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October 30, 2009
Open Libraries Podcast
I was interviewed last week by Richard Wallis for the track plenary I am doing in London for Online International.
Here's a link to the podcast which hopes to promote the speech and the conference.
Stephen Abram – Open in Libraries Technology & Education
"Stephen Abram is Vice President, Innovation for library system vendor SirsiDynix. He is track keynote speaker for the The Open Movement in Libraries, Technology & Education track, on the third day of the conference.
In this first podcast in our Online Information 2009 series, Stephen first explores the meaning of the, often over used, openness concept. Are we talking about openness of systems, software APIs, open source, approach, minds, libraries, or a combination of several. of these.
With such a broad topic, it was inevitable that we addressed many many aspects of the influences of technology and attitudes on the way libraries are evolving. Touching on the library system industry, and how it has and is changing, postulating on the future of libraries, and external influences from our rapidly changing world, this is a great introduction to his presentation and the track it kicks off."
Follow the link to the MP3 file.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:47 PM | Comments (0)
It's About a Respectful Discussion
The discussion about open source and integrated library systems has become more relevant and animated in the past year. Much has happened to fuel the discussion, especially recently with changes with the open source (and quasi-open source) vendors. Open source technology in general has become part of the technology discussion of in many industries including libraries.
SirsiDynix customers and prospects, as well as our library colleagues and peers, have asked us for our reaction to open source technology development as it grows and changes in the market. In response, I wrote a position paper that provides our perspective of open source technology as it exists today as an option for library automation. I am a librarian who has worked for libraries and several vendors, and I feel that the paper brings some very real challenges to light for any library considering open source solutions for their library automation.
The paper has been posted and exchanged in the past day, rumoured to be a secretive lobbying effort that SirsiDynix has been hiding. This is simply not true. There has been nothing secretive about the position paper, we have been offering and sharing it with many customers as we meet with them, and I am offering it to anyone interested at the link below.
SirsiDynix views open source technology as healthy competition in the marketplace. We believe that competition is good for libraries and for our industry, and OSS is no exception. My colleague Talin Bingham, CTO for SirsiDynix, reinforced this position in a recent NISO forum, stating that OSS, with all competition, means better products for libraries. We have worked with open source vendors in standards definition in the past and will continue to do so. We even use open source technology in our own products (Apache/Tomcat) and development environment (CUnit, JUnit, Linux, Suse, Redhat, EMMA).
As the leader in library automation solutions, we have a responsibility in ensuring technological advancement for all libraries. One role we play is to provide a viewpoint on the challenges and concerns of ILS open source development as companies in any competitive position will do, my position paper offers our perspective to anyone interested or considering adopting the solution.
I am not against open source software. SirsiDynix is not opposed to open source software. I admire a lot of open source projects, especially those that seek to improve the user experience. I have said that if libraries have money to invest right now in these difficult economic times, they should improve the end-user library experience rather than reinvent their own backrooms. Why spend time and money reinventing what already works? Many of those open source solutions improving the user experience have been integrated with SirsiDynix systems using our API, sometimes in consulting efforts with SirsiDynix.
However, I do not think that open source ILS solutions are ready for most libraries, and I think the solutions should stand up to the same scrutiny as anything else you adopt in your library, including the procurement process from which these solutions are selected. We have spoken with a number of libraries who purchased or adopted open source, that now face a loss of features and functions and have discovered the real cost and complexity of open source software, partially due to the early stage of development.
We are not the first to state this position, and I do not believe we will be the last. There have been a number of events and articles recently that rebalance the discussion and provide information and realistic perspective to the debate. Polaris, another ILS vendor, hosted a webcast on this topic and Talis, a UK ILS vendor, hosted a Library 2.0 Gang podcast discussion about growth and development of open source solutions.
I plan to continue participating in the conversation. I am giving a plenary keynote on Open Systems at the Online International conference in London in December, and an advance podcast for Online with Richard Wallis from Talis was released today (http://blogs.talis.com/panlibus/archives/2009/10/steven-abram-open-in-libraries-technology-education.php ). I have also just agreed to participate in June at the ALA Conference open source debate for LITA involving myself, Marshall Breeding, Karen Schneider, and Roy Tennant. I look forward to a thoughtful, professional sharing of all of our perspectives.
I am a librarian, and 42 percent of our staff has library degrees and training. In this industry, we work hard to promote the exchange of information, and so a well-informed debate on this topic is healthy. It is fundamental to my belief system that everyone is obligated to look at all sides and engage in the discussion with information, evidence, and facts, not driven merely by emotion, philosophies and personal agendas.
Some have expressed surprise about the position paper. Some call it FUD - fear, uncertainty and doubt. I call it critical thinking and constructive debate - something that everyone in libraries should embrace and engage in.
Lastly, a personal request. I encourage and look forward to the discussion that will no doubt add to the online conversation we have seen in the last day. However, I sincerely ask that my colleagues keep a professional tone when speaking to their positions. I have been dismayed in the past few weeks when seeing ad hominem attacks being propagated online, especially when it is hurled at me and my family. I think you all agree, it cheapens the discussion at hand and hides the critical points that others are trying to express.
My position paper is available for download, and I encourage you to read it. Agree with me or not, I look forward to the discussion.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 1:10 PM | Comments (35)
October 29, 2009
United Nations Approves MicroUSB Universal Phone Charger Standard
United Nations Approves MicroUSB Universal Phone Charger Standard
About time! Let's hope North America changes or adopts before 2012.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:47 AM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2009
Library 101
OK, I have to admit that I love Michael Porter and David Lee King. They truly let their passion for libraries show in all of their work and they bring fun to the party all the time and they share willingly and openly.
So I am giving a plug for the video they produced, wrote, promoted, sang in, and more.
I was there for the premiere day (or at least the much requested second viewing since I was moderating the Pecha Kucha session) at Internet Librarian.
As they say on their new rich site:
"Have you seen it? Have you heard the song and seen the music video? Have you read any of the 23 essays from some of the greatest minds in Libraryland (and David King and Michael Porter [and me too])? Have you looked at the carefully selected list of 101 hyperlinked resources that share critically important things to think about and know in order to ensure a vibrant future for libraries, even as technology changes the information access and community landscapes?
Well you should go check it out!"
These two dudes are awesome.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:37 PM | Comments (0)
US Smartphone Ownership Share
Some clear trends...
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:44 AM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2009
This says it all
This graphic says it all.
A Graphic History of Newspaper Circulation Over the Last Two Decades
"Daily newspaper circulation has fallen to a pre-World War II low of an estimated 39.1 million"
"Circulation at major metro daily newspapers fell at more than twice the rate of last year’s record declines."
It just goes to show that no industry is safe from precipitous decline. The fundamentals are there - people still like news but newspapers are really struggling.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
New Laws for Catalogues
Jim Weinheimer posted these as a contribution to the current discussion
The Five Laws of *Library Catalogs* for the 21st Century
Five Laws of *Library Catalog Records* for the 21st Century
I think they're a pretty interesting part of the discussion on improving library catalogues.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2009
How Moms Use Their iPhones
Finally, some market research libraries can really use!
