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June 28, 2007
Ohio State 2.0
I did the endnote for the Ohio State University Libraries Library 2.0 Conference.
Here's a link to my slides:
Our User Experience: Puzzle Pieces Falling Into Place
Libraries from across the state and all sectors attended.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 2:22 PM | Comments (1)
Loudon County Libraries
Helene Blowers and I did an all day workshop for the staff at Loudon County libraries in Virginia. We had fun and hope the staff did too.
Here's a link to my slides on the Social We and Libraries.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 2:20 PM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2007
Innovation Quote
I am in the Carla O'Dell (APQC CEO) fan club. Here's a recent quote attributed to her:
"Innovation happens at the intersection of need, information, relationship, expertise and diversity"
It's a good start for my participation in the LITA Great Debate at ALA on Saturday. Are Libraries Innovative Enough?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 6:50 PM | Comments (1)
SirsiDynix Announces New CEO and CFO
Hey, I've got a new boss! I'll look forward to meeting him at ALA starting this week. Yay!
Stephen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SirsiDynix Appoints Gary Rautenstrauch as New CEO
New CEO is veteran library vendor executive; company also appoints Douglas Maughan as CFO
PROVO, Utah, June 19, 2007 – SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries, announced today the appointments of Gary M. Rautenstrauch, a longtime corporate leader in the library community, and Douglas R. Maughan, as the company’s new chief executive officer and chief financial officer, respectively.
Rautenstrauch will be responsible for all SirsiDynix corporate functions — finance, administration, international operations, product development, customer services, sales and marketing. Rautenstrauch will assume his responsibilities on June 22 and will be in attendance at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference, which begins on June 23 in Washington, D.C. Maughan will be responsible for all corporate finance and administration functions, including accounting, finance, legal, human resources and IT support. Maughan will assume his new position on June 25. The two executives will maintain their primary offices at the SirsiDynix facility in Provo, Utah.
Rautenstrauch brings to SirsiDynix more than 30 years of corporate experience, including 25 years with vendors developing products and services for the worldwide library community. He held several key management positions at Baker & Taylor, including chief information officer, vice president of operations and chief executive officer. He also previously served as CEO for Blackwell's Book Services. Rautenstrauch holds an MBA from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami in Florida.
“Gary has tremendous operational experience that covers the range of corporate functions,” said Martin Taylor, operating principal, Vista Equity Partners, SirsiDynix’s investment partner. “The executive-level roles he has held include not only CEO but also chief information officer and vice president of finance. Add to this background Gary’s deep understanding of the library space and strong history as a results-driven leader, I am confident that he will be a solid performer at SirsiDynix — making good things happen for the company, its employees and its customers.” Rautenstrauch said, "I look forward to working with the talented team at SirsiDynix and our library partners around the world during this exciting time, as we continue the company's legacy of developing leading products and providing critical services that help make libraries successful."
Commenting on Maughan’s appointment, Taylor stated, “Doug is a seasoned finance executive with a great track record of partnering with other members of his executive management team. He has the ability to be very hands-on and intimately involved in day-to-day issues. Plus he is well equipped to give strategic input and direction.” Taylor added, “Doug will be a great asset to our management team, as he takes a very business-oriented approach to solving challenges.”
Maughan brings nearly 30 years of financial and administrative experience to SirsiDynix, including roles as CFO and vice president of administration for a range of companies, including Scriptpro LLC, W.L. Gore and Associates Inc. and MG Industries. He began his career as a senior audit manager and staff accountant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte & Touche. Maughan is a CPA who holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Utah State University and the University of Utah, respectively.
# # #
About SirsiDynix
SirsiDynix is the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries – vital institutions whose primary mission is to make sense of the vast world of information for people and communities. This is an exciting role as libraries assist people in discovering and using knowledge, resources and other valuable content for their educations, jobs and entertainment. In concert with key industry partners, SirsiDynix supports this strategic role for libraries by offering a comprehensive integrated suite of technology solutions for improving the internal productivity of libraries and enhancing their capabilities for meeting the needs of people and communities. SirsiDynix has approximately 4,000 library and consortia clients, serving more than 300 million people through more than 20,000 library outlets in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please see www.sirsidynix.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Tom Gates
1.256.704.7063
tom.gates@sirsidynix.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.
