library

On July 31, The Financial Times reported that an increasing number of people are venturing out to libraries in order to seek out job counseling, career expertise, and Internet access in order to find jobs in our tough economic climate.

I was a Twitter skeptic, and then a Twitter admirer, and I admit I'm at times bored by what some reveal in 140 characters, but I still continue to discover greatness, especially from libraries that use Twitter.

Sometimes all of this talk of new technology -- especially web 2.0 technology -- can dilute the intent, the purpose of using it in the first place.

Libraries have been quite successful using wish lists to expose their needs. When a community member sees something tangible they can donate, such as a printer or a bookshelf, they often feel motivated to help out. This is not a new idea. At the Rural Library Sustainability Workshop, libraries shared stories of televisions, paint, art supplies, and other commodities community members donated.