The topic of weeding materials in a library came up recently, but it posed more problems than solutions. Weeding must be done to keep the materials in your library current, useful, and accurate. However, how one goes about weeding is by making very difficult decisions that not everyone is garunteed to agree with or support.
What do you do with an old almanac that has outdated and inaccurate information but is beloved by your patrons? If you decide to get rid of it, do you then sell it to someone who cherished it or destroy it so no one can claim you gave out "bad information?" With fiction you don't have the problem of outdated information, but there may be books with predjudicial words because of the times they were written in. Do you trash those or keep them and hope they are taken in context by your patrons?
All of the kinds of decisions above are made in an effort to let a collection grow into the most relevent, useful, and inspiring it can be. Like weeding gardens to let the best plants grow, libraries must remove select materials to let the really brilliant books shine in their collections.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Rare Books Show That We Are Rare Beings
I was privilaged today to look at an early folio of William Shakespeare, a very old, rare, and valuable book. Why did I think it was so precious and why was I so excited to just look at it? It is very old and we are lucky that it survived at all, but that is not the only reason (mountains are old but we don't get excited about those in the same way). It is a piece of history and represents other lost pieces of history, but that is not the only reason either. The real reason I, and so many others, were excited to simply stare at such a thing is because it is a piece of human history and by staring into it we felt closer to a past and understood more about who were (because of where we came from). I owe that realization to my experience with such a rare book and I am grateful.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
"Ask What the Future Should Be"
There is one turn of phrase that struck me as intriguing lately. That phrase is "ask what the future should be." I was immediately struck by it because it made the idea of innactive change seem lazy and irresponsible. The idea that we are letting change just happen to us instead of doing anything about it stirred me up. I started thinking about how I could actually make a difference in defining what libraries will mean to future generations. I can implement programs, create collections, and personally advise future library staff and patrons in a way that could turn small effective steps into a library revolution. This is a powerful and addictiing thought and I encourage everyone to try it.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Libraries as Knowledge Commons: A Reader's Response
The article “Youth and their Virtual Worlds: Research Findings and Implications for School Libraries” advocates a new path for school libraries in order to enhance their students’ learning in context with new technology. It focuses on school libraries as “knowledge commons” as opposed to mere “information places,” the main difference being that of the directionality of information (Todd, 2008). A library that is structured as an “information place” only provides information while a library that is a “knowledge commons” is a center from which knowledge is both given and re-presented in new and interesting forms. The very forms in which information is re-presented are the areas where new web 2.0 technologies intersect with the more traditional information gathering processes to create such a “knowledge commons.”
The article continues to explain that the use of web 2.0 technologies is the key to both school librarians’ and students’ efforts to engage in an “information to knowledge experience” that will improve students’ overall capabilities to discover, decipher, and employ information (Todd, 2008). It cites some examples of projects that can be both instructive and creative, such as blogs about literature and group wikis that compile the research of students and teachers on a subject. The most intriguing thing about these projects is that they do not have to remain merely a local classroom or school endeavor; because of the widespread availability and use of such web 2.0 tools as “facebook” and various kinds of blogs (written, video, etc...), these kinds of projects are capable of becoming highly enriching multi-school efforts to learn from each other and not just the books on the shelves. It is projects of this nature—ones that allow students to actively participate in their learning process and tap into their creativity—that are characteristic of a “knowledge commons.” More importantly, it is projects of this nature that will ultimately equip students with the critical skills to analyze, manipulate, and recreate knowledge in the ways that will be required of them in the future.
By suggesting that learning take place in such an open and engaging environment as a “knowledge commons,” the article is advocating a specific kind of learning that uses individual and group experiences to make knowledge gained through those experiences more relevant to the students themselves. The article emphasizes the process of constructing original representations of information in order to foster a student’s “personal knowledge and understanding of the curriculum” (Todd, 2008). The underlying concept behind such a process is that students who use information along with acquired skills to create something absorb more of that information and hone those skills as a part of their learning experience. Additionally, the article encourages school librarians to assist students in using technology to find creative outlets to share their ideas and insights. It refers to a study that illustrates how children and teens are already using the content published in social networks to spark conversation that is meaningful to them. School librarians could use those same networks to begin conversations that show students how relevant they are to their own education. Then, students can realize that they empower themselves by making the knowledge that has generally been forced upon them (and will be forced upon them in the future) into their own unique understanding.
