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January 29, 2007

WPBPL: My Spiritual Home

I have heard some people whisper its name, others shout it from the roof tops. I want to sing its praises. The West Palm Beach Public Library (WPBPL) describes itself "The World's Nicest Library" and describes what they mean with these key phrases: Good Books, Good Conversation, Good People. In their own words this library "re-imagined itself from the bottom up." They listened to their costumers and truly made it the community's library. They managed to make these dramatic changes without a whole lot of money. You can go to the WPBPL website and click on Mildly Delirious Libraries: Recreating your library from top to bottom for the whole story (including video, powerpoint, brochure, etc.) In their "Four Steps to Service" they have something I have never seen before. They instruct their staff to "Be your best self."

Honestly,who wouldn't want to come to a library like this or even better work at one?

Posted by anna at 6:32 PM | Comments (0)

Whacking Wikipedia

The January 26, 2007 edition of Inside Higher Ed has the story of how some educators are tr;ying to fight against Wikipedia. I think the battle is already lost. We shouldn't expect to win friends or converts by criticizing Google or Wikipedia. These are things people like, these are things people use. They don't particularly appreciate being told they are stupid or niave for using them. This is not the age of excellence or definitive sources, this is the age of ease and good enough.

What can librarians learn from Wikipedia and Google? How can we add value to the transaction? Should we be looking for ways to link our library sites to Wikipedia? How can we reach out to our public and communities in a similarly powerful fashion. How can we get people thinking "my library" first and Google or Wikipedia second?

A Stand Against Wikipedia

As Wikipedia has become more and more popular with students, some professors have become increasingly concerned about the online, reader-produced encyclopedia.

Related stories
While plenty of professors have complained about the lack of accuracy or completeness of entries, and some have discouraged or tried to bar students from using it, the history department at Middlebury College is trying to take a stronger, collective stand. It voted this month to bar students from citing the Web site as a source in papers or other academic work. All faculty members will be telling students about the policy and explaining why material on Wikipedia — while convenient — may not be trustworthy.

“As educators, we are in the business of reducing the dissemination of misinformation,” said Don Wyatt, chair of the department. “Even though Wikipedia may have some value, particularly from the value of leading students to citable sources, it is not itself an appropriate source for citation,” he said....MORE

Posted by anna at 5:48 PM | Comments (1)

January 24, 2007

Google Library: A View from Europe

Since my theme for the day seems to be looking at Google and the way we, as librarians, do business, I thought I would share this article by Jean-Noël Jeanneney that appears in December, 2006 issue of D-Lib Magazine.

D-Lib Magazine
December 2006
Volume 12 Number 12

ISSN 1082-9873
Jean-Noël Jeanneney's Critique of Google: Private Sector Book Digitization and Digital Library Policy
David Bearman
Archives & Museum Informatics


(This Opinion piece presents the opinions of the author. It does not necessarily reflect the views of D-Lib Magazine or its publisher, the Corporation for National Research Initiatives.)

Abstract
In October the University of Chicago Press published Google and the Myth of Universal Knowledge: A View from Europe, by Jean-Noël Jeanneney, President of the Bibliothèque nationale de France [1]. English speaking readers should take what Jeanneney has to say seriously (as well as the critique offered in the Foreword by Ian Wilson, Librarian and Archivist of Canada), both because it resonates with European cultural politics – and has succeeded to a significant extent in motivating a movement to digitize European print heritage – and because much of his case against Google Book Search serving as a building block of the digital library of the future is, in fact, compelling [2].

