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January 31, 2007

Is Tagging Popular?

Sure is!

The latest Pew Internet and American Life report on tagging shows that:

"Just as the internet allows users to create and share their own media, it is also enabling them to organize digital material their own way, rather than relying on pre-existing formats of classifying information.

A December 2006 survey has found that 28% of internet users have tagged or categorized content online such as photos, news stories or blog posts. On a typical day online, 7% of internet users say they tag or categorize online content."

28% is a lot. And they know they're tagging too.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 2:20 PM | Comments (0)

33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important

Run, don't walk to this posting:

33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important

Really good. Elevator speeches for every day of the month.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 2:18 PM | Comments (0)

January 29, 2007

Google Bombing

Google has announced on their blog that they have got Google Bombing under control. Hmmmm.

You can no longer enter "Miserable Failure" and be lead to the George W Bush White House homepage. Just in time for the straw polls and primaries... for a man who is not even running? As reported by Search Engine Land, "Also gone are pages about Michael Moore and former US president Jimmy Carter that were on the first page of results due to Google bombing actions."

I wonder what the next one will be? Seems like a game of whack-a-mole to me.

"french military victories" still works.

Either way, you may need to update your lessons on how to manipulate search results in Google to teach our learners to question their veracity.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)

Laugh for the Day

Here's the newest comic in my feedreader:

Blaugh: The (Un)Official Comic of the Blogosphere

Gotta have some fun!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:43 PM | Comments (0)

Ego Feeds

My Jan. 2007 Information Outlook column was on Egofeeds. Want to know more? Check it out here.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)

Using the 23 Things in Special Libraries

Here's my Feb. 2007 column on using the 23 Things Learning 2.0 strategies in special libraries.

15 Minutes a Day: A Personal Learning Management Strategy

Try it, you'll like it.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:34 PM | Comments (0)

Personal Search

Ever tried to make your own search engine? Here's my Information Outlook column from Dec. 2006:

Growing Your Own Search Engine

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)

Books and Special Libraries

This is my Oct. 2006 column for Information Outlook:

Books: Are they still important in Special Libraries?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:29 PM | Comments (0)

Elevator Speeches

Here's my Nov. 2006 column for Information Outlook:

Beyond Elevator Speeches: A Process For Influence

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)

Brooklyn Leadership Forum

I spoke to the Leadership Forum on Jan. 12th in Brooklyn, NY. It was on my favourite topic:

The Social Library 2.0 Library

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)

Connecticut Libraries Council

Here's the session from Bridgeport CT where I spoke to the Connecticut colleges folks at their annual workshop:

The Social Library 2.0: The User as the Driving Force

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)

SLA New York Chapter

Here's the PPT for a fun night speaking to the SLA New York Chapter.

The Social Library 2.0

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:21 PM | Comments (0)

Palmer School Institute

Here's the PPT for the session at the Palmer School of Library and Information Science in New York on Jan. 10th:

The Social Library 2.0: NextGen Library Economics

It's always energizing to talk to students.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)

SLA Toronto Chapter West

Here's the session I did for SLA Toronto on January 16th in Oakville:

A Tech Forecast: Library 2.0 in the Real World (PPT)

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)

Gaming in the Library

Here's the new date for the SirsiDynix Institute session with the esteemed Jenny Levine:

Gaming in the Library
Date : Mar 13, 2007
Start Time : 11 a.m. Eastern
Length : 1 hour

Much is happening in the world of gaming right now, and it's not just a lot of teenage boys sitting in the basement staring at a screen for hours on end. No, gaming has tremendous potential for libraries to reach out to new users, offer new services, and help complement efforts in community-building, information literacy, and other areas. - Don't know much about gaming but you want to know how it can benefit libraries? - Not sure what kinds of services your library could offer (especially on a limited budget)? - Are you an avid gamer who would like to offer services but you need help convincing others? - Just want to hear what other libraries are doing? We'll cover all of these topics and more in just one hour. Get the scoop that helps you clarify your thinking about gaming and libraries.

Jenny Levine —Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide, American Library Association

Jenny Levine is the Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide at the American Library Association, where she splits her time between the Information Technology and Publishing departments. As part of her job, she blogs, creates wikis, bugs her colleagues to instant message, tests podcasting and vodcasting, teaches RSS, posts pictures on Flickr, explores Second Life, and does similar work with emerging technologies and tools in general. She is currently organizing the 2007 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium which will take place on July 22-24, 2007, in Chicago, IL. Last year, Jenny had the pleasure of traveling around the United States and Europe to give more than 30 presentations. She is also the author of The Shifted Librarian blog (http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/ > ), a site that helps librarians understand the coming impact of ubiquitous, always-on internet (and hence ubiquitous, always-on information) on our profession. She wrote the September/October 2006 issue of "Library Technology Reports," titled "Gaming in Libraries: Intersection of Services" and is an avid proponent of gaming services in libraries."

Just the thing to prepare for ALA's July gaming symposium. Register here.

Stephen

http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar_page.php?sid=81

Posted by stephen at 11:09 PM | Comments (0)

Where do users spend the most time?

A Dec. 2006 survey shows that users spend the most time here:

MySpace.com 11.9%
Yahoo.com 8.5%
MSN.com 3.7%
eBay.com 3.7%
Google.com 2.1%
AOL.com 1.7%
Pogo.com 1.6%
Facebook.com 1%
Amazon.com .7%
Craigslist.com .6%
Go.com .6%
Youtube.com .6%
Live.com .5%
Bankofamerica.com .4%
wikipedia.com 4%
walmart.com .3%
mapquest.com .3%
neopets.com .3%
adultfriendfinder.com .2%
aim.com .2%

It's worth looking at the posting and asking what make people want to spend more time her than anywhere else?

Any surprises?

These top 20 sites accounted for 39% of all use in the US.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:00 PM | Comments (0)

RSS Methods

Read this Read/Write Web posting for an interesting taxonomy of RSS methods for reading postings based on a small survey. The variety surprised me. The poll shows how things are changing. I still remain amazed that most surveys show that people don't know when they are using RSS and too many library pros don't use aggregators to make their loves easier.

Here's the main headings:

1. Web-based (e.g. Bloglines, Google Reader, Rojo)
2. Desktop (e.g. FeedDemon, NetNewsWire)
3. Start page (e.g. Netvibes, Pageflakes)
4. Browser (e.g. Firefox Live Bookmarks, IE, Flock)
5. Portal-based (e.g. MyYahoo, ThePortNetwork)
6. Other (please comment)
7. Email-based client (e.g. Thunderbird, Newsgator)
8. I subscribe to emails from individual blogs

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

Urban Libraries Council Study Report

Here's a powerful ULC 36 page PDF that deserves wider circulation. Worth studying, reading and learning how to communicate the wider impact of public libraries.

Stephen

Media contact: Beth Dempsey, 248.349.7810 or beth@bethdempsey.com

Libraries are Key to Building Local Economic Base Says New Study

Researchers find that public libraries impact human, physical and community capacity

January 11, 2007 (Evanston, ILL) – Public libraries build a community’s capacity for economic activity and resiliency, says a new study from the Urban Institute. Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development adds to the body of research pointing to a shift in the role of public libraries -- from a passive, recreational reading and research institution to an active economic development agent, addressing such pressing urban issues as literacy, workforce training, small business vitality and community quality of life. The study was commissioned by the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

“The rules of engagement in economic development are changing. Strategies for building a strong base are being realigned in the context of the knowledge economy.” says ULC President Martín Gómez.

In this era of economic transformation, the business of public libraries is being recast. Public access to digital information and technology is a draw for libraries. Their open structure, combined with the power of new digital collections, technology, and media, position them to help communities make the transition from manufacturing and service economies to high tech and information economies.

Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development shows the specific ways local governments, agencies, and libraries are working together to achieve benefits for individuals, agencies and the community at large in four areas:

Early Literacy Services are contributing to long-term economic success. As the strong correlation between investments in early literacy and long-term economic success is documented, public libraries are expanding beyond their traditional story time services, engaging in high-impact strategies with community partners. They are leading public awareness campaigns, reaching new mothers with materials and resources that promote reading early and often. Extensive community-wide training on early literacy with home and professional child care givers is increasing levels of school readiness and success. From Providence (RI) to San Luis Obispo (CA), public libraries are reaching young children and families in diverse neighborhoods. These services are the first link in a chain of investments needed to build the educated workforce that ensures local competitiveness in the knowledge economy.

Library employment and career resources are preparing workers with new technologies. With an array of public computers, Internet access, and media products, public libraries are a first point of entry for many new technology users. Now that job readiness, search and application information are all online, library job and career services focus on using and building technology skills. New library service models are also as mobile as the shifting economy, as illustrated in Memphis (TN), where the JobLINC mobile jobs and career center that started as an initiative for a single high-need neighborhood has now expanded services to cover the entire county, with high levels of use not only by job-seekers but by employers as well.

Small business resources and programs are lowering barriers to market entry. Libraries are the source for new online business databases that reach entrepreneurs around the clock. Researchers find that when libraries work with local and state agencies to provide business development workshops and research, market entry costs to prospective and existing small businesses are reduced and new jobs are created. Libraries are also in the vanguard of trying new strategies. In Phoenix (AZ), for example, the public library is part of a statewide network of business, economic development and library professionals who are seeking to expand and diversify the economic base by promoting more synergy among clusters of enterprises.

Public library buildings are catalysts for physical development. Libraries are frequented local destinations. Urban Institute researchers repeatedly found that public libraries are highly regarded, and are seen as contributing to stability, safety and quality of life in neighborhoods. Among private sector developers of malls, commercial corridors, mixed-use developments and joint-use facilities, libraries are gaining recognition for other qualities – their ability to attract tremendous foot traffic, provide long-term tenancy, and complement neighboring retail and cultural destinations.
The study concludes that public libraries are positioned to fuel not only new, but next economies because of their roles in building technology skills, entrepreneurial activity, and vibrant, livable places. The combination of stronger roles in economic development strategies and their prevalence -- 16,000 branches in more than 9,000 systems -- make public libraries stable and powerful tools for cities seeking to attract and build new businesses.

