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Friday Reads – Nothing Edition
It’s been a busy couple of weeks. We are finally going to offer eBooks to our public via OverDrive beginning next week. It only took 18 months from ‘Yes we want it’ to ‘It’s ready to go’. That took a little too long for my liking but it was above my pay grade and I wasn’t involved.
Now that a launch is imminent I have become intimately involved with the process. I have visited (or will visit soon) all of our libraries in an effort to raise the staff’s comfort level with OverDrive. It’s supplemental to the training they provided. I think/hope it has helped the people who have come to the sessions I’ve hosted.
I’ve learned a lot about how this service will work and hopefully will be ready to fulfill part of my new responsibility (support for staff and public for OD). I’m not really looking forward to this new aspect of my job but someone has to do it. I’m not the only person doing the support. We’ve got people at each library who should be able to handle easy questions so hopefully I will only get the tough ones. We will see. Wish us luck.
One thing I like about visiting all of our libraries is seeing everyone. I like just about everyone in my library system so getting out and visiting the branches is always fun. I get to hang out with people I rarely get to see and I enjoy that. I also get mileage reimbursement so that takes the edge off driving all over the county.
Do I have anything for you to read this week? Since I missed last week I should but honestly I’ve been so busy with OverDrive (and other stuff) that I haven’t had much chance to read and process anything. My Google Reader is overflowing and I know there have been lots of really interesting things going on. I just haven’t sat still for the last two weeks and I probably won’t for the next few weeks either. Plus I’m totally hooked on the Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin so when I do get a chance to relax I’m reading that. Maybe next week…
Friday Reads – Challenges Editon
It’s been a challenging week. Both of my kids are sick and that means a serious lack of sleep. On top of that, my father-in-law and his wife visited us the first half of the week. That’s a good thing but there was no time to rest. But enough of the whining.
The real challenge for me this week was trying to stay positive professionally. I’m generally an optimistic guy who tries to see the good side of things. Lately I’ve been thinking about the future of libraries and it’s been depressing. I want libraries to succeed and thrive because I believe that we are the only institution of government that is truly open to everyone. We have the potential to assist every member of society regardless of age, gender or economics.
The thing that has gotten to me this week is the realization that our future is far from certain. I’m lucky to be in a county that values its libraries. Will that always be the case? How can I justify our existence to someone like this without sounding whiny and/or angry? What I need to do is work on my ‘elevator pitch‘ about the value of libraries. Maybe focus on:
- how the library is more than books
- we are about people
- helping them improve
- by helping individuals improve we are improving our communities
It’s a start. I’ll work on it.
The posts below have helped me this week. While I don’t think libraries are quaint I appreciate Cooley’s response. McGuire has given me a lot to think about and I’m still trying to sort out his post. I really like P.C. Sweeney and his optimism. Andy provides a funding option that I hadn’t really considered.
On to the reading:
The post isn’t nearly as good as the comments. There are lots of people defending libraries and getting mad at Mr. Cooley but his response is very interesting. The part that hit me the hardest was his take on the library brand. Here’s the entire quote:
Brand: Libraries, first and foremost, have a major brand issue. They span physical books, digital books, public search, proprietary search, research assistance, career counseling, literacy development, computer skills training, free internet access, movies, games, lectures, reading groups of various demos, community forums, book sales and more. Sliced another way they offer news, history, data, entertainment, elder services, children’s’ services, entertainment, training and more. Either way, it’s a broad offer best summed up as “making society better”. Unfortunately, like “saving the environment” you get more lip service than traction from consumers on that one. (re)Focus your brand as an industry and good things will happen.)
Short version: we’re doing too much to do anything well.
Hugh McGuire has written a great post at In the Library With the Lead Pipe (which is a very good site for library ideas, theory and philosophy) about what libraries are for. He raises many good points and questions but basically it boils down to this: our business model is changing and we need to change with it. The value of a library as place full of books for people to check out will decline and we should start focusing on the other things that make us important to our communities if we are going to be funded and relevant in the future. I think this quote is beautiful:
A world of ubiquitous free or near-free ebooks is coming, in 5 or 10 or 20 years. And when that happens, a library that defines itself as “a place where you can get free or near-free books” will no longer be an institution providing a service deemed important enough to be maintained by its community. But libraries have never been solely about free books. They are about something deeper, about information, about access to knowledge, about providing a public space where citizens can interact with each other, all within the context of an exchange of knowledge. Libraries are at the core of our understanding of civilization, and if we are to keep them healthy, we’ll have to make sure that they continue to answer deep needs in our society, rather than provide particular services because they’ve always done so.
