Libraries See Opening as Bookstores Close

"Libraries See Opening as Bookstores Close." The New York Times / Karen Ann Culotta.
New York: New York Times Online, December 27th 2012.

"As librarians across the nation struggle with the task of redefining their roles and responsibilities in a digital age, many public libraries are seeing an opportunity to fill the void created by the loss of traditional bookstores. They are increasingly adapting their collections and services based on the demands of library patrons, whom they now call customers.
Today’s libraries are reinventing themselves as vibrant town squares, showcasing the latest best sellers, lending Kindles loaded with e-books, and offering grass-roots technology training centers. Faced with the need to compete for shrinking municipal finances, libraries are determined to prove they can respond as quickly to the needs of the taxpayers as the police and fire department can." 

The Wrong War Over eBooks: Publishers Vs. Libraries

"The Wrong War Over eBooks: Publishers Vs. Libraries." Forbes / David Vinjamuri.
New York: Forbes Online, December 11th 2012.

Secret Lives of Readers

"Secret Lives of Readers." The Chronicle of Higher Education / Jennifer Howard.
Washington: The Chronicle Online, December 17th 2012.

Libraries & Their Landscapes

"Libraries & Their Landscapes." Library Journal / Peter Gisolfi.
New York: Library Journal Online, December 11th 2012.

Librarian Kept Children Quiet With Paper & Crayons as Shots Rang Out

"Librarian Kept Children Quiet With Paper & Crayons as Shots Rang Out." The Vermont Telegraph / Julie Henry.
Vermont: The Telegraph Online, December 15th 2012.

13 Ways of Looking at Libraries, Discovery, & the Catalog: Scale, Workflow, Attention

"13 Ways of Looking at Libraries, Discovery, & the Catalog: Scale, Workflow, Attention." Educause / Lorcan Dempsey.
Colorado: Educause Review Online, December 10th 2012.

Tattooed Librarian Calendar Fights Stuffy Stereotype

"Tattooed Librarian Calendar Fights Stuffy Stereotype." CBC / Lauren O'Neill.
Canada: CBC.ca Community Blog, December 3rd 2012.

I'm Just Me / Diamond Rings

Words Actually Heard:

Really, dude? My cardigan, glasses, & loose chignon not cluing you in?

Lodi Library a Haven for People After the Storm

"Lodi Library a Haven for People After the Storm." North Jersey News / Tony Holman.
New Jersey: North Jersey News Lodi Edition, November 15th 012.

"The board and I were so proud of Lodi Library staff. They really went above and beyond, despite the long hours everyone put in. Our staff helped residents apply for FEMA help, seek shelter, arrange transportation, print out directions or just relax by enjoying a family board game and magazines," Barb Hauck-Mah said."

Bravo Lodi Public Library!!!

Get “Jacked” at Your Local Library

"Get “Jacked” at Your Local Library." Hyper Vocal / Andrew Bank.
New York: HyperVocal.com, October 14th 2010.

"If Retro's Cool, Why Isn't the Library Making a Comeback?  Capital One wants to know “What’s in your wallet?” It should be a library card. Public and university learning centers are underutilized resources."

Two years later, oh yes they are, Mr Bank. 

Fanwood Library Shines as Community Hub During Hurricane Sandy

"Fanwood Library Shines as Community Hub During Hurricane Sandy." New Jersey Times / Suburban News.
New Jersey: New Jersey Times, November 8th 2012.

Bravo Fanwood New Jersey Library!!!

Open Access Explained

Hot Librarian

"Hot Librarian." TVTropes / Television Tropes.
America: Television Tropes, 2012.

"Note that the character doesn't actually have to be employed as a librarian to fit this trope, as long as they fit the physical description (glasses, skirt, hair in a bun etc.) and share the same character traits (nerdy, shy and sexy)."

See Also:
Cute Bookworm

In the Library...

Good Books Satisfy

Library Terms That Users Understand

Library Terms That Users Understand  / John Kupersmith.
California: 2012.

