In June of 2023 the Palm Desert City Council made the decision to wrest the Palm Desert Branch Library away from the County of Riverside and operate it as a municipal library. On October 23, they hired the director of the City of Glendale (Calif.) Library, Arts & Culture Department to lead the charge, transition the library system, design the space, hire all staff, and file all necessary paperwork with the local library cooperative, the County of Riverside, the State of California and the federal government. The reimagined library is set to open on July 1, 2024.
Glendale Library leads Southern California-wide Be The Change: IDEA Author Series
Glendale Library, Arts & Culture (GLAC) successfully lobbied the City of Glendale’s Arts and Culture Commission to fund a Southern California-wide series on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism (IDEA) titled Be The Change. GLAC serves as the lead library for the 300+ library location series which kicks off September 24, 2020 during Hispanic/Latinx Heritage month, with author and journalist Eric Nusbaum in conversation with Los Angeles Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano. Their topic: Eric’s new book Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between. The book tells the story of three thriving Mexican American communities that were displaced by eminent domain and other nefarious means from the land that now houses Dodger Stadium.
Tulsa Central Library Wins Prestigious Architecture Award
The American Institute of Architecture today announced the winners of the 2018 AIA/ALA Awards. The Tulsa Central Library was one of six winners. Congratulations to architects MSR (Jeff, Traci, Dagmara, Kristilyn & Co.) and Crafton Tull, Construction Manager at Risk Flintco and the many, many subcontractors and suppliers, engineering firm MODUS, Consultant Library Strategies, but most importantly my teammates Gail, Mike, Janis, Kim, Suanne, Monique, Diane, Heidi, Keba, and other colleagues too numerous to mention, as well as the Library Commission, the Library Trust, the Capital Campaign Committee, the City of Tulsa (Mayors, Council & Staff), Tulsa County (Commissioners & Staff), the Donor Community and all others who worked so hard to reimagine and create this amazing resource for Tulsa for generations to come.
Shaffer to Speak at 2017 Internet Librarian in Monterey, CA
Dr .Gary Shaffer will speak at the 2017 Internet Librarian Conference in Monterey, California on October 25. He will serve on the closing panel for the conference as well as give a talk entitled "Research We Can Use," where he will encourage attendees to make use of the plethora of research available to guide them in their ongoing work projects. He will also offer simple tips for making quick work of this type of analysis and introduce attendees to many researchers on the leading edge of various topics.
Shaffer's Forthcoming Book Jacket Revealed
ABC Clio's Libraries Unlimited reveals the book jacket design for Shaffer's forthcoming book Creating the Sustainable Public Library: The Triple Bottom Line Approach. The book, due out on the market in early 2018, discusses the economic, environmental, and social justice aspects of running a successful library or library system. Shaffer spent over two years researching best practices in Fortune 50 most admired companies and stalwart libraries in order to assemble the text.
USC Marshall MMLIS Program Receives Full ALA Accreditation
The American Library Association's Committee on Accreditation (COA) announced this week that the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business Master of Management in Library and Information Science has been granted full accreditation by the COA. Congratulations to faculty, staff, and students. Special thanks go to to Dean Catherine Quinlan for her vision and to Dr. Ken Haycock for his dedication and hard work in shepherding the program through the accreditation process.
Tulsa Library & Junior League of Tulsa Launch Pop-up Store
The Tulsa-City County Library (TCCL) and the Junior League of Tulsa (JLT) launched a pop-up retail shop, replete with photo-booth, on the occasion of the Junior League Holiday Market held this weekend at Tulsa County's Expo Square. The Pop-up shop titled the Intergalactic Spaceport & Emporium, will open in its permanent home, located near Harvard and 32nd Place, sometime in 2017. The store will serve as the front-end operation for a nonprofit after-school writing and tutoring center. Proceeds from sales in the store will benefit the after-school program. The shop sells such diverse items as T-shirts, socks (it's cold in space), coffee mugs, travel posters, space robots, galactic sand, gravity, etc. While not affiliated with 826 National or the Pirate Supply Store, both started by author Dave Eggers, the combined operation is modeled after 826NYC. Four TCCL staff and two JLT members have attended 826 National training.
Shaffer had opportunity to work with Eggers, his colleagues at 826NYC and the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. while he worked at the Brooklyn Public Library in 2005. A satellite after-school writing and tutoring center they started in the basement of the Williamsburg Branch Library still operates today, having served over 16,550 students to date.
Shaffer to Speak at Upcoming Library Journal Directors' Summit
Shaffer has been asked by Library Journal to present the findings of his doctoral dissertation research study at their upcoming Directors' Summit slated for December 1 and 2 in Sacramento, California. In his two-part study that he will report on, he looked at the triple bottom line sustainability practices of five Fortune most admired companies, as well as the practices of five Library Journal Library of the Year awardees. He combined his findings into a list of 12 practices a public library could implement to begin the library's sustainability journey.
Shaffer to Write Book. Signs With Publisher ABC-CLIO.
Shaffer entered into a contract with ABC-CLIO today to turn his dissertation into a sustainability how-to-guide for public librarians under their Libraries Unlimited imprint. The book will help those working in public libraries to start their journey towards creating a sustainable public library for their community. Titled: Creating the Sustainable Public Library: The Triple Bottom Line Approach, the book will outline practical steps Shaffer identified in his doctoral research, while expanding upon it with what he and his colleagues have deployed at the Tulsa City-County Library. Look for the book in latter 2017.
