Report From SXSW: “Rethink the Library: Next Gen Becomes Resource for Tech, Entrepreneurs”

The report appears The Denver Post.
From the Article:

A revolution is underway. And leading the charge is Anythink, the rebooted seven-branch Adams County system, which has a smattering of digital studios, 3-D printers, photography labs and a cafe. Anythink has gone from one of the state’s worst-funded library systems to a national leader within a decade.
On Monday, Anythink’s innovation team was in Austin, Texas, at South by Southwest Interactive to inspire the tech community into collaborating with libraries. Joining a group of spirited librarians known as lib*interactive, the Anythink team hit the streets equipped with temporary tattoos, colorful chalk and a snappy slogan: “Not the same old shhh.”

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One nonprofit, EveryLibrary, helps libraries get funding issues on local ballots and has helped 25 communities get $46 million in funding, said founder John Chrastka. But at SXSW, EveryLibrary was there to reach out to tech companies.
“A lot of tech companies fail not because of bad code but because they haven’t understood their market” and that research can be found at the local library, he said.

The full text article also includes comments from:

• Stacie Ledden, Anythink
• Larra Clark, ALA
• Carson Block, Consultant, Lib*interactive
• Eugene Hainer, Colorado state librarian

Read the Full Text Article (Appox 800 Words)

Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Funding, Libraries, Resources