Boing Boing is one of the coolest places on the internet. It’s edgy, irreverent, collaborative, and hugely popular. And guess what—Boing Boing has agreed to partner with ALA to help promote libraries.

Today I attended a brainstorming session at the Networking Uncommons to discuss how ALA members will contribute content to this effort. The result should drive lots of Boing Boing traffic to library blogs and news sources, and just generally raise awareness of and support for the edginess and coolness that libraries are. Or, as Co-coordinator Jason Griffey puts it, “One of the big goals is to use Boing Boing proper as a publishing platform for Important Library Stuffs.”

Ground zero for the initiative is taking place on ALA Connect (http://connect.ala.org/libraryboingboing). That’s where you’ll see discussions of a name for the project (“Mutant Librarians,” anyone?), a growing list of library blogs that report on innovative practices, and stories that would be great to tell (such as the one from a Detroit Public Library staffer who described the creation of “temporary, autonomous” library services on the train to ALA in New Orleans).

Boing Boing isn’t the only playmate in this venture. Makerbot Industries is already on board as another potential partner. So stay tuned and consider joining in on ALA Connect. Notes on this first meeting can be found at http://connect.ala.org/node/166651. –Frances Jacobson Harris Librarian, University Laboratory High School francey@illinois.edu / 217-333-1589 / @franceyharris http://www.uni.illinois.edu/library