Public library and community college collaboration

This article was recently published in Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice.

“A Win-Win Collaboration” by Mary Beth Parkinson

This brief article reports on a collaborative book-borrowing policy between The Brendlinger Library of Montgomery County Community College and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library (WVPL), both located in Blue Bell, PA.  Beginning in January 2013, WVPL will donate books periodically to the Brendlinger Library in support of the students enrolled in Reading classes.  Circulation statistics will be reported to WVPL, and the books will be returned to WVPL for sale in the WVPL Friends of the Library book sale.

Libraries partnering with outside organizations as experiments in engagement

See how libraries in Colorado and Kansas are building new relationships in order to strengthen their roles in their communities.

http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2013/2/15/Bringing-new-voices-to-the-public-library/

Expanded initiative in Chicago puts teachers in the library

“Teacher in the Library” a privately funded program assists 58,000 kids with homework at 57 libraries across Chicago. The program is being expanded through a university partnership, facilitated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Thanks to Gary Smith for sending the news our way.

http://www.infodocket.com/2013/01/10/chicago-mayor-puts-more-teachers-in-libraries-to-help-kids-with-homework/

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17501126-418/mayor-puts-more-teachers-in-libraries-to-help-kids-with-homework.html

Public and Academic Library Cataloging Collaboration

This is from the December issue of Cataloging & Classification Quarterly.

“Public and Academic Library Cataloging Collaboration in Ohio’s NACO Funnel Project” (A subscription isrequired to read the full text.)

Catalogers at The Ohio State University (OSU) Libraries, Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML), and Cleveland Public Library (CPL) are collaborating through the Ohio Name Authority Cooperative (NACO) funnel to create personal name authority records that directly benefit library patrons. Although OSU provides training and review, all three libraries receive value from the collaboration. There have been obstacles, however, such as cataloging training and workflow differences between public and academic libraries. This article will discuss the challenges and benefits of this inter-library cataloger collaboration from the point of view of all three libraries, plans for the future, and best practices for other libraries that are interested in public/academic library collaborations of this kind.

Three items from the LJ Infodocket

Here they are:

1. METRO Collaborative Digitization Showcase – Local and Global Collaboration
2. New Orleans Public Library Partnership Will Bring Largest Culinary Library in the South to the Big Easy
3. ARL SPEC Kit 328: Collaborative Teaching and Learning Tools

Library Network Collaboration in Ohio

This article in Library Journal “Academic and Public Library Networks Join Forces in Ohio” by Michael Kelley notes that:

Two vast and disparate library networks — one academic and one public — have begun a collaboration in Ohio that will greatly expand offerings for both systems’ patrons.

OhioLINK, a consortium of 89 college and university libraries and the state library, and SearchOhio, a network of 19 public library systems, linked up their collections in November.

and more.

Library cooperation at the speed of the Web

The Wichita Public Library is hosting an event:

Moving Library Cooperation to Web Scale: October 22 at the Wichita Public Library. It runs from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and it is free and open to all.  Lunch will be provided.

It is sponsored by OCLC and Lyrasis.

A digital media and learning hub

DMLCentral “is about collaboration, conversation and exploration in Digital Media and Learning.”

DMLcentral.net is the online presence for the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub located at the systemwide University of California Humanities Research Institute and hosted at the UC Irvine campus. We think digital media practices are fundamentally reshaping society in far-reaching ways, especially in how people all around the world are learning and connecting with one another.

This post, YouMedia: A New Vision for Learning, notes:

In July 2009, YouMedia launched as an ambitious attempt to re-imagine the library as a more relevant learning resource for today’s teens. Understanding that the landscape has changed how teens learn, socialize and self-identify, how do we remix the public library experience so it can truly engage teens in a way that supports its core mission?