Honoring Donors: Ideas from the Jackson Hole Art Museum

Donor signage ideas from the Loveland Aquarium, Salt Lake City

Here's a great tie-in between the receiving institution and the recognition wall

Red Lodge MT: Public Library

The public library at Red Lodge Montana is wonderful. Their Seuss based signage is creative. And I love their implementation of the Blind Date with a Book.

Donation Box: Natural History Museum Utah

Clever, clever, clever! Put money in dinosaurs mouth and it is added to the collection box. Irresistible to children of every age.

Donor Wall: Natural History Museum of Utah

Stephen F. Austin University: Library

Oh this library has some of the friendliest people working there.
Very cool art piece created from book jacket spines.

Nice donor floor

A Radical Idea...

I was listening to a presentation by a vendor about some new product.  Yada yada yada buy this, isn't it great yada yada.  And the reality is, I'd love to have that product in our library.  BUT our budget is so tight we cannot buy anything that has a recurring expense.  So my head hurts and I'm a little distracted so I'm not really paying that much attention.  I'm pondering the dilemma so many of us face. I have one time money in this years budget that I'll be spending but I can't spend it on recurring expenses...

LIGHTBULB*!

I then asked.  Why can't you give us a contract/license for the product for five years and charge us up front at a discount for the entire five years.  This would allow us to use one time money for something we want. It pays them for something we would not otherwise purchase.  Seems like a win win.  

Needless to say the salesperson was a bit taken aback.  Two weeks later we hear back that they're willing to do a two year contract and are still discussing five and are not ready yet to give us a quote.

I think this is an idea that is going to really work.  It's time for a new model of purchasing.  I know that in five years I may or may not be able to continue the product but with the way the information landscape changes I probably won't need it, or will have the money to continue it.  Hard to say right now, but I'd have that amazing new resource now and for five years...

Since this initial contact I've asked another vendor for a five year license and quote...  I'll let you know if it works out.  Keep your fingers crossed.

-- Jenny

*I tried to find the owner of this image or at least an original location. Sadly I have not yet found it or I would be attributing the source.  If anyone does know who took this amazing photo, please let me know.

North Idaho College Library

This small library has a lot to offer any student including an enthusiastic and capable staff.  I LOVE the gargoyles on the stacks.  These gargoyles are part of an art course assignment and change on a regular basis.  To see more of the library visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157625494344690/ 

(visited September 2010)

Catching Up

First I fell and destroyed my ankle.  Two surgeries and several months of not putting any weight on it then physical therapy and I am doing much, MUCH better.  Then my marriage exploded.  :( It's been difficult.   However during all of this I continued to look for innovation and once I was mobile again (look for the cane in the photos from 2011) I started taking photos and visiting libraries.  There is so much I want to write so stay tuned.

Sutton Public Library

Sutton Public Library

Now this small town has an extraordinary library. Airy, beautiful, rich in books and friendly people.

Beautiful art
Love the fireplace, and those lamps!

It's like a church for books.
Even the door stops are art pieces.

Palmer Public Library

Palmer Public Library August 3, 2012 Another great community library packed with books and nooks.
I loved this tent for the kids
Wonderful art piece
Donating chairs! A very cool idea.
Oooh and more fundraising swag.

Visiting Wasilla Public Library

A cozy, packed, interesting, wonderful library. Lots of natural light, and just packed with books. My kind of library. Out behind the library was a farmers market where I was able to find a couple of wonderful art pieces. I loved this hand painted chair
And ended up buying this blue bag.

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles

My friends took me to the Griffith Observatory for the Summer Solstice.  It was awesome.  I, of course, kept my eye out for interesting ways to honor donors. I was not disappointed.  If you want to look at other photos from that outing check them out here on my Flickr Album.

Donor Wall:

Absolutely wonderful art/education piece.  For more information about the piece go to http://griffithobservatory.org/exhibits/cosmic_connection.html

Tuzzy Consortium Library in Barrow AK

GORGEOUS public library way up north.  Be sure to check out all of my photos of this library via this Flickr Album.

