stinkycheez ([info]stinkycheez) wrote in [info]library_mofo,
2008-12-08 08:09:00
So this futurist came around to speak about the future of the public library in our community. He has lots of great ideas about how we should have treadmills and exercise bicycles in the library so that people can read  while they work out. We should offer pod and videocasting services, art and music studio space, sound proofed band practice rooms, and mini-theaters.  All I can say is, has he been in an urban public library lately? So in addition to doing the job we're actually hired to do, and acting as social workers, babysitters, tutors, paramedics, test administrators, court appointed mediators, and cleaning people, I guess we now have to become personal trainers, recording engineers, and producers, all for the princely salary of around 32,000 a year. 
But the bright side is, we could use the video studio to film the sex acts which go on in the library, upload them to YouTube and screen them in the mini theater. It could be a cottage industry. Where's Joe Francis when you need him?

http://www.davinciinstitute.com/page.php?ID=162

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  • 45 comments

[info]blackjackrocket

December 8 2008, 13:38:01 UTC 3 years ago

So was this pointed out to him?

Also he seems to miss the point of most libraries, that you can take the books other places.

[info]lemon_says

December 8 2008, 13:44:22 UTC 3 years ago

How do you get the job of a "futurist"? That sounds like a pretty good gig.

[info]oddharmonic

December 8 2008, 13:49:21 UTC 3 years ago

Mingle well and go to conferences, apparently.

Association of Professional Futurists FAQ: How Does One Become A Futurist?

[info]lemon_says

3 years ago

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[info]oddharmonic

3 years ago

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[info]cheesygirl

December 8 2008, 14:21:10 UTC 3 years ago

And all of these fancy goodies are, what, going to magically appear in every public library when we snap our fingers and make a wish? Mm-hmmm.

[info]jackolantern

December 8 2008, 14:34:52 UTC 3 years ago

"DaVinci Institute." As if Leo him own self instituted it. Did this assclown get paid for the gig?

[info]aka_lusi

December 8 2008, 14:42:59 UTC 3 years ago

Okay, I'm totally ready for everyone to yell at me, but I think it'd be an interesting experiment to combine community centers with libraries...by which I mean, include specialized staff under the same roof to provide book/activity combinations...cookbooks in the library part, cooking demos and practice in the kitchen part, potlucks in the community room, etc., for example.

I wouldn't dare suggest that librarians should be responsible for all aspects, but I think it'd be interesting to see if centers like this could help us build closer knit, safer, happier communities. But, then, I was raised in a community where this existed on a small (private, nice neighbors) scale, and I just want to spread the idea of communal use of publicly funded resources. :-)

*ducks and covers for things being thrown at her*

[info]muzivitch

December 8 2008, 14:56:23 UTC 3 years ago

To be honest the part that I find the most wtf is the addition of gym equipment to the library. The other parts could be interesting ONLY if they hired sufficient people to handle everything. Which they probably wouldn't, leading to stressed out, overworked, underpaid librarians. Or rather, even more of them.

[info]aka_lusi

3 years ago

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[info]madknits

3 years ago

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[info]aka_lusi

3 years ago

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[info]fechtbuch

3 years ago

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[info]esoterica1693

3 years ago

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[info]madknits

3 years ago

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[info]ru_tu

3 years ago

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[info]aka_lusi

3 years ago

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[info]stinkycheez

3 years ago

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[info]eryndil

3 years ago

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[info]kalilove

December 8 2008, 14:59:29 UTC 3 years ago

when I see things like this I'm soooo happy I work for a county the fears change....nobody would think this is a good idea thereby saving me time.

I fear the day they want to add a cafe to the library as I got cafe trained when I worked at B&N.

[info]lilyellowflower

December 8 2008, 16:32:39 UTC 3 years ago

I've actually seen cafés attached to libraries (in the same building, kind of attached to the foyer before you enter the main part of the library). It's staffed by coffee house workers, not librarians, though, and food/drink has to stay in the café. It's not a chain store or anything like that, it's just the library coffee house. It actually rakes in a decent amount of dough for the library (since the library owns it/it's not some chain just renting the space), and it provides an alternative to brewing one's own coffee in the break room and/or running out to the nearest Dunkin' Donuts for those library workers who need caffeine on their breaks. It's actually done a lot to make the library seem more welcoming, and the number of visitors to the library since the addition of the café has increased. So, it's not a terrible idea, if done correctly.

