 Thursday, June 13, 2002
How cool is this? Teri IMed me today to let me know that Chicago Library System (our friends to the north and Teri's employer) are offering a workshop on blogging. Here are the details:
Caught in a Blog
"What's a blog, who's a blog, and why would I want to be caught in one? Web logs, blogs, are web-based resources where people can provide commentary, links, and discussion about specific topics. Many people are turning to blogs as their primary source of news and information related to a topic. To find out more about blogs, visit http://www.blogspot.com and http://www.weblogs.com
Instructor: Dawne Tortorella
Time: 09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Date: Tuesday July 9, 2002
Fee: $20.00"
Register here! Although I tried to cover blogging as one way to enhance your library's online services at our last SLS Tech Summit, so much has changed in just the last few months that we need to re-examine offering something similar at SLS. (I just noticed my presentation isn't online, so I'll try to rectify that.)
Of course, time and resources may delay this significantly, but maybe we can try for something in the fall. I don't know the details of Dawne's class, but she's a good instructor so you should consider attending the session if you're intrigued about blogging and want to know more.
Watch Marylaine's Ex Libris site for a new column about utilizing social networks in libraries called "Who You Know Still Counts." Here's an excerpt:
"I've been reading a couple of books which I may tell you more about in subsequent issues,* and though one is about information entrepreneurship and the other about organizational culture, each of them makes the point that the internet and full-text databases have not changed a fundamental human instinct: when we need information, we ask somebody we trust. Indeed, in one study, people were five times more likely to approach friends or colleagues for information than to use a database or library....
It also suggests the vital importance of our mental or physical files of contact people and local experts (one of those books mentioned that when executives were asked what they would rescue from a burning office, virtually all of them said they'd grab their rolodexes first). We all have such files of experts; my question is whether we consolidate them with those of our colleagues and keep that composite file available on the reference desk.
It suggests that when we construct topical pages for our web site, with key resources for accounting and social work and such, we should make sure that we include networks for sharing personal knowledge in those subject areas: association web sites, listservs, usenet groups, and bulletin boards.
It may even suggest that we should emphasize the human connection side of what we do. We might let a little personality leak through on our web sites, even create quirky individual personas, like instant messenger screen names, for librarians staffing the virtual reference desks (TechWoman? KnowsAllSeesAll? Biblia, the Warrior Librarian comes to mind).
We might even bring our library staff out of the shadows or professional anonymity and introduce them on our web pages and library newsletters as living breathing people with specific educational backgrounds and hobbies and special knowledge areas. Kids might look at us quite differently if they knew we were fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or that we, say, signed our e-mails with a rock music quote of the week.
It may well be that our users who are flocking to the net instead of to the library are not exhibiting a new behavior at all; it's just that the technology has made it a little easier for them to ask somebody, or to find somebody to ask.
We may need to make it a little easier for them to find, and trust, us when they go hunting."
Great stuff that we really should be discussing in our profession. If I can get blogging started acrossing Illinois libraries, that might be one way to start viewing connections (think neighborhoods). And the new distributed directories feature of Radio would certainly have some applicability.
Adobe eBooks Go on Loan at Libraries
"Adobe Systems released Content Server 3.0, software that lets libraries loan and distribute eBooks written in the company's Portable Document Format. Content server lets administrators offer subscriptions, set expiration dates that disable the eBook on the borrower's computer, and provides packaging and encryption options for Internet delivery.
Content Server is available through eBook software providers Ebrary, Baker & Taylor, Follett and NetLibrary; through Adobe distributors including OverDrive; or from Adobe's eBooks Web site. The software costs $5,000 per site hosting as many as 250 eBooks, and $1,000 for every additional 500 titles." [ZDNet, via LibraryPlanet.com]
It's about freaking time! I thought this project had died because it's been so long since I've heard anything about it. It's great to see that it's alive and kicking, though. Why? Because there is no mass market for ebooks yet. The way to create one? Introduce them to the average reader via libraries. Adobe is smart to be the first one into the void, because they've got a pretty strong brand (despite other problems with the PDF format, including the fact that it's proprietary). Also, the ebrary connection is interesting. More on them in the future.
Unfortunately, the bulk number of public libraries can't afford it unless they band together and go for a group purchase. We'll have to keep an eye on this at SLS.
"For all of you librarians interested in trivia, the trivia archive of the bar trivia questions that I have been working on are all archived here." [librarian.net]
Andy B. and Kate Are Going to Love This! Very cool, although it does need a search engine (naturally).
Shameless Google-Promotion
"At the top of a Google search, just underneath the "Searched the web for ..." bit, Google's been adding:
Try Google Answers to get help from expert researchers.
And at the bottom of your search you might find a new type of Google ad:
?Try Google Answers - answers.google.comWant expert help with your search? Set your price. Get a great answer.Shameless self-promotion
Since Google Answers is a revenue stream, I can understand them promoting it so heavily... Thankfully, they've been very tasteful about it so far." [Google Weblog]
So Google Answers gets links from Google now, highlighted with the usual Google sense of humor. It will be interesting to see if your average web surfer starts using it now. I still think it's too bad they didn't partner with libraries (something like QuestionPoint) to provide guaranteed, top-notch service.
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