« March 2006 | Main | May 2006 »
April 30, 2006
Computers in Libraries 2006
Following up to Mary Lee Kennedy's and my Computers in Libraries keynote in 2005, I followed up this year with a presentation updating everyone on the work done so far with the SirsiDynix Personas project. You can find the PPT here.
This information just keeps getting deeper and more interesting.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)
Computers in Libraries: Internet at Schools East
It was great fun at Internet@Schools East in DC this year. Terri Fredericka from InfOhio and Patrick Fleming and I from SirsiDynix talked about one of the coolest innovations in learning happening right now. The presentation, entitled "SchoolRooms: Portals and Content for Blended Learning" is here.
The SchoolRooms portal of K-12 lessons and teacher, parent and administrator support being tested with students now and launching this fall is just the most innovative things we are doing and the partnership with InfOhio is transformational for both them and SirsiDynix.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)
Columbus Metropolitan Library Visit
I got the opportunity to spend some time with the Board of Trustees of Columbus Metropolitan Library and spend the morning talking about macro trends in the library world.
The presentation is here. We focused on 'Good Questions Generate Great Strategies: Strategic Questions for Library Leaders' to spark discussion about innovation in public libraries. It was great fun (and a good lunch to).
In the afternoon I got to facilitate a panel of CML users (who love their library!) for the whole staff. It was very interesting and this is a great library striving to be even greater. Here's the PPT for that session about personas.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)
Bucknell University Presentation
I got to visit one of my favourite universities, Bucknell, just before Easter - last stop on the world tour. This place innovates everywhere. I think they have a real culture about trying new thngs and making them work. They're doing particularly great things around trying new modes of organization and management as well as e-learning support. They're very cool and fun too. The Web 2.0, Library 2.0, Librarian 2.0 Overview for this academic centre is here.
The campus is really beautiful in the spring too.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)
PALS Presentation
Here's the PPT I did for PALS day. PALS (Prairie Area Library System), outside of Chicago, is one of our most adventurous clients and does a lot of very good work. And they're growing! They're working on hitting the ball out of the park for innovation.
It's here to look at. It's on "Web 2.0, Library 2.0, Librarian 2.0", of course.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:21 PM | Comments (0)
Taiwan National Library
While I was in Taiwan I decided to stay another day and tour the place. What an amazing place! I saw the national museum, 101, temples, night markets and loads of great stuff all courtesy of my SirsiDynix colleague, James Loh. Thanks again James.
Also, after my session on the road show a group of librarians in Taiwan from the all over asked me if I would do another presentation on Sunday morning about Web 2.0, Library 2.0, Librarian 2.0. My article on this topics had been translated into Chinese. I was glad to do it and I also got a great tour of the amazing National Library of Taiwan. It was a very cool (and busy) place. Thanks for the opportunity!
Here's that presentation.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)
My World Tour Presentations
Well. I am finally back in the land of the living after about 6 weeks on the road except for a brief sojourn with my family for Easter. Since my flight to Chicago is delayed by 3 hours due to the bad weather there today, I'll take advantage of that and make a few postings of recent presentations.
This posting has my PPT's from the SirsiDynix Executive Road Show ready. I did four key cities and they were all wonderful hosts and places to visit!
1. Here is the session from Birmingham, UK
2. Here is the session from Paris, France.
3. Here is the session from Shanghai, China
4. Here is the session from Taipei, Taiwan.
All four presentations are very similar although I think the UK one is the longest. The others were made a little shorter to accomodate some translation or audiences with many different languages in attendance. I really regretted having to miss the Australia leg and hope to go there soon too.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2006
Google Help Poster
Here's a link to the Google Help Poster.
Do we have good posters and help guides that simplify searching of our databaes, websites and OPACs that are superior to ths one?
I suspect yes. I've seen quite a few while I tour libraries. Where do we share them? Are ours downloadable as a PDF for users in the homes, offices and dorms?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:26 AM | Comments (2)
What Students Say About The Library And Research
Here's a link to a useful post from Steven Bell. He links to a session about "What Students Say About The Library And Research".
To quote the Steven: "Here’s a worthwhile podcast (also can be viewed as streaming video) from the library at Arizona State University. They recorded a program featuring five of their students answering a variety of questions about using the library, their research behavior, and their use of technology.The program, “Academic Libraries in Transition: Here’s What Students Have to Say” took place on February 17, 2006."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:08 AM | Comments (0)
Web 2.0 Lists
If you're looking for ideas worth stealing, you might want to spend some time surfing here.
