Friday, July 23, 2010

Libraries Bigger than Cupcakes?


Linda Holmes of NPR's Monkeysee blog thinks that libraries will be the subject of the next big pop-culture wave, right on the heels of the cupcake craze. She thinks this because:

---Libraries give away things for free: unlike Netflix and Kindle who are friendly but want money for their stuff.


---Librarians are nerdy and actively uncool: they know things and are often openly feisty. They may be slightly subversive and don't follow the party line. Pop culture is now embracing such a perspective. Look at the picture of Linda on her blog and you'll see that Linda is a bit on the nerdy side herself, although certainly not actively uncool.


---Libraries are green and local: they reuse books, are anti-chain store, and are down home and folksy, which is all good per Linda.


---Libraries serve the public: Yes, the SFGH Barnett-Briggs Library is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and open to all that that entails, including unpredictability. Sometimes the unpredictability creates drama resulting in calls for assistance from the Institutional Police. Thank you, Institutional Police.


For the above reasons, librarians here at the BBML are preparing now and will be ready for the coming wave of popularity.