The main concern of the article is the transformation of school libraries into spaces where knowledge is shared and created as a conscious, collaborative effort by school librarians and students together. It proposes that this is a crucial step in the effort to “rethink, re-imagine, and recreate a dynamic learning environment” (Todd, 2008). Presumably, learning in such an environment would nurture students into becoming more interested, focused, and knowledgeable about themselves and the larger world. Thus, school libraries that follow the example of a “knowledge commons” can begin to improve the interactions of people and information, one student at a time.
Todd, Ross J. (2008). Youth and their Virtual Worlds Networked Worlds: Research Findings and Implications for School Libraries. School Libraries Worldwide 14(2), 19-34.
The article continues to explain that the use of web 2.0 technologies is the key to both school librarians’ and students’ efforts to engage in an “information to knowledge experience” that will improve students’ overall capabilities to discover, decipher, and employ information (Todd, 2008). It cites some examples of projects that can be both instructive and creative, such as blogs about literature and group wikis that compile the research of students and teachers on a subject. The most intriguing thing about these projects is that they do not have to remain merely a local classroom or school endeavor; because of the widespread availability and use of such web 2.0 tools as “facebook” and various kinds of blogs (written, video, etc...), these kinds of projects are capable of becoming highly enriching multi-school efforts to learn from each other and not just the books on the shelves. It is projects of this nature—ones that allow students to actively participate in their learning process and tap into their creativity—that are characteristic of a “knowledge commons.” More importantly, it is projects of this nature that will ultimately equip students with the critical skills to analyze, manipulate, and recreate knowledge in the ways that will be required of them in the future.
By suggesting that learning take place in such an open and engaging environment as a “knowledge commons,” the article is advocating a specific kind of learning that uses individual and group experiences to make knowledge gained through those experiences more relevant to the students themselves. The article emphasizes the process of constructing original representations of information in order to foster a student’s “personal knowledge and understanding of the curriculum” (Todd, 2008). The underlying concept behind such a process is that students who use information along with acquired skills to create something absorb more of that information and hone those skills as a part of their learning experience. Additionally, the article encourages school librarians to assist students in using technology to find creative outlets to share their ideas and insights. It refers to a study that illustrates how children and teens are already using the content published in social networks to spark conversation that is meaningful to them. School librarians could use those same networks to begin conversations that show students how relevant they are to their own education. Then, students can realize that they empower themselves by making the knowledge that has generally been forced upon them (and will be forced upon them in the future) into their own unique understanding.
The main concern of the article is the transformation of school libraries into spaces where knowledge is shared and created as a conscious, collaborative effort by school librarians and students together. It proposes that this is a crucial step in the effort to “rethink, re-imagine, and recreate a dynamic learning environment” (Todd, 2008). Presumably, learning in such an environment would nurture students into becoming more interested, focused, and knowledgeable about themselves and the larger world. Thus, school libraries that follow the example of a “knowledge commons” can begin to improve the interactions of people and information, one student at a time.
Todd, Ross J. (2008). Youth and their Virtual Worlds Networked Worlds: Research Findings and Implications for School Libraries. School Libraries Worldwide 14(2), 19-34.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Seeking More Than Just Information: Reflections on Chapter Fifteen of The Portable MLIS
I am the first one to admit that research can be dull and tedious, but despite my initial resistance to the research process I have learned to respect it for the insights that it brings to light that would otherwise still be undiscovered. Additionally, I am not completely unchanged by my own past research projects; in fact, I have learned a lot about myself and my endurance to connect and communicate knowledge in unique ways.
The key word to me about the research process is communication. The chapter points out that “the researcher’s job is not really complete until he or she has communicated the results” (Powell, 2008, pp.176). It goes further to say that a “profession cannot benefit from such research unless its members are able and willing to critically read” that research (Powell, 2008, pp. 177). The above quotes suggest that research, like communication, is a two way process between the researcher and his or her reader. Furthermore, they suggest that the interaction between the two is the key ingredient to creating new research processes. Simply put, research begets research—perhaps that is why there is so very much of it out there in the world.