How do you get in touch with that mom for story hours or pajama and teddy bear nights? How about the mom who just dropped off Elroy with his homework while shuffling Judy to dance lessons and Astro to the vet?
How Moms Use Their iPhones (ReadWriteWeb)
Interesting visuals too.
Let's get an app for that!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:05 AM | Comments (0)
The Information Economy 2009
The Information Economy report 2009 has been published by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). This report focuses mostly on the technology side of the information economy. It is pretty fascinating since it tries to be truly global and nnot just one country or continent.
"The Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times is the fourth in a series published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report is one of the few publications to monitor global trends in information and communication technologies (ICTs) as they affect developing countries. It serves as a valuable reference for policymakers in those nations. It gives special attention to the impact of the global financial crisis on ICTs.
Global and regional trends in the diffusion of ICTs such as fixed and mobile telecommunications, Internet, and broadband
Ranking of the most dynamic economies in terms of increased ICT connectivity between 2003 and 2008
Monitoring of the “digital divide”
Survey of national statistical offices on the use of ICT in the business sector
A review of the changing patterns in the trade of ICT goods
A mapping of the new geography in the offshoring of IT and ICT-enabled services.
Policy recommendations on how developing countries can reap greater benefits from ICT
A statistical annex with global ICT data.
The Information Economy Report 2009 (IER 2009) offers a fresh assessment of the diffusion of key ICT applications between 2003 and 2008. While fixed telephone subscriptions are now in slight decline, mobile and Internet use continues to expand rapidly in most countries and regions. At the same time, there is a widening gap between high-income and low-income countries in broadband connectivity. Broadband penetration is now eight times higher in developed than in developing countries. The report explores policy options for countries seeking to improve broadband connectivity.
The IER 2009 includes a chapter on the use of ICTs in the business sector. Drawing on unique data, it examines how ICT use differs both between and within countries, highlighting the rural-urban divide as well as that between large and small companies. The report recommends that governments in developing countries give more attention to ICT uptake and use by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as they are lagging behind larger firms. And it discusses those aspects of ICT where government intervention can make a difference.
A third chapter is devoted to the impact of the financial crisis on ICT trade. While a growing share of exports of ICT goods and services is accounted for by developing economies, especially in Asia, the crisis has affected goods and services quite differently. ICT goods are among the categories of trade most negatively affected by the recession, while IT and ICT-related services appear to be among the most resilient. A statistical annex to the report provides data on ICT infrastructure, ICT use, and ICT trade for up to 200 economies. A PDF version of the IER 2009 and its statistical annex are downloadable from the UNCTAD website (www.unctad.org/ier) from 23 October 2009.
For more information about UNCTAD’s work on ICT for Development please contact:
ICT Analysis Section
e-mail: ict4d@unctad.org
Telephone: +41 22 917 55 91
Fax: +41 22 917 00 52"
Go to http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=11915&intItemID=2068&lang=1 - for the full report free online click on Downloads [PDF, 153 Pages, 2820Kb]
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:36 AM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2009
2009 ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology
"Since 2004, the annual ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology has sought to shed light on how information technology affects the college experience. We ask students about the technology they own and how they use it in and out of their academic world. We gather information about how skilled students believe they are with technologies; how they perceive technology is affecting their learning experience; and their preferences for IT in courses. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009 is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 studies. It is based on quantitative data from a spring 2009 survey of 30,616 freshmen and seniors at 103 four-year institutions and students at 12 two-year institutions; student focus groups that included input from 62 students at 4 institutions; and review of qualitative data from written responses to open-ended questions. In addition to studying student ownership, experience, behaviors, preferences, and skills with respect to information technologies, the 2009 study also includes a special focus on student ownership and use of Internet-capable handheld devices."
Download it here. (132 page PDF)
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:13 AM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2009
2008 Academic Library Trends and Statistics from ACRL
Gary Price at ResourceShelf is pointing to this important data that was released recently:
"2008 Academic Library Trends and Statistics from ACRL
The full text is a fee-based report but some highlights are available.
From the Media Release:
The 2008 data shows that the median unit cost of monographs (per volume) increased significantly since 2007 for all types of academic libraries (34.2 percent for associate degree-granting institutions, 63.3 percent for baccalaureate institutions, 61.1 percent for comprehensive institutions and 96.8 percent for doctoral/research institutions), while salary and wages expenditures as a percentage of total library expenditures remained unchanged. Salaries and wages constituted 72.1 percent of total library expenditures for associate-degree granting institutions, 56.6 percent for baccalaureate 56.5 percent for comprehensive schools, and 46.5 percent for doctoral/research institutions.
Serial expenditures as a percentage of total library materials expenditures saw very little variation from 2007, increasing less than 1 percent for associate degree-granting institutions and doctoral/research institutions (0.2 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively) and less than 2 percent for comprehensive institutions (1.4 percent) and baccalaureate schools (1.6 percent). Unchanged from 2007 is the percentage of student assistant staff as a percentage of total staff, ranging from a low of 18.1 percent at associate degree-granting institutions to a high of 29.4 percent at baccalaureate institutions.
The data comes from 1,533 academic libraries.
You can also access free summary data for the following categories:
+ Collections
+ Expenditures
+ Electronic Materials Expenditures
+ Personnel and Public Services
+ Ph.D., Faculty, and Enrollment Statistics
+ Selected Variable
Stats are then organized by type of institution and presented in PDF files:
1. Associate of Arts Granting Institutions
2. Bachelor of Arts Granting Institutions
3. Master of Arts and Professional Degree Granting Institutions
4. Doctoral Degree Granting Institutions
Source: ACRL"
For those of you in this sector, these are the data you need to compare and contrast.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2009
Southern California SirsiDynix Users Group
I have just finished a presentation to the Southern California SirsiDynix Users Group hosted by Cerritos College in Oakland. It was a fun time and the weather here is awesome before heading to Internet Librarian in Monterey.
Here are my PPT's:
Innovation and Libraries: What is at the Heart of Libraries?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:33 PM | Comments (1)
Global Trends
These National Intelligence Council reports are worth a read. I particularly enjoyed the report on 2010 Trends that was written in 1996 and then revised in late 1997. I find that it is nteresting to see what they get right and what they get wrong.
The others are more up to date in a Dr. Who kind of sense.
Mapping the Global Future 2020
It is a big world out there!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:50 AM | Comments (0)
100 Ways You Should Be Using Facebook in Your Classroom
A brainstorm of ideas to consider:
100 Ways You Should Be Using Facebook in Your Classroom
October 20th, 2009
"Facebook isn’t just a great way for you to find old friends or learn about what’s happening this weekend, it is also an incredible learning tool. Teachers can utilize Facebook for class projects, for enhancing communication, and for engaging students in a manner that might not be entirely possible in traditional classroom settings. Read on to learn how you can be using Facebook in your classroom, no matter if you are a professor, student, working online, or showing up in person for class."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:18 AM | Comments (0)
Draft report on openness in higher education
The Committee for Economic Development, a longstanding American business-led think tank, has released a draft of its report, Harnessing Openness to Improve Research, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education [102 page PDF].