I like this post and have been thinking about it most of the week. Sweeney also thinks libraries are changing but the core service of libraries doesn’t have to.
What I’m saying here in a round and about way, is that we need to continue what libraries have always been, and that is to be enablers to those who want to learn and provide the resources that enable our communities to learn. It’s not reference, its enabling our patrons to live more fulfilling lives. After all… By answering reference questions wasn’t that the real goal anyway?
Andy always writes thought provoking posts and this one isn’t any different. He proposes that libraries be open to the idea of corporate sponsorship. I’m not against this idea. I actually think it could work in some cases. Would it fly here? I doubt it.
Friday Reads – Birthday Edition
This was an interesting week.
Yes. Henrico Libraries DO Rock!
The big event was our All Henrico Reads on Tuesday with local boy done great David Baldacci. He was born and raised in Henrico county and everyone is very proud of his success.
The event was great! Over 1200 people came out on Tuesday night to see him speak and sign books. He’s a great speaker and a very good sport. He stayed until 10pm and signed every book put in front of him. He also spoke to hundreds of students in two separate assemblies during the day. I can only imagine how tired he must have been. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and hope he continues to produce bestselling books. You should check out his literacy foundation and consider giving them some money if you can.
Today is my birthday so I will be helping the local economy by eating out for every meal. My oldest daughter and I went to IHOP for breakfast. She loves the Create-A-Face Pancakes. Lunch will be with the wife and youngest daughter. Location is yet to be determined. Dinner will be pizza. I will not cook today!
This week’s links are less focused on technology than most of my past posts. I like the idea of gamifying the library but I don’t know how we can do it here. It is something to think about though. There is good news/bad news and on the eBook front. And some creative people in Spain have come up with a novel way to make souvenirs.
This is simply cool. You’ll have to look at the video to get the full effect. The people who thought this up are very creative and smart.
Bad news on the eBook front. It looks like the State Librarian for Kansas is balking at increased rates proposed by Overdrive. It looks like a complicated issue. I wonder what will happen. It will probably affect us at some point.
Good news on the eBook front. Harper Collins is willing to negotiate with libraries. I hope they mean it and we can use this as a way to find a good/fair model that works for libraries and publishers.
Brian Herzog discusses gamifying the library. The idea is to reward people who follow the rules. It’s an interesting idea and one that we should think about. What to reward? How?
Andy discusses gamifying the library. He asks some questions that should be asked when deciding whether or not to make a game and proposes one of his own. I don’t see his game working for us but maybe we can come up with one that will.
Why I’m Optimistic
Coins
A few weeks ago I was asked by my boss to prepare a short presentation on change and libraries for the library’s staff development days in December. It’s been a great reason to read and really think about what I think libraries may be like in the not-too-distant-future.
At first I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the changes that are happening so quickly.Was it really just 2007 that the first Kindle came out? Now eBooks are about to really take off and librarians are trying to figure out this new format. The mobile web is still very young and we’re figuring it out too. Our budgets are flat, or shrinking. Library staff is working hard to serve the needs of more visitors while having less support. It could get very depressing very quickly. Really.
What does our future hold? I can only say ‘I don’t know.’ Luckily, I’ve been talking to some smart, creative people who have helped me make some sense of what is going on. I’ve come to a conclusion. I really do think libraries are going to be ok. It’s not going to be easy but I do think we will survive into the future.
I have two reasons to be optimistic:
- We’re smart
- There are some very smart people in library land who are working hard to figure this stuff out and they are sharing their knowledge
- We adapt
- We’ve been adapting for centuries.
- From clay tablets to scrolls to books we’ve seen them all
- The shift from paper to digital is another format change we will manage
- We’ve been adapting for centuries.
Just because we are living through a very disruptive and fast changing time doesn’t mean we can’t handle it. Of course we can handle it. How? By focusing on what we do best: helping people with their information needs. Helping people connect with the information they need when they need it and providing a space for people to meet to connect with each other. As long as we remember that it is people who make the library I think we will be ok.