To read Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development, click here.

About the Urban Libraries Council.For more than 30 years the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) has worked to strengthen public libraries as an essential part of urban life. A membership organization of North America’s premier public library systems and the corporations that serve them, the ULC serves as a forum for sharing best practices resulting from targeted research, education and forecasting. The ULC’s programs are acclaimed for inspiring new organizational models that invigorate urban libraries and enrich the areas surrounding them. The ULC is headquartered in Evanston, Illinois. For more information, visit the group on the Web at www.urbanlibraries.org.

About the Gates Foundation. Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to reduce inequities and improve lives around the world. In developing countries, it focuses on improving health, reducing extreme poverty, and increasing access to technology in public libraries. In the United States, the foundation seeks to ensure that all people have access to a great education and to technology in public libraries. In its local region, it focuses on improving the lives of low-income families. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Patty Stonesifer and Co-chairs William H. Gates Sr., Bill Gates, and Melinda French Gates. More information is available at www.gatesfoundation.org.

About the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The mission of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation is to support and encourage those educational, cultural, social and environmental values that contribute to making our society more humane and our world more livable. For more information, visit the group on the Web at www.grdodge.org.

About the Urban Institute. To promote sound social policy and public debate on national priorities, the Urban Institute, a non-partisan economic and social policy research organization, gathers and analyzes data, conducts policy research, evaluates programs and services, and educates Americans on critical issues and trends. For more information, visit the group on the Web at www.urban.org.

Posted by stephen at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2007

SLA Winter Meeting in Reno NV

It's great to be here in Reno at the SLA Leadership Summit. Much of the SLA leadership is here for meetings, training, collaboration and discussion. The first international board meeting went very well. We're really making progress. My employer remains very supportive of my activities for SLA.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 6:55 PM | Comments (1)

January 23, 2007

The InfoTubeys

InfoTubey Awards for Libraries on YouTube

At Internet Librarian in Oct 2006 there was much discussion about libraries using YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and other venues to communicate with clients and raise awareness of services. In viewing the inventive ways libraries are using these spaces Information Today decided to award the most creative libraries with (wait for it----) InfoTubeys!

The first InfoTubeys will be presented at Computers in Libraries, April 17th, 2007. Awards for the top 5 YouTube productions will be presented to organizations or individuals for outstanding work that demonstrates creativity, humor, and sincerity (of course) in marketing a library or library services or enhancing the library's value. Knowing Information Today, the award-winning productions will also be available on their site.

I suspect that the Awards Ceremony will be a real hoot.

Cool! Tell one. Tell all. That's right - Nominate yourself or another library here.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:08 PM | Comments (0)

Some grist for special librarian marketing

Here's a cool study that should be able to be spun in most enterprise environments.... by savvy folks. It's especially good since it's from a major consulting group and not one of 'us".

Managers Say the Majority of Information Obtained for Their Work Is Useless, Accenture Survey Finds

NEW YORK and LONDON – Jan. 4, 2007 – Middle managers spend more than a quarter of their time searching for information necessary to their jobs, and when they do find it, it is often wrong, according to results of an Accenture (NYSE: ACN) survey released today.

The purpose of the online survey of more than 1,000 middle managers of large companies in the United States and United Kingdom was to uncover wide-ranging insights about the way they gather, use and analyze information.

Among the key findings: Managers spend up to two hours a day searching for information, and more than 50 percent of the information they obtain has no value to them. In addition, only half of all managers believe their companies do a good job in governing information distribution or have established adequate processes to determine what data each part of an organization needs.

Nearly three out of five respondents (59 percent) said that as a consequence of poor information distribution, they miss information that might be valuable to their jobs almost every day because it exists somewhere else in the company and they just can not find it. In addition, 42 percent of respondents said they accidentally use the wrong information at least once a week, and 53 percent said that less than half of the information they receive is valuable.

In addition, 45 percent of respondents said gathering information about what other parts of their company are doing is a big challenge, whereas only 31 percent said that competitor information is hard to get.

More than half (57 percent) of respondents said that having to go to numerous sources to compile information is a difficult aspect of managing information for their jobs. In order to get information about competitors, customers, project responsibility or another department, respondents said they have to go to three different information sources, on average. In addition, 40 percent of respondents said that other parts of the company are not willing to share information, and 36 percent said there is so much information available that it takes a long time to actually find the right piece of data.

“The findings show that companies are failing to get the right information to their employees,” said Royce Bell, CEO of Accenture Information Management Services (AIMS). “People and organizations cannot keep up with the volume of information produced by technological innovation. Managers in particular are having great difficulty navigating a rapidly expanding sea of information, and the situation is only getting worse.”

Part of the difficulty lies in the way managers are gathering and storing information. For example, the majority of managers in the survey said they store their most valuable information on their computer or individual e-mail accounts, with only 16 percent using a collaborative workplace such as a company’s intranet portal.

“Information is becoming a burden on knowledge workers and will remain so until companies consolidate and streamline the stores and sources of intelligence,” said Greg Todd, an AIMS senior executive. “Doing so will enable them to give back part of the working day to staff, helped by better governance, delivery, integration and the archiving and retention of information.”

The respondents to the survey were drawn from five function areas: customer service, finance and accounting, human resources (HR), information technology (IT), and sales and marketing. While the findings revealed that nearly all respondents are frustrated with managing information, some departments are faring better than others. For instance:

· IT and HR managers are most likely to say that their ability to find the information for their jobs is hindered because there is “too much information” (selected by 42 percent of IT managers and 40 percent of HR managers).

· IT managers are the least likely to feel that the information they receive has value, and they spend the most time trying to find it. IT managers said that, on average, less than half (44 percent) of the information they receive for their job is of value. In addition, nearly half (47 percent) of IT managers – more than any other department — said they spend nearly 30 percent of their work week trying to track down relevant information for their jobs.

· Half (51 percent) of customer service managers — more than managers in any other area — are likely to encounter challenges when trying to obtain information about other parts of the company. In addition, 40 percent of customer service managers — more than those in any other function — said that the most difficult aspect of managing information for their job is going to numerous sources of information.

· Only 11 percent of finance and accounting managers — less than for any other function — said they believe that their company has invested enough in the right technologies to help them get the information they need, and managers in this area are also the least likely to state that their company does a good job at governing how information gets distributed (selected by only 12 percent of finance and accounting managers). In addition, a greater number of IT and finance managers — 31 percent and 30 percent, respectively — than managers in any other departments said they miss valuable information more than five times a week.

· Sales and marketing managers are the least likely to use new technology to communicate, with only 19 percent using instant messaging, less than any of the other department managers. Use of PDAs by sales and marketing managers is also very low, again at 19 percent, only slightly higher than that of finance and accounting managers (16 percent).

The proliferation of different information sources within organizations was revealed by the survey as the most important reason why managing information is proving difficult. With an ever-increasing amount of information flooding the workplace — from e-mail, instant messaging systems and handheld devices like the Blackberry — the research highlights the extent to which companies must have the right processes to weed out useless data, as well as flagging the information that might be of use to other parts of the organization. The capabilities offered by new and emerging search technologies can help save valuable time and free up the many hours currently wasted every day by the survey respondents.

Methodology

The Web-based survey of 1,009 managers in companies in the United States and United Kingdom with reported annual revenues of more than US$500 million was fielded in June 2006. All respondents had a title of manager or higher. Quotas were set to ensure that respondents included at least 100 managers from each country in each of the following departments: customer service, finance/accounting, human resources, information technology, and sales/marketing.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills, and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With approximately 146,000 people in 49 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$16.65 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2006. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Thanks for pointing to this Ulla.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 5:46 PM | Comments (0)

Shoulda blogged this ages ago - OPAC

Read this new article in Dlib this month, The Online Library Catalog: Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained? by Karen Markey of University of Michigan.

Here's the abstract:

"This think piece tells why the online library catalog fell from grace and why new directions pertaining to cataloging simplification and primary sources will not attract people back to the online catalog. It proposes an alternative direction that has greater likelihood of regaining the online catalog's lofty status and longtime users. Such a direction will require paradigm shifts in library cataloging and in the design and development of online library catalogs that heed catalog users' longtime demands for improvements to the searching experience. Our failure to respond accordingly may permanently exile scholarly and scientific information to a netherworld where no one searches while less reliable, accurate, and objective sources of information thrive in a paradise where people prefer to search for information."

The Bib/webliography is excellent if you're an OPAC discussion junkie. I'd like to see more "User Experience" focus and less OPAC centrality but that will evolve.

Another good thought piece about our challenges. Read it on paper in a quiet room where no one's distracting you. My laptop screen in the airport was not optimal.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 5:33 PM | Comments (1)

Library Advocacy Video

Wendy Newman (one of my personal heroes) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Information Studies asked to interview me for her ground breaking Master's level course on library advocacy. She's going Canada-wide soon.

It ended up being an hour long video where we touched on a number of issues including advocacy for special librarians. It's intended for classroom use in a series that Wendy is compiling.

Like all adults, with few exceptions, I hate wacthing myself on video. I don't know how celebrities do it! Anyway, since I am about to start off on a few days at the SLA Winter Leadership Summit I felt that it would be an act of courage to post it here and model the behaviours I encourage in others. I am very bald and it shines in the video! PERHAPS I SHOULD SELL LIBRARY POP-UP ADS ON MY FOREHEAD?

