I swear that I am trying to stay away from the New York Public Library.
I’m trying to boldly go into all the library corners of our vast and diverse country.
But the problem is that the NYPL might just be the coolest place on the planet and I keep getting drawn back by all the fun they are having and all the neat stuff they have squirreled away in their collection.
To kick off a 100th anniversary most institution would plan a media blitz, do interviews or maybe host an open house to create some excitement. But, like I said, the creative minds at the NYPL are all about having fun. They are determined to show the citizens of NYC that the library is not just about lifelong learning, strong communities and getting smarter it is about the joy of curiosity, reflection and connecting.
So, on May 19th, to begin their anniversary party, the library unveiled 25,000 copies of their new paperback, “Know the Past, Find the Future”, at the main library, ninety library branches and five subway stations. The book is a remarkable collection of essays written by 100 famous New Yorkers explaining their favorite item from the library’s collection.
The writers are as eclectic as the library collection itself … Laurie Anderson, the Harlem Globetrotters, Calvin Trillin, Roy Blount, Jr. and Lou Reed represent the diversity of interests that the library fuels. The book demonstrates that this institution is truly a “repository of human memory” - the grandma’s attic of the city. Some of the treasures that writers selected include historical menus, the original Winnie-the-Pooh, The Declaration of Independence, Charles Dicken’s cat paw letter opener, music and, of course, books, books and more books (read a delightful excerpt from Colum McCann).
I cannot wait to get my hands (or at least my eyes) on this book.
BUT the centennial planners piled on another hip twist. Each book includes a note that instructs the reader to leave the book somewhere in the city for another lucky reader to find when they have finished reading. And, in a nod to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, eight copies of the book have a hidden voucher worth $400, for 25 penguin books. How’d you like to find that at the bus stop?
What makes this project so cool? It’s definitely fun, creative, and interesting. But that’s old news in education. The ‘teachers’ at NYPL take it to the next level. Learning about the library’s collection is effective because the project engages people in hands-on discovery and requires active participation (everyone loves a scavenger hunt), taps into the public’s interest in celebrities (of all types) and the possibility of a surprise. For me it’s a lesson in planning engaging, motivating lessons for my students - not because I have to, but because it transforms the learning process in an enjoyable game. Of course the objects in the collection are inherently interesting (not like teaching long division) but the approach doesn’t try to convince people to learn, it hooks them with their own motivation, they want to learn because the lesson is irresistible.
I hope teachers and librarians around the country are paying attention, I certainly am!
I’m trying to boldly go into all the library corners of our vast and diverse country.
But the problem is that the NYPL might just be the coolest place on the planet and I keep getting drawn back by all the fun they are having and all the neat stuff they have squirreled away in their collection.
To kick off a 100th anniversary most institution would plan a media blitz, do interviews or maybe host an open house to create some excitement. But, like I said, the creative minds at the NYPL are all about having fun. They are determined to show the citizens of NYC that the library is not just about lifelong learning, strong communities and getting smarter it is about the joy of curiosity, reflection and connecting.
So, on May 19th, to begin their anniversary party, the library unveiled 25,000 copies of their new paperback, “Know the Past, Find the Future”, at the main library, ninety library branches and five subway stations. The book is a remarkable collection of essays written by 100 famous New Yorkers explaining their favorite item from the library’s collection.
The writers are as eclectic as the library collection itself … Laurie Anderson, the Harlem Globetrotters, Calvin Trillin, Roy Blount, Jr. and Lou Reed represent the diversity of interests that the library fuels. The book demonstrates that this institution is truly a “repository of human memory” - the grandma’s attic of the city. Some of the treasures that writers selected include historical menus, the original Winnie-the-Pooh, The Declaration of Independence, Charles Dicken’s cat paw letter opener, music and, of course, books, books and more books (read a delightful excerpt from Colum McCann).
I cannot wait to get my hands (or at least my eyes) on this book.
BUT the centennial planners piled on another hip twist. Each book includes a note that instructs the reader to leave the book somewhere in the city for another lucky reader to find when they have finished reading. And, in a nod to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, eight copies of the book have a hidden voucher worth $400, for 25 penguin books. How’d you like to find that at the bus stop?
What makes this project so cool? It’s definitely fun, creative, and interesting. But that’s old news in education. The ‘teachers’ at NYPL take it to the next level. Learning about the library’s collection is effective because the project engages people in hands-on discovery and requires active participation (everyone loves a scavenger hunt), taps into the public’s interest in celebrities (of all types) and the possibility of a surprise. For me it’s a lesson in planning engaging, motivating lessons for my students - not because I have to, but because it transforms the learning process in an enjoyable game. Of course the objects in the collection are inherently interesting (not like teaching long division) but the approach doesn’t try to convince people to learn, it hooks them with their own motivation, they want to learn because the lesson is irresistible.
I hope teachers and librarians around the country are paying attention, I certainly am!
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