Contact Us508­359­4544Administration x 8008Adult x 8002Children's x 8014Circulation x 8001Reference x 8002Teen x 8002info@medfieldlibrary.org

On the Same PageVolume 3, Number 3, May­Jun 2012

Monday 10:30­6Tuesday 10:30­9Wednesday 10:30­6Thursday 10:30­9Friday 10:30­6Saturday 10:30­5Sunday 2­5

June, July, AugustSaturdays 10:30­2Sundays closed

Library Hours

Continued on page 4

In this Issue...Toaster Dreams p.1Space Dreaming Deep p.2TeenBeat p.2Teen Dreams p.2KidSpace p.3Place of Tomorrow p.3

Medfield Public Library 468 Main Street, Medfield, MA 02052­2096 (508)359­4544www.medfieldlibrary.org

Toaster Dreamsby Matthew Costanza, Circulation SupervisorWhen I was first asked to write a newsletter article onhow I thought “Dreaming Big” related to librarycirculation, I was a little uncertain of what direction it shouldor would take. Initially I was thinking that, well, robots wouldbe awfully nice to have in a library. They’d make shelving abreeze, and the items being returned would get checked backin lickety­split. On the other hand, they’d probably revolt andstart recommending that everyone read I, Robot, or DoAndroids Dream of Electric Sheep? Hmm, the more I thoughtabout the robot idea, the worse it seemed. So with that firstdream out of the picture, I started thinking about “DreamingBig” from another angle: The library user’s perspective. If Icould dream up the perfect library to use, what would be itsmost important qualities? I’d want a library that gave me thepower to do things on my own, I’d want a library that wasopen twenty­four hours a day, seven days a week, and I’dwant a library where they always had the item I wanted, and Inever had to wait for it. Are we “Dreaming Big” yet? It’sprobably not going to happen anytime soon where you canstroll down to the library at three in the morning for The Help,but my “dream” library’s qualities are much more realisticthan you might think.One of the things that library staff has been working on is theidea of empowering the user. With the advent of technology,libraries have been more able to empower users with theability to access their own accounts in ways that weretraditionally reserved for library staff. Library users cansearch the catalog, request materials, renew items, checkitems out of the library, reserve museum passes, searchelectronic databases, and the list goes on and on. All of thiscan be done without ever needing to speak to staff.Technology has been slowly removing the barriers that havetraditionally blocked users from doing these sorts of things ontheir own. Of course, staff is always available to help thosewho enjoy the human interaction, need help doing morecomplicated tasks, or who want to be empowered evenfurther! One might wonder why it is so important thatlibraries empower their users. Sure, library staff can be moreresponsive, but empowering the user also creates a virtualtwenty­four hour library.

Summer hours begin afterMemorial Day

Summer Hours

Closed Sat, Sun, Mon ofMemorial Day weekend

Teen BeatTeen Dreamsby Kim Tolson, Teen Services LibrarianWe are in the midst of a teen revolution ­­ inlibraries, that is. Ten years ago, libraryspaces, collections, and programs for youngadults were, if they did exist, an afterthoughtin terms of designing a library. But duringrecent years, many libraries, including thisone, have made conscious efforts to expandofferings to teens and to transform teen areasinto more useful, comfortable, andinspirational spaces.In a small library like ours, we are alwaysthinking about how to best use the space thatwe have. We need to regularly evaluate theneeds of library users of all ages. Do we needmore space for quiet work and study? Areas togather and socialize? Places to display newmaterials? It is a balancing act.

­2­

Cont. on page 3

I am frequently awed by the possibilities thatpresent themselves in the new technologiesand types of communication possible. When Iwas growing up, Star Trek created a universewith instant information gratification, instantfood and instant transportation. While we arestill a ways from the food and thetransportation we have achieved thecommunication piece. That show painted agrand vision for humankind and fired theimagination with possibilities. What are thebig dreams now? I can only speak for mysmall corner of the universe but within that Ihave some grand hopes.The Third PlaceMy grand dreams for the library spin off ofevolving possibilities and trends. One of thetrends was identified in the library long rangeplan as being the 21st Century MeetingHouse. This is a secular variation of the NewEngland tradition of the meeting house asheart of the community. In higher educationthis has been identified as “the third place”.This place is not school, not work but more ofa community “living room” where people meetto think, talk, learn, and play. It is a placethat meets social, educational and vocationalneeds of many. I would like to see it do more.DisasterI see the library as a place to go when disasterstrikes, be it tornado, blizzard, flood, poweroutage or other inconvenience. To know thatthere is an available place with warmth,electricity, lights and the internet. To knowthat there is a place to keep one’s businessgoing, a place to charge cell phones, and awarm place to study. Having a librarygenerator to keep things humming and instilla sense of normalcy in a frightening timewould be ideal. And a public shower would notbe out of line either. Literally a home awayfrom home.

