Hi everyone, I hope it’s ok, that I post this here. This weekend, Saturday between 1-5pm, the central library is hosting an Indie Media Fair, with lots of great stuff on display and for purchase. (zines, music, film, photography, silkscreening etc.). It sounds like a fun event, and something adults and kids might both enjoy, also it might spur some programming ideas for kids and teens!
Although American, The Nation became one of my favorite reads when I first began working in libraries because the articles are so different than so much of main stream journalism. It totes itself as offering “unconventional wisdom since 1865” (thenation.com). After some of our discussions in class I began searching around on the magazine’s website to see if they had anything geared towards the next generation of voters. Student nation can be found on the main page and is geared towards youth. It showcases political pieces written by students and has some useful links. I found this article (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060717/domonoske)there posted in June of 2006 by a junior in an American high school named Carmila Domonoske. Carmila’s article earned her a finalist position in the running for a writing contest supported by The Nation. I think her article outlines a common frustration among youth in the pre-voting years. It confirms for me something that I have always believed, and that is that the public library should not shy away from politics. Creating awareness with the youth population can often be a great start. Especially during the years before they are able to vote but old enough to be frustrated by policy makers. Sources like The Nation offer a wealth of ideas, showcase student work and can be a springing board for discussions with community youth regarding the issues that are troubling them and what sort of programs or projects they’d be interested in. If you want to read a more recent piece, here’s a link to this year’s winner of The Nation’s writing contest:http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071022/thoreson
Part 1: First, some background on the problem novel…
In recently thinking about the children’s problem novel for another project, I also wondered: what is happening on the YA problem novel scene these days, since teens were the original target audience for problem novels? Are problem novels increasing in popularity? Are the problem-topics in YA fiction growing in variety and frequency, and how are authors and publishers dealing with censorship concerns from the public? And what is the opinion of the youth who are reading these books? Do they criticize the writing? Praise it? Find it engaging?
The teen problem novel, a sub-genre of realistic fiction, is also referred to as the social problem novel, the American problem novel, new realism, and problem fiction. Sometimes problem novels are viewed as ‘coming of age’ novels. But no matter what they are called, the primary criteria is that the core of the plot involves the protagonist facing a substantial problem, conflict, or dilemma that must be dealt with and cannot be avoided. Sheila Egoff (1980), a critic of young people’s literature, suggests that in the typical problem novel, “conflict is integral to the plot and characters, and resolution of conflict has wide implications growing out of the personal vision or experience of the writer” (p. 67). In an interview with Aurora Online, Egoff offers some further reflections on the problem novel, including her opinion that problem novel writing has improved over the years: Interview with Sheila Egoff.
Here are a few problem novels you may have heard of: Queenie Peavy (Richard Burch), The Summer of the Swans (Betsy Byars), Forever (Judy Blume), Dicey’s Song (Cynthia Voigt), Dear Nobody (Berlie Doherty), Homecoming (Cynthia Voigt), We All Fall Down (Robert Cormier), The Chocolate War (Robert Cormier), Throwaways (Ian Strachan), Stone Cold (Robert Swindell), The Silent Storm (Sherry Garland), A Summer to Die (Lois Lowry), Tell Me Everything by Caroline Coman, I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This (Jacqueline Woodson), Peter (Kate Walker), and Out of Control (Norma Fox Mazer).
A bit of history on the problem novel: While many children’s problem novels are being published in today’s literature, the problem novel was originally aimed at the youth audience, and dates back to the 1960s and 1970s. It has been suggested that the birth of the problem novel occurred in 1964, when Emily Neville’s It’s Like This, Cat was awarded the Newbery Medal. These novels introduced a trend towards a new level of ‘hard reality,’ or a painfully honest and truthful portrayal of life problems, such as divorce and separation, nontraditional families, alcoholism, drugs, sexuality, alienation, illness, death, poverty, homelessness, foster care, domestic violence, abuse, and so forth. Many problem novels began to portray parents more honestly, letting go of the “Leave it to Beaver” and “The Brady Bunch” portrayal of parenting, and recognizing the reality of abuse, abandonment, divorce, and other family problems and dysfunctions.
What do problem novels offer youth? A chance to feel connection with other youth experiencing similar problems, an opportunity to build empathy and compassion toward other youth with problems, and a chance to identify with the protagonist’s emotions and struggles. In dealing with the subject of death, for example, the problem novel allows youth to encounter grieving patterns and realistic emotional responses and coping strategies. The problem novel can also be praised for its ability to subvert the idea of teens as passive and powerless, and show them instead as resourceful, resilient, and active individuals who are capable of coping with their problems.
But, does everyone share a positive attitude towards the problem novel? No, definitely not. There is an undeniable controversy surrounding the content of some problem novels; opinions and reactions are varied, depending on the writing style, types of problems, and extent of detail discussed in each novel. Barbara Feinberg, for example, has posted an article online which takes a more critical approach to the problem novel, in which she states her concerns that some problem topics such as incest, domestic abuse, and death are simply too difficult for young readers to deal with, and that these readers are being taught to abandon fantasy and are instead led towards a stark and difficult reality before they are ready (Barbara Feinberg: Reflections on the problem novel). Of course, Feinberg is writing more about children here, but many parents share similar concerns about their teens’ reading choices. In Publishers Weekly, the novel Junk (about teenagers and drug/heroin addiction) was criticized by parents who found it “frightening and even morally wrong that a children’s book should deal with these issues.” For further reading about opinions on the problem novel, check out the ALAN review article “The Problem Novel in a Conservative Age.”
Much literature written about the problem novel is written from the perspective of adults, but leaves out the readers themselves; what would teens have to say on some of these topics? Much of the current research does not seem to take their opinions into account, and focuses more on what parents, librarians, and educators feel is best for young people to read about. What about the teens? They are active readers, they are information-seekers, and they are creators of experience. Does this not also apply to their interaction with the YA literature?
It seems that one of the important factors to remember is that there is a difference between a poor sub-genre of literature, and poor writing itself. As Egoff (1980) points out, it’s not the problem novel or the problem topics she is opposed to, but the poor writing that they sometimes contain. It can be difficult to mimic real-life problems and achieve successful verisimilitude in fiction, and to write a deep, sensitive, and honest portrayal of today’s youth’s problems. Problem novel writing that is overly-dramatic, simplistic, or naïve, with a lack of realistic emotion, believable plot, strong setting, and in-depth characters is never going to be able to realistically portray problems in a way that will be engaging, believable, and deeply moving for youth.
