'Library on demand'..../

Are the Huang123456 posts ads? It seems out of place.

Rumi, are the posts by "YELL" advertisements, in Japanese? I don't understand. What is the contribution?

I am having problems reading others' posts. They seem to spiral right-ward to shorter and shorter columns, then off the page entirely.

Anyway, I'm a library user! Big time! Book lover! etc.

I live in Texas in the USA. The latest new thing happening at one of the local area public libraries is something I will be taking part in.

I think this may fall under "community building."

A creative use of library space: We're having a writing class in the library. The classes are partly sponsored by a local non-profit publisher, Badgerdog Press, and local nonprofit collection of groups called the Austin Area Groups on Aging. And, because they are being held in a Public Library, that means they are also being partly sponsored by the City of Austin.

Together, these groups collaborate to produce writing classes for children, adults, and seniors. I'm taking the Silver Voices in Ink classes for seniors. The classes are taught by professional writing instructors with higher education degrees. I took one of the classes last summer, but it wasn't held at a library then. Now, it will be. And it's the same ilbrary where I sometimes go once a month to origami-making meetings.

A creative use of old books: The origami sessions were expressed in a different way at the library's secondhand bookstore (where the public can buy books the library doesn't want--at a simple price of $2 for hardbacks, $1 for soft cover books on any topic, of any size, etc.--except "rare" books cost more.

Anyway, one of the people who volunteers to sell books at the Public Library system's secondhand store started to make art with some old books they didn't think they would sell, a kind of paper art.

You may be able to see something similar to this kind of "book art" at EthertonGallery.com in art work by Nick Georgiou called "Paper Elegies" which I saw in Tucson, Arizona.

The book folders at Recycled Reads, the public library's secondhand store, used the pages of some books, still kept in a bound book format, for books that would have ended up in some kind of trash, to create amazing sculptures using folding the paper in creative ways.

This may sound outrageous to some librarians--sort of the ultimate heresy of what to do with a book. But the results are amazing and creative and they draw attention to books as objects, and delight children and adults.

I should explain that Austin is a very community-centered city. Every "neighborhood" location in the city has a neighborhood association composed of residents (voluntary membership) that functions to talk with the city about neighborhood issues.

The city tries to have a public park of adequate size within walking distance in every neighborhood throughout the city. There are about 20 parks, not counting some larger lakes and parks associated with them.

The same concept applies to libraries. The city builds new libraries in new and old neighborhoods with a view to having a library within walking distance or a short drive or bus ride for anyone living in any neighborhood area in the city.

So, it is a very de-centralized system with many "branch" libraries. There is one Main Library, but it is really just one of many. The branches all have different community outreach programs. I just looked to count them and there, just like the parts, about 20 libraries in Austin, all part of the Public Library system, in a city of about 800,000. They all have a variety of programs, depending on the communities they serve.

Here's the link to the library system here: http://library.austintexas.gov/ At the bottom, you can find a link to "events and programs."

One program that interests me as an intercultural educator is "Talk Time." That is an opportunity for volunteers, like myself, to meet with new immigrants who are learning English just to chat, to help with learning English.

There are art classes, storytimes, special computers reserved just for teens and some programs for them, etc.
One of our bumper stickers that can be placed on cars and bicycles is "Keep Austin Reading." That's a promotion by the Public Library.

There's also a Texas Book Festival each fall. People attend workshops, meet authors, hear them discuss their works, buy books in big tents that run along two streets by the State Capitol. This festival was started by Laura Bush, a librarian, who also helped set up an Engish-language library in Sofia, next to the Public Library there.

The book festival also results in television programs on the local Public Broadcasting System (our BBC) which is both national and local. And in author programs throughout the year.

Here's a link for the book festival: http://www.texasbookfestival.org/

These are in addition to the book chosen to be read by the community at large in the Mayor's Book Club Program, which is a joint city/library promotion where "Austin," or interested citizens (and they are legion) read a book together and then get together in different places and online to discuss it.

Here's a link to the citywide Book Club: http://www.austinlibrary.org/site/PageServer

O.K., just checking in! I don't think I can make it to the conference this year--I am on an adventure journey across parts of America--2 months last fall, and all of this coming summer--but I will be thinking of you! What fun!

See my travel blog at http://jillscherb7.wordpress.com

I'm jumping in having read most of the thread here. I'm Jenell and live in Austin, Texas, U.S.A. I met Rumyana Koycheva when I lived for 5 months in Sofia, Bulgaria in Fall 2008. In fact, I met 3 remarkable librarians while there!

I have some librarian friends in Austin and will point them toward the Next Library. I wish there was a way to link the Next Library home page to my Facebook to share this will ALL my Facebook friends. I'll try just using the URL

Now, I want to talk about the community focus of the over 22 community "branches" of the main Public Library here. Austin is a city of around 785,000 people give or take a few hundred thousand more who live in nearby areas--Round Rock, Georgetown, San Marcos, Elgin, Manor and Pflugerville, So . . . a little over a million people altogether . . . many & diverse peoples.