The URL is as follows:
mms://epresence.fis.utoronto.ca/Abram_Jan2007.wmv

Be gentle.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 5:22 PM | Comments (0)

SirsiDynix and Second Life Library 2.0

I've been keeping this under my hat for so long I could burst. SirsiDynix is so excited about Second Life that we’ve taken to sponsoring a few of our clients there. Watch for the February issue of SirsiDynix OneSource where I'll have an article all about this - complete with cool links. I am getting the same feeling about SL that I got about the web in 1994....

Here’s the exciting (at least to me!) news we announced at ALA Midwinter:

SirsiDynix Sponsors Alliance Library System’s Second Life Library 2.0:
SirsiDynix will fund the two main islands in the Info Island project on Second Life

SEATTLE, Jan. 19, 2007 – SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries bringing knowledge to people and communities, announced today its 2007 sponsorship of the two main islands in the Alliance Library System/Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County partnership project on Second Life and Teen Second Life. Second Life is a 3D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by more than 2.5 million people from around the globe.

The two Second Life islands sponsored by SirsiDynix are Library 2.0 Info Island and Teen Info Island, which is named “Eye4YouAlliance.” Alliance Library System – the lead agency for Info Island, the adult library island in Second Life – has been described as “one of the most innovative regional library systems in North America.” Located in East Peoria, IL, with 253 library members of all types, Alliance offers continuing education, consulting, resource sharing and delivery service to members. The purpose of the Second Life Library 2.0 is to provide real library services to Second Life residents.

The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, located in Charlotte, N.C., is the lead agency on Eye4You Alliance. Founded in 1903 as a Carnegie Free Library, the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County has become one of the premiere libraries in the country with 24 locations, 1.6 million volumes and 28,000 videos, DVDs and CDs. The library sponsors a variety of community based programs – from computer and Internet education workshops to the award winning Novello Festival of Reading, a celebration that accentuates the fun of reading and learning. The goal of Eye4You Alliance is to create an interactive and informative space for young adults within the Teen Second Life virtual world and to collaborate with other educators who serve youth and are already present in Teen Second Life and in real life.

Kitty Pope, executive director of the Alliance Library System, said of the Second Life project: “Last April, we knew we were taking a chance. We did not know if the residents of Second Life would want a library or what a library in a virtual world would mean. Now almost a year later, we have expanded from a rented building to an Info Archipelago with eight collaborative islands and many groups working together to continue the expansion. The international group of volunteers we have had has made this happen.” Pope (known as Kitty Phillips in Second Life) is the executive director of Second Life Library/Info, Barbara Galik (Puglet Dancer in Second Life) is the president of the advisory board, Lori Bell (Lorelei Junot in Second Life) is the director and Rhonda Trueman (Abbbey Zenith in Second Life) is the assistant director. The directors of the Teen Second Life Library are Matt Gullett (Ray Lightworker in Second Life) and Kelly Czarnecki (BlueWings Hayek in Second Life).

Stephen Abram, vice president of innovation for SirsiDynix, said: “SirsiDynix is so thrilled to partner with Alliance Library Systems and the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County on this exciting project. They are leading the charge as libraries expand into the virtual world. They have proved to the world that libraries are not only capable of remaining relevant in today’s quickly evolving world, but that they will be a major player as information continues to become more available and more in need of shepherding than ever before.”
This announcement was made today at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, WA
Then in January 2007, another SirsiDynix client entered the fray. The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is no longer just a one branch library. T&SCPL has opened up a new location in Cybrary City in Second Life. The Capital-Journal, the local newspapers, reports that Jeff Dawson, youth services manager at TSCPL, said his organization recently became a part of this growing trend and now plans to use the program as a new way to reach Topeka youth. “This is so new. We’re not even sure we understand all of it yet,” Dawson said. “We just know we need to be here.”

And, BTW, my Second Life name is Squid Cagney. See you there.

Stephen/Squid

Posted by stephen at 5:13 PM | Comments (2)

Self Serving SLA Posting

OK - I am the president-elect of SLA so I have a special interest here. It's my favourite association conference for over 25 years. It's in Denver this year and promises to be fun, educational, innovative, and all the rest. Please join us. Consider yourself invited.

Stephen

Contact: Cara Battaglini, 703.647.4917, cara@sla.org

Registration and Housing Now Open for the

SLA 2007 Annual Conference and INFO-EXPO in Denver

CE Courses, Sessions and Speakers “Take You to New Heights” in the Mile-High City

Alexandria, Virginia, USA, 22 January 2007-- The Special Libraries Association (SLA) announces conference and hotel registration are now open for the SLA 2007 Annual Conference and INFO-EXPO. SLA members are able to maximize their membership benefits and save US$ 100 off the regular registration rate by signing up early for SLA 2007. The SLA Annual Conference activities run 3 - 6 June 2007 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The conference programs are designed to create an environment for networking, communication, learning and other developmental opportunities for information professionals.

A sample of 2007 Conference Events is below. Please visit www.sla.org/Denver2007 to register and get additional information on speakers and programs.

Opening Keynote Address: The Honorable Al Gore

Gore will speak to conference participants on Sunday, 3 June during the LexisNexis sponsored SLA 2007 Opening General Session. Gore is also expected to sign copies of his new book prior to his address at the Colorado Convention Center.

Click U Live! @ SLA 2007
The Professional Development Center will offer a series of seminars and tutorials on different ways for information professionals to add more value to their role within their organization, and then get the recognition they deserve!

SLA Tech Zone
SLA will continue this very popular series of workshops specifically designed by, and for, the information professional. Throughout conference week, SLA will offer a number of different hands-on learning opportunities that deal with the latest tech tools for creating websites, web databases, multimedia presentations, and much more.

The 2007 SLA INFO-EXPO
SLA’s INFO-EXPO is the ultimate one-stop-shop for attendees to investigate all the innovative products and services the information industry has to offer. A preview of the exhibitor list is available on the SLA website in the Virtual INFO-EXPO Center http://www.sla.org/veh07/.

Strategic Technology Demonstration Series
This series is a joint effort of SLA and the participants in the INFO-EXPO aimed at helping information professionals better understand technology and its beneficial impact on their careers and their organization's success.

SLA Salutes! Awards & Leadership Reception
Join SLA Leadership, award winners and supporters in celebrating a conference full of learning experiences. The professions' best and brightest will be honored during this evening's reception, which promises to celebrate the unique drive and spirit of the information professional.

About SLA
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. SLA serves more than 11,000 members in 75 countries in the information profession, including corporate, academic, and government information specialists. SLA promotes and strengthens its members through learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives. For more information, visit us on the Web at www.sla.org

Note to Editors: Please contact the SLA Media Relations office if you are interested in attending the 2007 SLA Conference in Denver. Contact: Cara Battaglini 703.647.4917 or cara@sla.org

Cara Battaglini
Director, Public Relations
SLA- Connecting People and Information
331 South Patrick Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

T: 703.647.4917
F: 703.647.4901
cbattaglini@sla.org

Now available at Click University:
The CI Certificates Program
www.sla.org/CICertificates

Posted by stephen at 5:01 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2007

Keep In Shape and Collect Fines

You have to love this creativity and here too.

Here's a teen librarian who keeps Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) set up all the time so she can hold a dance-off against anyone with overdue fines. If they win, this librarian will waive the fines. Sounds like a great monthly fines night event...? Bring out the competition but you might need to build up bench strength in the library staff DDR group (or bring in a ringer...?) When kids get into squabbles, she tells them to take it to the mat and dance off. And another positive DDR gaming idea is for rainy days at school. Get rid of the excess energy and continue the day!

Cool!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2007

ALA Midwinter SirsiDynix Institute LIVE

As promised to all those in attendance, and winners of my book too, here are the slides from our booth theatre presentations:

Saturday, January 20, 2007
10:00-10:30am
Stephen Abram
Chief Strategist, SirsiDynix Institute
"The Social Library 2020: 2.0 in Action"

http://www.sirsidynix.com/Resources/Pdfs/Company/Abram/ALAMidwinter_2007Social.pdf
Sunday January 21, 2007
1:00-1:30pm
Stephen Abram
Chief Strategist, SirsiDynix Institute
"Next Generation Portals: The 2.0 End User Experience"

http://www.sirsidynix.com/Resources/Pdfs/Company/Abram/ALAMidwinter_2007Portals.pdf
Seattle rocks!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:35 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2007

Marketing Podcasts

Looking for a new take on marketing your services using the new technologies like podcasts, blogs, etc.?

Check out Guy Kawasaki's posting on his top 10 marketing podcasts here.

These are aimed at entrepreneurs and aren't directly library focused. That's probably good since it's fresh. And it's a who's who of interviews and speakers - Seth Godin, Robert Scoble, and other experts.

Anyway, something to listen to on the drive into work.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:43 AM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2007

Blogging and Influence

Darlene Fichter points to this study here.

PR Company Edelman has released a white paper studying blogging around the world. (PDF Available here).

One trend they noted was that more "influencers" are blog readers than "non-influencers". Influencers are vitally important to libraries who depend on word of mouth for most of our marketing and image. For simple 40 pager it's worth thinking about and asking oursleves how we blog in libraries:

1. Are we supporting our long term bond issues lobbying this way?
2. Are we building budget and financing support for our strategies using this?
3. Are we encouraging RSS feeds to our influencers?
4. Are we tracking our building projects with photos to build excitement?
5. Are connecting to the influential hubs in our communities, schools, colleges and enterprises?
6. More and more...

Opportunities abound.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:27 AM | Comments (0)

Freshpeople Reading

Steven Bell points us to a new study in a posting titled "Freshmen Not Avid Readers". That word freshman is so quaint. Is it still so popular? I know we mostly call them first years or first year students in Canada. You never hear the terms sophomore or junior or senior here. Of course when we ended grade 13 in Ontario, most 3 year BA programs ended too and became 4 year degrees. Kids who take grade 12 twice to increase their scores are said to be taking a victory lap! Women do outnumber men in higher education and have for many years.

