10 Great Technology Initiatives for Your Library | American Libraries Magazine

February 28, 2013, 6:48 am

≫ Next: Library 2.013 Conference – Library 2.0

By Ellyssa Kroski

Want to incorporate new ideas into your library’s digital strategy? Here are some tips

Posted Tue, 02/19/2013 – 18:57

Today’s hottest web and mobile technologies are offering libraries a new world of opportunities to engage patrons. Ultra-popular social media websites and apps combined with the availability of affordable cloud-based services and the evolution and adoption of mobile devices are enabling librarians to share and build communities, store and analyze large collections of data, create digital collections, and access information and services in ways never thought about before.

Libraries have become technology leaders by integrating cutting-edge tools to enhance users’ experience. It’s not enough to redesign the library website. Best practices mean developing user personas and following usability strategies to produce user-informed designs. New digital collections are stored in the cloud and mobile applications are developed around them. Libraries are claiming their venues on location-based mobile social networks, developing bleeding-edge augmented reality applications, and participating in semantic web efforts.

Forward-thinking librarians are actively experimenting with and incorporating these new technologies into their digital strategies. Here are 10 ideas for you to leverage today’s most innovative tools and techniques. All of these come straight from The Tech Set #11–20 series (ALA TechSource, June 2012).

10 Great Technology Initiatives for Your Library by Ellyssa Kroski (bluesyemre.com)
Semantic Tech & Other Advances Moving Libraries Forward (semanticweb.com)
Caroline Kennedy on Libraries and Family | American Libraries Magazine (nylibrariansmeetup.blogspot.com)
A Little Enthusiasm Goes a Long Way | American Library Association (stephanielgrossmslis.me)
How Libraries are Reinventing Themselves for the Future | How Libraries are Reinventing Themselves for the Future | TIME.com (nylibrariansmeetup.blogspot.com)
New scorecard lets libraries give feedback on e-book offerings from publishers (bluesyemre.com)
The Future Of Libraries : How Technology Helps Them Grow [Infographic] (thetechnologycafe.com)
American Library Association Names Return On Influence “Essential”… (prweb.com)
10 Great Technology Initiatives for Your Library | American Libraries Magazine (drweb.typepad.com)
Library rents books and plant seeds (springwise.com)

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Library 2.013 Conference – Library 2.0

February 28, 2013, 2:32 pm

≫ Next: Libraries stack up in new digital world | roanoke.com

≪ Previous: 10 Great Technology Initiatives for Your Library | American Libraries Magazine

Library2.013

Welcome!

The dates are set for the Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference. The third annual global conversation about the future of libraries is scheduled for October 18-19, 2013. The conference will once again be held entirely online around the clock in multiple languages and time zones. Everyone is invited to participate in this FREE forum designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among information professionals worldwide.

To be kept informed of the latest conference news and updates, please  join the Library 2.0 network. You do not need to join this network to attend, but doing so will also allow you to correspond with the presenters and other members, and to comment on sessions and discussions.

NEW for 2013! The Library 2.013 conference will feature two additional themed conference strands: 1) Doctoral Student Research and 2) Library and Information Center “Tours.” We encourage doctoral students to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to present their research and hone their online presentation skills. We also heard that many of you want to “see” libraries from around the globe. Presenters will take conference attendees on virtual tours of their libraries or information centers. We will post more information soon on the format of these tours. Read more…

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Libraries stack up in new digital world | roanoke.com

March 4, 2013, 8:45 am

≫ Next: Join the Association of Jewish Libraries in Houston 2013! – YouTube

≪ Previous: Library 2.013 Conference – Library 2.0

Research libraries such as those on the Virginia Tech campus are moving away from being repositories of knowledge to active curators of data.

Monday, March 4, 2013

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech researcher Emmanuel Frimpong and his team took two years to compile a database of biological traits of 809 U.S. freshwater fish species for a project funded in part by the U.S. Geological Survey.

But the team needed a new service at Tech’s Newman library to help them honor a commitment to the USGS to make that online database available to other scientists.

“I don’t think researchers across campus are aware of this service the library can provide,” Frimpong said.

Welcome to the modern research university library, where new skills and even new spaces are being developed to serve the needs of scholars, scientists and students working in the digital age.

From a digital-ready classroom to furniture reminiscent of the starship Enterprise, library officials say they are developing new ways to serve the campus, and the public.