Table of Contents:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I. CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
b. Higher Education .
c. Trends Affecting Higher Education
II. CHAPTER 2. HIGHER EDUCATION AND ITS ADOPTION OF OPENNESS .
a. Open Educational Resources: A Force for Greater Openness in Higher Education
b. "e State of OER Today
c. Teaching and Learning Using Open Educational Resources
III. CHAPTER 3. ISSUES SURROUNDING OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 34
a. Issue: How Should OER be Defined?
b. Issue: "e Perils of a Supply-Side Focus
c. Issue: Locating and Evaluating OER
d. Issue: "e OER Landscape and the Need for Coordinaton
e. Issue: Incentives for Participation in OER Creation and development
f. Issue: Government Support for OER
g. Issue: Intellectual Property Rights and OER Development
h. Issue: “Fair Use” and Educational Exceptions
i. Issue: Intellectual Property Licenses for OER
j. Issue: Standards and Interoperability
k. Issue: Learning About Co-Creation
l. Issue: Sustainability
m. Issue: E-Spaces and E-Portfolios
n. Issue: "e Open Syllabus
IV. CHAPTER 4. COMMUNITY COLLEGES
a. "e Challenges
b. "e Inevitability of an Increase in Online Education
c. Openness and Data Availability
d. A More Open Way to View Grades 9-16
e. Openness and Extending Institutional Resources
f. Openness and Strengthening Community Colleges’ Relationships Business
g. Open Textbooks
h. Broadband Connectivity and Fab Labs
V. CHAPTER 5. OPENNESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: CHANGES IN RESEARCH
a. Resistance to Greater Openness
b. Openness and Open-Access Journals
c. Digital Repositories
d. Educating Faculty Members on "eir Intellectual Property Rights
e. Openness and Commercial Support of Research
f. Access to Government-Funded Research Results
g. Openness and University Libraries
h. Openness and Academic Presses
i. Openness and Technology Transfer
VI. CHAPTER 6. OTHER APPLICATIONS OF OPENNESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION:
EXTENDED COMMUNITIES AND ADMINISTRATION.
a. Improving Connections to Extended Communities
b. Improving the Administration of Colleges and Universities
c. Openness and the Challenge of Piracy
VII. CHAPTER 7. EVALUATION, CERTIFICATION, ACCREDITATION, COMPATIBILITY,
TRANSPARENCY, AND COMPETITION: WHAT ARE WE MISSING?
a. What Do We Know About Educational Materials and Practices .
b. Degrees and Certificates—What Do they Mean?
c. Accreditation and Reform
d. Openness and Reform
e. "e Emergence of New Forms of Certification
VIII. CHAPTER 8. LESSONS FROM FOR-PROFIT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION . .
a. Background
b. Mission Clarity
c. Assessment and Learning Outcomes
d. Flexibility and Willingness to Experiment With and Employ New Technologies
e. A Faculty of Practitioners
f. Enhancing Teaching
g. Learning in Groups
h. Openness to Business
IX. CHAPTER 9. CONCLUSION
ENDNOTES
Stephen
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:22 AM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2009
White Space Broadband
It's great to see ths starting. It has only been a short time since the analog TV signal stopped in the U.S. and now the system is open for innovation.
First white space broadband deployment in small Virginia town
"The nation's first wireless broadband network operating in unused TV channel "white spaces" is now live in an unlikely spot—Claudville, Virginia.
Claudville is a small place—only 20,000 people live in the entire county, and only 900 in Claudville proper—and its Blue Ridge Mountain terrain has made Internet access hard to come by. Combine that with a countywide per capita income of $15,574 and its not hard to see why the big ISPs haven't rushed to Claudville.
In testimony before Congress in April 2009, county supervisor Jonathan Large lamented his region's lack of broadband Internet connectivity, saying that it was hurting both education and the jobs market.
"Students need the capability to connect via high speed Internet to do research or complete course assignments from their homes," he said. "The schools simply cannot provide enough computers simultaneously for all the students who want to use them at school… If the county has any hope of recruiting new companies to the area, high speed Internet connectivity is an inherent demand to be met. If it is not available, they will not come."
I know this will spread and connect up more folks with equitable access.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
The Future of Mainstream Media
Here's an interesting if somewhat depressing report on the state of mainstream media that was commissioned by the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University,.
The bulk of the report (text here) traces the decline and fall of the mainstream media.
The Reconstruction of American Journalism
So how will libraries participate in the creation of news experiences and sources and find tools?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:13 AM | Comments (0)
The Three Faces of Social Media
This Garner Group graphic helps to make it clearer where social media fit into our work, personal and public lives:
Love it.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 3:07 AM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2009
New Pew Report on Twitter
The Pew Internet Project just released a new report on Twitter (and other status update services) at 4pm Eastern today. Their September 2009 survey shows that three groups are driving the growth of this activity: younger internet users, mobile users, and those who are already using social network websites. They like to share, they have the means to do so, and Twitter makes it easy.
It is interesting that Twitter did have more older users but that youth are coming on board later.
I suspect that bigger growth will happen in the coming quarters with the real time search capabilities added to Twitter by Bing (and probably Google later).
"Some 19% of internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves, or to see updates about others. This represents a significant increase over previous surveys in December 2008 and April 2009, when 11% of internet users said they use a status-update service.
Three groups of internet users are mainly responsible for driving the growth of this activity: social network website users, those who connect to the internet via mobile devices, and younger internet users – those under age 44.
In addition, the more devices someone owns, the more likely they are to use Twitter or another service to update their status. Fully 39% of internet users with four or more internet-connected devices (such as a laptop, cell phone, game console, or Kindle) use Twitter, compared to 28% of internet users with three devices, 19% of internet users with two devices, and 10% of internet users with one device.
The median age of a Twitter user is 31, which has remained stable over the past year. The median age for MySpace is now 26, down from 27 in May 2008, and the median age for LinkedIn is now 39, down from 40. Facebook, however, is graying a bit: the median age for this social network site is now 33, up from 26 in May 2008.
It will probably become more difficult to track status updating as an independent activity as social network updates feed into Twitter and vice versa. For now, it is clear that a “social segment” of internet users is flocking to both social network sites and status update services. This segment is likely to grow as ever more internet users adopt mobile devices as a primary means of going online."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:25 PM | Comments (0)
Ten Technologies You Can't Afford to Ignore
Here is the Gartner Group's 2009 and 2010 Top Ten Technologies You Can't Afford to Ignore:
They all appear relevant to our sectors.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 1:01 PM | Comments (0)
One Two Punch
Very Interesting . . .
Microsoft's Bing will shortly announce non-exclusive deals with Twitter and Facebook.
