The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) has just announced the launch of its “Go Metro Los Angeles” app, which is now available in both the Apple App Store (iPhone and iPad) and Android Play. In its first week, thousands of transit users around Los Angeles County have already downloaded the app, and have given it an average 3.9 star rating! The app features full trip planning capabilities, over 200 downloadable maps, fare charts, service alerts, planned service advisories, and more.
The Metro Library figures prominently in the News section of the App. Users will find links to Los Angeles Transportation Headlines – the Library’s daily aggregation of news and information about transit and transportation in Southern California. They will also be put in touch with their Primary Resources Blog – the platform which gives the collection a voice of its own. The blog shares the past, present and future of transportation in Los Angeles and features “This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History.” The app also features the Library’s Twitter feed, so users can stay up to the minute on the conversation surrounding Los Angeles’ ambitious mobility agenda.
LA Metro Library is looking at developing their own Library app, featuring full catalog access (including Archive and federated searching), as well as links to all Library social media! Go Metro!
MnDOT Library learned this week that we have won an ALA 2012 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award!!
From the ALA website:
“One of the most prestigious awards given by the American Library Association (ALA) is the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, honoring outstanding library public relations, which is provided by the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA, a division of the American Library Association), in conjunction with the H.W. Wilson Foundation and EBSCO Publishing.” The award is open to all types and sizes of libraries.
And from the official announcement:
“The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) created the “moving knowledge” campaign to convey updated space and resources and improve outreach efforts. The space redesign transformed the library from a “bland government” look to a warm and inviting environment. The eye-catching marketing campaign succeeded in bringing in new MnDOT users from throughout the state. The Grand Reopening Event drew 65 percent more attendees than the last Open House, and daily visits to the library increased 1000 percent.”
Congratulations to Sheila Hatchell and her amazing staff: Jim Byerly - Electronic Resources Librarian; Qin Tang - Technical Services Librarian; Karen Neinstadt – Reference and Outreach Librarian; Pam Gonzalez – Library Technician; Christie Schultz - Library Intern; and former Project Librarian – Anne Shelley.
We are so proud of you guys!
It’s National Library Week – let’s celebrate our ability thrive and provide great services to our patrons despite the challenges the economy has thrown at the states. This article has some sound strategies for making it work, no matter what comes your way. We don’t need superpowers, we’re Librarians!
by John J. DiGilio, National Manager of Research Services, Reed Smith LLP / Past-Chair of SLA’s Legal Division
“There can be no mistaking it – the last few years have been tough for libraries across the board. Public libraries, academic libraries, government, private sector … no one has been immune to the effects of the world’s faltering finances. It is a testament to our value and our ingenuity that we have survived and even managed to flourish under these more austere circumstances.”