As libraries transform for the digital age, “it’s an exciting time,” said Judy Ruttenberg of the Association of Research Libraries, a membership and advocacy organization for 125 of the nation’s largest research libraries, including the Library of Congress. Read more…

Association of Research Libraries (ARL ) :: ARL-CARL Joint Statement in Support of Dale Askey and McMaster University (nylibrariansmeetup.blogspot.com)
10 Great Technology Initiatives for Your Library | American Libraries Magazine (stephanielgrossmslis.me)
Association of Research Libraries (ARL ) :: ARL-CARL Joint Statement in Support of Dale Askey and McMaster University (stephanielgrossmslis.me)
The Future of Libraries (wnyc.org)
One Way To Get Streaming Content from the Library: Ephrata PL Looks to Expand Roku Lending Program – The Digital Shift (nylibrariansmeetup.blogspot.com)
The Future of Libraries (infographic) (amnottheonlyone.com)
CFP: Responding to JLA’s DH in Libraries (acrl.ala.org)
A Python Library for Raspberry Pi and Adafruit Digital RGB LED Strips #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi (adafruit.com)
Library 2.013 Conference – Library 2.0 (stephanielgrossmslis.me)
Pew – Library Services in the Digital Age (bespacific.com)

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Join the Association of Jewish Libraries in Houston 2013! – YouTube

March 4, 2013, 9:52 am

≫ Next: Book publisher to drop lawsuit against McMaster librarian – Hamilton

≪ Previous: Libraries stack up in new digital world | roanoke.com

Come on down to the 48th Annual AJL Conference in Houston!

June 16-19

The preliminary schedule is now available at http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Events.aspx

Participate in roundtable discussions, learn about Library of Congress updates, OCLC updates, automation options, the Abraham Joshua Heschel archive, the Shel Silverstein Archive, Cairo Genizah, tweeting, skyping, chatting and more!

Early Bird Registration by April 16: $485

Mail-in or online registration available at http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Events.aspx

Come on down to the 48th Annual AJL Conference in Houston!

June 16-19

The preliminary schedule is now available at http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Events.aspx

Early Bird Registration by April 16: $485

Mail-in or online registration available at http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Events.aspx

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Book publisher to drop lawsuit against McMaster librarian – Hamilton

March 4, 2013, 1:04 pm

≫ Next: Poster Presentations 101: Creating Effective Presentations

≪ Previous: Join the Association of Jewish Libraries in Houston 2013! – YouTube

By Cory Ruf, CBC News

Posted: Mar 4, 2013 11:32 AM ET

Last Updated: Mar 4, 2013 11:36 AM ET

A U.S.-based publishing company has announced it has ‘discontinued’ its court case against McMaster librarian Dale Askey. (Adam Carter/CBC)

A U.S.-based publishing company says it is dropping at least one of its lawsuits against a McMaster librarian after scholars across North America came to his defense.

Edwin Mellen Press (EMP) had filed two lawsuits against Dale Askey and McMaster University, claiming a total of $4.5 million in damages. Read more..

Edwin Mellen Press Drops Lawsuit Against McMaster Librarian Dale Askey (infodocket.com)
Price of a Bad Lawsuit (eduhacker.net)
McMaster Steps Up to Defend Librarian Against Outrageous Libel Action by Edwin Mellen Press (leiterreports.typepad.com)
Edwin Mellen Press Drops Lawsuit (hastac.org)
Publisher hits new low: Suing librarian for criticizing their books [Confessions of a Science Librarian] (scienceblogs.com)
Publisher launches $3,000,000 suit against academic librarian who criticized its books (boingboing.net)
Edwin Mellen Press Sues University Librarian for Libel (chronicle.com)
Unprecedented $3 million dollar lawsuit filed against McMaster librarian for blogpost (thezeds.com)
Another Publisher Threatens Suit Against A Librarian For Blog Comments (lawprofessors.typepad.com)
Will Edwin Mellen Press Sue Google Over Search Algorithm? (eduhacker.net)

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Poster Presentations 101: Creating Effective Presentations

March 4, 2013, 1:35 pm

≫ Next: Connected Learning and Implications for Libraries as Spaces and Mentors for Learning

≪ Previous: Book publisher to drop lawsuit against McMaster librarian – Hamilton

Reblogged from Mr. Library Dude:

Poster sessions are a great opportunity to get your feet into the water and show off research you've done, a project you have implemented, or a new service you are providing.

More low-key than a full blown conference presentation, poster sessions are akin to an elevator speech - "Hey, look at these cool things I'm doing!" - as a librarian, that's what I love about them: I get practical ideas and advice in a short amount of time that I can adapt or re-tool for my library.

