Why Librarians Should Care About Skateboarders: A Personal Outreach Project
Why Librarians Should Care About Skateboarders: A Personal Outreach Project By Matt Allison Mesa Public library in NM has a skatepark! After Hurricane Sandy until the summer of 2015 the Peninsula Library served the Rockaway Beach community out of temporary spaces. As my staff and I waited for a fully operational library to reopen we had time to plan. I got attached to the community. Along with the overall rebuilding I enjoyed seeing the surf community build a temporary skate park. I moved nearby in 2014. I got approved at work to have a special skateboard and surf collection. I got the green light to try programming. We reopened in September 2015. Making a connection to the skateboarding and surfing scene has been more difficult than I anticipated. At work my pet project is to connect public libraries and skateboarders. For my area it’s logical to add surfing. This article will not foc...