P.S. - They don't need to know you used to be a coffee slave! Problems with the coffee house are strictly café manager problems, and the librarians at the aforementioned library absolutely refuse to deal with coffee house problems, because it's not their job, and there are enough café workers/managers that should be able to handle it. If not, well, that's too bad, because librarians don't get paid to serve food to the general public. Anything short of the building being on fire will get any café worker chewed out for wasting librarian time and not going to their own manager. It works well this way. The coffee house stays in its own little world, the library stays in its, and there is an increase of customer/patron flow between them because of their convenient locations.

[info]beatlemaniac11

3 years ago

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[info]danneeness

3 years ago

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[info]eryndil

3 years ago

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[info]hootenae

3 years ago

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[info]ysathora

December 8 2008, 15:24:00 UTC 3 years ago

all for the princely salary of around 32,000 a year

The full-time clerks (the people who actually have to work with the public) where I work don't even make that much.

[info]gcbiggles

December 8 2008, 16:42:32 UTC 3 years ago

Certainly not. Our highest-paid fulltime clerks start at around $21,000. Circ staff gets less. And we're actually better paid than any county near us by about $2 to $3 an hour.

[info]stinkycheez

3 years ago

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[info]autumnfire1414

December 8 2008, 15:57:58 UTC 3 years ago

But the bright side is, we could use the video studio to film the sex acts which go on in the library, upload them to YouTube and screen them in the mini theater. It could be a cottage industry.

*spittake*

I think it's a brilliant idea!

[info]simonator

December 8 2008, 16:04:36 UTC 3 years ago

We'll put that in the "innovative funding," file....

[info]gcbiggles

December 8 2008, 16:42:52 UTC 3 years ago

Nationwide funding crisis? What nationwide funding crisis?

[info]fakeassrarian

December 8 2008, 17:23:48 UTC 3 years ago

i love that the guy's personal description at the end of the article includes the phrase "Father of Invention"...weren't there previous fathers of invention that predate this idiot by a few hundred years??

the town i grew up did have a combined building space with a library, YMCA, indoor park/climbing wall, and a gazebo for performances. it seems to work and be pretty popular. the key to it, though, is that these spaces are clearly separated by thick walls. there are NO treadmills in the library and NO stacks of books anywhere near the indoor climbing wall. people can easily move from one space to the other, but it's not all mooshed into one open space. also, this is a fairly well-off community with the tax base to make it happen. most cities don't have the finances needed to do this...especially in these economic times.

perhaps this guy should re-name himself "Father of Idiocy"?

[info]aka_lusi

December 8 2008, 18:25:59 UTC 3 years ago

What, no treadmills in the library? Sigh, how 20th century.

Seriously, though, the center you describe sounds absolutely lovely.

[info]rawrin

December 8 2008, 17:38:03 UTC 3 years ago

just one aspect out of all of that...

we should have treadmills and exercise bicycles in the library so that people can read while they work out

Yikes! You'd have to get staff certified on CPR/AED (if they aren't already), and worry about people falling off the treadmills, tripping over their laces, having seizures, passing out, and probably doing other things I can't imagine because the equipment is in a public library.

Don't forget about machine maintenance - this will include daily cleaning because they get pretty dusty and dirty. And just like the computers, people will fight over the equipment. Many gyms have sign-up sheets for cardio equipment but it doesn't always work all that great because people forget to sign up, don't know to sign up, sign up for the wrong machine, or just refuse to do it.

And the books will get sweat dripped onto them.

Wonder if libraries should provide locker rooms and showers if they are offering gym equipment....

[info]mackiedockie

December 9 2008, 04:00:55 UTC 3 years ago

Re: just one aspect out of all of that...

And book dust and cardio workouts go so well together.

[info]glhansen

December 8 2008, 19:38:38 UTC 3 years ago

What a job!

