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Dsg Alachua County Library District Headquarte...Image via Wikipedia

"Thinking Outside the Book"

That quote is the slogan of the Alachua County Library District, and yesterday I got to see that kind of thinking in action. We now have a Library Partnership, not quite a branch, but something new. The Library Partnership is a storefront facility in an underserved and socioeconomically at-risk part of town. In addition to all the library services--books, Internet access, other media, the partnership works with over 20 social service agencies to help people.

This is a very exciting concept, and part of what I love about 21st C. public libraries. People who need library services the most will get them, but they'll also be able to work with agencies that provide job training, educational opportunities, wellness programs, all at the same one-stop site. This could be a whole new trend for public libraries, and I'm watching it with a great deal of interest.
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