The second annual National Freshmen Attitudes report reports the folloiwng:

"This report describes the attitudes and motivations of first-year students nationally at the beginning of their undergraduate experience. Among the findings:

• Ninety-five percent of entering first-year students bring a strong desire to complete their education;
• Only half of entering students enjoy reading, with females enjoying it much more than males;
• Female entering students report superior study habits and a stronger desire to finish college than males, while males report greater confidence in their math and science preparation;
• Nearly half of students at two-year institutions (45 percent) expect to work more than 20 hours per week, compared to 19 percent of entering students at four-year public institutions and
27 percent of entering students at four-year private institutions;
• Most first-year students report that they would welcome assistance in areas such as preparing for college exams (74 percent), career guidance (66 percent), math tutoring (48 percent), and assistance with getting a part-time job (46 percent).

The attitudinal findings, juxtaposed against national graduation data, bring to light a sobering disparity: Although the vast majority of today’s first-year students arrive at college really wanting to complete their degrees, only half of them are likely to accomplish their goal."

You can find the full report (16 page PDF) here.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:14 AM | Comments (0)

Intranets

In the special library world intranets can trump the Internet. Putting the best external content behind your firewall and combining it with your workflow and internal records can be transformational on an enterprise scale.

This year’s winners of Jakob Nielsen's Ten Best Intranets of 2007 Awards are:

American Electric Power (AEP), United States
Comcast, United States
DaimlerChrysler AG, Germany
The Dow Chemical Company, United States
Infosys Technologies Limited, India
JPMorgan Chase & Co., United States
Microsoft Corporation, United States
National Geographic Society,United States
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), United Kingdom
Volvo Group, Sweden

I love the ROI feature in the posting:
"Comcast's marketing extranet has reduced versioning and distribution costs by 50-60% and reduced delivery time even more.
Infosys has experienced a 65% drop in help desk calls since launching its redesign. "
When you consider the cost of running a help desk, reducing calls this much is a major savings.
"Infosys had 1,100% more submissions to its organization-wide news section -- that is, eleven times more submissions -- and 588% more entries to its Team Spirit section."

Just goes to show that great information management and usability delivers great results. I suppose the opposite is true too!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:07 AM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2007

OLA SuperConference 2007

Well, I am looking forward to the OLA SuperConference (Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in Toronto).

May I commend to all the panel my 21 year old son is on. (Proud Dad alert).

Thursday Feb. 1st.
Rm. 324 9:05-10:20 am MTCC
Collaborative space
I'VE LOOKED AT CLOUDS FROM BOTH SIDES NOW
Young people, young people.
You have heard about MySpace,
YouTube and FaceBook but have you ever seen them?
What do they do?
What is good about them?
What are their weaknesses?
Are they just a fad?
Can we all go back to sleep?
Our young people will show you what is going on in a whirlwind mystery
tour.
Knowledge is power!

Zachary Abram will be presenting on YouTube. The other presenters are Patricia Horak
(Facebook) and Alison Drain (MySpace) and it will probably be moderated Ryan Patrick.

The OLA Conference is always one of the best.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 5:01 PM | Comments (1)

January 14, 2007

Special Libraries and Web 2.0

Check out this posting from Amanda at Blogwithoutalibrary.

In short, special librarians are picking up on 2.0 technologies quickly. Her survey shows:

Blogs 60%
Wikis 46.7%
RSS 73.3%
IM 26.7%
Social Bookmarking 33.3%

Loads of great ideas in the posting and it's worth a read. We are innovative!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)

What are the best office gifts?

Inc. Magazine has a cute article on the best gifts to give in the office. It's perfect for the special librarian. Let's send this out in our Monday morning news alerts!

Pay particular attention to number 5!

1. A window for every employee.
2. IT support that understands the business.
3. Two restaurants within a block or two of the building,
4. One meeting room with comfortable seats and no conference table.
5. "A librarian. Yes, I know, much of what you need is available online and your staff Googles with the best of them. Still, corporate librarians operate with a level of nuance and finesse that technology can't match. They can uncover sources so obscure as to be practically nonexistent. And they know what's what--they not only tell people what is known but also warn them what isn't"6. At least one employee under 25 and one employee over 60 who are equally enthusiastic about their jobs and visibly thrilled to be there each day.
7. Julie, your cruise director.
8. Insufficient room to display your holiday cards.

The original article is here.

Gee, I want to put them all on my Amazon wish list!

Cool, eh?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)

Picking Up Those Last Few States

It's an odd hobby, but I think it's fun.

For Canadian provinces I have only one more to add - Newfoundland. I'll head there in May for this year's Canadian library Association Conference. I know it'll be wonderful. So, by May, I'll have visited every one of my nation's provinces. I'll now need to work on Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

For the United States I have five left - South Dakota, Montana, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Iowa.

So, I have time and hope to visit those states in the coming years. Anyone have a conference or staff day where they want a speaker?

As for continents I've been to five of the six. Only Antarctica is left. A good friend went there this year on a photography expdition and I can hardly wait to see the pictures. Anyone in a library there who needs a visit (grin)?

So, let's play Where In the World is Stephen Abram?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2007

ALA Midwinter Special Events: Seattle

We're planning a bunch of (free) special booth presentations at ALA in Seattle. I hope you're planning to be there. I think these are interesting programs and you might want to see them all. (grin)

Some are technical and some are about the vision stuff. I hear there may be prizes and gifts...!

SirsiDynix Events @ ALA Midwinter 2007
ALA Midwinter Meeting 2007
Washington State Convention & Trade Center
800 Convention Place
Seattle, WA 98101-2350
January 19-22, 2007

SirsiDynix Booth #2519
SchoolRooms Booth #2922

Learn more about the ALA Midwinter Meeting 2007.

SirsiDynix Institute LIVE
Hosted by Stephen Abram - Booth #2519

"The Social Library 2020: 2.0 in Action"
Speaker: Stephen Abram
Saturday, 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.

"The Alliance Library Systems Project on Second Life"
Speakers: Lori Bell and Kitty Pope
Saturday, 1:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, 3:30 - 4:00 p.m.

"Your FireFox Can Do That?"
Speaker: Rachel Bridgewater
Saturday, 3:30 - 4:00 p.m.

"A Little Help From Your Friends: Social Bookmarking"
Speaker: Rachel Bridgewater
Sunday, 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.

"Next Generation Portals: The 2.0 End User Experience"
Speaker: Stephen Abram
Sunday, 1:00 - 1:30 p.m

SirsiDynix TechTalk

Connecting Libraries with K-12 Communities
Speaker: Kristiana Burke, SirsiDynix
Saturday, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, 2:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Monday, 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Software as a Service (SaaS): The Way to Cut ILS Costs by 40%
Speaker: Bill McClendon , SirsiDynix
Saturday, 2:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, 4:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Getting Copy-right with EReserves
Speaker: Marlon Flores, SirsiDynix
Sunday, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Monday, 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.

Prevent Problems - Use Reciprocal Borrowing
Speaker: Gail Wanner, SirsiDynix
Saturday, 4:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Monday, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)

January 11, 2007

Latest OneSource Article

The January 2007 SirsiDynix OneSource newsletter is out. My opening column/salvo for the year is:

It’s a New Year - 2007! How Do We Sustain Motivation?

Hope you enjoy it! Keep on trucking.

Happy New Year!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 6:10 AM | Comments (0)

January 7, 2007

Why Study End Users? (Academic)

Here's a study and article with some wisdom and insights in it:

Why study users? An environmental scan of use and users of digital resources in humanities and social sciences undergraduate education by Diane Harley in Frist Monday.

"ABSTRACT: This article presents an overview of a two-year study [1] that (1) mapped the universe of digital resources available to undergraduate educators in the humanities and social sciences (H/SS); and, (2) examined how a better understanding of the variation in use and users can benefit the integration of these resources into undergraduate teaching. Our results suggest that faculty use a vast array of online materials from both educational and “non-educational” sources, but many do not use digital resources for a host of reasons including the lack of direct relevance to their preferred pedagogical approaches, and insufficient time and classroom resources. Our discussions with digital resource providers confirmed that an understanding of the actual use of their resources in undergraduate settings is often murky. These discussions also made clear that resources created by higher education institutions will continue to proliferate despite a lack of formal knowledge about users and/or clear models for financial sustainability. A more precise understanding of the diversity of use and user behavior, and the ability to share findings from user studies, will require that the digital resource development community make typologies, standards of data and data collection, and results more transparent."

Some Quotes:

"There is an implicit assumption that faculty at a variety of institutions import digital content to enhance their undergraduate teaching, but we simply do not know if such importation occurs on a measurable scale."

"... we soon discovered that digital resources of all kinds are proliferating in many different environments and are created by many different kinds of developers."

"Google-type searches were the most frequent way in which faculty found resources."

"More than 70 percent of faculty said they maintain their own collections, although fewer of them (~35 percent) make their resources available to others on the Web."

"Our research revealed that community building is important to digital resource providers ..."

"... in-house evaluations can result in a “self-fulfilling prophecy” where studies frequently favor relationships and products that already exist."

"We should not expect faculty, who we can assume know more about teaching their subject than non-specialists, to shoehorn their approaches into a technical developer’s ideas of what is valuable or the correct pedagogical approach."

"The only way to understand the value of a digital resource — for individuals, communities, and institutions — is to measure its impact and its outcomes."

"Future planning cannot ignore the new cohort of “always on” students that is poised to enter higher education institutions. We simply do not understand enough about these students ..."

The full report, Understanding the Use of Digital Resources in Humanities and Social Science Undergraduate Education, is here.

There's an interesting webliography too.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:54 PM | Comments (0)

MySpace Safety Study on Teens

I am asked constantly for data on social networking sites and the experience of teens and safety, privacy, etc. A report from NetFamily News is here.