When most people think of research, they think of unearthing already discovered knowledge, but the truth is that the impact of research is more important than just unearthing something that already exists. In actuality, researchers who create new knowledge are the ones making the most impact on future research and our lives today. The chapter states that such newly created knowledge “produce[s] better insights” into current practices that can be improved (Powell, 2008, pp. 176). Thus, knowledge creation is a noble act that builds on the past to improve the present and predict the future.
Whether or not research unearths old information or new, it is a fact that research is necessary. Some may see it as a necessary evil (I did in high school), but even if every step along the way is a struggle, the result of any research is worth it—productive or not. We learn something from every question we try to answer, especially whether or not that question even can be answered. Most significantly, we learn about our curiosity as individuals and as a culture and how that nature can serve us in the future for which we must prepare.
Powell, Ron. (2008). Research. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp. 168-178). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
The key word to me about the research process is communication. The chapter points out that “the researcher’s job is not really complete until he or she has communicated the results” (Powell, 2008, pp.176). It goes further to say that a “profession cannot benefit from such research unless its members are able and willing to critically read” that research (Powell, 2008, pp. 177). The above quotes suggest that research, like communication, is a two way process between the researcher and his or her reader. Furthermore, they suggest that the interaction between the two is the key ingredient to creating new research processes. Simply put, research begets research—perhaps that is why there is so very much of it out there in the world.
When most people think of research, they think of unearthing already discovered knowledge, but the truth is that the impact of research is more important than just unearthing something that already exists. In actuality, researchers who create new knowledge are the ones making the most impact on future research and our lives today. The chapter states that such newly created knowledge “produce[s] better insights” into current practices that can be improved (Powell, 2008, pp. 176). Thus, knowledge creation is a noble act that builds on the past to improve the present and predict the future.
Whether or not research unearths old information or new, it is a fact that research is necessary. Some may see it as a necessary evil (I did in high school), but even if every step along the way is a struggle, the result of any research is worth it—productive or not. We learn something from every question we try to answer, especially whether or not that question even can be answered. Most significantly, we learn about our curiosity as individuals and as a culture and how that nature can serve us in the future for which we must prepare.
Powell, Ron. (2008). Research. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp. 168-178). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
The Art of Finding Your Book: Reflections on Chapter Fourteen of The Portable MLIS
“Choose an author as you would a friend.”
~Wentworth Dillon~
The above quote speaks to the value that we place in our literature. We give it the intrinsic power of entertaining, soothing, and inspiring our souls, yet the problem remains how to find each individual’s suitable book companions for his or herself. If we can help readers find new and interesting materials to read both on their own and with the help of other readers, then we will create more empowered readers with a greater sense of accomplishment and self.
The problem with finding the right book for the right person stems from two sources. First, every reader is different and even the same reader can differ in his or her tastes depending on mood and general growth in personality over time. The chapter points out that it is a mistake to assume that someone is “in the mood for an identical reading experience” (Chelton, 2008, p. 161). In addition, there are many aspects of books that appeal to readers and any combination of those aspects could be attracting a specific reader. Those aspects include plot, storyline, characterization, theme, and genre (Chelton, 2008, p. 161). For example, one reader may be drawn to strong characters so he or she may skip around the different fiction genres to find the characters he or she likes to read about best. Another reader may find a certain theme so intriguing that he or she looks for everything from non-fiction to fiction to absorb whatever he or she can on that theme. Whatever combination of factors attracts a specific reader to specific titles will always remain somewhat of a mystery, even to that reader. It is our job to equip readers with the tools to discover more of what inspires them.
The second source of conflict in finding the right book is the nature of books, themselves. Books, like people, are all different and can even grow to be different works over time with new editions and reviews. They come in multiple formats for those who prefer words, or pictures, or sound bites (books, graphic novels, audio books). Even generally accepted categories to sort books into—genres—have subcategories that fail to classify every book accurately due to the common practice of blending genres (Chelton, 2008, p. 159-161). Unfortunately, there is no way to enter every individual factor that describes a given book into a catalogue and there are no magic algorithms by which to find the perfect book for an individual (Chelton, 2008, p. 159). Thus, finding the right book is more of an art than a science.
