The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, announced 173 government programs selected for its newly-created Bright Ideas program. In its inaugural year, Bright Ideas is designed to recognize and share creative government initiatives around the country with interested public sector, nonprofit, and academic communities.
Bright Ideas seeks to complement the long-standing Innovations in American Government Awards Program by providing government agencies with a collection of new solutions that can be considered and adopted today. This new program serves to recognize promising government programs and partnerships that government officials, public servants, and others might find useful when faced with their own challenges.
The 2010 Bright Ideas will be showcased on the Center’s Government Innovators Network, an online marketplace of ideas and examples of government innovation for policymakers and practitioners. The inaugural group of Bright Ideas will serve as a cornerstone of a new online community where innovative ideas are proposed, shared, and disseminated. The Ash Center also envisions that these Bright Ideas have the potential to become future Innovations in American Government winners.
Of the 173 programs acknowledged as a Bright Idea, 3 programs highlighted library services: ; Joint-Use Library - City of Casa Grande, AZ, The Library Partnership - Alachua County Library District, FL, and Library Without Walls - Orange County Library District, FL.
The Library Partnership- Alachua County Library District, FL
Offers centralized social services through a neighborhood resource center combined with a full-service public library branch. Agencies refer clients to library staff who assist with online applications for benefits and jobs, provide literacy and computer training, and offer other ways to assist families in need.
Joint-Use Library-City of Casa Grande, AZ
The Vista Grande Library was developed under the first joint-use agreement between the City of Casa Grande and the Casa Grande Union High School District. This was an achievement that allowed for extensive cost savings while meeting the academic and recreational needs of both the school and community.
Library Without Walls - Orange County Library District, FL
The MAYL (Materials Access from. Your Library) home delivery program extends the walls of the Library to patrons’ homes. Requested material is delivered free of charge, eliminating travel on crowded roads, the dilemma of large numbers of held items never picked up, and the need for the expansion of bricks and mortar infrastructure.
See the full list and descriptions of the 2010 Bright Ideas.
System status
A new library system and online catalog will debut on May 30. Here's the current status of:
- Checkouts: Continue as usual, but May 24-29 you must have your physical library card in hand to check out materials.
- Due dates: All checkouts will have a due date of June 22, except DVDs and GRU watt meters, which still have 7-day limit.
- Holds and requests: New holds and purchase requests cannot be placed until May 30, but those placed previously will continue to be processed and will carry over to the new system.
- Returns: Please "Babysit Our Books" — keep them until the new system is running smoothly (mid-June).
- Registration: Continues as usual today, but cannot be done May 24-29, as our entire system will be down.
- Interlibrary loan: No new ILL requests can be placed May 24-29.
- Digital checkouts: OverDrive checkouts and holds will work normally throughout the transition.
- My Discoveries: Will be retired with the AquaBrowser catalog on May 24. Please retrieve any saved book lists before then.
- Website: The Library District website (www.aclib.us) will be up as normal throughout the transition.
- My Account: Account info will be available through May 24. Your account will appear on the new system on May 30.
- Bill payment: All payments including PayPal are working today. No payments can be accepted May 24-29
- New catalog: Watch for its debut on May 30, with new features.
More about the transition.
More about the new online catalog.
Have any questions? Please Ask Us!