Connected Learning and Implications for Libraries as Spaces and Mentors for Learning

March 7, 2013, 1:18 pm

≫ Next: Why We Miss the First Sale Doctrine in Digital Libraries

≪ Previous: Poster Presentations 101: Creating Effective Presentations

“Connected learning is realized when a young person is able to pursue a personal interest or passion with the support of friends and caring adults, and is in turn able to link this learning and interest to academic achievement, career success, or civic engagement.”
from Connected Learning: An Agenda for Research and Design

For the last month or so, I’ve been dwelling in Connected Learning: An Agenda for Research and Design, a research synthesis report that outlines the research and findings of the Connected Learning Research Network, a group chaired by Dr. Mimi Ito. In addition to the report, I’ve enjoyed the series of recent webinars centered around the report: Read more…

Connected Learning and Implications for Libraries as Spaces and Mentors for Learning (juandomingofarnos.wordpress.com)
Connected Learning and Implications for Libraries as Spaces and Mentors for Learning (theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com)
Webmaker/Mentor (wiki.mozilla.org)
Composite Classes: Strategies To Achieve Learning Outcomes (tutoringtoexcellence.blogspot.com)
Webmaker Mentors in 2013 (zythepsary.com)
DevelopMentor Ships New Online Learning Platform Where Students Are… (prweb.com)
Sugata Mitra: We Need Schools… Not Factories (educationviews.org)
Explore the World of Learning Possibilities Online (henrywilliamsonn.wordpress.com)
Washington U student’s mentor talks about discredited research (stltoday.com)
Webmaker Mentors in 2013 (michellethorne.cc)

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Why We Miss the First Sale Doctrine in Digital Libraries

March 8, 2013, 9:02 am

≫ Next: Curb Your Librarian Frustration in 8 Steps – Stephen’s Lighthouse

≪ Previous: Connected Learning and Implications for Libraries as Spaces and Mentors for Learning

By John Palfrey on March 8, 2013 Leave a Comment

From

This is the fourth in an occasional series of articles that will explore issues surrounding the efforts to launch and expand the Digital Public Library of America.

Publishers, ebook vendors, and libraries are engaged in a “tug of war” over the lending of electronic books, according to Library Journal’s recent ebook survey. This clash inhibits most libraries from fulfilling their important institutional missions to provide access to knowledge and preserve our cultural heritage. In the best case, this tug of war will be a temporary struggle. The best outcome is not a winner who holds all the rope and another lying on the ground with rope-burned hands. If there must be a winner of any kind, it ought to be the reading public.

In this article, the fourth installment in a series on the initiative to build a Digital Public Library of America, I examine the underlying role of law in the ebook lending debate, explore potential solutions to the problems, and consider how the DPLA can contribute to solutions for those we serve. At the core of this issue is the way the copyright law works–or doesn’t–when it comes to books, libraries, and readers in the United States today and into the future. Read more…

Press: Why We Miss the First Sale Doctrine in Digital Libraries (blogs.law.harvard.edu)
Dan Cohen Named Founding Executive Director of the Digital Public Library of America (blogs.law.harvard.edu)
Press: With New Leader, Digital Public Library of America Prepares for Its Debut (blogs.law.harvard.edu)
The Digital Public Library of America, Me, and You (dancohen.org)
As DPLA Launch Date Approaches, Faculty Calls for Open Access (thecrimson.com)

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Curb Your Librarian Frustration in 8 Steps – Stephen’s Lighthouse

March 11, 2013, 2:00 pm

≫ Next: ALA Will Posthumously Award Aaron Swartz With James Madison Award | LJ INFOdocket

≪ Previous: Why We Miss the First Sale Doctrine in Digital Libraries

(Hat Tip and footnote for some of the words to Marc Ensign of MarcEnsign.com and NotAnotherSEOBlog.com who inspired me with this post: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2012/09/16/curb-your-blogging-frustration-in-8-steps/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ProbloggerHelpingBloggersEarnMoney+%28ProBlogger%3A+Helping+Bloggers+Earn+Money%29.)

It’s the start of a new month. Are you frustrated yet? Is your job driving you crazy? Your boss? Your customers? Are you thinking too much about quitting, retiring, vacationing, or abandoning your dreams? Do you fantasize your hands around someone’s neck?

