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July 31, 2009

Yahoo Bing and Google

So, it finally happened. The other shoe dropped and Bing will now power Yahoo! search as well as Microsoft. At the same time Google's stake in AOL was sold back to Time Warner in a preparation for a rumoured sale of AOL. Google will continue to power AOL search, they say.

Either way, as I predicted a while back, we're down to essentially two major search engines dominating the free search landscape with one (Google) trying to expand into operating systems and getting nmore cloudy and the others (MS and Yahoo) trying to offer real competition in search and ads. There will be some wobblyness in this space as it shakes out and probably some questions from various governments and competition and anti-trust.

What does it mean to library folks?

I have a few thought but I am sure you've thought of more. Especially since we're experts and should be able to discuss this epic battle eloquently over the summer BBQ circuit.

1. We better get very good at understanding the differences between Bing and Google. I've been pretty impressed with Bing to date. The pressure is on Google to innovate search more rapidly so keep your eyes open for changes and follow the major search gurus' blogs for insights.

2. This battle is about the consumer. We call them library card holders, students, web site visitors, faculty, etc. How is search and service differentiated in your operations from consumer search? If you can't answer that question, work on it. If you're still trying to go head to head with the Goog or MicroHoo, good luck with that.

3. This epic battle is also about advertising sales. Do you really care about that? What are libraries truly about and do we really care about the core strategies for delivering and selling ads? Understanding how ads and SEO operate is important though. Know your competition.

4. So, do a few simple things:

a.) Set Bing as a personal search default for a few days to get to know it better.
b.) Set Bing as the default on a few end-users stations and ask how they found out occasionally.
c.) Add Bing to your teaching and training strategies. It's the only real competition and you really don't want Google to dictate the future, do you?
d.) Watch for what Yahoo and Google and Microsoft have up their sleeves for the next act.
e.) Add this change to your conversations with colleagues and end-users. It might turn into something interesting and help define how libraries are different - and maybe better to some.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:11 PM | Comments (1)

I'm just saying . . .

I love this list assembled at "The Heart of Innovation" blog.

"1. "The server's down."
2. "You're breaking up."
3. "Your email ended up in my spam folder."
4. "I'm out of range."
5. "My laptop crashed."
6. "I can't find my Blackberry."
7. "I forgot to recharge my battery."
8. "I couldn't open the attachment."
9. "I didn't get a calendar reminder from Outlook."
10. "I don't remember which password opens that application."
11. "I had a power surge and I'm using a dial up connection."
12. "The magnetic strip on the ID card is damaged. I couldn't get in."
13. "I couldn't find your fax number."
14. "The main fuse in the building burned out."
15. "My dog ate my mouse."
16. "I don't have an Orkut account anymore."
17. "I had trouble getting online."
18. "My cat urinated on my laptop.""

Unfortunately, sometimes they're true. Don't you just hate technology?

On today's 'to do' list - dump the crumbs out of my keyboards. Windex the screens. Ahhhhhh.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:42 PM | Comments (1)

Streaming video still killing DVD

A new Pew Internet & American Life Project report out this week says there is now a more pronounced shift by Internet users toward watching TV and movies online. And the report says video watching is more popular than Facebook or Twitter. More nails in the DVD coffin.

62% of online adults use video-sharing sites like YouTube, up from 33% in 2006

"One in three internet users watch television shows or movies online; 23% of these viewers have watched online video on their TV

As the audience for online video continues to grow, a leading edge of internet users are migrating their viewing from their computer screens to their TV screens. At the same time, more cell phone users are opting for the convenience of watching video on smaller screens via their handheld devices.

The share of online adults who watch videos on video-sharing sites has nearly doubled since 2006. Fully 62% of adult internet users have watched video on these sites, up from just 33% who reported this in December 2006.

Online video watching among young adults is near-universal; nine in ten (89%) internet users ages 18-29 now say they watch content on video sharing sites, and 36% do so on a typical day.

Over time, online video has become a bigger fixture in everyday life, garnering 19% of all internet users who use video sharing sites to watch on a typical day. In comparison, just 8% of internet users reported use of the sites on a typical day in 2006.

Television and movie watching are now an online experience for a third of internet users; 35% say they have viewed a television show or movie online. In comparison, just 16% of internet users said they had watched or downloaded movies or TV shows when asked a similar question in 2007.

Among those who have migrated some of their television and movie watching online, 23% say they have connected their computer to their TV screen to view online video on their television. (That amounts to roughly 8% of adult internet users.)

Those who have canceled or cut back on cable or TV services in the past 12 months are more likely to have watched online video on their TV: 32% of this group have connected their computer to their television to watch online video.

While some video viewers are moving to bigger screens, there is also growing interest in mobile video viewing. Our latest data shows that 14% of cell phone users have watched video on their devices, slightly up from the 10% we found in 2007."

Stephen

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

Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day!

It's that special day again:

July 31, 2009 (Last Friday Of July)
10th Annual
System Administrator Appreciation Day

Yowza, what would we do without them?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 1:35 AM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2009

New Study Finds Correlation Between Social Media and Financial Success

From ReadWriteWeb

New Study Finds Correlation Between Social Media and Financial Success
Written by Sarah Perez / July 20, 2009

"A new study released by enterprise wiki provider Wetpaint and the Altimeter Group shows that the brands most engaged in social media are also experiencing higher financial success rates than those of their non-engaged peers. To determine this relationship, the study focused on 100 companies from the 2008 BusinessWeek/Interbrand Best Global Brands survey and the various social media platforms they used like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, wikis, and forums. Although it's difficult to prove for certain that the companies' involvement in social media has led to their increased revenues, the implication behind the new data is that it has."

(More links and content in the post)

I know that this study is about private sector success as measured by revenue, but there's a lot to learn here for not-for-profit libraries too. How do we measure our success? Sometimes it's eyeballs, sometimes it's traffc, sometimes it's circulation, and more.

I'd love to see a study if thse most successful libraries are more involved in social media than others? I wonder if there's a correlation?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 1:56 PM | Comments (0)

DoD Global Education Conference

Today I got to address the US Department of Defense Global Education Conference in Atlanta. It was exciting to see so many folks focused on education in the military worldwide.

My remarks were aided by this PowerPoint:

Information 3.0

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:48 AM | Comments (1)

DoD to launch Web 2.0 Intensive Site

I'll be speaking today to the US DoD Global Education Conference in Atlanta. I was pleased to see this announcement since I think there is so much potential for military education and development using 2.0.

DOD to launch Web 2.0-intensive site
by Amber Corrin, Jul 22, 2009

"The Defense Department will launch a new homepage Aug.15 that incorporates Web 2.0 technologies as part of a militarywide and governmentwide effort to use new media capabilities, a DOD official said today.

The Web new site, at www.defense.gov, will be a complete overhaul of the site that now exists, said Les Benito, public Web director at DOD’s Defense Media Activity office. The site will include new modes of user participation, and interactivity will be a driving factor in the site’s shaping, he said. Benito outlined the plans for the new site at the Open Government and Innovation Conference in Washington.

Users will be able to post questions for high-ranking military officers or the defense secretary, give their own feedback about DOD services and take advantage of other similar interactive features, he said.

“We’ll be basing a lot on things like user feedback and search results,” Benito said. “It’s like a portal to the Defense Department – how to do business with us, how to get involved. Some of it will be similar to Google monitoring,” a feature that tracks Internet traffic.

Benito hopes the new features will tap into the social media’s explosive popularity and help capture the coveted demographic of persons ages 18 to 24 years that has eluded DefenseLink, DOD’s current departmentwide homepage. Users in that age group account for only about 4 percent of DefenseLink’s visitors, while most fall into the age range of 48 to 54 years.

“These new technology tools change the way people look at the organization, the way people look at information and how collaboration takes place,” said Michael Piller, experiential learning manager of the Information Resources Management College at the National Defense University. “These tools are incredibly powerful,” he added."

This is a big step in the right direction.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 1:41 AM | Comments (0)

July 29, 2009

How is the economy affecting your peers?