A List of Web2.0 Lists
http://saulweiner.blogspot.com/2006/04/list-of-web20-lists.html
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:00 AM | Comments (0)
MySpace
The New York Times writes:
"MySpace now displays more pages each month than any other Web site except Yahoo."
Some ideas about MySpace ads are here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 6:55 AM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2006
IMLS findings on The Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation's Museums and Libraries
A January 2006 report from IMLS on "The Status of Technolgy and Digitization in the Nation's Museums and Libraries" is very good.
Here are the Key Findings from the IMLS website. I hope that it intrigues you enough to read the full report. They also have specific findings for all types of libraries.
"TECHNOLOGY USE
Small museums and public libraries have made dramatic progress, although they still lag behind their larger counterparts.
The extent of implementation and use of technologies in museums, public libraries, academic libraries, and all state library administrative agencies increased from the 2001 survey to the one conducted in 2004. The most dramatic increases are in small museums and public libraries, more of which have implemented basic office technologies and Web sites. Archives, which were not surveyed in 2001, report high percentages of basic and some advanced technologies in use.
The use of essential office technologies (e-mail, office productivity software, and desktop computers) is pervasive among state library administrative agencies, large archives, museums, public libraries, and academic libraries. Small museums and public libraries have expanded their use of basic technologies since the 2001 survey, but still lag behind the larger institutions.
Internet connectivity is pervasive among all groups, with broadband connections predominant over modem connections, except among smaller institutions. Institutional Web sites are prevalent among institutions in all groups. Use of institutional Web sites has increased in small museums and public libraries since the 2001 survey, but these institutions still lag behind medium and large institutions.
Libraries and museums are putting services and activities online to manage their institutions and provide enhanced public service.
Newer technologies that use Internet-based and other kinds of online services and activities are being widely implemented among all groups.
New technologies include broadband Internet connections, which are easing out modem Internet connections; online catalogs of collections and holdings; local area networks (LANs); intranets; wireless networks; meta- or federated searching in online collections and catalogs; and software to manage public access computers and printing.
Insufficient funding and staff time are barriers to implementing technology.
Lack of sufficient funding and staff time limit the ability of institutions in all groups to implement technologies that will enable them to fully meet their missions.
Technology funds were available to at least a majority of the members of each group over the last 12 months. When asked about the percentage of technology needs that are met by current technology funding, at least a majority of archives, academic libraries, public libraries, and state library administrative agencies report that they have adequate funding. However, almost two-thirds of museums, 31 percent of archives, 50 percent of large academic libraries, and the majority of small public libraries say their technology is less than adequately funded.
Institutions among all groups report that they can maintain technologies currently in use, but they have less confidence in their ability to add new technologies to meet evolving needs.
Technology capacity (equipment, software, connectivity, skills and expertise) to meet institutional missions is more prevalent among state library administrative agencies, public libraries, and academic libraries. The majority of museums and archives report that they have the technology capacity to meet or almost meet their mission. However, more than two-thirds of institutions among all the groups reported that they do not have enough skilled staff to accomplish their technology objectives.
Assessment of user and visitor needs is strongest among academic libraries and state library administrative agencies and weak among other groups.
Almost half of academic libraries and state library administrative agencies conduct assessments of user and visitor needs.
The percentage of public libraries, archives, and museums that conduct them is 25 percent or less.
DIGITIZATION ACTIVITIES
Digitization activities have increased for all groups, with state library administrative agencies and archives leading the way.
Between 2001 and 2004, digitization activities increased in museums, academic libraries, state library administrative agencies, and public libraries. State library administrative agencies and archives reported more digitization activity in 2004 than other groups.
Institutions in all of the groups are digitizing materials and objects, though some groups are more active than others. When asked about materials and images digitized over the past 12 months, archives were the most active in terms of the percentage that digitized. Large numbers of museums and state library administrative agencies also digitized materials during that period. Nearly half of academic libraries were engaged in digitization, as were about one-third of large public libraries. No digitization activities took place in one-fifth of state library administrative agencies and museums, more than one-third of academic libraries, and more than three-quarters of small and medium public libraries.
While more institutions have digitization policies in place than was the case in 2001, many institutions that are digitizing do not have digitization policies.
