On July 18th, Sophie Brookover, over at the “Pop Goes the Library” blog, posted about a library in Ohio which loans cake pans to its patrons. The post was picked up by NPR, as an example of viral news (in their own words, “news you’re more likely to find forwarded to you via email than in a newspaper”). Sophie interviewed Esther Cross, Head of Children’s Services and the creator/maintainer of the cake pan collections about this seemingly unusual service and, after hearing Esther’s answers, ended her post with a burst of excitement and good ideas:
“My head is spinning with tie-ins — cake-decorating programs, events with master bakers in the community, cookbook collections designed to tie in with the pans themselves, baking contests, a library cookbook!”
Sophie’s enthusiasm for helping libraries serve their communities better and more creatively, usually found in the Pop Goes the Library blog (along with the enthusiasm of all the blog’s contributors), can now be found in book-format as well. Co-authored by fellow librarian and blogger Elizabeth Burns (or “Liz,” from A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy), Pop Goes the Library: Using Pop Culture to Connect with Your Whole Community (Information Today, Inc) is packed with ideas for incorporating the pop culture interests of library users into practical and fun programs and services.
The book, which has its own blog and wiki site, is due out in just one week, on Aug 11, and I can’t wait to get a hold of a copy!