Libraries of many kinds have for years been collecting, preserving and in turn offering, in digital form, content provided by people and organizations with whom they have a connection. This post features two libraries that are connecting with local musicians to record their work which can then be streamed from the libraries’ websites. Both the Santa Cruz Public Library and the Iowa City Public Library have launched online streaming that enables their card holders to access the work of local musicians, free of charge.
Santa Cruz’s collection is called SoundSwell, which as a name is a great combination of concepts! Iowa City’s Local Music Project may not have the same catchy name as Santa Cruz, but the initiative is equally “sound”. (OK, enough with the puns!)
Projects such as these are excellent examples of how libraries have a valuable role to play in community development in the digital age. By collecting, curating and offering access to locally relevant content (all very traditional activities for libraries), using accessible digital tools, these and other libraries are supporting artistic, cultural and economic activity right where they live. Congratulations!