Shaffer Set to Direct the USC Marshall Business School's Library Master's of Management Program Beginning in 2017
Today the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California announced that Gary Shaffer will be taking over the leadership of their unique Master of Management in Library and Information Science (MMLIS) program, as well as their Center for Library Leadership and Management beginning in January 2017. Read the announcement here.
Saint Francis Heath System Gifts Acreage to Tulsa City-County Library
Saint Francis Health System announced the gifting of 6.5 acres to the Tulsa City-County Library today. The property, located across Chestnut Street from the South Broken Arrow Library branch, is the future home of the William K. and Natalie O. Warren Library. The site of the present library is simply not large enough for the needs of the South Broken Arrow community. "The Tulsa City-County Library is incredibly grateful to the Saint Francis Health System for their incredible generosity," said Library CEO Gary Shaffer.
Tulsa Central Library Opens after 3-year renovation
With workers putting on the finishing touches the Tulsa Central Library opened today after a three year closure to accommodate selective demolition and a complete inside and outside renovation. The $50+ million project was funded by a 50/50 private/public mix, via a successful capital campaign: Tulsa Central Library Renewed, and $10 million from the voter approved Improve Our Tulsa initiative. Additional funding came from library reserves. The building is 133,000 square feet, features a new multi-level parking garage, a children's garden, an education and creativity center, makerspace, and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) lab. Designed for the 21st century, the building is a place where people will convene, collaborate, and create for generations to come.
Tulsa Library Adds New Bookmobile Courtesy of Generous Donor
The Tulsa City-County Library's department of Community Outreach and Literacy debuted the new bookmobile at the Central Library opening today. The state-of-the-art vehicle features wi-fi and self-check equipment. The vehicle is handicap accessible. Books are displayed on detachable carts that can easily be swapped out dependent on the type of event or stop. The new bookmobile will primarily serve Tulsa Housing Authority sites, as well as other community locations where Tulsa residents have difficulty accessing libraries. The vehicle was made possible by a generous donation from Mrs. Ruth Nelson.
First Customers Make Purchases at Starbucks in the Tulsa Central Library
Tulsa Central Library opened its Starbucks today, two weeks ahead of the Central Library opening. The store is owned and operated by the library system. All proceeds after expenses and sales taxes are repatriated to the library to help fund library customer services.
Shaffer Graduates with his Ph.D. In Managerial Leadership
Shaffer graduated today with his Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions from Simmons College. His dissertation was titled: Leading through triple bottom line sustainability: Five leading companies show public libraries the way.
Shaffer Successfully Defends Dissertation
Today Gary Shaffer successfully defended his dissertation titled Leading Through Triple Bottom Line Sustainability: Five Companies Show Public Libraries The Way. Shaffer receives his Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions from Simmons College in Boston.
For his dissertation, he interviewed sustainability practitioners at five Fortune Most Admired Companies to learn their best sustainability practices. He then interviewed four public library directors and one deputy director at five Library Journal Libraries of the Year, to see how those practices resonated with them and whether they had similar practices. He identified 12 practices public libraries could employ to begin their sustainability journey.
Shaffer's committee was chaired by James Matarazzo, Ph.D.. Other committee members were Toby Pearlstein, Ph.D. and Monica Colon Aguirre, Ph.D..
Sabbatical to work on dissertation commences
Gary Shaffer begins his sabbatical to work on his dissertation for his Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions. When complete and properly defended he will have completed all the requirements for the degree. The degree will be conferred by the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Use of photograph courtesy of Simmons College © 2015.
TCCL Announces Partnership with Major Coffee Retailer
Tulsa City-County Library announces a partnership with a major US coffee retailer. This chain's first ever public library location will open in the newly renovated Tulsa Central Library mid 2016. A schematic of the new shop is above.
Shaffer Serves on Family Place Libraries Panel at ALA 2015 in San Francisco
Tulsa City-County Library CEO Gary Shaffer was happy to be asked to sit on a panel at the American Library Association National Conference in San Francisco and share with library colleagues about Tulsa's success with the Family Place Library Program. The panel, officially titled "Put Change in Your Pocket: Using the Family Place Libraries Model as a Change Agent," promised to teach librarians how to implement the Family Place Libraries™ program. Shaffer shared how the program is transforming the culture of his library, as well as how well it resonates with the public and funders.
Celebrating Tulsa Central Library's 50th Birthday!
Representative members of the Tulsa Library Trust and Library CEO Gary Shaffer are all smiles at the 1960's-themed 50th Birthday party for the Tulsa Central Library. The celebration was held at the neighboring former City Hall cum Aloft Hotel. Pictured left to right are Gary Shaffer, Bob LaFortune, Ruth Nelson, Kathie Coyle, and Rik Helmerich. While far from the only people who worked tirelessly on the Tulsa Central Library Renewed Capital Campaign, all played a pivotal role towards its success. The newly re-imagined Central Library is scheduled to reopen in June 2016, in-time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first (Carnegie) Central Library in Tulsa.