Read to Survive

Monster Librarian

Clever

Zach Weinersmith

The Shepherds of Knowledge

"The Shepherds of Knowledge." Mooresville TRibune / Stan Thompson.
Mooresville, NC : Mooresville Tribune Online, October 22nd 2012.

"As part of my spiel when pitching this then-controversial approach, I’d often point out that the very notion of a “workplace” has become quaint. In a knowledge-and-skills economy, work occurs wherever the worker thinks. No one ever heard of a “thinkplace.”

But perhaps there is a “thinkplace” after all: the library.

It’s the traditional intersection of huge amounts of information with the silence that enables its assimilation into our minds and values and imaginations. And its shepherded by knowing, caring librarians who can understand where we’re trying to go and point out the most enjoyable paths."

Libraries, Who Needs ‘Em? We Do

"Libraries, Who Needs ‘Em? We Do." Myrtle Beach Online Editorial / Carolyn Murray.
Myrtle Beach, SC: Myrtle Beach Online, October 25th 2012.

"Libraries are one of the important places left in our society where everybody is equal. Rich or poor, powerful or a nobody, you can have the same access to books and resources as everybody else. They are one of the great levelers of society, where the poor man has exactly the same opportunity for improvement as the rich man. To abolish this democratization of knowledge out of some misguided notion that it is no longer needed in the digital age would wrongly transform books and knowledge into a luxury item, to be purchased by those who can afford them, rather than offered to all who ask for them."

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/10/25/3135081/libraries-who-needs-em-we-do.html#storylink=cpy

Rethinking How We Help Those Who Don’t Ask

"Rethinking How We Help Those Who Don’t Ask." American Libraries / Meredith Farkas.
Chicago: American Libraries Online, October 23rd 2012.

"For years, my experiences fueled my desire to make the reference desk more approachable. There’s considerable research on library anxiety, and many people see libraries as a place with lots of rules they don’t understand. I still believe in the value of making the library more user-friendly, but I don’t think approachability is the only reason why people aren’t using reference services.

Like me, many people simply want to figure things out for themselves. And when there’s something about the library they don’t understand, they won’t go to the reference desk. They’ll go elsewhere."

Younger Americans’ Reading & Library Habits

Younger Americans’ Reading & Library Habits / Pew Research Center.
Washington: Pew Research Center, October 2012.

Great Library Stereotypometer

Librarian by Day; Batgirl by Night

What Kind of Book Reader Are You?

"What Kind of Book Reader Are You?" Atlantic Wire / Jen Doll.

Boston: The Atlantic Online, August 29th 2012.

"Delayed Onset Reader #1. You are without a doubt a book lover, and when you walk into a bookstore or any place books are available, you can't help yourself, you buy one or many. When you get home you put them aside, often reverently, as if they were art, displaying them on a bookshelf or propping them up on your bedside table, pages ready to meet your eyes as soon as you have the moment. But you're very, very busy, and days, weeks, or months may go by before you actually crack open one of these books. It's not for lack of trying! When you finally do, you will be overjoyed by all the learning and emotional depth and humor and writing quality that exists in this book that's been sitting within reach all along, and you will be amazed that you waited so long to ever open it. Suggested delayed onset #1 suggestions: The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman; The Princess Bride, by William Goldman; Lolita by Nabokov; Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery."

See Also:
Many More Types of Book Readers 

The Future of Libraries in a Digital Culture

"The Future of Libraries in a Digital Culture." Huffington  Post / Patricia Martin.
America: Huffington Post Online, October 11th 2012.

"My library is a remarkable value -- a banquet of books and periodicals, earnest service, and free WiFi. Lately, libraries are playing an unheralded role in the economic recovery by helping people find work and build businesses."

Bored Librarian

Funny!

Sometimes, That Happens

Sometimes, This Happens

Library in Transition

"Library in Transition." Harvard Gazette / Corydon Ireland.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard Gazette Online, October 4th 2012.

"What’s required is “very different than the library of the past, that tried to contain things,” said [Mary Lee] Kennedy. “You really can’t contain information anymore.”

The Male Librarian and the Feminine Image: A Survey of Stereotype, Status, & Gender Perceptions

"The Male Librarian and the Feminine Image: A Survey of Stereotype, Status, & Gender Perceptions." Library & Information Science Research / James V. Carmichael.
North Carolina: Elsevier, 1992.