One of the most frequent bits of advice found in the literature about problem novels? Don’t be didactic! Teens don’t want to be lectured and they don’t want to be talked down to. Chris Lynch, author of Shadow Boxer, Iceman, Gypsy Davey, and Blue-Eyed Son, suggests that “writing about the great lurch from childhood to adulthood is just as frightening, exhilarating, complicated and dangerous as living it was (remember that?). If you talk down to your audience it does not matter if you get ten pages of glowing press. They will reject you. Soft-pedal your message, and they will reject you. Think for one moment that younger readers will accept dishonesty or half-hearted work, and see what happens to you. Anyone who thinks that writing for younger readers is an easy way of breaking into the game, should just stay on the bench” (Donelson & Nilsen, 1997, p. 100).
Here are some interesting websites that offer further perspectives and information on the problem novel:
http://aurora.icaap.org/index.php/aurora/article/view/42/55 (Aurora Online)
http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/winter04-05/problemnovel.htm (Barbara Feinberg)
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/spring98/lemieux.html (ALAN Review)
Stay tuned for Problem Novel Part II: A closer look at Newbery Medal winner Richard Peck, who offers a personal perspective about his writing process and views on the problem novel…
References:
Burch, R. (1973). The new realism. In V. Haviland (Ed.), Children and literature views and reviews (pp. 281-287). Dallas: Scott, Foresman, and Company.
Donelson, K. & Nilsen, A. P. (1997). Literature for today’s young adult (5th ed.). NY: Longman.
Egoff, S. (1980). Thursday’s child: Trends and patterns in contemporary children’s literature. Chicago, American Library Assocation.
Hamilton, M. (1988). Aurora Online with Sheila Egoff: Outspoken critic and companion of children’s literature. Aurora Online. Retrieved March 4, 2008 from http://aurora.icaap.org/index.php/aurora/article/view/42/55.
Peck, R. (1992). Problem novels for readers without any. In Monseau, V. R. & Salvner, G. M. (Eds.), Reading their world: The young adult novel in the classroom (pp. 71-76). Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook Publishers.
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By: Alice,
on 2/14/2008
Check out this article in today's USA Today and consider. They are mixing books, digital downloads and their inevitable coffee shops in a single concept store. A quote from the article:
...follow the table of books snaking off to the right, and you'll come face-to-face with Borders' newest retail strategy: a digital center where you can download music or books, burn CDs, research family histories, print pictures and order leather-bound books crammed with family photos — with help from clerks who know how to do those sorts of things and won't embarrass you if you don't.
By: Alice,
on 2/12/2008
My always-on source of interesting, relevant material just sent me another tidbit of fascinating culture:
Pecha Kucha Night
Basically, it's a way for up-and-coming architects and visual designers to show their hot new ideas off, but not get bogged down in the nitty-gritty. Each person gets 20 slides and 20 seconds for each slide.
This could be a great way to draw creatives and artistically-inclined cultural mavens into your library on a biweekly (fortnightly) or monthly basis.
I say fortnightly because I've been at Members Council the past 2 days and am feeling quite global. Or wishing I could express myself less U.S.-centrically...
Read the rest of this post
By: Alice,
on 2/6/2008
According to Wired magazine...Public libraries! (Right between "heated seats" and "remote control.")
I would have put ice cream higher up on the list. But maybe placement on the list does not indicate its rank of nonsuckiness.
Also check out the list of things that do suck. (According to Wired.) What's cool is, they've gathered scientific reasons for the suckiness.
(Spotted by Andy!)
By: Camille,
on 12/5/2007
A public librarian's dream?
By: Jenny Levine,
on 11/28/2007
At last month’s Internet Librarian conference, we learned that among other services for seniors, the Old Bridge Public Library in New Jersey was planning to hold a Wii tournament for older adults. Why on earth would a library do this?
Old Bridge Library Unites Generations
“You’re never too old to rock out.
Just ask the 10 Old Bridge seniors who took up Guitar Hero III as part of the Old Bridge Library’s ‘Senior Spaces’ program on Nov. 8.
Seniors, alongside teenage volunteers, tested their mettle in the ubiquitous air-guitar video game and various other games available for the Nintendo Wii gaming system as the first step in the library’s plan to make seniors more technologically proficient and to include them in what Allan Kleiman, assistant director of the Old Bridge Public Library, called the inevitable redesign of libraries.
‘We want to get them to feel they are part of the 21st century library and not left out,’ Kleiman said….
Kleiman said gaming in libraries is becoming more and more common but using the video game to slowly introduce modern technology to seniors is a relatively new idea.
‘This is a lot less frightening to play with than learning to use a computer,’ he said.
Kleiman said seniors should be able to snap a photo with a digital camera or surf the Internet or use the various other technologies surrounding them. The program, he hopes, will provide the catalyst for further learning and inclusion among that community.”…
The program bridges gaps between the ages as well, Kleiman said, allowing teenagers well versed in the ways of the Wii to teach the seniors. The two groups will find a common denominator in competition over the video games. Kleiman said the age segregation that is often found in libraries breaks down when young and old are united by the desire to win.
Kleiman said, though the seniors are undoubtedly learning from the program, they are not the only students in the room. The teenagers learn a bit about life from the seniors.
‘It gives them a whole sense of what growing older can mean,’ Kleiman said, challenging the stereotype of the elderly in nursing homes….
That does not mean the library is going the way of the video arcade. Kleiman said the foundation of the traditional library is still intact but the video games for seniors help “make them feel relevant to what people are doing.”[Home News Tribune]
I really like how the staff at OBPL are approaching this, placing it in a broader context, using video games as teaching moments and touchpoints for social interactions between groups that otherwise don’t socialize together in the library. There are so many video games now that are social activities, not just someone staring at a screen alone (not there’s something wrong with that), and as Eli Neiburger notes, libraries can make games social and add value in the same ways we do for storytime.
I think the social interactions and socialization that takes place around gaming are often overlooked as being something less valuable than when it happens around books. This is one of the reasons that (as with anything) you can’t truly understand the benefits of video games in libraries if you’ve never played them. It’s why I encourage regional organizations (like state libraries and consortia) to purchase a console in order for their member librarians to experience this. It’s difficult to have an informed discussion without the experiential learning aspect. It’s like deciding if a library should offer a book discussion without ever having read a book. Not everyone has to do this, but the folks involved in the discussion should be familiar with the subject, and they can learn from playing the same way seniors at the Old Bridge PL will learn.
gaming in libraries, gaminginlibraries, Old Bridge Public Library, public libraries, seniors
By: Alice,
on 11/27/2007
So what, you might ask, have I been doing?
I will spare you the litany of boring diapers, wipes, goo-goo, ga-ga mumbo-jumbo.
But I have seen how the other half lives. The other half being the men and women in our (this is geared for public libraries) communities who descend upon our stacks, our computers, our DVD piles...during normal business hours.
