About the Renaissance Library Collection

Why did we create the Renaissance Library Collection?

This can best be answered by our Managing Director, Gunnel Stjernvall, with a little story, which she calls The Football Story.

======================================================
THE FOOTBALL STORY!
by Gunnel Stjernvall

OR -
How not to say thank you to your library customers!
by an ex Library Manager
======================================================

Once, when I was Manager at the Library & Information
Services Department at Ericsson (a major telecom company),
I was given a football as a customer gift from one of our
supporting companies. The same company gave me a backpack
the year after.

Another company gave a box of chocolates - for the whole
Library!

The next year, they sent a letter, letting us know that the
money from not giving us a box of chocolates had gone to the
Red Cross. Now - that is a very nice and important thing to
do. But perhaps the bottom line was to show appreciation to
me, as a customer?

These experiences happened at a time when colleagues in
other parts of the corporation often got very nice gifts,
that appeared to have had some thought and concern behind
the giving.

This got me thinking. I am certain that a company's point
with giving presents to customers is based on the wish to
give thanks, to show appreciation and to say that they wish
to be trusted as a partner and supporting company for the
coming year.

But did anybody out there create gifts for Librarians and
Information Specialists? I could not find any - at the time.

So I decided to create some, with my professional colleagues
in mind.

Today, some years later, we have a line of products where
the Renaissance Library Calendar is our Star!

It is spread in more than 40 countries today, thanks to you,
our readers - and to a number of companies that do
understand their library customers. Thanks to all of you.

And please do continue to spread the word, so that we can
continue to develop the range of gifts we offer.

Sincerely Yours,
Ms Gunnel Stjernvall
ISIM (Consultants in Information and Knowledge Management)
Stockholm, Sweden
http://www.renaissancelibrary.com


Why Renaissance?

One of our readers asked, after seeing our newsletter, why do
you use the word "renaissance" for the Renaissance Library
Calendar, when it's clear from the founding dates of the
libraries that they are not all from the renaissance period?

In fact, the question was put a bit more bluntly than that -
something like - how can you possibly call it a
**Renaissance** library calendar then?

Well, we do get asked that question from time to time, and
we thought it might be worth a few words on the thinking
behind 'Renaissance' in the context of the calendar and the
other products in the Renaissance Library Collection.

First of all, some dictionary definitions:

Usage: often attributive

1 capitalized
a : the transitional movement in Europe between medieval and
modern times beginning in the 14th century in Italy, lasting
into the 17th century, and marked by a humanistic revival of
classical influence expressed in a flowering of the arts and
literature and by the beginnings of modern science
b : the period of the Renaissance
c : the neoclassic style of architecture prevailing during
the Renaissance

2 often capitalized : a movement or period of vigorous
artistic and intellectual activity

3 : REBIRTH, REVIVAL

http://www.yourdictionary.com/

Gunnel Stjernvall is the founder of ISIM and the originator
of the Renaissance Library Calendar. Here's what she has to
say:

"Apart from Renaissance as a European movement, often
involving arts and literature, it also stand for Rebirth and
Revival. This is the heart of the meaning of the word when
we use it.

"We want the old and beautiful libraries to glow one more
time by putting them in this calendar. Also, I find it a
truly beautiful word.

"The Renaissance movement in Europe took place over a
long period of time, from the 14th century and up to the
17th century. So even if you wish to believe in this
meaning of the word also for the content in the calendar,
a good number of our featured libraries do meet this
definition.

"Typically we mean the earlier Italian movement, where the
Renaissance started. And of course we like to capture some
of the good bits from the Renaissance period, as when we
chose the dark renaissance red for the border of our
glorious posters. And when we include a library from the
renaissance period in Italy.

"But even so, the name the way we have chosen it stands for
letting the old treasured libraries glow again."

For what it's worth, I also think that "Renaissance" is a
great brand name - Ed.


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