Hmmm....
More here (and all over the place soon)
Update: and Google rushed their announcement out too today (and here).
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)
Does the Brain Like E-Books?
The Room for Debate feature of the NYT has an interesting series of articles:
They're all interesting and I liked reading the comments (15 pages so far!) too.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)
The State of the Blogosphere
Technorati is out with their annual report on the state of blogging.
"Since 2004, our annual study has followed the growth and trends in the blogosphere. For 2009, we took a deeper dive into the entire blogosphere, with a focus on professional bloggers. This year’s topics include: professional blogging activities, brands in the blogosphere, monetization, twitter & micro-blogging and bloggers’ impact on US and World events."
It always useful to scan their stat packed insights.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:06 AM | Comments (0)
1959
There's a new book out called 1959: The Year Everything Changed by Fred Kaplan (Wylie).
I've ordered a copy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 1959.
So what happened in 1959? Well to start:
1. Fidel Castro seized Havana
2. The Soviets launched a Lunyk 1 and escaped earth's gravitational pull
3. The cold war risked going thermo-nuclear
4. Texas Instruments announced the invention of the microchip
5. Lenny Bruce first appeared on TV
6. In the Spring, the first Japanese cars hit US auto shows
7. On July 8th the first 2 US soldiers were killed in Vietnam
8. In July Searle applied to market a birth control pill
And in 1959 my mother got pregnant with the 4th of us five siblings and I headed off to Kindergarten.
1959 - a landmark year. It really was a year when, arguably, everything changed and we're still feeling it. I was too young to remember it clearly like I can remember the impact of 1969 (assassination trials, Stonewall, riots, FLQ, men on the moon, end of the Beatles, Wal-Mart is founded, first AIDS virus, first GAP store, secret Vietnam peace talks and first troop withdrawals...)
Fifty years later, it is 2009, and change is a constant. What are the turning points this year?
Stephen
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:43 AM | Comments (1)
October 20, 2009
December SirsiDynix Institute
And here's the December SirsiDynix Institute. Registration is open now.
From Libraries to Lifebraries
Date: Dec 09, 2009
Start Time: 1 p.m. Eastern
Length: 1 hour
As libraries continue to evolve to meet customers' needs in a rapidly changing culture, the concern over the future of print and the "book" remains core to their existence. However, in looking at current trends, there is evidence to suggest otherwise. The future of libraries may not be dependent on the creation or evolution of new service delivery models based upon the book, it may actually reside in something more "deeply local." Join Helene Blowers in a lively conversation about "new life" opportunities for libraries. As old formats and service models decline, there's a new phoenix rising from the shadows.
Helene Blowers —Technology Director, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Helene Blowers was the Director of Technology at The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County and is now at Columbus Metropolitan Library. As Technology Director, Helene has been responsible for the development and creation of technology training programs, as well as the library's award winning web sites. She is co-author of the book, Weaving a Library Web: A Guide to Developing Children's Websites. She is also the founder of Learning 2.0.
All SirsiDynix Institutes are free and open to everyone.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 2:20 PM | Comments (0)
November SirsiDynix Institute
We'll, after a bit of a hiatus we're ready to star the new SirsiDynix Institute season. We have new software and new staff. And a popular speaker on a hot topic. W00t!
We can count 'em...but do they count? Challenges in assessing ROI from information services
Date: Nov 17, 2009
Start Time: 1 p.m. Eastern
Length: 1 hour
Attributed to Einstein and Drucker, variations on "not everything we measure is significant, and what is significant may be impossible to measure" apply to assessing the return on investment of funds and time - in the latter case both on the part of information center staff and knowledge workers using the information center. The pressure to demonstrate ROI and ROTI has produced a sizeable body of literature, yet it seems library and information centre managers still struggle to measure the "right" activity indicators and assess the contribution those activities and associated investments are making to the organization's strategic goals. Ulla de Stricker shares observations and caveats from her experience with strategic assessments and planning for knowledge centric entities and suggests basic guidelines for presenting ROI-type information to organization managers.
Ulla de Stricker —Consultant, de Stricker Associates
Ulla de Stricker, in consulting practice since 1992, helps clients deal with the full gamut of knowledge management challenges, bringing to bear decades of experience. Since the late 1970s, Ulla de Stricker held information industry positions with responsibility in the areas of strategy, design, and market client relations. She managed the Canadian operations for DIALOG in the 1980s and built the electronic publishing venture for a Canadian unit of Thomson in the early 1990s. She is well known for her bold vision of the future of the library profession and is a popular speaker at information conferences internationally. www.destricker.com
The SirsiDynix Insitute is always free and is open to everyone.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)
Library Use of eBooks
Some useful reports on the data in ths review. It appears to be a useful book too.
Library Use of E-books: 2008-2009 Edition Reviewed in Learned Publishing
"The PDF file available here is of a book review (really a “report” review) from the October, 2009 issue of Learned Publishing. The report being reviewed, Library Use of E-books: 2008-2009 Edition, was published by Primary Research."
I suspect that this is a growing collection development issue. I wonder if we will have book rationalization projects like there are with periodical titles...
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)
The Knight Commission
This report is gettng good play across the interweb:
The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy is a group of 17 media, policy and community leaders. Its purpose is to assess the information needs of communities, and recommend measures to help Americans better meet those needs.
The report is free after the link.
"Part I: What are the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy?
Communal and Personal Needs IntersectEnvisioning and Measuring Success and
Part II: Commission Findings and Recommended Strategies
Conclusions and Recommendations
A. Maximizing the Availability of Relevant and Credible Information
People need relevant and credible information to be free and self-governing.
The Commission concludes:
•The current financial challenges facing private news media could pose a crisis for democracy.
•Public media should provide better local news and information.
•Not-for-profit and non-traditional media can be important sources of journalism.
•Public information belongs to the public. Government must be more open.
•Informed communities can measure their information health.
The Commission recommends:
Recommendation 1: Direct media policy toward innovation,
competition, and support for business models that provide
marketplace incentives for quality journalism.
Recommendation 2: Increase support for public service
media aimed at meeting community information needs.
Recommendation 3: Increase the role of higher education,
community and nonprofit institutions as hubs of journalistic
activity and other information-sharing for local communities.
Recommendation 4: Require government at all levels to operate transparently, facilitate easy and low-cost access to public records, and make civic and social data available in standardized formats that support the productive public use of such data.
Recommendation 5: Develop systematic quality measures of community information ecologies, and study how they affect social outcomes.
B. Enhancing the Information Capacity of Individuals
People need tools, skills, and understanding to use information effectively.
The Commission concludes:
•All people have a right to be fully informed.
•There need be no second-class citizens in informed communities.
•Funding to meet this goal is an investment in the nation’s future.
•Americans cannot compete globally without new public policies and investment in technology.
The Commission recommends:
Recommendation 6: Integrate digital and media literacy as
critical elements for education at all levels through collaboration among federal, state, and local education officials.
