OPL Plus (not just for OPLs anymore)

Another Transition for Ms. OPL

2009-09-15T14:35:00.002-04:00

As another step toward real retirement, I have decided to close this blog.I've been busy organizing the One-Person Librarian archives at the University of Illinois (a project almost done, but still open to new contributions) and planning the Special Libraries course that I am co-teaching in the Spring (with Lian Ruan of the Illinois Fire Service Institute). So you can see that I still have my

Can You Describe What You Do in Three Words?

2009-08-22T21:21:00.001-04:00

Mary Ellen Bates lists some great answers to this question on her blog, Librarian of Fortune. Read the whole post, then see what you can come up with to describe what you do. Here are some of the ones I liked best:Making clients smarter (her answer)Strategic information solutionsBetter decisions fasterHelping organizations thriveInforming client decisions.Encourage knowledge sharingWhat was mine?

An OPL Shows How to Survive a Recession

2009-08-21T12:42:00.002-04:00

Penny Sympson, OPL at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., Northbrook, Illinois, was mentioned in “Saving Special Libraries in a Recession: Business Strategies for Survival and Success,” a Contributed Paper at the 2009 Special Libraries Association Annual Conference. The paper was written by five graduate students and a professor in the College of Information Studies, University of Maryland,

Dow Jones on the Hidden Cost of "Free" Information

2009-08-18T13:53:00.004-04:00

Dow Jones has released the e-book, Pay Now or Pay Later: Exposing the Hidden Cost of “Free” Information. It was written by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, VP & MD, Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group, with the acknowledged help of SLA members Stephen Abram and Mary Ellen Bates.It is well worth a read. Here are some excerpts:“An unlimited amount of free information misleads us into thinking that there is no

Three Lists of Must Reads

2009-08-06T11:23:00.002-04:00

100 Best Blogs for Librarians of the FutureThe folks at Bachelor’s Degree Online (whoever they are) have compiled of list of blogs to follow. Divided into Technology and Education, School and Academic Librarians, Library Issues and Advocacy, Research and Reference, Innovation and Information, Reading and Literature, and Professional categories, they include most of the ones I follow and some I

Resources on the Generations

2009-08-05T12:23:00.003-04:00

Sidney Lowe and Susie Skarl [University of Nevada-Las Vegas] have put together a great list of resources on dealing with the upcoming generations (X, Y, Millennials, etc.). Thanks to Stephen Abram for pointing it out on his blog, Stephen's Lighthouse.URLs:"Talking 'bout my generation: Exploring age-related resources" http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/crlnews/2009/jul/

Top 10 Reasons to Use Your Library

2009-08-03T18:31:00.003-04:00

These came from the brochure “Library Services for Primary Care Standards,” published by the Virginia Library Network and "based on recent studies of library user patterns." I don't think it's a particularly great list, but a top-ten list is a good idea--especially in a brochure. And this idea is not limited to medical libraries--any library can do this.I'm sure if you work on it, you can come up

Need Help in Writing Your Library Brochure?

2009-08-03T18:16:00.003-04:00

Tanya Feddern-Bekcan [University of Miami (FL) School of Medicine] asked members of the MEDLIB-L electronic list for suggestions for what should (or could) be included in a library brochure. Here is a summary of the replies she received. Note: You don't need to put all of these into every brochure. You should have a basic brochure with numbers 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,13 (just the who can use the library

Tips for Working Smarter

2009-08-03T17:40:00.000-04:00

Cynthia L. Smith [Barley Snyder LLC, Richmond, VA] and Julia E. Hughes [McGuireWoods LLP, Harrisburg, PA] presented a session on “Working Smart: Innovative Ways to Do More with Your Day” at the recent conference of the American Association of Law Libraries in Washington DC. The session was sponsored by the OPL Section of the Private Law Libraries Section.It looks to have been a very good session.

Great Marketing Idea! Digital Picture Frames Lure Potential Users

2009-07-27T12:26:00.007-04:00

Amber Draksler and Melinda Byrns of Inova Fairfax Health Sciences Library, Falls Church, Virginia, have a great marketing idea. Load your presentation on a digital picture frame and take it to your potential customers.Read all about it in National Network 34(1):12, July 2009 published by the Hospital Libraries Section of the Medical Libraries Association. NN is available online, but you have to

Promote the Nexus

2009-07-21T09:28:00.001-04:00

Peter Persic, Public Relations and Marketing Director, Los Angeles (California) Public Library, presented this marketing/advocacy idea at the annual conference of the American Library Association.Libraries are known for Information. This need is also filled by Google.Libraries are known for Reading. This need is also filled by Barnes & Noble.Libraries are known as Cultural Centers. This need is