Free White Paper

How is the economy affecting your peers? Find out by reading the results of a study conducted by J. J. Keller and ResourceShelf :

Economic Impact: How Information Professionals are Coping With Change

Most of the 308 respondents reported that they work in professional services, in organisations with more than 5,000 employees; a significant portion of respondents work in academic libraries and non-profit organisations. The survey revealed the following:

- Making do with free resources is the most important tactic for coping with reduced content budgets.
- Using technology and/or automation is most relevant for coping with staffing changes.
- Doing more with less is the information professional's new mantra.
- Helping library users become more self-sufficient is key.
- Promoting their information center's vital contributions to management is a must.

You can e-mail J. J. Keller to get your copy from their home page for information professionals or at infopros@jjkeller.com.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:52 AM

Great Library Future Scenarios

The "What's Next: Top Trends" blog has a nice series of postings about scenarios that can be imagined for the Future of Libraries from 2010 to 2030.

Here's their summary:

Here are links to the four scenarios:

Future of Libraries (Draft Scenario 1)

Future of Libraries (Draft Scenario 2)

Future of Libraries (Draft Scenario 3)

Future of Libraries (Draft Scenario 4)

Interesting stuff.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:42 AM | Comments (0)

July 28, 2009

The Future of Libraries

Here's an excellent discussion starter. It's from the "What's Next: Top Trends" blog:

Put it on a PowerPoint slide and start talking as a group.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:42 AM | Comments (1)

Tempus fugit

Lordy, where did the time go? Sometimes these Facebook apps are depressing.

Stephen calculated how long he has been alive, and the result was:
I was born on a Saturday and since my birthday...
I've been living for 55 years
I've been living for 662 months
I've been living for 20,170 days
I've been living for 484,089 hours
I've been living for 29,045,351 minutes
I've been living for 1,742,721,110 seconds
My heart has beaten more than 2,033,174,570 times!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)

Google Apps

We should look with some caution on the adoption of Google Apps on the enterpise or municipal scale.

Washington, D.C., is the first major U.S. city to sign up for Google Apps for everyone ($50 per user per year service). Los Angeles is apparently considering it next. Some universities have done so as well.

Read these posts:

Google and Government from Steve Arnold's blog Beyond Search

LA officials question Google Apps plan from cNet news.

"If approved, Los Angeles would be the second major city after Washington, D.C., to use Google’s internet-based services, known as Google Apps. The company has been promoting the package to other government agencies, too, as a way to cut costs and ensure access to Google-developed technical innovations. Google said in a statement that more than 1.75 million businesses use the technology. An unknown number of them pay the Mountain View-based company $50 per user per year for a premium version designed for businesses, government agencies and other robust needs."

There are more secure ways to adopt cloud and SaaS computing with less risk. Libraries have long made an issue of protecting patrons' privacy. I believe that it is important to make sure that
we continue to ensure that our hosted solutions are secure. We've been involved with providing secrure SaaS solutions for security conscious clients like the military and libraries for many years. It's not easy but it can be done effectively.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:09 AM

Why do people go online?

This is a useful study I found on ProBlogger blog. It's from the results of an interesting study called the Ruder Finn Intent Index.

Basically they "classify people’s reasons for going online into 7 broad categories: Learn, Have Fun, Socialize, Express Yourself, Advocate, Do Business, and Shop.

Within the categories ‘pass time’ was the most responded to result with 100% of people saying that they go online for this reason.

You can also look at the results based upon gender and age. For example:

- Men go online to do business, be informed of news and be entertained more than women
- Women are more likely to go online to socialize and express themselves than men)
- Youth go online more for socializing, advocating and self expression than seniors
- Both Youth and Seniors are going online to have fun

Other highly rated areas (80% of responses or more) included:

- Educate Self (96%)
- Connect with Others (92%)
- Research (89%)
- Share (86%)
- Be Entertained (82%)

As I read through the categories and sub categories, I got a similar insight to ProBlobggers's, I realized that this 'list of reasons for people to go online is gold' for libraries. I don't think library portals and websites should cover everything here (shopping?) but it's a great filter to review your site(s).

Anyone out there know of any research about why people read? Do you think 'to pass the time' might cover 100%?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:44 AM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2009

Libraries Share

I often point out in my presentations that libraries and librarians are sharers at their core. We share our collections, our space, our experitise.

So what does it mean when Facebook trumps e-mail? Check out this Mashable post:

Sharing on Facebook Now More Popular than Sharing by Email

"According to AddToAny, Facebook now dominates sharing, with 24 percent of shares from the widget consisting of users posting items to the social network. That handily beats out email (11.1 percent) and TwitterTwitter (10.8 percent), making the world’s most popular social network also the most popular service for sharing content."

I'd say it's useful to re-evaluate the library's sharing strategies in the context of its community and mandate, environment. It would be a longish discussion and one that required a lot of experiments and trials. It would be fun too.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:49 AM | Comments (1)

Encouraging Good Behaviours

Boing Boing recently showed this picture as an indication of easy ways to encourage the social behaviours
and etiquettes that we might want to see (or have rules about).

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Place an olive pit in the discard dish before the guests arrive.

Check out your library rules and signs. Could you do something as simple as this or this to cleverly drive compliance? In any case I hope it doesn't look like this.

When my wife worked in retail one of the buyers would always come through the shirt department and mess up the sale table by opening a package or two and mussing it up. We learned a lot from his insight that sales doubled off the messy table since it attracted attention to the sale price better than the actual sign (sometimes there wasn't even an actual big sign, just a sale price).

I hate to say this but is your library so neat that it doesn't look used? Do you look like a happening kind of place?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:26 AM

July 26, 2009

25th Annual Computers in Libraries

From the Dysart & Jones Blog

25th Computers in Libraries by Jane Dysart

April 12-14, 2010

"Can you believe the Computers in Libraries conference has been running for 25 years? and that I [Jane Dysart] have designed the program for the last 15? Amazing & exciting for me and hopefully for you too! The theme this year is Information Fluency: Literacy for Life. Information fluency goes beyond literacy (the ability to read and write), information literacy (the ability to find, evaluate and use information), media literacy (the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms), and digital literacy (the ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information). It extends to other types of literacy necessary to grow, learn and live – cultural literacy, global literacy, news literacy, scientific literacy, economic literacy, social literacy, health literacy, multimedia literacy, computer literacy, social online literacy, and more. Information, and fluency with it, permeates every part of our lives. Developing skills to become fluent with information is the key to our success individually as well as in groups, teams and communities. Send in a proposal to speak at CIL2010 and plan to attend the 25th anniversary of the “largest technology conference & exhibition for librarians and information managers in North America”.

I've been proud to be involved with Information Today conferences and magazines including CIL for 15 years too. I still remember when it was called Small Computers in Libraries! Imagine, that meant smallish, not mobile.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 5:54 PM | Comments (0)

Great article to send to your planning commissioner

It's always great when we see other professions that have an impact on our success writing about libraries and their worth. Hence, this article by Wayne Senville in The Planning Commissioner’s Journal (summer issue) about libraries as “economic engines” of downtowns and neighborhoods.

One quote:

Libraries at the Heart Our Communities

“There’s been a dramatic change in the mission of libraries across the country. No longer just static repositories of books and reference materials, libraries are increasingly serving as the hub of their communities, providing a broad range of services and activities. They are also becoming important ‘economic engines’ of downtowns and neighborhood districts…”

[Note: You're supposed to be able to download a free copy but it's not working right now. You know librarians and can probably find a copy, right!?)

Thanks to Lone Wolf for this link.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:48 AM | Comments (1)

July 25, 2009

Not An Upgrade - An Upheaval . . .

Clay Shirky has a nice long form essay at Cato Unbound.

NOT AN UPGRADE - AN UPHEAVAL - The hard truth about the future ...

I think the drama unfolding in the news 'business' is more interesting than reality TV. And it's real, I think. I think it's a potential metaphor for library land.

For example substitute library or librarian for journalism in the following quotes:

"The hard truth about the future of journalism is that nobody knows for sure what will happen; the current system is so brittle, and the alternatives are so speculative, that there’s no hope for a simple and orderly transition from State A to State B."

"As Paul Starr, the great sociologist of media, has often noted, journalism isn’t just about uncovering facts and framing stories; it’s also about assembling a public to read and react to those stories."

