"Beyond the deep rebranding effort, the Anythink “revolution” includes constructing four innovative buildings, dropping Dewey for the “WordThink” system, eliminating fines, upending summer reading for the more experiential MySummer, and recasting staff roles from librarians to Guides, bolstered by Concierges and Wranglers."
"This paper presents the perceptions of five homeless library users of a public library. Homeless participants were interviewed in order to obtain information about both their perceptions of their own library activities and their perceptions of library service. ... It is most important to note that while many librarians may perceive homeless library users to be problem patrons, that homeless library users do not perceive themselves that way. They see themselves as individuals who enter the library to exploit all it has to offer such as information, tranquility and shelter."
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| Vancouver Public Library |
"Far from being obsolete in the computer age, libraries are meeting more needs than ever, says architect Moshe Safdie, whose work is featured in a show at the National Gallery of Canada.
“A lot of people are saying libraries are a thing of the past, that they make no sense, that information is available, you don’t need them for research anymore,” says Safdie, an ex-Montrealer based in Boston.
“The opposite seems to be the case,” he says. ... “Libraries are changing their role,” says Safdie. “They’re not just a place of books. They’re a place of social happening of a new kind”."A place of social happening, yea man.
"Threats to the Internet, such as companies or governments that interfere with or snoop on Internet traffic, compromise basic human network rights."
""Jobs...what jobs?" asked many of the 2009 LIS graduating class following another year of stagnating salaries & rising unemployment."
“The library is not a shrine for the worship of books. It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one's devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life”.
~ Norman Cousins
"Dr. [Saad] Eskander said that a friend who works at the National Archives in Britain suggested he write a diary for an archivists’ Web site. “I was hesitant,” he wrote in an e-mail exchange yesterday. “I feared that people would not believe what I would say about our daily life and the state of total chaos and destruction prevailing in Baghdad.”
Finally, he agreed, because “I was in debt to my librarians and archivists, who have been working very hard and making all sorts of sacrifices to serve the cultural needs of the educated class of the country.”"
"If the library is to remain a dynamic life force, however, it must support the academic community in several new ways. Its space must flexibly accommodate evolving information technologies and their usage as well as become a “laboratory” for new ways of teaching and learning in a wired or wireless environment. At the same time, the library, by its architectural expression and siting, must continue to reflect the unique legacy and traditions of the institution of which it is part. It must include flexible spaces that “learn” as well as traditional reading rooms that inspire scholarship. By embracing these distinct functions, the library as a place can enhance the excitement and adventure of the academic experience, foster a sense of community, and advance the institution into the future. The library of the future remains irreplaceable."
"Only those who haven’t checked out a book in the new millennium would be surprised that the public library is now making video games available. The image of the urban public library as a citadel of culture and quietude shielding patrons from the noisy, dumbed-down, digital world outside has taken a hit in recent years. Anyone who has logged significant time at the library has noticed an environment at odds with what Andrew Carnegie had in mind when he bankrolled the construction of 2,811 libraries—roughly 1,000 more institutions than will be participating in National Gaming Day on Saturday. It’s not uncommon to see Internet porn on library computer consoles, and for those not satiated by simply looking, library bathrooms have become popular rendezvous points. Most conspicuously, the library has been transformed into an unofficial homeless shelter during those daytime hours when the official homeless shelter shuts its doors. Libraries have become comfortable hosting many activities unrelated to the life of the mind.
Indeed, libraries have been lending popular music and movies for decades. And one can hardly blame libraries for exhibiting the problems of the society that surrounds them. But there is a difference between tolerating vice and indulging it."
"Within 20 years, perhaps even as few as 10, virtually almost all forms of popular consumable written media will be distributed exclusively in an electronic format. While there are clear advantages to digital media, such as the instantaneous purchase and delivery of that content, elimination of book shortages at bookstores as well as the obvious portability benefits, it has a sociological impact that many have not considered — which is that the “Have Nots” of society may find themselves denied access to an entire range of content they enjoyed previously with the printed book, newspaper or magazine.