Posted by stephen at 5:46 PM
The New EPIC - Prometeus
I have pointed to the great EPIC 2014 and EPIC 2015 videos many times. Find them here. They were very interesting scenarios about what might/could happen in the world with respect to our mutual near term futures.
There's a new video out viralluy on YouTube that serves as a kind of update to EPIC. It is called Prometeus: The Media Revolution.
Watch it. It's a quick 5 minutes. It tries to think and speculate past the 5 year planning cycle and even 2015 or 2020! It posits the world of 2050.
Either way this might make nice lunchtime conversation for your library. Assign the YouTube video as homework or run it for a group. Discuss. There are no right answers!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2007
A New Graduate
OK, I meant to post this last week when Zachary graduated. But yesterday was Father's Day so I can still be proud and beaming.
Anyway, having never bought a home or car, this degree is the most expensive thing we've ever bought. That's a proud Mom too. Now off to start the Master's.
Anyway, congratulations Zac.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:59 PM | Comments (2)
My ALA Schedule
Here's where I know I'll be at ALA in DC starting this Thursday. I haven't included all of the receptions and client meetings, just the big stuff.
Thursday June 21
ALCTS Pre-Conference (All day)
I am doing an afternoon session on "Social Libraries: The Librarian 2.0 Phenomenon"
Friday June 22
From 10-11 I'll be doing a speech for the Air Force - Navy Librarians on:
"Social Library Tech Trends"
I'll be having the usual Movers & Shakers Lunch with Library Journal. That's always fun.
Saturday June 23
10-11:30 ALA Empowerment Session.
1:30-3:30 The Great Debate. "Are Libraries Innovative Enough?" Andrew Pace will moderate Joe Janes, me and karen Schneider. Judging from the number of people who think we shouldn't even tempt the gods by asking the question, it should be quite engaging!
I'll be signing copies of my book right after the debate so you can pick up a copy of ALA Editions, "Out Front With Stephen Abram" compiled by Judith Siess and Jonathan Lorig there.
Sunday June 24
8-10 am I'll be doing the ALA PR session on "10 Cool Technologies and Library PR"
From 10:30 to 11:30 it's the highlight of my conference. We get to give away $60 Grand and 6 SirsiDynix Building Better Communities Awards. There are 15 finalists and most will be there. The winners are a BIG secret. It will be exciting. We'll also have our first international (Non US/Canadian) winner.
From 4-4:30 I'll be doing the first of two SDI LIVE sessions in the booth.
I'll try to get to the OCLC bloggers' salon that evening.
Monday June 25
9:30-10 I'll do the second SDI LIVE session in the booth.
Tuesday June 26
I have time on Tuesday to meet with anyone who wants to chat. I'll likely hang around the booth.
Wednesday June 27
Heading home! it's my daughter's 19th birthday this week and the big Canada Day Holiday weekend.
See you at ALA.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:29 PM | Comments (1)
June 17, 2007
Combine Ning and Facebook
OK, the world just keeps getting weirder. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch is reporting that Ning is rolling out a Facebook App Builder today so that you can embed your social network In a social network!
"Ning, the build-your-own social network startup, will be rolling out a new feature that allows users to create their own Facebook applications around their Ning networks later this evening.
This won’t be a Ning app - rather, they are giving network operators (users who’ve created Ning social networks and other applications) the ability to easily create a branded Facebook application."
Find out more here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:22 PM | Comments (2)
Google Book Search vs Live Search Books
Stephen Leary of the Reflective Librarian has a nice mini review of Google Book Search vs Live Search Books.
"Google Book Search and Live Search Books are the largest databases of full-text books on the internet. Most of their holdings are books in the public domain, but both now include more recent copyrighted titles as well. Google claims over a million records, while Live had over 800,000 last I heard."
Read the full post here.