Barely a month after the Google announcement on December 14, 2004, that it would digitize the "world's knowledge" (15 million books from five major research libraries in the US and UK), Jean-Noel Jeanneney responded with "When Google Challenges Europe" on the editorial pages of Le Monde [3]. His 'cri du coeur' was expanded into this book, published as Quand Google défie l'Europe: Plaidoyer pour un sursaut, in April 2005, not the least because by mid-March President Chirac had endorsed his views and called for France to take European leadership in book digitization. As is evident from the chronology of policy, funding and digitization initiatives in the updated Introduction to this English language edition, Jeanneney struck a cord not just in France or Europe, but worldwide, and his "call to arms" has engendered a dramatic increase in international collaboration in the digitization of books by governments, to counter what he identifies as the risks posed by Google. ...More

Posted by anna at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)

Just what are we doing?

Our colleague from Champaign, Bernie Sloan, posted two interesting articles on a list that I belong to. They are very thought provoking and so good I would like to share them with you. The first is an article by Jonathan Ree which appears in the February 2007 issue of the British magazine Prospect. Unfortunately, the complete article is only available to subscribers or I think through Newsbank. Anyway here it is...

February 2007 | 131 » Essays » The library of Google
The Google search engine is making many of the world's great libraries available online. Is this an advance for scholarship, or, as a French librarian argues, a victory for Anglo-Saxon bias and trivialisation?

Jonathan Rée

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jonathan Rée is a freelance historian and philosopher
On the whole I am not an addictive type, but I must admit to a weakness for libraries. My unconscious mind, lethargic about many things, is always primed with pretexts for a visit to the Bodleian, or a great overseas library, or some quirky special collection. It can always conjure up an urgent need to look at a book that has probably not been opened for 200 years, or to see what some classic text looked like before modern editors took it into their heads to modernise its spelling and punctuation, and perhaps its meaning too. I know that my library habit is unlikely to add more than a particle to the total store of human knowledge, but that takes nothing away from my delight in capturing some fugitive fact, correcting someone's misquotation, or lighting upon a marginal scrawl that has been transformed, by the passage of time, from an act of literary vandalism into a poignant message from a reader now lost to the world.

The smell of old bindings and the sound and texture of dry paper can of course enhance the pleasures of a session in a library, but after browsing in the lush digital pastures of Early American Newspapers, ... (the rest is restricted to subscribers but here is the link)

The second article appears in the January 23, 2007 issue of Wired Campus, an e-newsletter from the Chronicle of Higher Education
January 23, 2007
Wanted: Librarian. Book Lovers Need Not Apply.

As more and more librarians become "media specialists" or "information technologists," what happens to librarians who remain chiefly interested in collecting books, not in promoting information literacy? They get a bit jaundiced, writes Thomas Washington, the librarian at a school in the Washington area.

In an editorial for The Washington Post, Mr. Washington bristles at the notion that libraries should be helping students navigate "the digital forest of information overload" instead of getting people to the stacks:

The buzzword in the trade is "information literacy," a misnomer, because what it is really about is mastering computer skills, not promoting a love of reading and books. These days, librarians measure the quality of returns in data-mining stints. We teach students how to maximize a database search, about successful retrieval rates. What usually gets lost in the scramble is a careful reading of the material. ... More

Posted by anna at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2007

Pew Report on Generation "Next"

An interesting new report from the Pew folks...

A Portrait of "Generation Next"
How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics

Released: January 9, 2007

A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change.

In reassuring ways, the generation that came of age in the shadow of Sept. 11 shares the characteristics of other generations of young adults. They are generally happy with their lives and optimistic about their futures. Moreover, Gen Nexters feel that educational and job opportunities are better for them today than for the previous generation. At the same time, many of their attitudes and priorities reflect a limited set of life experiences. Marriage, children and an established career remain in the future for most of those in Generation Next....More

Posted by anna at 4:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2007

Libraries 2.0: It isn't just the technology it is the service

I am working on a project that requires me to look into the developments of Web 2.0 and its applications and meaning for libraries. On one of the lists I belong to, someone started a discussion with a request for critiques of Web 2.0 uses in libraries. Someone posted a link to Walt Crawford's blog, C & I Updates dated January 8,2006. He does a very thorough job of reviewing the intricacies and amorphous quality of what is meant by Library 2.0. He has been kind enough to provide a 32 page pdf of a special issue of his column Cites and Insights.