Designing web pages for "mature" users

2009-07-14T21:40:00.004-04:00

As a "mature" user myself (I am almost 62 and now have to set documents in Word to 150% to read them), this was an interesting article. I've summarized the main points by Eric Schaffer [founder and CEO, Human Factors International, Fairfield, Iowa, USA], UI Design Newsletter, March 2007. You can read the whole thing at http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/mar07.asp#kath According to a study

BOOK REVIEW: The Accidental Library Marketer

2009-07-14T21:18:00.003-04:00

Kathy Dempsey, the long-time editor of the newsletter MLS: Marketing Library Services, has written a great book on library marketing. It is designed for the librarian who, for any of many reasons, has become the go-to person for marketing in his or her library. Of course for solos, the library marketer is you.Dempsey really gets marketing. She defines it as “the process where the ultimate goal is

Signs for the Reference Desk

2009-07-14T08:12:00.002-04:00

Cindy Rosser [Waco-McLennan County (Texas) Library] collected these neat ideas for signs at the reference desk."Pay no attention to those other guys, we're the ones with all the answers!”"IT knows about computers, Reference knows about everything.” (use with caution if you ever want IT to work on your computer again)For school libraries, “We know the answers to your assignments.”And if you have a

Nine things not to have on your Web site

2009-07-14T08:01:00.002-04:00

Jeff Wuorio posted the following suggestions on ConnectIT USA. Most are common sense, but some may not have occurred to you.1. Your photo on the home page: It can detract from why the visitor should be there in the first place. “Your Web site should be all about the viewer, not about you.” (Larina Kase, Performance and Success Coaching, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 2. Visual (and audio) overkill:

Networking Tip of the Day—Business Card Poker

2009-07-03T14:38:00.001-04:00

Next time you attend a networking event (meeting of your local library association or consortium, for instance), be sure to take a nice stack of your business cards. If your employer doesn’t provide them or if you’re unemployed—especially if you’re out of a job—make your own on your computer or at your local print shop.When you sit down at the table, deal out one business card to each person or

Lessons for Corporate Libraries--and Others

2009-06-30T20:39:00.001-04:00

“When the Internet as a popular research tool began affecting the lives of librarians and information professionals and their clients, accountability for contributing to the mission (i.e., bottom line) of one’s parent organization—whether a for-profit or not-for-profit—became the most critical driver behind the survival of corporate libraries.” Thus begins a great article by special library gurus

How to Influence Decision-Makers

2009-06-26T10:13:00.000-04:00

In a post on his blog, Stephen’s Lighthouse, Stephen Abram quotes the following from an article in Business Week.“1. Every decision that affects our lives will be made by the person who has the power to make that decision, not the ‘right’ person or the ‘smartest’ person or the ‘best’ person. Make peace with this fact…2. When presenting ideas to decision-makers, realize that it is your

New Zealand Study Finds That Healthcare Workers Don’t Use Internet-Based Research Tools

2009-06-26T10:11:00.001-04:00

A study by four researchers in Christchurch, New Zealand found that a frightening 37 percent rarely or never consulted Google and 58 percent rarely or never consulted Ovid Medline or PubMed. Medical and dental staff consulted search engines (83 percent) or library resources (63 percent) at least weekly, higher than nursing or allied health staff. All professional groups consulted coworkers or

Things to Think About in These Bad Economic Times

2009-06-24T12:23:00.001-04:00

The 15 June issue of Library Journal (v. 134, no. 11) has two columns that you should read.Be Selfish, Promote Service, The Transparent Library, by Michael Casey and Michael Stephens, p. 23In these times of diminishing resources, it is more important than ever to provide excellent customer service. “Anyone can shine when money and time are in abundance. It takes a positive and progressive

Notes from SLA2009/Colin Powell & Solo Diversity Session

2009-06-23T18:42:00.003-04:00

It was a wonderful conference. I attended lots of sessions, but only took notes on two. Here they are.BTW: This was my last SLA Conference. I have to draw the line somewhere--so I don't continue to volunteer for things. (I'm now archivist for Solo and List and Wiki Mistress for the Retired Members Caucus. Neither requires my presence at conferences.)Keynote: General Colin Powell, USA (Ret.),

Recent Website Reviews on InSITE

2009-06-23T10:03:00.005-04:00

(from Law Librarian Blog by Joe Hodnicki, Butler County Law Library, Ohio)Law librarians at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, search the Internet for potentially useful websites, select the most valuable ones, and provide commentary twice a month via their current awareness service, InSITE.The June 15, 2009 issue includes:AfriMAP: Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy ProjectAmerican