Now, before you fold your arms and stomp off into the sunset there is something you should know. This is normal. Every professional worth their salt and who has had an ounce of success has been there. If you care, you get frustrated . . . and sometimes angry, demotivated or sad. Worry when you’re at the point of “whatevah.” Whenever you experience one of those moments (or weeks, months, etc.) you have to spend some time considering your choices and reconnecting to your passion. Passion drives most of us – it’s what makes librarians put up with the pay! ;-) Luckily for the world, most of us choose to keep going and making a difference.

And you should too. If no one has told you lately . . . you matter. Librarians matter. Information matters.

So, before you throw in the towel, or just wallow in the blues and self pity, let’s think about how to curb some of that frustration a bit so you can get back to striving for success, innovation, great client interactions, fame and fortune (well maybe not the fortune… tongue firmly in cheek). Let’s move on and make a difference in the world. Read more…

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ALA Will Posthumously Award Aaron Swartz With James Madison Award | LJ INFOdocket

March 15, 2013, 7:32 am

≫ Next: 10 Books to Read While You're Waiting for 'The Great Gatsby' to Come Out

≪ Previous: Curb Your Librarian Frustration in 8 Steps – Stephen’s Lighthouse

Filed by Gary Price on March 14, 2013

Well done. This is something many of us wanted to see.

From the American Library Association:

On Tuesday, March 15, 2013, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) will posthumously award activist Aaron Swartz the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2013 James Madison Award during the 15th Annual Freedom of Information Day in Washington, D.C. Swartz will receive the award for his dedication to promoting and protecting public access to research and government information. Read more…

Picture of Aaron Swartz (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Aaron Swartz embodied the ALA’s principles that value open and equal access to information,” said Lofgren. “Aaron’s passing is a significant loss of an outspoken and passionate advocate.”

ALA Will Posthumously Award Aaron Swartz With James Madison Award (infodocket.com)
Aaron Swartz to Receive Posthumous Freedom of Information Award (mashable.com)
American Library Association Honors Aaron Swartz with Madison Award (districtdispatch.org)
Late Internet activist Aaron Swartz to receive the James Madison Freedom of Information Award (thenextweb.com)
Aaron Swartz to receive posthumous ‘Freedom of Information’ award for open access advocacy (theverge.com)
Aaron Swartz to be honored with freedom of information award (news.cnet.com)
Programmableweb Aaron Swartz 09 (archive.org)
Aaron Swartz defense: prosecutor Steve Heymann deliberately withheld exculpatory evidence (boingboing.net)

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10 Books to Read While You're Waiting for 'The Great Gatsby' to Come Out

April 10, 2013, 2:18 pm

≫ Next: Rizal library2013leadership

≪ Previous: ALA Will Posthumously Award Aaron Swartz With James Madison Award | LJ INFOdocket

Reblogged from Flavorwire:

About a month from now, Baz Luhrmann's much-anticipated film adaptation of The Great Gatsby will hit theaters, and try as we might to maintain a healthy amount of "they're going to ruin it" skepticism, we have to admit that we're pretty excited. So excited that we've already re-read the book, and now we're casting about for similarly jazzy, indulgent, socially critical reads to hold us over until we can watch it unfold as a spectacle in theaters.

Rizal library2013leadership

April 15, 2013, 10:30 am

≫ Next: The Very Heart of it: The Timeless, Nourishing Value of Libraries by Peter Bromberg

≪ Previous: 10 Books to Read While You're Waiting for 'The Great Gatsby' to Come Out

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The Very Heart of it: The Timeless, Nourishing Value of Libraries by Peter Bromberg

April 15, 2013, 11:49 am

≫ Next: It’s About Time! Marketing Your Library’s Electronic Resources | Not Dead Yet

≪ Previous: Rizal library2013leadership

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It’s About Time! Marketing Your Library’s Electronic Resources | Not Dead Yet

April 17, 2013, 6:27 am

≫ Next: The changing world of librarians

≪ Previous: The Very Heart of it: The Timeless, Nourishing Value of Libraries by Peter Bromberg

By Cheryl LaGuardia on March 28, 2013 5 Comments

Cheryl LaGuardia1 It’s About Time! Marketing Your Library’s Electronic Resources | Not Dead Yet If you had told me when I was a newbie librarian a lot of years ago that I’d be co-authoring a book someday that had “marketing” in the title I would have (a) laughed and (b) told you “no way.” I didn’t see that in my future at all.