The art of helping readers find the right book involves a combination of many kinds of resources, including author/ works websites, special social networking sites, and face-to-face encounters. The most personable of the above methods is obviously face-to-face conversations, but is important to note that the conversation does not have to flow one way or the other from librarian to patron or vice versa; rather the best conversation is one where ideas flow both ways and every participant learns something he or she can pass on to others. Websites and databases can also be linked to a library’s homepage to aid readers (Chelton, 2008, p. 163 & 166). I use a website to find other works by authors and which titles in a series someone is interested in called "fantasticfiction.co.uk" (see links). For some authors’ entries it even lists books by other authors that they recommend—a useful tool when you run out of books by that author to read. Social networks that create unique communities of readers can also be useful. I just joined “goodreads.com” (see links) in order to see for myself how valuable it is to learn from other readers who stock their own online library catalogues. How empowering can creating your own catalogue of favorite books be?
The significance of empowering readers to help themselves and others is not only for the immediate satisfaction of their literary needs, but to increase the value of libraries in our society. If we help to inspire people who are already readers, then they will in turn inspire others to become readers. Even if we never see some of those new readers enter our libraries, we have still influenced them remotely and increased their respect for the resources we house and the value those resources represent to our society. Thus, in the process of helping one reader, remotely or in person, we help many others and ourselves.
Chelton, Mary K. (2008). Readers Advisory Services: How to Help Users Find a “Good Book.” In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp. 159-167). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
~Wentworth Dillon~
The above quote speaks to the value that we place in our literature. We give it the intrinsic power of entertaining, soothing, and inspiring our souls, yet the problem remains how to find each individual’s suitable book companions for his or herself. If we can help readers find new and interesting materials to read both on their own and with the help of other readers, then we will create more empowered readers with a greater sense of accomplishment and self.
The problem with finding the right book for the right person stems from two sources. First, every reader is different and even the same reader can differ in his or her tastes depending on mood and general growth in personality over time. The chapter points out that it is a mistake to assume that someone is “in the mood for an identical reading experience” (Chelton, 2008, p. 161). In addition, there are many aspects of books that appeal to readers and any combination of those aspects could be attracting a specific reader. Those aspects include plot, storyline, characterization, theme, and genre (Chelton, 2008, p. 161). For example, one reader may be drawn to strong characters so he or she may skip around the different fiction genres to find the characters he or she likes to read about best. Another reader may find a certain theme so intriguing that he or she looks for everything from non-fiction to fiction to absorb whatever he or she can on that theme. Whatever combination of factors attracts a specific reader to specific titles will always remain somewhat of a mystery, even to that reader. It is our job to equip readers with the tools to discover more of what inspires them.
The second source of conflict in finding the right book is the nature of books, themselves. Books, like people, are all different and can even grow to be different works over time with new editions and reviews. They come in multiple formats for those who prefer words, or pictures, or sound bites (books, graphic novels, audio books). Even generally accepted categories to sort books into—genres—have subcategories that fail to classify every book accurately due to the common practice of blending genres (Chelton, 2008, p. 159-161). Unfortunately, there is no way to enter every individual factor that describes a given book into a catalogue and there are no magic algorithms by which to find the perfect book for an individual (Chelton, 2008, p. 159). Thus, finding the right book is more of an art than a science.
The art of helping readers find the right book involves a combination of many kinds of resources, including author/ works websites, special social networking sites, and face-to-face encounters. The most personable of the above methods is obviously face-to-face conversations, but is important to note that the conversation does not have to flow one way or the other from librarian to patron or vice versa; rather the best conversation is one where ideas flow both ways and every participant learns something he or she can pass on to others. Websites and databases can also be linked to a library’s homepage to aid readers (Chelton, 2008, p. 163 & 166). I use a website to find other works by authors and which titles in a series someone is interested in called "fantasticfiction.co.uk" (see links). For some authors’ entries it even lists books by other authors that they recommend—a useful tool when you run out of books by that author to read. Social networks that create unique communities of readers can also be useful. I just joined “goodreads.com” (see links) in order to see for myself how valuable it is to learn from other readers who stock their own online library catalogues. How empowering can creating your own catalogue of favorite books be?
The significance of empowering readers to help themselves and others is not only for the immediate satisfaction of their literary needs, but to increase the value of libraries in our society. If we help to inspire people who are already readers, then they will in turn inspire others to become readers. Even if we never see some of those new readers enter our libraries, we have still influenced them remotely and increased their respect for the resources we house and the value those resources represent to our society. Thus, in the process of helping one reader, remotely or in person, we help many others and ourselves.
