curse depending on your experience and always an…
Open to all?
The title for this column was taken from a piece of ground breaking research which I took part in as Head of Libraries in…
Pedometers at Chatham-Kent Public Library
Chatham-Kent Public Library has positioned itself as a partner in healthy communities by adding 100 pedometers to its collection. By aligning with Municipal Council’s…