Tag: library science

IM reference

My response to The Shifted Librarian‘s question, “Does your library understand the growing significance of instant messaging and real-time chat? Are you prepared to provide services to these kids?”

The Shifted Librarian asks, “Does your library understand the growing significance of instant messaging and real-time chat? Are you prepared to provide services to these kids?”

My library has had to crack down on what is or is not on our public PCs, so our users are not able to download crap and fill up the machines. Instant messaging programs were not included on the desktop computers, but the laptop computers we allow users to check out do have several flavors installed (that’s mainly because ITDS owns and maintains those machines, as opposed to our in-house desktops). I regularly see students sitting in comfy chairs with the laptops, IMing to their hearts content.

We’ve toyed with the idea of doing live digital reference with IM, but since so few people have made use of our email Ask-A-Librarian service, we aren’t sure that it would be worthwhile. Maybe in the future.

weeding

No, my non-librarian horticulturally-minded friends, I am not going to talk about my gardening habits (or lack thereof). Weeding is a term commonly used in library-land to describe the act of permanently removing items from the library collection that are no longer needed or desired. Steven posted a quote from Richard Evans Lee yesterday, which … Continue reading “weeding”

No, my non-librarian horticulturally-minded friends, I am not going to talk about my gardening habits (or lack thereof). Weeding is a term commonly used in library-land to describe the act of permanently removing items from the library collection that are no longer needed or desired. Steven posted a quote from Richard Evans Lee yesterday, which compelled me to leave a lengthy response of my own. However, after hitting the Post button, it occurred to me that I should have simply written my response here and used the trackback option. Silly me. If you want to read what I wrote, go ahead and click on “Steven” above, and you will be enlightened.

handheld librarian

Now that I’ve joined the ranks of PDA-toting librarians, I want to learn more about how to make use of this tool in the library (besides the obvious schedule organization uses). Since my job is shifting from serials & database cataloger to serials & electronic resources librarian, I thought it would be good to become … Continue reading “handheld librarian”

Now that I’ve joined the ranks of PDA-toting librarians, I want to learn more about how to make use of this tool in the library (besides the obvious schedule organization uses). Since my job is shifting from serials & database cataloger to serials & electronic resources librarian, I thought it would be good to become more aware of emerging end-user technologies. I went searching around to see if I could find a relevant weblog or other online source, and I imediately came upon the Handheld Librarian! I was thrilled until I noticed the blog had not been updated since the end of July, and it appears that the editor has become too busy to maintain it and is looking for someone else to take over. The Shifted Librarian has a PDA category, as well as a related eBook category, but neither look like they are frequently updated. After a bit of digging around in Google, I discovered a YahooGroup for handheld librarians, which might offer some information, if not leads to other sources. If anyone has any suggestions of other places to look for information and dialog, please let me know.

Continue reading “handheld librarian”

onion research

Remeber the Peep Research project in the library? Well, now Cedric Oignon has visited the library. I wonder which food item will be visiting the library next (besides the pizza snuck in by undergrads during crunch time)? Is this an underserved ethnic group in need of library attention? [lisnews.com]

Remeber the Peep Research project in the library? Well, now Cedric Oignon has visited the library. I wonder which food item will be visiting the library next (besides the pizza snuck in by undergrads during crunch time)? Is this an underserved ethnic group in need of library attention? [lisnews.com]

lessons learned

I have re-learned something today: technology never works in a live setting quite the same way it works in a test setting. Also, if anything can go wrong in front of a group of twenty collegues, it will. Today (actually yesterday, as I am typing this well past midnight), my library was to go “live” … Continue reading “lessons learned”

I have re-learned something today: technology never works in a live setting quite the same way it works in a test setting. Also, if anything can go wrong in front of a group of twenty collegues, it will.

