<html><body><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000"><p><img src="cid:part1.00040208.00000107@swonlibraries.org" data-mce-src="http://mail.oplin.org/service/home/~/?auth=co&id=24830&part=2.2&t=1368034036562" data-mce-style="float: left; margin: 20px;" style="float: left; margin: 20px;">At SWON’s Spring Luncheon last week, Cindy Foley
spoke about creativity and innovation. Cindy is the Director of
Education for the Columbus Museum of Art, where they’ve opened an 18,000
square feet Center for Creativity. They take creativity seriously, and
she challenged us to discover what limits our creativity and ways we
might move past those limits.</p><div>
</div><h3 id="outputsoroutcomespeersorpatrons">Outputs or Outcomes? Peers or
patrons?</h3><div>
</div><p>When a person walks into a museum, a whole world of experiences is
open to them, but the Columbus Museum of Art wanted to do more than make
their works of art available. They wanted their visitors to engage with
the exhibits, so they created a new set of activities for visitors.
Since activities were designed to get certain kinds of responses, they
could measure how well the activity was working and improve it, instead
of merely counting the number of people who stepped through the door. </p><div>
</div><p>If that doesn’t sound like the art museum experience you’re
familiar with, it marked a big change for them as well. Those changes
came out of some very challenging discussions about who the museum was
designed to serve. Certainly they wanted to connect to visitors from the
local community. But they also realized that some decisions put the
influence of their museum peers ahead of local patrons.</p><div>
</div><p>Visit the Columbus Museum of Art now and you’ll find comfortable
armchairs in the gallery rooms and activities that use post-it notes. On
some days, teens sell their artwork in the galleries or follow visitors
playing live music (on request, of course). Putting local relationships first
allowed them to connect with their communities in ways that have brought
new energy to the museum. It’s brought new recognition, too: the CMA
just won a 2013 IMLS National Medal. You can read more about why they
won, here: <a href="http://www.columbusmuseum.org/blog/2013/04/23/cma-wins-imls-national-award/" target="_blank">http://www.columbusmuseum.org/blog/2013/04/23/cma-wins-imls-national-award/</a></p><div>
</div><h3 id="takingthelongview.">Taking the long view.</h3><div>
</div><p>These changes at the CMA were years in the making. That can be
disappointing to hear, if you want to make new connections to your
community and see a new level of engagement with your patrons. But you
aren’t alone. At SWON, we’re glad to share what we know and connect you
to others who are working through similar questions.</p><div>
</div><p>All SWON Supporting Member libraries receive 4 hours of free
consulting each year. Our fiscal year begins July 1, so if you haven’t
invited us out to meet with you, look at your schedule for May and June.
We’ll work to accommodate as many requests as we can. I’ll say for
myself that I was just at the Computers in Libraries conference last
month and have lots to share. We’re glad to field questions, too, even
if the conversation begins with, “What do you know about <strong>____</strong>?”
Let’s talk. Let’s get creative.<br>
</p><div>
</div><p><span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Nathan
Swartzendruber, </span><br><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica,
sans-serif;"> SWON Technology Educator</span></p><p></p><div>
</div><hr><div>
</div><h3 id="springstafftrainingsymposiumatdaytonmetro">Spring Staff
Training Symposium at Dayton Metro</h3><div>
</div><p>We have about 10 spots left for this event. If you’d like to
register, please do it soon! <br>
Sign up here: <a href="http://tiny.cc/spring_staff" target="_blank">http://tiny.cc/spring_staff</a></p><div>
</div><hr><div><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Connect
to SWON
online: <img src="cid:part2.04080008.02030408@swonlibraries.org"> <a href="http://www.swonlibraries.org/" title="Website" target="_blank">Website</a>
: <img src="cid:part3.03090309.07030104@swonlibraries.org"> <a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventcalendar.asp" title="Calendar" target="_blank">Calendar</a> : <img src="cid:part4.01080509.00060706@swonlibraries.org"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SWONLibraries?sk=wall" title="Facebook" target="_blank">Facebook</a> : <img src="cid:part5.04090806.03030202@swonlibraries.org"> <a href="http://twitter.com/swonlibraries" title="Twitter" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br></span>
</div><h3 id="calendarexcerptsfromthenexttwoweeks.clickeventtitlesformoreinformation."><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Calendar excerpts
from the next two weeks. Click event titles for more information.</span></h3><div>
</div><ul>
<li><strong></strong><strong><a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=514" target="_blank">Overcoming
Your Fears of Being Successful, Part 1</a></strong> - (5/9/2013) -
Online</li><li><strong><a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=515" target="_blank">What
Libraries Need To Know To Help Local Businesses Succeed</a></strong> -
(5/14/2013) - Online</li><li><strong><a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventcalendar.asp?et=ROYAL&df=list" target="_blank">ROYAL
Reviews (SIG) Meetings</a></strong> - (5/14/2013) - SWON & Boone
County Public Library</li><li><strong><a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=516" target="_blank">Overcoming
Your Fears of Being Successful, Part 2</a></strong> - (5/16/2013) -
Online</li><li><strong><a href="http://alaoweb.org/events?eventId=649315" target="_blank">AL</a></strong><strong><a href="http://alaoweb.org/events?eventId=649315" target="_blank">AO’s Curriculum
Materials Center Interest Group</a></strong> - (5/17/2013) - University
of Cincinnati</li><li><strong><a href="http://maysvillectc.wikispaces.com/" target="_blank">“Map Your
Future” AA Highway Library Conference</a></strong> - (5/17/2013) -
Maysville Community and Technical College</li><li><strong><a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=478" target="_blank">Instructional
Librarians SIG Meeting</a></strong> - (5/20/2013) - Cincinnati State</li><li><strong><a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=334" target="_blank">Spring
Staff Training Symposium</a></strong> - (5/21/2013) - Dayton Metro
Library</li><li><strong><a href="http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=517" target="_blank">Drama-Free
Workplaces, Part 1</a></strong> - (5/21/2013) - Online</li>
</ul><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span name="x"></span><div><span style="font-size: small;">SWON Libraries - <a href="http://www.swonlibraries.org">http://www.swonlibraries.org</a><a data-mce-href="http://www.swonlibraries.org" href="http://www.swonlibraries.org"></a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">10250 Alliance Rd, Suite 225</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">Blue Ash, OH 45242</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">phone (513) 751-4422 - fax (513) 751-0463</span></div><span name="x"></span><br></div><div><br></div></div></body></html>