Jan 7: Meeting of Longfellow School Council
1/7/1997
Meeting of Longfellow School Council,
Margarita Otero-Alvarez, Sharon Fernandes, Joanne Laidley, Penelope Kleespies, Sati Singh, Dawna Traversi, Veronic Davoso, Arleen Greene and Karen Carmean of Library 21.
To provide access to all the people of Cambridge and to insure that we manage our resources well, Library 21 is gathering information from as many groups as possible about what the people want.
What would you like in the library?
A. Community Activity Center
- Network of community neighborhood centers including larger meeting space, indoor performance space, Technology centers, Day care centers adjacent so parents can have access, Homework centers, safe places to be, hands-on science centers, soundproof rooms, practice rooms, dark rooms, etc.
- Outside arena so summer performances for the whole family
- Practice/rehearsal rooms
- Taping room to send tapes
- Heart of the city: important places which add to schools which the city is now underutilizing.
- Places for kids in summer
- Video performances of school, author series, lectures available at library and on cable
- Musicians performing
- Older and younger working together
B. Community Information Center
- Job Bank
- How to find community resources: workshops on
- College search
- College fair
- Community service opportunities
C. Formal Education Support
- Homework center which is safe place to be and in the neighborhood for easy walking accessibility for kids
- Older generation work with younger generation to learn to read
- Students work with younger students in technology
- Writing skills programs in a technology center
- Students teach students in a training center
- Children authors featured as part of the library books, readers. This donation gives students a sense of power.
- Each school child will go regularly to library as part of the curriculum
D. Independent Learning Center
- Technology centers so kids and adults are all put on the same plane; you can't catch up with the technology
- ESL programs for adults and children
- High technology equipment to learn other languages
- Learn other languages: adults, children, use resources of library & community
- Training center where people in community teach each other
- Letter writing workshops
- Complaint letter workshops
- Resume writing letter
- Portfolio development help for students and adults so can apply for work
- Workshop in language signing
- Workshop in how to find community resources
E. Popular Materials Lending Library
- Recycle children's toys, puzzles, computers, software, books, magazines, foreign periodicals, videos, CDs to get these used items to others who can use them
- Download computer programs
- Internet access
- Email access
- Foreign language materials
- Hands-on interactive science materials
- Documentaries award-winning ones to borrow
- Music listening room
- Video showing room
- Records: not just the tired old records I saw at the library last time I was there
F. Preschoolers Door to Learning
- Day care right next to library and neighborhood centers so parents can go there and children can be cared for safely
G. Reference Library
- Learn how to get your questions answered at the library
- Workshops on how to find out things in library
- Infotrack: explain how to start it, use it, how to get help
- How to learn research technology already available in the library
H. Research Center
I. Other- important functions missing from list
- Green, enticing areas around each library, clean and well lit, so people can read outside and even read in trees
- Renovation of the two parks on Fayette and Antrim Street adjacent to the Longfellow School
- Increase hours so can add to facilities which are underutilized
- Open all day every Sunday
- Weekends open till 12 midnight so kids can study and practice their music
- All branch libraries should be open everynight till 8 or 10 p.m.
- Hidden parking, more parking, underground parking
- Aggressive, strong outreach programs to bring people into library
- Friendly people who encourage people into library,
- Bring resources to us
- Access to resources encouraged and people learn how to use the library
J. An Important Civic Building