Will libraries look the same in 20 years? No. Will a lot of people be upset by the transformations we may undergo? Probably. Change is inevitable. We can either manage the change ourselves or wait and let someone else tell us how we will change. I don’t think we will like option number 2. So, I’m going to stay positive and work on helping my library manage change as smoothly as possible.
Pessimism doesn’t help either.
New Library!
Last night my library opened a branch that had been closed for 16 months for renovation. The space doubled from 12,000 to 24,000 and has lots of new materials, computers, study rooms, and all sorts of other things. The reopening celebration was attended by over 1,000 people. (Not bad for a Monday night event) Many people have worked very hard and devoted a ton of effort into getting this facility built. The staff of the branch had to work all over the county while their home was being rebuilt. They did a great job of being flexible with their working locations, hours and assignments. I am very impressed with them. They deserve this new facility.
Cake
For the past few months things at HQ have been focused on last night’s event. All of administration worked very hard on getting everything just right and they succeeded. If they didn’t no one noticed. Everyone over here contributed something. Whether it was stuffing 5,500 invitations, getting the collection ready or making sure the place was wired properly. Just about everyone had a hand in getting the library ready to open. The amount of time spent on this opening event is staggering to me. I don’t know how much money was spent or time put in but if we decided to tackle all of our projects with that kind of focus there’s no doubt we can do great things.
I really hope we can devote that kind of attention to some of the things we will need to do over the next few years to make our Library system a 21st Century Library. I’m hopeful but not every project is as public. We’ve got a lot of work to do and a long way to go to become a truly great library system. From what I’ve seen over the past few months, if we can get everyone on board and working toward a shared goal there isn’t much we can’t do.
My new toys are here!
I’ve gotten all of my new toys! I received the iPad, Nook and Sony Reader today. I must say that I’m pretty giddy! It’s kinda like Christmas in October. My plans for a “Technology Petting Zoo” are taking shape. All I need to do now is get to know the devices better and schedule a time to visit the branches.
I’m writing this post via the iPad to see how easy it us to type. I think I may a get used to it but right now it’s a bit odd. I do like the iPad. Very slick. I think after a week I’m going to want my own. For now I’m more than happy to be using this one.
I’ve been fiddling with the Nook and Sony Reader for about an hour and think they will be useful. I’ve had the Kindle for over a week. I’m going to reserve judgement until I play with all of them for a few weeks.
It’s days like this when I really love my job! I’m a very lucky guy.
New Toys!
Kindle 3
Since I began my new job I’ve been lobbying for gadgets for me and all the library staff to tinker with so we could know more about them. Last week it was decided that I could get some of those gadgets. When asked what I wanted I made my list. It included: an iPad, Kindle 3, Nook and a Sony Reader. I figure these are the most popular devices right now so thats what I’d acquire.
Kindle 3
Tuesday I was thrilled to get my first gadget delivered. It was the Kindle 3 and I couldn’t wait to start playing around with it. As you can see, the Kindle I received had some slight screen problems. Not only was it streaky but it was unresponsive. The people at Amazon were very helpful and I am expecting a new one today. Hopefully it will have a good screen and will work properly.
I ordered the Nook and the Sony Reader Touch Edition (from Amazon of all places…we have an account) this morning so I should be getting them next week! Getting the iPad is going to be a bit more tricky. It’s not that I can’t it’s simply that our established means of acquiring stuff doesn’t work with Apple. Not Apple’s fault at all. We don’t have an account with them and Best Buy (a place we do have an account with) doesn’t ship them out of their warehouse. So someone will have to buy one and be reimbursed. I’m happy to be that person but I’ll wait to get the ok from my boss before I go out and buy one. Hopefully I’ll get one by the early October. #fingerscrossed
Now, just because I’m saying I am getting these gadgets don’t think that they are mine. I just happen to be the guy with “Emerging Technologies” as part of his title. My plan is to take these gadgets out to all of our branches and have a “Technology Petting Zoo” with all of the library staff and as many patrons as possible. For the people who have never seen one it will be a good chance to handle and become more familiar with them. Hopefully, they will have a better idea of how they work and (at the very least) know what they look like and what they do. I can’t wait! This is going to be so much fun!
Time Travel!
One of my friends at my old Library has done a few time travel programs in the past and I always wanted to film one. I got the chance a few weeks ago and this is the result. I think it’s creative and funny. The kids at the program loved it! One day I’ll get better video editing software.
