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?!

The Boy Who Silenced the Shush

Leo born October 5th 2011

New Posts Returning Shortly!!!

Sometimes, That Happens

Sometimes, This Happens

Here & Back Again

September: Back to School Back to Books

Think Librarians Are Hot? Not So Fast

"Think Librarians Are Hot? Not So Fast". Technorati / William Murakami-Brundage.
America: Technorati.com, September 28th 2010.

"'Librarian' may not really deserve a place on the top 50 career choices of 2011. Our nation's geek love is driving people to love books and love libraries. It even coerces people to don glasses, wear buns, and become librarians."

Who Cares About Libraries?

"Who Cares About Libraries?" Macleans / John Geddes.
Toronto" Macleans Online, August 29th 2011.

Canadians apparently. Far from being under siege (except in Toronto), they’re thriving—and experimenting.

"Beyond the sheer fiscal capacity of governments to keep paying for them, the case for libraries remains surprisingly solid in the online age. The Canadian Urban Libraries Council commissioned Lumos Research to analyze the trends. The report, released last spring, found that for every person in a given Canadian city, the public library on average loaned out 11.3 books and other items in 2008-2009, up from 9.7 in 2000-2001. Over the same nine-year period, the number of visits to the libraries’ websites jumped to five a year per capita from only one. More loans and Web hits refute the easy assumption that Google searches and cheap online book-selling must be rendering libraries obsolete. "

See Also:
An Analysis of Public Library Trends

I Like Clouds

Martin McCormack

Canadian Libraries Lead the Way

"Canadian Libraries Lead the Way." Vancouver Sun / Stephanie Law.
Vancouver: Vancouver Sun Online, August 29th 2011.

""The world looks to us for new services and ideas, and ways to engage the community," [Ingrid Parent]  said. "Public libraries in Canada really get out to the communities and serve them in ways beyond just lending books, like by being meeting places, welcoming sites for newcomers, and by teaching new skills.""

Friday At the Library

You Can Get That At The Library?

"You Can Get That At The Library?" Chicago Tribune / Gregory Karp.
Chicago: Chicago Tribune Online, August 26th 2011.

"Librarians. Perhaps the greatest resource of all is free access to an information expert, your local librarian, who, coincidentally, can turn you on to all the new offerings the library has."

Card Catalogue Drawer A-D

Stuck on You / Failure

The Library — It’s Not Just About Books Anymore

"The Library — It’s Not Just About Books Anymore." San Lorenzo Patch / Toni Mann.
San Lorenzo, CA: The Patch Online, August 15th 2011.

"Unfortunately, many people today don't understand the power of their library card, and have forgotten about this valuable resource. 

Some folks believe that due to the popularity of e-book readers, online bookstores and the Internet, libraries are becoming obsolete. I don’t think those people have been to a public library lately.

The library has changed since the days of shushing librarians, musty books and 3x5 card catalogs. Libraries have become dynamic community gathering spots, and places to keep current with today’s new technology.

As the economy continues its downward spiral, public library usage has skyrocketed. The need for library services and resources has increased dramatically as people have discovered the benefits of a library card over the detriments of a credit card."

Use a Bookmark!

Making Room for Readers

"Making Room for Readers." The Millions / Steve Himmer.
America: The Millions Online, August 18th 2011.

"One recent morning, my almost four year old daughter started crying out of the blue. I asked her what was wrong, and she wailed, “I don’t have a library card!” So with a proud paternal bibliophile’s heart swollen in my chest, I strapped her into her car seat and we set off for the library in search of a library card and — at her request — in search of Tintin books like those I’d told her were my favorite stories at the library when I was young."

The Library Is Not Just A Book Warehouse Anymore

"The Library Is Not Just A Book Warehouse Anymore." Globe & Mail / Frances Bula.
Toronto: Globe & Mail Online, August 21st 2011.

"“It’s becoming that third place,” says Ms. Barlow’s deputy, Melanie Houlden, talking about the idea popularized by American writer Ray Oldenburg. His 1989 book The Great Good Place argued that “third places” – cafés, barber shops and bookstores, where people gather and talk separate from where they live or where they work – are the foundations of civil society."

Study: College Students Rarely Use Librarians' Expertise

"Study: College Students Rarely Use Librarians' Expertise." USA Today / Steve Kolowich.
Chicago: USA Today Online, August 23rd 2011.

"[Lynda] Duke and [Andrew] Asher said they were surprised by "the extent to which students appeared to lack even some of the most basic information literacy skills that we assumed they would have mastered in high school." Even students who were high achievers in high school suffered from these deficiencies, Asher told Inside Higher Ed in an interview.

In other words: Today's college students might have grown up with the language of the information age, but they do not necessarily know the grammar."

See:
Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries Project

Library Monster