Such was the question Melissa Baker asked herself and her library director at Montgomery County (TX) Memorial Library System. And the answer resulted in their newly created LFL loan program, which they hope to begin in the spring of this year. “I see this as a natural consequence, resulting from not being able to limit the project to just one area in our county. We have seven public libraries in our county, and we do reach a large number of library customers on a regular basis. But we are spread out and there are many great potential places where a Little Free Library would add value to the community,” says Baker.

Baker admits that there are a variety of ways to create the actual LFL, including partnering with local community groups or businesses. In this case, they ordered a kit from Gaylord and then customized it with their own logo. Montgomery County’s Friends of the Library group donated books to put in the LFL.

There are some things to consider if undertaking such a program. Who is going to install it at each location, the library staff or the borrower? Are release forms required depending on each location? How accessible should locations be? Should LFL be only at locations that have 24/7 patron access, like a public park, or are some limitations acceptable, such as at a mall or store? These questions are important but not insurmountable. A bit of thinking and planning can go a long way in implementing such a program at your public library.

This month, Baker has created an application and will begin the application process online. Only a few locations will be chosen every year. The announcement for the first location is expected during National Library Week in April. “We’ll list the ‘touring’ schedule of the library on our website so the little library will be kind of like a rock star, with upcoming dates in various parts of the county being announced on a regular basis,” says Baker.

The post Like a Rock Star – A Little Free Library Goes on Tour first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

First, I have a problem with using the phrase “rock star librarian.” This is another one of those empty phrases that gets thrown around, but has no real meaning or pertinence. What defines a rock star librarian? Somebody who actually got noticed for a cool program that brought in a fresh group of patrons to their library? Someone who can deliver a solid presentation at a conference and get the majority of the attendees to leave more motivated to than they were before? This all reminds me a bit of high school with the cool kids versus the outcasts. Do we really need to label people in our profession? Or maybe we should just judge people based on their performance and not whether they appeared in Library Journal or another major library-related publication.

I read pretty much every issue of Library Journal, American Libraries, Public Libraries, etc. and pay attention to library trends through social media as much as I can. Each publication has an audience they are trying to reach and there is also competition amongst them. Therefore, some of the articles may feel sensationalized since they are trying to get your attention. American media in general has become pretty sensationalized. As a result, some members of the library profession have also found unique ways to get publicity for either themselves, or for their libraries. This makes perfectly good sense to me since if nobody is paying attention to what you are doing in today’s competitive tax environment; you are going to lose out.

Personally, I understand why some of these famous librarians exist. Who wants to get paid what we get paid with an advanced degree and not get some recognition for it? Yes, I know we are here to serve the community, but doing just that can burn you out. Also, who wants to keep watching the budgets for police, fire, roads, etc. continue to be increased while the budgets for most libraries and schools decrease? Just like King Kong beating his chest for attention, we have to find a way to not only engage our communities, but also the glazed over eyes of the dead weight that permeates our profession. I say let the rankings continue, let the beauty contests go on all night. If this is what it takes to get people to take our profession seriously and motivates the smart and ambitious to come up with bigger and better ideas to make libraries matter, then go for it. There are always going to be a few rotten apples that ruin it for those who actually deserve recognition, but that should not be enough to derail the entire idea that some truly deserve their moment on the stage.

Reference

http://bossladywrites.com/how-did-we-get-here-the-rise-and-hopeful-fall-of-rockstar-librarians/

The post Keep on Rocking first appeared on Public Libraries Online.