Libraries Thriving: Community, Collaborative Learning Resource

ne of the greatest things about serving as an editor for Virginia Libraries is that it affords me the opportunity to let my digital path wander over all manner of resources. While working through my ordinary editing cycle, I came upon a beneficial web resource that many librarians might find useful: Libraries Thriving. Libraries Thriving bills itself as “a collaborative space for e-resource innovation and information literacy promotion.” Part collaborative internet forum and part learning resource, I was struck by the focus on providing workshops and seminars for librarians, including hosting videos of past workshops. Organized by Credo Reference and LYRASIS, Libraries Thriving espouses several causes to promote information literacy and promote the use of libraries. Another major theme of Libraries Thriving is usage statistics as a path to reaffirming the relevance of libraries in the digital age. The really intriguing hook of Libraries Thriving is its organization into a “Learning Community.” Each spring the site puts forward a handful of projects that librarians around the country are heading. Librarians have the ability to join the learning community for that project, putting heads together to solve problems and develop solutions applicable to other libraries. To accomplish these goals, Libraries Thriving provides an online space to explore common interests and address shared issues or community problems. By providing a space for librarians to get together and exchange ideas, Libraries Thriving has thoughts on topics from off-beat promotion ideas to the best free ebook sources. Topics are geared to all levels of experience, from veterans of library service to library students. I recommend taking a look at Libraries Thriving, accessible on the web at www.librariesthriving.org. VL