Anyway, it starts. Most libraries don't have almost two million titles. Remember what happened to serials collections when the article economy started in earnest in fulltext. I fully expect the same thing to happen in time with non-fiction books.
Hmmmmm
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2007
MySpace and Facebook Comparison
Facebook and MySpace Features are compared by Mashable here.
Facebook Hammers MySpace on Almost All Key Features
June 10, 2007
So far I know about Ryerson U, U Illinois and Hennepin County with their OPACs present in their Facebook presences. Cool and edgy. There appear to be a few following Hennepin's leadership, like Charlotte & Mecklenberg, Birmingham, Darien CT, Madison AL, etc., with their OPACs in their MySpace presence.
I've seen a few Meebo services for libraries in MySpace too. (Charlotte, Darien, etc.) Cool. The bar keeps getting raised!
I have to say I think that Facebook is far better for my needs. MySpace's draconian policies stop it from being a good platform for much effort when they destroy your work and salt the earth and don't allow any appeal. My advice is that it might be neccessary for many markets but make sure you're backing everything up. All can be gone with no notice.
Then again, I think Ning shows great promise.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:07 AM | Comments (1)
June 11, 2007
Library eLearning
Just a pointer but likely a useful one:
Free Library-related eLearning sites (on the Library 2.0 Ning site)
There's almost two dozen of them. I'm happy to see the SirsiDynix Institute included.
I'd add SLA's Click University - not free - but ClickU sometimes includes free content for SLA members like management e-books and podcasts.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)
Tween Sites
I wasn't aware of how popular these tween sites were. I guess my kids are truly too old to inform me enough!
Anyway, you can learn more here and here.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:10 PM | Comments (1)
Just fun with words
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
by Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries (Editor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOSTON, MA — The editors of the American Heritage® dictionaries have compiled a list of 100 words they recommend every high school graduate should know.
"The words we suggest," says senior editor Steven Kleinedler, "are not meant to be exhaustive but are a benchmark against which graduates and their parents can measure themselves. If you are able to use these words correctly, you are likely to have a superior command of the language."
The following is the entire list of 100 words:
abjure
abrogate
abstemious
acumen
antebellum
auspicious
belie
bellicose
bowdlerize
chicanery
chromosome
churlish
circumlocution
circumnavigate
deciduous
deleterious
diffident
enervate
enfranchise
epiphany
equinox
euro
evanescent
expurgate
facetious
fatuous
feckless
fiduciary
filibuster
gamete
gauche
gerrymander
hegemony
hemoglobin
homogeneous
hubris
hypotenuse
impeach
incognito
incontrovertible
inculcate
infrastructure
interpolate
irony
jejune
kinetic
kowtow
laissez faire
lexicon
loquacious
lugubrious
metamorphosis
mitosis
moiety
nanotechnology
nihilism
nomenclature
nonsectarian
notarize
obsequious
oligarchy
omnipotent
orthography
oxidize
parabola
paradigm
parameter
pecuniary
photosynthesis
plagiarize
plasma
polymer
precipitous
quasar
quotidian
recapitulate
reciprocal
reparation
respiration
sanguine
soliloquy
subjugate
suffragist
supercilious
tautology
taxonomy
tectonic
tempestuous
thermodynamics
totalitarian
unctuous
usurp
vacuous
vehement
vortex
winnow
wrought
xenophobe
yeoman
ziggurat
Hmmm, I did OK but not perfect.
I have a few to look up and drop into my everyday conversations (grin).
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)
June 9, 2007
Teen Second Life and Eye4You Alliance
You might have already listened to the SirsiDynix Institute presentation last month regarding: Teen Second Life: Library Services in a 3D World. If not, presentation slides and podcast are archived here for your convenience.
Kelly Czarnecki (BlueWings Hayek) from Eye4You Alliance sent me this note asking for more volunteers and libraries to participate with them.
