Monthly Archives: October 2007

67 posts

Departmental Self-Interest

Brian Mathews offers this at Designing Better Libraries: There has been a lot of talk about libraries becoming more “user” centered, even back in 2000 I recall seeing user-centered or user-focused in several job postings. With the emergence of all the Web 2.0 magic, this term has become even more prominent. But are libraries really any different? Can patrons detect a difference? I think that those of us working in libraries have seen a change, but what about our users? Has any of our rhetoric translated into a noticeable change? Do they perceive us as being user-centered, or is it […]

An Open Letter to the IT Department about Firefox

I just submitted this to the IT Help Desk. I wanted to share it here to see if other folks have had a similar experience on various campuses. I want to make an even-keeled case for giving my LIS students access to another broswer on their student accounts – how did I do? What else could I say? I am especially happy that the toolbar group in LIS768 wants to make a toolbar that will help our students with their coursework. I can’t wait to blog about that! Hello! I am following up on some requests from my GSLIS students […]

T-Mobile Users to iPhone

Yup, that was me: http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/15/iphone-report-most-owners-left-treos-sidekicks-behind/ Not surprisingly, iPhone early adopters were “ten times more likely than other new phone buyers to have previously owned a Treo and three times more likely to have owned a T-Mobile branded phone, such as the popular Sidekick model.” When it came to carriers, Alltel and T-Mobile were said to have lost the most customers to AT&T, as consumers who “switched carriers to buy an iPhone were three times more likely to switch from Alltel or T-Mobile than from other carriers.” On a plane two weeks ago, the entire exit row crowd had iPhones. The […]

A Long Overdue Note of Thanks

A post that is long overdue. I want to extend public thanks to Jennifer Graham and Scott Smith for the invaluable assistance they provided me as I finished my dissertation. In a way, it’s also an acknowledgement of how powerful these informal blogging connections can be. In the space of a few months Jennifer and I both suffered losses. I could hardly breathe some days as the summer slipped away. Requests for formatting and clarification came from the University Reader at UNT when I least expected it. Jennifer and Scott were there for me — to assist and offer support […]

Triumphing Over Opacity

By Michael Casey & Michael Stephens We recently heard from a ‘librarian in the trenches’ who copied our recent column on transparency (‘The Open Door Director,’ LJ 7/07, p. 29) for colleagues but was chastised by the library director for being too open with ‘lower levels of staff.’ We’ve received several comments like this since The Transparent Library began last April, which indicates that some library managers still prefer opacity. We’d like to share some examples and ideas on how to improve the situation. Michael S.: As an academic, I’ve talked with many librarians this year about these topics. I […]

Stacy L. Creel Appointed New Editor of VOYA

Good news about my colleague and UNT cohort member Stacy Creel! Congrats Stacy! Stacy L. Creel, a well-known YA librarian and educator, has been named the new editor of VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) by the magazine’s publisher, The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Creel has held positions in children’s/YA departments in Houston, New York, and Tallahassee public library systems. In addition, she is an active member of the American Library Association’s YA Library Services Association (YALSA) and is currently serving as the co-chair of the YALSA Pre-conference “Tweens & Reading” program for the 2008 annual conference, and is a member of […]

4 C’s of Blogging at Logic+Emotion

Run don’t walk to this excellent post about “what it takes to create a great blog experience:” http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/10/the-4-cs-of-blo.html The description of the C’s and the corresponding insights for each are image grabs from a presentation, so please click through and have a look. This could be a great planning document for the library blog.

Every Library Director Should Grant a “License to Play”

Helene Blowers writes: http://www.librarybytes.com/2007/09/license-to-play.html One of all things I love seeing most it’s the creativity and fun that other libraries have add to their own programs. Today, I stumbled across the “@ play” signs for Lee County’s Play to Learn program and it totally made me laugh out loud. How cool is it to get a “License to Play” from the Library Director? Take a look at Lee County’s “Play to Learn:” http://library-playtolearn.blogspot.com/