More Shining Stars

Award-Winning Programs from Small and Medium-sized Public Libraries

A trio of libraries presented programs that highlight how innovative libraries can be. Some have won national awards for their efforts, and all librarians were encouraged to try.

The Bloomingdale Public Library in Illinois talked about redesigning their YA space. They won a Demco award for their submission and received the assistance of design folks from Demco to recreate the space. It has pleased area teens and is quite popular.

The Nappanee Public Library in Indiana talked about a number of projects, all collaborative in nature. They have a booth in conjunction with 5 other public libraries at the county 4-H fair, increasing visibility and the ability to tell the library story to folks they might not ordinarily reach. They’ve formed a computer consortium with 40 libraries for computer services, saving money and increasing efficiency. And they’re currently in the process of creating a community welcome center and museum in conjunction with the city, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Redevelopment Office. Impressive.

Finally, the Linebaugh Public Library director from Murfreesboro, Tennessee spoke about their discussion series for teens, Cafe Symposium. The program brings teens together weekly for philosophical discussion, which I think is brilliant. The teens very much enjoy the program and have written glowing reviews of their experiences.

Mary Beth