Rub a Pug

A little something to brighten your day.
I know I couldn't watch this without smiling like a dork...
Hopefully it does the same for you!

(P.S. click the speaker that appears in the bottom right hand corner for sound, which trust me, you want!)

Libraries use the biggest book of all, Facebook!

With Facebook being one of the most popular social media sites in the world, many libraries are getting in on the action, creating a page and using the site for many different reasons.

Some of these reasons include:

• Using their Facebook page to let users know about events. A library service that makes great use of this is the Melbourne Library Service.
• Posting reviews about books
• Sharing links, videos and other information from outside sources, like the National Library of Australia
• Linking their other social networking sites such as Pinterest, as seen on The Library of Congress Facebook page.
• Connecting to large groups of people, specifically adults because of the Facebook 13+ age restrictions, like ALIA National Library Technicians Facebook group.
• Libraries also use Facebook to gather and record feedback and comments from their library users.

The city circle of libraries

Friday was library excursion day in Melbourne for our Information Industry class!

The day started with coffee and ended with...well, coffee. But everything in between (including more coffee) was really very great!

Our first stop was the State Library of Victoria where we wandered around, looking at all the different areas and services the library offers. After thoroughly wandering, we were taken for a special peek at the original library there.

Next we were off to the RMIT library for a quick tour around and talk with another student before running off to catch the City Circle tram to Parliament.

Once we all made it past security, after the confiscation of many a spoon and umbrella, the group was taken for a walk through Parliament (even getting to walk through one of the chambers) and eventually ended up in their amazing library.

The librarians were kind enough to show us around, telling us about some of the history and about how their library operates.

After getting back the spoons and umbrellas that we'd given up for a tour of Parliament, next stop was The Library at the Dock...this library...is indescribably amazing.
The range of services and activities it offers is extremely extensive, and they even have a small cafe!
Here's a small video to give you a tiny look at just how amazing this place is: