The Shanachies Visit BCCLS

It's time to tell you about the fantastic day I had when the Shanachies (Jaap van der Geer and Erik Boekesteijn from DOK: Delft Public Library) came to visit us here at BCCLS.

After meeting them at the SLQ UnConference, I was really looking forward to a longer workshop session with them here at BSQ, and for their reaction to Brisbane Square library. I was hopeful they would be as impressed with BCCLS as they had been with SLQ.


Introducing themselves to us and to camera for their documentary.

They gave a fantastic half day workshop, showing us lots of video of their trip around the US libraries, with lots of food for thought as to what lies in the future for libraries and librarians. They were full of great stories about what other libraries are doing around the world, and then finished the session by showing off lots of beautiful photos of DOK, the library concept centre in Delft, Holland, where they work when they're not travelling the world.


Showing us what they do, where they've been and what they've seen.

The thing that particularly impressed me was the fantastic gaming console unit they've come up with. Totally self contained with Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii and X-Box with a huge LCD screen in a portable, lockable unit that can be transported anywhere and plugged in with one simple power plug. No more messing around with cables or leads or what bit goes where. I would really love to see us have something along the same lines that we could use regionally for gaming events in the library. Actually, here is a video Jaap and Erik have produced to demonstrate it:


Gaming Flightcase from Jaap van de Geer on Vimeo.

How cool is that hey?

After the presentation, Sharan presented the guys with some fun gifts to remember Brisbane by:


Jaap re-enacts his encounter with a deadly brown snake. Somehow I think he may be exaggerating a little. While Erik meets Kevin the flotation crocodile.

After a luncheon down on BSQ13 (we just had to feed the poor guys, they were exhausted!) Sharan, Deannah, Deb from BSQ and myself took them on a tour of BSQ library. It was lots of fun to show them around, and I was so surprised that at the end of the tour when the guys wanted to conduct some interviews, Sharan put me up to be interviewed about Web2.0 and 23 Things! I was just there to be gopher and carry the bags!

They have put up the video they have made on to Vimeo, so I can share it with you here:


Brisbane City Council Library from Jaap van de Geer on Vimeo.

All in all I had an awesome day and I really hope to visit Delft sometime in the not too distant future so I can see for myself the magnificent DOK library concept centre.

Thank you so much to Erik and Jaap, it was a pleasure to have you here and please come back again soon.