The extent of digitization policies in place has increased since the first survey. However, while many institutions are digitizing items and materials, most do not have policies in place for digitization activities.
More that three-quarters of state library administrative agencies and archives, the majority of museums and large academic libraries, and one-third of large public libraries make their digital images available to the public. Lower percentages of small and medium academic and public libraries make their images public. Access to digital images via the Web is the predominant method, though many institutions also provide on-site access via LANs.
The extent of digitization policies in place or in development among museums, state library administrative agencies, public libraries, and academic libraries has increased since the 2001 survey. However, the 2004 survey shows that digitization policies are in place in fewer than half of archives and state library administrative agencies, with the other groups reporting lower numbers of policies in place. The survey showed that digitization activities have increased among all groups, but the use of policies on all aspects of digitization is not strong.
With a substantial number of materials left to digitize, institutions are held back by lack of funding, lack of staff time, and other pressing priorities.
More than half of the archives and state library administrative agencies said they have 25,000 or more items still to be digitized, as do some museums, academic libraries, and large public libraries. At the other end of the digitization spectrum, there are institutions among every group that have no items to digitize, including almost half of public libraries and a fourth of academic libraries.
Key digitization findings:
Almost three-quarters of state library administrative agencies and more than half of archives had funds for digitization over the past 12 months. The majority of large museums had funds, as did more than one-fourth of academic libraries. However, the majority of museums, academic libraries, and public libraries did not have funds for digitization during that period.
To undertake digitization activities, all groups reported that training current staff to perform digitization activities is the predominant solution. Volunteers are also heavily used, particularly in museums and archives. Some institutions use outsourcing solutions, including contractual staff, off-site vendors, and digitization centers at other institutions.
When asked about their capability for digitization activities, larger institutions rated themselves more strongly than small ones. All groups rated themselves most capable in the areas of staff skills and expertise, and equipment and software. Across institutions, funding was the weakest capability area.
Among museums, academic libraries, state library administrative agencies, and archives, the three top hindrances to their digitization activities are lack of staff time, lack of funds, and other projects that have higher priorities. Public libraries also included lack of staff skills and expertise, lack of sufficient equipment and/or software, and lack of an established digitization plan as top hindrances. One hindrance that was rated low among all groups was “not having collections worth digitizing.”
While collaborative digitization efforts are underway, they are not yet widespread.
All of the groups reported collaboration in digitization projects with other institutions, although the overall percentages of those collaborate is not high.
The majority of state library administrative agencies provide funding or services to other institutions, including supporting cooperative digitization projects and supporting statewide digitization projects.
Only a small portion of museums and libraries assess user and visitor needs for digitized collections and services.
Three-quarters or more of institutions in all groups do not conduct assessments of user or visitor needs for digitized materials and images in their institutions. Almost one-fourth of state library administrative agencies do assessments, which is the highest level among all the groups."
Worth a read, and isn't that last paragraph scary?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 6:18 AM | Comments (2)
Negative People are bad for you
Kathy Sierra has a very interesting post at her library blog "Creating Passionate Users".
The posting goes through why Angry/negative people can be bad for your brain.
It articulates well some stuff I've always thought. There are those people who have great critical thinking skills and build on good ideas. And then there are those people who look like they're using critical thinking for a while and then you just realize they're mostly just adding criticism without any real support for undertsanding how to move forward. I call these folks black holes since they can suck the energy out of a project, bit by bit.
Anyway, it's worth a read and it's too deep to summarize here. It says a lot to the principles and dynamics of teams.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:49 AM | Comments (1)
Urban Libraries Council
I have been neglectful in not pointing to this study conducted by the Urban Libraries Council. It is called The Engaged Library: Chicago Stories of Community Building. While it includes a great series of stories (can you collect your own?), I like the toolkit at the end and executive summary.
Here are their lessons learned.
LESSONS LEARNED
1. Get outside the doors. Successful community/library relationships are proactive.
2. Find the leaders.
3. Be creative about what the library can contribute.
4. Discover and contribute to the unique capacities and conditions of the community.
5. Support local businesses and institutions.
6. Make the library building a community center.
7. Create a community-minded culture among library staff and volunteers.
8. Support library investments that jump start community redevelopment efforts.
It also includes an Engaged Library Toolkit with worksheets or engagement maps to get you started. Very cool.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:39 AM | Comments (1)
Library 2.0 Resources on Steroids
Well, there are some exciting new things available in the Library 2.0 discussion (or 'good ideas worth stealing' for some folks):
ALA has launched a six week course (an unconference?) called Getting Started with Library 2.0 Innovation Bootcamp. This looks very cool!