Chelton, Mary K. (2008). Readers Advisory Services: How to Help Users Find a “Good Book.” In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp. 159-167). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Metadata as Language: Reflections on Chapter Eleven of The Portable MLIS
As a brief student of linguistics and a long-time student of literature, I am fascinated by the ways in which we use language for everything from everyday endeavors to intellectual pursuits. Amazingly, language captures the practical need to communicate and the spiritual need to inspire. It does all this by representing sounds (phones/ phonemes) with symbols (letters/ words) and combining them to be more meaningful than they ever could be by themselves. As a library science student, I cannot help but notice the impact that language has on designing databases and successful searches. Its influence is both subtle and direct; quite plainly this chapter states that “how you store it determines how you retrieve it,” yet it also makes distinctions about how the language of metadata (data that describes data) is indexed and thus how it can be used to retrieve in specific information (Weedman, 2008, p. 115-117).
The chapter cites a Nobel prize winning scientist, Herb Simon, and his eloquent analysis of how information professionals create a “preferred state” or solution out of an “existing state of affairs” or problem (Weedman, 2008, p. 112). Language itself is a kind of “preferred state” created out of the need to communicate and later the need to persuade and inspire those around us. Language, like libraries, is also a unique signal that a society has reached a certain level of sophistication—one that must be reached before libraries are possible. Therefore, it makes sense that libraries developed systems that classified documents based on the language of metadata to solve basic search needs that evolved.
The chapter uses the National Information Standards Institute or NISO’s definition of metadata, which is as follows: “structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource” (Weedman, 2008, p. 116). Where the language of metadata becomes so intricate and important is in the type of indexing done to make that language searchable. A database can index metadata about subject, title, author, and so on alphabetically in various ways, two of the most intriguing being those of controlled vocabulary and natural language. Using controlled language means that someone inputs common search words (a cataloguer) that someone else (a user) can enter to find desired information while using natural language means that every word, whether it is in the title or just one paragraph, is indexed and searched through in order to find that same desired information (Weedman, 2008, p. 116-117). The intriguing aspect of the above methods of indexing is that they both make the underlying assumption that “a short string of characters” is equivalent to a specific meaning—a concept that language inherently supports by the mere fact that we created it for that purpose (Weedman, 2008, p. 118).
A new method of using metadata has recently developed that shows another inherent aspect of language: that it is constantly evolving and never static. “Social tagging” is a practice where users make their own labels or controlled vocabulary words for information and generate a kind of improvised searching language for other users (Weedman, 2008, p. 117). The chapter refers to the possibility that such an improvised tagging and searching language could evolve into a “voluntary controlled vocabulary” (Weedman, 2008, p. 117). That it could be voluntary yet controlled is a fascinating notion that encompasses both change in the language overtime, yet promotes that change within a particular set of constructs—again a common linguistics pattern.
The language of metadata influences the creation of databases and search strategies through its subtle nuances and reveals the perpetual truths of language, in general, reflected in those databases and strategies. This is not a surprising discovery given that language is the original packaging for information, a currency that is inherently full of worth to us as human beings.
Weedman, Judith. (2008). Information Retrieval: Designing, Querying, and Evaluating Information Systems. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp.112-126). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
The chapter cites a Nobel prize winning scientist, Herb Simon, and his eloquent analysis of how information professionals create a “preferred state” or solution out of an “existing state of affairs” or problem (Weedman, 2008, p. 112). Language itself is a kind of “preferred state” created out of the need to communicate and later the need to persuade and inspire those around us. Language, like libraries, is also a unique signal that a society has reached a certain level of sophistication—one that must be reached before libraries are possible. Therefore, it makes sense that libraries developed systems that classified documents based on the language of metadata to solve basic search needs that evolved.
The chapter uses the National Information Standards Institute or NISO’s definition of metadata, which is as follows: “structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource” (Weedman, 2008, p. 116). Where the language of metadata becomes so intricate and important is in the type of indexing done to make that language searchable. A database can index metadata about subject, title, author, and so on alphabetically in various ways, two of the most intriguing being those of controlled vocabulary and natural language. Using controlled language means that someone inputs common search words (a cataloguer) that someone else (a user) can enter to find desired information while using natural language means that every word, whether it is in the title or just one paragraph, is indexed and searched through in order to find that same desired information (Weedman, 2008, p. 116-117). The intriguing aspect of the above methods of indexing is that they both make the underlying assumption that “a short string of characters” is equivalent to a specific meaning—a concept that language inherently supports by the mere fact that we created it for that purpose (Weedman, 2008, p. 118).
