Texas County Plans Bookless Library
March 12, 2013
Is this initiative too little too late? We hope not. The blog over at public-sector IT firm GCN informs us, “Bookless Library Foreshadows Next-Gen Students, Learning Technologies.” The post lauds Bexar County, Texas, for its forward-thinking plan to launch a bookless branch. However, it also notes that how they approach the project can make the difference between a crucial resource for study and “just a nice place for a cup of coffee and texting with friends.” Writer Paul McCloskey explains:
“The project, called BiblioTech, would offer about 10,000 titles that patrons could check-out and access remotely via e-readers and mobile devices, as well as about 100 tablets, laptops and desktop computers that will be made available inside the branch. Technical help with computers would be offered to patrons, but reference assistance would be cut.”
He goes on to caution:
“Over the long run, simply offering digital or mobile access to its collection is a pretty old technology model. . . . To maintain a healthy level of patronage, libraries, like schools, will have to keep up with the latest media formats, including social media, intelligent browsing and educational gaming.”
Cutting reference assistants with heartbeats may be the first mistake, he asserts, and I agree. Still, the county is to be commended for changing with the times (even if it seems a bit belated to some of us.) If done well, this could set a good precedent for learning centers in the 21st century.
Cynthia Murrell, March 12, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Why Some Libraries are Choosing to Skip the Publishers
September 24, 2012
Tech Dirt recently reported on one way that libraries are choosing to avoid the headache of working with publishing companies in the article, “Libraries Go Direct to Indie Authors, Rather Than Deal with Big Publisher Ebook Limits.”
According to the article, there are very few publishers that are willing to sell ebooks to libraries. In addition to this, there are not very many ebooks available in a variety of formats. These two problems limit a library’s ability to, not only spread the love of books, but also give authors much needed exposure and sales.
What is a poor library to do? In this case, many have chosen to skip the publishers and go straight to the author.
Mike and Linda, librarians from the Harris County Public Library in Houston, Texas explain their stance on the issue:
“Public libraries have always selected print books based on professional reviews and public demand. This doesn’t always work with eBooks. With eBooks, we have to focus on availability and public interest. We are also rethinking our relationship with self-publishing. Many libraries, such as ours, are now looking for ways to purchase eBooks directly from authors and independent publishers.
This is the way to go. We have learned over the years that it is the gatekeepers that tend to be the roadblock toward better exposure and better terms for readers and authors alike. By skipping the Big Six and any other publisher that does not want to allow lending on fair terms, these libraries can expand their collections and better serve the public.”
It is a shame that Libraries have to jump to such lengths to avoid mistreatment from publishing companies. Publishers should embrace the lending culture that libraries are such an important part of, making it easier for both to step into the digital age.
Jasmine Ashton, September 24, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Library of Congress Vows to Archive All Tweets
August 28, 2012
Andrew Phelps of Nieman Journalism Lab recently reported on a huge undertaking by the Library of Congress in the article “The Plan to Archive Every Tweet in the LIbrary of Congress? Definitely Still Happening.”
According to the article, back in 2010 the Library of Congress announced its plan to preserve every public tweet for future generations. Little did it know at the time, there are 400 million public tweets a day and the number is continuing to grow. However, when Canada.com recently reported that the “LOC is quietly backing out of the commitment”, an LOC spokesperson replied saying that the the project is very much still happening.
Library Spokesperson Jennifer Gavin said:
“The process of how to serve it out to researchers is still being worked out, but we’re getting a lot of closer,” Gavin told me. “I couldn’t give you a date specific of when we’ll be ready to make the announcement…We began receiving the material, portions of it, last year. We got that system down. Now we’re getting it almost daily. And of course, as I think is obvious to anyone who follows Twitter, it has ended up being a very large amount of material.”
Since the project is definitely going underway, the real challenge is how will this unstructured data be organized and made searchable. I’m interested to see what they figure out.
Jasmine Ashton, August 28, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
The Future of Libraries
August 8, 2012
The Republic perceives the inevitable winds and encourages us to adjust our sails in “The Bookless Library.” No matter how much some of us would like to believe otherwise, the traditional library with its stacks upon stacks of wood pulp tomes is on its way out. In a lengthy article that is worth a read, journalist David A. Bell suggests we proactively manage the shift in a way that will best benefit society.