Recommendation 7: Fund and support public libraries and other community institutions as centers of digital and media training, especially for adults.
Recommendation 8: Set ambitious standards for nationwide broadband availability and adopt public policies
encouraging consumer demand for broadband services.
Recommendation 9: Maintain the national commitment
to open networks as a core objective of Internet policy.
Recommendation 10: Support the activities of information
providers to reach local audiences with quality content through all appropriate media, such as mobile phones, radio, public access cable, and new platforms.
6
C. Promoting Public Engagement
To pursue their true interests, people need to be engaged with information and with each other.
The Commission concludes:
•Creating informed communities is a task for everyone.
•Young people have a special role in times of great change.
•Technology can help everyone be part of the community.
•Everyone should feel a responsibility to participate.
The Commission recommends:
Recommendation 11: Expand local media initiatives to reflect the full reality of the communities they represent.
Recommendation 12: Engage young people in developing the digital information and communication capacities of local communities.
Recommendation 13: Empower all citizens to participate actively in community self-governance, including local “community summits” to address community affairs and pursue common goals.
Recommendation 14: Emphasize community information flow in the design and enhancement of a local community’s public spaces.
Recommendation 15: Ensure that every local community
has at least one high-quality online hub.
The United States stands at what could be the beginning of a democratic renaissance, nurtured by innovative social practices and powerful technologies. With tools of communication (both old and new), dynamic institutions for promoting knowledge and the exchange of ideas, and a renewed commitment to engage in public life, Americans could find themselves in a brilliant new age.
The Knight Commission has recommended a series of strategies that, in various ways, exhort our major public and nonprofit institutions to give new priority to values of openness, inclusion, and engagement. The values questions posed are equally profound, however, for individual citizens and for media institutions. Creating informed communities is a task for everyone.
Communities throughout America need for their members to re-examine their individual roles as citizens in the digital age. More than ever, technology enables each citizen, as well as every business firm and every nonprofit organization, to be a productive part of the community. Those opportunities, however, and the social benefits they offer, imply a reciprocal responsibility to participate.
Likewise, communities can call upon their media institutions to confront how new technological capacities and social practices are challenging core values. The evolving relationship among journalists, media firms, and the public should engender a deep discussion about how these changes affect such values as objectivity, privacy, and accountability.
This report is intended to help America maintain its commitment to enduring information ideals, even as individuals and communities create information ecologies more relevant, participatory, and inclusive than ever. There need be no second-class citizens in the democratic communities of the digital age. Whether America fulfills this vision will require individual and collective initiative at every level of society."
It's nice to see a report placing libraries in the highest level the ecology.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:56 AM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2009
NELA Conference
I am in Hartford CT today giving a presentation to the New England Library Association Conference.
Here are the PPT's:
From Information to Intelligence: Using the SocialWeb to Transform Communities
The fall colours here are lovely.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 1:26 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2009
Web 2.0 and Information Pros
Love this quote:
"‘The more info, the more important the info pro,’ said industry consultant Mary Ellen Bates. This reason and many others mean that librarians continue playing the role they have always played, as facilitators between information and end users."
From the Research Information article "Librarians still have vital role in the Web 2.0 era".
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)
Beat Cancer Campaign.
For each mention of the hashtag #beatcancer, eBay/PayPal and MillerCoors will donate one cent to breast cancer research. People can tweet it, add it to their Facebook status, or blog about it . . . it all counts.
OK I did all three with love for friends past and present affected by breast cancer.
And getting into the Guiness Book of World Records is only the minor goal.
Goal one: Beat Cancer (duh)
Goal two: Get a world record
Goal three: Make sure people know what a hashtag is.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:04 AM | Comments (0)
The Innovation Paradox
Libraries love structure. They're also incredibly (and too often this isn't acknowledged) organizations that are full of flexibility and ambiguity. We can't manage that out of all of our processes. We are, after all in the end, dealing with humans.
I am quoting The Heart of Innovation Blog below
"Innovation is full of it -- paradox, that is. On one hand, organizations want structures, maps, models, guidelines, and systems. On the other hand, that's all too often the stuff that squelches innovation, driving it underground or out the door."
The essence of leadership is often maintaining a balance between these two competing issues and mindsets. You have to live like Atlas' feet - in two worlds astride turbulent waters.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:23 AM | Comments (1)
October 16, 2009
Writing Errors for Friday Fun
All my favourites are here!
50 Writing Errors that Continue to Haunt Bloggers
Be careful out there.
Of course, my all time favourite is pubic instead of public libraries but I guess that's my inner 13 year old sense of humour.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:51 AM | Comments (1)
Disruptive Technology
An interesting chart . . .
I'd always thought that simple processes and jobs were more susceptible to disruption by technology. This chart posits that it just takes longer for the harder work to be disrupted.
Check out the full post.
Hmmmm. Bring on the librarian robots with near human intelligence . . .
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:05 AM | Comments (0)
Using Social Media in Libraries
I am often asked "Where do we start with this socal media stuff?". I often recommend David Lee King's book, Designing the Digital Experience: How to Use Experience Design Tools. Now for the short course, check out this great post at the Lowrider Librarian blog:
Top Ten Technologies to Increase Communication in Your Organization
by Max Macias
The highlights of the list are (read the whole post after the link):
"1) Start a blog.
2) Start a Twitter feed.
3) Share your best practices on a Wiki.
4) Start an organizational discussion board.
5) Start a Facebook organizational page.
6) Start a YouTube or Vimeo channel.
7) Scrap that old print newsletter.
8) Incorporate social software into your organization.
9) Create a Flickr account to share organizational photos.
10) Begin or maintain an organizational culture that is free and open."
In reality just start anywhere and make incremental progress. Committees are the enemy of progress, iterative play is its friend.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 2:14 AM | Comments (1)
October 15, 2009
Average Internet User Now Spends 68 Hours Per Month Online
Mashable is reporting this from a new Nielsen report:
Average Internet User Now Spends 68 Hours Per Month Online
"The Nielsen Company issued a report today on the top U.S. web brands and Internet usage in the U.S. As expected, Google is the #1 web brand based on unique audience.
The statistic that really jumped out for us, however, was that in September 2009, the average U.S. Internet user spent an estimated 68 hours online (both at home and at work).
In addition to spending an average of 68 hours online, the average user visits nearly 2700 websites and averages 57 seconds per site."
Wow!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:51 AM | Comments (1)
Top 100 Most Visited Articles on Wikipedia in 2009
Here's another comparison for the consumer space or search space versus library reference questions or OPAC and website searches:
Top 100 Most Visited Articles on Wikipedia in 2009
"It’s pretty amazing that Wikipedia exists at all, let alone that it has over 17.8 million articles in more than two hundred languages."
Libraries have more articles. Really. Do we have a great idea of what our top articles are? Do we share this across librarries and library systems?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)
Are You a Non-Profit?
Most libraries are essentially non-profit enterprises. Some business strategies work for them and some, well, just don't.