"We can expect changes in journalism to be linked to changes in subsidy. There are many shifts coming, but three big ones are an increase in direct participation; an increase in the leverage of the professionals working alongside the amateurs; and a second great age of patronage."

"Because journalism has always been subsidized, and because the public can increasingly get involved in activities too complex for loose groups to take on before the current era, journalism is seeping into the population at large, with the models of subsidy being altered to fit that shift."

"Like driving, journalism is not a profession — no degree or certification is required to practice it, and training often comes after hiring — and it is increasingly being transformed into an activity, open to all, sometimes done well, sometimes badly, but at a volume that simply cannot be supported by a small group of full-time workers."

Not possible? How do we avoid this future, evolve, change?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 6:03 PM | Comments (0)

Amazon and Zappos

Someone asked me to comment on the Amazon Zappos merger.

OK.

My favourite tweet - within minutes and viral very quickly - was David Lee King asking if Amazon was now going to come into his home and take his shoes. Of course, they just want to upgrade what the washing machine already does to my socks!

Seriously though, since libraries are fanboys of the various strategies from Google, Amazon and NetFlix maybe now we'll see a long discussion of the role of shoe retailing in libraries. Librarians as shoe recommenders and collectors. It makes me smile.

Seriously Google is the world's most successful advertiser. There are better search systems for us to evaluate. Amazon always said they wanted to be a great online retailer, hence they're not called Books.com. They do crowdsourced recommendations really well and we can learn from that. Netflix does home delivery well from a huge stock. We don't. We could learn from that too. Many ILS systems support book delivery. It's great to watch those libraries that are trying to implement these strategies rather than just watching other succeed and have fun trying.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:14 PM | Comments (0)

Bright Spots

Here's an interesting graphic from the New York Times based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

NYT: When, Oh When, Will HELP Be WANTED?

This might be useful for targeting job seekers and showing that the economy isn't one big black hole! Not every sector is suffering to the same degree.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 4:04 AM | Comments (0)

July 24, 2009

iPhone Apps

I've been deciding what iPhone apps to download this week and have gotten some good advice just by tweeting and Facebooking the request. I was mainly interested in getting Twitter and Facebook to work well. A few folks recommended a few movie review and travel apps. I'll try them eventually too. All of my e-mail accounts are working fine now. I thought I might as well ask on my old-fashioned blog - Anything anyone can't live without out there? I am sticking to 15 minutes a day to learn and choose this stuff or I could get addicted.

And broke, apparently: "Just in case you felt compelled to assemble a collection of every push-to-fart program out there, Forbes calculates the price of purchasing all 55,732 available iPhone apps to be $144,326.06." [Forbes via Gizmodo]

I'll start downloading some SirsiDynix ILS apps once I get good at this phone. I'm still a bit all thumbs.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:25 PM | Comments (4)

What's the next platform?

I found this posting from All Facebook: The Unofficial Facebook Resource to be very interesting.

The Platform Wars Return To The Forefront, What Is Facebook’s Position?

With Google launching an operating platform with Chrome to challenge the other competitors (Windows, Mac, Unix, etc.) we're seeing another clear sea change in our world. I found the list of things that the posting decided to say were critical to the new platform to be interesting. They're cerrtainlly not the same as they were 5 or ten years ago...

•Reach
•Payment integration
•Viral distribution
•GUI components
•Alternative monetization opportunities
•Clearly defined and enforced terms or the removal of authority

Anyway, it's worth looking at the shift in the balances of power for operating systems - PC/Mac, web-centric or mobile - a new war footing is here and much depends on it.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 2:58 PM | Comments (0)

It's a mobile world

How mobile ready is your library? What does your website and other e-services look like on mobile devices? This timely new survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project is interesting with loads of data:

Mobile internet use increases sharply in 2009 as more than half of all Americans have gotten online by some wireless means
Jul 22, 2009

"Washington, DC – An April 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project shows that 56% of adult Americans have accessed the internet by wireless means, such as using a laptop, mobile device, game console, or MP3 player. The most prevalent way people get online using a wireless network is with a laptop computer; 39% of adults have done this.

The report also finds rising levels of Americans using the internet on a mobile handset. One-third of Americans (32%) have used a cell phone or Smartphone to access the internet for emailing, instant-messaging, or information-seeking. This level of mobile internet is up by one-third since December 2007, when 24% of Americans had ever used the internet on a mobile device. On the typical day, nearly one-fifth (19%) of Americans use the internet on a mobile device, up substantially from the 11% level recorded in December 2007. That’s a growth of 73% in the 16 month interval between surveys.

“Mobile access strengthens the three pillars of online engagement: connecting with others, satisfying information queries, and sharing content with others,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of the Pew Internet Project and principal author of the report. “With access in their pockets, many Americans are ‘on the fly’ consumers and producers of digital information.”

The report, entitled “Wireless Internet Use,” also found that African Americans are the most active users of the mobile internet. Nearly half (48%) of African Americans have at one time used the internet on a mobile device, and on the average day 29% go online with a handheld – both figures are half again the national average. Moreover, the growth in mobile handheld online use on the average day since 2007 for African Americans is twice the national average – 141% for African Americans versus the 73% average.

“The notion of a digital divide for African Americans has some resonance when thinking about the wireline internet,” said Horrigan. “But when you introduce the mobile internet, the picture changes and African Americans are the pace setters.”

The report also found a growth in a broader measure of mobile engagement, as more Americans in 2009 were turning to their handheld for non-voice data activities. The activities probed were: sending or receiving text messages, taking a picture, playing a game, checking email, accessing the internet, recording video, instant messaging, playing music, getting maps or directions, or watching video.

• In 2009, 69% of all adult Americans said they had ever done at least one of the ten activities versus 58% who did this in late 2007.
• In 2009, 44% of all adult Americans said they had done at least one of the non-voice data activities on the typical day, up from 32% in 2007.

When asked to assess what mobile access means when they are away from home or work, about half of wireless users cite staying in touch with others or being able to dig for information on the go. However, some say such access lets them share content with others as they go about their daily lives. Specifically, among cell phone or wireless laptop users:

• Half (50%) say it is very important to them to have mobile access in order to stay in touch with other people.
• Nearly the same share (46%) says they mobile access is very important for getting online information on the go.
• One in six (17%) say mobile access is very important to them so they can share or post online content while away from home or work.

Wireless internet access using other devices, though much less common than with laptops or handhelds, has a foothold among some Americans. The April 2009 survey found that:

• 45% of adults have iPods or MP3 players and 5% of all adults have used such a device to go online.
• 41% of adults have game consoles and 9% of adults have used it to access the internet.
• 14% of adults have a personal digital assistant, and 7% of adults have used it for online access.
• 2% of adults have an e-book (i.e., a Kindle or Sony reader) and 1% of adults have used it to get online.

Overall, 17% of adults have used at least one of the four access means listed above to go online.

The Pew Internet Project’s April 2009 survey interviewed 2,253 Americans, with 561 interviewed on their cell phones. The overall sample has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. Some 1,687 respondents in the sample were internet users and the margin of error in that cohort is plus or minus three percentage points and 1,818 respondents were cell phone users and the margin of error for that group is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points."

I try to be wireless only at home in Toronto and on the road. We have five wireless laptops (Dell, ACER (2), Sony VIAO, XO) for three people. I also do the iPhone thing now. My son's apartment in Montreal is wireless and he uses his Apple Touch for mobility. I know I'm not suposed to use my family as the control group so it's good to see Pew coming out with these studies.

Stephen

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

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

Friday Fun: The Wired website has GeekDad's column on:

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

Sadly, I knew all 100. The 20 somethings in my home this week knew more than half but mostly not by personal experience - more like historical knowledge like me and spats. The young teens knew only a few and sometimes didn't even know the history - DOS? I wonder what my wife's grade four class will know about in September. They were all born in the year 2000.

Then again, I'm not missing too many of the hundred. I'm still freaked out that it's been 40 years since I watched the moon landing.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:55 AM | Comments (1)

Salty Snacks and Libraries

What do salty snacks have to do with libraries?