Then 35 years passed. In the interim electronic resources came along, I got interested in them, started to review them, and they became part of my daily work and life. A big part. Next I became interested in library assessment, since it, too, started to form a large part of my library life (beginning with work on focus groups). When I attended the 2010 ARL Assessment Conference in Baltimore (which turns out to be the best library conference I’ve ever attended), I heard Marie Kennedy speak, her presentation entitled, “Cycling Through: Paths Libraries Take to Marketing Electronic Resources.” Not surprisingly, the room was packed, and also not surprisingly, what Marie said was taken down word for word by that audience. Read more…

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The changing world of librarians

April 26, 2013, 6:44 am

≫ Next: 25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome – Flavorwire

≪ Previous: It’s About Time! Marketing Your Library’s Electronic Resources | Not Dead Yet

10 of the Coolest Librarians Alive (flavorwire.com)
The Coolest Librarians Alive (bluesyemre.com)
Rapping librarian?! (lawlibraryblog.seattleu.edu)
Pew presentation – The changing world of librarians (bespacific.com)
Guybrarians and Male Librarians (popgoesthelibrarian.wordpress.com)

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25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome – Flavorwire

April 30, 2013, 10:35 am

≫ Next: Libraries of the Future [VISUALIZATION] | LibraryScienceList.com

≪ Previous: The changing world of librarians

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 (whether they’re among the coolest librarians alive or just pretty cool). That’s at least part of the impetus behind My Daguerreotype Librarian, ”[a] tumblr dedicated to literally or figuratively hunky and babely librarians from the past.” Inspired by the website, here’s a little extra literary goodness: 25 awesome vintage photos of librarians from ages past.

Minnie Oakley and Florence Baker Hayes, two Wisconsin State Historical Society librarians, 1896. [Photo via]

Read more…..

25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome (flavorwire.com)
25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome (novelwordsbyjessica.wordpress.com)
The Coolest Librarians Alive (bluesyemre.com)
Librarian Dance Party (libraryjoy.com)
Rapping librarian?! (lawlibraryblog.seattleu.edu)
Michael Moore honors librarians at Notable Books event (upi.com)
Readers’ Choice: 10 More of the Coolest Librarians Alive (flavorwire.com)

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Libraries of the Future [VISUALIZATION] | LibraryScienceList.com

May 2, 2013, 6:22 am

≫ Next: 23 Mobile Things everyone should know

≪ Previous: 25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome – Flavorwire

Libraries of the Future Visualization

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23 Mobile Things everyone should know

May 6, 2013, 6:48 am

≫ Next: SLJ’s 2013 Job Satisfaction Survey | What’s Not to Love? By Laura Girmscheid on May 6, 2013

≪ Previous: Libraries of the Future [VISUALIZATION] | LibraryScienceList.com

Reblogged from :

Holiday time or not, the time is right for you all to go and investigate 23 Mobile Things - a wonderful professionally delivered opportunity to learn a few important life-skills for working and living in online environments!

The background

I’m sure most of you have heard about 23 Things for Professional Development - an open-source program for librarians. There are many variants of this course which was first developed in 2006 by Helene Blowers and the team at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg County, and now the newish kid on the block is…

SLJ’s 2013 Job Satisfaction Survey | What’s Not to Love? By Laura Girmscheid on May 6, 2013

May 7, 2013, 2:16 pm

≫ Next: So You Think You Want to Be a Librarian?

≪ Previous: 23 Mobile Things everyone should know

.Chart Designs by Mark Tuchman.

Igniting a love for reading is primarily what drives job satisfaction for librarians who work with teens. And satisfied they are—seven out of ten school media specialists and public librarians working directly with children and/or teens report they are either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. SLJ set out to learn more about the motivations and challenges in the profession in a recent national job satisfaction survey of just over 1,000 school and public librarians. Read more….

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So You Think You Want to Be a Librarian?

May 10, 2013, 6:31 am

≫ Next: New PEW: Younger Americans’ Library Habits and Expectations – Stephen’s Lighthouse

≪ Previous: SLJ’s 2013 Job Satisfaction Survey | What’s Not to Love? By Laura Girmscheid on May 6, 2013

Most people’s knowledge of librarianship is a mash-up of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in Desk Set, some warm and fuzzy memories from an elementary school class visit, Rupert Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even fuzzier memories of all-nighters in their college libraries, and maybe a high-minded article or two about the Digital Public Library of America.

If this sounds familiar, don’t be embarrassed. Librarianship is a notoriously opaque profession, and most Americans have about as much understanding of what we do as they have of cloistered nuns, or actuaries.

Here’s the first shocker: most professional-level library positions require a masters in library or information science, most commonly known as “the M.L.S.” Since the M.L.S. involves a serious commitment of time and money, then you better be doubly sure that this is the right decision, at least for the next decade or two. Read more…