"If you are a librarian or educator of teens, consider a space on Eye4You Alliance, the name of the Island in Teen Second Life working to connect with teens with library services. What are some of the things you might want to do in this space and why? Think of some of the activities you already do in your ‘real life’ library. Author visits, book discussions, game play, summer reading, writing groups, and more. By having a presence in Teen Second Life, not only can teens across the globe know about your library, but they might even start to think of library services in a different way. Invite an author to work with teens to create scenes from their book, roleplay scenes, explore identity formation through avatars, create games (actual game boards or DDR renditions) digitally. There is no charge to use the space on Eye4You or to set up an account. These are the minimum system requirements recommended by Linden Lab: http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php
A lot of questions came up from listeners and the moderator divided these into two basic sets:
1) How do we know that teens are really teens and not adults, and
2) How do you feel you’re directing them back to the real space.
Virtual environments are all about forming communities. Liaisons from Linden Lab are available 24/7 for teens to access them if they need to. Meaning, if teens have a concern about an avatar, a question or a problem trying to figure out how to do something, Linden Lab is always there to help and ban someone from the world if need be. If adults do try to sign up on Teen Second Life and falsify their date of birth information, Linden Lab has a statement on their sign up page that their personal information might be provided to any law enforcement organization. The teen community will be able to identify an adult through how they interact with other teens, what they talk about and report them to Linden Lab to be investigated. Since virtual world communities aren’t going away anytime soon and will probably be more and more how business is conducted in the future, it’s another great opportunity to educate teens what to look out for and how to stay safe online.
A large part of library services is reaching our users virtually; whether it’s through IM services that extend beyond the users that might walk through the physical doors, podcasting on our web site so people can listen to a recording at their convenience, or streaming a video of a teen interviewing someone through YouTube and linking it to our library site. Maybe this will inspire the listener to go online to find out more about the topic on the video or maybe a successful IM reference session will inspire the user to point out the service to their friend. Perhaps listening to the podcast will encourage a teen to give a presentation in school about various places podcasts can be listened to and then demonstrate one they found on the library site. These are examples of what I would consider bringing an awareness about the ‘real space’ that libraries offer and what we’re doing in Teen Second Life by having audio books on the virtual shelf, linking videos taken on the virtual island to our library site, or having meetings in a virtual tree house. We’re expanding the virtual services libraries already offer and using Teen Second Life as a tool to build community. A global community."
This is on of the coolest innovations I've seen in the young adult library services space. Anyone want to contact Kelly at Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenberg County? I know she'd be pleased to build a bigger and more global team.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:03 PM | Comments (3)
June 8, 2007
Facebook vs MySpace
"Facebook and MySpace square off in this Mac ad spoof:
Facebook and MySpace do some serious trash talking in this spot spoofing Mac ads. The video features CNET's Josh Lowensohn as Facebook, Tim Moynihan as MySpace and Veronica Belmont as the poker. Click here to read more about the video. (1 minute 23 seconds)
Another Friday funny. And you'll still have 13 and half minutes left to learn something else!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:53 AM | Comments (1)
PowerPoint Advice
You might have already seen this video but I laughed out loud. Anyway, it shows Don McMillan, “Corporate Comedian”, doing part of his stand-up routine on all the mistakes people make using powerpoint. It's called “Life After Death by PowerPoint”. Ironically, he uses PowerPoint to illustrate how not to do PowerPoint presentations.
I know I've made every one of the mistakes. I try - since PPT helps people reinforce what's being said and learn better - but there's always humour when you see yourself in the joke.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)
June 7, 2007
Seniors - any new terms?
The latest Kellen newsletter asks some pointed quetions about marketing to the new Boomer / Senior. As someone who thinks too much about Millennials, they're interesting.
Here's some outtakes:
"The days of reaching the age of sixty and fading into the background are long gone."
"It’s hard to believe that until recently, marketing demographic data was segmented into four age categories:
18-24
25-34
35-49
50-plus"
"50-plus? What could a 50-year-old possibly have in common with an 80-year-old?"
"The first Boomers turned 60 in 2006 - By 2020, the over-65 population is expected to double from what it is today - By 2030, one out of five people in the U.S. will be age 65 or older
And they have made it clear that they will not be making a quiet exit: Boomers are embarking on second careers, going back to school, and participating in philanthropic activity in droves."