A new method of using metadata has recently developed that shows another inherent aspect of language: that it is constantly evolving and never static. “Social tagging” is a practice where users make their own labels or controlled vocabulary words for information and generate a kind of improvised searching language for other users (Weedman, 2008, p. 117). The chapter refers to the possibility that such an improvised tagging and searching language could evolve into a “voluntary controlled vocabulary” (Weedman, 2008, p. 117). That it could be voluntary yet controlled is a fascinating notion that encompasses both change in the language overtime, yet promotes that change within a particular set of constructs—again a common linguistics pattern.
The language of metadata influences the creation of databases and search strategies through its subtle nuances and reveals the perpetual truths of language, in general, reflected in those databases and strategies. This is not a surprising discovery given that language is the original packaging for information, a currency that is inherently full of worth to us as human beings.
Weedman, Judith. (2008). Information Retrieval: Designing, Querying, and Evaluating Information Systems. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp.112-126). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Collections are Complicated: Reflections on Chapter Nine of The Portable MLIS
In this chapter, Evens relates experiences and insights about information service collections that reflect experiences that I have personally had while working for various libraries. Some of his observations are common to library staff who are accustomed to assisting patrons, while others are glimpses into the world of a collection developer. Whether they be positive or negative, all are useful for budding librarians looking to someday create their own collections.
Evens first cites the common and satisfying experience of a patron’s gratitude for finding exactly what he or she needed, especially in cases where an individual did not think that something was possible to find or didn’t know the exact something that they were looking for (Evens, 2008, p. 88). As a library clerk, I have had this happen to me many times. One particular woman, a grade school teacher, comes up to my desk every few weeks with a new obscure topic she needs picture books about and we always find something she can use. Another seemingly common experience is the peculiar notion that some patrons cling to that “libraries equals books” and not places where information is the real currency (Evens, 2008, p. 90-91). It is not as frequent as it once was, however we still have people occasionally come into our library and critique us for giving into the computer fad, before asking where all the good books have all gone. A third and not so common notion that Evens raises is that all the materials a collection could amass are futile unless people use them (Evens, 2008, p. 95). Some would argue that they have intrinsic value as objects that contain knowledge, but I agree with Evens specifically because knowledge is a process of personal discovery and not a thing that can be stored (like a virus knowledge must be passed on or it goes dormant and dies of disuse).
Evens also provides some professional insights into collection building and its complications that affect the experiences even basic staff have with a particular collection. Who has access to what can be a tricky issue, especially when it comes to the materials and resources to which a child should have access (Evens, 2008, p. 95). The library that I work for has changed its policies on what materials children can take out in the past year, expanding them to adult books but making the crucial choice to limit them from taking out any adult movies. Another issue professional collection developers have to constantly work around is that of which movements in literature and information to follow and which to ignore (Evens, 2008, p. 92). If a library purchases resources about one movement that turns out to be more of a fad, then that library is left with too many new resources that no one wants (Evens, 2008, p. 92). A great service my library has recently started using is from McNaughton, which lends us many copies of the latest best selling novels so that we do not have to purchase too many copies of the books that are currently popular but will only circulate a few copies in a few months. Lastly and most importantly, Evens recommends thorough and frequent “scanning” be done by all libraries (Evens, 2008, p. 93). My library is perhaps one of the most pertinent examples of what can happen when “scanning,” or assessing both the collection and the service community, is not done for a number of years. As a result, our overall collection is still in desperate need of weeding and updating, but we no longer have the kind of budget to achieve such a large-scale renovation quickly enough for all our patrons.
The above insights are all important to consider when creating or updating a collection. Moreover, they are all issues we as librarians will have to deal with in the future as more resources become available in more formats. We will all have some hard decisions to make in order to stay relevant to our communities and we must do our due diligence to make the right ones.
