In the book A Whole New Mind, author Daniel H. Pink discusses in a very readable style what the author feels will be a trend in business. He sees us moving from the Information Age to what he calls the Conceptual Age, where those with empathy, intuitiveness and creativity succeed. The move to Right Brain-directed service could make our librarians highly sought after as guides to information sources.

                                             I am a great fan of diet books, and You: On a Diet, by Drs. Oz and Roizen was an unexpected treat. I originally hated the cluttered format and cheap-looking paper, which reminded me of so many remainder books. But I came to appreciate the humorous side bars in a book that is heavy on physiological explanation. The book is dense with information, reassuring me that I knew basically how I should be eating and moving, yet surprising me with some new tips as well. Anyone who has read this book or seen Dr. Oz on Oprah can now explain what the “omenteum” is in thirty words or less. Don’t look for me to be any thinner though, unless it’s from carrying the book around!

Never Eat Alone and Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi. 

When I walked to the business section to find this book with a store employee, another customer said I would love it.  It was the best motivational business book he has read, he exclaimed.  I took the book to read at lunch (where I was eating alone) and instantly felt guilty that I was not using my lunchtime wisely.  The book extols the virtues of building a community of friends, colleagues and mentors over meals or at networking events as an important step to being successful.  We librarians can learn much about being “conference commandos� to really get the most out of our time out of the library.  For introverts, there is much to learn about how to get to the decision makers and how to handle rejection when we don’t get what we ask for.  Although not specific to libraries, this book should be required reading for all aspiring library directors.

Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman is a laugh out loud mystery focused on the Southwest and on Navajo culture.  Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are Navajo police who both have a wry sense of humor when it comes to dealing with the FBI and other mainstream law enforcement.  Their knowledge and understanding of traditional culture, folklore and the canyonlands of the Southwest help them to be more successful than those with a more modern approach to murder and mayhem.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV1gJd96P94]

 This video from the Fulton County Public Library in Rochester, Indiana , exemplifies how a library can showcase its services in a dynamic medium. 

Are you a little hesitant about venturing into the land of  “YouTube“?”  The Denver Public Library is running a contest.  They are soliciting videos from teens that mention the Denver Library in a positive light .  Best of all, they have a quick tutorial showing how to utilize “YouTube” to your library’s advantage.  http://teens.denverlibrary.org/media/youtube.html 

The New Jersey State Library is working on ways to incorporate videos into our statewide marketing campaign.

By Norma Blake

We are always trying to find creative funding sources for our libraries. One of the best resources I’ve found is the list of grants posted at http://librarygrants.blogspot.com . A few of the grants found on that site are featured below:

Verizon Tech Savvy Awards Program

Deadline: January 12, 2007

Nominations for the 2007 Verizon Tech Savvy Awards are now being accepted. Four regional awards of $5,000 each and one national award of $25,000 will be presented annually. In addition, award winners will receive a scholarship to attend NCFL’s annual conference, the National Conference on Family Literacy, and to participate in the awards presentation at the conference. The scholarship includes conference registration fees and a travel stipend of $2,000. Successful programs should create innovative ways to employ technology as an important component in family literacy that are easily replicated at other sites across the United States. Organizations that are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, such as community-based nonprofits, libraries, and schools, are invited to apply. For complete program information and awards nomination forms, visit the NCFL Web site

Source: http://librarygrants.blogspot.com/

MYHOMETOWNHELPER.COM Grants

Deadline: each month by the last day of the month, through May 31, 2007.

General Mills Sales, Inc. and Hamburger Helper are offering grants of up to $15,000 each month from September 1, 2006 through May 31, 2007. All requests for funding must be sponsored by a municipal or civic organization such as a public library or school. When evaluating requests, the review committee will favor organizations the meet the following criteria: Demonstrate a need in a community; Illustrate a helpful, creative or innovative concept that meets this need; Clearly identify change/s that can be made as a result of receiving the award. The online application consists of a 250 word description of the grant project. Applicants can request a one time award for a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $15,000 during any single month. One example grant project on website is for computers for a library or school. To apply, visit http://myhometownhelper.com.

Source: http://librarygrants.blogspot.com

ALA Conference – Travel Grants

If you are thinking about attending ALA’s Annual conference in Washington, D.C. in June 2007 but your travel budget is tight, there is help! At ALA’s Member Blog, you will find a list of many scholarships available to cover your travel costs.

http://blogs.ala.org/memberblog.php?title=travel_awards_for_annual_2007

Source: http://librarygrants.blogspot.com

By Norma Blake

I love libraries.

I brag about New Jersey’s libraries and library staff members every day, to legislators, other government employees, state librarians from all across the country, and, quite frankly, to anyone who will listen to me.

I think about libraries all the time – how can we improve them? Of all the programs that we offer, what do our patrons value most? What services are libraries in other states offering?

I read about libraries in current library literature, but I also think it is imperative to read periodicals outside of our library culture and adopt creative solutions from alternate business models.

I’ve been thinking of ways to let you know about new trends and issues as I learn about them, and blogging seems the perfect solution. BlakesBlogwill be my way of communicating exciting concepts and innovative ideas to you. Welcome to my blog, and I hope you learn things here that will be useful to your library, and I hope you will be inspired to think about your library in ways you never have before.