"marketers are now beginning to tap 60 years of age and over celebrity spokespersons to pitch mainstream products, not Depend and Geritol"
"vocabulary commonly associated with marketing to seniors: ‘Senior citizen?’ ‘Golden years?’ ‘Elderly?’ These terms are verboten to Boomers, so be on the lookout for a whole new marketing vocabulary to emerge in the next few years."
"Successful marketing to this generation is a work in progress ... they cannot be ignored. Just about every marketer should consider this developing segment an essential target audience."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:22 PM | Comments (3)
Information Professionals Use of Web 2.0 and Knowledge Management to Add
At the Annual SLA Conference this week, LexisNexis announced the results of an Outsell survey of the use of major new technologies and 2.0 type stuff. Here are parts of the press release:
"LexisNexis Releases Survey on Information Professionals Use of Web 2.0 and Knowledge Management to Add Value to Their Organizations
Intranets Dominate for Managing Information, Newer Technologies Emerging
DENVER, CO, June 03, 2007 - LexisNexis, a leading provider of information and services solutions, today announced the results of a nationwide survey to provide insights into how Information Professionals (IPs) are adding value to their organizations through technology and knowledge management. The survey also explores where IPs see the future of technology.
Information professionals are savvy when it comes to leveraging technology to make information more valuable, relevant, and accessible, with 93% of librarians saying they currently use intranets for managing and distributing information, and seeing collaborative workspaces (57%), wireless (44%), and portals (51%) as very important for the future.
The survey revealed an interesting breakdown and frequency of information sources accessed. With Web 2.0 it’s no surprise that information professionals are very in-tune; nearly four in ten access Weblogs at least weekly (39%), and more than a third access wikis (34%).
For more traditional sources there was even greater usage. More than nine in ten surveyed access news Web sites (92%), and company Web sites (93%) at least weekly (or more often). Video or audio podcasts were rarely accessed. Less than two in ten access video podcasts (16%), or audio podcasts (15%).
When respondents were asked, “What is the most successful new initiative/service that you have launched in the past year?” the top five responses were:
1) document search, retrieval, delivery, and access
enhancements, such as centralizing the document
collection into a common ILS or Integrated Library
System, OpenURL linking, RSS feed, taxonomy, and library
portal integration, development and/or enhancement;
2) embed and/or migrate IP services within business units;
3) increase, provide, and/or offer new training;
4) enhance or standardize process and quality control
procedures; and
5) provide assistance and services proactively.
Other notable mentions included digitizing important and/or historical print sources, providing collaborative workspaces, and creating wiki-type databases.
“The time is ripe for information professionals to step up to new opportunities and this study shows they are doing it,” said Joanne Lustig, vice president & lead analyst at Outsell, Inc. “These findings mirror our own and affirm that ongoing success and growth will be in the implementation of tools and applications to better organize, mine, and analyze information and enable connections and linkages among users and knowledge.”
Survey Methodology
The Web survey invitations were emailed to a random selection of approximately 1,500 LexisNexis IP customers during the month of May 2007, resulting in 107 completed surveys (with a +/-9.5% level of precision at the 95% confidence level).
In order to participate in the survey, respondents needed to confirm they were an Information Professional as defined by the Special Libraries Association — as someone who strategically uses information in his/her job to advance the mission of the organization. This is accomplished through the development, deployment, and management of information resources and services. The IP harnesses technology as a critical tool to accomplish goals. IPs include, but are not limited to, librarians, knowledge managers, chief information officers, Web developers, information brokers and consultants.
About LexisNexis
LexisNexis® (www.lexisnexis.com) is a leading provider of information and services solutions, including its flagship Web-based Lexis® and Nexis® research services, to a wide range of professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting and academic markets. A member of Reed Elsevier [NYSE: ENL; NYSE: RUK] (www.reedelsevier.com), LexisNexis serves customers in 100 countries with 13,000 employees worldwide"
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)
Latest SirsiDynix OneSource articles
Well, the latest OneSource has arrived.
