LaRue's Views
This digital archives comprises Library Director Jamie LaRue's newspaper columns from January 3, 1996 - August 26, 2010.
In general, they appeared on the dates shown in various Colorado Community Newspapers.
May 15, 2008 - Your Reputation is a Recruitment Strategy
The numbers tell the story. Some 80 million Baby Boomers were born; 40 million Gen-Xers.
A 2004 report from Colorado's Library Research Service made several predictions:
* More than 20 percent of responding Colorado librarians expect to retire within the next five years. Of all responding school librarians, about half indicate plans to retire within five years; more than three times the proportion for public librarians and almost five times the proportion for academic librarians.
* Many librarians who responded to this survey are not waiting until age 65 to retire. Almost 30 percent of those who expect to retire within the next five years are ages 45 to 54.
* Retiring librarians will take with them substantial administrative skills. Of these prospective retirees, one out of five expects their job to be combined with another or eliminated. Almost one out of five expects to be succeeded by someone with less education.
September 13, 2007 - Why Don't We Charge?
Not long ago, we finished up our public meetings around the county, collecting responses to our long range plans. One of the questions that came up a couple of times, and then came up again from a staff member recently, was this: why don't we charge for some services as a way to raise money?
August 30, 2007 - Architectural Competition a Tough Call
Elsewhere in today's paper, you'll read about the results of our architectural competition for a performing arts center and library in Parker.
The town and the library district teamed up on this project to get some help in crafting a vision -- and nailing down the costs. By getting not just one but three architectural teams to tackle the opportunities and challenges presented by the program and the site, we hoped to wind up with several independent estimates. That, in turn, would give us an intelligent range of choices.
August 23, 2007 - Libraries are Windows to the World
This is the third of our guest columns, by Rochelle Stephens, a Neighborhood Library at Roxborough patron
Douglas County Libraries are the windows to the world, generationally.
Douglas County Libraries are the windows to the world, generationally.
August 9, 2007 - Reform Needed Not Just for Schools
I've been reading lately about the latest round of CSAP scores -- the state mandated tests that rank schools by student test performance. The consensus seems to be that scores aren't moving up fast enough.
It reminded me of a session I attended last June at the American Library Association conference, held in Washington, D.C. A former school librarian and now consultant, Dr. Michael Schmoker, is part of the school reform movement -- from inside the profession. He called his talk, "The Opportunity: From 'Brutal Facts' to the Best Schools We've Ever Had."
August 2, 2007 - Architects Vie for Parker Project
When I was in high school, I read a book that changed my life. It was Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead." Among other things, it was about an architect who designed absolutely original, and highly functional, buildings: private residences, housing projects, gas stations, skyscrapers.
You wouldn't think reading about that stuff would be thrilling. But it was.
Man, I wanted to be an architect. I even got a summer job in an architect's office.
Alas, much like another career plan that didn't pan out (theoretical astrophysics), I just didn't have the genetic predisposition to succeed in that field. Imagine: they wanted me to have artistic and mathematical ability. Who knew?
But I do have an appreciation for art and math. And in architecture, I think I've learned to figure out when something is derivative, or unique, a mishmash of conflicting and poorly articulated aims, or an elegant and incisive solution to real problems.
July 26, 2007 - Homelessness Rising in Douglas County?
Many of us have an image of homelessness: the raggedy man who sleeps under a bridge, pushes a grocery cart, lives in a cardboard box. Maybe he panhandles during the day, probably to support an alcohol problem.
That problem doesn't really exist in Douglas County, right?
Wrong. According to various social service agencies in the county, homelessness is on the rise, right here. But homelessness isn't a single, or simple, profile.
And it never has been.
July 19, 2007 - You Have to Love Free
This is the second of our guest columns, this one submitted by long time library patron, Sonny Poling. Enjoy!
Written by Sonny Poling
Written by Sonny Poling
July 13, 2007 - Carpe Diem, with Pastries
We don't always know the effects our actions have on others.
Some years ago, I wrote a column about trying to do things I'd always wanted to do, but hadn't gotten around to. This is probably an aging Boomer phenomena, as witnessed by the slew of books coming out with titles like "100 Places to See (or Things to Do) Before You Die."
But one of my readers, Manijeh Badiozamani, a college professor, took the challenge personally. And she did something she'd always wanted to do: volunteered to work in a kitchen.
July 5, 2007 - The Hollywood Librarian
I don't go to a lot of conferences. But I just came back from the annual American Library Association conference in Washington, D.C.
I was not alone. There were, by last estimate, over 27,000 librarians in the city. That's a lot of librarians.
But that might be one of the points of the conference. Did you know:
* there are more library outlets than there are McDonalds in this country?
* there are more annual visits to libraries than to all sporting events combined?
