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February 22, 2009
Personal Library Value Calculator
How much do "I" get out of the public library?
The Denver Public Library has a Library Value Calculator on their website. It just asks cardholders to input some simple data and it will caculate the monthly value of their free card based on the sevices they use.
If course, some folks are going to discover services that they hadn't been aware of.
It helps that the Denver newspaper wrote about it (here).
Steal this idea.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at February 22, 2009 6:40 PM
Comments
I love these things. Our library had one a year ago and the patrons really enjoyed it also. A great way to raise awareness.
Posted by: Joe at February 22, 2009 10:36 PM
Absolutely a good idea--but don't forget to credit the Massachusetts Library Association, Chelmsford Public Library, and Maine State Library, who between them put the calculator together and made it work effectively online. (I note that Denver's page does, in fact, credit Maine.) In various forms, it's being used quite a few places, and should only spread further.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thanks Walt for clarifying the provenance.
SA
Posted by: walt crawford at February 23, 2009 11:39 AM
Bravo on two counts - the calculator and the panache to engage the local reporter, which gives the thing its wings. Does any library NOT stealing this idea have money to spare?
Posted by: Wendy at February 23, 2009 11:51 AM
Hi Stephen:
Red Deer Public Library's version of the Calculator is at www.rdpl.org/about/howMuchIsYourLibraryWorth - thanks to the great ideas from MA/ME/FL/etc. Our web guy Rob Bastell adds value, I think, with the addition of "typical" numbers for a family and an individual. We're also opening up the calculator to comments - I'm anxious to see what our customers think of this concept.
Cheers from Red Deer,
- Dean
Posted by: Dean Frey at February 24, 2009 3:34 PM
Hi Stephen,
I adapted the calculator for our library and then turned it into a Google Gadget so other libraries can install it with just a short bit of code without having to mess with all the javascript and form stuff. Check it out: http://www.thetroylibrary.org/?p=318
-Luke
Posted by: Luke at June 21, 2009 11:52 PM