[OPLINLIST] Innovation and The Grapes of Wrath

[SWON Info]

The Grapes of Wrath is celebrating 75 years in print. I think it’s a 
challenging book to read, though not in its vocabulary or diction. Its 
depiction of poverty are bleak and personal. That’s a challenge to 
readers. “Part of the shock, initially, was resistance to believing that 
there was that kind of poverty in America,” 
<http://www.npr.org/2014/04/14/301833421/grapes-of-wrath-is-75-but-its-depictions-of-poverty-are-timeless> 
says NPR.

That discomfort makes me think of current conversations about Street 
Lit. It’s gritty. It often includes violence or sexual content. It’s 
popularity is quickly rising. Does it reflect the lived experience for 
some of our patrons? Is it a window some readers can use to learn how 
others live, or will some readers use it as evidence of the depravity of 
life on the streets?

I don’t know the answer. There is no single answer, because there is no 
single audience. We don’t know who will pick up a book or how they will 
respond, but we buy books in anticipation that someone will pick them 
up. Books aren’t judged solely on their merits but also on whether we 
think there’s an audience for a book in our local patrons. That’s a 
difficult task when we consider the diversity of our patrons in age, 
gender, class and race.

Leigh Mauer is leading a webinar on Street Lit on May 22nd 
<http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=1923&lib=>. 
She’s got information to share, but she’s also hoping you’ll bring your 
perspective about the genre, about collection development, and about how 
to keep these titles from “walking off.” It’s free for SWON Supporting 
Members, too, so sign up today 
<http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=1923&lib=>.

  * Nathan Swartzendruber, SWON Technology Educator

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    Innovation: Use Data. Start with Community Needs

How does a library decide when to offer something new? What about 
tweaking existing collections and services? Can a library have it all 
figured out? Join Tim Diamond and Anastassia Diamond Ortiz, from the 
Cleveland Public Library for an afternoon discussing data driven 
innovation processes and decision-making informed by design thinking. 
We’ll consider how these ideas can benefit your libraries and your 
communities.

Come to lunch and learn about Data Driven Innovation, stay for SWON’s 
Membership Meeting on May 20th at the MidPointe Library in West Chester. 
Register: http://bit.ly/data-driven-mtg.

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Connect to SWON online: Website <http://www.swonlibraries.org/> : 
Calendar <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/eventcalendar.aspx> : Facebook 
<https://www.facebook.com/SWONLibraries?sk=wall> : Twitter 
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Calendar excerpts from the next two weeks. (Please register for online 
classes at least two days before they take place.)

  * *The Revival of Spontaneous Customer Service
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=903>* -
    (4/17/2014) - Online
  * *OLC Technical Services Retreat
    <http://olc.org/prof_dev_TechServRetreat.php>* - (4/21–4/22/2014) -
    Lewis Center, OH
  * *New Trends in Reader’s Advisory
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=902>* -
    (4/22/2014) - Online
  * *Technical Services (SIG) Meeting
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=709>* -
    (4/23/2014) - Klau Library at Hebrew Union College
  * *Academic Librarian (SIG) Meeting
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=888>* -
    (4/24/2014) - Art Institute of Ohio
  * *Improving Your Organizational Skills – Learning Your “Space
    Personality”
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=901>* -
    (4/24/2014) - Online
  * *Library Director/Personnel Director (SIG) Meeting
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=926>* -
    (4/24/2014) - SWON Meeting Room
  * *Simple Storytelling: A How-To for Children’s Librarian
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=904>* -
    (4/29/2014) - Online
  * */Level-Up Lab: Introducing Cloud Services
    <http://swon.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails.aspx?EventId=1925>/* -
    (4/29/2014) - SWON Meeting Room

SWON Libraries - http://www.swonlibraries.org<http://www.swonlibraries.org>
10250 Alliance Road, Suite 225
Blue Ash, OH 45242
phone (513) 751-4422 - fax (513) 751-0463
To subscribe or be removed from SWON's Events list, click 
here:http://lists.swonlibraries.org/mailman/listinfo/events
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