For the salty snacks side:

In 2003, "Nine out of ten Americans eat salty snacks, emphasizing the popularity of salty snacks in the American diet, according to survey firm Mintel's recent research. Nearly 25% of those who eat salty snacks do so in front of the TV or the computer. In addition, more than a quarter of salty snack consumers say they eat them as a meal replacement or between meals. According to Mintel's research, 93% of Americans with children in their households say that they buy salty snacks, compared to 87% of those without children under age 18 at home." In 2003 salt snacks were a $21.1 billion industry in the US alone.

"Fact: Americans spend more than twice as much on salty snacks as they do on public libraries." Check out the YouTube for National Libray Week 2008.

If you need a soundbite amongst your friends over the chip bowl this summer at the BBQ, when they challenge the relevance of libraries (and you know that can happen), this is a handy soundbite.

Here are some more 2009 library facts

There are now more public library buildings in the U.S. than there are McDonald’s – a total of 16,592, including branches.

Library use continues to rise – public library visits exceed 1.3 billion, and libraries circulate more items than FedEx ships – more than 2.1 billion books, CDs, DVDs and more.

Americans check out on average more than seven books each a year. They spend about $31 for the public library – about the cost of one hardcover book.

Americans spend about two-and-a-half times as much on salty snacks as they do on public libraries.

Fight back against shallow thinking. That's what libraries are for.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)

The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years

OK, How many have you owned?

The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years

CIO.com offers up "PC World's official (and entirely idiosyncratic) list of the top tech gadgets of the last half century."

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:34 AM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2009

Living in More Than One World

One of the highlights of my invovlement in SLA was meeting Peter Drucker when he keynoted an SLA conference. He was awesome and started with the first special library he had found in his research and then continued through the importance of research and information to organizations. Drucker would have been 100 this year, just like SLA.

Well, one of my SLA colleagues and friends, Bruce Rosenstein, who is renowned as one of the few people on earth who knows Peter Drucker and his work better than anyone, has now published a great book on Peter Drucker and his work. Bruce was most recently at USA Today library for 21 years before embarking on his career as a bestselling author.

Few people are as passionate about Peter Drucker as Bruce. The book is recommended.

Bruce Rosenstein

Foreword by Frances Hesselbein

Living in More Than One World
How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life

The keys to living a stimulating and rewarding life distilled from the thought of Peter Drucker—bestselling author, educator, consultant, art collector and the “father of modern management”

Based on Bruce Rosenstein's 20 years-plus study of Drucker’s life and thought he helps you construct a complete life plan through exercises, questions, and illustrative anecdotes and quotes.

How can we have a rich and fulfilling life? For Peter Drucker, one of the most influential
thinkers of modern times, the secret was “living in more than one world” - enjoying a diverse set of interests, activities, acquaintances, and pursuits. Drucker, whose centenary is observed in 2009, was able to do this despite extraordinary demands on his time, and now Bruce Rosenstein shows how the man who transformed organizational management can transform the way you manage your personal and professional life.

An enormously influential business author and consultant, Drucker also wrote extensively on self-development and self-management, but these writings are scattered throughout dozens of books and articles. For the first time, Rosenstein brings these ideas together into a succinct framework that guides you in building a multifaceted life and career. It’s the next best thing to being mentored by Drucker himself.

Rosenstein shares Drucker’s advice for, first, honing in on your core competencies—developing your main talents, clarifying your values, and managing your time. With this firm foundation established, he uses Drucker as both source and example to show how to enrich your life by developing parallel and second careers, making a difference in the lives of others through volunteerism and service, and using teaching and lifelong learning as complementary ways of staying engaged and up to date.

By living in more than one world you gain new insights, see your world from fresh perspectives, access ever-changing sources of inspiration and stimulation. Peter Drucker managed a varied professional life as a writer, educator, and consultant, and was deeply immersed in literature, music, and art. But he wasn’t superhuman. This is a life that can be lived by anybody who has the tools and Bruce Rosenstein provides them in this thoughtful and inspiring book.

"Few people on earth know Peter Drucker and his work better than Bruce Rosenstein. This is a welcome, unique and very personal addition to Drucker's incomparable legacy.”
--Bob Buford, Chairman, The Drucker Institute and author of Halftime and Finishing Well

Bruce Rosenstein has written about business and management books for USA Today’s Money section, and worked as a librarian and researcher there for 21 years. He has studied Peter Drucker extensively, conducting one of the last interviews Drucker gave, seven months before his death.

Publication date: August 2009, $19.95, hardcover, 144 pages, 5 ½” x 8 ½”, ISBN 978-1-57675-968-4 $13.97, PDF ebook, ISBN"

Links to order it here.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 4:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 22, 2009

E-Government 2.0

Resourceshelf points to this useful document from McKinsey:

E-Government 2.0

From the Article:

"Federal agencies need to invest in Web development more strategically, creating online services that help meet missions and better serve citizens, according to a report released on by a management consulting firm.

Despite spending enormous sums on automating government practices, progress on electronic government appears to have plateaued, according to the report “E-government 2.0,” published by McKinsey & Co.

The stagnation in developing a digital government occurred after the Internet boom of the late 1990s, which spawned a race by among federal agencies to develop Web sites. “By the time you get to 1998, you have the first U.S. portal,” said Elaine Kamarck, lecturer in public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and former head of President Clinton’s National Performance Review. “This improved productivity.” Kamarck was part of a panel discussing the electronic government hosted by the Center for American Progress."

Access the Full Text of E-Government 2.0 from McKinsey & Co. (6 pages PDF)

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:18 PM | Comments (1)

July 21, 2009

Book of the Future

I liked this video. It's only 9 minutes long and you don't actually have to speak French to understand it.

The Future of the Book: "Possible ou Probable"

If you're not into books (yeah, right), check out this fun LOL one:

Evian Roller Babies international version

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

Watch BING

I've set Google as the default on one laptop, Bing as the default on another and Yahoo! is the default on another. This sort of forces me to keep an eye on all of the majors and try them out regularly.

The rumour mill is heating up again about some sort of alliance between Microsoft and Yahoo! again. That other shoe is taking so long to drop.

Anyway, I thought it was worth noting the following:

1. As reorted in Search Engine Land, In Bing's first month online J.P. Morgan report (available to the company’s clients at mm.jpmorgan.com) did a survey of 763 U.S. adults and their search behavior during June 2009. While Bing got a lot of buzz for page previews that appear to the right of some results and topical highligts and suggestions, searchers seemed most impressed with ts relevance. Check out the posting and graph.

2. Search Engine Journal is reprtng that Bing "is now the 13th most visited site on the web. Bing was able to register 49.57 million unique visits during its first month. Interestingly, Bing’s unique visitors is even more than that of Digg with 38.96 million, Twitter with 23 million and CNN with 28.54 million. These data represents U.S. traffic only. Bing’s unique U.S. traffic is almost 30 million less than that of Live.com, where most of Microsoft’s web products are still residing including Hotmail."

If any alliance comes about in a MicroHoo kind of way, the Goog better be watching over its shoulder. Facebook and Twitter are aiming at them too. And if MS chooses to move some defaults over to Bing . . .

I remember when people said that Netscape was too dominant to be overtaken by snail-like MS's browser which is now being overtaken by Firefox and everyone's trying to figure out mobile search after Michael Jackson and the celebrity death searches almost brought them all down.

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. (Sorry, can't find the diacritics in Movable Type!)

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 3:39 AM | Comments (0)

Bar Codes

I was just reading Outsell's "Thinking Out Loud" blogs and came across this birthday:

"Amazing but true–the bar code turned 35 today. I discovered that fact in an interesting article in the New York Times that notes that the first bar codes were scanned on a pack of Juicy Fruit gum on June 26, 1974. Bar codes are now scanned 10 billion times a day–compare that to Google’s paltry 293 million searches/day as of March 2009. Clearly the lowly bar code has some serious mojo and I think that mojo is called “elegant simplicity.”"

I missed the June 26th event but decided to notice it today anyway. I think it's amazing! Imagine just 35 years ago was the first bar code scanning. Today it's hard to go through a store, board a plane or buy a book without using a bar code. Most major libraries use bar codes for circulation. How would they have ever dealt with the increase in circulation over 35 years without them?! Quite a few have upgraded from the lowly bar code to RFID systems and some are even thinking about the use of QR codes like I see on my plane tickets.

