In Omaha, a Tabloid Annual Report!

The 12-page tabloid annual report from the Omaha Public Library apes the kind of publication to which libraries typically don't subscribe. It contains such headlines as “Willa Gone Wild!” (about Willa Cather, namesake of an Omaha branch), “Scarily Smart Babies” (about the Baby Reads kit), and “Cult Celebrates Free Love (of Books) Two Years in a Row.”

The idea emerged from a staff meeting, said Omaha PL director Rivkah Sass (LJ's 2006 Librarian of the Year); a local novelist and editor helped out. “I've gotten emails and calls from people (including city council and the mayor's staff) telling me it's the only report they've ever read cover to cover!” Sass said.