A Handful of Practice Area Blogs by Lawyers

2009-06-23T09:56:00.003-04:00

Joe Hodnicki [Butler County (Ohio) Law Library] called our attention the these blogs in a recent post on his Law Librarian Blog. See his post at http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blog/2009/06/recent-website-reviews-on-insite.html for details and URLs Military Veteran Attorney BlogProducts Liability and Injury Lawyer BlogDrug Recall Lawyer BlogOvertime Lawyer BlogLemon Law Lawyer

NUMBER 1000!! Five Phrases I Hope I Never Hear in Libraries Again

2009-06-11T12:18:00.004-04:00

This is my 1000th post! Amazing.Five Phrases I Hope I Never Hear in Libraries Again (based on a true story)by Michael Stephens, Tame the Web blog, 8 April 2006, http://tametheweb.com/2006/04/ten_phrases_i_hope_i_never_hea.html1. We’ve always done it this way. I think it’s time to red flag any utterance of that phrase in our libraries and make sure it’s not just an excuse to avoid change. It may

Want to Get Published?

2009-06-11T11:45:00.003-04:00

If you have an article that you’re dying to get published, San Jose State University’s Laurie Putnam has several resources to help you.Putnam, Laurie L. [San Jose (California) State University], Professional writing and publishing: Resources for librarians, C&RL News 70(4), April 2009, http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/crlnews/2009/apr/prowritepublish.cfmWriting and Publishing

Compare Search Engines

2009-06-11T11:41:00.002-04:00

Phil Bradley lists eight search engine comparison sites in a post on his blog. Enter your search terms and the site runs them against various search engines—you decide which is best. Most compare only two engines, but some do more.Sites mentioned are: Blind Search, Bingandgoogle, Bingle, Tripleme, GrabAll, Scour, Searchboth, and Soovle. Personally, I like Blind Search best, but you decide.URLs:

What I've Read Lately...and So Should You

2009-06-09T11:11:00.003-04:00

Here are a few articles that I think you should be reading. Most are from a great issue of Information Outlook (Special Libraries Association’s magazine) on the future of the profession.Oder, Norman, MLS: Hire Ground? Library Journal 134(10):44-46, 1 June 2009. Discusses how economics and new technology may lead to fewer degreed librarians being hired and used by libraries. “Consultant Joan Frye

Law Library Links

2009-06-04T10:40:00.002-04:00

The Canadian Association of Law Libraries has put together a nice list of links for law libraries. Among other things, it has links to law library associations in Canada, the USA, the UK, the EU, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.URL: http://www.callacbd.ca/index.php/publisher/articleview/frmArticleID/214/

Ten Ways to Tell If You Are a Solo Librarian

2009-06-02T09:36:00.002-04:00

John Clark [Hartland (Maine) Public Library] wrote this for the initial issue of MLA to Z: The News-to-use-letter of the Maine Library Association (April 2007). You can identify with it even if you don't work in a public library. I love it.1. People in the checkout line hand you a reserve request written on the back of their grocery list. 2. People tell the town manager you work too much because

HEARD ON THE LISTS: Are Blogs Replacing Websites?

2009-05-29T21:25:00.001-04:00

Barbara Keef [Windham (Maine) Public Library, USA] wrote the following on the LIBREF-L electronic list. “At a recent local library meeting, the speaker suggested that websites were outdated and being replaced by blogs. The main reason for this change is that ‘People cannot interact and comment on a website. A website simply delivers information. If you are thinking about book groups or any

How to Succeed by Blogging

2009-05-29T21:23:00.000-04:00

Tania P. Bardyn [UCLA, Los Angeles, California] has a very good article in the June 2009 issue of Computers in Libraries—Library Blogs: What’s Most Important for Success Within the Enterprise? (pp. 12-16) She asks if library management should support blogs in the enterprise and answers yes—if adequate software and creative librarians are present. Five factors influence the implementation and

Key Characteristics of Digital Natives:

2009-05-14T13:12:00.001-04:00

Jeremiah Owyang of Forrester Research reported on his blog, Web Strategist, on a talk at the Corporate Social Networking Conference in Amsterdam. Dr. Urs Gasser of Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society spoke on What Companies Should Know About Digital Natives. Gasser coined the term “digital natives.”They interact with the peers across the globe, they are “always” online (

Two Blogs to Help You

2009-05-13T11:14:00.005-04:00

Just a quick note on two blogs I just came across.Designing Better Libraries: "Exploring the application of design innovation and new media to create better libraries and user experiences." With this cast of contributors it has to be great: Steven Bell [Temple University] Brian Mathews [Georgia Tech University], John Shank [Pennsylvania State University], Jill Stover [Virginia Commonwealth

