EDITOR'S NOTES
Librarians Following Their Bliss
by Dick Kaser
The word “fun” on the cover of this issue rather belies the true passion embodied in the stories inside. The authors all set out to achieve an aspiration and found joy in producing the services they delivered using open source tools.
Sharon Clapp (Central Connecticut State University’s Elihu Burritt Library) contributed two case studies in this issue on her dedicated and impassioned work to document the gravestones in an historic cemetery by building a photographic database of the markers and a website that permits virtual visits to the graves, with links to genealogy records.
In their compassionate account of giving teens a social media outlet they could call their own during the pandemic, librarians Jessica Bond (Morton Grove Public Library) and Emily Fogle (Glencoe Public Library) describe how they set up a Discord server to bring students together online, which continues today.
In another caring response to children studying remotely from home, librarians Julie Gabb and Carly Garinger (Cuyahoga County in Ohio) describe how they developed activity kits for kids to complete at home while interacting live with librarians on Zoom.
Kelsey Brown and Danielle Kane (who worked together at University of California–Irvine) not only share how they put together a chatbot to provide a readers’ advisory service that goes beyond standard subject headings, but they are willing to share the code with you. Just follow the link in their story.
This issue only goes to show that technology empowers innovation, especially when the tools are open source; when creative, inspired librarians take the initiative to connect with their communities, while having fun in the process.
Have a great summer. See you back here in September.
Dick Kaser, Executive Editor
kaser@infotoday.com
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