"Most teens safe in MySpace: Study

Two professors who have been focusing on cyberbullying for some time just presented a study of teenage MySpace use which found "most teens are behaving responsibly in the type of information they post about their lives," the Miami Herald reports. Prof. Sameer Hinduja, a criminology professor at Florida Atlantic University, and Justin Patchin, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, analyzed a randomly selected sample of 1,475 profiles that appeared to be teens' and found that 90% of those allowing public viewing do not include the users' full names; 40% of the full sample "were keeping their pages completely off-limits to everyone but their friends" (the default privacy setting for MySpace users who register as 14 or 15 years old); 4% listed IM contact info; 1% listed personal email addresses; and "just a handful" listed their phone numbers. On the flipside, "more than half of teenagers posted their pictures online, and an unspecified number of others provided detailed physical descriptions of themselves"; 5% had pictures of themselves in swimsuits or underwear and 15% of the profiles included suggestive pictures of their friends. The researchers did find that, though 90% didn't list full names, "they left other identifying information, including their first names (40%), hometown (81%) and high school (28%)." The researchers presented their as yet unpublished findings at an academic conference the Herald didn't name. Here's coverage from the Associated Press, which quotes Professor Patchin as saying that the benefits of social networking "far outweigh any potential risks."

Mostly good news. Some work to be done on training more safety consciousness. I'd like to know if anyone has studied if those schools that block MySpace are better at training MySpace skills for privacy, safetyl, etc.?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:27 PM | Comments (1)

SirsiDynix Normative Data Project Updated

The NDP has again been updated. Yay!

There are now data from 252 US systems and 22 Canadian systems with a total of over 1,000 branches. There are 247 million transactions through 2006 Q2 with a smattering of data through Q4. These systems have 31 million titles and 68 million copies.

28 US states are represented. The median population served by US NDP libraries is 15,000. The US median population served is 6,600 so NDP libraries are larger than US libraries although the libraries added in this last batch are quite a bit smaller than those added earlier.

There are no comparable national statistics for Canada but we do hope to have data from the Canadian NDP libraries by next quarter.

You can find out a lot more aboutn the NDP here.

Our good Dr. Data has done some cool state rank order tables too here.

There is free stuff on this site as well as the ability to purchase reports, or a subscription to create your own comparisons and analyses.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:21 PM | Comments (0)

SirsiDynix Institute Announces First Quarter Webinar Schedule for 2007

SirsiDynix Institute Announces First Quarter Webinar Schedule for 2007

Includes Schedule of Live SirsiDynix Institute Events at ALA Midwinter Meeting

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Jan. 4, 2007 – The SirsiDynix Institute, a forum for professional development in the library community, announced today the webinar schedule for the first quarter of 2007, including six live events at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Seattle.

The first webinar will be Jan. 9, and will feature Helene Blowers, who designed the Learning 2.0 program. She will present on the program and its application. In her position as technology director at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, Blowers is responsible for the development and creation of technology training programs, as well as the library’s award-winning Web sites.

Blowers developed the Learning 2.0 project, with the support and assistance of several staff members, to encourage staff to explore Web 2.0 and new technologies, provide library staff with new tools to support the mission of the library and to reward staff for taking the initiative to complete 23 self-discovery exercises. During the webinar, Blowers will talk about the project’s successes and how other libraries can implement Learning 2.0.

The first webinar event to be hosted outside of North America will be presented on Feb. 6 at 12:30 p.m. DST (Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. EST in North America) from the Yarra Plenty Regional Library in Melbourne, Australia. Christine Mackenzie, chief executive officer of the library, along with her colleagues, Denise McLarty, Resource Discovery officer, and Lynette Lewis, coordinator of Online Services, will do a presentation on Learning 2.0 and Yarra Plenty Regional Library’s implementation of that program.

Mackenzie has served as Yarra Plenty’s CEO for the last three years. She is also the current president of the Australian Library and Information Association and a member of the Bertelsmann Foundation International Network of Public Libraries. McLarty, in her position as Resource Discovery officer for Yarra Plenty, coordinates the Learning 2.0 program for the library. She has had the opportunity to explore, promote and implement the latest developments online for the library. Lewis has been at Yarra Plenty for 15 years and previously worked at the Penrith City Libraries and Keon Park Technical School. She serves as part of the National AskNow chat team, answering reference questions for the library in real time.

On March 6, Darlene Fichter, head of the Indigenous Studies Portal and coordinator of Data Library Services at the University of Saskatchewan Library, will present a program on mashups. A mashup is a Web site or application that seamlessly combines content from more than one source into an integrated experience. Simply put, a mashup mixes content from independent sources to create something new. During the program, Fichter will explain what librarians need to know about this new breed of Web application. Fichter has presented on mashups at several library conferences including, most recently, Internet Librarian in Monterey, Calif., in October 2006.

At the ALA Midwinter Meeting, a series of live SirsiDynix Institute events will be Jan. 20 and 21 at the SirsiDynix booth (#2519) in the exhibition hall. The events are open to all conference participants at no charge and require no pre-registration. Slated topics and schedules are as follows:

● Saturday, Jan. 20, 10-10:30 a.m.: “The Social Library 2020: 2.0 in Action,” Stephen
Abram, chief strategist of the SirsiDynix Institute and vice president of innovation at SirsiDynix

● Saturday, Jan. 20, 1-1:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 21, 3:30-4 p.m.: “The Alliance Library System’s Project on Second Life,” Lori Bell and Kitty Pope, the Alliance Library System

● Saturday, Jan. 20, 3:30-4 p.m.: “Your Firefox® Can Do That?” Rachel Bridgewater, Washington State University Vancouver

● Sunday, Jan. 21, 10-10:30 a.m.: “A Little Help from Your Friends: Social Bookmarking,” Rachel Bridgewater

● Sunday, Jan. 21, 1-1:30 p.m.: “Next Generation Portals: The 2.0 End User Experience,” Stephen Abram

Abram said of the first-quarter schedule: “One of the most important missions of the SirsiDynix Institute is to advance the work of librarians around the world. The relevant, thought-provoking webinars throughout 2007 are another step towards fulfilling this mission. By presenting webinars on cutting-edge topics like Learning 2.0 and mashups, the SirsiDynix Institute is continuing to help librarians keep up with and even stay ahead of new technology trends, all in an effort to continually improve the library user’s experience.”

More information, including reservation information for the online seminars, is available at www.sirsidynixinstitute.com.

###

About the SirsiDynix Institute

The SirsiDynix institute was founded in 2003 and is funded by SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions. The SirsiDynix Institute is a forum for professional development in the library community. Monthly webinars, the SirsiDynix Institute Executive Conference and other events provide librarians with access to industry leaders and a forum to keep up to date on relevant issues and trends impacting libraries. The mission of the SirsiDynix Institute is to support librarianship and advance the work of librarians around the world. The focus of the SirsiDynix Institute is on library issues, not products. More information on the SirsiDynix Institute is available at www.sirsidynixinstitute.com.

© 2007 SirsiDynix. All rights reserved. SirsiDynix and the SirsiDynix logo are registered trademarks of SirsiDynix or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

NOTE: Press Release PDF is available at www.sirsidynix.com.

Posted by stephen at 7:18 PM | Comments (0)

Cool send up of Libraries vs the Web

Librarian in Black pointed us to a cool video that Sharon Griffith, a Librarian at the Shafer Library at the Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, has loaded on to YouTube. It's a send up of the Mac vs PC ads that are fun on TV (and YouTube) lately. It highlights the differences between doing research on the web and using the library's online and print resources. See it here.

It's fun and cheeky. Very good job.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:12 PM | Comments (0)

Future of Learning Manifesto

Here's a link to the Future of Learning Manifesto.

It's creating a nice strong meme for discussion.

"The Future of Learning" Manifesto (draft #1 -- 1.4.07) -- The shortened version:

1. "Playing Small Does Not Serve the World."
2. What Would Socrates Do?
3. Nobody Cares if You Walked Up Hill Both Ways Barefoot in the Snow.
4. Got Passion? If Not, I'll Tell You What To Care About.
5. My Memory Is Only As Big As My Heart. Otherwise, I'll Stick with Google
6. Look it Up or Die.
7. Collaboration Ain't About Holding Hands. It’s about Going Cool Places Fast.
8. This Will Go Down on Your Permanent Record.
9. It Ain't About the Technology. It's About Being Inside the Story.
10. Nobody Knows the Answer. Get Comfy with the Questions."

Read the comments to see more of the thread.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:08 PM | Comments (1)

Social Networkinng Sites and Teens

The Pew Internet and American Life Project as released another interesting report. It is called Social Networking Websites and Teens: An Overview" by Amanda Lenhart and Mary Madden (Jan. 7, 2007). You can get it here.

Here's the press release:
55% of online teens use social networks and 55% have created online profiles; older girls predominate

55% of online teens have created a personal profile online, and 55% have used social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook.

1/7/2007 | Release

Washington-- More than half (55%) of all of online American youths ages 12-17 use online social networking sites, according to a new national survey of teenagers conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

The survey also finds that older teens, particularly girls, are more likely to use these sites. For girls, social networking sites are primarily places to reinforce pre-existing friendships; for boys, the networks also provide opportunities for flirting and making new friends.

A social networking site is an online place where a user can create a profile and build a personal network that connects him or her to other users. In the past five years, such sites have rocketed from a niche activity into a phenomenon that engages tens of millions of internet users. The explosive growth in the popularity of these sites has generated concerns among some parents, school officials, and government leaders about the potential risks posed to young people when personal information is made available in such a public setting.