Good Stuff from Nicole Engard

2009-05-13T08:07:00.001-04:00

Nicole Engard [Open Source Evangelist, LibLime, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] has two wonderful resources for librarians.One is talia679's Feeds on Bloglines. Look at her list of library-related blogs in the following categories. You are sure to find several of interest to you. Business, Cataloging & Metadata, Conferences, Digital Libraries, Education, Gadgets, Law & Law Library, LIS, LIS

There’s a New Library Journal in Town

2009-05-12T17:01:00.002-04:00

The first two issues of Collaborative Librarianship are available online. It looks to fill an overlooked niche in the library management field. From the site: “Now more than ever, libraries exist and thrive through collaboration and partnerships. Building on an impressive history of collaborative library experience, Collaborative Librarianship will add to the professional literature a wide scope

The Library Rebooted--Lessons for Library Leaders

2009-05-12T15:08:00.002-04:00

Scott Corwin, Elisabeth Hartley, and Harry Hawkes of Booz & Company in New York have written very thoughtful article on the new library in the Google age. It appears in strategy+business, a publication of Booz. You have to register to read it, but it is free.The best part are the seven imperatives for library leadership:1. “Rethink the operating model. Many of the old assumptions about running a

"I Love My Library" says band Lunch Money

2009-05-08T14:57:00.002-04:00

Tony Tallent [Boulder (Colorado) Public Library], posted the lyrics to I Love My Library by the South Carolina band, Lunch Money. Here they are:I Love My LibraryI’m going to the library…to see my librarian…who’ll send me home with 60 things…as if I could carry them (I’ll bring my red wagon)…Passing out the picture books like my granny hands out food…”Leggi, leggi, take all of these…And you might

Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies Report Available Free

2009-05-07T16:49:00.005-04:00

An ACRL report, Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies at Ohio University, by Char Booth, is available as a free download. If you're in an academic setting, this could be very enlightening. You can also purchase it in softcover for US$46 at http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=2704Download at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/

Considerations for a New or Re-designed Library Space

2009-05-07T16:16:00.001-04:00

Jody H. Kelley of McKenna Long and Aldridge LLP, Los Angeles, California asked the members of the Private Law Libraries Section of the American Association of Law Libraries for suggestions for her new library space. The following are in no order (except for #1).1. LIGHTING! The #1 suggestion was about lighting. Besides the universal wish for windows, I was also counseled to make sure I see the

ALL CAPS or Upper and Lower?

2009-05-06T21:31:00.001-04:00

In the post just before this one, I put the title in upper and lower case instead of ALL CAPS like I've been doing. This is because Walt Crawford asked me to "stop shouting" with ALL CAPS.Now, I'd like you to let me know if you like this change or want me to go back to ALL CAPS. Vote by sending me a comment on the blog.

Continuing Education Opportunity

2009-05-06T21:29:00.001-04:00

My friend Larry Cooperman is teaching a month-long course, Managing the One-Person Library, at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts in July. It is only US$250 ($200 for Simmons library school alumni), which is a great price for this much continuing education. I am very happy that Larry is taking up the OPL workshop mantle from me, now that I’ve retired.Larry is the library director at the

WHY LEARNING ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IS PART OF EVERY LIBRARIAN’S JOB

2009-05-05T21:45:00.002-04:00

Kathryn Greenhill [Emerging Technologies Specialist, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia] has written wonderful piece on 21 reasons why learning about emerging technologies is part of every librarian’s job. She writes, “This list is designed to provide context and motivation for library workers to find time in their day for their own learning – either as part of a formal workplace learning

IS YOUR LIBRARY REALLY ACCESSIBLE?

2009-05-01T23:10:00.001-04:00

To get an idea what a person in a wheelchair really needs in accessibility, read the review of the Boston Public Library on The Traveling Wheelchair blog. There are also short reviews of nine other Boston-area libraries on the blog. Librarian Jessamyn West wrote about it on her blog, Librarian.net, “gives you a really good idea of not just what accessibility means from a legal perspective, but

ADDICTOMATIC.COM: INHALE THE WEB

2009-04-30T11:07:00.001-04:00

I’ve just discovered a great new site to help you keep up with specific topics. “Addictomatic searches the best live sites on the web for the latest news, blog posts, videos and images. It's the perfect tool to keep up with the hottest topics, perform ego searches and feed your addiction for what's up, what's now or what other people are feeding on. After you search, you can personalize your