I have always wondered what the rest of the world does, while we all go to work and stare at screens, sit in meetings and talk on phones. Now I know! They go on walks(!), they volunteer for political campaigns (!), they take naps (!), they do laundry mid-week (!), and they scoff at the idea of needing Microsoft Outlook to help them organize their day(!!!)
Okay, maybe some of them use Outlook. But I seriously unplugged and mysteriously feel no worse the wear for it. I happily admit to having a very large GAP in my blog, news and magazine reading. But I have a very large STASH of photos with family members on beaches, at sunsets, around dining room tables and yes, even in Jackson Square, New Orleans.
Now obviously I am not recommending a wholesale mass exodus of the workforce OR of technology. Otherwise who would be around to read my pontifications? But as a temporary realignment, a small re-engagement with some of the people we serve...it's a great mini-sabbatical I can encourage, to help one remember that the world does not end with deadlines, agendas and achievements.
Sunshine can bring happiness. As can warm cookies from the oven, or to notice the tomato plant that has valiantly hung on past a frost. These fleeting pleasures, born of leisure, were mine for a time.
So indulge those seeming vagabonds among you. They may be building memories.
By: Jenny Levine,
on 10/29/2007
Aaron Schmidt, Adina Lerner, John Blyberg, Carol Bean, Allan M. Kleiman, Glenn Peterson, Marilyn Turner
question: bookspace page is great, looks great; I wonder about these lists, because blogs are self-correcting, but the lists seem to be more static; how do you know the lists are doing their job and accomplishing what you want them to accomplish?
answer: glenn - recently noticed that on one of the lists, someone said “here are the titles that I like about such and such and if you have favorites, comment below,” but we don’t have offer comments on the lists; so there are ways we can make the lists more organic and dynamic
Marilyn - there’s a list called “all pink book covers,” so you can’t really correct everything
question from allan: we haven’t been very successful to get our staff to adapt to 2.0, although we’re playing with sites; how did you actually motivate your staff - with or without a stick - to blog? reference staff don’t see this as part of their job
answer: Marilyn - can’t pretend we haven’t had people kicking and screaming, but feels that if you can snag new librarians who aren’t afraid of doing these things and see this as part of their job, try to harness them; had trouble getting people to contribute content for the web back in 1996; saw that staff started to rely on resources their colleagues were maintaining, which helped; something collaborative finally happened, but not sure it can be described easily; they use statistics to show usage of the web resources; staff will update their blog if you tell them you are going to feature it on the home page; something is making it real for them, but it didn’t happen overnight
Glenn - have had their intranet for a long time, which helps, because they were able to start their in a controlled and safe environment
question: why did you use coldfusion instead of php?
answer: we selected CF in the mid-1990s, one of the few developmental languages at the time; rapid development environment, can use dreamweaver with it, easy to learn, similar to HTML in the way it uses tags; might have made a different decision of making it later
question: when I go home, my coworkers will ask the “what if” about user-generated content - how you deal with the bad stuff, who deals with it, etc.
answer: john - it’s a good question; need to understand it could happen, but can have a plan for how to deal with it; you won’t get a flood of participation to begin with; aaron - noted that you can moderate comments so that they have to be approved by the person who is worried about this happening
glenn - comments go live on their site unless they get trapped by their “naughty word” filter (eg, “title” gets blocked because of the first three letters - about one of these a day gets trapped and has to be approved); trapped comments are sent to a group of employees via email every couple of days - can click on a link to follow-up
question: NJ library where user-generated comments are approved before going live; has never seen a problem; if anything, people think they’re reserving a book; have a home-generated chat room for book discussions, staff meetings, etc.; can see the number of lurkers, which is pretty high - they don’t have anything to say; in the web 2.0 world, really likes the SOPAC, how do you get the lurkers to participate? he recently put up a “suggest a new title” box on their website, and it’s been a flood; thinks all of these people never thought to participate or contribute until they saw that box
answer: john - by lurkers, you’re really talking about people who are not predisposed to using those types of services; no better way to get someone to participate than to make them mad, but in the end, you really need to create incentive for them to participate; eg, if you put in 10 reviews, we’ll waive your fines; the end game is to build a community around the core elements of the social software, get that network effect rolling
allan - one of the issues that came up a few years ago is that the ILS vendors looked at 2.0 and were going to incorporate all of these features, but that’s come and gone so we have to implement it; it’s the vendors who really need to be the ones working on this, rather than us recreating the wheel
question: how do you measure and report value? we can all agree that there is inherently good value in these things, but how do you measure that value and report it out so that it is useful for decision-makers who are not librarians?
answer: aaron - at a very basic level, you can take your website statistics and look at hits from other sites where you have a presence
john - it’s also important to remember that you can look at metrics but your ultimate goal is enhancing the user experience in a way that changes the face of librarianship
allan - has been doing workshops around the state about the value of libraries using a web-based calculator that highlights the value based on your usage; gives annual reports to customers
Marilyn - it’s important to put modesty aside and send comments up the chain; she is constantly surprised how many users leave positive comments on the site; leave modesty aside and promote those comments
question from Michael: can each of you tell us a challenge you’ve faced and how you overcame it?
answer: aaron - he’s the director of a small public library with a small budget and limited staff, and the social software they use has been of immense help to them; was able to get a decent website going using free blogging software, staff collaborates with google docs, etc.
adina - is trying to find ways to bring more people into the library and offer more challenging classes, so at the end of next month, she will be offering a new class on web-based image editing software
john - oftentimes, we reach for the stars and we climb the highest peak we can find, and that leads to failure because we’re not focusing on the bedrock of our services (the backend, the foundation), so recognizing that fact we can’t innovate for a year because we need to lay the foundation and put the groundwork in is a way of acknowledging our limitations; so when you present a project that really works (like SOPAC), that’s a culmination of not just that project, but also laying the foundation
Carol - when she was first hired, she was the only one who understood the problems of having to get a mouse to teach how to use one; she just went out and did things (buying a mouse); when other staff didn’t like what she did, other staff pitched in and did something different, which helped move things forward; if others aren’t doing it, just do it yourself
allan - the biggest resource we have is our staff, and the biggest hindrance to going to the next level is our staff, so our biggest challenge is to get our staff to realize that their jobs have changed and they are all now technology specialists; he himself has this challenge because he tries to stay out in front of his staff, which seems impossible; the challenge is what we are as librarians to keep up with technology
glenn - our biggest challenge is with staff, not the public; patrons don’t have high expectations for library technology; it’s a great challenge to have when people figure out what technology can do for them, but then we have to manage expectations for what we can do; they see the magic in front of them but they don’t always have an understanding of what it takes to make that happen; so emphasizing communication (what projects they are working on, what information they need to make something happen, etc.)