What I’m talking about of course is the Public Library. You know, those big, quiet buildings in your town filled with shelves of books, card catalogs, and librarians to help you find that material. In a fully digital society, we won’t need Public Libraries anymore. They won’t be cost effective, and there will be far less new printed books, magazines and newspapers being released to stock these libraries with.
The demise of the Public Library will be a slow one. As printed content becomes more scarce and less people visit the libraries, there will be a culling which will start with library consolidation in towns, counties, major metropolitan areas and states."
"Some traditional librarians worry that experiments aimed at making libraries more accessible could dumb them down. ... Joan Frye Williams, a library consultant and futurist, believes that the underlying purpose of libraries will not change, even if bookshelves disappear."
"Librarianism is a declining religion..."Just a taste.
"Most organisations, van Riel concluded, claim a lot more than they achieve. Libraries, on the other hand, “achieve loads more than they claim.” "
"Although only the information seeker can truly determine the success of her search, to the outsider, The Dude’s strikes and gutters‛ mentality may indicate that the case came to an acceptable close... On the negative side, The Dude did not get his rug back.... However, The Dude did solve the case in his own mind ... As a film that ushered in the information age, The Big Lebowski is a reminder that the ubiquitous, sometimes chaotic, nature of information mandates the creation of a personal reality in order to achieve any sense-making. The Dude shows the importance of wading through conflicting information to find a personally resonant meaning."
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| Stunning! |
"Instead of stacks, the place is littered with workspaces. And instead of lending bureaus, it’s got a so-called red room: a space filled with more than 100 plastic red crates, where students can pick up books they requested online. (The university’s physical collection is stored in various closed repositories and book depots.) (Which is all well and good for collaboration, but what about making out in the stacks? Sigh.)"
"A librarian saved Gary Paulsen's life."
"Library 2.0 is a concept of a very different library service that operates according to the expectations of today’s library users. In this vision, the library makes information available wherever and whenever the user requires it. ... Library 2.0 plugs the library back into the heart of the information business; delivering timely and authoritative content and services at the point of need, whenever, wherever and however that might be. To back it up, Library 2.0 systems provide access to a skilled, dedicated and valuable work force, able to assist users new and old in realising their full potential."
"[N.] Varaprasad imagines that libraries of the future might take a modular form, like that of Lego bricks; where there is one concept but many parts and multiple possibilities. So just like the evolution from stone tablets to scrolls to books, libraries need to innovate and evolve, so that they may continue to deliver knowledge to the masses; make reading experiences more interesting and social; and ultimately, keep from extinction."
"As libraries face the departure of staff with well-honed reference skills, years of experience in the community, and deep knowledge of the collection and traditional resources, how can we identify and retain their departing expertise—the gold in the library’s intellectual vault? How can we ensure that newly minted employees with e-knowledge skills have access to and a growing appreciation of what is most valuable in traditional knowledge? Now, perhaps more than ever before in the history of our profession, what we do and what we are will be affected by retirement’s brain drain. We need to be proactive in finding ways to hold on to valuable skills and knowledge. This is more than just succession planning; it is the redefinition and reinforcement of our core services and values."
"Because of this turnover and a change in atti-tudes about library service, the atmosphere of the library has transformed a great deal, and it has become a fun and interesting place to work and study.
The newly hired staff brought their own experiences and ideas to the library, resulting in a rethinking of how the library promoted and marketed itself. Much of this culture change can be attributed to the new library director, John Pollitz. He encouraged library staff to act on their ideas and indicated that it was okay to fail. This was the catalyst for innovation.
The library’s budget, however, was limited and not much funding was available for pro-motions or activities."
"A survey released this week revealed the latest affliction to hit white-collar workers. It's called 'information rage', and almost one in two employees is affected by it. Overwhelmed by the torrent of data flooding corporate workplaces, many are on the verge of breaking point.
Conducted by LexisNexis, the survey of 1,700 people identified dejection and frustration as prominent emotions among 49 per cent of respondents, who admitted they're unable to manage all the information coming their way. Of those, 51 per cent said they're close to giving up."