The "branch libraries" concept prevails here. The library buildings go where the people are. Multiple libraries are located in distinctive central and suburban city "neighborhoods", just as public parks are scattered throughout the city so that almost everyone is within walking distance of a small "pocket" park, or a larger neighborhood park, and including several very large parks like those I enjoyed in Sofia.

The main library and branch libraries total about 20-25 different divisons, each of which is a self-contained library serving a unique area or neighborhood. New branches are built as communities expand and develop. Each branch is unique; all are part of the whole Public Library system which also "shares" with other state and university libraries on a program called TexShare.

Just having branches is one part of an overall community services focus. There are also different community-oriented programs at different branches.

I will participate in one called "Talk Time." 8 branch libraries host a private room in the library one day a week where people can come to practice their English with volunteers like myself for about an hour and a half of chat time. These rooms are free and open to the public for approved public activities.

I'm currently taking part in monthly Austin Origami gatherings at the Yarborough branch. We "fold" in a private room.

A year or two ago, Austin Public Libraries started a storefront called "Recyced Reads" on a busy street of arts, craft, food and secondhand/thrift commercial shops.

This small store is run by volunteers who sell books "ousted" from the public libraries. Before, these castoffs were sold at each branch. ALL are sold at $2 for hardbacks and $1 for paperbacks, making them very affordable.

At Recycled Reads, there are chairs, tables, a children's section and comfortable couches placed all around the spacious room so people can come in and spend time relaxing and reading as well as buying books. It reminds me of the American books reading room at the Sofia Public Library (see below).

With secondhand book sales, the library not only serves the community, but perhaps makes a bit of money to put back into library services.

There is a Mayor's Reading List. A book or books is/are selected each year to be read by the community as a whole.

Austin also hosts an annual Texas Book Festival, a gathering of authors, publishers and public speakers with festive outdoor entertainment for children and families, including music, indoor author talks, panel discussions, and guest speakers.

The Festival takes place on the street in covered tents and outdoors in front of the State Capital and in meeting rooms in the Capitol itself. It happens every fall for 3-4 days. Now, the Book Festival also hosts speakers throughout the year. This event was started by Laura Bush and evolved into a very successful annual event.

When in Bulgaria, not only did I meet smart librarians, but I got a library card and used the Public Library as well as the library at University of Sofia. Several times, I used computers at the Public Library (a service not to be underrated in today's electronic world!) and checked out books and magazines in English.

I also visited a smaller American Eeading Room next to the Sofia Public Library, where there were modern computers for easy access and public use by patrons, books, and some regular children's activities in a well-lighted, open-feeling room.

Here's the link to the Austin Public Library home page where you'll find other public events and programs I haven't mentioned:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/

Wish I were joining you in Denmark for the Next Library Conference! Have fun!

What amazing discussions and creative ideas!
The outlook for the conference is promising!
We have decided to open new topics inspired by some great inputs of yours.
The topics are:
Capacity for Change
Library on Demand – Meeting User Needs
Libraries, Community Building and Libraries for Social Development
Please keep on sharing the ideas. You can also open new topics if you want to introduce new ideas.

Hello! Thanks for your comments! I remember when i was in Europe studying with Rumyana and visited several libraries and it surpised me how important they are for communities because people see them as their second house, that was my perception. Reading all your comments about the role of libraries took me to think in all the values and culture Europeans have. Not that we, latin americans don't have them but it seems that most of the people don't worship their culture and values. It makes me think that if someone doesn't have access to education, a library is the perfect place to receive it and therefore they should be more important. Right now Mexico is having a huge problem with organized crime although it is not present in the whole country is a huge black spot just like oil in an ocean. The state where i live is in the frontier with united states and the social situation is very complicated. Politicians brought an architect from Colombia to give ideas on how they minimize the problem and he proposed to build more houses for poor people and social community centers..well...that's not new! With your discussion i'm just thinking how many social problems we would have prevented if government and private entrepreneurs contributed in building these community centers and LIBRARIES!!! We can see that this problem is also increasing beause there is no education for children and young people and neither jobs...libraries can help so much in this and also as you mentioned, integrating society: immigrants, locals, handicap people..enhance social cohesion. this is a good opportunity for libraries.

Hello! I am so late in creating a profile to participate in your discussion. I think it's great! Although I don't know very mucho about this project I think it's an excellent idea. It's obvious that we are living hard times everywhere in the world and I think cultural and educational spaces should take the responsibility of social development as well as any other bussiness company. In Mexico libraries are not seen this way and I think if it works there in Europe, it should work here too. Please keep posting more information about this!!

I realize that forum posts have now become increasingly hard to read and understand, because of the rather un-clever way the forum is styled. Please bear with us, and reply in general, instead of replying to each post - It's just a temporary fix, but it does make it easier for everyone.

May I ask about the Bulgarian libraries since there are plenty of them? Are they inspired by this idea, are they ready to join?

Very smart idea!