"An individual's sex is identified at birth; the social roles individuals are expected to perform because of their sex relate to gender. The growing corpus of both men's and women's studies provide evidence of a growing awareness of inequities suffered by women throughout history, and the reaction of men who feel similarly trapped by social expectations of them. ... Nearly 60% of subjects confirmed the existence of a male librarian stereotype (see Table III, p. 428). By age group, the largest percentage of affirmative responses received to the stereotype question were in their 20s (81%) and the smallest percentage were 60 or older (44%). By library type, school librarians were more aware of a stereotype than any other group (72%), and special librarians, least aware (53'o). Over 69% of gay men recognized the existence of a stereotype, almost 10% more than the average for the whole sample. These results would suggest a heightened sensitivity to negative stereotyping by those working in the most highly feminized area of librarianship, and by those who have reason to have experienced sexual oppression."

Date Stamp Art

The Library With No Rules

"The Library With No Rules." The Guardian / Jon Henley.
UK: The Guardian Online, September 23rd 2012.

"Books, believes Hernando Guanlao, need to live. And they're only alive if they are being read. Thought and effort, time and money went into making them; they will never repay it lying idle in a cabinet or on a shelf. Books need to be set free. So walk by his home on Balagtas Street in Makati, downtown Manila, and it seems books are pretty much all you'll see. Thousands of them, on shelves and in crates outside on the pavement, piled high in the garage and on the stairs, each one free to anyone who wants it.

"People can borrow, take home, bring back or keep," says Guanlao, 60, a former tax accountant, ice-cream salesman and government employee known by all as Nanie. "Or they can share and pass on to another. But basically they should just take, take!" Guanlao reckons books "have lives, and have to lead them. They have work to do. And the act of giving a book …it makes you complete. It makes your life meaningful and abundant."

Why Do We Still Need Libraries?

"Why Do We Still Need Libraries?" Thought Catalog / Chels Knorr.
New York: Thought Catalog, September 30th 2012.

"This library not only holds stories, it tells them."

Parent Co-Reading Survey

Parent Co-Reading Survey / Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
New York: Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Summer 2012.

Librarian Shortage

Megan Berkheiser

Libraries & the Demographic Shift

"Libraries & the Demographic Shift." Huffington Post / Haipeng Li & Janice M. Rice.
America: Huffington Post Online, September 14th 2012.

"Libraries are necessary to support these dreams, since they are the public institutions that new Americans and diverse groups rely on the most to support continued education, and English language and technology skills needed to thrive and compete in today's competitive global market."

Book Ends

Libraries: A Digital Bridge

Angry Librarian

Ask a Librarian, & Then Listen

"Ask a Librarian, & Then Listen." The Reader / J.R. Jones.
Chicago: The Reader Online, September 12th 2012.

"As they say in the south, you can't get there from here—you have to find a car, drive out to the research facility, pull on some white cotton gloves, and page through the stuff yourself. No matter how detailed the library's finding aid (a document that lists everything in a particular collection), you may need to leaf through page after page to find whatever you're after. But make sure you're sitting down, because when you find it, the rush can take your head off."

How Libraries are Reinventing Themselves for the Future

"How Libraries are Reinventing Themselves for the Future." Time / Allison Berry.
New York: Time Online, June 25th 2012.

The 25 Most Beautiful Public Libraries in the World

"The 25 Most Beautiful Public Libraries in the World." Flavorwire / Emily Temple.

New York: Flavorwire Online, July 4th 2012.

Is Your Library Ready for a UX Librarian? The User Experience

"Is Your Library Ready for a UX Librarian? The User Experience." Library Journal Online / Aaron Schmidt.
Harlan: Iowa: Library Journal Online, November 1st 2011.

"Your library might be ready for a UX Librarian if:
• it holds regular cross-departmental meetings that people find productive
• people in the organization put ideas before their egos
• the library is ready to research its community
• change isn't a dirty word
• there's a widespread genuine desire to improve the library"

Friday At the Library

Professional Competencies for Reference & User Services Librarians

Professional Competencies for Reference & User Services Librarians / Reference & User Services Association.
Chicago: RUSA for American Library Association, 2003.

