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DIRECTOR'S REPORT
October 2007

    Director’s Report and Highlights
    October 16, 2007
    Submitted by Pamela Nyberg Kiesner


    Library Technologies 101

    Planning for future technologies is a challenge, and as you know, it permeates most of the ways we do business at the library – emailing, accessing library materials, checking out & in, internet – not to mention the materials themselves which are increasingly in non-book formats.

    Luckily we have staff members who embrace the new technologies, who keep us up to speed, and teach us about it. Madeline Sheplor and Doug Dickinson will be providing you an overview of some Bellingham Public Library technologies and exciting things on the horizon.

    In advance of our Board meeting, please be thinking about your questions related to library technologies that we currently have – or may be implementing in the future.

    Planning

    We are happy to be actively working with our consulting team. From Thomas Hacker Architects in Portland, Oregon: Thomas Hacker, Kacey Jurgens, and Robin Wilcox; from Library Consulting in Minneapolis, Minnesota: Jan Feye-Stukas; and from RMC Architects right here in Bellingham: Brad Cornwell.

    Since the last time the Library Board met in September, library staff, board members, city staff, and community members have met either individually or in groups with various members of the team. We’ve had highly successful meetings, gained valuable information for this needs assessment part of the process.

    The next time the team comes will be October 23 and 24, with meetings scheduled every minute they are in town – with the Open House in the evening of October 23, identical to our previous session. Have you watched it on BTV10 yet?

    We could not be doing all that we are doing without such great support from the Board, the library staff, and the city staff. I must say, it is a deep pleasure to be getting to know these folks through this project – and it is a thrill to be in a town like Bellingham. The enthusiasm and dedication to the library is gratifying – and through this project, we are seeing it being expressed and celebrated.

    I did a Library Update for the City Council during their evening meeting, October 8, and they are just as excited as everyone else we talk to about this important project.

    What a busy and energetic time!