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Overdrive on i-devices

By karen | November 29, 2010

The Bluefire eBook Reader app for iPads, iPhones and iPod Touch was recently released; the app enables reading of Overdrive books on the Touch, iPhone and iPad.  The app is free and available at the Apple App Store.  Good news for devotees of handheld Apple devices!

I learned of this through the blog Ebooks for Libraries (via the Web4Lib listserv).  This seems like a good place to keep up to date on ebook information.

For detailed directions on how to download Overdrive books to your i-device, also check out How To Get Library Ebooks on the iPad/iPhone, No Sync Required on LJ Insider.

Topics: eBooks, Resources | Comments Off on Overdrive on i-devices

LJ Survey on Public Library Referenda

By karen | November 23, 2010

Library Journal is compiling its annual public library referenda report. Please help create a full picture of how voting for library support went in 2010.  If your library held a public referendum between December 1, 2009 and November 30, 2010 for a capital campaign or additional library funds, please submit this information to Library Journal.

To report referenda information, please fill out the online Library Journal survey for either operating or building referenda, regardless of their defeat or passage.  The deadline for responses is January 7, 2011.  Results will be published in an upcoming issue of Library Journal.

Topics: News & Information | Comments Off on LJ Survey on Public Library Referenda

Sandra Mundy Celebrates 40 Years at BUR

By karen | November 17, 2010

Congratulations to Sandra Mundy, who was recently honored for her 40 years of service at the Jesse M. Smith Library in Burrillville.  Sandra started working at the library while working on her master’s degree in library science at the University of Rhode Island.  During her long tenure as director, the library has expanded from a 4,000 square foot building holding 7200 volumes to the current building, opened in 2008, that holds nearly ten times that amount.

Congratulations to Sandra!

Topics: News & Information | 1 Comment »

NEH Grant opportunities

By Donna DiMichele | November 5, 2010

The Division of Public Programs at the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities funds humanities projects that are intended for broad public audiences at museums, libraries, historic sites and other historical and cultural organizations.

New application guidelines are now posted on the NEH Web site (www.neh.gov) for our America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations grant competition. The next two deadlines are January 12, 2011, and August 17, 2011.

Grants support interpretive exhibitions, reading or film discussion series, historic site interpretation, lecture series and symposia, and digital projects. NEH especially encourages projects that offer multiple formats and make creative use of new technology to deliver humanities content.

Program officers in the Division of Public Programs are available to assist you, whether it is to discuss project ideas or to read a draft of a proposal. Please call the NEH Division of Public Programs (202-606-8269) or contact a program officer directly.

ALA Public Programs Office
www.ala.org/publicprograms
publicprograms@ala.org

Topics: ALA, Grants | Comments Off on NEH Grant opportunities

Serving the 21st Century Patron

By karen | November 5, 2010

Registration is now open for a free online conference on Serving the 21st Century Patron.  The conference, organized by WebJunction and scheduled for December 1-2, will feature sessions on:

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear nationally prominent speakers discuss these critical topics for today’s libraries.   Conference proceedings will be archived.  Register now for this two day event.

Topics: Continuing Education, Events | Comments Off on Serving the 21st Century Patron

Internet Librarian 2010: Random notes

By karen | October 28, 2010

There were lots of great sessions at the conference.  Some final snippets:

Samuel Davis of the Columbus Metropolitan Public Library presented on Columbus Neighborhoods.  CMPL, in collaboration with WOSU Public Media (the public television outlet based at Ohio State University), facilitated the creation of a community archive in preparation for Columbus’ bicentennial in 2012.  CMPL provides the technical support, hosting a Drupal website for the content repository, while WOSU promoted the project.  Community participation has exceeded expectations and is creating a rich online repository of local history.  This was an excellent example of how libraries add value to and involve their communities.

Augmented Reality is becoming reality as people connect the physical world with data. North Carolina State University has developed an historic walking tour of their campus, the WolfWalk, which connects campus buildings and locations with images that trace their history.  Layar is an augmented reality app that can be used to connect images and data.  Imagine a time when you can walk down the street, photograph a building with your smartphone and see the data attached to it.

As a final thought, another recurring theme was transliteracy.  We are moving towards a transliterate society, that is, a society that must be able to read, write and interact across a wide range of platforms, tools and media.  In a much heard quote from futurist Alvin Toffler, we heard that “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”  Librarians must be ready to explore and learn about the ways their patrons (or what Michael Ridley, University of Guelph, calls “participants”) interact with the world.  Customer service needs to escalate to “service fluency”, making those who participate in the library satisfied at the point of contact, whether it’s at the library, online or in an augmented reality.

As always, Internet Librarian provides much food for thought and visions of the future.  And Monterey is always an inspiring place to visit.

Topics: Events, Future of Libraries | Comments Off on Internet Librarian 2010: Random notes

Collection HQ and EBSM (Evidence Based Stock Management) Methodology

By alicia | October 27, 2010

Have you heard about a Collection HQ and EBSM?  I recently attended a webinar and was amazed at what could be accomplished with this application and methodology.

“CollectionHQ is the world leading collection performance improvement solution which is revolutionizing the way many public libraries select, manage and promote their collections. It is a proven product based on our powerful Evidence Based Stock Management (EBSM) methodology developed by public librarians in the UK over the past 18 years.”