Here's a link to my latest column:
Building Capacity for Learning, Change, and Innovation
Other articles include:
Building Better Communities Awards Finalists Selected
ALA Annual Activities at the SirsiDynix Booth
EUUG/DUG Joint Conference Convenes in Beautiful Barcelona
by Krishna Roy Chowdhury and Grace Bays
and Kathryn Dilworth's:
SirsiDynix Institute in the Middle of a Successful Year
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:30 PM | Comments (0)
June 2, 2007
Innovation and Change
The best post I've read in a long time. Thanks Darlene.
Getting Beyond "Yes, but" When We Talk about Change
Can't say MUST READ loud enough. Follow the links. Read the books.
And don't you just love the photo?
I wish I'd written this!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:12 AM | Comments (2)
2007 Report on Ontario’s Public Schools
People for Education have released their Annual Report on Ontario’s Public Schools for 2007. The report is available here. It's got loads of good library info too.
People for Education have long been an effective lobby group for schools and school libraries and proper funding and strategies. They've developed good alliances within the library community too. Great targeted political and advocacy work.
And they're in my hometown and province! Maybe it's a useful model for others.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:05 AM | Comments (0)
Can Bill Gates Predict the Future?
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a great piece on Bill Gates' record as a futurist.
Software Notebook: How does Gates shape up as a seer? by Todd Bishop
Some aren't too bad. Some a laughable. (step right iup - "Two years from now, spam will be solved. in 2004") They didn't incliude his promise to have an instant on PC . . . back in the 90's.
I suppose it serves as a caution for me too!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:59 AM | Comments (0)
Libraries in 2010 - What Happened?
Andrew Finegan [Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia] has a neat video on the subject of the future of the public library. It's called Libraries in 2010 - What Happened?
Like all good humour, it is based on some truth.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:53 AM | Comments (0)
Everything is Miscellaneous
It's a little slow at the start but this video by David Weinberger to provide some context for his book, Everything is Miscellaneous, is pretty good. Looking for a 57 minute video to assign as homework for a lunchtime chat with your staff.
It's a good disucssion starter. You could also read the book or check out the blog.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:46 AM | Comments (0)
Death of Google
Here are links to two interesting posts.
The debate: What could kill Google?
Unthinkable? Remember other high flyers who lost their top spot - IBM, Xerox, Enron, etc.
The Final Days of Google: It is going to be an inside job by Robert X. Cringely at I, Cringely, May 24, 2007
Who’ll Take On Google? May 28th, 2007 by Raj Dash at Search Engine Journal
Wouldn't this make a fun brown bagger, debate or Wiki?
Anyone see a scenario where libraries are pointing the gun?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:37 AM | Comments (1)
Facebook Developers Platform
You've likely seen the Facebook announcement about the Facebook Developers Platform. Check it out here.
Ed at Superpatron speculates about the potential to put your OPAC into Facebook sites. Check it out here.
This is similar to the the many libraries (many are SirsiDynix clients like Hennepin and Charlotte / Mecklenberg) who have put their OPACs into their MySpace presences. Cool.
Love those API's! If anyone has an OPAC in Facebook yet, let me know. (Has it happened yet or is this the next library arms race?)
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:30 AM | Comments (6)
Did I Link to This Yet?
"The State of America’s Libraries 2006."
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/SAL_AnnualReport-FINAL.pdf
Released in April 2007, this 19 page State of America’s Libraries report from the American Library Association offers some very useful soundbites for advocacy efforts.
Executive Summary: The State of America’s Libraries 2006
"In this report on the State of America’s Libraries in 2006, the American Library Association found that:
• Public, school and university libraries are flourishing, both in traditional ways and in the still-exploding universe of the Internet. Library use is up nationwide among all types of library users, continuing a decade-long trend. Almost 1.8 billion visitors checked out more than 2 billion items last year at everything from one-room rural outposts to spectacular facilities such as Seattle’s new Central Library, which attracts thousands of patrons — and tourists — daily.
• Investment in e-books at academic and research libraries rose an astonishing 68 percent from 2002 to 2004, the most recent year for which federal data are available.