TOP 50 LIBRARY BLOGS: MY FAVORITIES

2009-04-28T21:23:00.005-04:00

I gather that the original list was not in any particular order, so neither is this list. Nearly all have RSS feeds to make it easy for you to follow them--so do it!Librarian.net, Jessamyn West, a rural, circuit-riding librarian/tech consultant, has “what is thought to be ‘the first single-editor library-oriented weblog.’” http://www.librarian.netDavid Lee King, Digital Branch and Services

BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP

2009-04-28T21:21:00.002-04:00

Laurel Tarulli [Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) Public Libraries] has a wonderful post on her blog, The Cataloging Librarian, on Bridging the Gap between New Generation Librarians and Boomers. Here’s just a part of it."Here are some simple facts (as I see them) about generational gaps and bridging them:"Age. No one wants to be reminded how old they are and no one wants to be reminded how young

BUSINESS INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET

2009-04-28T18:50:00.002-04:00

Nice group of links from RBA (Karen Blakeman of Rhodes-Blakeman Associates, Caversham, Berks UK). Includes: key starting points leaflet, company registers by country, country specific information, day-to-day essentials (currency rates, biographies, maps, post codes), direct marketing, directories, financials & annual reports, government & politics, information brokers,market & industry research,

HELP FOR LAID-OFF LAW LIBRARIANS

2009-04-28T08:43:00.001-04:00

Christine Sellers, formerly a Senior Research Librarian at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., in Columbia, South Carolina, has created the Librarians of Leisure blog “in an effort to provide something positive to the law librarian community out of this experience….” She provides job listings, advice, and “a place to stay connected.” There was a post on LLOF about a focus group of “Laid Off Librarians

NEW (TO ME) LIST OF BLOGS

2009-04-28T00:03:00.000-04:00

Globe of Blogs was launched on February 1, 2002 by Heather R. (she keeps her real name a big secret). At the time there were no other weblog directories online. You can search by author’s name, author’s birthday (why?), title, topic, or location. I searched “library science” got zillions, but only 50 were really library-ish blogs. It would be nice if you could really search by topics that were

DO YOU BLOG?

2009-04-27T15:45:00.002-04:00

If you are a solo and are blogging, please send me your url--for the OPL Archives.Thanks.Reply to: jsiess@ibi-opl.com

FREE PAPER ON THE MOBILE WEB

2009-04-25T21:18:00.002-04:00

Ellyssa Kroski has made available her report for Library Technology Reports titled "On The Move With The Mobile Web: Libraries And Mobile Technologies." (vol. 44, n. 5 / pp. 1-48, 2008).,You should read about these technologies; if you aren't using them now you will be doing so eventually. Thanks to Ellyssa for the work and making it available free.Chapter 1: What is the Mobile Web?Chapter 2:

FREE OPEN CONTENT CATALOGING SERVICE

2009-04-25T14:04:00.003-04:00

If you can't afford to belong to OCLC but still need access to catalog records, you have a new option.LibLime offers biblios.net, "a free, browser-based" service with over 30 million bib and authority records licensed under the Open Data Commons Public Domain Dedication and License. It works somewhat like Wikipedia, allowing you to use and contribute to the records "without restriction."Check it

MOBILITY IN AND AROUND THE LIBRARY

2009-04-25T13:53:00.002-04:00

Jessamyn West has a great entry in her "tech tips for every librarian" column in the May issue of Computers in Libraries (v. 29, n. 5). In "Mobility in and Around the Library," she discusses three kinds of mobility.Patron mobility is making it easier for customers to connect wherever they are in the library. For instance, instead of telling them not to drape computer cords across aisles to plug

CALLING ALL SOLO/OPL AUTHORS

2009-04-24T13:59:00.003-04:00

If you have ever written anything about your library, yourself, or solo librarianship in general, please send me the citation. This includes papers written for classes or degrees.I am working on the OPL Archives at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and want to make sure it is as comprehensive as possible. If I don't already have your work, I will ask for a copy for the archives (or a

THE FIRST COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

2009-04-22T14:15:00.001-04:00

(found by my father on the Internet, author unknown)They recently discovered a smaller scroll hidden in the cylinder of the first scroll of the ancient Biblical scriptures, believed to be the actual “first page” of the Bible. When deciphered, it read:“Copyright (c) 300 B.C. God. All Rights Reserved First scrawling First-Sunrise-After-Stonehenge-Keystone- Is-Shadowed, 300 B.C.All beings, places

Twelve Tools That Will Soon Go the Way of Fax and CDs

2009-04-19T15:21:00.002-04:00

Dave Pollard [Meeting of Minds, Caledon, Ontario, Canada] wrote about this on his blog, How to Save the World. Here are snippets.1. Hard Drives: The price of bandwidth, and the price of storage space in cyberspace, have both dropped precipitously. Expect them to drop further. At the same time, Homeland Security is going to be scanning our laptops every time we cross borders, and delaying or

