ERIC Number: EJ930808
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Nov-15
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0363-0277
EISSN: N/A
In the Country of Anythink
Oder, Norman
Library Journal, v135 n19 p18-23 Nov 2010
Beyond the sprawling Denver International Airport, there's little to put Adams County, Colorado, on the map. The region's light rail only stretches south, so Adams County, a mostly working-class zone to the northeast, has come late to growth. There's no central city; the community is dominated by strip malls, big-box stores, and new developments. For librarians, however, the county's library system, the Rangeview Library District, is very much on the national map, after perhaps the most dramatic turnaround in the nation. Rangeview and its zippy Anythink brand were the talk of the Public Library Association (PLA) National Conference this past March. The PLA program, punctuated by an audiencewide kazoo-ing of "Yellow Submarine," provoked a standing ovation from more than 500 attendees. Beyond the deep rebranding effort, the Anythink "revolution" includes constructing four innovative buildings, dropping Dewey for the "WordThink" system, eliminating fines, upending summer reading for the more experiential MySummer, and recasting staff roles from librarians to Guides, bolstered by Concierges and Wranglers. Usage statistics, not surprisingly, have vaulted, and building openings make for community celebration. Job applicants line up. Anythink has joined the short list of must-see libraries for those thinking ahead. This article examines the transformation of the Adams County Library.
Descriptors: Public Libraries, Counties, Library Administration, Library Development, Library Facilities, Library Policy, Library Services, Change Strategies, Organizational Change
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Colorado
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A