The data memo, written by Senior Research Specialists Amanda Lenhart and Mary Madden, is based on a survey conducted by telephone from October 23 through November 19, 2006 among a national sample of 935 youths ages 12 to 17. The survey asked about the ways that teenagers use social networking sites and their reasons for doing so. Among the key findings:

55% of online teens have created a personal profile online, and 55% have used social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook.
66% of teens who have created a profile say that their profile is not visible to all internet users.
48% of teens visit social networking websites daily or more often; 26% visit once a day, 22% visit several times a day.
Older girls ages 15-17 are more likely to have used social networking sites and created online profiles; 70% of older girls have used an online social network compared with 54% of older boys, and 70% of older girls have created an online profile, while only 57% of older boys have done so.

"There is a widespread notion that every American teenager is using social networks, and that they’re plastering personal information over their profiles for anyone and everyone to read," says Amanda Lenhart. "These findings add nuance to that story – not every teenager is using a social networking website, and of those that do, more than half of them have in some way restricted access to their profile."

Teens say social networking sites help them manage their friendships

91% of all social networking teens say they use the sites to stay in touch with friends they see frequently, while 82% use the sites to stay in touch with friends they rarely see in person.
72% of all social networking teens use the sites to make plans with friends; 49% use the sites to make new friends.
Older boys who use social networking sites (ages 15-17) are more likely than girls of the same age to say that they use social networking sites to make new friends (60% vs. 46%).
Just 17% of all social networking teens say they use the sites to flirt.
Older boys who use social networking sites are more than twice as likely as older girls to say they use the sites to flirt; 29% report this compared with just 13% of older girls.

"Both boys and girls rely on social networks to keep close tabs on their current friends, but older boys are much more likely to use them to meet new friends and flirt in the comfort of an online environment," says Mary Madden. "Older boys are really the ones taking advantage of the true 'networking' features afforded by the sites."

The Pew Internet Project survey was conducted from October 23 to November 19, 2006 and has a margin of error in the overall sample of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The Pew Internet Project is a non-profit, non-partisan initiative of the Pew Research Center that produces reports exploring the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care, and civic/political life. Support for the non-profit Pew Internet Project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trust.

Like I say, interesting. Lee Rainie from the Pew will be a key speaker at the SirsiDynix SuperConference.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 4, 2007

World Future Society Forecast

You can get a free World Future Society Forecast here. It's quite interesting and forecasts out 25 years.

Here are ten of them:

Forecast #1: Hydrogen fuel cells will be cost competitive by 2010. The cost of power via fuel cell is dropping rapidly—from $600,000 per kilowatt-hour in the 1970s to $1,200 today. By 2012, fuel cell power is expected to cost around $400 per kilowatt-hour. It would then be competitive with every type of power. Fuel cells will power cars and allow each home to have its own non-polluting electricity generator.

Forecast #2: The era of the Cyborg is at hand. Researchers in Israel have fashioned a "bio-computer" using the DNA of living cells instead of silicon chips. This development may soon allow a computer to connect directly with a human brain.

Forecast #3: By 2015, New York, Tokyo and Frankfurt may emerge as hubs for high-speed, large-capacity supersonic planes. NASA's X-43A Scramjet recently flew at 7,000 mph (nearly ten times the speed of sound). These hyperspeed planes will whisk passengers across continents in the time it takes most people to drive to the airport.

Forecast #4: Schools based on classrooms and a human teacher will dwindle over the next 25 years. Why sit in a classroom when you can visit virtual worlds and experience your subjects? An "avatar," a personalized interactive guide, will answer all of your questions and help you pose new ones.

Forecast #5: Speculation in hydrogen energy stocks could create an investment bubble, as happened with the Internet. When investors see the huge potential of hydrogen energy, the stocks of companies with promising technologies may skyrocket to unsustainable levels.

Forecast #6: Ocean Currents May Surpass Wind as an Energy Source. Turbines driven by ocean currents could generate four times more electricity than windmills. At one site alone—in the Channel Islands off the coast of France—the potential electricity could match that produced by three nuclear power plants.

Forecast #7: A snail may save your life. A non-addictive painkiller one thousand times more potent than morphine could soon be on the market, thanks to research on conotoxins, the distinct set of chemicals found in tropical cone snails. Future medicines from the snails may help treat heart disease, depression and spinal cord injuries, among other ailments.

Forecast #8: Weapons of mass destruction will be even easier to obtain over the next 15 years. Terrorists may move from bombs to creating havoc on the cellular level. The weapons of the future—genetic engineering and nanotechnology—require neither large facilities nor mass materials.

Forecast #9: The convergence of genetic engineering, nanotechnology and robotics will allow humans to change their bodies in profoundly new ways. In the next 15 years, people may be able to rearrange their genes to change their physical features, extend their lifespan, merge their brains with computers and their bodies with robots, among many other remarkable developments.

Forecast #10: Robots and smart environments will improve care and independence for the elderly. Intelligent walkers will help seniors get around while sensors on the handlebars monitor their vital signs. Handheld devices will track senior citizens' movements and guide them around town, keeping people mobile and independent.

It's an interesting report and the timeline puts some things in perspective. All grist for the mill ...

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:29 AM | Comments (8)

January 3, 2007

List, lists and lists

OK, I found the motherlode for those of us who like lists!

It's called Fimoculous.com and its here.

The venerable Gary Price's GREAT List of Lists is librarian research-oriented for answering questions. These are different.

It's great but this one has stuff like the top 10 comic books - how many does your library have?
Add to that the five best graphic novels, or best DVD's or movies, or games, or websites or books (best - not just best selling), etc. Many libraries probably already have these in stock. Maybe these lists make a great display tool to market your stuff that's in the long tail? Either way, there are years worth of lists here and could be used to freshen up any aging collection.

Cheers,

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:02 PM | Comments (0)

SLA Update

As many of you know I am president-elect of SLA. It's an unusual year to be president-elect since this year lasts 18 months. (SLA voted to change their association year to match the calendar year). This is an unusual year given that we are a full Board for 18 months and the traditiponal cycles of the past may no longer apply. We will be challenged to understand this first time we have a new association year schedule. There will be some confusion but nothing insurmountable. Such things as nominations, committee appointments, reporting and the rest will all follow slightly different schedules.

However, after six months since officially joining the Board in June 2006, it is now still a full year before I take office as SLA President. I thought now would be a good time to update you about my recent chapter visits and other stuff related to SLA. Current president Rebecca Vargha's 18 month strategy is focusing on membership growth and the 2009 SLA Centennial planning. All Board members are workikng hard on many initiatives. I do support these efforts since they are vital to encouraging the members and sustaining the success of SLA. There is a lot happening at the Board level and that gets reported to the Association leadership in Reno NV this month at the SLA Leadership Summit. Watch for reports on the SLA.org website and in Information Outlook.

So far my SLA schedule since June has been quite hectic. Overall, I have given about 60 speeches at over 50 events. Not all of these are narrowly focused on just SLA but it is rare that I don’t meet many SLA members and I wear my SLA pin(s) with pride everywhere. I get many questions about our work and the Association. I either answer them myself or refer them to the appropriate staff members, colleagues or Rebecca. We even get new members! It's an exciting time to be a special librarian and practicing information pro.

In July I visited the Wisconsin Chapter and met a wonderful team. I also got the opportunity to tour the library school there. The exec of that chapter was quite hospitable in my first visit to that state.

In August Rebecca, Janice and I (along with a coterie of SLA members) visited Korea for the IFLA conference. I’ve been attending IFLA for a few years and find the international perspective extremely valuable. I gave two invited papers/speeches in the main program on special library issues, hosted a small reception, attended the SLA China “chapter” reception with staff and a plethora of past SLA presidents, and talked with many international and North American members and potential members. We had great dinners and other meals with our other fellow US association staff and officials, other assoication executives, the Canadian Caucus and the SLA caucus. SLA will grow internationally in the coming years and it's essental that we get a ground level understandinig of the needs and perspectives of these members and potential members.

In September I visited the Student Chapter at the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto. Since Joanne Gard Marshall and I helped make this chapter happen, it holds a special place in my heart. It's my hometown school and I am an Alumnus. I really enjoy the student chapters and library school visits. I have tried to hit every Canadian library school annually and I suppose I’ll have visited 6 or 7 US schools this year. The students are truly amazing and are definitely our future. I taught two courses at U of Toronto FIS this Fall in Ottawa and Toronto. The classes were mostly taken by specialized information workers and librarians.

In September I also got a great chance to have lunch with the SLA Europe Chapter in London while I was there on other business. We had a nice chat and I learned lot. While in London, I got to do 3 library tours through member libraries. I also visited with some of Outsell’s European office staff.

October was a busy month where I spent 6 weeks on the road without seeing hearth and home. I hope to never do that again! I had a wonderful breakfast with the SLA New Zealand crew in Wellington NZ followed by a nice dinner with the SLA Australia crew in Sydney. Everyone was just lovely and there are opportunities for SLA to excel there, carefully. I look forward to seeing some of them again in Reno.

I visited with the SLA Hawaii Chapter for dinner and for a program the next day on Library 2.0. They were wonderful. It was especially fun to be bounced out of bed by a 6.7 earthquake and spend the day with no electricity! Trust our members to find the only open bar on Waikiki!

I visited a raft of members in Upstate New York at several events in a row and look forward to doing an all day workshop for SLA-UNY in 2007.

Of course, in October we had our weekend Board meeting at Internet Librarian. As one of the advisors to this conference from the beginning it was a pleasure to help plan and organize the special libraries track and then to moderate it all day. It was great to see so many of our members sparkle with their speeches and innovations. If you didn’t make this conference you missed a great one. We also had the InfoToday reception honouring SLA which was a treat. The Hogans and their staff at Information Today really know how to treat partners. Having spoken at most of their conferences for over a decade I have to say they are the cream of the crop as conference organizers, people and friends. There were many SLA members at this conference, many of whom had also just attended KM World. I had many lovely dinners with past and future board members. There was also a nice San Jose State University School of Information Studies reception. I sit on their international advisory board and it’s great to get this insight into the workings of the world’s largest accredited school.

