Have I talked about the first Library in the Library meeting yet? (Ha, ha. I kid. Of course I know I haven’t. I’m not senile…….yet.) It was excellent! People showed up, for one thing. Students AND working librarians. And a couple of decisions were made about projects to start with, but if I told you about them I’d have to kill you. (Ha, ha. I kid. I’m just saying that because the CIA did NOT grant me an interview when they were on campus last week, which means I have to PRETEND to be a secret agent librarian. Because why in God’s name would the CIA interview a former flamenco dancer, future librarian? Especially one who doesn’t know how to write a good cover letter yet, that explains why the CIA really needs a former flamenco dancer, future librarian on their team?) 
So the Library in the Library meeting was cool, and I kind of offered to look at Koha and Evergreen as possibilities for creating an online catalog of some very unusual stuff, like rakes and maybe deep-fat fryers, so if anyone has any pearls of wisdom I’d really appreciate it. But Meg also encouraged us to think about what sort of things should be done in this library experiment. Now, because I’m not actually all that creative I just steal other peoples’ shticks and put the word “library” on them and then giggle to myself. So here’s a list of other-people’s-stuff-that-should-totally-be-done-by-the-Library-in-the-Library-and-then-we’ll-have-to-hope-we-don’t-get-sued-and/or-arrested:
1. Library Everywhere
Surely you’ve seen the Improv Everywhere videos, where people in NYC are treated to bizarre events, like thousands of people freezing in place in Grand Central Station? Or thousands of people slow-dancing with items in stores? Or thousands of people getting high-fived by Rob? Well, what would Library Everywhere look like? I have a sneaking suspicion it would look like the project by master’s students in Toronto who took the reference desk to the streets in 2009. They set up desks on sidewalks and offered to answer any question to raise money for The Stephen Lewis Foundation, and I LOVE THAT IDEA! Here’s what I think we should do in the summers when the pools are open: Get a hundred library students with book carts stocked with summer reading to roll into a pool, do a book cart drill and then lend books to all the parents who have to sit there, sweltering, while their kids play.
2. Guerilla Librarianship
This is where we disable everyone’s internet connection, and then make a message pop up on their computer screens that says, “Desperate for Facebook? Jones-ing for that next tweet? There’s an app for that………………AT YOUR LIBRARY.” Or we just kidnap people and tie them to library desks and torture them with helpfulness and knowledge. Either way.
3. Dancing with the Librarians
According to Roy Tennant, Nancy Pearl is the only librarian star, which makes for a pretty lame competition. But a campaign to get her on Dancing with the Stars might give libraries everywhere a lift. Especially if she didn’t suck. Which is not at all guaranteed.
4. Psychedelic library bus
Why aren’t there more of these?! A site called PSFK says there is actually a Swedish Library Bus of the Year award. Why don’t we have a library bus of the year? Why don’t we have a library bus?!
That’s all I’ve got. Got any better ideas? Send them my way, so I can suggest them at the next meeting and look really creative and cool. Or you can show up at the next meeting and I won’t steal your idea. And then YOU can look all creative and cool!