The resource list supporting the course is amazing. Check it out!
The course leaders (the inestimable Michael Stephens and Jenny Levine) have used the new "lens" creator Squidoo to build a Library 2.0 reading list. I love the Squidoo concept and will blog about it later when I get a chance. Mark my words, Squidoo is a major innovation and we'll all be talking about 'lens' soon.
Anyway, these resources are fantastic and will only grow with time. Here they are:
The Squidoo-based Pre-work Library 2.0 Reading List: http://www.squidoo.com/library20/
The Library 2.0 Innovation Bootcamp Blog: http://library2.0.alablog.org/
Reading List: http://www.blogbridge.com/rl/4225/ALAL2+Readings.opml
Advanced Reading List: http://www.blogbridge.com/rl/4225/ALAL2+Readings+Advanced+%28Optional%29.opml (optional)
And, by coincidence, two other new resources, Wikis, arrived in my aggregator at the same time as this Library 2.0 stuff but related to it.
First, the Library 2.0 Wiki. It's new and shows great promise. You'll find ideas worth stealing here. Participate.
Second, Amanda Etches-Jonhnsonfrom blogwithoutalibrary has put up the Blogging Libraries Wiki. It's here. Great work Amanda!
Add these to the Library Success Wiki from Meredith Farkas and you've got a great set of resources for innovation in libraries (Library 2.0, Ideas Worth Stealing, or whatever you want to call it).
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:10 AM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2006
Google Calendar
I know this has been blogged a bit already but I think it's interesting still. Have you seen the new Google Calendar beta?
A shared free calendar for your workgroups, virtual teams, associations, chapters, reading clubs, etc. has a lot of potential. These have been done before on the web and on intranets but this one is Googled and has that market share and brandname power behind it. It seems just ripe for a library mashup.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:49 AM | Comments (0)
Search Engine User Study and Student Use
The April 2006 iProspect Search Engine User Behavior Study is here. It's a readable 17 page report reviewing.
We've seen such stats before and know that the sweet spot for search engine marketers is the top pages of results. It's especially desirable to put your site in the top of the list above the fold on the first page.
One key result is that it found that 62% of search engine users click on a search result within the first page of results, and a full 90% of users click on a result within the first three pages of search results.
It also reports on what users do when the don't find results. 41% change their search term after seeing the first page. 88% do so after 3 pages. 82% re-launch their search in the same search engine. 41% abandon their search if it's not successful at first. There is a load of data here about real consumer use. We need to know if library users are any different.
However, I mention this in the context of something I harp on regularly when I am out and about. Why is Google investing so much in Google Scholar and Google College? Why has Microsoft launched the beta of Windows Live Academic?
These are pretty amazing baby products. Google Scholar is even giving ISI citation indicators a run for their money. MSN has started with some pretty prestigious content from Reed Elsevier. Students are using them. Do they have the social good in their mandate? What company has to tell their employees not to do evil in their mission statement? Then again, doctors are excoriated to first do no harm.
Anyway, I think that the reason Google and Microsoft are so interested in scholarly research sites is that it attracts the real sweet spot for advertisers. (Advertisers are their real customer after all.) If a site can attract a demographic that is primarily in the 15-30 years old range and those folks are the most likely to get good jobs, have higher incomes and spend more on a wider range of products, then that site can charge more for it's ad clicks. These are the Millennials at this point and are a generation as large as the Boomers. Advertisers salivate at getting to them. It's also why there is so much interest in MySpace and Facebook et al where entire social networks of this group congregate.
Either way, there's plenty of motivation to get more folks to an academic experience at MS and Google. And it's not the same motivation as libraries. If you can charge a premium for ads delviered to this group, you can keep your revenue growth accelerating. Follow the money.
Other iProspect white papers are listed here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:13 AM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2006
Podcasting for Non Profits
The following list comes from NetSquared via Greg Schwartz's Open Stacks.
7 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Podcasts
1. A leader at your nonprofit or NGO talks about what is going on in the organization and in your field. This is great if your founder or director is a strong and inspiring speaker.
