I'll be back... to check out some books when I find my library card.

The Orange County Library System, a public enterprise, brings value to the residents of the district through collections, staff, services and facilities. The Library connects our changing community to the evolving world of ideas, information and technology. Through continuous innovation, the Orange County Library System will create a well-informed, well-connected community, making Orange County a great place to live, learn, work, and play.

The things that stand out the most to me with our mission statement are "changing community," "continuous innovation," and "well-connected community." When I began working here I was amazed at what we carried. Films, albums, the whole nine yards. And I do mean films. There are actually legitimate pieces of art in the DVD selection. It's not a Blockbusters' new release wall! That is the first way I noticed how we meet community wants.

Next I was impressed by the computer classes and resources we offer. At the library back home I can walk in today and use the exact same catalog computer I used when I was 8. I am not even kidding. The same exact computer! And typically it is logged out or frozen and I have to have a library employee come unlock it. I am a big fan of that old black and green screen but it just won't cut in the days of Blackberries and iPhones.

We offer our patrons the chance to use our computers and the Internet on a daily basis. In my opinion we can not offer any greater a community service. These days you even have to register for food stamps online. That is like telling somebody your shop that fixes broken brakes is on the edge of a cliff at the bottom of a steep hill. You can get there but it will be really hard.

The portion of the DaVinci Institute article that interests me most is the mention on we as library employees becoming competent professionals to turn to. I think we are already this and will become more so:

As we achieve the ability to conduct more and more complicated searches, the role of the librarian to assist in finding this kind of information also becomes more and more important. People will not have the time and skills necessary to keep up on each new innovation in the search world, and they will need a competent professional to turn to.

However, I am extremely concerned with computers becoming like people. It could just walk up to you in a crowd and kill you!

Computers will become more human-like with personalities, traits, and other characteristics that will give us the sense of being in a room with other humans.