On Oct. 30th I braved the security at Boeing in Seattle to have a nice dinner with the SLA PNW chapter. I learned a lot from them over dinner and then gave a presentation based on Association 2.0 (more on that later).

For Halloween I visited the students at the University of Washington as well as having a great personal meeting with the iSchool dean and senior staff. I ended the week at SJSU at the advisory council meeting, dinner with the university president and to give the Lazerow Lecture at SJSU. It was great fun and we set a record for attendance with lots of our dynamic California members there. The daily student paper covered it on the front page and their website! Our members were e-mailing me copies all week.

I braved security again at Battelle (You see, as a Canadian there are special rules for me at the border and with military contractors, beyond the standard checks and camera/phone check-ins.) to visit the SLA Central Ohio chapter. They were lovely hosts and I did a speech on 2.0. I also visited and gave a talk to several members at OCLC who are also involved with SLA in numerous ways.

In early December I did a visit to San Antonio and a speech to the SLA Military Librarians 50th Anniversary workshop. I speak to this group often and find them quite fascinating. I also get to reconnect with one of my heroes, Ann Parham, one of my favourite Pentagon librarians who survived the 9/11 Pentagon attack. I met with the SLA Texas chapter for dinner with Janice Lachance, our CEO, as well. We had a wonderful informal evening and I learned a lot. I ended 2006, as always, with the joint Toronto SLA/CASLIS Christmas social which is always a blast! I wasn't able to see my home chapter members nearly enough last year.

For 2007, there are also a bunch of chapter visits planned – a few sponsored by SLA and a few as part of my own travels. In January I will do an evening event for the SLA NY chapter along with dinner with their board. I will also visit the Palmer school and meet with the students and staff there. I will also meet with the Clarion University library school atALA Midwinter where I sit on their advisory board . Then it’s off to Reno and meetings with the entire SLA Leadership!

I will do a chapter evening event for SLA Toronto West in February. Janice, Rebecca and I will attend the ASAE’s CEO Symposium together for effective executive training in February. This will be the third time I’ve done the ASAE course. Maybe this time it will stick!! (grin) Also, in February I hope to meet many SLA Oregon chapter members at Online Northwest just before the SirsiDynix SuperConference and Executive event. I’ve am thrilled to see so many SLA members on the program for my company’s premier annual event.

I am spending some of March in Europe at EUSIDIC and The ULK Serials Group Coference and will be waving the SLA flag there.

In April I will do a workshop for SLA Upstate New York. I’ll also do chapter visits and speeches for SLA Hudson Valley Chapter and SLA Fairfield County Chapter. In May I’ll do a chapter visit for SLA Princeton-Trenton and probably SLA Boston.

By June, we’ll be ready for our conference extravaganza in Denver. I am doing two programs so far which is at least a reduction from the four in Baltimore. I have more SLA plans firming up for the summer and fall but they do include IFLA in Durban, South Africa as well as more trips to Australia. So far I've been able to tie many SLA visits to my personal and business travel.

I have also noticed that an increasing number of my speeches everywhere are being podcast, webcast and streamed. This is happening worldwide and events in places as disparate as New Zealand, Idaho, South Carolina, the UW iSchool students and Sacramento are putting up content of me and others on the web for repeat use. This is great. (Reminder to self - I need to think about linking and promoting some of this free content on our SLA website.) That's exciting and I've got to get more comfortable with seeing myself on screen and hearing my podcasts!

I hope you conintiue to find my column in Information Outlook useful and entertaining. I'm always looking for special library-oriented topics. Let me know if you have one you'd like me to write. I try to re-post the articles here too.

By the way, I have a very supportive employer (and boss) who values the contributions our staff make to association work. Not every president-elect has such a generous employer so I wanted to acknowledge that.

As for 2008, I have a few plans but don’t want to wet the powder too much. Here are a few snippets to whet your appetite and I do seek your comments and advice.

Finding Association 2.0
Better promotion of SLA’s good stuff like ClickU, blogs, etc.
An SLA Social Networking strategy for Professionals (Facebook, Blogs)
The Testimony Project (The SLA PR Committee and I have already met)
The Transparency Project (getting more members involved – experimenting with the committee appointment process)
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Pay and Special Librarians podcasts)
Recruit! Involving Students in SLA (See the project done under my watch as Canadian LA president – http://www.infonation.ca)

I am truly looking forward to seeing the results of Gloria Zamora's and her fantastic team's plans for the July 2008 Seattle Conference. It's going to be great. Start planning for summer 2008 now. Seattle in July will be just glorious.

I want to set a 2008 agenda to deliver value for the members AND I want SLA members and potential members to notice and be involved. I believe that this is what sustains associations -member value. I also want to distill out some of SLA’s opacity to increase trust, excitement and understanding in the Association. This is vitally important if we are to attract large numbers of the next generation of librarians and information professionals. There is room in the 2008 plan for other manageable, visible, doable, rightsized deliverables with high value. I think this is a strategy that can work at SLA - a volunteer environment with a small staff. If you have ideas, please contact me.

Anyway, there’s an update on my activities for SLA. I have a full-time job too so the weeks are quite long for this middle-aged male (grin!). This posting doesn’t cover everything but it’s a start on more open communication from me. All plans for the next few years are still Jell-O. Flexibility demands that we trim the sails as we discover opportunities and identify new ideas.

Looking forward to seeing any who may be in Reno or my other travels. Please know that I am easy to find through my blog comments and e-mail (stephen.abram@sirsidynix.com).

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 4:20 PM | Comments (1)

Librarianship as a Career

Today's Wall Street Journal Career Journal on the web covers librarianship.

The Changing Role Of Library Science
By Aja Carmichael
From The Wall Street Journal Online

It covers some of the good and some of the bad. Salaries are sometimes shameful. Then again, these articles rarely talk about the high quality of life and work to those who engage fully. I know our research for the 8R's in Canada shows that the vast majority are delighted with their career choice and would recommend it to others.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)

Libraries as Social Network Hubs

Smart Mobs points us to a new study by the New England Complex Science Institute. It is called "From Centrality to Temporary Fame: Dynamic Centrality in Complex Networks by Dan Braha and Yaneer Bar-Yam and appears in the November issue of Complexity. To view the article online, please click here.

From the NECSI Press release:

"If you’re one of sixty million or so monthly visitors to social networking websites like MySpace or Facebook, you’ve probably noticed them— “network hubs,” people who have many more contacts than everybody else. While most users have a few or a few hundred connections, a tiny percentage of users have thousands upon thousands. Maybe, with a twinge of jealousy, you’ve wondered what makes them so special. Is it about coolness? Influence? Popularity?
How about “none of the above”? Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the New England Complex Systems Institute have discovered that social networks and the roles of the individuals that make them up vary drastically from day to day. Until now, scientists have largely thought of networks as fairly stable, changing only slightly over time–say, when someone makes a new contact.

The reality of networks isn’t as simple as that. Dan Braha and Yaneer Bar-Yam studied the e-mails sent among thousands of users over the course of four months. When they looked at the e-mail traffic on any given day, they found that some people were hubs just as they expected. The surprise was that the identity of the hubs changed from day to day. An individual who sent and received relatively few e-mails on one day could become a hub of the network the next. Hubs rarely stayed hubs for any length of time.

“The results were astounding,” Braha says. “How important someone is changes so fast we might be better off saying it is like '15 minutes of fame'.”

“The most influential people are not the ones with the biggest address books,” says Bar-Yam. “What really matters is who is talking to whom. By looking only at who knows whom you lose a lot of important details about when people actually talk to each other.”

Scientists have found that the existence of hubs is not unique to social networks. Hubs exist in a variety of networks, including technological and biological. These hubs are particularly interesting to researchers, because they allow information and messages to propagate quickly throughout the entire network. Hoping to take advantage of this fact, network-based strategies have been proposed in areas ranging from public health (immunizing certain individuals to slow the spread of disease) to marketing (selectively advertising to a small group of “opinion leaders”).

While it's interesting to note that the nodes of netyworks are malleable, this is an even better opportunity for libraries. Libraries know their users and, with permission or membership, we can create nodes and participate in nodes without having to 'own' them, 'over-manage' them, or over moderate them. We can create ecologies for knowledge sharing, discovery and networking that empowers our communities to succeed.

After reading this short article, I feel that our early library forays into social networking environments with blogging, MySpace or Facebook et al are even more important to watch and learn from. My learning so far is that we need a wider understanding of what 'friends' means in these environments. It seems to mean everything from contacts, to acquaintances, classmates, professional coleagues, family and friends. This wider definition of 'friend' means that their is a wider role for our networks, cardholders and learners.

Whole lot of learning going on...

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)

The Top 101 Search Engines

Battelle is reporting the list of the top 101 Search Engines. Interesting list and even a few I've never heard of. Some new stuff to play with!