2. Short, informational pieces about one issue combining voiceover by a narrator/host and interviews with the people you serve.
3. Weekly updates about what is going on in your organization followed by interviews with experts in your field.
4. Have your constituents create the podcast.
5. Be creative!
6. Use recordings from presentations.
7. Turn your radio show into a podcast.
Add these to library programs ideas like teen podcast DVD and book reviews and genealogical local history story capturing and you get loads of fun stuff to pilot.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:58 AM | Comments (1)
Emerging Technologies for Learning
Darlene Fichter from Blog on the Side points us to this free Becta report, Emerging Technologies for Learning. You can download it here.
Darlene's summary is here. It's full of useful scenarios.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:50 AM | Comments (1)
Changing Nature of the Catalog
I thought I'd better post this just in case anyone missed it. Having been on the road for many weeks I am just catching up.
The Changing Nature of the Catalog and Its Integration with Other Discovery Tools (175 KB PDF), by Karen Calhoun of Cornell University Library, draft 2b, prepared for the Library of Congress.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:41 AM | Comments (1)
Cel Phone Use
The latest project memo from Pew Internet and American Life is about cel phone use. My favourite chart is the one that compares cel phone use across generational groupings.
I think it shows we're seeing the thin edge of the wedge where phones take precedence as the device of choice in certain segments. I read recently that Millennials are far less likely to wear watches due to the time feature on their phones. Now PDA sales are declining while phones offer more PDA style features and functions.
Key "Swiss Army Knife" features folks would like to see are:
Send and receive text messages
Take still pictures
Play games
Access the internet
Send / receive email
Perform internet searches for things like movie listings, weather and stock quotes
Trade instant messages
Play music
Record their own video clips
Get mobile maps
Watch video or TV programs
I've written about this before but we better start testing all of our products on these small screens for usability and usefulness.
The conclusions are interesting:
"Implications of these findings
When it comes to assessing the social impact of the cell phone, this survey provides evidence that:
- Cell phones enable real-time action and engagement. One example of this is how people use their mobile phones to gain help in emergencies. Another example is evident when people use their phones to alert each other on the fly about all kinds of things – personal news, spur-of-the-moment events, gossip, changes in plans, convening of groups or meetings, and even political activity. One term now used to describe these communications is “smart mobbing” – which means that this technology allows people to pass along information, learn and act instantly on data that is important to them.
- Cell phone use is encouraging people to reallocate portions of their time and their communications patterns. Many use their phones for spontaneous “calling around” when they have free time on their hands. They make these spontaneous calls when they are traveling, when they are waiting in line, and when they are walking down the street. It is likely this is adding to the volume and flow communication with others.
- Cell phone use is changing the character of our public spaces. It is now possible to be sitting on a train or walking through a park and hear some of the most intimate details of strangers’ lives because of the way they are chatting on their cells. To a great many people, this comes as an unwelcome consequence of their use of a mobile phone. Cell phones are blurring the boundaries between what is public and what is private.
- Cell phone use is changing expectations about when and how others are available to us. These results show how much cell owners have a love-hate relationship with their phones. On the one hand, they like that they can reach out to others no matter where they are. On the other hand, they are sometimes not too happy that others – perhaps including their bosses and work colleagues – can reach out to them at any place and time.
- This survey highlights the new ways that mobile media use might grow in the near future. There are notable numbers of cell owners who know about and want access to the new applications that are being installed in cell phones – internet browsing (especially for maps and directions), music playing, gaming, photo sharing, video watching, and, of course, instant messaging and texting. As we look into the future, it is possible to see how the cell phone might become the Swiss Army knife of media and communications for a considerable number of users."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:21 AM | Comments (0)
Trends and Troughs
This is a cool Gartner style innovation curve:
You can see the original here.
Again, this graphic makes a good conversation starter. Where are your services on the curve? Which one's are you experimenting with to be ready when they 'take off"? Do you think the technologies are placed correctly?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:04 AM | Comments (0)
Blogs: Fad or Trend?
