April

Welcome...

mash — Sun, 04 May 2008 10:16:29 -0600

I have been writing a weekly newspaper column since 1987.

For 3 years, it ran in the Greeley Tribune. Since then, it has run in various subsidiaries of the Douglas County News Press. I still have most of my columns in digital format.

For many years, I only gave myself one rule: try to work the word "library" into every piece. My intent was to think in public about just what librarianship means at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st.

April 5, 2007 - When You See the Stork, It's Spring

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:20 -0600

About a month ago, I got a "martenitsa" in the mail -- a red and white bracelet of string with a couple of wooden beads. Per instructions, I tied it to my wrist, where I've worn it for weeks.

The martenitsa is a Bulgarian tradition. I wear it in honor of the Dora Gabe Library, in our sister city of Dobrich, over by the Black Sea. I visited there several years ago now.

April 12, 2007 - Shsh!

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:20 -0600

A couple of weeks ago, I called for comments from the public about successful or useful library innovations.

Thank you! Many of you took the time to submit often brilliant analyses of various trends and implementations. All of you, without exception, were kind even when making criticisms. Douglas County patrons continue to be among the savviest library users I've run across.

But your communications also pointed out two troublesome trends. They deserve a straightforward response.

April 19, 2007 - Batten Down the Latches

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:20 -0600

I admit that I don't get it. Why would somebody steal something they can borrow for free? Particularly when most of us have too much barely-used stuff as it is?

I hasten to add that the loss rate of library materials -- about 2%, according to our last inventory -- is surprisingly low. It's higher, I'm told, in retail.

April 26, 2007 - eBooks Fail to Capture Public Library Market

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:20 -0600

On the one hand, how could they fail to be popular? Electronic books (ebooks) would seem to have clear advantages over paper. No more dog ears or gum wrappers -- you just create an electronic bookmark, or search the whole book for some phrase.

Some of the ebook readers -- whether the now vanished RocketBook or Sony's new entry into the market -- can hold a dozen titles or more. So in one paperback size package, it might be possible to cram, for instance, a whole summer's worth of light reading.

April 6, 2006 - LaRue's Views

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:12 -0600

Effective today, this column has a new name. It's not just a title. It's a disclaimer.

First, I thought about adding a more formal statement to the end of each column. It would read something like this: "The opinions expressed in this column, unless stated otherwise, are not the official views of the Library Board of Trustees." The Trustees are my bosses.

Does that mean some of the things I say are NOT endorsed by the Trustees? Yes.

April 13, 2006 - O'Hern is Just" a Teacher "

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:12 -0600

Several years ago, I was visited by Duane, a friend of mine from back in Illinois. Before I came to Colorado, Duane and I worked together in a group called Illinois Writers, Inc. -- a motley crew of poets from the central part of the state. In his day job, Duane is a community college administrator.

We were visiting about important early influences in our lives. Duane started talking about one of his teachers back in elementary school. "Dr. O'Hern was incredible!" he said. "He's why I became an educator."

April 20, 2006 - Generations Need to Talk

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:12 -0600

When I was growing up, there was a lot of talk about the "generation gap." Mainly, it was conflict between the GI generation and the Boomers -- the Veterans and the War Protesters. Nowadays, the conflict isn't quite so obvious.

But you know it's happened to you.

You're a Gen-Xer talking to a Baby Boomer, who is being so maddeningly circular that you have no idea what she is trying to tell you. Or you're a Boomer, wondering why the Gen-Xer doesn't seem to have any loyalty to the company.

April 27, 2006 - For Positive Change, Think Positive

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:12 -0600

Someone told me about a recent study of long term survivors of open
heart surgery. They were surveyed to find out what motivated them to
recover. The reason was not, as you might suppose, "to avoid death."

It was for some more positive outcome: to spend time with their
grandchildren. To tour Europe. To learn to play a musical instrument. To
finish the garden.

It makes you think. Many people work in businesses that have problems,
too. At some point, the question becomes, "how do we get better?" In

April 7, 2005 - Douglas County and the State

Jamie LaRue — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:34:06 -0600

I've come to realize that there are four dimensions to a librarian's job. The first is departmental -- working in the local branch, or administrative unit. Here the primary task is immediate, point-of-contact service to the public.

The second is district-wide. Here the task is making that first dimension both effective and sustainable. This is the arena of meetings: working to ensure consistency, coordination, efficiency, productivity, sufficient resources, planning.