Thursday, March 30, 2017

Brampton Library is committed to enhancing its technological resources, but it’s difficult to keep up with the newest resources when faced with obstacles such as budget constraints and the need for coaching. However, the library is providing the community with innovative programs and resources and succeeding on a shoestring budget. Offering an exciting makerspace, computer classes, an extensive list of e-resources, and staff who are committed to creating new and innovative programs, it is also working on a culture shift to empower a system of more than 150 staff to enhance their skills and spark curiosity in new resources. Get lots of ideas for establishing your library as a hub of innovation. Orange County Library System has three innovative resources, all built on open source platforms, that enable the library to connect with a wide range of community members. Right Service at the Right Time connects in-need users statewide with egovernment and social services in an easy-to-use manner; Orlando Memory is a community-based local history project documenting the history, past and present, of the greater Orlando area; EPOCH (Electronically Preserving Obituaries as Cultural Heritage), a free site where anyone can post an extensive tribute to deceased loved ones, has been expanded to four states (Florida, Oklahoma, Utah, and New York). The development and impact of the projects, as well as potential for replication, is shared.