Life­long LearningThis should be a part of everything. Wesometimes forget that learning does not endwith school. With all the innovations comingdown the pike continual learning has become askill that everyone must embrace in order tojust keep up with the essential things likehandling one’s money or filing taxes.Technology is demanding new ways of being, ofusing new devices, of thinking, of interactingwith the world. What better place to learn itthan in a neutral environment as comfortableand welcoming as a living room, with no gradesand no judgments; a place both tangible andvirtual and open 24 hours a day. This wouldnot be in competition with traditionaleducational resources but a place to answer thequestions that the formal resources don’t touch,how to use a cell phone, how to use the e­bookthat you got for your birthday how to programyour transporter…“Computer, Earl Grey, Hot…”

Space Dreaming Deepby Mare Parker­O'TooleAdult Services Librarian

Together with our teen advisors, we haveworked hard to dream up areas designed forfunctional use and enjoyment. Each afternoonthat I see different groups using these spacesfor homework, socializing, and enjoying thelibrary collection, I see how successful we havebecome.Of course, we are never finished dreaming. Weare always looking for ways to improve and, inour quickly changing world, to address thealways evolving needs and interests of theteens in our community. If you are reading thisnow, chances are, you are already a libraryuser. You have found something here thatkeeps you coming back, whether it’s a love ofreading, a place to connect with others overshared interests, a comfortable space to work,opportunities for learning, or the chance toimpact your community as a teen advisor orvolunteer. This is my dream for every singleteen in Medfield, that each of you will findsomething here that inspires you and that thislibrary becomes your community meetingplace, your place to dream, or your place todiscover.I dream that you will be able to find the book,movie, music, or information that you want, inthe format you want, every time. So if you cometo us looking for a book to enjoy on your Nook,Kindle, iPhone, or good old fashioned paper,you get it quickly and easily. I imagine thislibrary being your go­to place to learn newskills, explore your interests, and find answersto your questions.I hope to continue to expand and improve theTeen Advisory Group, the teen section of ourwebpage, and other avenues of communication,to make it easier for you to find resources,contribute your ideas, discover new books, andto interact with us and each other.These are just a few of the things I imagine forthe future, but I want to hear what you think!Stop by and tell us what you dream!

Place of Tomorrowby Library Staff

KidSpace

­3­

Teen Dreams cont. from page 2

Cont. on page 4

When we speak of the future it is alwaysimplicit that we speak of our children. All ofthe things that we dream of now, and do andmake are just the precursors to the world theywill inherit. When we dream big how do weenvision the world that we would like them tohave?It does take a village to raise a child. The powerof the village is the power of many differentskills, views, and interactions that makes liferich and full. A village like Medfield has manyresources that can be tapped to expand achild’s view. The library is in the heart of thisvillage.Childrens’ Dreams: Children dream of a placewhere they can start to experience autonomy,safely. Where they can go and ask a millionquestions and, maybe, find a million answers.Where they seek mastery. Where they cantravel to worlds far beyond the borders of theiryards, meet people and creatures who aredifferent and exciting, and learn, create, andabsorb at a fantastic rate.Parents’ Dreams: Parents hope to discoveropportunities that will engage their childrenand themselves beyond story hours intoprojects that answer personal wonderings andponderings. They look for opportunities toengage with the entire community. They hopefor interactions and experiences that will carrytheir children through childhood to adulthoodwith learning and playing experiences all alongthe way. They rely on the library as place toprovide a safe haven with value and purpose ina home away from home.Librarian’s Dreams: We dream of all childrenhaving a key to the future, a library card andnot being afraid to wield it now. To look uponthe library as a place of magic and adventure,refuge from storms, haven for dreams, a placeto ask questions and learn how to find theanswers; a place to discover one’s niche in the

­4­

What do you get when you combineempowered users, the reduction of barriers,and online access to library services? Why, alibrary that’s open twenty­four hours a day, ofcourse. Traditionally, a library user could onlyever access library services when a library wasactually open. It’s taken some time to catch­on, but more and more people are realizingthat when a library is closed, it only reflects aportion of the services that can no longer beaccessed. Ever have a dream where when youwoke up you just knew you needed a newtoaster? You used to have to stew on that newtoaster desire until you had enough free timeand the library was open, in order to researchthe best new toasters. Now though, you canjust wake up, hop on the computer, and startlooking through the library’s ConsumerReports database right away. To me, instantnew toaster gratification is the beauty of atwenty­four hour library.

Place of Tomorrow continued from page 3Lastly, what would be even better than alibrary that was open twenty­four hours a day?How about a library that was open twenty­fourhours a day, and always had the item you’relooking for? The idea of an “On­Demand”library is not necessarily a new one; peoplehave always been disappointed when they haveto go on a waiting list for a new book or movie,or that the library just doesn’t have an item.However, technology, increased efficiency, andaccess to more and larger library networks aremaking strides in reducing the amount of waittime for a particular item. Many libraries areintroducing new “Speed” or “Quick” sections,like Medfield’s Quick Flicks and Quick Picks.These are the hottest or most in demand itemsand they can’t be requested. What this meansis that even if you’re just stopping by thelibrary, there’s always a chance that a moviethat just came out is sitting on the shelfwaiting to be taken home.While the library might not currently be on thesame “On­Demand” level as certain Red Boxesaround town, or instant streaming websites,and the library regretfully does not have itsdoors open at five in the morning, the library isin many ways closer to those “Dream” goalsthan people really think. If you had told peoplejust a few years ago that they could press abutton and instantly have a library book intheir hand without ever having to leave theirhome, they would have probably saidsomething like, “keep dreaming.” Yet, this isthe very stage that libraries are approachingwith E­Books. It’s the very act of “Dreaming”that keeps improving libraries and moves themforward into what was previously thoughtimpossible. And, who’s to say what serviceslibraries may offer in the future? As WaltDisney famously said, “All our dreams cancome true, if we have the courage to pursuethem.”

Toaster Dreams, cont. from page 3

community. We want to be welcoming,inspiring, supportive people who give the gift ofreading, the love of knowledge, and thereverence for curiosity that help shape lives.We hope the library will be a place that willremain an incubator of dreams, a resourcethroughout life.