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Academic and public libraries are much different today than they were even 15 years ago. And with even bigger changes on the horizon, what lies in store? In this systematic attempt to speak to academic and public librarians about the future of library services, Hernon and Matthews invite a raft of contributors to step back and envision the type of future library that will generate excitement and enthusiasm among users and stakeholders. Anyone interested in the future of libraries, especially library managers, will be engaged and stimulated as the contributors: Examine the current state of the library, summarizing existing literature on the topic to sketch in historical backgroundProject into the future, using SWOT analysis, environmental scans, and other techniques to posit how library infrastructure (such as staff, collections, technology, and facilities) can adapt in the decades aheadConstruct potential scenarios that library leaders can use to forge paths for their own institutions. The collection of knowledge and practical wisdom in this book will help academic and public libraries find ways to honour their missions while planning for the broader institutional changes already underway. http://bit.ly/15Wbo4U
By Emily Temple: "Librarians, in case you hadn't heard, are essential members of society -- likely to expand minds wherever they go -- and, as such, are fully worthy of hero worship..."
If the profession fails to communicate its value, then the march of 'amateurisation' will continue, argues Ian Clark.
Jen Doll: There's a piece in the Wall Street Journal today about the changing nature of libraries, as not just places where people find and check out books, but as community rec centers in themselves. But is this really new at all? Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324677204578187901423347828.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_10_1 Brooklyn librarian Rita Meade comment: What people need to realize, and what the media (and, perhaps, librarians ourselves) has failed to do is effectively communicate that librarians have been evolving all along." Later, she pointed me to this piece in today'sNew York Times, calling it "an honest assessment of libraries."
"GOOD NEWS: GOAL program helps Sul Ross to meet librarian needs ALPINE Sul Ross State University has met the challenge of attracting library professionals by growing its own. During the past few years, the GOAL has been reached. Presently, three librarians at the Bryan Wildenthal Library, Lori Schreiber, Amanda Gomez and Jacob Galindo, are products of the Grow our Own Area Librarians (GOAL) Program, coordinated by the El Paso Area Libraries consortium. Also, library assistant Nora Ohnishi is enrolled in a master of library science program at the University of North Texas. The Library Leadership Development Institute and the GOAL Program serves the nine-county Trans-Pecos area of Texas and three counties in Southern New Mexico. The intent of the project is to increase the number of qualified librarians in the designated areas. The programs are partially funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program."
Amarillo Public Library introduces Book-A-Librarian Amarillo.com Computer-shy library patrons now can learn to navigate the internet with a new service offered by Amarillo Public Library. Some of the resources available through the Amarillo Public Library website include: ■ Text-a-Librarian: Reference assistance from anywhere ■ Cypress Resume: Program to create professional resumes, cover letters and reference sheets ■ Automotive Repair Reference Center: Recalls, service bulletins and repair info ■ JobNow: One-on-one assistance, including resume polishing, interview preparation and career assessments ■ Library Elf: Email notices for approaching due dates, overdue items and requested materials ■ Mango Languages: More than 30 foreign language and 15 English-as-a-Second-Language courses in audio-based format ■ Tumblebook Library: Online story/audio books that introduce children to reading in a dynamic format ■ Overdrive: Downloadable ebooks and audio books ■ TexShare Databases: Online access to full-text articles and entire books ■ Learning Express: Skills building and practice tests for scholastic and professional exams ■ Global Road Warrior: Information on other countries and cultures ■ World Book: Online encyclopedia in three levels, with additional databases and Spanish language"
"I’m not really that smart. I just know people who are. One of the wisest things that we librarians can do is to collaborate with other smart librarians who love to share. For example, I have a strong personal learning network (PLN) that starts on Twitter and even includes a monthly face-to-face gathering. My PLN provides me with lots of really good ideas, answers questions, and supports my work. It is through these resources that I have gathered a huge technology toolbox, assessment strategies, promotional ideas, and a ton of worthwhile resources that I can pass on to my teachers." -Phil Goerner
Via Robin Illsley
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Rescooped by
Karen du Toit
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"As educators we are faced with the challenge of teaching students to efficiently use the Internet to find and use information. Searching for information and making sense of it is a process that involves critical thinking and it is an important skill. Fortunately, there are many free digital tools available to help students efficiently sift through an overwhelming abundance of web content to find the relevant and reliable information they need. This post will explore some digital resources to provide educators with tools to help all students become savvy searchers and independent learners." Susan Oxnevad shares a wealth of other tools and resources to teach students how to search. " - Google Search Education - Google Custom Search - The Find Tool - Oolone - Twurdy - instaGrok - Qwiki Reference - Reliable Search Engines: iPL2 -A public service organization and a learning/teaching environment manned by students and volunteer librarians which features searchable resource collections for kids and teens, as well as an a“Ask a librarian” section.