Well, you can probably guess where I sit on this question. But Cory Doctorow has a nice posting about the growth of the blogosphere including these stats:
"* Technorati now tracks over 35.3 million blogs
* The blogosphere is doubling in size every 6 months
* It is now over 60 times bigger than it was 3 years ago
* On average, a new weblog is created every second of every day
* 19.4 million bloggers (55%) are still posting 3 months after their blogs are created
* Technorati tracks about 1.2 Million new blog posts each day, about 50,000 per hour"
Anyway, it's nice to check in on the numbers every once in a while.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:59 AM | Comments (0)
Thinking About Innovation
I recommend this Fortune Innovation Forum, The Business Innovation Insider blog and this particuar posting.
It describes the three thinking box model that helps us to choose when we need to separate good performance mamnagement and benchmark practices from innovation and creating new practices.
Worth a read and discussion. It aptly creates a context to talk in libraries about when we need to be managing and when we need to be leading.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:54 AM | Comments (0)
April 9, 2006
Last Chance to Nominate Libraries for $10,000 Awards
FOUR DAYS LEFT UNTIL DEADLINE FOR BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES AWARDS
There are only a few days left to participate in the 2006 SirsiDynix Building Better Communities Awards program. This new incentive program will award US$10,000 to five North American SirsiDynix libraries whose technology leadership has distinguished it in service to its user communities.
A growing list of nominations for 2006 includes some outstanding efforts on the part of libraries to engage their communities, but we know many more libraries out there would make excellent candidates as well.
* Don’t hesitate to nominate your own library. In fact, you are encouraged to do just that. Library staff members are perhaps in the best position of all to know what their libraries are doing to deserve this award. And of course, you can nominate any other SirsiDynix library as well.
* The deadline is this Friday, April 14, 2006, so there are only four days left in which to act.
* Nominating a library is easy and fast. To nominate a library or for more details, go to: http://www.sirsidynix.com/awards.
An independent panel of library leaders from throughout Canada and the United States will select the award recipients, and announcements will be made at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans this June. Your library could be one of the winners and receive this substantial cash prize. If you have any questions regarding your nomination, please contact us at awards@sirsidynix.com.
Posted by stephen at 10:51 AM | Comments (0)
April 8, 2006
School Libraries in Ontario
I am so proud of one of my associations, the Ontario Library Association for commissioning a study in partnership with People for Education.
This study researched the role of school libraries on the performance of students. Among the results:
EQAO test scores (Ontario provincial educational quality and assessment) and access to school libraries are linked.
Grade 3 and 6 students in schools with teacher-librarians are more likely to report that they enjoy reading.
Schools without trained library staff tend to have lower achievement on the grades 3 and 6 reading tests.
The study was conducted by Queen’s University’s Faculty of Education and People for Education and commissioned the Ontario Library Association.
See the press release. Read the full report.
There are a lot of positive results. How many times do we need to prove this before the education funders and bureaucracy listen?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)
April 7, 2006
Guilty Secrets Revealed for National Library Week
OK, one of my guilty secrets is that I am a YouTube fanatic. It's better than TV when TV's good (except for Jon Stewart's Daily Show to which I am so addicted that I am getting the DT's in Taiwan tonight and missing it totally).
I do have broadband though and this week the best thing on YouTube is Rock and Roll Library !! It was done by some students at a library school for a National Libray Week project. (School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh)
It's must see viewing. This is viral marketing at its best. It's where the target market is. It's not aimed at ourselves. It's sardonic enough to be cool. And it's less than Madison Avenue polished which gives it some credibility. And it's out there for real, globally, for all to see.
These folks rock! And they have the courage to succeed.
Very cool. Please don't mess with these grads' minds when they get employed. They don't need fixing. Read the credits and add them to your hiring wish list.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:15 AM | Comments (2)
April 6, 2006
Travel Update
Well, I just finished up part of a trip where I talked to large groups of librarians in Boston, DC, Birmingham UK, Paris, Shanghai and Taipei that also included folks from many other countries.
It sure was interesting and I learned a lot.
What was my chief insight? The challenges facing libraries around the world are awfully similar - in any language, any library type, any culture and any place. What divides us is much slimmer than what connects us.
Heading off to Chicago on Monday then through Pennsylvania and Ohio. I expect I'll find more professionals there struggling with the issues and challenges and seeking innovative solutions. And trying real hard to build them.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:27 AM | Comments (0)
Shhhhhh! Library Productivity
Here's a link to part one of my article "That Library Word That Dare Not Be Heard Aloud (Productivity - SSHHHHHHH!!!)".
Part two coming in May.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:24 AM | Comments (1)