Marilyn - her biggest challenge has been to be at the table of system-wide planning; because they’re not in each building, people plan without considering the web services components; her staff goes to a lot of meetings in order to contribute to these discussions and be part of things
By: Jenny Levine,
on 10/29/2007
Bookspace.org - Glenn Peterson, Marilyn Turner (Hennepin County Library)
Marilyn
book site went live on valentine’s day
contributions from staff and readers have been key
hennepin county is a county of readers
- on average, every suburban HC resident checked out 17 books, DVDs, and CDs in 2006
- twice the national average
wanted to maximize this when redesigning their site
- wanted to bring together relevant resources for a particular genre or subject
- to allow librarians to easily contribute content without need any programming knowledge
when they came up with the name “bookspace,” it was conceived as a true space where people could read, share, and learn
domain name was owned by a young adult librarian in missouri who was never able to use it so she gave it to them to use
latest blog post title appears on the home page
email newsletter that goes out every other month
featured readers list
find a good book
who is working on the site?
- coordinator
- workgroup of 5 librarians
- contributors (30 librarians)
- 2 librarians on each genre page team
easy to use tools for the librarians, all form-based on the web
they help each other to show new blog authors how easy it is
these are not volunteer activities, which is important
- this is part of your job and part of your performance expectation
- it’s become an expectation over the last few years that their librarians will add content to the web
Glenn
social features
- user comments on books and other titles
- right now there are 234 comments on the final Harry Potter book; comments started on this title while it was still on order
- blogs, where users can also comment
- booklists
- list top contributors of comments
- “It’s Alive”
- user profiles
- more than just screen names
- bring together user’s comments and booklists on their profile page
- also show what they have checked out as a wall of books (”what they’re reading”)
looking ahead
- new ways to connect users
- users who are reading x are also reading y
- facebook “wall”
- show user’s “friends”
challenges
- control issues
geek stuff
- database-driven
- RSS everywhere
- ColdFusion (or ASP, PHP, etc.)
takeaways
- draw on library staff
- empower your users (they want to add content, especially your younger users)
- create opportunities for serendipity
- let users interact
slides at http://hclib.org/extranet/
John: The Social Catalog
the transformative library
based on “The Experience Economy” book -
services, goods = 1.0
transformation puts services, goods, and experience (participation) together into a whole = 2.0
the media ecology is changing rapidly
the way we conduct business means we need to change the way we do things
create an experience in the library itself to offer a transformative experience for the user
the social catalog is one way to do this
a vital interim step to wherever we end up going
3 social catalog environments
1. pseudo-social
- authority presented as collaborative (ie Encore); subject headings as tag cloud
- there’s no feedback loop, though, no real collaborative experience, and not really social
2. syndicated social
- 3rd party data (ie LibraryThing for Libraries)
- the results you get are generally well-formed and almost always outstrip the usefulness of subject headings
- but get a homogeneous blend of information from a particular record
3. individually social
- user-direct and self-contained (ie Hennepin, SOPAC)
- run into other limitations, such as critical mass of content
showed Michigan State University’s implementation of Encore
- tag cloud, AJAX
- not really a social system, though, even though interface elements are indicative of social sites
showed Danbury Library’s implementation of LibraryThing for Libraries
- tags, but still no real social elements
showed Ann Arbor’s SOPAC
- users taking advantage of the social elements are probably teens, probably a handful of them (so have to be careful your data analysis isn’t skewed)
you need to ask yourself…
- do we want non-authoritative (user-generated) metadata associated with a record display?
- only your institution can decide
- authoritative and non-authoritative information can co-exist
- if you include folksonomy, do you:
- want it to originate from syndicated data?
- reflect your community?
- if you don’t have the content, how do you provide the incentive to use the system? and if you don’t have incentive to use the system, how do you have the content?
- what kind of development is involved?
the network effect
question: how do you prime the pump for comments?
answer: glenn - thinks we’ll see a phased approach in popularity; needs to build, not there from day one; their statistics show that people are more interested in reading than contributing, but thinks that will change over time; Marilyn: Glenn has put the opportunity to comment in places she hadn’t thought of (where normally it would be an email); have done a lot of PR with prizes when they introduce these types of things; can put your name in to win after you comment
By: Jenny Levine,
on 10/29/2007
- Allan M. Kleiman (Old Bridge Public Library)
internet is not gray yet
“while you were whale watching, some of us were watching the salmon spawn”
whale watching = myspace, facebook
salmon spawn = cranky & other senior sites
sites that are spawning and going upstream to die
what has spawned is something “new” and “exciting” in social networking
comparing the whale and the salmon is interesting
when people think of senior sites on the web, they only think of AARP, but that’s not really a social networking site
most of all, you need to share today’s information with your colleagues and the boomers and older adults who use your library
the numbers are confusing
22% of seniors 65 and older use the internet (Pew)
fastest growing segment of internet users are those 85+
- well, if you have no one 85+ using the internet and then you do, it’s the fastest-growing segment
currently 35 million older adults and by 2020 the older adults population will double
big business in developing & “hooking” the baby boomers now
they’re trying to hook them into social networking sites, but how? no idea because don’t see any ads, flyers, etc.
older adults are not attracted to these lifestyle websites
sites that are connected to another organization are doing well, while independent sites are not doing so well
they all have the same colors and design and look the same after awhile
SeniorNet was the first organization to develop senior sites around the US, but you had to pay to join and that usually doesn’t work with how libraries operate
Allan’s library is working with SeniorNet to expand their services into libraries
their website is good for viewing structured online learning; they have book clubs, blogs, etc.
everyone else’s site looks the same, but they did it first
Third Age was the “first” social networking (learning) site in 1997
all of these sites are intended for upper to middle class, white, women
no comparable site for men yet
Eons site
they know nothing about their users’ lifestyles and don’t market to them
focus on people, fun, love, money, body, lifepath, obits (ha!), games, travel
was founded by Monster.com CEO Jeff Taylor, but he’s not a boomer so he doesn’t get it
most of the boomer websites are looking at people with money, hoping you’ll click on companies who can help you travel, invest money, etc.
Eons has $32 million investment
half of their staff was let go, though
beginning to see the collapse of the new hope of social networking sites
let the competition begin
if a site is not allied with an organization, it is running on venture capital investments hoping to reap rewards
what is useful?
