Mobile Apps

DataFest (held by Tenn-Share) was fantastic this year! The focus was on "A Mobile Feast for Libraries," and it was just that. Keynote speaker, Dr. Robbie Melton, discussed apps and what roles libraries could play in presenting them to the public. 

Dr. Melton then went on to share with attendees some of the great apps she has found and compiled in lists. You may visit http://www.tbrmobile.org/ for this very useful information!  

Some of the apps that I have heard mentioned quite often are "Access My Library" and "Overdrive Media Console." What other apps would you highly recommend to patrons?

The New York Time's bestseller list for August 6, 2012,  includes the book The Mobile Wave by Michael Saylor. Although I've only begun to read the book, I am fascinated!  Let me share an excerpt from page 4:

          "A new technology is often perceived as the linear extension of the previous one, and this leads us to
           believe the new technology will fill the same roles--just a little faster or a little smaller or a little lighter.
           Every now and again, a truly disruptive technology appears and cause major changes to business,
           society, or economies. ...Mobile computing is this type of disruptive technology."

He defines mobile computing as tablet computers and cell phones that contain apps.

We all definitely know these items have changed our own lives. They have changed the lives of the people we serve as well. Calendars, cameras, camcorders, recorders, email, social networking, maps, and etc are all on our phones now.

How are we using these technologies to serve our patrons? How could we use these technologies? Please share your thoughts.

TLA Membership

At each TLA Board meeting, we have a topic for discussion. The topic for the August meeting will be about membership. Why are you a member of TLA? What else could we do to add value to your membership? Please comment. Thanks!

Libraries Out of the Box

Hello Friends and Colleagues!

Our theme for the coming year will be “Libraries Out of the Box.” (Thank you, Chantay Collins, for coming up with the wording.) The focus will be on the things I stated in my “Statement of Professional Concerns.”  I would like for us to think about our services and offerings related to ebooks, mobile technology, and our wi-fi users.

We also need to analyze and see if our services are relevant to our patron’s needs. What about our policies and procedures? Are they really in line with today’s patrons? Are we basing what we offer on our own convenience or our patrons’ needs? That is something to think about.

At the same time, we want to look at our organization (TLA). We should ask ourselves the same questions in regards to whether or not the organization is meeting our needs? What could we change that would add value to your membership?

We will be using the blog to discuss some of these points. Please join the conversation!

Dinah Harris
TLA President

Tennessee Library Day

Last Monday, April 9 was Tennessee Library Day. Library advocates and legislators met at the State Capitol in Nashville to celebrate the official proclamation signed by Governor Haslam, and the General Assembly's Joint Resolution celebrating libraries of all kinds in Tennessee. 


Secretary of State Tre Hargett spoke to crowd, and Beth Frerking told us all to speak up and stop being modest about our accomplishments.  


The Linebaugh crew even took cookies to the legislators, sharing their love of libraries and a call to action on specific legislation: more money for READS. 


Special thanks to Legislation Committee Chairs Tiffani Connor and Laura Murray for all of their hard work! 


Next Monday, April 23, there's a group of Tennessee librarians heading to Washington, D.C. to talk to our national legislators. We'll be talking about funding for LSTA and school libraries, and the important role of libraries in transforming their communities. 


You can join our efforts by contacting your U.S. Congressional representatives! See the TLA website for more information. 

South Cheatham Public Library

On March 2, a tornado hit the town of Kingston Springs, damaging the roof of the South Cheatham County Library. It's an amazing, practically one-room library that is beloved by the community. 


I'm pleased to announce that the Tennessee Library Association is donating $1,000 to help the library rebuild. 


It's an odd sense of deja vu for me: I first visited South Cheatham Library for TLA's donation ceremony for the Kingston Springs Elementary School Library, which was destroyed in the flood of 2010. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that this will be the last time TLA has to make a disaster relief donation in Cheatham county. 


Librarian Janet Walker hopes the library will open in a few weeks. I've asked her to let us know if she needs anything else. 

Tennessee Library Day

Monday, April 9th is Tennessee Library Day. 

Please join us at the State Capitol to celebrate with people who love libraries! We'll have a short program for advocates at 3:30, and will serve refreshments in the hall from 4-5 p.m.


Registration is now open! You can register online, or in person at the TLA Conference next week. There is no cost for this event. Please spread the word; we want a good turnout. 


Please invite your legislators to join you at the Capitol, in the Old Supreme Court Chambers on the first floor. This is just steps away from where the General Assembly convenes at 5 p.m. 


Questions? Post in the comments.