• Public libraries remain on the forefront in delivering new programs to their customers while still providing the “nuts-and-bolts” services that people need to lead full lives — for example, the tools to conduct a job search, write a résumé or learn new work skills. Even with the rapid growth of all of these services, people are going to their public library to check out or read books in record numbers.
• The public expressed its continuing strong support for public libraries in 2006 in positive votes on library funding referenda and other local ballot measures.
• Despite a growing body of research that links school libraries and student achievement, school library media centers were hard hit by funding cuts in the past year.
Meanwhile, the library community continued its work in defending the First Amendment rights of library users against secret government surveillance, including the USA PATRIOT Act. Librarians also continued their efforts to oppose censorship challenges that would restrict the free flow of information and ideas to both adults and children.
Finally, the library community — from the ALA and its corporate and philanthropic partners to individual librarians to the children and teens who use school library media centers nationwide — won widespread acclaim for their work in helping colleagues and fellow citizens in the Gulf Coast region begin their long recovery from the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
In short, 2006 was another full year for America’s librarians and libraries. This report presents only the highlights of the activities of a profession that has time and again shown itself to have its communities’ interests at heart — and the courage to act on its convictions."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:22 AM | Comments (0)
3D Google Maps
Well you've probably seen this but selected cities now have visual street views embedded in Google Maps based on the Canadian technology from Immersive.
It's another step to a richer local experience in Google (It will reportedly be available in Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, New York and San Francisco to start). Microsoft and Amazon have similar initiatives.
Here's a picture link you can see at TechCrunch.
What's the library angle?
If Google defaults their search engine to local searches where is your library or campus?
Have you checked to see if your library pictures are up there? Everywhere? How about your satellite shot?
Fun with GIS.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:16 AM | Comments (0)
Post Number 1000
Well, that last post was my 1000th post to this blog. Just a natural post and nothing more or less profound or ordinary than usual. It's just blogging.
Whew. It's almost two years since I started this blog. I wonder how long I can last?!
Now, of course, the thousands of splog (blog spam) daily are a bit of a pain.
And the thousands of subscribers as well as the millions of hits mean someone is visiting. We're approaching 1,000 comments too (real ones - not the awful splog or abusive ones). I have a general policy to post all comments - unless I am requested not to, or the comment is profane or excessively abusive or libelous, or some kid gives out too much personal information... I use judgement. It seems to be working.
Hope you're enjoying ir - or at least finding some posts useful.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:07 AM | Comments (1)
Schmoozing
Schmoozing - it's a skill that comes in handy.
Check out this post from Guy Kawasaki's blog, How to Change the World:
The Art of Schmoozing II
He recommends Susan RoAne's book on schmoozing - Literally: How to Work a Room: Your Essential Guide to Savvy Socializing. .
Here's a list of the top 12 tips of schmoozing from the post:
Think analog, not digital.
Prepare for every event.
Determine what you have in common with the other people at that event.
Prepare a self-introduction.
Read voraciously.
Also, read Truemors everyday.
Approach the person standing alone.
Just smile and say Hi or Hello.
Make small talk.
Listen, listen, listen.
Go everywhere with the intention of having fun.
Bonus Tip: If you want to make a positive memorable impression, treat people like people not like prospects!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:00 AM | Comments (0)
Naked Cluetrain Conversations
Discovered on the Global Neighbourhoods blog:
"Steve Sloan, a New Media in Journalism instructor at San Jose State University has posted a series of synopses of both Cluetrain Manifest and Naked Conversations. For those of you who would like free executive summaries, these are the "go to" posts.
This link brings you to the beginning of naked Conversations and the end of Cluetrain. Read up and click forward to follow Naked. Click back a few times to get to the beginning of Cluetrain."
Two great books. If you only have ten minutes, then here's the Cliff Notes version.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:56 AM | Comments (0)
Check Out SirsiDynix Institute.com
We're planning some SDI Live sessions at ALA in DC soon.
Also, don't forget next week's session on podcasting.