- more friendly versions of myspace and facebook
- “Eons, Rezoom, Multiply (a fancier Flickr; don’t even mention money, life, etc.; only site that shows people of different ages and colors), Maya’s Mom, Boomj, and Boomertown. They look like Facebook - with wrinkles.” NYT 9/12/2007
- also said “old people are sticky,” meaning brand-loyal
but boomers are not brand loyal
new search engine - http://cranky.com/
it’s an outgrowth of eons
found the 5000 most popular websites among a group of 500,000 web users aged 45 and older and rated each site
possibly based on ask.com’s search engine
about once or twice a day, they change the rankings on the home page
#1 search was about sex
which isn’t surprising, any good social networking sites for seniors will include companionship
(at his library, they’re requesting a speed dating night for seniors!)
also high in rankings
- longevity calculator
- sudoku
- eat healthy
- jobs after retirement
- wallpapers
- online dating
- retirement community
- work from home
the search here is nonthreatening and easier to use, easier to read because of lower starting set
results are comparable to yahoo
almost 80% of what he picks up on cranky duplicates what he gets on google
they only display 4 results per page
heading = cRANKy
because it’s connected with eons, their content is listed and linked to at the bottom of each page
what’s new out there?
eldr.com - mission is to help baby boomers and their aging parents deal with the challenges and opportunities of aging by providing the most useful thought-provoking and trusted information available anywhere
one issue is out
website looks the same as the other senior sites
believes this will stay around because there is a complementary magazine and because it was started by a builder of homes for older adults; he wants to give back to the community for the people he works with
others
- redhatsociety.com; 40,000 chapters in US/worldwide; wear red hats, purple dress
- “all my life I’ve done for you, now it’s my turn to do for me”
- another site that’s based on an organization
- Boomers! TV: Redefining life after 50
- producing shows on PBS about growing older, retirement, etc.; site has a little social networking
graying of the internet is really about blogging
AP found that seniors love blogging because it helps them keep their minds going, keep yourself up-to-date because you’re ready other blogs, can share life experiences, can meet other people from across the world
in some cases, senior blogs give the authors a bit of fame
3% of seniors in the US have created a blog
17% have read someone else’s blog
22% of americans aged 65 and older use the internet (1 in 5)
The Ageless Project
a website that lists blogs or websites of people in order of their birth year; there are 2 sites for people over age 90!
(sites with no commercial content)
Allan’s library is starting a blogging class next month
will try to market the blogs of the class participants
so what do we do with all of this information?
there’s life beyond myspace
- we should show people Cranky in computer class training
- link some of these resources from your library’s website (libraries usually link to negative sites, whereas social networking sites are usually positive
- join the sites and test them; otherwise you won’t really understand what they do
- become a participant
- add web 2.0 technology to your web classes
- provide feedback, both positive and negative to the sites
social networking sites for seniors are here to stay, even if these specific sites don’t survive
things that Old Bridge PL can do that you can, too
- have created a “senior space,” possibly the first in the US (users can listen to records)
- phase one set up the area
- phase two is to develop a web 2.0 classroom where seniors can also use computers on their own
- adding a “let’s try it” laboratory
- adding to their class list based on their Advisory Board
- first library to launch Wii for older adults on November 9
- teens will teach the older adults to Wii
- planning for a Wii NJ tournament in spring 2008
- are re-training their librarians to train 2.0
keep looking for information about what’s going on with older adults and social networking
his presentation will be at libraryolderadults.blogspot.com or infolink.org/seniorspaces
question: you didn’t mention AARP, why not?
answer: AARP is still an informational site, not a social networking site; it’s not the site I think of when I want to go somewhere and have fun; I use it a lot and link to it, but doesn’t see it as a true interactive site where people can meet
question: ABA is looking at implementing MyABA; do you have pointers for how to get people to use these sites?
answer: you’ll have to do a lot of hand-holding and tutorials; train the assistants (paralegals, secretaries, etc.) to help them
question: do you know if webmasters at these sites are talking to boomers and seniors?
answer: doesn’t think so because the sites don’t reflect these groups; that’s why we need to join these things and comment on them - help them change the content to make it more useful for us and for the community
By: Jenny Levine,
on 10/29/2007
- Adina Lerner (Santa Monica PL), Alan D’Souza (San Francisco PL), Carol Bean (BeanWorks)
Adina
“review the pew” - A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users report
we’re not going to help the elite tech users, want to try for middle of the road users, but really want to help the 49% with “few tech assets”
have to know your community’s demographics
census.gov only gives you 2000 numbers, which may not reflect what’s going on now
need to know your local resources, too
locating students
- listen to your patron requests
- create a survey (they did a “computer classes questionnaire”
- ask patrons to submit ideas to a Suggestion Box
community outreach
- appeal to niche groups, such as parents wanting to help children with homework online (offer a class on homework help for parents)
- offer health-related searching class using your databases for older patrons
bringing new skills to old hands
can the 20% middle of the road users be tempted?
- managing files/folders
- digital camera skills - using free sources such as Flickr, Pixenate, Picnik, Snipshot, Slide
- they found that 49% of their users had digital cameras, even though they might not have computers at home
- eBay skills
- they’re not legally allowed to offer classes on ebay because of liability issues, but they found certified ebay university trainers to do the sessions in their labs
- internet security issues
- help them understand about not using IE, virus control
you have to acknowledge your limitations, both of your library and your patrons
- hard to do Second Life in 90 minutes and you may not have bandwidth
- lack of reliable access to computers both in library and at home due to limitation of space and funds
- lack of transportation or mobility of the patron - go to a senior center, etc.
at what point will information literacy become a basic skill, similar to reading a newspaper or a book, navigating a library catalog, or using an ATM?
presentation will be on slideshare (search on her name)
Alan - Non-English Classes at SFPL
The Foundation
- mission statement
- have to present staff who look and sound like our communities
- literature & signage should reflect welcoming atmosphere, not just the “No’s”
- strong collections for populations
- website is in two additional languages, chinese and spanish
- have an “ethnic services committee,” although they rely on the individual branches to do the programming
- book club in russian and spanish
- offer computer classes in chinese (cantonese and mandarin), japanese (don’t really offer these anymore), russian, and spanish
- keyboards not in the native languages (such as chinese) is an issue
- they have a class in chinese wikipedia
- partnered with the seniornet people for a 4-week course that takes seniors from turning on your computer, to managing folders, to managing email; now they are asking for how to upload photos
interestingly, attendance numbers across all languages are down, though
have a “book a librarian” program where patrons can schedule a consultation with them about anything at all
need staff interested in teaching these things
recruiting trainers
- staff & volunteers
- language fluency
- technology fluency
- enthusiasm
training the trainer
- InfoPeople
- SeniorNet (still use their lesson plans, even though they don’t partner with them anymore)
- Mentoring - main way they train trainers now
- File sharing - share handouts, lesson plans, etc. this way
- Feedback
The Numbers for 2006/2007
- 3752 classes taught
- 450 attendees for non-english classes were taught in 50 classes
- >45 is the average age of attendees
- had a 100-year old Chinese woman attend a class!
hurdles
- facilities - renovations, adding meeting rooms
- technology - trying to upgrade, adding wireless, trying to use laptops, but that means issues such as smaller screens, touchpads, etc.; IT locks down all of the computers, which is another problem
- patrons - skillset is very, very low; requires a lot of patience; hand-eye coordination issues
- time & money - go for a lot of grants
overall, though, people are very, very grateful for these services
Carol - Make the Connection: Technology Training for the Older Generation
what she’s learned in 6 years of creating training for this group
- physical effects of aging (cataracts and declined vision, arthritis, neural noise, increased sensitivity to cold, decreasing hearing, etc.)