Sweet Search - A Search Engine for Students. It searches only credible Web sites approved by Internet research experts
KidsClick! – A web search site designed for kids by librarians – with kid-friendly results!" >>Extremely valuable for librarians as well!
Via Anne Whaits, Dennis T OConnor, Jason Ertz, Lisa Durff
Book by Sarah K. Steiner. "This practical guide provides a scalable, step-by-step plan for creating and maintaining a successful library social media strategic plan. You’ll find detailed tips and advice on strategizing for social media services in a way that guides employee decision-making, maximizes efficiency, creates positive patron outcomes, protects against legal repercussions, and builds opportunities for flexibility, change, and new social media platform testing. You get all the key elements to build your strategic plan, including how to segment your audience, select a target audience, use focus groups and poll patrons, conduct a SWOT analysis to provide internal strength and support to your plan, and create a mission and vision plan for using social media."
By Felicia A. Smith: "Current students have different expectations and are used to a greater level of support. This is an opportunity to transform the profession regardless of emerging technology trends or fiscal constraints. This Helicopter Librarians approach does not require intensive training; that is why I do not include any checklists to follow. I am not developing any metrics; and I am not advocating for data-driven anything! This is a holistic approach to a human interaction based on individuality and genuine compassion.
A study based on the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement reports that, contrary to popular belief; children of Helicopter Parents excelled in deeper learning activities and reported higher levels of educational gains as well as greater satisfaction with their college experience. The prevailing perception of Helicopter Parents is that their over-involvement is detrimental to their child’s growth. However, such support appeared to be welcomed by most students and actually beneficial to their overall well-being. Thus the first positive attribute of Helicopter Parents is the fact that they are sincerely concerned with the success of their children. This genuine concern has to be shared by Helicopter Librarians."
We are talking about reference and how it is changing in UPLIFT this week: August 15 at the Utah State Library & August 17 2012 in Ephraim, at the Karen A. Hunstman Library on the Snow College campus. Reference and Services Trends in Public Libraries, 2012: - Traditional reference work is less relevant to the needs of users
- Rather than worrying about reference’s demise, many librarians have been energized by their newly expanded roles
- Reconfigured or eliminated reference desks
- Consolidated desks and services
- Librarian and support staff work together on the one main desk
- Librarian can handle more complicated questions
- Increased training for support staff to handle basic reference questions
- The reference interview is as pertinent as ever
- Roving reference is more important—getting out to where people are
- Expansion of self-service options (self-checkout, online group study room reservations, self-service holds, and touch screen frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) on your website/ library catalog
- Reconfiguring online reference resources for smartphones and other mobile devices
- Librarians are exploring new roles in reaching out to meet information needs
- Reference through the stacks and other indirect means
- Reduction/elimination of print reference collections
- Greater marketing and promotion of online resources and services
- Librarians will spend less time staffing desks and more time outside of library walls
- Online reference: email, chat, Instant Messaging, and SMS (short messaging services) reaches users who may not visit the library
- Online reference requires continual marketing to be successful
- Collaborating with other organizations will do as much to keep libraries alive as any project or program
- Embedded librarianship: becoming an integral part. Getting close to users by getting out into the community; being actively present with the user at the point of need.
- The big shift: we’re not doing things “for” the community, but we’re being a part “of” the community
- Libraries are shifting from the physical to the virtual facilities and media; from an individual to a community focus; from being a collection library to being a creation library; from being an archive to being a portal
This anonymous interview is with an Academic Librarian who has been a member of a hiring committee and Supervisor at a library with 10-50 staff members. What are the top three things you look for in a candidate? - Have they done what we’re asking for, or at least have experience in the same area? - Can they communicate clearly? - Do they know their stuff or are willing to learn their stuff?"
