Continuing to be excited about open source…
My last post was originally a monstrously long post. I ran out of time to finish and just posted part of it and before I start my new gig at Bibliomation, I’m clicking “Publish” on the rest of it. I’ve been talking with a lot of folks in libraryland about what makes a library go. There’s a small coterie of library innovators who are invaluable to our profession. They put themselves and their ideas out there because they love libraries and want to help them all succeed. That thinking and discussion and idea generation is tremendously important. But making a library go requires shelvers and part-time librarians and someone to keep the books. So before I start writing endlessly ab

Getting excited about Open Source…
Okay, I’ve always been excited about Open Source, but I’m amping up my fangirl status. Starting in November, I’ll be joining Bibliomation’s Open Source Project. Bibliomation has chosen Evergreen for its future ILS and four small Connecticut libraries have signed on for the pilot project. Two of those libraries are in the more rural area of the state that I grew up in and I’m looking forward to working with small town libraries on this project and learning more about Evergreen! I will miss all of the wonderful people at Darien Library, of course. One of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from my time at Darien is the importance of

Auditing Kindness
Corporations have The No A**hole Rule, but the motivation and measurement in a for-profit is always the bottom line. The a**hole in the office makes a lot of money, but holds everyone else back with toxic behavior. Fire him, and everyone else steps up their game and increases earnings. Profit provides a reason to hire, fire and take action. Libraries, like most non-profits, deal more in intangibles and don’t look to the balance sheet for guidance.