- cognitive effects (increased distractability, neural noise, etc.)
solutions include adaptive technology (move the screen closer, get glasses for computers, use track mice)
- they set resolution of screens to 400×800 resolution
- adaptive training techniques
North County Regional Library’s approach - mousing tutorial
beginning computer classes (Getting Started Series)
mousing tutorial assumes nothing and is progressive
- includes instruction on common experience with a computer
- includes instruction on physical problems using a mouse
- and it’s *fun*
Getting Started Classes
- went from 4 to 5
- designed to get older adults comfortable on the computer
- owning a computer is not required
- web-based
Class 1 - mousing
Class 2 - the browser
Class 3 - web forms
Class 4 - sign them up for web-based email, send an email
Class 5 - how to read email, more about email
classes are small trainer intensive, don’t last more than an hour max because their eyes glaze over after that
offered in the morning, no longer than 3 days apart (after 48 hours, they’ll lose the information if they don’t use/build on it)
classes teach only what they need to know with step-by-step instructions
make sure steps and pages are numbered
handouts should use a large, easy-to-read font
trainers speak slowly, with clear enunciation, and use unambiguous terms
students are encouraged and validated frequently to boost their self-confidence
prospective students are interviewed by the trainers to be sure they belong in the classes; makes sure everyone is at the same level, too
if they are motivated, they can learn it
outcomes
- <5% drop out
- <3% retake the course
- <99% have positive responses/comments
many go on to take regular classes at the library
there will always be some that fall through the cracks no matter what you do
can see the mousing around tutorial in english at http://pbclibrary.org/mousing/
all class materials are at http://esnips.com/users/ncrlab in word format
how does it feel to be these people - http://grouper.com/
question: as part of your decision-making process or publicity efforts, is there an outreach component at all, not just on your sites and locations? do you network with other groups to publicize these services?
answer: Alan - language librarians put up flyers in the ethnic supermarkets, etc. but we struggle with this; have not yet done a session at a facility that isn’t ours
By: Jenny Levine,
on 10/29/2007
- Eleni Gogas and Donna Feddern, Escondido Public Library
Eleni:
About Escondido PL
- medium-sized library with no previous intranet
- city maintains sites and servers
- just used a network drive in the past
they have an awesome trading card for the library
Phase 1 - pre-wiki
- network drive issues
- information on the drive was very old
- took 15 minutes to search for something on the drive
- city intranet was too formal
- wanted to improve internal km; many employees are approaching retirement
why a wiki?
- collaboration, informality, and transparency
- want staff to participate and get out of the vertical structure
- easier to use and find information
- web manager is unable to maintain two websites (bottleneck)
picking a wiki
- WYSIWYG
- free to affordable
- better searching
- web-based (wiki farm); needed a 3rd party to host it because they don’t have access to the servers
- password protected
- wanted individual staff profiles, wanted staff to be part of the discourse and have a face on the site
- easy to setup, use, and learn
- blogging
decided to go with JotSpot
- free + matched all criteria
- keyword search within documents
- group directories app
- RSS & email reminders
issues with JotSpot
- Google acquisition (no new users, future?)
- maintain backups on network drive
- existing JotSpot help group
other wiki-farm options
- list on wikipedia
- PB Wiki
- they used this for their online reference rolodex
- wetpaint
- example of Nancy Pearl Book Lust wiki
- potential issue that they show google ads, though
- wikispot
- they use it for their e-gove reference portal
- a little more complex, no WYSIWYG editor
other intranet options:
“web content management systems” - twiki, joomla
- but require direct access to your server and require programmers
Phase II - wiki setup
- organized wiki: staff needs
- build framework
showed screenshots
- “important stuff”
- departments
- staff development
- committees & boards
- “post it” page where staff can post fun stuff
was difficult at first for non-techie staff, but once they were given instructions and training, they caught on and were able to do it
Phase III - training (in process)
- showed off wiki at an all-staff meeting
- trained supervisors first to help
- technophobia: fear of editing websites; people think they can’t edit the pages because it’s permanent; teach them they can rollback changes
- let them play - no policies/rules
- use wikis for other library-related work
put out a call on the wiki, with a sign-up sheet on the wiki, volunteer to sign up to write an article about an author (”author spotlight”)
Phase IV - implementation (never-ending, really)
- designate go-to people for troubleshooting
- develop guidelines (not so much policies); want it to remain informal; don’t want people to think they’ll get in trouble for posting the wrong thing
- deptartment heads responsible for their information
- keep training staff, keep reminding them about it in email
- on-going process, think of it in terms of the long term
issues and troubleshooting
- bugs: you get what you paid for (free)
- make sure you have backups just in case
- fear of change from some staff; just keep encouraging them
- staff interest/participation
- now setting up a committee and delegating tasks
- time: more than a year (approximately)
- have to invest time in setting it up, even though it’s easy to use
cool tools
- Goodwidgets: flash photo widgets
- FD’s Flickr Toys slideshow & other photo editing tools
- Widgetbox: weather, games, news, calcultaros, and way more
- Jing: screenshots/casts from anything on yoru desktop
- stats counter: sitemeter, etc.
Donna:
some issues they are facing right now
- building renovation
- moving to a “marketplace” model for the library
- changing job description
- needed a place to communicate with staff about all of these things - another reason for the wiki
- using the wiki for training, including RA training
- created a tutorial for their online calendar
- room reserve tutorials, etc.
really like the blogging aspects for brainstorming and sharing articles, ideas, etc.
asynchronous communication helps between meetings
hasn’t done training yet for paraprofessional staff, but using a new blog to communicate with media staff
have a security alerts blog where they post pictures from the surveillance cameras
why the wiki works for them
- eleni does reference, cataloging, and web development, so she can’t be the only person responsible to update the site, so it’s great that everyone can update it now
- staff are excited to post meeting minutes, etc.
