Monthly Archives: January 2010
Save this Date for the 2010 Reference Renaissance Conference!
I’m really excited to announce that BCR’s second Reference Renaissance conference will be in Denver August 8-10, 2010. The conference rose from the ashes of the Virtual Reference Desk conference, but has been expanded and this time includes tracks on … Continue reading
Money for Library Construction-Act Now!
If you serve an area of 20,000 or less, read on. I don’t usually jump on funding opportunities, but I really want libraries to get their share of the recovery money, and just recently the USDA has targeted libraries, specifically, for … Continue reading
Grants for Broadband
Just saw an announcement for another round of broadband grants. Surely libraries would qualify as “…deploying broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of the United States, enhancing broadband capacity at public computer centers…” You must submit the application between 2/16/10 … Continue reading
Marketing for Free
I attended a free SirsiDynix Institute presentation, Bite-Sized Marketing: Real Solutions for Overworked Librarians, which gave marketing tips for libraries that need to do their own promotion. Nancy Dowd, Director of Marketing at the New Jersey State Library, had a number of ideas, … Continue reading
Overdue Borrowers Anonymous?
I love this! Maybe we should create a 12 step program for our chronically late patrons – it might even help them in social situations! Then again those fine revenues can be helpful. But it’s funny that someone can feel … Continue reading
E-book Circulation
Alex Beam, a Boston Globe columnist, has a suggestion for libraries. His modest proposal is that larger libraries that can afford them should buy some e-book readers so patrons can see what all the buzz is about and decide for themselves if … Continue reading
Holds Ratios
I’ve been lurking on a listserv that’s been discussing holds ratios. Books still have an inordinate preference. While I understand that DVDs and other media may have shorter checkouts, if we’ve learned one thing in the last year, it’s that we need … Continue reading