I thank Lone Wolf for this link. It's a great presentation about the opportunities in social media.
You can also check out this cool presentation on SlideShare:
Title: "Social Media for Non Profits"
Link: http://www.slideshare.net/PrimalMedia/social-media-non-profits
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:14 AM | Comments (1)
October 14, 2009
WiFi Between Devices in 2010?!
This is exciting, eh?!
"By mid-2010, you could be transferring files, making phone calls, and printing your pictures from your camera, all without wires. That’s because Wi-Fi connections about to get a big upgrade that will allow millions of devices to talk directly to one another through the popular wireless standard.
The Wi-Fi Alliance, the trade group governing Wi-Fi, has announced a new specification: Wi-Fi Direct, formerly Wi-Fi peer-to-peer. Any device certified as Wi-Fi Direct will be able to communicate with each other directly, without the need for a wireless hub. . . .
The new standard will be available in mid-2010, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance. It should be available as a software upgrade for older products and included in newer Wi-Fi devices."
Check out more in:
Wireless Revolution: Wi-Fi Between Devices Coming in 2010
[UPDATE] Want to know what a library use might be? CHeck out this:
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:03 PM | Comments (0)
What is Cloud Computing?
What is cloud computing and how does SaaS fit in? The US federal government has drafted definitions for cloud computing and they're pretty good. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has latest version is available for download at no charge.
Here are the basics reproduced here:
"Definition of Cloud Computing:
Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.
Essential Characteristics:
On-demand self-service. A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service’s provider.
Broad network access. Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).
Resource pooling. The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand. There is a sense of location independence in that the customer generally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter). Examples of resources include storage, processing, memory, network bandwidth, and virtual machines.
Rapid elasticity. Capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any time.
Measured Service. Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.
Service Models:
Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS). The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email). The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.
Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS). The capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations.
Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). The capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
Deployment Models:
Private cloud. The cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party and may exist on premise or off premise.
Community cloud. The cloud infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third party and may exist on premise or off premise.
Public cloud. The cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services.
Hybrid cloud. The cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between clouds)."
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:36 PM | Comments (0)
Your car and the Internet
So Forbes and others are reporting the results on the New Vehicle Experience Study by Strategic Vision. Here's an interesting nugget:
"While 13% of Chevy owners don't use the Web, by contrast, less than 3% of Honda owners remain in the technological Stone Age. The antithesis of flashy, Honda owners are usually pragmatic and well educated; 70% boast a college degree or higher, compared with 35% of Chevy owners and 45% of Ford owners."
More here.
I wonder if we should check out the library parking lot and do a survey too. Library users: Do they have a model preference? Are there more hybrids or Hummers? How about the bike rack?
Then again, I don't drive and never have. My wife doesn't drive and neither does either kid.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:58 AM | Comments (0)
Social Media and Corporations
http://www.deloitte.com/us/2009tribalizationstudyDeloitte is out with a new study on the current use and trends in the usage of social media by corporations. It's interesting. Here are a few soundbites but have a read. If you're a corporate librarian you can see a lot of opportunities here in actually just lurking and capturing information.
2009 Tribalization of Business Study
"Market Shows Signs of Maturation
Several data points indicate continued maturation of the enterprise’s use of communities and social media. While the number of active users and their level of participation have been considered the top measures of success for an online community, this year survey respondents are paying close attention to non-active users or “lurkers” – people who observe the community, but don’t participate in the discussion.
32 percent of respondents are capturing data on how lurkers derive value from the community
20 percent of respondents have set up formal “ambassador” programs, which give outsiders preferential treatment in return for being more active in the community
39 percent of the respondents indicated that more full-time people are being deployed to manage the communities
Rethinking Community Success
Some of the biggest obstacles to creating a successful community are getting people to:
Join (24 percent)
Stay engaged (30 percent)
Keep returning (21 percent)
These can be easily remedied through partnering and new management practices. However, the study indicates that very few companies are taking the steps necessary to overcome these challenges."
"Next Steps
Think tribe – not market segment
Think network – not channel
Think customer-centricity – not company-centricity"
2009 Tribalization of Business Study Highlights Flipbook (134,34 KB) Flipbook; 28-page PDF
2009 Tribalization of Business Study Highlights (222,99 KB) 2-page PDF
Stand-alone libraries are enterprises too and can adapt these corporate strategies to their own needs.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:46 AM | Comments (0)
How many #1 bestsellers are there, really?
I was amazed at this statistic from Seth Godin:
"In the 260 weeks from 1966 to 1970, there were only thirteen musical acts responsible for every #1 album on the Billboard charts. In the 260 weeks that accounted for the first half of the 1970s, it was 26."
Has anyone out there ever done a similar number for books? I'll bet between Dan Brown and JK Rowling there's not too many #1 bestselling authors over the last few years either.
Like Seth says, it's crowded at the top. And it sure shows the importance of the long tail.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:06 AM | Comments (1)
3 Videos and Google Analytics and API's
Need to know more about Google Analytics and API's?
Try these videos:
What Is the Google Analytics API
Steps To Using the Google Analytics API
Overview Of The Google Analytics Platform And API
SirsiDynix has integrated Google Analytics and API's into many of our products.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:09 AM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2009
Happy 15th Birthday, Netscape Navigator!
IHappy 15th Birthday, Netscape Navigator!
by Karl Hodge
"Netscape, one of the most influential names in the history of the web, is 15 today."
Amazing eh!?
I feel old when I say that I used this browser for years before corporate imposed MSIE and then Firefox. Now I use a blend of browsers.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:09 PM | Comments (2)
Facebook is no fad
Facebook is no fad
Commentary: Social networking is a basic human need
by Adam L. Penenberg
"NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- With Facebook registering its 300 millionth user and investors valuing Twitter at $1 billion, it's time to put to bed the notion that social networking is a fad. It's not. It's our destiny."
Good article.
Many of us in library land have been saying this for quite a while - at least in internet time.
What I usually say is something like:
Social media like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are still a very new experience and quite different from other media - it's the next generation of the web. The internet is truly just reaching its toddler stage. I believe that it is probably impossible to truly understand the nature, role and growth of social web media from the outside looking in. My own experience is that it was quite different inside in reality from my own expectations and assumptions. Indeed the very frame I was using was misaligned quite a bit. It didn't take long on the inside to set the sails right though. I guess it's a bit like trying to explain pregnancy, parenting, your own marriage, or even sex to someone who has never experienced these. You might have a somewhat shallow understanding of these experiences but it's just never the same as your own deep personal experience. So, in order to better understand social media it's well worth getting in and learning the ropes. I don't assert that people must be there all the time or stay there forever, but they should recognize that they can't truly understand the environment unless they've given it the good old college try. If they don't, then they have an uninformed opinion and not a true experience-driven one. If they find they don't like it or it doesn't work for them, then OK. Get out and delete your accounts. You made a decision based on truth and experience and not rumour and prejudice. Just don't make policy or criticize others based on your imagination. Always test. I hear people who have never seen Facebook or Twitter or blogs telling other people about such sites with opinions that are made from whole cloth! They have opnions about stalkers, privacy, and other issues that are truly uninformed by any sort of knowledge. It is a distressing point of view in the general public but it is particularly distressing in people who call themselves information professionals. When the majority of key library users are in these spaces it is important for the library to be where the users are and serve as a guide - as we've always done. Otherwise libraries could be choosing to be outside of the mainstream and risk irrelevance. And without personal experience of the space, they won't know how to recover, if they can.
