LIBRARY LOUNGE


Mindykittay’s Geek Chart

Wow - I had not thought that our decision would be such a big deal - I mean we are not the first… But it is exciting to see all the press and the positive and the negative comments.

From our website “As part of Rangeview Library District’s “Customers First” philosophy, the district is replacing the 133-year-old Dewey Decimal Classification with its own WordThink system. This new method was generated from a retail-based standard for organizing materials. Similar to what you might see in a bookstore, materials are arranged by simple categories like history and science instead of the old numeric system. Customers are delighted at the ease of use of this new system, which is geared more towards browsing and helps customers find exactly what they need quickly and intuitively.

Earlier this year, Rangeview took the bold step of becoming a fine-free institution to enhance the positive experience customers feel when they come to the library. WordThink is another step in that direction. Last month, the Perl Mack branch was the first library in the district to implement the word-based system. The district’s new Bennett branch opened on Saturday, May 30, with the new organization in place. By the end of the year, all Rangeview branches will use WordThink.

Rangeview will be the first district in North America to use a word-based system in all of its libraries. Maricopa County Library District, near Phoenix, uses similar organization in two of its branches. They were the pioneers of using words instead of numbers to organize library materials, and Rangeview patterned WordThink from their system. After seeing Maricopa’s success, and the practicality of using words instead of numbers, Rangeview decided to make the switch.

A handful of other districts are experimenting with the new word-based classification, including Frankfort Public Library District in Frankfort, Ill.; Richmond Public Library in Richmond, British Columbia; and Arapahoe Library District in Colorado.

“At Rangeview, our main focus is to provide exemplary service to our customers,” says Rangeview Library District director Pam Sandlian Smith. “WordThink is just one more example of how Rangeview puts its customers first, by making our traditional library environments easier to use, resulting in friendlier experiences.”

One of my goals is coming to fruition. I have always wanted to help the Tara School and now I have an opportunity. We are working together to try and improve their presence on line using social networking tools such as zaadz, facebook, twitter and blogging. I can’t wait to get some things up and running!

“It’s like the air we breath, the water we drink. We need libraries. they are treasure houses. It’s through reading that we actually access higher forms of thought.”
Childrens author Michael Rosen discussing the importance of libraries and their role in education on the BBC’s The Daily Politics, Jan. 27, 2009. American Libraries, April 2009, page 28.

goodguide.com
GoodGuide™ strives to provide the world’s largest and most reliable source of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of products and companies. GoodGuide’s mission is to help you find safe, healthy, and green products that are better for you and the planet. From our origins as a UC Berkeley research project, GoodGuide has developed into a totally independent “For-Benefit” company. We are committed to providing the information you need to make better decisions, and to ultimately shifting the balance of information and power in the marketplace.

I was impressed by the comparisons and the variety of information - this is a website I will use.

“My task is to empower young Jews as environmental leaders, to give them a sense of possibility and urgency and to help them find their role as teachers, organic farmers, radical rabbis, community organizers, environmental lawyers and subversive Jews whose blessings invoke a repaired world.”
Shamu Sadeh, Director, Adamah, Hadassah Magazine, Feburary 2009.

I Love my Library
Listen to this wonderful song!
(Thanks Tony!)

“Libraries are central to community development, civic engagement, and scholarly excellence. Therefore, the librarians of this nation are asking not what you can do for libraries but what libraries can do for you, to help you solve the daunting problems we all face. We’re at your service.”

From the Editor. Dear President Obama by Leonard Kniffel, American Libraries, January/February 2009, page 4