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The Adventures of Library Girl: Libraries as Cultivators of Creativity: There's an App for That! http://t.co/vSUG6TXdZe By @jenniferlagarde "...here some of my favorite APPs to help spark student creativity. If you're lucky to have access to mobile devices in your library, these would make some great additions to your APP collection. And if you don't have such access, they are worth exploring anyway - to consider what they provide students with the opportunity to do and then to think about how you can provide students with those same opportunities with or without a gadget."
Apps: - Felt Board - Draw Quest - Art Set - Sock Puppets - Comic Life - Art Studio "As librarians, we have an opportunity and an obligation to create spaces and instruction that cultivate our students' creativity. Our spaces, our flexibility and our skills make the library the perfect place to turn kids loose: to give them the chance to imagine, explore, create and share. Along the way, they'll make mistakes and plenty of messes, but that's how we all learn. We may not all have access to the APPs I've shared in this post, but we've all got access to something far more important: kids. All of whom are eager and ready to get started!"
By Karyn M. Peterson “The reason why my programming has become so successful is because I have given a voice to my teens and have made them an integral part of [it],” says Library Journal Mover & Shaker Lindsey Tomsu, new youth librarian and teen club advisor extraordinaire at La Vista Public Library (NE). [...] In this fourth of a dozen planned interviews with the youth services librarians named as Mover & Shakers this year, Tomsu shares with SLJ her top teen book picks, her dealings with Dewey, her inspirations and passions, why teens matter so much, and her views on the future of youth services.
Rick Anderson: In a follow-up to the six mistakes sales reps make, here's a list of six mistakes library staff can make. It's a sobering comparison. Continue reading »
Robin Good: "Content Curation and the School Librarian" is the featured article for the latest issue of Knowledge Quest magazine.
Authored by Nikki D. Robertson the article illustrates some of content curation key strengths, how the author has utilized content curation for her academic projects, and popular curation tools for those interested in exploring the field further.
PDF download here: http://bit.ly/QgtjwU
Via Robin Good, Dennis T OConnor
BY: NICHOLAS HOWARD: "Tattooed Librarians look to change image with calendar> When we think of librarians, we often think of stodgy older woman, bespectacled and shushing anyone who makes so much as a sneeze."
"Transformational Power of Internet Librarians: Promise & Prospect" "Internet librarians have been revolutionizing the Net for many years, and are poised to transform their communities in exciting new ways. As our technologist and keynote speaker David Weinberger says, we have to “build networks that make us smarter.” Hear about leading-edge tools, strategies and techniques for transforming campuses, communities and organizations at Information Today, Inc.’s 16th annual Internet Librarian. This conference provides the ideal opportunity to gather insights and ideas to ignite our imagination and spark innovation. It showcases creative and exciting new internet technologies and techniques and features lots of opportunities for connections and conversations." Presentations available here: http://www.infotoday.com/il2012/presentations.asp
"This is a report from the LAS Membership committee on a survey held in Feb 2012 and the summation of points rasied during the discussion held in Apr 2012 (When Librarians Meet on Friday the 13th)." "Survey of SLS participants During Feb 2012 this year, a survey was sent out to active participants of the Special Libraries Section of LAS - a total of 27 responses were received (amongst which 5 were from non-LAS members). The key reason that the participants cited for joining LAS was “to take advantage of networking with colleagues in Singapore and beyond.” Other suggestions received were for more continuing education opportunities, conferences, workshops, sponsorship for education, programs (social and professional). There was a suggestion for the association to be more inclusive (accept members whom are interested in libraries and not just associated with one). There was also a request for LAS to become a voice for the profession to defend industry values and beliefs in situation where it is obvious administrators make policies that endangers such values and beliefs. There was a call for the importance of stewardship and mentorship, such that it would help new and young librarians develop professionalism." The Editor suggests that the threats be seen as opportunities: "Threats – Perception of librarians –> not a professional career; anyone can do; devalues the work we do; shrinking, Relevance of library, Low regards for the profession, Lack of understanding of what a librarian does, Not being recognized as a professional job, Lazy impatient users used by bad education foundation, Rising costs of academic quality information may drive away potential users leading to the rise of ‘non-quality’ information, Online knowledge bases or automated self-help databases/systems has reduced need for librarians “deep” expertise, Increasing costs of electronic resources, Library will behave more like IT centre, “Mental block” on status quo e.g. not leveraging on technology; withdrawal in the face of disruptive technology, Lack of involvement in political decision making, Ignorance of roles by outsiders –> displacement of importance, User behavior, Good enough info (not authoritative), Users want things fast, Informal channels e.g. getting from professional networking, Pay per view, Digital natives, Social media e.g. facebook, People are getting/sharing info through social media, Google, Direct delivery of content to users by vendors, Shrinking physical library, Increasing cost of content, Operating cost, Perception that librarians are relatively unimportant compared to other areas like economic issues or core functions of the organisation that a library resides (e.g. a library within a stat board)."