What really scares me are schools that ban most social media and the people doing it are making an uniformed decision based on fear tactics. The result is that social media are pushed underground. And that worked so well for cigarettes, liquor and teen sex. Not a great strategy. If they think the kids are safer then they are truly delusional.
Either way, information professionals have a professional obligation to learn and evaluate all major new technologies and determine when and where these might be useful in the service of learning, community and the social good.
If we don't, then who will?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 1:37 PM | Comments (0)
Mobile up, D'oh.
Mobile Web Usage Up 34%: Driven by teens and seniors
"Web visitors using a mobile device increased 34 percent year-over-year, from 42.5 million visitors in July 2008 to 56.9 million in July 2009, according to a new report from Nielsen."
Just when you thought you had gotten your desktops stable and could handle wireless laptops . . .
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)
Libraries and Transliteracy
Another Bobbi Newman video that worth pointing to from every library website:
Great job!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 10, 2009
Texas Opportunity Summit
I had a great trip to San Antonio for part one of the Texas Opportunity Summit on Oct. 7th.
This is an event that combined libraries, CIO's and political leaders to get all of Texas on to minimum broadband standards. It is supported by the Texas State Library and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
I did the opening keynote:
Innovation and Libraries: It's 2010; Broadband and a Better Future
I'll be back for part two in November.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:47 AM | Comments (0)
Discoverability
Lorcan Dempsey pointed out this older report this week as worth reading
Title: Discoverability Phase 1 Final Report (160 page PDF)
Authors: Hanson, Cody; Hessel, Heather; Barneson, John; Boudewyns, Deborah
Fransen, Jan; Friedman-Shedlov, Lara; Hardy, Martha; Rose, Chris; Stelmasik, Barb; Traill, Stacie
Issue Date: 13-Mar-2009
Abstract: "In October 2008, the Web Services Steering Committee at the University of Minnesota Libraries created the Discoverability exploratory subgroup, charged to recommend ways to make relevant resources more visible and easier to find, particularly within the user’s workflow. This report shares the findings of Phase 1, in which the primary activity was data‐gathering and analysis. Phase 2 of the group’s work will take the discovery principles identified here and recommend specific strategies for the future. The report consists of four main sections. The first section is a brief description of the process and methodology. The second is a discussion of five key trends related to discovery that were identified in the literature, including a description of how each trend is reflected in current use of local systems. The third section contains a set of suggested principles to guide future decisions related to discovery. Finally, we have collected and analyzed usage data from many of our local systems. These reports are collected in our fourth section and are summarized in “A Month of Library Discovery”. We have also included specific recommendations regarding future data‐gathering and analysis. Our appendices include a copy of the group’s charge, a review of discovery principles at peer institutions, and a set of web statistics reports for the University Libraries’ many websites."
Their conclusions include:
Trend #1: Users are discovering relevant resources outside of library systems
Trend #2: Users expect discovery and delivery to coincide
Trend #3: Increasing usage of portable internet-capable devices
Trend #4: Discovery increasingly happens through recommending
Trend #5: Our users increasingly rely on emerging nontraditional information objects
Lots of implications for ILL and linking out of and into OPACs as well as for search in the academic context.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:57 AM | Comments (0)
October 9, 2009
Shift Happens
Looking for the big megatrends?
Check out this great new report online from the Deloitte.:
Measuring the Forces of Long-Term Change: The 2009 Shift Index
I recommend that you pay particular attention to the three key trend indexes - the shift index, the flow index and the impact index.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:18 PM | Comments (0)
An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth
I love this list of philosophies by Bruce Mau of Bruce Mau Design in Canada:
An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth
"Written in 1998, the Incomplete Manifesto is an articulation of statements exemplifying Bruce Mau’s beliefs, strategies and motivations. Collectively, they are how we approach every project.
1.Allow events to change you.
You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites for growth: the openness to experience events and the willingness to be changed by them.
2.Forget about good.
Good is a known quantity. Good is what we all agree on. Growth is not necessarily good. Growth is an exploration of unlit recesses that may or may not yield to our research. As long as you stick to good you'll never have real growth.
3.Process is more important than outcome.
When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there.
4.Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child).
Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.
5.Go deep.
The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value.
6.Capture accidents.
The wrong answer is the right answer in search of a different question. Collect wrong answers as part of the process. Ask different questions.
7.Study.
A studio is a place of study. Use the necessity of production as an excuse to study. Everyone will benefit.
8.Drift.
Allow yourself to wander aimlessly. Explore adjacencies. Lack judgment. Postpone criticism.
9.Begin anywhere.
John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere.
10.Everyone is a leader.
Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead.
11.Harvest ideas.
Edit applications. Ideas need a dynamic, fluid, generous environment to sustain life. Applications, on the other hand, benefit from critical rigor. Produce a high ratio of ideas to applications.
12.Keep moving.
The market and its operations have a tendency to reinforce success. Resist it. Allow failure and migration to be part of your practice.
13.Slow down.
Desynchronize from standard time frames and surprising opportunities may present themselves.
14.Don’t be cool.
Cool is conservative fear dressed in black. Free yourself from limits of this sort.
15.Ask stupid questions.
Growth is fueled by desire and innocence. Assess the answer, not the question. Imagine learning throughout your life at the rate of an infant.
16.Collaborate.
The space between people working together is filled with conflict, friction, strife, exhilaration, delight, and vast creative potential.
17.____________________.
Intentionally left blank. Allow space for the ideas you haven’t had yet, and for the ideas of others.
18.Stay up late.
Strange things happen when you’ve gone too far, been up too long, worked too hard, and you're separated from the rest of the world.
19.Work the metaphor.
Every object has the capacity to stand for something other than what is apparent. Work on what it stands for.
20.Be careful to take risks.
Time is genetic. Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow. The work you produce today will create your future.
21.Repeat yourself.
If you like it, do it again. If you don’t like it, do it again.
22.Make your own tools.
Hybridize your tools in order to build unique things. Even simple tools that are your own can yield entirely new avenues of exploration. Remember, tools amplify our capacities, so even a small tool
can make a big difference.
23.Stand on someone’s shoulders.
You can travel farther carried on the accomplishments of those who came before you. And the view is so much better.
24.Avoid software.
The problem with software is that everyone has it.
25.Don’t clean your desk.
You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.
26.Don’t enter awards competitions.
Just don’t. It’s not good for you.
27.Read only left-hand pages.
Marshall McLuhan did this. By decreasing the amount of information, we leave room for what he called our "noodle."