- simplicity works, although they do want to make it a little flashier
- staff loves search capabilities
for the future, they want to be even more creative about how they use it
don’t like the city’s intranet because they have to wait for the city’s editor to update it
they live in San Diego County and lost 75 homes in the area; many staff were evacuated, were staying with friends, pets were scattered; were closed for 3 days
- anyone with internet access could have posted staff updates during the fires
- communicate with work family, but hadn’t integrated enough quite yet
want to make the site more browsable, too
question: another library in a similar situation at a city that doesn’t want information on 3rd-party servers
answer: we’re calling this our “wiki” and not our “intranet” so they don’t even know
question: i know free is good, but are there products you know of that you would have paid for that are really good
answer: if you have server space, joomla is really good; same with twiki; socialtext; may still need programmers, though
question: can you tell us more about the staff profiles and if they have succeeded?
answer: customer service department is about to start taking pictures of all of their staff and updating everybody’s information; they have 87 staff members so they don’t know some folks very well or don’t know what all the pages look like
question: how much time per week does it take in administrative work:
answer: eleni works on the wiki an hour a day, mostly seeing what people are posting; does this maybe 3-4 times a week; training takes the longest, especially because they have two branches
question: do you have plans to include your friends, foundation, etc.?
answer: already included the committees and boards (minutes right now, planning to add profiles), but do plan to expand to those things, yes
question: how do you manage security on site?
answer: not everyone is logging on right now, but certain staff members have the ability to restrict pages; encouraging them to keep their content open, though, for transparency; when management team meets, they have some staff issues they don’t want everyone to see so use the “share” button where you can choose who can see the page (by individual or group)
question: you showed a picture of a problem patron - is that a potential liability?
answer: discussing this internally via email right now; only do this for people who have committed a crime in a library, the kind of person they need to call the police for if they come in; don’t keep many photos, based on incident reports
question: same question about the pictures of children
answer: they do get permission to post these, although they’re more lax about the teens; Flickr pictures of children are set to private on Flickr; eleni and donna are the gatekeepers and require permission slips
presentation will be available at http://www.library.escondido.org/wiki.ppt
donna feddern, eleni gogas, il2007, intranets, public libraries
By: admin,
on 10/26/2007
Librarian Chick provides an exhaustive list of online resources for students and librarians in the academic environment - from audio books to test taking and everything in between.
She also has a Learning Center that lets you search for free educational information, sites, games and software online.
Finally, to complete the trifecta of excellent resources, she also offers a search for free online audio books, e-books and textbooks. The search provides results from literally dozens of the biggest and most complete libraries that host free resources.
(via MetaFilter)
- JH
By: Annie,
on 10/18/2007
Libraries are such magical places. You can choose your delights from the featured books gathered in places (usually by theme) throughout the library; cruise the fiction shelved alphabetically; or hightail it directly to a favorite section such as history, art, or gardening. Long before children learn the Dewey Decimal system, they learn where their favorite books are shelved. The youngest children choose by cover design - young readers often choose by favorite author - then we mature into readers who also consult the covers, inside jacket blurbs, and perhaps the introduction or table of contents before we make our selection.
No matter how we make our selection, every book can be checked out and taken home. Unlike the book store where selections are made according to need and bank balance, hungry-eyed readers have access to every single book in the library. Food gluttony can lead to illness, but I never heard of anyone getting sick from reading too many books or learning too much.
Because books are always coming and going from library shelves, you are never sure what you are going to find in a favorite section or by a favorite author. Yes, you can reserve books in advance and pick them up when they're available, but that takes the fun of discovery away. I love that "oh, wow" feeling when I find a treasure I wasn't expecting on the library shelves.
Last Saturday on a gorgeous afternoon, I went to my local branch. I found two books I had been wanting to read and empty rocking chairs on the screened in porch looking out over a lovely wood. As I rocked and reviewed my stack to determine which of the lovelies would actually go home with me, I was so thankful to Andrew Carnegie and all the other hundreds of folks who developed and continue to sustain public libraries across the country.
The role of libraries continues to change. There are more and more computers as people surf the information highway. There are study groups, language tutoring, story telling, community meetings...but the main business of the library is still circulation. Sharing books with anyone with a library card. What a gift. Today, I'm thankful for my current bag of books from the library. Support your library. It is partially funded on its circulation numbers. Patronize your library. Join a book group, tutor a child, attend a meeting, or just sit and read. You'll be glad you did.
By: admin,
on 9/30/2007
There is a big (and first ever) electoral reform referendum coming up in Ontario on October 10th.
When voters go to the polls for the next provincial election, they’ll also be voting on whether to implement a Mixed Member Proportional electoral system. Public polls being take of most Ontarians are revealing that approximately half of the population don’t know what MMP is about, where it came from, and how it differs from the current first past the post system.
There’s no clearer job for a public librarian in Ontario right now that to be make information accessible and as visible as possible so that voters can make an informed choice at the polling station.
Here’s are a few resources to pass on. The video is getting nice reviews for bringing some clarity to the midst of confusion.
Vote for MMP
MMP Guide - Toronto Star
Articles and Related Links - Globe and Mail
-PC-
By: admin,
on 9/23/2007
The Vancouver Public Library staff have now been on strike for 1 month, 20+ days.
You can lend your support by signing this petition requesting the city of Vancouver to return to the negotiating table. Vancouver Public Library strike petition (thanks, Toni Samek!)
Also check out this article in the Tyee that speaks to one of the main bargaining issues - pay equity. Men earn $6 more per hour than women at VPL. (I’m sorry, which century are we in again …?)
Finally, the CUPE 391 hardship rund received a generous donation from this benefit concert.
To make a donation, please contact the CUPE 391 Hardship Committee.
-PC-
By: admin,
on 9/20/2007
Kudos are in order for the London Public Library’s decision to post an online discussion forum to invite public debate on their controversial Internet filtering policy.
Librarians, please weigh in on this important discussion regarding the connection between intellectual freedom and internet filtering. Thus far, the discussion is largely one-sided in favour of filtering.
Go to Internet Filtering Pilot Project Feedback Forum.
Some quick and dirty Internet filtering references from the librarian blogosphere:
Librarian.net
A search on Libworm for both the terms “internet” and “filtering” gave back these results.
I’ll conduct a more thorough review of the arguments both pro and con in the not too distannt future - in the meantime, please use the LA blog for information sharing!
-PC-
By: admin,
on 9/18/2007
Gathering at Nathan Phillips Square
Wednesday, September 19th
4 - 6 PM
please circulate widely
On WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 4-6PM we are calling on ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND ANYBODY ELSE to convene at NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE to make it clear that we will not tolerate cuts to our essential services and that we support the Land Transfer tax.
IT’S URGENT: the councillors will be meeting on the 20th to discuss this and we need to show our city officials that we are organized and strong in numbers and that we are horrified by the city’s deteriorating quality of life.
Please show your concern by attending WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th! because it’s tough as hell to swim in empty pools.
