In 1920, American scholar and critic H.L. Mencken wrote an essay where he extolled Chicago as the country’s new literary and storytelling capital.
“New York affects a superior sophistication, and in part it is genuine; Boston is already senile; Philadelphia is too stupid to be interested. But in Chicago there is an eagerness to hear and see, to experience and experiment,” he wrote.
Eager to hear and see Chicago for itself, as well as mingle with book-lovers and library professionals from across North America, the North Vancouver District Public Library sent representatives there last Friday.
But they’ll be doing more than merely taking in the sights and sounds of the Windy City.
The library’s presence there will help demonstrate what makes the North Shore such a destination capital for reading, writing and sharing ideas in the 21st century in its own right.
The NVDPL, which includes branches in Lynn Valley, Capilano and Parkgate, is being recognized for two public relations awards at the American Library Association’s annual conference in Chicago, June 22-27.
Director of library services Jacqueline van Dyk and communications co-ordinator Meghan Crowe are attending the conference on the library’s behalf.
“It’s really important to us to connect with community and to inspire stories in the community, and to get this recognition means that our peers think that we’re doing a pretty good job of it,” van Dyk says.
In March, library institutions from across North America submitted public relations material to the association’s 23-person jury, made up of marketing and communications professionals, as well as graphic designers and librarians.
The library snagged its two best-in-show awards for its creative “Readalikes,” which are used to promote its collection, and its graphically appealing annual reports.
“We were a little shocked,” van Dyk says about the library’s win. “This was the American Library Association – which is the biggest library association in the world – and there’s so many great libraries doing so many great things out there that it feels like an enormous honour.”
Today, the library’s work is being displayed at the conference’s peer exchange event, an opportunity for libraries from across North America to share their best ideas.
The library’s Readalikes project is particularly noteworthy, in part because of its simplicity.
They’re little cards that district librarians have been placing intermittently throughout the library’s shelves as a subtle way to interact with readers, all while humanizing the experience of browsing for books.
“They’ll say, ‘Did you really like Louise Penny or James Patterson? If you’ve read all of those books or there’s none on the shelf right now, who would you like to read next?’” van Dyk explains. “They’re bright and attention grabbing – they’ve got little images on them. It’s not just a list of authors on a piece of paper but it’s really a way of our staff engaging with the public in a way where they’re not physically there.”
With more than 25,000 librarians and library service professionals expected to attend the conference, it’ll be a who’s-who of the continent’s best libraries.
While huge institutions, such as the Detroit Public Library, are winners this year as well, the NVDPL’s win demonstrates that even the little guy has the capacity to be just as impactful to the communities they serve.
“This award for us shows that even a smallish or a medium-sized library can stand out. I’m excited to see all the big libraries and I’m continually surprised by what smaller libraries do as well – so creative and inspiring,” van Dyk says.
The five-day conference will also feature many guest speakers and professional workshops for librarians to shop around.
One particularly noteworthy one is a speech being delivered by former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
With the current political climate in the U.S., van Dyk says it will be interesting to hear how American librarians are dealing with issues surrounding intellectual freedom and democracy.
“The strong activist role that I imagine American libraries are playing right now will be what I’m looking out for when I go down there. I’ll be interested to see what they’re doing in response to that world that they’re in right now,” she says.
