MOBIUS Libraries

Ok. I am seriously tired of the popular fiction/non-fiction side of ebooks. Basically Penguin is saying that they will grant libraries access to their ebooks in the way that will tick off your patrons the most, so that they will never want to use your service. Why does 3M say ok to this? Because Penguin dropped OverDrive earlier this year and this is a new way to entice people to their 3M Cloud Library product. Does MOBIUS really want to work with a company that will accept less?

I think this is a pretty interesting fundraiser.

Haha. I like the tattoo on the guys calf that's just the generic/universal library icon.

Libraries along the East coast served as community support centers for residents without electricity or heat.

This list has some really cool stuff! My favorite is the pocket projector.

Move over OverDrive here comes 3M. Here is my favorite quote : "They're (patrons) able to do it (download books) on their own. [3M] is doing something right." This is huge as someone who worked at B&N for 4 years usability is a big deal. B&N is where people came to troubleshoot and the biggest headache was OverDrive (I hear its easier now). Also it'll be nice having someone else in the e-book market for libraries.

A short article about privacy topics, in this case where a library's local privacy policy conflicted with state law regarding the disclosure of of a minor's library records to a custodial parent or legal guardian.

An update on the state of libraries in the Northeast after hurricane Sandy. 85 out of 90 branches of the New York Public Library have reopened. New York has three systems; the NYPL, Queens, and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn system closed 9 out of 60 branches--but some may be long term closings, and Queens closed 7 out of 62. The New Jersey libraries, however, are facing a more chaotic situation and are still assessing their damage.

The two PDF files linked on the pages are reports from the House of Commons about the state and future of libraries in the United Kingdom. One thing I found concerning was how the operation of many libraries has been turned over from Councils to community volunteers.

In a report released today, Tuesday 6 November 2012, the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee says that some local authorities, under considerable pressure to quickly find cost savings, have drawn up plans without taking proper account of local needs for library services and the variety of options available to provide them, and are therefore in danger of failing in their statutory duty to provide a 'comprehensive and efficient' library service. Other councils, however, have found innovative and cost-effective ways of continuing to supply - and in some cases improve - their library service.

Harvard librarians learned that lesson when they set up Twitter feeds broadcasting titles of books being checked out from campus libraries. It seemed harmless enough-a typical tweet read, "Reconstructing American Law by Bruce A. Ackerman," with a link to the book's library catalog entry-but the social-media experiment turned out to be more provocative than library staffers imagined.

An ongoing dispute is happening between libraries in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area where the Brown County system has decided to start billing other county library systems because their residents are use the Brown County libraries. Many of the libraries are close to neighboring counties so residents will often go to a physically nearby library even if it is for another system. The reason for this dispute is Brown County is facing a funding shortfall and is trying to raise more money.

A positive article about how library use has increased for the public library of Burlington, Iowa. Much of the increase has been attributed to a new building with a single floor for books, several meeting spaces, and in general more programs and events as a result of the heavier patron count.

An interesting article that may spell bad news for makers of e-readers and particular E Ink. I would tend to agree with the assessment that dedicate e-readers are transition devices--much the same as electronic PDA's have been almost entirely replaced by smartphones. However, I would go further and say it's a format issue; people would tend to devices that are multifunction more often than one dedicated to a single purpose.

This is really big news for the publishing world.

This is just for fun-I had to post it! Let's face it, a lot of us librarians are geeky, and thus we enjoy geeky office supplies in the workplace. Here are 10 suggestions for stocking up on geeky stuff for this winter. (AKA most of my Christmas list)

A summary of the October 17, 2012 Facebook Q&A about preserving your treasures. Great for the DIY archivist in us all.

A general overview about the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and how libraries have responded to it, and about disaster planning in general. While not treading too much new ground, it does show how some ideas and strategies work in practice.

I've posted a few articles about the Little Free Libraries, it's good to see that they are starting to catch on as a trend.

I'm just surprised that it took academic libraries so long to catch on-- public libraries were really at the forefront of this movement.

The author talks about how using electronic devices can alter our accustomed behaviors, such as mistakenly swiping a finger when reading a printed newspaper expecting it to turn the page the same as if it were on a tablet. He then carries this over into an argument that the brain changes that cause this hasten the adoption rate for new technologies. Ultimately I disagree with this as it's only becoming habituated to an interface, and not something intrinsic with the medium itself.