MOBIUS Libraries

The feature article "The Future of Library Systems" has a section about Sierra and a summary comparison of new library services platforms.

Books and Harleys, who would have thought...

I was a little surprised the number of tweets is at 170 billion , with 400 million a day, but the Library of Congress has been archiving them. Part of the problem in displaying them is simply how; the size and continual growth of the collection would make a massive indexing collection. But also, I wonder about tweets that have been deleted for legal reasons or because of privacy, and whether those would appear in the database.

An article I have some mixed feelings about, seeming a little too much of a cheering section for print books. However, some good points have been made, that eBooks have begin some declines in sales and e-readers and tablets may not be well suited for all reading applications, ultimately complementing print books the same as audio books rather than replacing them.

An interesting article about some of the diverse offerings the Overland Park county library has begun to offer, including classes and seminars on Wii bowling and hog butchering, which has helped raise attendance 29% from 2004-2010. One comment does ring true, from Michael Gorman, former president of the ALA: "I hope the library doesn't turn into something that is a type of cooking-class meeting place with computers attached and no books."

Includes one of the best brief descriptions of metadata that I've found. The author also, using example photos, illustrates the importance of metadata and its relevance to a material being used.

Nice! Thanks for sharing Jennifer.

Aaron Schmidt recommends occasionally taking a break from "deep thinking about your library" and go on a Service Safari to other places that offer customer service. He recommends a series of questions to ask yourself about your experience as a customer. This in turn can help libraries with evaluating their own services. Other techniques for customer service self-evaluation in this article include: Make a Map: Block out paths created by library users to your services. Think Like a Child (a.k.a."5 Whys"): Figuring out root causes of problems by taking a single statement of a problem and asking "why" five times; an example is given.

The fourth New York Times article, this time looking at libraries both as gather places and as for solitude. Two of his comments stood out to me: "....we tend to subscribe to a set of norms: studiousness, solitude and quiet above all. These connect the sense that all these disparate places really are one place, consistent across times and cultures." And: "In their long history, libraries have been models for the world and models of the world...."

The third of four New York Times articles; written by a school librarian and focusing on how libraries are a participatory culture.

One of four articles from the New York Times about the debate if we still need libraries--focusing mostly on Internet access rather than other services.

The second of four New York Times articles, written by a librarian and therefore supportive, but he made several good points. Most learning centers offer computer skills in only English, but to offer those in four foreign languages is impressive, along with the move to circulating digital media and devices.

Oh no! This is not good.