TOP TEN LIST FOR NEW (OR ALL) LIBRARIANS

2009-04-17T22:45:00.002-04:00

Helen Tannenbaum, editor of Flying Solo, the newsletter of the SOLO Librarians Division of the Special Libraries Association, compiled this top ten list from posts on the dsol-sla electronic discussion list. I think it's great for any librarian!10. Never lose your enthusiasm over purchasing a book truck.9. Keep track of the things you do, the questions you are asked, etc.8. Promote yourself and

I’VE BEEN TELLING YOU THIS FOR YEARS!

2009-04-16T17:37:00.003-04:00

SLA PR Director Cara Schatz cites an AP article by Melissa Kossler Dutton.“According to the career experts they spoke to, if you take responsibility for your education and skills development by attending the 2009 SLA Annual Conference on your own dime, you will get the attention of management at your company, and do a lot to insulate yourself from the next round of lay-offs! ‘…an employee who is

TO MOBILE OR NOT TO MOBILE?

2009-04-13T20:37:00.001-04:00

The latest Pew Research Center Publication is called Internet Typology: The Mobile Difference (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1162/internet-typology-users-mobile-communication-devices). Kerry Smith [Education.au, Dulwich, South Australia, Australia] summarized some of its findings on her blog, You Are Never Alone (http://blogs.educationau.edu.au/ksmith/2009/04/14/are-you-a-digital-collaborator/).

BOOK REVIEW: You Don't Look Like a Librarian!

2009-04-12T21:01:00.003-04:00

Ruth Kneale is one of our profession’s premier observers of professional image both in our minds and the minds of our customers. In her book, You Don’t Look Like a Librarian: Shattering Stereotypes and Creating Positive New Images in the Internet Age, she gathers many of her observations as well as the result of several surveys she has conducted. The first chapter, “Stereotypes? What Stereotypes?

INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR INFORMATION SYSTEM NOW AVAILABLE FREE

2009-04-07T22:26:00.004-04:00

The International Nuclear Information System database is now available for free. It comes from the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to the press release, there are over 3 million bibliographic citations and abstracts from all kinds of sources (journals, conferences, patents, laws, web documents, including over 85,000 full-text scientific and technical reports, conference papers,

FREE & LOW COST LEGAL RESEARCH

2009-04-06T13:52:00.000-04:00

Georgetown University’s Law Library has created a web site with great resources for legal research that are very low cost—or even free (we like free).There are entries about and links to many resources, including case law, statutes and codes, legislative histories, and administrative regulations. In addition, there are tables summarizing features and costs of the following low-cost databases:

DEFINITIONS OF INFORMATION LITERACY

2009-04-06T11:55:00.004-04:00

Information Literacy: the ability “to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information--from the American Library Association Sub-competencies:Media literacy: “being able to critically evaluate media, use media, and produce one’s own communication through the use of visual and audio media.” Information Age Inquiry, Indiana

PROFESSIONAL MATTERS: Improving the Profession: Ideas from Another One

2009-04-06T11:50:00.002-04:00

Now that the last issue of The One-Person Library has been distributed, I will be posting longer selections on this blog--mostly articles I had written or collected but that never made into print. This is the first one--expect more once or twice a week. Richard Weingardt, a structural engineer, made these suggestions for improving his profession. Just substitute “librarian,” “librarians,” and

SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUR CUSTOMERS

2009-04-03T17:52:00.002-04:00

Jay Ehret, founder of The Marketing Spot, had this to say about social media on the Flooring the Consumer blog.1) Start now. Establish a presence and get comfortable using social media. It’s not yet imperative that use social media, but it probably will be someday. You need to be ready.2) Don’t try to do everything. Pick one thing, the most appropriate for your [library], and get good at it.3)

BOOK REVIEW: MARKETING TODAY’S ACADEMIC LIBRARY

2009-03-28T23:33:00.000-04:00

The subtitle of Brian Mathews’s new book is a bold new approach to communicating with students. And that is what this book is. First of all, there is Mathews’s job title—user experience librarian (at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta). How much better is this than reference librarian, or technology whatever, or even outreach librarian? Georgia Tech obviously understands that the quality of

TRACK THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY BY STATE

2009-03-27T11:35:00.002-04:00

Use CNN.com's Economy Tracker to see state-by-state unemployment rates (by sector), jobs lost, and foreclosures. Depressing, but interesting.URL: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/map.economy/index.html