When I come to think about it, I was born in twenty years before bar codes. I find it fun to think that I lived before the era where there was a bar code on every book.

I've been amazed seeing how some of our SirsiDynix clients are approaching a huge majority of their circulation with self check through bar codes or RFID. Some research shows that a majority of library patrons prefer the independence and speed, while some libraries are upgrading circulation staff to concierges when they are freed from simple circ activities. Either way, it shows that libraries are keeping up with the productivity gains of other retail-type consumer activities.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 3:02 AM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2009

Library Statistics Presentation 101

Check out "How to make graphs that work" by Seth Godin

He offers four simple pieces of advice:

1. Don't let popular spreadsheets be in charge of the way you look
2. Tell a story
3. Follow some simple rules
4. Break some other rules

Check out the post for more.

Libraries have to communicate difficult (and sometimes boring) data like circulation numbers and acquisitions savings often, and especially in management, public and annual reports.

The advice in this posting can be very useful in getting your message across. (There are quite a few books on the subject as well - check your library, or Amazon).

I've seen a few good ideas such as:

- Replacing the bars on a bar chart with full length kid pictures - showing growth in children's services for storytime attendance and circulation.

- replacing the bars on a bar chart with dollar bills showing cost savings or increased revenue from grants.

- using canes to show increased services to shut-ins.

- filling in the colours of pie charts and bars with local maps or recognizable patterns.

It communicates faster. If it's not something you want to communicate it shouldn't be there in the first place.

The output from SirsiDynix reporting, analytical and statistical solutions like Directors Station and Web Reporter go a long way to supporting this type of anaylsis quickly.

Stephen

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

ALA Presentation

While I was at ALA in Chicago I did a bunch of SirsiDynix booth presentation that were quite well attended and received.

Here's the PowerPoints:

Not Just Clicks: The Essence of Usability

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 2:43 PM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2009

The Internet Is Dead (As An Investment)

From James Altucher at the Wall Street Journal . . .

The Internet Is Dead (As An Investment) (July 17, 2009)

Soundbites:

"Internet companies now should be treated, at best, like utility companies that get bought at about 10 times earnings and sold at 13 times earnings."

"Time Warner would rather keep their legacy old-media businesses like People magazine than hold onto one of the biggest Internet companies out there, AOL."

"News Corp. (owner of DowJones) is shaking up its MySpace business as it figures out its next steps."

"Microsoft has spent billions on Internet strategy without a dime of profit."

"Google can't seem to find any other business model other than the one [search ads] they stumbled into "

Agree? Disagree? Haven't got a dime left to invest anyway?

At least libraries provide dividends to their communities as investments.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:44 PM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2009

Visual Economics

I recenty discovered and subscribed to this blog - Visual Economics.

Check out this great graphic and notice that the average U.S. consumer spends 0.2% of their paycheque on reading.

And that's good news since it actually made the chart! And I'll bet it doesn't include online reading - mostly just traditional print.

Now, how does that paycheque amount turn into time?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:00 PM | Comments (1)

July 16, 2009

The Recession and Using the Web

Yes, libraries have been getting some great press lately about our services for job hunters. Are we selling ourselves short? Read my comments after reading this Pew report:

Here's a new Pew Internet and American Life Press Release:

88% of online Americans have used the internet in the past year for help in coping with the recession and understanding it
July 15, 2009

Top searches relate to consumer bargains, new jobs, skills upgrading, chances to earn extra cash, and general news about the economy

"Washington – Some 69% of all American adults -- fully 88% of internet users -- have gone online to get help with personal economic issues that have arisen in the recession and to gather information about the origins and solutions to national economic problems.

The internet ranks high among sources of information and advice that people are seeking during hard times, especially when it comes to their personal finances and jobs. Among broadband users, the internet is the top source for material on personal coping strategies during the recession. At the same time, broadcast media outpace the internet as sources of news about national economic affairs.

Those hard hit by the recession are among the most avid and wide-ranging internet users for advice and understanding. Some 52% of American adults have either lost their jobs, seen their investments fall by more than half their value, suffered a pay cut, watched their house lose half its value, or lost their job outright during the downturn in the past year.

Much of the report deals with a subpopulation the Project calls “online economic users.” They are the 88% of online Americans who have used the internet for financial or recession-related purposes. Overall, 34% of online economic users have created content and commentary about the recession in places like blogs, social network sites and Twitter.

“Internet users are on a dual quest in this recession” said Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, and co-author of a new report based on a nationwide phone survey about internet use during the recession. “They are seeking highly practical advice about how to survive. And they are going online to gain understanding of what went wrong, and what policies might fix the economy. In many cases, the internet is also a pathway to contributing ideas – and rants – about hard times and a source of expert commentary.”

The Pew Internet report, “The Internet and the Recession,” comes from a national phone survey of 2,253 adults (those 18 and older), including 561 cell-phone interviews. The overall sample has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.

Here are the main recession-related activities of online economic users in the past year:

•Price comparisons: 67% of online economic users have used the internet to find the lowest price available for something they need to buy.
•General understanding: 52% of online economic users have used the internet to help them comprehend the nation’s economic problems.
•New jobs: 41% of online economic users have sought information in the past year about jobs that might be available.
•Seeking online coupons for savings: 40% of online economic users searched on the internet for cost-saving coupons.
•Help in spending less on everyday items: 27% of online economic users have used the internet to get material on the cost of everyday purchases.
•Earning more money and second jobs: 27% of online economic users have been online hunting for tips about ways to earn more money or exploring the prospects for getting a second job.
•Advice about protecting personal finances: 25% of online economic users have gone online seeking information about ways to protect their finances in a difficult economy.
•Improving skills for a better job: 25% of online economic users have used the internet to seek material about how to improve their skills to qualify for better jobs.
•Sell personal items online: 23% of online economic users have used auction sites or classified ad sites to sell personal items to raise money.
•Unemployment benefits: 22% of online economic users sought material online about unemployment and other government benefits.
•The value of my house: 18% of online economic users have used the internet to check up on the value of their house.
•Rankings or reviews of financial companies and professionals: 17% of online economic users went online to check reviews of financial firms and professionals.
•Information about getting a loan: 13% of online economic users went online to check out ways to get loans.
•Filing for bankruptcy: 3% of online economic users used the internet to look for information about filing for bankruptcy.
While online channels play an important role, Americans frequently turn to multiple sources to understand the economic environment and how it relates to their own personal financial situation. Indeed, the most internet-savvy individuals rely heavily on their own personal networks of friends and family to help navigate the recession and contextualize the material they find online.

“The best way to understand these online Americans is that they are networked individuals using networked information,” agued Aaron Smith, Research Specialist at Pew Internet and co-author of the report. “Theirs is not an ‘either-or’ world of single information sources. Many aggressively forage among a variety of sources and communicate with a range of people as they try to navigate some rough seas.”"

Read the full report here.

I think there's a big library story here and it's way beyond job finding. Check out the list - it's about learning, upgrading skills, it's about understanding the economy, getting deals and buying things cheaper. It's about financial planning and home mortgages. Libraries have large book collections that help folks find out more about what they own that can be sold on eBay. Libraries save money just by providing free internet access.

Are we selling ourselves short by focusing too much on job finding lately. Is that yesterday's story? Let's get some new and fresh messages out to the press. The news hole is a big gaping vacuum. Let's polish up our stories and tell more. What's the new spin?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 6:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2009

Getting Out into the Community

OK, we're just past Spring Fair time. What did your library presence look like? If you weren't there, what is your library doing for:

Summer Festivals
Fall Fairs
Livestock shows
Sidewalk sales
Book Festivals like "Word on the Street"
etc.

Can you sign up library card holders in your booth?
Can you circulate a book from anywhere using a wireless handheld?
I heard of one library that could even collect fines on the street from willing users!
Can you pass out brochures, collect signatures, colect e-mail addresses?

In economic times like these, you don't wait for the support to come to you, you get out there.

I've been proud of those SirsiDynix clients who do this using tools like PocketCirc, etc.

What does a display look like out of doors? How do you expand the image of your library beyond hard copy books and DVD's?

What does your booth training look like? It could be a fun brainstorm to role play interactions with the public, in public.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:35 PM | Comments (0)

Feeling Down and Unmotivated?

