roxbury – librarian.net

that’s one good use librarians have for facebook

As you know, Vermont was hit hard by Hurricane Irene and a lot of resultant flooding. I am fine and my house is fine. I’m not sure what the library damage assessment is at this point but I’ve been hanging close to the Vermont Flooding facebook page and doing some “on the fly” reference with some of the local information I have access to. I came across this post on the Roxbury Free Library’s facebook page and smiled. I hope she gets a ride.

Roxbury Vermont library now has indoor plumbing

Posted on 23Nov08 by jessamyn

I often refer to the Roxbury Free Library when I’m talking about the digital divide. It was easier to get this library set up with wireless internet access — which they’ve had for years now — than it was to get them a bathroom which they just got this week. Yay! Here are a few other photos I’ve taken of the library.

sometimes the news is all good

Posted on 23Apr0625Apr06 by jessamyn

I’ve had a hectic weekend preparing for TLA and a few short trips after that. In the next three months my partner is turning 30, graduating from law school, and prepping for and taking the Vermont Bar exam. We are also probably moving. My job ends in September. My partner is looking for work.

But, on the library front here, I just heard from the librarian at the library-without-a-bathroom, Roxbury Free Library. They will be getting DSL this week to use with their Gates Computer. I helped with that. I also had a student last week who brought me flowers for helping him get online and email his elected representative. Every librarian or library worker should be so fortunate to have a note like this gracing their cubicle wall.

hi – 28feb

Posted on 28Feb06 by jessamyn

Hi. Sometimes getting people on board with a new idea is just as easy as plowing forward with a positive attitude and hoping that people will either sign on and share your excitement, or at least watch cautiously and be willing to be convinced. Two examples from today

ALA Council is going to have an online “face book” to help people familiarize themselves with their appointed and elected Council reps. Big props to Leslie Burger for this one, but I helped a little.
The Roxbury Free Library in Roxbury Vermont now has a URL and a mini web page. Big props to Susan D’Amico for being willing to learn about domain shopping and I helped with a little hosting while they plan their next step. What a nice little achievement to take to town meeting, don’t you think?

In both these cases, someone in a position of authority basically had to make a decision, flip a switch, say “yea” or “nay” to a new idea, decide to do something different. With some some help from people with good information (me in these cases, and others) whole new things spring up, new combinations of information, new methods of delivery. How neat is that?