ALA Annual Conference
Stephen Abram will present"Bigger Brains for Libraries: Increasing Our Capacity to Learn and Adapt" at the ALA Annual Conference in SirsiDynix Booth #3747 at the following times:
Saturday, June 23, 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday, June 25, 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.
This event is a quick and inspiring pep talk on learning Library2.0/Web 2.0, and it is filled with easy, proven techniques for librarians who want to act on technology trends and inspire others in their organizations. No reservations necessary.
David Free —Public Services Librarian, Decatur Campus Library of Georgia Perimeter College
What's New in Podcasting?
Jun 05, 2007 | 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern
In the year since the SirsiDynix Institute first examined podcasting in May of 2006, there have been many exciting developments with this emerging technology.
What Is SirsiDynix Institute?
The SirsiDynix Institute is an ongoing forum for professional development in the library community. By providing free access to industry-leading speakers and events, our mission is to support librarianship and advance the work of librarians around the world.
Attend our free Web seminars as the SirsiDynix Institute presents compelling speakers selected from among leaders in librarianship and information technology.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:48 AM | Comments (0)
Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg County
I had an amazing visit to Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg County. They are just amazing and Imaginon is so far out there! Here's my presentation:
The Social Web 2.0:A Library Technology Forecast
T
hey continued their innovation by launching Learning 2.1 and a Technology Scholars program and a major gaming initiative!
Wow!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:42 AM | Comments (0)
CLA in Newfoundland
It was cold but it was amazing. I saw puffins and more.
Anyway, one of the featured sessions at CLA was this one I did with Jane Dysart.
Building Capacity for Learning
15 Minutes a Day!
CLA 2007 St. John’s Nfld.
Jane Dysart
Dysart & Jones Associates &
Stephen Abram
Chief Strategist, SirsiDynix Institute
It summarizes some of the more innovative activities in library land to increase the competencies of all of our folks.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:38 AM | Comments (0)
Cleveland Heights Public Library
I spent my birthday giving a presentation to Cleveland Heights Public Library staff and trustees. It's a great library. I love what some libraries are accomplishing with their buildings and programs.
Here's the presentation:
The Social Web 2.0
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:36 AM | Comments (0)
Emory University
I visited Emory University in Atlanta for a staff event. Atlanta is beautiful in the spring!
Here's the presentation:
The Social Web 2.0
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:34 AM | Comments (0)
IFLA Metropolitan Libraries
I keynoted the opening session of the IFLA Metrolpoitan Libraries section hosted at the amazing Seattle Public Library. Here's the slides:
The Social Web 2.0
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:32 AM | Comments (0)
Reaching Forward
I loved keynoting the Reaching Forward Conference in Chicago for the Illinois Library Association. I am told that this is the largest conference for all library support staff in North America (maybe the world?).
Here's the slides:
Next Generation Libraries:The Social Web 2.0.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:29 AM | Comments (0)
Spokane Public Library
I had the fun time of being the first speaker at the Spokane Public Library Staff Day. Here's the presentation.
Social Libraries: The 2.0 End User Phenonemon
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:27 AM | Comments (0)
SLA Princeton Trenton Chapter Anniversary
I had the great opportunity to keynote the 40th Anniversary event of the SLA Princeton-Trenton Chapter. It was a great celebration at the Art Park. Here are the slides:
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:24 AM | Comments (0)
Southern California Horizon Users’ Group
A quick trip to California on May 17th for the Southern California Horizon Users’ Group.
Here's the slides:
The Social Web 2.0: A Library Technology Forecast
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:22 AM | Comments (0)
Massachusetts Library Association
Here are the slides from my keynote to the Massachusetts Library Association on May 2. It was a lovely conference set in bucolic Sturbridge.
Technoschism:Reorganizing and Restructuring Libraries for the Real Future
My favourite quote from a session where I had the opportunity to interview aout 15 12-17 year olds? A twelve year old saying:
"I don't just use Google. I check other search sites and make sure there are multiple sources. I then look to see if it's a dot gov or dot edu site since I can trust those more."
Blew my mind!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:18 AM | Comments (1)