1. A9
2. amazon.com
3. answerbag
4. AOL
5. Ask.com
6. Ask.mobile
7. askville
8. AURA!
9. Baidu
10. bessed
11. blinkx
12. boing
13. ChaCha
14. ClipBlast!
15. Clusty
16. collarity
17. CometQ
18. d e c i p h o
19. del.icio.us
20. digg
21. digg labs swarm
22. eurekster
23. exalead
24. Feedster
25. FINDITALL
26. GIGABLAST
27. Google
28. Google /*Code Search*/
29. Google Mobile
30. ICEROCKET
31. inQuira
32. ixquick
33. Jambo
34. Jyve
35. KartOO
36. keyCompete
37. Kosmix
38. krugle
39. KwMap
40. last.fm
41. like
42. Live QnA
43. LiveDeal
44. lurpo
45. MavenSearch
46. mnemomap
47. MS. DEWEY
48. mystrands
49. nayio
50. oodle
51. Opera Mini
52. Pagebull
53. pluggd
54. PreFound
55. Quintura kids
56. Quitura
57. retrevo
58. riya
59. ROLLYO
60. searchmash
61. SearchTheWeb2
62. SEO Discussion Search
63. Singing FISH
64. Skweezer
65. snap
66. Sphere
67. Sphider
68. SPURL.net
69. SpyFu
70. SQUIDOO
71. Srchr
72. SurfWax
73. Technorati
74. thefind.com
75. trulia
76. url.com
77. Vivisimo
78. W a l h e l l o
79. Webaroo
80. WEBBRAIN
81. What to RENT?
82. whonu?
83. WIKIO
84. Windows Live
85. wink
86. WiseNut
87. wondir
88. Yahoo! ANSWERS
89. Yahoo! MINDSET
90. Yahoo! Mobile
91. Yahoo! SEARCH
92. Yahoo! Search Builder
93. Yedda
94. yoono
95. yoople
96. ZABASEARCH
97. ZEBO
98. Zillow.com
99. Zippy
100. ZOO.COM
101. ZUULA

Links available here.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)

January 2, 2007

Battelle's 2007 Predictions

John Battelle offers his predictions for 2007. He is often pretty acurate so they're worth reading. OK - head over there and I'll wait....

There, interesting eh?

I think he's brave to name names but I agree that we will see a major merger in the search giants in 2007, a major drop in Google stock, loads of experimental ads in streaming media, several privacy screw-ups, excellent mobile growth in the US, significant web growth in the international sphere, an increasing plethora of social tools and sites before a grand concatenation before the end of the decade, and more mergers and sales in the aggregator, content sapce. News organizations will continue to suffer.

I also foresee a huge renaissance in the library virtual presences out there moving beyong plain blogs, websites and OPACs and into a more dynamic presence building on their trusted, mediated and safe role in their communities.

Many folks are talking about the Web 2.0 bubble. Folks should remember the original Internet Bubble of the 90's. I remember hearing one librarian say that the bubble meant that it was all a fad. I did resist laughing out loud. I just remembered to blog this point since some folks are confusing a stock market bubble bursting as the end of a trend. Many people invested their money in the hopes of betting on the right companies in the Internet trend and raking in. Some did well and some bubbles burst and most risk takers lost money. It's an investors' bubble. The actual underlying trends don't go away. We still have an Internet and a Web and they're stronger than ever. The Web 2.0 bubble is potentially the same. Investors are betting on who will win in the next generation of web properties. The underlying trends -- social networking, streaming media, interactive content, gaming, etc. - aren't going away. Libraries must continue to make their best, run their pilots and learn from what's happening.

There's a running commentary on the Slow Library Movement. There are some good ideas here. I just wish the name didn't imply that slowness was an option. You can only go the appropriate speed of change, and some will go faster - just hope it's not the competition.

Battelle's 2004, 2005 and 2006 predictions are here, AND he is brave enough to transparently test himself every year about his own accuracy!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:28 AM | Comments (1)

January 1, 2007

SirsiDynix SuperConference

Here's a reminder for SirsiDynix clients and non-clients alike. It is a new year and it's time to plan our professional development activities to get better and better to delight our communities.

The SirsiDynix SuperConference is heading our way sooner than we think!

Users' Conference on February 19-21 is for the users of Docutek, Unicorn and DRA Classic software. An outstanding program of breakout sessions and group interactions will be offered. More here. three are pre-conference sessions too on API's and the rest.

If you're not a client or are on our Horizon and Dynix products, you are still very welcome to attend the SirsiDynix Institute Executive Conference on February 18-19 is for all library executives and will offer a full slate of activities and speakers uniquely planned to address the needs and concerns of today's library leaders. More here...

We have quite the amazing speaker and session line-up. Be there or be square.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)

New Year Schedule

As is my practice, when I remember, I post most of my speaking schedule, just in case we can meet up in person!

Jan. 10 SLA New York Chapter event in Manhattan
Jan. 12 Bridgeport CT at the Connecticut Council of Librarians Conference
Jan. 16 SLA Toronto Western Group, Oakville ON
Jan. 18-23 ALA Midwinter (SirsiDynix Institute Sessions in the Trade Show)
Jan. 24-27 SLA Winter Meeting (SLA Board Meetings) Reno, Nevado
Jan. 31-Feb. 3 Ontario Library Association SuperConference (SirsiDynix User Groups)
Feb. 16 Online Northwest Conference Keynote
Feb. 17-21 SirsiDynix SuperConference in Colorado Springs, CO (customers)
Feb. 18-19 SirsiDynix Executive Conference in Colorado Springs, CO (open to all)
Feb. 28 - March 6 Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute (Emerald Lake, BC)
Mar. 11-13 EUSIDIC, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mar. 16 Pennsylvania Colleges Speech, Harrisburg, PA
Mar. 17 Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Buffalo
Mar. 28 New York Metro workshop
Mar. 29-31 ACRL Conference, Baltimore, MD
Apr. 3 Oklahoma Library Association Conference
Apr. 11 Florida Library Association, Lake Buena Vista, FL

There's a few private sessions in between, but I am trying to spend more time at home working on other things. I am even heading for a short 3 day theatre vacation on Manhattan with Stephanie on Thursday night. Yay.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:57 AM | Comments (2)

Book Week: Gaming

Some folks have accused me of preferring technology over books. Nothing could be further from the truth! So I've blogged a few books I've been reading lately, albeit on techno-stuff. A great book I read over the holidays was Jenny Levine's latest as part of the Library Technology reports series from ALA TechSource:

Gaming and Libraries: Intersection of Services

She covers the background on gaming and gaming in libraries as well as clear examples of the opportunity in public, academic and school libraries. There's a great bibliography that includes books, blogs and websites. It also discusses practices in organizing gaming in libraries as well as what libraries can learn from gamers. Cool.

I am hoping to have Jenny do a SirsiDynix Institute on this hot topic soon.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)

Blogging and RSS

I got the opportunity to read Blogging and RSS: A Librarian's Guide (Paperback)
by Michael P. Sauers in galley format too. It is a wonderful guide to all of the basics and beyond. (And I say so on the cover.) My autographed copy arrived just in time for Christmas!

Recommended - If you're along the way to blogging in your library, or just starting out.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)

Information Commons

I've just received from Amazon my copy of the new book, The Information Commons Handbook (Paperback) by Donald Robert Beagle, with contributions from Donald Russell Bailey and Barbara Tierney.

I had the opportunity to read this in galley form and write the foreword. It's an amazing piece of work which surveys and describes the information commons trend. I don't think there is anyone who could not benefit from this book.

If you're considering or implementing an information commons, learning commons, reference commons, or computer commons, then this is the comprehesive guide to have on hand. It's full of advice and wisdom supported by actual research, experience and understanding.

I love this "commons" approach and feel that it is a key part of the new organizational mantra in libraries.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:34 AM | Comments (2)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! May 2007 be your greatest ever. I am sure it will be more than 2006 2.0 (grin).

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

2007 SirsiDynix Institute Program

I am very excited about what we have scheduled so far for the SirsiDynix Institute in 2007. Here's the schedule so far so that you can mark you calendars and call a few friends and colleagues to learn along together. More info is always at the SDI site here.

And a reminder, all SirsiDynix Institute webcasts are free. Anyone can attend - not just SirsiDynix customers. And if you miss any, past sessions are archived on the website (slides and sound) and on iTunes.

Here’s the complete 2007 schedule so far:

Jan 9 – Learning 2.0 – Helene Blowers from the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg on their pioneering 23 Things learning strategy.

Jan 16 – Gaming in the Library – Jenny Levine *SPECIAL EVENT* The author of ALA TechSource's latest book and host of the Summer 2007 ALA Gaming Symposium shares her knowledge.

Feb 5 – Hopping into Library 2.0: Experiencing Lifelong Learning – Christine Mackenzie from Yarra Plenty Libraries in Australia shares their experiences with Learning 2.0 in our first international SDI webcast!

Mar 6 – Mashups – Darlene Fichter introduces this current trend in portal and website development.

Apr 3 – Second Life – Michael Sauers and friends takes us on a tour of the Second Life Library 2.0. Interested? Here's a way to see what this amazing virtual world is like.

May 1 – Workforce Transformation – Donna Scheeder, a popular speaker from '06 returns.

May 8 – Trends in K12 – Chuck Leachman *SPECIAL EVENT*. A major session on the school library world and School Rooms.

June 5 – Podcasts – David Free - More on this popular technology building on the 2006 podcast two-parter.

July 10 – Stephen Abram book discussion – Stephen Abram and Judy Siess. OK - I am so vain. We're going to talk about our book being released in early 2007 by ALA Editions

Aug 10 – RSS Feeds – Meredith Farkas and Paul Pival. Yep - we're finally doing a session solely on RSS. You asked for it, and you get it.

Sept 4 – Future of Librarians – Pat Wagner. The return of one of our most popular SDI speakers.

Sept 11 – SirsiDynix Building Better Community Awards – BBC Winners *SPECIAL EVENT* Yes - you will be able to apply soon for one of the richest library prizes. Watch this space.

Oct 2 – Keeping up with Trends – Ulla de Stricker. Another popular SDI speaker covers the tips and tricks for keeping up - one of our most asked questions.

Nov 6 – Social Bookmarking – Rachel Bridgewater. The social library and del.icio.us, tagging and all that.

Dec 4 – 25 New Technologies for 2008 – Stephen Abram's (me!) annual review.

I hope you find this an interesting program so far. We have a few spaces left and would love to hear what you're interested in. Just leave any advice in the comments.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:10 AM | Comments (1)