Please read, skim, glance at, or snort in derision over the article and let me know what you think. What do you think of Library 2.0. Also, what areas of it you would like to know more about?

My general opinion ( I haven't read more than a few paragraph's of Mr. Crawford's article, yet), is that we as a profession we are focusing more on the technology than the services and benefits. Not that we should be aware of and utilize the technology but our ultimate focus needs to be on the end result. What are the ways and the entire concept of customizing services that Web 2.0 can make available.

Since we are talking about Library 2.0, how can we incorporate these concepts into marketing our print products, av materials, and programs? Is it possible to provide customized services while you are in the stacks or on the desk? I think the key to our survival as a profession is to inform individuals and reinforce the concept that "librarians add value" to every transaction.

What do you think?

Posted by anna at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2007

Your books or your life!

I just had to share this nugget of news that just came in on American Libraries Direct...

Library Guard Shoots at Fleeing Patron

Library Guard Shoots at Fleeing Patron
An on-duty security guard at the Anderson County (S.C.) Library January 6 shot at a woman who set off the library's alarm as she fled the facility late in the afternoon. James Turner fired the single gunshot as the woman, who had ignored his repeated commands to stop, drove her sedan directly at him, forcing him to jump aside.

The bullet damaged the driver's side door, but whether the unidentified woman was hurt is not known. No one noted the vehicle's license-plate number, and the library discovered that the security cameras lacked videotape that day due to officials complying with an unrelated subpoena from the county sheriff's office.

Although it is not known why the woman fled the building in the first place, Turner speculated in the January 9 Anderson Independent Mail that she was running from something more serious than getting caught with a stolen book, and that she told him to stop chasing her. "When the car started to move, I pulled my weapon," he explained. "She started forward slowly and then she hit me [in the knee]. That's when I fired my weapon. And she gunned it." ... More

Posted by anna at 4:20 PM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2007

2007 Freshmen Attitudes Report

The 2007 National Research Study Second Annual Nationa Freshman Attitudes Report provides some eye-opening information. When presented with the following statement:

Over the years,books have broadened my horizons and stimulated my imagination 49.5% of males and 63.1% agreed

I get a great deal of satisfaction from reading 37.8% of males and 53.7% of females agreed

Books have never gotten me very excited. 48.1% of males and 32.9% of females agreed

I don't know about you, but, I find these responses worrying. Read the ENTIRE REPORT, it is only 16 pages with many of those being tables.

Posted by anna at 4:00 PM | Comments (1)

January 15, 2007

"Megabiblioteca"

Great big library, limited access. It is nice to have the resources but it is far better to share...

Leafing through the new "megabiblioteca"
By Nacha Cattan/The Herald Mexico
El Universal

Lunes 15 de enero de 2007

Its crude concrete walls give it a look of an ultra-modern loft space. The sunlight filtering through its slatted windows casts a dim cathedral glow, and its awesome size is reminiscent of the hanger in an aircraft carrier.

Mexico City´s new megalibrary, or megabiblioteca as it is commonly referred to in Spanish, is a sight to behold, especially for those who have been searching for a research center that reflects the grandeur of the city it inhabits. Half a million books on science, art, literature, history and 20 other categories are housed in the 125,000-square-foot building.

But making use of the facilities at the Biblioteca José Vasconcelos is sometimes just as overwhelming as its architecture, perhaps more so for foreigners. It helps to know the basic ins and outs before trying to access the largest public library space in the nation.

Let´s start with membership.

Foreigners need more than their utility bill, photo ID and small photo required of Mexican citizens to get a library card. Make sure you also bring along your passport and a person with Mexican citizenship who will vouch for you, called a "fiador." Photocopy all documents, including a utility bill and ID of your fiador....(MORE)

Posted by anna at 10:56 AM | Comments (0)

January 3, 2007

Would you buy a book from a vending machine?