This paragraph was particularly poignant to me:
“Specialized scholars will always have reasons to consult the original paper copies of books. Marginalia, watermarks, paper quality, binding, and many other features of the physical book that digitization cannot always capture offer valuable clues about how the books were produced, circulated, and read, how they created meaning. But this sort of research . . . involves a small number of readers. Far more readers, of course, appreciate physical books for their aesthetic qualities: the feel of the paper, the crisp look of print on the page, the elegant binding, the pleasant heft of the volume in the hand, the sense of history embedded in a venerable edition that has gone through many owners. But this sort of pleasure, real and meaningful as it is, is harder to justify financially, as resources grow increasingly scarce.”
Sigh. Yes, it will only get harder for libraries to justify buying and housing physical books when the electronic versions are widely available. But, as Bell notes, libraries are more than shelves of books. They are, as he puts it, “grand temples of learning,” and without them, much study, communication, and inspiration will fall by the wayside. What, then, should we do?
Bell’s advice hinges on revisiting the original purposes of the library: public outreach and public instruction, both of which were, at the time, best met by providing access to the printed word. Libraries, he says, should adjust by expanding on efforts many are already making, like hosting seminars, book clubs, art and film exhibits, and study centers. That way, even as their stacks dwindle, libraries can remain relevant and continue to serve their communities.
Cynthia Murrell, August 8, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Thomson Reuters Touts Its Innovative Knack
June 21, 2012
Here’s an unusual announcement from the giant Thomson Reuters. The Sacramento Bee informs us that “Thomson Reuters Delivers Efficient Enterprise Access to Industry Standards with Advanced Techstreet Subscriptions.” Techstreet, part of Thomson Reuters’ Intellectual Property & Science division, provides industry codes and standards worldwide. The press release emphasizes:
“The Techstreet Subscription service, which provides unlimited access to a controlled set of documents for multiple users in one or more locations, now has faster and more responsive search options to locate documents quickly. These include suggested search, filtered search and the ability to save searches for future use. Users can also learn of newly added, relevant industry standards with a new document notification center for managing content alerts. A redesigned user interface offers a clean and modern look for easy navigation.”
This subscription angle is an interesting marketing approach– standards documents plus traditional search. Perhaps we will see more such methods in the future.
Techstreet emerged to take advantage of advanced Web technologies to rapidly deliver industry codes and standards to engineers and technical professionals. Thomson Reuters leverages their status as the world’s most trusted news source to supply critical information to professionals in financial, legal, accounting, science, and media markets. The company is headquartered in New York city, but also maintains major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota.
Cynthia Murrell, June 21, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
New Version of Cuadra STAR Available
June 4, 2012
Knowledge management company Cuadra is releasing version 2.0 of their popular archival collections management solution, STAR Knowledge Center for Archives (SKCA). This version features the addition of a Research Services module, which had been requested by costumers. The press release explains:
“SKCA users requested the new module because they wanted to integrate the tracking of requests with the cataloging data that they already have in SKCA. They needed to be able to track the work done by archives staff on behalf of researchers, including actions such as pulling materials from storage, photocopying, digitizing, and research. . . .
“With SKCA 2.0’s integrated approach, a staff member can easily log a request, generate a pull report, identify materials that need digitization, and use batch operations to mark the catalog records of materials that have been pulled, returned and reshelved. In addition, archivists can use the statistical and management reports to help them substantiate the work they have already done and monitor the additional needed work.”
Customer response to the new module has been positive. In fact, one client shared that the software will not only help with their current work, but also help them pursue long-term plans. Very nice.
Founded in 1978, Cuadra is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in Silver Spring, MD, and New York, NY. At the core of each of their products is STAR, an acclaimed software package with the power and flexibility to manage information collections of all types from many types of environments, including archives, libraries, museums, and publishing houses. A SaaS version of the system was released in 2003.