Today (actually yesterday, as I am typing this well past midnight), my library was to go “live” with our new SFX service, or at least as “live” as we could so that the Research and Instruction division could get prepared for teaching it to our students and faculty before the semester begins next week. I have been working with a team of librarians representing all areas of the library as well as our systems administrator to get this service set up. All of us have been working hard this summer on this project, but since I am responsible for our electronic resources, I did most of the work with the knowledge base and configurations. That being said, it was incredibly frustrating that when we finally were able to share this product with the rest of the library, nothing worked the way it was supposed to. Arg.

Lesson learned — hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

dark enough for you?

I received this amusing forward in my email this morning: NEW YORK (Aug. 14) – A huge power blackout hit U.S. cities spreading from New York to Cleveland and Detroit and north into Canada Thursday afternoon. In New York City, the blackout had a significant effect on the public library. None of the Internet terminals … Continue reading “dark enough for you?”

I received this amusing forward in my email this morning:

NEW YORK (Aug. 14) – A huge power blackout hit U.S. cities spreading from New York to Cleveland and Detroit and north into Canada Thursday afternoon. In New York City, the blackout had a significant effect on the public library. None of the Internet terminals or other computers in the New York Library system were functioning, but the novels and non-fiction books somehow remained operational, according to patrons on the scene. Older reference librarians were able to switch to print sources in order to maintain services, preventing any disruption. Seekers of pornography crowded the reference desks asking for help and were referred to a list of bawdy novels and assorted men’s magazines.

librarians blogging about librarian blogs

Go figure! Greg Schwartz of Open Stacks and Steven M. Cohen of LibraryStuff are collaborating on a blog that is all about librarian & library created blogs. Schwartz already maintains the librarian weblog category of dmoz, so it makes sense that he would be involved a blog of this nature. Now I have another blog … Continue reading “librarians blogging about librarian blogs”

Go figure! Greg Schwartz of Open Stacks and Steven M. Cohen of LibraryStuff are collaborating on a blog that is all about librarian & library created blogs. Schwartz already maintains the librarian weblog category of dmoz, so it makes sense that he would be involved a blog of this nature. Now I have another blog to add to my RSS agregator!

generic response

I wrote a short note to the company making the librarian action figure referenced on July 10th, and today I received a response. Here is my original message to them: I have a sense of humor. When I saw your design for the librarian action figure in the Seattle Times article today, I didn’t laugh. … Continue reading “generic response”

I wrote a short note to the company making the librarian action figure referenced on July 10th, and today I received a response. Here is my original message to them:

I have a sense of humor. When I saw your design for the librarian action figure in the Seattle Times article today, I didn’t laugh. That stereotypical image of shushing librarians is so tired and worn out that it has ceased to be funny. If we are superheroes because we “make sense of the world of information,” then why not make an action figure that represents that?

Here is the response I received from Jan at Accoutrements:

Greetings,
Thank you for your interest in the Librarian Action Figure. She should be available in Mid to Late September. For retail purchasing info and availability updates please stay tuned to mcphee.com. For wholesale info please go on our website at accoutrements.com.
Cheers

It is so heartening to know they read email comments and respond with thoughtful and appropriate replies. Here is my response:

I am curious – what part of my message to your company gave any indication that I would want to purchase this item? Your response definitely puts me off any thought of it.

If I receive a response on this, I’ll be sure to post it here.

Continue reading “generic response”

librarian action figure

I’m trying not to be frustrated by the design of this librarian action figure, but of all the things that librarians do, shushing isn’t our most useful action. If we are superheroes because we “make sense of the world of information,” then why not make an action figure that represents that? I do have a … Continue reading “librarian action figure”

I’m trying not to be frustrated by the design of this librarian action figure, but of all the things that librarians do, shushing isn’t our most useful action. If we are superheroes because we “make sense of the world of information,” then why not make an action figure that represents that?

I do have a sense of humor, but sometimes I get tired of the same old stereotype being drug up time and time again. Couldn’t they have modeled this action figure after the Librarian Avenger?

[added note: Apparently, I’m not the only person having this reaction.]

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