Here are a few more ways WDFPL promoted non-fiction offerings in the library.

This Sex in the City teaser coincided with the summer 2008 movie release of the same name.  The low cost display featured the familiar faces of pop culture divas with books, audio materials and DVDs on a variety of topics such as personal style, aging gracefully, dating and weddings.  Credit for the display goes to a certain reference librarian who devised a two-dimensional  Jimmy Choo shoe cut out that appeared on the display table.

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Can you find it?

BTW - A fun time was had by library staffers who shared a night out at the movies followed by desserts at Adelphia’s Restaurant.  

WDFPL celebrated a big anniversary in 2008.  Do It Yourself Reference Center database demonstrations were included in the evening’s festivities.  Home repair books surrounded the peg board backdrop for the display that utilized printed copies of publicity materials from EbscoHost.  WDFPL even developed custom bookmarks thanks to EbscoHost templates!  

 

Signs get a bad rap in libraries.  Do signs have to be mounted on a flat surface?  I don’t think so and neither does the Merriam-Webster dictionary: “a display used to identify or advertise a place of business or a product b: a posted command, warning, or direction”

retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sign 

Here are some in house displays WDFPL used to “identify or advertise” some products (library materials) during summer 2008. 

Classic Fiction Old and New highlights various formats including PlayAways.

The latest installment of the Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor on screen lacks Rachel Weisz confirmation “I am a librarian” however the 2008 sequel movie release sparks a tightly wrapped Mummy display at WDFPL.

Levis jeans supply the backdrop for this promotion building on buzz from the box office release of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

Rock the Vote supplies the content for signage promoting voter registration until the deadline - Tuesday, October 14th - 21 days before November 4th, Election Day 2008.

Nicole Engard, open source evangelist, delivered an information-packed SJRLC presentation at the Cherry Hill Public Library yesterday.  Library specific options laced the overview of promise for open source development. Slides from the presentation will be posted to What I Learned Today on Friday. 

I continue to crack a smile every time I think of Nicole asking the audience, “Are your heads ready to explode yet?�

Personally, I see a great deal of promise in open source alternatives.  If the variety of options seems daunting, there’s no harm in taking it slow. 

I added Firefox to patron workstations at WDFPL a few months ago. 

Why confuse things with two browsers on patron desktops? 

The free Firefox addition expands user knowledge base and reinforces user perception that WDFPL is on top of the latest online trends.  It is no surprise that patrons still favor using IE as we are all creatures of habit.

I have noticed more patrons coming forward with suggestions and discussion regarding software they would like to see added to library workstation desktops since the Firefox installs.  Some recent requests included free PDF converters and online games.

BTW - I hear the Mellon Foundation is interested in another little piece of software called Evergreen.  If the open source competition exudes pressure on vendors to ramp up ILS market offerings that will be progress!