If you have suggestions for speakers, activities or want to help organize please contact:
Heather Haynes - heather @ torontofreegallery.org
Darren O’Donnell - darren @ mammalian.ca
Lisa Pijuan-Nomura - girlcancreate @ yahoo.ca
- the land transfer tax is a one-time 2% cost payable only when you choose to buy a house; if implemented it will avert large annual property tax increases payable each and every year
- first time home buyers will receive a rebate for the land transfer tax
- only 6 cents of every tax dollar you pay goes to the city. The remaining 94 cents goes to the provincial and federal governments.
-thanks, Njo Kong Kie for the details
Spacing Wire also has a post with a few clarifying comments.
-PC-
By: admin,
on 9/18/2007
With Toronto’s financial woes are continuing on unabated, and the provincial government merely using the opportunity for some pre-election politicking, Torontonians are taking matters into their own hands at a local level.
While citizen and lobby groups in Toronto are
lobbying hard on both sides, LA is here to provide information on saving TPL and other essential community services from the chopping block.A website has been launched by the city to provide more information on the proposed tax. Here are a few highlights from the fairtaxes.ca.
Every major city in the world has fair taxes that grow with the economy — except Toronto
For every dollar of taxes Torontonians pay (income, sales, property taxes and other taxes), only 6 cents goes to your municipal government
Toronto recently ranked fifth as the world’s most livable city (1)
The average Toronto household buys and sells a home once every 15 to 20 years (or five to seven per cent of the population at any given time) (2)
Toronto’s housing market is at an all time high, with record sales and homes selling in record time (3)
The City of Toronto has the lowest municipal property tax rates in the Greater Toronto Area (2)
Municipal property taxes provide 24-hour, 7-day services like police, fire, ambulance, road repair and parks as well as libraries, recreation programs, and community centres, at a cost of about $180 a month for the average Toronto household. (2) That same household may spend $200 a month for car insurance and $150 a month for phone, Internet and television services
Sources:
1. The Economist Magazine (August, 2007)
2. City of Toronto
3. Toronto Real Estate Board press release (August 17, 2007)
Just to recap, after Mayor Miller’s proposed land transfer and vehicle registration taxes were deferred for further consideration at the first vote, libraries were the first to be hit up for service cuts which went into effect this month. TPL has posted this on their website regarding the services cuts. The ‘high priority’ neighbourhoods will continue to open on Sundays .
These TPL cuts are just the tip of the iceberg compared to what may be coming, as community centres closed on Monday earlier this week. And let’s not forget about the smaller, less-likely-to-grab-a-headline players in the arts and culture communities. The Toronto Arts Coalition - a new organization whose mission is to raise the profile of the role and importance of the arts in Toronto - while not explicitly supporting the new taxes, is providing some advocacy tools to lobby the various levels of government to support the arts. Is it just me, or does is not make your life a bit easier when folks like this give you a helping hand with your advocacy tasks?
So what you can do:
If you’re in favour of supporting the new taxes at the October 22nd council vote, here’s who you want to drop an email to:
clerk AT toronto DOT ca
In the subject line write:
“Yes to land transfer tax. Please copy to Mayor and City Councillors (arts and libraries)”
cc’d to:
dmcguinty.mpp.co AT liberal.ola.org
hhampton-qp AT ndp.on.ca
john.tory AT pc.ola.org
Include a paragraph (such as this one) into the body of the email (or make up your own):
“Dear Mayor Miller and City Councillors:
My Toronto includes:
the arts
libraries
community centres
recreation programs
public health services
museums
and the TTC
To protect my city, I support the land transfer tax as an immediate solution to Toronto’s financial crisis.
your name
address
postal code
Even MORE quick and dirty is the email form provided through Miller’s recently launched website, fairtaxes.ca. There is still room for your comments, like how community services are the bread and butter of social inclusion and a liveable, vibrant, cosmopolitan city. The form is nothing to sneeze at - I received an email (albeit a form email) in response to my submission from Toronto City Councillor Joe Mihevc.
thanks, Siue Moffat for forwarding the draft email and arts links
-PC-
By: admin,
on 8/24/2007
The ALA recently released a survey of rural librarians with all kinds of interesting, enlightening and downright depressing comments and statistics.
With fully one half of your friendly neighbourhood LA contributor team working in rural library settings, this survey also hits close to home (although I do believe that the situation in Canada for salaries and working conditions is much better than in the US for the most part.)
(via the always jam-packed ALA weekly e-newsletter which, unfortunately isn’t online)
- JH
By: Alice,
on 8/15/2007
It's not just my rose-colored glasses. Libraries and librarians have been getting GREAT press lately, in terms of shifting the general public's perceptions of us being irrelevant, old, dusty, bun-wearing, shushing places or people. Name your stereotype and the mainstream press is starting to help shift things. See my latest case in point (thanks , Eric) from the San Francisco Chronicle, "San Francisco libraries have become neighborhood best-sellers."
And you know the funny thing about it. Whether or not it is *actually* true in your particular library, you can start living it like it's true (not that you haven't been already, for years) and it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Hope you are having your own "running of the bulls" each morning as you open the doors of your public library. You academic librarians, enjoy the back-to-school bustle that's starting up!
By: admin,
on 8/8/2007
Thanks to the PLG listserv for this bit of news about library innovation in Venezuela.
Here’s an excerpt:
Diving for books
A break came when it was my turn to ride a mule. I enjoyed a great view of the valley but held on tight as Chiquito veered close to the edge.
Hot and slightly bothered after two hours, we reached Calembe, the first village on this path.
Anyone who was not out working the fields - tending the celery that is the main crop here - was waiting for our arrival. The 23 children at the little school were very excited.
“Bibilomu-u-u-u-las,” they shouted as the bags of books were unstrapped. They dived in eagerly, keen to grab the best titles and within minutes were being read to by Christina and Juana, two of the project leaders.
“Spreading the joy of reading is our main aim,” Christina Vieras told me.
“But it’s more than that. We’re helping educate people about other important things like the environment. All the children are planting trees. Anything to improve the quality of life and connect these communities.”
And the full story through BBC News.
-PC-
By: admin,
on 8/3/2007
Instead of relying on your friendly local library (who, let’s be honest, often has a policy of not letting patrons know about overdue books until, well, until they’re overdue), Library Elf is a neat little service that helps you track your due dates, holds and more. You can configure the service to notify you via e-mail and/or RSS about the status of your library account, track multiple library accounts (ie. for your whole family) and more.
A number of libraries across Canada, the US and internationally are currently supported and more are being added all the time. (See the FAQ for how to submit your own library if it’s not already listed.)
(via MetaFilter)
- JH
...and people say we are not competing with bookstores. Wake up and smell the $3 coffee!
now if only we could eat and drink in the library! or how about a snack store next door? people would stay longer! at least you have bathrooms in the library.