Cynthia Murrell, June 4, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Google and Reading Books Offline
December 26, 2011
I recall writing a short analysis of the methods Google used to prevent a person from reading an entire book on one of the Google services. There were both patent documents and technical papers. The methods were interesting and seemed to be difficult to work around. We learned that with a little coordination and a number of different “helpers”, it was possible to get most pages in a book, but even that method was far from fool proof.
Imagine my surprise when I read “Google Books for Chrome Gets Offline Support, One Less Excuse for Not Reading the ‘Classics‘”. According to the write up:
the Google Books app for Chrome now caches your titles for local reading. To download a book, just hover over the cover in library view and select “make available offline” from the pop-up. Then, even when you can’t get your Chromebook connected, you’ll be able to sit back and relax with a classic novel or seedy romance tale.
With libraries facing push back from publishers for lending eBooks, I found the Google service interesting. Will the addled goose read classics on his Chromebook? Nope, the goose is not a Chromebook user. Our question, “What’s next?” Might the Google allow reading public domain books on any device running Chrome? Might the Google “rent” a title because the methods for knowing who has what exists? Is Google now following Amazon? Worth watching as Google moves to redefine itself for 2012.
Stephen E Arnold, December 26, 2011
Sponsored by Pandia.com
Libraries: Another Plea
June 4, 2011
In his “The Future of the Library” essay, Seth Godin highlights the roots of public libraries and librarians and their future.
He aptly points out that
the librarian isn’t a clerk who happens to work at a library. A librarian is a data hound, a guide, a sherpa and a teacher. The librarian is the interface between reams of data and the untrained but motivated user.
I am not too keen on the sherpa thing. But the point is one with which the Beyond Search team agrees.
With the rise of services like Netflix and technologies like ebooks, libraries are no longer just about lending books and movies. They need to re-imagine their mission to stay relevant. He notes:
Just in time for the information economy, the library ought to be the local nerve center for information.
The library of the future features ”a librarian who can bring domain knowledge and people knowledge and access to information to bear.” Information overload is real. Microsoft tapped into the frustration to market its Bing search engine. Godin presents exciting future for both libraries and librarians if both are willing to change.
Rita Safranek, June 4, 2011
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, the resource for enterprise search information and current news about data fusion
An Essential Guide for Information Professionals
May 20, 2011
Infonista has posted a review a wonderful book entitled The Information and Knowledge Professional’s Career Handbook. Full disclosure: Ulla de Stricker is a friend of ours, and we just love her and her co-author, Jill Hurst-Wahl.
Though we admit to a little bias, we’re sure we’d be recommending this book in any case. The Infonista review summarizes what you have to look forward to:
“In fifteen chapters, the authors provide detailed, practical career advice that comes across as a cross between coaching, mentoring, and okay, (in the nicest possible way), a bit of nagging. But it’s clear that their goal is to help readers avoid career potholes if possible. . . .
“Reading The Information and Knowledge Professional’s Handbook is like hanging out with two really smart, experienced, and wise mentors who aren’t going to sugarcoat any of their advice – because they know you really need the real deal. The information they provide is practical, actionable, and from this professional’s experience, spot on.”
This praise is no surprise to us, of course. We knew these ladies are at the top of their field.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy right away.
Cynthia Murrell May 20, 2011
Libraries Embrace Semantics
April 15, 2011
We came across a quite interesting article about semantics in the library market.
The world has become very dependent on search engine sites such as Google but programs such as this offer very limited results. According to Semanticweb.com “Semantics in the Public Library” introducing semantic Web technology into public libraries can help to bridge the information gap and build a new and better web. The article said:
“The worldwide web is very vocabulary dependent. Today’s Web search engines do not group web pages, pull out concepts, or understand them. There is no access to the deep Web.
Though Google produces seemingly an unlimited number of results it leaves the job half done. The semantic web can do more with the information and handle more complex databases as well as produce more structured results. Scopus is a semantic web search engine configured to handle a variety of complex queries and produce structured and easy to understand results. Semantics though it seems like the perfect technology is not yet a perfect science and implementing the new technology is definitely easier said then done.
April Holmes, April 15, 2011
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