Glass art piece depicting the year.

Art and the main desk

Lots of light and books to read.

Shorter shelving units are on wheels to make it possible to have large events.

Reference Road Trip to University of Utah

Had a great visit and tour of the Marriott Library in Salt Lake City, UT.
For pictures taken during the visit check out my Flickr Album.
Honoring donors:

Marketing resources via posters:

Library Comics: Bowling Green State University - OH

How's this for a great idea.  Advertise your library and it's services through a competition for creative cartoons/comics.  Check it out at: http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/comics/

Idaho Library Association Conference in Post Falls

IDAHO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 2010



Image - Exterior of Coeur d'Alene Public Library

Before my preconference session I attended the lunch with Chris Crutcher http://www.chriscrutcher.com/. He talked about his most recent book 'Deadline.' This is a book that starts off with a teenager learning that he has a fatal illness and is going to die in a year. Since Crutcher has worked as a therapist he drew on that background and then talked about how we seize the day, or not. It was an awesome talk. As for the food... bleh or meh. MY session went swimmingly. We had a lot of interaction and I learned as much as they did.



Image - Art, Coeur d'Alene Public Library

The next day Oct 7th., I attended the ILA Business Meeting, and then the Keynote Address by Jess Walter http://www.jesswalter.com/, another author. He recently published 'The Financial Lives of the Poets.' He had us laughing and listening hard. "From Bookmarks Magazine:
Walter's wildly funny, heartrending novel is a clever meditation on the American Dream gone horribly wrong. Readers will be rooting for Matt, "a likable everyman" (Christian Science Monitor), even as he commits one painful error after another. Walter's writing crackles with energy, and though he seems to come close to treating some serious topics (drug use, infidelity, mental illness, and bankruptcy) superficially, his affection for his characters and his shrewd assessment of the Priors' financial and familial collapse circumvent that danger. His free-verse poetry, however, interspersed within the narrative, received mixed reviews. Praised as one of today's best new voices, Walter has penned a scathing indictment of contemporary America." -- http://www.amazon.com/Financial-Lives-Poets-Jess-Walter/dp/0061916048



Image - Story Room Coeur d'Alene Public Library

I followed up this great beginning with an awesome workshop on 'The Character of Leadership' by Phil Eastman http://www.leadershipadvisors.com/. His model of leadership is character based, not trait based and is founded on the traits of Justice, Temperance, Hope, Wisdom, Love, Courage, and Faith. It was awesome and I wish we had a longer time to spend with him. I was able to nab one of the few packets and a copy of his small book.



Image - Exterior Post Falls Public Library

I got back from lunch in time to listen to the panel 'How I Became a Science Librarian with an English Degree and Other Collection Management Miracles.' They had a lot of great ideas including using Worldcat to narrow down to specific libraries, dates, and subject to analyze your collection and/or get ideas for purchasing.



Image - Service Counter Post Falls Public Library

The awards banquet was very fun. I sat at a table with the Kuna Public Librarians and had a ball. The food was inedible, but the company more than made up for it. I think that's the longest I've spent lingering at a table at ILA ever.



Image - Internet Access Post Falls Public Library

Friday Oct 8th started off with a bang. The Academic & Special Libraries division meeting where I took notes. I also became the Chair of the Division at this meeting. Then on to the session on 'Information Literacy' and it's integration into the Idaho ICT Standards. It is focused on k-12 but this will help us. If we can get kids to learn the basics we can then build on them in college.



Image - Exterior Post Falls Public Library

My favorite session of the day was by Jim Jatkevicius and Mike Brown titled 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Developing Effective Patron Conduct Codes for Idaho Public Libraries.' They did a great job teaching us how to create codes of conduct that were enforceable and legal. Much laughter at what can and does happen in a library ensued along with cases and codes for reference for specific items such as sleeping in the library. Lastly I attended 'Free-economics' a workshop about economics research resources available freely on the web. The handout will be most useful.

A fun and interesting conference with lots of great people.