Are you a little short on Vitameatavegamin? Are you feeling down and unmotivated? Is your Kazoo missing its buzz? Did you get lunchbag letdown or miss ALA this year and not get your motivation tank topped up?

Try watching these short and long videos - one or two a day for a few weeks.

100 Incredibly Inspiring Videos for Leaders

This one is a favourite:

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

If you're worried about your budget, watch this one. Stick with the program. Grit your teeth and show real determination.

Libraries Matter.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:14 AM | Comments (0)

July 12, 2009

Free OCR

I foudn this here.

"Have you ever had an image of some text, perhaps a digital camera photo of a document, and wished you didn't have to retype the text into your computer? Surfing around looking at technology to digitize text stored as images I came across a free online, no registration website www.free-ocr.com/ You simply give it the address of the image, PDF, JPG, GIF, TIFF or BMP, maximum file size 2MB and the language, and it come back with text you can cut and paste into your document."

It's not great but it might be helpful some day.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:39 AM | Comments (0)

The Accidental Library Marketer

While I am at ALA, I'll be buying another copy of this new book in the Information Today booth:

The Accidental Library Marketer

I am ego-driven like most 'Type A' librarians and I am quoted in chapter 5 of this new book by Kathy Dempsey. I need a copy for each kid to prove I am not a fool like all kids think their parents are. I'll fail but it's worth a try.

"The Accidental Library Marketer fills a need for library professionals and paraprofessionals who find themselves in an awkward position: They need to promote their libraries and services in the age of the internet, but they’ve never been taught how to do it effectively. This results-oriented A-to-Z guide by Kathy Dempsey — longtime editor of the Marketing Library Services newsletter — reveals the missing link between the everyday promotion librarians actually do and the “real marketing” that’s guaranteed to assure funding, excite users, and build stronger community relationships. Combining real-life examples, expert advice, and checklists in a reader-friendly style, this is the complete how-to resource for successful library marketing and promotion."

To learn more about the book before your copy arrives, you can read this blog post:

http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/big-news-my-book-will-be-out-on-july-1.html

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:01 AM | Comments (1)

July 11, 2009

The Library PR Handbook

ALA editions has just published The Library PR Handbook: High Impact Communications edited by Mark Gould. I just got my copy before I left for ALA. (Disclosure: I wrote chapter 3).

It's a nice next generation book about the opportunities in PR and using Web 2.0 and new strategies to engage and communicate with the library's communities. The table of contents and reviews are past the link.

If you're at ALA, pick up a copy. Alternatively, it's asy to order online.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2009

Women's Online Behavior and Social Media Habits

Search Engine Journal pointed to and summarized a report on women's online behavior and social media habits:

Women & Our Online Behavior and Social Media Habits

The report by SheSpeaks.com is a survey of women’s online and computer habits, and published the results in a comprehensive 65-page document. It’s looks mainly at women’s social habits online, and most definitely has implications for online marketing. Since women are likely the most successful market segment for most types of libraries, there is more to be learned from this study and analyzed in the library context.

Read the full report here.

In the main report I enjoyed the small group of personas. Do these match your understanding of women as library users? What would be different? Are any types not enjoying the library?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:36 AM | Comments (1)

Changing Our World

On of the more thoghtful and well written blogs is Dave Pollard's How to Save the World.

In a recent posting entitled 4 World Changing Questions, and 12 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

Dave asks, on a personal level:

1. "What one additional capacity or skill, more than any other, do you think you need to acquire or learn, to equip yourself to make the world a better place, and why? What is the single best way for you to acquire or learn (or motivate yourself to learn) that additional capacity or skill?"

2. "What one additional action, more than any other, do you think you can take, personally, to make the world a better place, and why? "

3. "What one additional action, more than any other, do you think you can take, in your community, to make the world a better place, and why?"

4. "What one additional action, more than any other, do you think you can take, in your job or enterprise, to make the world a better place, and why?"

For each question Dave asks "What's really holding you back from doing so? What can you do to get past this block?"

I have spent a good deal of time in the past month at CLA, SLA, ALA and other association meetings around the world. We asked ourselves a lot of questions and wined and whined in sessions and lobby bars.

If we reframed the questions in the association and professional context. . . Let's ask ourselves:

1. What one additional capacity or skill, more than any other, do you think librarianship needs to acquire or learn, to equip ourselves to make the world a better place, and why? What is the single best way for us to acquire or learn (or motivate ourselves to learn) that additional capacity or skill?

2. What one additional action, more than any other, do you think we can take collectively to make the world a better place, and why?

3. What one additional action, more than any other, do you think we can take in our associations to make the world a better place, and why?

4. What one additional action, more than any other, do you think we can collectively take, in our jobs or associations, to make the world a better place, and why?"

What's really holding us back from doing so? What can we do to get past this block? Is it just an excuse or is it a reason that we can leap over, walk around, or address in some way?

What challenges could we surmount if we committed today?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 4:54 AM

Got an old PC or Mac?

Thanks to Moe for pointing this out to me.

$100 Laptop Becomes a $5 PC
Putting OLPC's software on a USB drive gives old PCs a new lease on life.

By David Talbot, Technology Review
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

"The open-source education software developed for the "$100 laptop" can now be loaded onto a $5 USB stick to run aging PCs and Macs with a new interface and custom educational software."

I have a green OLPC and play with it occasionally. If your school or library or home has some aging old laptops or desktops this might be a use for them.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 4:02 AM | Comments (0)

July 9, 2009

Facebook Variations

The Inside Facebook blog has some interesting data on Facebook:

1. College students Facebook use declines over the summer as many students are in diaspora. However, their parents' usage increases.

2. The number of Facebook users over 35 are gorwing a lot in the past 30 days.

3. The number of women over 55 on Facebook grew by 39% in the last month to over 2.5 million.

Are you aware of the seasonal variations in your library usage patterns? How do your program and marketing strategies change with the seasons?

Lots of good charts after the link.

This is just the sort of thing that SirsiDynix Directors Station mines out of your statistics.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)

Web 2.0 Collaboration: Tools for the Next Generation of Public Service

BeSpacific is pointing to this glossy report from Accenture about the need for greater use of web 2.0 tools in government:

Web 2.0 Collaboration Tools for the Next Generation of Public Service - Driving high performance through more engaging, accountable and citizen-focused service

"Web 2.0 technologies and services have spread around the world at an amazing pace and are used by millions of people every day. Many public service organizations are also adopting Web 2.0 applications to improve their ability to collaborate and serve citizens more effectively. Accenture believes that Web 2.0 technologies are finding resonance among governments today because they are, in fact, supportive of a broader evolution in public service: a new relationship with government that is about genuine engagement of people in their own governance."

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:57 AM | Comments (0)

Who are these people??!

So I am off to ALA today and I am carrying three laptops. Yes, I know it's overkill but one is my good one for heavy duty writing work (and I have 10 thumbs when typing), one is my ACER netbook that's light (1.2 lb.) and easy for carrying around to Twitter and live blog, and the other is the corporate Dell going in for repair again (but this time I am avoiding the stupid illegal border custom charges).

Anyway, ths caught my eye today:

“Last year Dell computers commissioned a study that found that 12,000 laptops are lost each week at U.S. airports. Los Angeles leads the pack with 1,200 laptops reported lost or stolen at LAX weekly. Incredibly, most laptops are left behind at security checkpoints, with only 33 percent ever being recovered (17 percent before the flight, 16 percent after).” – Los Angeles Times.

The results of the report are staggering:

- Up to 12,000 laptops are lost in United States airports each week
- Between 65 and 70 percent of lost laptops are never reclaimed
- Most laptops are lost at security checkpoints
- 53 percent of business travelers surveyed carry sensitive corporate information on their laptop
- 65 percent of those who carry confidential information have not taken steps to protect it while traveling
- 42 percent of respondents say they do not back up their data

Who can afford (especially the majority!!!) to just leave a laptop?? I am amazed and appalled.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:29 AM | Comments (2)

Access to the Internet for Government

Stan at Library Blog Buzz points out that:

71.4 % Of Public Libraries Are The Only Provider Of Free Internet In Their Communities

Quoting the ALA "study " “U.S. Public Libraries and E-Government Services” (part of the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study) revealed that public libraries are the only organizations in the community that can help citizens to access e-government services."