MOVERS AND SHAKERS'S ALMA MATERS

2009-03-16T21:26:00.003-04:00

Where did the Library Journal Movers and Shakers go to library school? Or did they? Here’s the breakdown:8No library degree5University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign4University of North Carolina (3 at Chapel Hill, 1 at Greensboro)University of Wisconsin (2 each at Madison and Milwaukee)3Indiana University (2 at Bloomington, 1 at IUPUI)University of Washington, University of Pittsburgh2Clarion

HINTS FOR WORKING WITH A LUDDITE

2009-03-11T15:57:00.002-04:00

Mick Jacobsen of the Skokie (Illinois) Public Library has a great post on Tame the Web. The Importance of the Non-Techie or How I Learned to Stop Pulling Out My Hair and Love my Luddite gives three good hints for how to work with the staff member (or customer) who just isn't into technology.1. Listen. Never dismiss what your Luddite says. You may not see how it applies, but it surely does in

GUEST ARTICLE--THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES

2009-03-10T14:10:00.004-04:00

Think For The Customer .....The Future of Librariesby John Stanley, John Stanley Associates, Kalamunda, Western Australia,AustraliaLibraries are no different to any other business as they face the challenges of 2009 and beyond. What worked in 2008 may not work in a changed market place. The consumer has changed their shopping habits and their buying habit, probably for good. This has real impact

BOOK REVIEW: Checklist of Library Building Design Considerations

2009-03-10T13:52:00.002-04:00

Sannwald, William M., Checklist of Library Building Design Considerations, 5th ed., Chicago: ALA Editions, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8389-0978-2, US$55.00The former head of the San Diego Public Library (now on the faculty at San Diego State University) has compiled a great list of checklists for building projects for (primarily public and academic) libraries.Yes, it is all checklists, but they are very

CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH REPORTS NOW AVAILABLE FREE

2009-03-09T12:16:00.000-04:00

All reports (over 6780, 127,000 pages) from the US Congressional Research Service are now available for free from WikiLeaks. The reports date back to 1990 and “are highly regarded as non-partisan, in-depth, and timely.” There are alphabetical and chronological lists, but no index. All are in pdf files.They are supposed to be included in OpenCRS, but I didn’t find one I had found in the WikiLeaks

GREAT ARTICLE--LIVING LARGE IN LEAN TIMES

2009-03-07T16:08:00.002-05:00

Mary Ellen Bates has a great article in the March issue of Searcher magazine. It is all about how you can economize in these hard times without making your customers and your library suffer--too much.It's available for free at http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/mar09/Bates.shtml. Everyone should read it and implement her suggestions.

85+ TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR FREELANCERS AND WEB WORKERS

2009-03-05T14:03:00.002-05:00

Sean P. Aune of Mashable has put together a list of resources for those working freelance on the Web. Not many relate to librarians, but may be good for your customers. If you do any freelance work, you should at least check out some of the Work Tools (especially time tracking and invoicing).Also on the site are Adobe AIR applications and sections on job opportunities, freelance photography, and

FUN SITES

2009-02-25T14:14:00.001-05:00

The following are from the Jessamyn West’s Tech Tips for Every Librarian column in the March 2009 Computers in Libraries. Enjoy.URLs:To see if Google is down: http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/This one is just fun, not useful: http://didyoutryrebooting.com/Handy: http://whatismyipaddress.com/

WORLD BOOK FOR STUDENTS

2009-02-25T14:12:00.000-05:00

The World Book now calls its Reference Center World Book Student and has added a timeline builder, a biography center, and hundreds of new videos and pictures to support student research projects. Students also now have the ability to establish their own research accounts. World Book Student still includes all the articles from the print versions of the World Book Encyclopedia, plus thousands of

WEBJUNCTION OFFERS COURSES, SOME CAN BE FREE

2009-02-25T14:10:00.001-05:00

Webjunction has a nice list of Library Management Competencies. They also provide links to related courses and dynamic resources that will help users build knowledge and skills and increase on-the-job effectiveness.The courses are only about US$40 each, but they can be free if you go through one of the partner organizations. Partners include the state libraries of Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia,

INTERESTING NEW SEARCH ENGINE

2009-02-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Lexiquo is a linguistically-oriented search engine, originally written for the German language, but now available for French, English, Spanish and Italian. It automatically suggests alternate search words based on linguistic variations and parsing of your search terms. For example, using child in the search box will cause the software to suggest children. Its suggestions depend on the language

BIALL HAS AN OPL GROUP ON LINKEDIN

2009-02-23T11:24:00.003-05:00

The British and Irish Association of Law Libraries has set up a group on LinkedIn just for solo librarians. Great idea!URL: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1811987/And don't forget to check their website/blog at http://biallsolos-omb.blogspot.com/

