Glasses… or stryofoam mugs

2006 September 22
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Yesterday I suggested that some library business could, or should, be conducted in a bar. I was thrilled this morning to find Dan Chudnov on vaguely the same wavelength:

All these years we librarians have fought our little battles over whether we should open little coffee stands in the library. But the answer’s been right in front of us: we should open little libraries inside of coffee shops.

Yep, we have to move into our communities - go to them and stop expecting them to come to us.

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2006 September 22
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A similar idea was also put forth by Kevin Smith in his Clerks: The Animated Series. In one episode, someone opens “The Convenient Store of the Future,” which has, among other things, a book department (with its own miniature international coffee bar), and an international coffee bar (with its own miniature book department [which has its own tiny coffee bar {plus a selection of teeny tiny adult magazines}]).

Perhaps we could use this model for “The Library of the Future” (I like the name, anyway). We already have bookmobiles - why not a book cart or booth in a bar, coffee house, mall, laundromat, town festival, or other public gathering place? People could sign up for cards on the spot, check out books, or ask reference questions - or in a fixed location, such as a coffee bar, there could even be a self-checkout machine. Make popular spots around town our branch libraries, so the library becomes part of daily community life rather than just a side trip while out running errands.

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