“Yes!” in the shelves
I love love almost as much as I love libraries. While I still worked as a librarian, I used to take some strides throughout the building and often saw love pouring in silence. Once a young man surprised his girlfriend with roses. Couples would always lay together under tree shades in the gardens. Others would catch the
Wind on the bow of every library
Many of those who are able to do so, have made the decision to transfer or move to their summer homes on the coast. During the dark start of a new year, proximity to the ocean may appear to provide some normalcy and security. If we were inclined to wax lyrical in this blog, which is not
‘Finding Yes During COVID-19’
In late 2019, Suzanne Macaulay, a Knovvmad from New York that we admired, had been preparing a series of workshops aiming to encourage librarians to pursue optimism in the workplace. Her approach was centered upon the library as a hub for community engagement where librarians and patrons alike fostered a strong support system, valued active listening, and
How Libraries Will Save the World
A Knovvmad in practice is a person with an unquenchable thirst for adventure, a curious soul, a penchant for exploration with great courage when embracing change. Today we welcome April Griffith, a Knovvmad hailing from the Diamond State, Arkansas. While building community at Eureka Springs Carnegie Library, April has demonstrated how sustainability, empathy and stewardship are key factors
Nomads of Knowledge: Librarians in search of Answers
In making a journey, it is important to set an itinerary. In order to make the trip grand, it is important to leave the destination open. We’re not talking about Ulises. But if we’ve learned anything from the trajectory that has brought us to Knovvmads: it is that getting lost always has its rewards. During the months
Mastering the Art of Difficult Conversations in the Library
We are pleased to have two guest bloggers, who are also amazing librarians, Amanda Johnson and Lauren Clossey. Hailing from North Carolina, these Knovvmads delve into a dicey topic: how to handle difficult and complex conversations in the library. We are grateful to learn about their perspective and excited to share their Knovvledge with all of you. Effective
Social Media, Small Libraries, and COVID-19
Today we have the privilege to welcome Suzanne Macauly to our blog. Currently she serves as the Assistant Director of the Pioneer Library System, and is a New York Knovvmad. Our first encounter was during the ARSL (Association for Small and Rural Libraries) conference, which we supported. As soon as we caught wind of the love and
Burnout, trauma and selfcare for librarians in the times of Covid 19
This summer has been atypical for everyone. We have not yet recovered from COVID. Perhaps we have lost a loved one, a job, or we are simply processing our experiences and it is not unusual that everything could take a toll on our personal relationships and our work as well. Lately I think about how we will manage
Library Rashomon? If you can find something better. Read it.
In 1950, Japanese Director Akira Kurosawa dazzled critics around the world with his movie, Rashomon. The story about a rape and murder in the woods became, under the brilliant eye of the director, a story related by the four voices of witnesses to the event. So much so in fact, that a new term was coined: the
Game theory designed library experiences in support of reading
Our guest featured for today's blog is a very special Knovvmad from Spain, Ana Ordás. Ana is a librarian with more than 20 years of experience in the world of business as a library consultant for physical and digital libraries. She authored the book: Gamification in Libraries: The game as inspiration. Her work as a freelancer focuses