communication

As Information Technology Manager of the Missouri River Regional Library in Jefferson City, Missouri, Robin Hastings relies on the human factor and various forms of communication to connect with patrons and colleagues alike.

Located in the heart of the Deep South, Bossier Parish, Louisiana is home to nearly 100,000 people. Within the 935-square-mile county are the seven branches of the Bossier Parish Libraries, with the Bossier Central Library near Shreveport at the system's center. New to the library, in both role and person, is Jaketha Farmer.

The Bemidji Public Library, located only a few blocks away from scenic Lake Bemidji in Northern Minnesota (and near the statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox), is the kind of library that checks out puzzles, fishing rods, and life jackets in addition to lending books and hosting lectures.

The Yuba County Library, located on the banks where the Feather River forks, is the county’s sole branch, serving a population of 70,000 people spread over 600 square miles. Over the past few years, Yuba County has been among the fastest-growing counties in California, making the need for modern library services even more urgent.

In a small mountain town in southeastern New Mexico, Phyllis Reed directs Ruidoso Public Library with little outside technical help. Despite its somewhat oxymoronic name (Ruidoso means “noisy” in Spanish), and the fact that the clientele population snowballs during the winter, the library runs smoothly and efficiently. This efficiency is due, in large part, to the director’s unspoken rule of thumb: give people a fish and they’ll eat for the day, but teach them how to fish and they’ll eat forever. Reed believes that everyone – colleagues and clients alike – benefits best by sharing, by not hoarding information, and by daring to problem solve and learn as a team.