Evens, G. Edwards. (2008). Reflections on Creating Information Service Collections. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp.3-14). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Evens first cites the common and satisfying experience of a patron’s gratitude for finding exactly what he or she needed, especially in cases where an individual did not think that something was possible to find or didn’t know the exact something that they were looking for (Evens, 2008, p. 88). As a library clerk, I have had this happen to me many times. One particular woman, a grade school teacher, comes up to my desk every few weeks with a new obscure topic she needs picture books about and we always find something she can use. Another seemingly common experience is the peculiar notion that some patrons cling to that “libraries equals books” and not places where information is the real currency (Evens, 2008, p. 90-91). It is not as frequent as it once was, however we still have people occasionally come into our library and critique us for giving into the computer fad, before asking where all the good books have all gone. A third and not so common notion that Evens raises is that all the materials a collection could amass are futile unless people use them (Evens, 2008, p. 95). Some would argue that they have intrinsic value as objects that contain knowledge, but I agree with Evens specifically because knowledge is a process of personal discovery and not a thing that can be stored (like a virus knowledge must be passed on or it goes dormant and dies of disuse).
Evens also provides some professional insights into collection building and its complications that affect the experiences even basic staff have with a particular collection. Who has access to what can be a tricky issue, especially when it comes to the materials and resources to which a child should have access (Evens, 2008, p. 95). The library that I work for has changed its policies on what materials children can take out in the past year, expanding them to adult books but making the crucial choice to limit them from taking out any adult movies. Another issue professional collection developers have to constantly work around is that of which movements in literature and information to follow and which to ignore (Evens, 2008, p. 92). If a library purchases resources about one movement that turns out to be more of a fad, then that library is left with too many new resources that no one wants (Evens, 2008, p. 92). A great service my library has recently started using is from McNaughton, which lends us many copies of the latest best selling novels so that we do not have to purchase too many copies of the books that are currently popular but will only circulate a few copies in a few months. Lastly and most importantly, Evens recommends thorough and frequent “scanning” be done by all libraries (Evens, 2008, p. 93). My library is perhaps one of the most pertinent examples of what can happen when “scanning,” or assessing both the collection and the service community, is not done for a number of years. As a result, our overall collection is still in desperate need of weeding and updating, but we no longer have the kind of budget to achieve such a large-scale renovation quickly enough for all our patrons.
The above insights are all important to consider when creating or updating a collection. Moreover, they are all issues we as librarians will have to deal with in the future as more resources become available in more formats. We will all have some hard decisions to make in order to stay relevant to our communities and we must do our due diligence to make the right ones.
Evens, G. Edwards. (2008). Reflections on Creating Information Service Collections. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp.3-14). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Libraries as Mirrors: Reflections on Chapter One of The Portable MLIS
Upon a first read, this chapter may primarily appear to be the summation of the history and underlying beliefs that have lead to the modern library. However, it also frames that history and those beliefs within the explicit and inseparable notion that “libraries are reflections of the societies in which they are embedded” (Rubin, 2008, p. 4). When viewed through such a lens, it is possible to link specific historical circumstances to the basic needs behind the conceptualization of libraries so that when we study the what of libraries we also understand the why. Understanding why libraries were created and how they evolved is a key factor for determining where libraries must turn to be relevant in the future. Thus, exploring libraries as mirrors of society is essential in order to discover the underlying needs on which to base libraries in the future.
The historical needs that have been met by libraries in the past are intriguing, ranging from the practical to the thought provoking. It is not surprising that one of the first libraries was an extension of the practical needs of a society, specifically that of ancient Sumeria. As it flourished into a trade center, the ancient Sumerians recognized the need to keep very organized trade and land records—a sign that they had evolved beyond a basic, survivalist existence (Rubin, 2008, p. 4). The ancient Egyptians created libraries for more inspirational reasons; they kept spiritual literature within the very temples that were so important to their lives and made their priests its keepers (Rubin, 2008, p. 4-5). Once again, this practice shows that the society had grown beyond mere surviving to a kind of religious scholarship. Perhaps the most intriguing library was the Alexandrian, the first academic library. If libraries are signs that a society has reached a higher level of sophistication, then the Alexandrian’s society—that of the Greek and Egyptian worlds after the conquests of Alexander the Great—was one of the more enlightened societies. Scholars from around the known world both contributed to its resources and studied from them, making the Alexandrian a learning commons unrivaled in its own time (Rubin, 2008, p. 5). Naturally, there are many more examples of past libraries, nevertheless they all mirrored the societies that they were born out of by fulfilling a need that arose in their society.
