Recently, ALA retweeted a tweet that originally came from @FSG_Books. It was a library haiku that read: A library card / is a 100% off / coupon for great books. This is a misconception throughout libraries everywhere. A library card isn’t a 100% off coupon. A library card is a tool that allows users to take advantage of the services and materials that have already been purchased for them. People who use the library and borrow those books have already paid for them. They’re not free books when the people borrowing them have already paid for them. Many users believe […]
Monthly Archives: June 2011
20 posts
Over the weekend, while all my American colleagues were heading to The Big Easy for #ala11, I jumped north of the border to attend TEDxLibrarians at the University of Toronto. It was an inspiring day in a beautiful city and the speakers gave me a lot to think about on my long drive home. TEDx events are inspired by, and take their name from, the wildly popular TED conference. Local and independently run, TEDx organizers build the event around short and inspiring talks to create a TED-like atmosphere that is meaningful and thought provoking. Since TED first began sanctioning these […]
Library management is a battle against entropy. Those of us who remember our physics know that entropy is most famously captured in the second law of thermodynamics, but it may be easiest to think of entropy as the measurement of the dissipation of energy in a system. So, if hot water and cold water are poured into a bucket, the energy from the hot water will spread to the cold water until all of the water is the same temperature. The state of organization (hot vs cold) will dissipate into a state of high entropy (disorder). To reorganize the water, […]
http://www.against-the-grain.com/2011/05/v-23-1-book-reviews-monographic-musings/ Nice to see this review of reference reborn. I have a chapter in the book on tracking tech trends. However, like telephone service, reference service has been transformed by the digital age. This work attempts as the subtitle says to bring “new life into public services librarianship.” The world of the Internet has truly transformed the way in which information is delivered to readers. This book refers to the vast forests of unused reference tomes languishing on bookshelves, while lightning fast reference service is delivered via texting on seamless Web connections that never fail. A new generation of Web […]
Glenn Peterson sent this along – very cool stuff: “Engaged Readers” keeps patrons engaged in reading by letting them interact with other readers and library staff as they create and share book lists, write reviews, add comments, follow fellow readers and more. Suitable for a summer reading program or year-around. Check it out at http://engagedpatrons.org/EngagedReaders.cfm. The service is free for small- and medium-sized libraries, affordably priced for the rest.
I wanted to point to this great post about ILEAD U from Alicia Hammond, the Corporate and Small Business Liaison Librarian at the Schaumburg Township Library, IL. I have been given an incredible opportunity as a librarian. Earlier this year, I was accepted in the ILEAD U (Illinois Libraries Explore, Apply and Discover: The 21st Century Technology Tools Institute). This program is operated by the Illinois State Library and funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. And it is really cool! Basically there are two things going on with this program. They bring a bunch […]
What is it? 23 Things for Professional Development, also known as cpd23, is a self-directed, self-paced, inclusive, practical and free online programme open to librarians and information professionals at all stages of their career, in any type of role, any sector, and from any part of the world. It encourages information professionals to explore and discover social media ‘Things’, including Twitter, RSS feeds and file-sharing, as well as other ‘traditional’ CPD routes, such as gaining qualifications, presenting skills and getting published. Participants will be asked to assess how each Thing can assist them in their professional development, and then to […]
Thanks to all the attendees of the 2011 NEFLIN Technology Conference in Jacksonville, Florida this past week. I enjoyed chatting with everyone throughout the day. I also was most pleased to share my Jeannie bottle story in a locale so close to Cocoa Beach! 🙂 The slides are here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/239835/StephensHyperlinkedNEFLIN.pdf
Don’t miss Portland Public Library Teen Librarian and TTW Contributor Justin Hoenke’s appearance on “This Week in Libraries.”
Listen to internet radio with DrX Barbara Holstein on Blog Talk Radio