See Also:

Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference & InformationService Providers

Always good to brush up on!

Libraries Need Leaders At Every Level

"Libraries Need Leaders At Every Level." Library Journal / Lois Langer Thompson.
Iowa: Library Journal Online, August 30th 2012.

"Earlier this year, as part of an environmental scan for a patron use and open hours study, we asked groups of Hennepin County Library staff to participate in a Trend Wave exercise. Over 500 staff completed the exercise, identifying public library trends that are on the horizon, emerging, established, and disappearing. Staff gave thoughtful responses and valuable insights that, paired with other data and similar surveys, continue to inform Library work and decision-making."

Nice work, Hennepin! 

Squatters Reopen Friern Barnet Library After Council Closes Service

"Squatters reopen Friern Barnet Library After Council Closes Service." Guardian / Diane Taylor.

UK: The Guardian Online, Tuesday September 11th 2012.

"The occupation has the blessing of many local residents who are delighted to see the locked doors of the library flung open once again. It's the first time that squatters have morphed into "community librarians" by occupying and reopening a public lending resource in this way. Book loans will be manually recorded and stamped.

Council officials have been trying for months to persuade locals enraged by the library closure to become volunteer librarians in a room in a nearby council building instead. The proposal has not been well received: residents want to see their much-loved local library reopened and stalemate has prevailed.

All that changed when the squatters moved in and embarked on unprecedented negotiations with senior council officials about the future of the library.

To everyone's surprise, instead of starting eviction proceedings immediately the council agreed to a series of meetings with the squatters to discuss ways to provide a new volunteer-run library. Senior council officials including the assistant chief executive Julie Taylor were invited to the squatted library on Monday for a meeting with the new occupants who treated them to tea and cakes. Another meeting has been scheduled for next week."

Stampin' it to the Man! 

Information Architecture

1937 Rules for Reading

Aw Shucks, Thanks Mr Gaiman!

Dewey Decimal Classification

Helicopter Librarian: Expect the Unexpected

"Helicopter Librarian: Expect the Unexpected." Library Journal / Felicia A. Smith.
Iowa: Library Journal, August 28th 2012.

"There is no existing concept called “Helicopter Librarians” (trademark pending?) but the concept is a logical evolution based on the prevalence of Helicopter Parents. Current students have different expectations and are used to a greater level of support. This is an opportunity to transform the profession regardless of emerging technology trends or fiscal constraints. This Helicopter Librarians approach does not require intensive training; that is why I do not include any checklists to follow. I am not developing any metrics; and I am not advocating for data-driven anything! This is a holistic approach to a human interaction based on individuality and genuine compassion.

A study based on the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement reports that, contrary to popular belief; children of Helicopter Parents excelled in deeper learning activities and reported higher levels of educational gains as well as greater satisfaction with their college experience. The prevailing perception of Helicopter Parents is that their over-involvement is detrimental to their child’s growth. However, such support appeared to be welcomed by most students and actually beneficial to their overall well-being. Thus the first positive attribute of Helicopter Parents is the fact that they are sincerely concerned with the success of their children. This genuine concern has to be shared by Helicopter Librarians."

Librarian Chic

NYLON

Libraries Connect Communities

Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2011-2012 / ALA.
Chicago: American Libraries Association Digital Supplement, Summer 2012.

Libraries, Patrons, & E-Books

Libraries, Patrons, & E-Books / Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Washington: Pew Research Center, June 22nd 2012.

"58% of Americans have a library card, and 69% say that their local library is important to them and their family."

Support Your Local Library

Support Your Local Library / State Stats.

Fantastic Infographic!!!

Library Nap

That's good sleeping!

Students Develop Obscure Study Habits in Library When Stressed

"Students Develop Obscure Study Habits in Library When Stressed." The Daily Californian / Franklin Krbechek.
California: The Daily Californian Online, December 4th 2011.