The Collection HQ software is internet based, interoperable with any ILS and allows you to easily create a collection built on your patrons needs/requests.  The EBSM methodology analyzes current usage information to measure the level of performance throughout your collection and creates a benchmark for your library. Target levels for selection of materials in each area of the collection are established which saves the library valuable time and money and improves performance.  This also provides useful information for weeding purposes and budget justifications.

To learn more about Collection HQ

To learn more about Evidence Based Stock Management 

Topics: Future of Libraries, News & Information | Comments Off on Collection HQ and EBSM (Evidence Based Stock Management) Methodology

Internet Librarian 2010: The ubiquity of screens

By karen | October 27, 2010

One of the pervasive concepts throughout the conference is the ubiquity of screens.  And if you stop and think about it, screens are everywhere.  Increasingly they are how we interact with the world, whether it be at the ATM machine, the supermarket, through our handhelds, our computers, our home entertainment systems.  And all of these screens are competing for dwell time, the time we focus our attention and consume their message.  Think of the gas station where you are innocently pumping your gas, riveted by a brief video on why that particular gas is superior, or perhaps catching a few minutes of the news.

In a screen-filled world, where does the library find its place?  We have lots of screens, but do we leverage them in a way to broadcast our message?  Do we present information the way people expect to find it?  Do you have a screen as you enter the library broadcasting the programs, events and resources available to patrons on that day?  Do you place screensavers branding and promoting library resources on your public computers?  In the 21st century, does the library become the screen, available everywhere?

The current medium is video.  I’ve attending several sessions showcasing how video is increasingly important to libraries and is the medium of choice for college students and younger.  And nowadays, video is relatively easy to produce.  Many libraries are making videos with point and shoot cameras and editing the product in free software such as Moviemaker (PC) or iMovie (Mac).  Short, simple yet entertaining videos on how to use library resources, such as those created at McMaster University.  According to Krista Godfrey from McMaster, 71% of academic libraries are using video in some way to educate students about library resources. (Disclaimer: poll is of Canadian libraries and is still in progress).

Want to see what libraries are doing with video?  Check out youTube.  And if you want to see some interesting videos on libraries, check out This Week in Libraries from Erik Boekesteijn and Jaap Van de Geer of the DOK Library Concept Center in the Netherlands. Then, just for fun, check out David Lee King and Michael Porter’s Hi-Fi Sci-Fi Library, which features a number of prominent librarians.  Think of the possibilities for screens and video in your library.  And think about what RI librarians can do in this medium to promote libraries . . .

Topics: Events, Future of Libraries | Comments Off on Internet Librarian 2010: The ubiquity of screens

Internet Librarian 2010: Ren Gen

By karen | October 25, 2010

In Monterey opening keynote speaker Patricia Martin (Litlamp Communications) spoke on Adding Value to Your Community.   Author of the book Ren Gen (Renaissance Generation) she suggests that we are on the cusp of a renaissance, a time when radical change makes the established culture irrelevant.  In a renaissance, old things must be shed to make way for the new and a facilitating medium must exist.  For this renaissance, it is the Internet.

Martin has worked in marketing for big corporations and provided examples of how successful corporations are changing to succeed in an age of mass creativity, an age where everyone wants to do things differently, an age where there are more blog posts than volumes in the Library of Congress, an age where ebook publication exceeds print. An age where we live our life at warp speed and the user is at the center of the experience.  We have entered an era where “me” has shifted to “we,” where there is an overwhelming drive to belong, to create, to understand.  An age where the population of Facebook users would constitute one of the largest nations in the world.

Corporations that are successful in the 21st century are embracing a colossal shift in consumerism: in the old system, the brand was at the center; in the new, the user experience is.  So, what is a library to do?  For centuries the library brand, its resources and services, centered on the book (or the scroll, or the codex).  How can libraries remain relevant in a world focused on experiential living?

Libraries must facilitate the user experience.  As the one place where users can find neutral information, libraries must capitalize on their ability to provide unbiased information while librarians leverage their skills as information navigators and facilitators.  To remain relevant and not be shed in this renaissance, libraries must put users at the center and provide a space where users can collaborate while curating a human interface.  In short, successful libraries will add value to their communities.

View Internet Librarian’s opening keynote address.  Twitter stream is #intlib2010.

Topics: Events, Future of Libraries | Comments Off on Internet Librarian 2010: Ren Gen

Smithsonian Posters

By admin | October 22, 2010

OLIS has two sets of posters from the Smithsonian Institution to give away to any library interested.  We will send them to the first library that requests them via email to lgage@olis.ri.gov.

The first set, Earth from Space, consists of 20 posters of pictures of Earth from space, taken by NASA satellites.  Each photo is accompanied by a fact about the technology or particular section of Earth it portrays. More information can be found at http://earthfromspace.si.edu/.

The second set, Choosing to Participate, is meant to encourage dialogue about the consequences of everyday actions and positive participation in our communities. A few of the 11 posters include questions for discussion.  More information at http://sites.si.edu/choosingtoparticipate/.

Topics: News & Information, Resources | Comments Off on Smithsonian Posters


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