Saturday was National Gaming Day, and the kids and I braved the cold, wet weather to check out the Wii games at the Village Branch of the Lexington Public Library. The staff report that the crowd was smaller than other, weeknight gaming events, but they were no less enthusiastic! The kids were playing Wii Bowling when we first arrived; here is the group's reaction to the final score.

Next up was Guitar Hero (also Wii). This one was so popular that the kids had to draw numbers to see who would go first. The rocking party was still going strong when we left. The newly-expanded Village branch is located in the Village shopping plaza, on the west side of Lexington. Gaming events are held in the Teen Center; the library also includes a small collection of materials, easily-accessible "airport" restrooms, and a newly-expanded meeting room and computer lab. The four-year-old library, one of six branches in the medium-sized Central Kentucky city, also boasts bilingual (Spanish/English) staff.

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This photo was submitted to the TechSource TechShots group pool on flickr. Head over to flickr to submit photos of innovative uses of technology in your library.

One of the beautiful library spaces I had the privilege of visiting this summer was the new main Boone County Public Library building in Burlington, Kentucky (map), in the northern part of the state. Read more »

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I have visited a lot of libraries this summer, looking for interesting architecture, technology, and landscaping that would make for good photos. I visited the new Daviess County Public Library in Owensboro, Kentucky, last weekend, and something really unexpected caught my eye--all the electrical outlets were covered with those little plastic dummies that render them harmless to toddlers. Being a parent, I thought this marvelous. Visiting a space that is not prepared for small children can be very harrying to parents; this small gesture (though probably the bane of many library staff member's existence!) may give parents just enough comfort to be able to enjoy their library a few minutes more. As far as I can tell, DCPL is the only library that I've visited this summer that's taken this simple precaution. Read more »

What materials do you recycle and reuse in your library?  Do you have an innovative use of recycled materials?  Please post your images to flickr and add to the TechShots pool or link to them in the comments below.

This wall hanging was created by library staff member Shell Dunn from colored microfilm reels and duct tape and hangs in the Library Information Technology staff area in the William T. Young Library at the University of Kentucky.

The adage, of course, is that a picture is worth a thousand words. What picture could sum up the best of ALA 2008 for me? After combing through the more than 1,400 photos I took at sessions, on the exhibit floor and inside and outside the hotels and convention center in Anaheim, one moment stood out for me: the BIGWIG Social Software Showcase. You'll notice I'm even in this photo, which means, of course, that I didn't take it--Tech Source editor Patrick Hogan was on hand for the session and was kind enough to snap us goofing around together afterwards. Read on to see why this photo encapsulates the best of ALA '08 for me. Read more »

What sort of technology would you expect to find in a library school? 

University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Newly renovated study space in the library at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY.

As I lay awake last night waiting for my two-year-old daughter's fever to climb down from its 103.1 peak, I contemplated which photo I should use to introduce myself to TechSource readers. I'd shot some self-portraits in my library, some in my back yard, and some in my house. I've chosen this one to remind us all that--at least for me--the most important purpose and benefit of technology is to connect human beings with each other, inside and outside our libraries.  Read more »