My colleague, Kay Schlumpf, sent me this rather interesting blog post dated Dec. 24, 2006 from the Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter My burning question is would a book be as satrisfying as a Snickers? Food for thought! (Come on, you knew I couldn't resist.)

Buy Books from a Vending Machine?
Soon buying a book should be as easy as buying a pack of gum. After several years in development, the Espresso vending machine from On Demand Books is nearly consumer-ready and will debut in 10 to 25 libraries and bookstores in 2007. The New York Public Library is scheduled to receive its machine in February.

Unlike most vending machines, the Espresso does not have an inventory of books inside the device. Instead, it is connected via a high-speed internet connection to the company's database, where tens of thousands, perhaps soon to be hundreds of thousands, of books are stored in electronic format. When a purchaser inserts money or a charge card into the vending machine and selects a book, the book's contents are downloaded to the vending machine. Then the vending machine will print, align, mill, glue, and bind the book in less than seven minutes, including full-color laminated covers. It prints in any language and will even accommodate right-to-left texts by putting the spine on the right. It will print any book up to 550 pages. Even larger books can be printed as multiple volumes....MORE

Posted by anna at 2:39 PM | Comments (1)

January 2, 2007

Power to the People

It is like the Time Magazine's Person of the Year Award, the consumer is driving the Web. This has profound implications for libraries and the ways we deliver services. Check out this stimulating article from the BBC News website.

Web users driving change in 2007
By Mark Ward
Technology Correspondent, BBC News website

Video site YouTube blazed a trail in 2006
It is often said the only constant in the world of hi-tech is change - a fact that makes prediction notoriously difficult. But here three tech veterans give their view about what will drive change over the next 12 months and beyond.

There is little doubt that 2006 was the year that web users started to flex their muscle.

Although everyone is familiar with web giants such as Google, Yahoo and Amazon, the last 12 months have shown that their reign at the top is perhaps not going to last forever.... MORE

I found this paragraph provides much food for thought...

"The big trend among hot web companies will be the "actualisation of personalisation" she says. By that mouthful she means web firms will find a way to mine the information generated when net communities spring up."

Posted by anna at 3:22 PM | Comments (0)

"Lock the Library! Rowdy Students Are Taking Over"

This article appears in the Jan. 2, 2007 New York Times but, I got my link from BestGlobalNews.com. WE have all had to face similar situations but, I don't think this is the answer.

Lock the Library! Rowdy Students Are Taking Over
02.01.2007 02:54 Headlines

MAPLEWOOD, N.J., Jan. 1 — Every afternoon at Maplewood Middle School’s final bell, dozens of students pour across Baker Street to the public library. Some study quietly.

Others, library officials say, fight, urinate on the bathroom floor, scrawl graffiti on the walls, talk back to librarians or refuse to leave when asked. One recently threatened to burn down the branch library. Librarians call the police, sometimes twice a day.

As a result, starting on Jan. 16, the Maplewood Memorial Library will be closing its two buildings on weekdays from 2:45 to 5 p.m., until further notice....MORE (Scroll doewn for story)

Posted by anna at 2:36 PM | Comments (0)

"Libraries have value that's hard to overestimate"

What better way to start the New Year than with the following article from Miinesota which appears online in the Tuesday, January 02, 2007 Volume 17, Issue 52 of the Timberjay Newspapers

Libraries have value that's hard to overestimate
By Kevin Strauss

While many communities have a public library, they are often things we take for granted.
But recent studies have shown that, in addition to being resources for education, entertainment and Internet access, libraries are also an important economic development tool in communities.

By Kevin Strauss

While many communities have a public library, they are often things we take for granted.
But recent studies have shown that, in addition to being resources for education, entertainment and Internet access, libraries are also an important economic development tool in communities....MORE

Posted by anna at 10:19 AM | Comments (0)