I stayed an extra day after i-Conference 2006 so I could visit the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) last 18 October 2006. I had begun to realize that North Americans are not as camera-happy as Filipinos, so I asked for permission to take pictures of the library from the director. And that's why there are hardly any people in the photos =)
AADL's website was cited by the American Library Association (ALA) as the best library website for libraries with budgets of $6M or more. But it was Jenny Levine's reference to it as "The Perfect Library Blog Example" that convinced me that I had to go see the library that has so involved its community, it has a Superpatron who gets invited to speak about his experience as a user at library conferences.
As its category in ALA's annual awards suggests, AADL has money. But could it be that they were able to "buy" their community's support? I don't think so. Leadership must have had something to do with it.
Category: Libraries
Ann Arbor District Library