"According to [Alina] Christian, students often sleep on the library’s floor, rest on book racks or curl into individual cubicles to nap.  Additionally, breaks during the dead week can range from talking to friends to even sexual intercourse.  Condoms have been found in the library study halls, proof of intimate relations between the books, according to [Morgan] Hulsey."

Survey Results Will Help Predict Future of Campus Libraries

"Survey Results Will Help Predict Future of Campus Libraries." Daily Californian / Alyssa Neumann.
Califormia: The Daily Californian Online, Monday August 20th 2012.

"Of the roughly 4,000 people who took the survey, nearly 70 percent said they rely heavily on the libraries, according to University Librarian Thomas Leonard.  

“We were taken (aback) by the love of libraries, and how much people seem to connect to them,” Leonard said. “People agreed they were really important for their sense of community.”

Leonard said the results also showed undergraduate students are very concerned about library hours and having a place to study, and that faculty are largely concerned about the quality of the collections.  Respondents also opposed spending less money on collections, but accepted that in the long run, a new library service model was necessary due to lowered budget and staff reductions.  After discussion with both the Library Committee of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate and campus library staff, the survey sought input on two proposed models, a “Full Service Libraries” model and a “Hub and Cluster” plan, both of which would reduce the current number of library branches and available research consultation locations."

Librarians A Neglected Lot

"Librarians A Neglected Lot." The Pioneer / Zafar Alam Khan.

India: The Daily Pioneer Online, August 20th 2012.

"A librarian is considered to be a specialist in the care and management of a library, trained in library science and engaged in library services. A librarian has many important roles to play. Unfortunately, their lot remains neglected due to varied reasons, including the indifferent attitude of the policy makers, perhaps because of their lesser numbers.  SR Ranganathan, considered as father of library science, developed five laws in 1931. He said:
Books are for use
Every reader his or her book
Every book its reader
Save the time of the reader
The library is a growing organism
With a few simple adaptations, Ranganathan’s laws hold good even today. ... Librarians are considered not more than clerks. Even the authorities concerned have failed to implement a proper service structure, and have not come up with an effective promotion formula till today. Further obstacles that hinder the recognition of librarianship as a noble profession enlist the attitude and working habits of supporting staff in libraries."

You Tell 'Em Sister!

How Should Academic Libraries Communicate Their Own Value?

"How Should Academic Libraries Communicate Their Own Value?" The Guardian / Stephen Barr.
UK: The Guardian Online, August 20th 2012.

"For librarians to understand the perceptions of faculty and students and know how to reach and influence them, requires effective marketing - but this isn't just a question of promotion. The research found that in delivering shared services, Purdue University emphasizes the importance of framing services from a faculty rather than from a librarian perspective."

User-centric framework! 

Librarians are Completely Awesome

"Librarians are Completely Awesome." Education Week / Justin Reich.
Bethesda, MD: Education Week Online, August 16th 2012.

"As online resources become more complex, we need wise humans to help act as guides. Librarians know how to do that better than you do. Ask them for help. They also, typically, are warm, curious, helpful people."

Librarian Stereotype on TV

9 Reasons to Save Public Libraries

"9 Reasons to Save Public Libraries." Independent Voter Network / Emmily Bristol.
San Diego, CA: Independent Voter Network Online, August 8th 2012.

"But more than that, it may just be the last free space that is truly free and there for everyone — homeless, young, old, rich, poor, and any race under the sun. We are all welcome there. We are all equal there."

Theory & Politics in Public Librarianship

"Theory & Politics in Public Librarianship." Progressive Librarian / Jason Burton.
Lawrenceville NJ: Progressive Librarian 32 2009, 21-28.

"Public libraries, as with a great deal of libraries, exist in the political world of public institutions. Libraries by this point alone are not neutral. They must participate in the political process for their own survival and well being, & by doing this have destroyed claims of absolute neutrality."

I'm Back, Baby!

Welcome 2012

"I’m here to say to all you library scientists out there:
Don’t give up.
Don’t let it get to you.
Don’t be discouraged.
We need you. Now more than ever."
~Brad Parks


How May I Shush You Today? has a really big Archive. Have you seen't it?!