28.Make new words.
Expand the lexicon. The new conditions demand a new way of thinking. The thinking demands new forms of expression. The expression generates new conditions.
29.Think with your mind.
Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent.
30.Organization = Liberty.
Real innovation in design, or any other field, happens in context. That context is usually some form of cooperatively managed enterprise. Frank Gehry, for instance, is only able to realize Bilbao because his studio can deliver it on budget. The myth of a split between "creatives" and "suits" is what Leonard Cohen calls a 'charming artifact of the past.'
31.Don’t borrow money.
Once again, Frank Gehry’s advice. By maintaining financial control, we maintain creative control. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s surprising how hard it is to maintain this discipline, and how many have failed.
32.Listen carefully.
Every collaborator who enters our orbit brings with him or her a world more strange and complex than any we could ever hope to imagine. By listening to the details and the subtlety of their needs, desires, or ambitions, we fold their world onto our own. Neither party will ever be the same.
33.Take field trips.
The bandwidth of the world is greater than that of your TV set, or the Internet, or even a totally immersive, interactive, dynamically rendered, object-oriented, real-time, computer graphic–simulated environment.
34.Make mistakes faster.
This isn’t my idea -- I borrowed it. I think it belongs to Andy Grove.
35.Imitate.
Don’t be shy about it. Try to get as close as you can. You'll never get all the way, and the separation might be truly remarkable. We have only to look to Richard Hamilton and his version of Marcel Duchamp’s large glass to see how rich, discredited, and underused imitation is as a technique.
36.Scat.
When you forget the words, do what Ella did: make up something else ... but not words.
37.Break it, stretch it, bend it, crush it, crack it, fold it.
38.Explore the other edge.
Great liberty exists when we avoid trying to run with the technological pack. We can’t find the leading edge because it’s trampled underfoot. Try using old-tech equipment made obsolete by an economic cycle but still rich with potential.
39.Coffee breaks, cab rides, green rooms.
Real growth often happens outside of where we intend it to, in the interstitial spaces -- what Dr. Seuss calls "the waiting place." Hans Ulrich Obrist once organized a science and art conference with all of the infrastructure of a conference -- the parties, chats, lunches, airport arrivals — but with no actual conference. Apparently it was hugely successful and spawned many ongoing collaborations.
40.Avoid fields.
Jump fences. Disciplinary boundaries and regulatory regimes are attempts to control the wilding of creative life. They are often understandable efforts to order what are manifold, complex, evolutionary processes. Our job is to jump the fences and cross the fields.
41.Laugh.
People visiting the studio often comment on how much we laugh. Since I've become aware of this, I use it as a barometer of how comfortably we are expressing ourselves.
42.Remember.
Growth is only possible as a product of history. Without memory, innovation is merely novelty. History gives growth a direction. But a memory is never perfect. Every memory is a degraded or composite image of a previous moment or event. That’s what makes us aware of its quality as a past and not a present. It means that every memory is new, a partial construct different from its source, and, as such, a potential for growth itself.
43.Power to the people.
Play can only happen when people feel they have control over their lives. We can't be free agents if we’re not free."
Awesome, eh?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 12:47 PM | Comments (1)
October 8, 2009
Government librarians tap social media to stay relevant
Government librarians tap social media to stay relevant
"Librarians with the Ontario public service are breaking stereotypes and embracing social media to deliver information within their departments and beyond. Librarians at the Legislative Assembly and the Fire Marshall's Office are using RSS feeds and Twitter to stay relevant."
Videos and all!
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:43 PM | Comments (0)
Global Ranking of the Publishing Industry
With all of the global changes in publishing, just who are the big publishers now. Here's an interesting link:
Global Ranking of the Publishing Industry
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:41 PM | Comments (0)
October 7, 2009
Ebook economics: Are libraries screwed?
A couple of things to add to the e-book debate:
Tim over at the Thing-ology blog has a great post that lays out some of the threats and maybe opportunities in this question:
<a href="http://www.librarything.com/thingology/2009/10/ebook-economics-are-libraries-screwed.php">Ebook economics: Are libraries screwed?
And then this week we're told that the Kindle is going international, (everywhere but Canada! Gotta love our phone and cable companies - not).
As for the 'are libraries screwed?' debate, I'll have to say that they weren't screwed when virtually all periodical articles went digital and they weren't screwed when the web provided more content and they weren't screwed by search engines from Altavista through Google to Bing. Then again, soldiers say it's always the bullet you don't see.
The movies changed when TV came along and TV changed for video and DVD. I suspect survival is
dependent on changing. I hope we don't zig when we need to zag.
It's a good thing that libraries aren't just about books, eh!?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 6:33 PM | Comments (0)
Implementing a 23 Things Type Program at Your Library
Bobbi Newman (Librarian by Day) has a nice slideshare:
Implementing a 23 Things Type Program at Your Library
Very pretty slides and hit all the high points of 23 things.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 5:48 PM | Comments (0)
October 2, 2009
Social Literacy for Adults
You don't need to be just taregting teens for your social media safety training events:
From Forbes.com:
Web Life: When Social Media Bites
by Taylor Buley
Kids get lectured about being careful on social networks. Adults should be scolded too.
The pictorial of social media blunders tells some cautionary tales.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)
SirsiDynix New York Users Group
I am spending the weekend in New York (even got Broadway tickets for the hot play with Wolverine and 007!). But first, I have to sing for my supper and have some fun at Fordham University with the SirsiDynix New York Users Group.
Here are the PPTs for the presentations but one is just a structure for a discussion which is infinitely more fun when you're actually there!
Innovation in Libraries: What is at the heart of libraries?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 8:26 AM | Comments (0)
The Death of the Newspaper
Anyone who thinks that newspapers are not just the canary in the mine for other formats . . .
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 4:19 AM | Comments (0)
October 1, 2009
Meformers?
STUDY: 80% of Twitter Users Are All About Me
"Rutgers University Professors Mor Naaman and Jeffrey Boase set out to analyze the content and characteristics of social media activity. They dubbed communications systems like Facebook and Twitter, “social awareness streams,” and then took to examining user behavior.
After dissecting over 3,000 tweets from more than 350 Twitter() users’ status updates the professors concluded that 80% of users are “meformers,” or “Me Now” status updaters."
I don't know about the segmentation this study uses - meformers vs informers. It sounds a tad judgemental.
It is interesting that Informers have a higher proportion of mentions of other users in their messages and that 25% of the studied messages come from mobile phones.
Anyway, it's more grist for the mill.
They only looked at 3,000 tweets which less than a second of Twitter streams.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 9:52 AM | Comments (2)
Federated Search
Educause has published another one in their 7 things series:
7 Things About Federated Identity Management
As usual it is organized around answers the following questions:
What is it?
Who’s doing it?
How does it work?
Why is it significant?
What are the downsides?
Where is it going?
What are the implications for higher education?
Stephen
Posted by stephen at 7:12 AM | Comments (1)