Thursday, July 28, 2011

High Praise from Post-Crescent Columnist Bill Coan for the Appleton Public LIbrary


Library pushes ahead to enrich community. (Appleton Post-Crescent, 7/27/2011)

Excerpt: In the chaos that has engulfed the library since then, almost 90,000 items have disappeared from the library's shelves and mysteriously reappeared on the shelves of private homes all across Appleton.

Rortvedt and other library officials seem resigned to the disappearances, and with good reason. Last year, a total of 1.5 million items temporarily disappeared from the library's shelves.

The problem is caused by the library's failure to regulate access to its collection. Members of the public are routinely allowed into the library without regard to their age, income or education.

The problem is exacerbated by the library's practice of hosting each year hundreds of programs that contribute to Appleton's economic, social and cultural vitality. Last year, such programs attracted 40,000 attendees, and not a single attendee was screened or turned away.
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Book referenced by Coan.
New York Times book review, 2/11/2011.

Excerpt: Rortvedt is a dedicated, articulate and visionary leader with her feet planted firmly on the ground. Citizens who doubt this should go to the Appleton Public Library website, apl.org, and choose "About the Library," choose "Fine Print Newsletter," click the March-April newsletter and then read Rortvedt's article, "Think Beyond the Books."

Citizens also should feel lucky that Rortvedt is supported by a capable Board of Trustees, by a group of interested citizens known as the Friends of the Appleton Public Library and by the generous philanthropy of Tom and Renee Boldt and others
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