TEN WAYS YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY CAN SAVE YOU MONEY

2009-02-23T11:15:00.002-05:00

Here is a great way to publicize the benefits of a public library. It's from the UK, but you can adapt it for your own situation. If you're not in a public library, why not create something similar?There's also a link to an Excel spreadsheet from a local UK library that lets you compare the cost of borrowing to the cost of buying information materials.URLs:10 ways: http://www.mla.gov.uk/news/

PHOTOS OF REFERENCE DESKS

2009-02-22T20:05:00.003-05:00

If you are interested in what other libraries' reference desks look like, check out the Library Reference Desks group on flickr. Fascinating.URL: http://www.flickr.com/groups/referencedesks/

FIND ROYALTY-FREE PHOTOS, ILLUSTRATION, VIDEO, AUDIO, AND FLASH FILES

2009-02-17T21:38:00.001-05:00

'iStockphoto "is the Internet’s original member-generated image and design community. Find your inspiration on the world's leading royalty-free stock destination. Search for over 4 million photographs, vector illustrations, video footage, audio tracks and Flash files. There are more than 66,000 artists from all over the world contributing their artwork to iStock." "Purchase credits and spend them

A SKETCHY DATABASE

2009-02-17T12:36:00.002-05:00

An interesting new database has been announced. "Sketchory is a collection of 250,000 drawings...from SketchSwap.com. We opened Sketchory for all of you to rate, tag, search and re-use the drawings by keeping to the [Creative Commons] license which includes commercial use but requires attribution, among other things, with the additional prerequisite that you don't share over 1000 sketches."The "

WHAT DOES A LIBRARIAN DO? WHY DID YOU BECOME ONE?

2009-02-17T12:29:00.002-05:00

Ivan Chew [National Library Board, Singapore] has written a bunch of good posts on what a librarian does and why he became one. They are all on his blog, Rambling Librarian: Incidental Thoughts of Singapore Liblogarian, and are worth saving for when you get a question from a customer or future library student.He adds the following disclaimer: “I am not the only public service librarian around.

SLA WIKIS FOR OPLS

2009-02-17T12:21:00.002-05:00

1. SOLO Librarians Division, http://wiki.sla.org/display/SLADSOL/WelcomeIt is new and there isn’t much there yet. Of course YOU can change that by adding content: resources that you think other solos would like to know about, for instance.2. SLA Toronto Chapter Solos, http://wiki.sla.org/display/Toronto/Solo+Librariansdefinitions, backgrounders (links to articles), links to other sites, survey

NEW NAME FOR SLA

2009-02-14T13:13:00.002-05:00

I've come up with a new name for SLA....Librarians(and)InformationProfessionalsStrivingToImproveCommunication(and)Knowledge(sorry guys.......)

INTERESTING STATISTICS ON USA GENERATION

2009-02-12T18:52:00.002-05:00

According to Sydney Jones, Research Assistant, and Susannah Fox, Associate Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the vast majority of adults on the internet are between 18 and 54. The largest adult demographic on the internet is Gen Y (ages 18-32) at 30 percent, closely followed by Gen X (33-44) at 23 percent and Young Boomers (45-54) at 22 percent. My generation, the “Older”

AALL WIKI: TOOLS FOR SUCCESS IN TODAY’S ECONOMY

2009-02-11T12:01:00.001-05:00

The American Association of Law Libraries unveiled its new Wiki of “resources to succeed in today’s economy.” Articles are divided into 4 categories. Career tools includes article on combating burnout, continuing professional education, job seekers, leadership training, networking and salary negotiation. Financial tools cover budgeting, general financial tools, funding, negotiation, and open

MYERS-BRIGGS ANALYSIS OF OPL PLUS

2009-02-03T16:25:00.004-05:00

Stephen Abram posted about the Typealyzer tool that determines what personality type your blog is. Mine came out INTP--The Thinkers, which sort of matches me, I hope."The logical and analytical type. They are especially attuned to difficult creative and intellectual challenges and always look for something more complex to dig into. They are great at finding subtle connections between things and

Positioning SLA for the Future: Alignment Initiative Results and Recommendations

2009-01-28T12:08:00.002-05:00

There is an interesting presentation of a report on the Special Libraries Association's plans for positioning itself and the profession for the future. It was presented 13 January 2009, SLA Winter Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. Here is its introduction:For almost 100 years, SLA has served as the leading association representing special librarians and information specialists around the world. As

GETTING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, WHEREVER THEY ARE

2009-01-22T14:42:00.001-05:00