pimp my library

Do you ever watch that weird TV show Pimp My Ride where people bring in their lame old cars and get them tricked out in these crazy unbelievable ways? I read this article by Stephen Manes about the glories of libraries; he concludes by saying

My biggest complaint is that some libraries’ Web sites don’t detail the amazing range of services they offer online until you cough up a card number. Memo to those insular institutions: Put the info in the shop windows out front and I bet you’ll see a lot more card-carrying customers walking through the electronic doors.

I’ve got an idea….

Pimp My Library would take some ratty old library with an outdated web site, half-busted computers, no good YA room and terrible signage and trick it out to a level suitable for a modern-day information crossroads. Librarians and other staff would be forced to take the day off under the guide of professional development and would be returned to a sparkling new ergonomic and fashionable workplace with accessible standards-compliant web site. We’d still call the library. It can be done. Maybe we’d need to call the show something else though. Side note: Manes mentions an error in Wikipedia’s personal computer entry. Someone with a sense of humor has since fixed the error, all in the last three days. [thanks mark, rick]

me: blah blah blah blog

Rebecca Blood wrote one of the first blogs I ever read. She turned out to be a local contact and good friend. Her husband Jesse James Garrett helped me with the design of the very first librarian.net pages and is an early and continuing inspiration. When I went fishing around for a date for their wedding, I met my current boyfriend Greg through his blog. It’s been a pleasure having all of these people in my online and offline world. Rebecca is starting a series of blogger interviews on her site. She did one with Matt Haughey [of MetaFilter, Creative Commons and and PVRblog fame], and this months she’s done an interview with me. I talk about stats, birdwatching and why this blog doesn’t have comments.