"In addition the e-government study found out that

* Public libraries offer an average of 11 public access computers per building
* Nearly all public libraries (98.7 percent) offer public access to the Internet
* Many public libraries (76.4 percent) offer wireless (Wi-fi ) access
* Public libraries off er a number of training classes and/or as-needed assistance on a range of topics, particularly Internet use (92.8 percent), general computer skills (91.3 percent), online Web searching (76.9 percent), and software use (70.5 percent)

If you read the survey further down, your will find out that 60 % of public libraries have inadequate Internet connection, 81% don’t have enough computers and 94 % impose time limits on the use of public PCs."

Therefore it is really clear that governments who cut library budgets AND move more strongly towards e-government are truly damaging their citizens ability to access government services.

Seems silly, no? It appears that if governments were actualy trying to derive savings from e-government initiatives then then they would be wiser to increase funding to public libraries or risk failure. Then again they could even try strategies that have failed in the past in many other countries where access was attempted in government offices, post offices or special new retail branches of the government. You'd think in this economic climate they'd try a strategy that was cost effective AND works - Public Libraries.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 6:13 AM | Comments (1)

July 8, 2009

Kids - 2-11 - online

There is some interesting data in this report from Nielsen :

Growing Up, and Growing Fast: Kids 2-11 Spending More Time Online

"In May 2009, children aged 2-11 comprised nearly 16 million, or 9.5 percent, of the active online universe according to Nielsen Online. Since 2004, the number of kids online has increased 18 percent, as compared to 10 percent for the total active universe, with a fairly even split between boys and girls. The growth of children online outpaces the overall growth of children in the U.S., where kids under 14 are projected to decrease by 1 percent from 2004 to 2010 (according to the U.S. Census Bureau, from 7/04 - 7/10 projection)."

It's interesting that Nielsen tied this age group to sales of video cameras as well as viewing online videos. Storytime has changed. I wonder if all that worry about TV being a babysitter is misplaced?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)

IFLA in Florence and Milan

I already invited everyone to join me at IFLA in August for the Web 2.0 pre-conference and the main conference in Milan. (There are a number of other good pre- and post- conferences.)

The other news is that the 2010 IFLA conference was moved today from Brisbane to Goteborg, Sweden.

My IFLA Conference posting.

The IT Section of IFLA (They're hosting my keynote at the Web 2.0 pre-conference in Florence) newsletter arrived this week too. (link here 16 page PDF)

I'll be in the booth in Milan and look forward to chatting with anyone over coffee or drinks about library technology and libraries in general.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:51 AM | Comments (1)

How Large is a Petabyte?

Cool link from Gizmodo:

How large is a petabyte?

Of course, this is showing us that the big virtual library collection gets more possible and probable every day. Is it within my lifetime? Is it within my kids' lifetimes?

I wonder what the search engine will look like? Surely the now traditional and boring Google style box search > display list > show ads model will collapse under the volume. Will libraries invent the next model or will the culture of can't intervene?

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:17 AM | Comments (1)

Should I quit blogging?

This is a great post from Darren Rowse at ProBlogger:

“Should I quit my blog and start Lifestreaming, Videocasting, Social Messaging/Networking etc?”

"There’s been another round of ‘blogging is dead’ posts doing the rounds of late and as a result I’ve had a number of emails hitting my inbox over the last week from bloggers asking if they should stop blogging.

Here’s some of the advice I’ve been sharing:

Blogging is not dead - it’s evolving."

And then he goes on to share 10 more pieces of good insight and advice.

Thanks Darren, I needed that!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:25 AM | Comments (0)

Happy Blog Anniversary to Me

Well in the past week Canada (142), SLA (100) and the USA (233) have all had anniversaries.

My blog is a youngster but today, July 8th, is the 4th anniversary of this blog.

Happy Blog Anniversary to Stephen's Lighthouse!

That's 2,524 blog entries and 1,755 comments and, conservatively, about 1,000,000 splog (Aren't you glad I moderate that and delete it).

Anyway, it's been fun and I wish my readers well.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 1:16 AM | Comments (1)

July 7, 2009

Intranet 2.0

The IntranetBlog publicizes this report of a survey of "561 organizations of all sizes from across the planet participated in the Intranet 2.0 Global Survey and the results reveal rapid adoption of social media on the corporate intranet in the past year." Here's a sample result:

"Question 7: Intranet 2.0 Tools
Which of the following Intranet 2.0 tools are being used at your organization?

Findings:

Intranet 2.0 tools such as blogs and wikis have become mainstream, and are present in nearly 50% of organization intranets (regardless of size) in North America, Europe, Australia & New Zealand:

47% have intranet wikis (17% enterprise deployment); 10% have no plans or interest
46% have intranet discussion forums (19% enterprise use); 9% have no plans or interest
46% have intranet instant messaging (29% enterprise use); 21% have no plans or interest
45% have intranet blogs (13% enterprise deployment); 11% have no plans or interest
37% have intranet RSS (13% enterprise use); 12% have no plans or interest
23% have intranet podcasts (6% enterprise deployment); 30% have no plans or interest
19% have intranet social networking (6% enterprise use); 20% have no plans or interest"

To download a free, summarized version of the report (11 page PDF) please visit:

http://www.prescientdigital.com/articles/download-summary-report-of-intranet-2-0-global-survey

They conclude that organizations without a 2.0 strategy for their intranet are at risk.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 6:19 AM | Comments (1)

July 6, 2009

ALA Trade Show Presentations

The Annual HUGE ALA exhibits and trade show is coming up and starts this Saturday. I plan to be in our booth a fair bit too so drop by the chat. My colleagues and I are also doing a bunch of 20-30 minute presentations in our booth's Theatre and everyone is welcome to attend. Here's our SirsiDynix program schedule:

SirsiDynix Theatre ‘Live’ Presentations

Saturday July 11th
9:30 a.m. Stephen Abram, "Not Just Clicks: The essence of usability"
11:00 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 for Public Libraries
11:30 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 – The Techie View

Sunday July 12th
10:00 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 for Public Libraries
11:00 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 – The Techie View
1:00 p.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 for Public Libraries

Monday July 13th
10:00 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 – The Techie View
11:00 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 for Public Libraries
12:00 p.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 for Public Libraries

Tuesday July 14th
9:30 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 for Public Libraries
10:30 a.m. SirsiDynix Enterprise 3.0 – The Techie View
11:00 a.m. Stephen Abram, "Not Just Clicks: The essence of usability"

I'll post my slides from ALA for those of you who can't be there.

I am also a panelist for the ALA Committee on Accreditation (COA) program “ALA Accreditation – Employers Speak” at the conference on Sunday, July 12 from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Since SirsiDynix employs a few hundred plus accredited librarians in nearly all capacities (executive, customer support, sales, development, training, implementations, etc.) we have a vested interest in the accreditation debates and conversations.

I am looking forward to seeing a lot of friends, colleagues and clients at ALA in Chicago.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 6:54 PM

Phones and Laptops

I am waiting for my new iPhone 3GS. Everyone is sold out this weekend and I am my usual impatient self.

Anyway, these posts caught my eye:

Can the iPhone Replace Your Laptop?

Question of the Day: Can a Phone Replace a Laptop? (My Take: Probably Not)

It's an interesting question. I've lived through being tied down to a desktop PC for any computing. Now my only desktop is the printer server at home and that's probably not going to last too long. I am on about my tenth laptop and I love my VIAO for screen size and keyboard size for my lap in hotel rooms and at home. However, I have to say that my tiny ACER netbook is perfect for travelling and conference use. I back everything up from the main laptop to it so it serves as a third back-up too. I like it for easy wireless access in airports and at conferences and how light it is (less than a half pound - I forget I am carrying it). I also like that it's cheap and I don't fear losing it as much as the other devices.

Now I am asking myself if (when?) I'll get the same power from a smart phone from some supplier. All I really need is a laser keyboard and the ability to surf, e-mail, and some generic version of Word, Excel, PDF, and PowerPoint.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 10:01 AM | Comments (1)

The Desktop PC is Dead?