But what kind of mirrors should libraries be in our modern society and its future? The first question to ask is simple: what needs do we, as a society, have that can be fulfilled by libraries? We all have the same basic needs to survive, communicate, learn, and escape. Survival can be achieved without them, however libraries play a crucial role in our need to communicate, learn, and escape from our reality from time to time. To demonstrate a few examples work best: one can physically enter a library and immediately check their email messages, learn something new from any print resource in the building, and pick up a novel he or she can read to cart him or her off to a far away place. One can also use technology to find a library website, download an audio book to listen to as the world melts away, look up an article for research on an online database, and check the library’s events for the week. What is important about the kind of library above is that it creates a space, whether it be actual or virtual, where we can meet our own intellectual and spiritual needs as thinking and feeling beings. As long as libraries continue to provide such a unique environment in which to achieve this, and continually improve upon that environment with new technology and services, they will remain relevant.
Rubin, Richard E. (2008). Stepping Back and Looking Forward: Reflections on the Foundations of Libraries and Librarianship. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp.3-14). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
The historical needs that have been met by libraries in the past are intriguing, ranging from the practical to the thought provoking. It is not surprising that one of the first libraries was an extension of the practical needs of a society, specifically that of ancient Sumeria. As it flourished into a trade center, the ancient Sumerians recognized the need to keep very organized trade and land records—a sign that they had evolved beyond a basic, survivalist existence (Rubin, 2008, p. 4). The ancient Egyptians created libraries for more inspirational reasons; they kept spiritual literature within the very temples that were so important to their lives and made their priests its keepers (Rubin, 2008, p. 4-5). Once again, this practice shows that the society had grown beyond mere surviving to a kind of religious scholarship. Perhaps the most intriguing library was the Alexandrian, the first academic library. If libraries are signs that a society has reached a higher level of sophistication, then the Alexandrian’s society—that of the Greek and Egyptian worlds after the conquests of Alexander the Great—was one of the more enlightened societies. Scholars from around the known world both contributed to its resources and studied from them, making the Alexandrian a learning commons unrivaled in its own time (Rubin, 2008, p. 5). Naturally, there are many more examples of past libraries, nevertheless they all mirrored the societies that they were born out of by fulfilling a need that arose in their society.
But what kind of mirrors should libraries be in our modern society and its future? The first question to ask is simple: what needs do we, as a society, have that can be fulfilled by libraries? We all have the same basic needs to survive, communicate, learn, and escape. Survival can be achieved without them, however libraries play a crucial role in our need to communicate, learn, and escape from our reality from time to time. To demonstrate a few examples work best: one can physically enter a library and immediately check their email messages, learn something new from any print resource in the building, and pick up a novel he or she can read to cart him or her off to a far away place. One can also use technology to find a library website, download an audio book to listen to as the world melts away, look up an article for research on an online database, and check the library’s events for the week. What is important about the kind of library above is that it creates a space, whether it be actual or virtual, where we can meet our own intellectual and spiritual needs as thinking and feeling beings. As long as libraries continue to provide such a unique environment in which to achieve this, and continually improve upon that environment with new technology and services, they will remain relevant.
Rubin, Richard E. (2008). Stepping Back and Looking Forward: Reflections on the Foundations of Libraries and Librarianship. In Ken Haycook & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.) The Portable MLIS: Insights from the experts. (pp.3-14). Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Introduction
Hereafter, posts to this blog will concern books, articles, and other literature about libraries and how to improve their services. This entry, however, serves as an introduction to my personal bias, vision and belief in libraries. I believe libraries are the quintessential meeting places where people of all shapes, sizes, and colors can find inspiration for their every whim, everyday projects, and their entire lives. My vision is for us, as a community of librarians and library users, to create spaces where everyone can access and share information and resources through the use of technology, print materials, social programs, and the hard work of many individuals. Naturally, my bias is my belief that such an ambitious goal is not only possible but that we are working towards it now. I find faith in such a thing because it is in our nature to communicate and share. Whether it be a joke, a favorite novel, or information that personally helped us, we will always impart what we know or have found out to someone else, and that someone will impart it to someone else, and the cycle will continue—and libraries will continue to be a part of that cycle.
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