I’ve noticed that many politicians talk about the importance of preparing America’s labor force for the future, and I’m always a little surprised that they leave public libraries out of these conversations.
A few weeks ago, a young library patron, perhaps five or six years old, told me quite seriously that the new library should have a secret passage.
In 1991, urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third space” to describe the neutral, public places in our lives that are not home (first space) or work/school (second space).
I often describe the library as a community center, and programs that build community connections are an important part of that.
The breadth and depth of the programs libraries offer might surprise you, and today I’m going to talk about a relatively recent library program: Books on Sticks.
Libraries often reflect, directly and in real time, societal shifts. So while it is true that we aren’t having as many large and raucous gatherings in our Community Meeting Room, other library uses are skyrocketing.
Here at the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury we have a new adult services librarian, Renee Ursitti, who is working with Chris Kirby on planning adult programs. As a result, we have a few really exciting programs coming up this fall. We have lots of goo … (read more)