From Lifehacker:

"Desktop sales fell by 23 percent last year across the computer industry. In the U.S., 80 percent of sales went to notebooks. Gizmodo declares the desktop dead, but we're wondering if you see a future for non-mobile systems."

Both the Lifehacker and Gizmodo postings are interesting.

Clearly, libraries love their desktops. They're easier to chain down, lock down, CONTROL. They're easier to manage and clean all that nasty personal usage off them. They even fit in those old carrells that everyone despised. And we can make them sit near the electrical outlets whether that's a nice place to be or not.

So, desktops will be libraries for many year to come.

Of course, the real question is how laptop friendly is your library. How many tables have easy to access electrical? Can you plug in to the broadband? Can you get on the WiFi as easily as in a hotel lobby? Are the plus easy to find? Do you have a map at the front desk telling people where they're hidden? Can I borrow a powerbar so we can share?

How many tables have automatic battery chargers? (You know the ones that don't require you to plus in... the wireless rechargers). How many lockers do you have with an outlet in them so I can recharge my laptop or phone or Touch without having to babysit it like a newborn? Where can I safely stow my devices in your library if I am in town or on campus all day? Can I work with others and their laptops and devices in a group? Are the tables and chairs set up somewhere to that easily?

Does your website display well on my laptop screen, Touch, iPhone, whatever? How about your licensed resources? How about your OPAC?

So, how device and laptop friendly is your library?

Can I use your printers from my laptop? I can in hotels and airports so I expect to do so everywhere.

Can I project from my laptop on to meeting room screens and monitors? Hmmm, can I borrow the cables and an adaptor for my Mac or PC?

Wireless WiFi is just the start...

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 9:09 AM | Comments (0)

Teaching Generation M

It has finally arrived!

Teaching Generation M: A Handbook for Librarians and Educators, edited by my New Jersey librarian colleague Vibiana Bowman Cvetkovic (Rutgers University-Camden) and Robert J. Lackie, (Rider University), has hit the bookstores and is now available for your reading pleasure! (Neal-Schuman (N-S) Publishers)

I expect to get my copy any day now! I wrote the chapter: "The Emerging Gen-M Ecology: What Will Their World Look Like?" I like the concept of the book since it takes a more holistic approach to serving the generation that just a library focus.

As Robert noted in his Library Garden blog, "We hope that you find our handbook about working with and devising quality educational resources for “Generation M” – today’s group of teens and young adults born in the early 1980s through the mid-to-late 1990s – to be interesting and helpful."

I'll bet you can pick up a copy at ALA!

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:52 AM | Comments (0)

July 4, 2009

Happy July 4th

OK, to add to my collection of Stephen with famous Americans, for this July fourth I'll add a picture of me and General Colin Powell. We had a chance to chat and a photo op at the SLA Centennial Conference in June in DC.

Happy July 4th. Enjoy the fireworks.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 2:55 AM | Comments (0)

July 3, 2009

The Future of Library User Experience

Nate Bolt, a user experience expert, gave the ULC (Urban Libraries Council) 2009 Webinar keynote on The Future of Library User Experience.

Check out his slideshare and turn your speakers on. (Set aside 1:24:00)

Future of Library User Experience

ULC Webinar.com

Check out the #ULCTalk on Twitter for particpant comments.

Three pieces of good advice:

1. Watch three people use your site. (Don't ask them anything until they're done.)
2. Draw or build one webpage. (Outside your current architecture. Use WordPress)
3. Play with a free open tool. (FreeBase, Google Squared, Open Library, Google Wave Preview)
It's all good.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:37 AM

100 Ways to Be More Creative on the Job

Are you stuck on what to do next on your portal, what API to create using your OPAC, what to post to your library website/blog today?

I had a fun time doing a creativity workshop at SLA where we explored ways to embrace and encourage our own creativity through play and working the less used portions of our brains and consciousness.

I loved this posting from The Heart of Innovation Blog.

100 Ways to Be More Creative on the Job

Print it out and post it over your desk. Try each one at least once over three months and see if you're more creative at the end. I think you will be.

I have a lot of deliverables like speeches, presentations, white papers, workshops, columns, blog postings, and articles. All of these require that I rise above writer's block and feeling uninspired to get done. I do find that my creativity is unblocked by the following:

a. Touring an art gallery
b. Visiting a museum
c. Sitting in a garden in bloom
d. Walking through a neighbourhood
e. Listening to my iPod
f. Talking to kids
g. Listening to seniors' stories
h. Write a blog posting
i. Play with the cat (or dog)
j. Read a poem (I like haiku since I have a short attention span)
k. Watch a short YouTube video
l. Call a friend I haven't talked to in a while
m. Go to a play
n. Go to a concert
o. Ask youself how your issue is like an alligator, rose or skunk.

Some of this stuff is just about being balanced. Maybe balance is a prerequisite to creativity.

What works for you?

Stephen

uis

Posted by stephen at 8:07 AM | Comments (1)

July 2, 2009

Happy Birthday SLA

July 2nd marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of SLA. On that day in 1909, some 20 attendees at the ALA annual conference met separately on the verandah of the Mt. Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods, N.H., USA, to form SLA and adopt a constitution that defined the "Object" as follows:

"The object of this Association is to promote the interests of the commercial, industrial, technical, civic, municipal and legislative reference libraries, the special departments of public libraries, universities, welfare associations, and business organizations."

(For more on the founding of SLA, see Guy St. Clair's book SLA at 100, published by SLA for the Centennial.)

What were the founders thinking when they chose to use the word "Special" in the name of SLA? From John Cotton Dana's comments we know that the name was casually chosen in that the members were all "doing some special work in libraries." We also know that the founders wanted the new association to be inclusive, and in fact, the association grew rapidly as information pioneers in a variety of settings signed up.

Now that SLA is 100, we are reconsidering the name of our association and the direction to take in recruiting new members. We have the evidence provided to us by the Alignment Project research, which shows that "special" does not resonate with those we serve. We have the evidence which shows that we can recruit information professionals who work outside of "special libraries."

Upon the occasion of our centennial, this is precisely the time when we should be acting on these issues. Urge your colleagues to discuss the findings of the Alignment Project and what steps SLA should take to promote the interests of information professionals in the 21st Century. Be prepared to vote on a name change later this Centennial Year. Align in '09.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)

Blogging as a Special Librarian

Here's my column for the June issue of Information Outlook.

Blogging as a Special Librarian

Download file
(MS Word format)

Stephen

Download file

Posted by stephen at 8:06 AM | Comments (0)

July 1, 2009

Does any technology ever really die?

I love this graphic from The Steve Rubel LifeStream.

He explains it here in his posting: Blogs are Out of Beta, But Bloggers Should Always Be in Beta this way:

"The image above is one of the most important graphics I have ever seen. In fact I stare at it every day on my desktop to remind me that a) there will always be shifts in media and b) one format never supersedes another."

I know that the entertainment industry is much larger than it was when I was a kid and very much larger than when my parents were little and paying nickels to go to the movies. Every new format added rather than replaced - even if video killed the radio star!

Then again you can feel free to shut down your Archie, Veronica and Gopher servers. And try selling that old 8Track player on eBay.

Stephen

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

Everywhere is here!

Got two minutes?

Quite a few people are pointing to this video and I think it's a good investment of two minutes.

What is the future of the library? from Guy Adam Ailion

Quite a few good concepts packed into two minutes.

What is the future of the library?

Everywhere is here.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 8:57 AM | Comments (0)

Preparing for the New Media Literacies

Here's my column for Multimedia and Internet@Schools in the Mar./Apr. 2009 Issue

Preparing for the New Media Literacies

Download file

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:24 AM | Comments (0)

The New Normal

Finally catching up!

Here's my April/May Information Outlook column:

The New Normal

Download file

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 7:13 AM | Comments (0)

Happy Canada Day

It's the first of July and therefore it's Canada Day! Yay, eh!

If you want to be Canadian for a day, watch this fantastic video and you'll be trained:

So you want to be Canadian . . .

Of course, you'll need to like getting your milk in bags, eat poutine, apologize for Celine Dion, tear up at Canadian Tire commercials, and more.

Have a great day, eh.

Stephen

Posted by stephen at 3:26 AM | Comments (0)