Is he proposing, then, that libraries offer free exercise facilities? He doesn't think that sweaty patrons handling books would be a problem? Has he ever tried reading while working out? It can actually be kind of hard to focus on both things at the same time. Do they have such devices that won't violate noise policies? Surely they can fit in some free weights and a squat rack. (I can imagine a bun-haired librarian trying to shush a sweaty, 300 pound power-grunting lifter in a tank top, book in one hand, and setting a personal record...)

Free band practice rooms and free mini-theaters so that people don't have to go to those places that already offer those services for a reasonable price? Maybe they can introduce free recording studios, too, saving the patrons $2000 per hour and putting the small commercial studios out of business. There must be additional ways to spend taxpayer's money for other people's entertainment and hobbies.

I suppose there'd be room for it if they get rid of all the books. That seems to be the trend in some places-- there's a lot of walking to do before you're past the computers, music, DVDs, newspapers, and children's and teen sections.

Futurist sounds like a great career. You don't have to do anything; you just have to talk about it. And then call the public idiots if they don't put the time, sweat, money, and details into making it happen. After all, time, sweat, money, and details isn't your responsibility-- you're the big picture guy.

I've actually seen a combined function community center-- exercise, community meetings, etc. And a SMALL library. I imagine it works pretty well as long as your reference needs are light.

I've also seen a few coffee shops attached to libraries. They seem to work pretty well. The ones I've seen have space rented by a chain, so as far as the library is concerned it counts as revenue, not expense. I wouldn't worry about recruiting the circ staff. If the coffee shop is having trouble, tell them sure, you're an old pro in the coffee biz, and there's no way in hell you're going over there to give them a hand, bwahahahaha. Ah ha. Ha ha. Ha. Sucks to be you.


[info]dollydeduif

December 8 2008, 20:15:29 UTC 3 years ago

So we're supposed to compete with gyms, rented practice spaces, movie theaters, and av clubs.

Fuckin' armchair quarterbacks . . . .

[info]unstricken

December 8 2008, 21:12:39 UTC 3 years ago

nice to see you back, S-cheez, but sheesh, this futurist is such a d-bag. I just want him to work ONE DAY in an actual library. That's all. Just one day.

[info]ru_tu

December 8 2008, 21:47:49 UTC 3 years ago

Society for Creative Anachronistic Futurists?

Did anyone else look at this guy's picture? Why is a 'futurist', wearing such an idiotic outfit?

[info]nova_b

December 9 2008, 02:05:24 UTC 3 years ago

Re: Society for Creative Anachronistic Futurists?

He's trying (and of course, failing) to be the new DaVinci. Guess you simply can't compete without the proper attire {{giggle}}

[info]gods_hedgehog

December 9 2008, 00:16:32 UTC 3 years ago

I have seen the future and its name is Saskatchewan.

(I'll never get another chance to say that)

In Saskatchewan, Canada, one of our cities' public systems has a movie theatre which hosts art-film showings regularly. My city has library branches in every Civic Centre, aka city-owned pool and gym, canteen, conference facility, and community centre. That way the library and the gym are in the same building but the library staff doesn't have to deal with anything other than the library.

I have to wonder if your "futurist" just visited Saskatoon or Regina and then tried to pass off our regular library services as "the future of libraries".

[info]gods_hedgehog

December 9 2008, 00:21:02 UTC 3 years ago

oh yeah, just to add:

The gym and pool and conference facilities, theatres, etc. . . are not free at our civic centres. The library cards are free but the gym, room rental, and canteen cost money.

[info]noizrotica

December 9 2008, 19:31:58 UTC 3 years ago

Frauds

This futurist dipshit is actually going to be in charge of designing the new main Library of the Damned. Just found that out yesterday.

[info]stinkycheez

December 10 2008, 13:27:39 UTC 3 years ago

Re: Frauds

Mayor Flintstone should require him to work the reference desk for a month before he submits any plans. He might find, for instance, the community really requires private jack-off rooms instead of podcasting studios.

[info]rufusfrog

December 10 2008, 10:01:58 UTC 3 years ago

I have a great idea for the treadmills and exercise bikes: use 'em to power the public computers! (And subtly assign the most power-hungry machines to the lardiest customers, for their own good, of course.)
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