TLC's Lists & Actions for Librarians on the Go - InfoToday.com "The LS2 Staff interface is a touchscreen-optimized, tablet-friendly design that allows a librarian to leave his or her desk and perform circulation tasks anywhere in the library. The new Lists & Actions tab leverages this mobility to provide lists of items and associated transaction data wherever it’s needed using an array of filters associated with MARC record data and circulation statistics. Each selected filter opens a range of options to help narrow down the search. Librarians can view saved pick lists, create weeding lists on the fly, or limit collections from within the stacks, in the workroom, or anywhere in the library by any number of filters and variables. Data from lists and saved searches can be exported to a spreadsheet, added to an existing list, or used to create new lists. Each filter has options available for further narrowing a search, and each column in the results table can be rearranged, resized, sorted, or deleted to customize a user’s list or saved search. Source: The Library Corporation"
"CRL announces the publication of The Busy Librarian’s Guide to Information Literacy in Science and Engineering, edited by Katherine O’Clair and Jeanne Davidson. The Busy Librarian’s Guide to Information Literacy in Science and Engineering provides a practical guide for librarians responsible for science, engineering and/or technology information literacy instruction to understand and apply the ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology into curriculum design and ongoing instruction. Edited by science and engineering librarians Katherine O’Clair and Jeanne Davidson, the book highlights unique needs and challenges for information literacy instruction within science/engineering curricula."
"A whole network of public libraries begins #Wikipedia collaboration in #Catalonia - http://t.co/PZY2wkjt " "The librarians now not only understand how to contribute to Wikipedia, but also how to use it as a tool for engaging their users and to reassess their collections and local funds. These newly-trained librarians will now return to their libraries and encourage users to expand their experience by contributing knowledge acquired through their research into Wikipedia.
One of the pioneering experiments within this collaboration has been at the local library of Palafrugell, a municipality on the Costa Brava. During July and August, a volunteer has been serving as a Wikipedian in Residence for the town. The Wikipedian in Residence is based at the local Library of Palafrugell, in collaboration with other local cultural centers. The Catalan Ministry of Culture wants to improve the role of local Wikipedians in Residence at libraries in order to improve local history and heritage presence in Wikipedia and its sister projects. This will also serve to offer a network of local Wiki-contact points across Catalonia."
IFLA Conference Paper: Gillian M McCombs: "The digital age may well be considered a golden age for Special Collections. Treasures that have long been locked in vaults and available only to researchers onsite are now accessible at the click of a mouse from anywhere in the world. However, for every stunning rare book, photograph or art work that is available electronically, thousands more are still inaccessible. Some libraries have been slow to realize the potential for digital access and have not built the infrastructure needed to put these collections out into the public eye. This paper addresses questions such as: are we hiring the right people for Special Collections; are we retooling current curators so that they are technically adept; are we providing our Special Collections Libraries with necessary resources such as marketing and graphics design staff to develop websites for digital exhibits; have they developed a strategic plan that outlines their long-term goals for incorporating technology; what are the consortial opportunities that will help our Special Collections Libraries; are we working closely enough with library schools and rare book programs to ensure that graduates have the skills, aptitude and attitude that we need?" source: INFODocket http://conference.ifla.org/sites/default/files/files/papers/wlic2012/87-mccombs-en.pdf
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