Searching Blogs for Genealogical Information - Talk - March 15

I'll be giving a talk on "Searching Blogs for Genealogical Information" to the Hudson Genealogical Study Group at the Hudson Library and Historical Society on March 15th at 9:30am.

I'm currently crafting my talk. I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak to the Hudson Genealogical Study Group and look forward to presenting my talk. I'll be sure to post some notes.

I remember when I taught an Introduction to Blogging class last year. While there were not many people that attended, the age range of the participants took me by surprise. An eighty plus year old man and his wife started a necktie blog. A woman in her mid-fifties started a blog for "her ramblings". I felt like this was a great opportunity for different age groups to empower themselves with technology. Yes, there are millions of blogs out there but someone may come across it and your voice is heard. An electronic message in a bottle, if you will.

There is a feeling of hope when a person writes a blog entry. Hope that someone will read it, understand it and perhaps comment. Even if I never amass a huge readership such as Meredith Farkas or Karen Schneider, I'll at least know that I'm a part of something. My voice does matter and I am (hopefully) contributing to the knowledge of humankind. One of the many reasons why I'm a librarian...in the hopes of helping people better themselves.

Library blog shout-out and slide show

Slate has a really neat slide show on the architecture of libraries.
The slide show highlights some very impressive architecture and I'm reminded of the reading rooms of various downtown libraries that I have visited. [Every time I go to a city, I visit their library. Like a postman's holiday. :)]
The notion of library-as-monument is also discussed. There are arguments that are bandied about stating that libraries need to move beyond looking at themselves as places. While I somewhat agree, the notion that the library can serve as a community center still resonates with me. The library can provide programming and classes that enrich and educate the members of the community. It can be active in providing resources to those in need as in the case of those people affected by Hurricane Katrina. I would really like to see a page of information on the housing market, foreclosures, etc. I will tackle that as soon as possible.
We can get out to those people that can't get into the library through homebound service. We can provide space for community groups to meet, perform and grow.
While Ross Dawson believes that libraries will be extinct by 2019, I think that is only in the perception of what a library is to people today. Whether librarians go the way of the samurai and turn into rogue information mercenaries, we can only see. I think that the virtual libraries that we create (databases, blogs and wikis as informational tools and platforms, e-reference options, etc.) can serve the offline world as well. The only limits that we have are funding, time, staffing and our imaginations. The first one can be a major hurdle to overcome. However, with open source software, telecommuting opportunities and the fact that most "Web 2.0" initiatives do not take extra money. Time is minimal as well since it can take 15 minutes for a person to crank out an interesting blog entry.
Libraries still have the chance to be a part of this revolution (meaning not in the political sense but more in the massive change that will shake things up and turn people's worlds upside down!)

When I was in graduate school, I had a wonderful internship at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Main Branch. It was an absolutely amazing experience. I enjoyed serving such a diverse patron population. I was ever fascinated by the range of questions I would receive. Their rich collection is second to none and it be attributed to the professional librarians and knowledgeable staff that work there. I truly cherished my internship. I know that it served as a bulk of my preparation in my current position. So, what brings me to this trip down memory lane?
The esteemed group of people have started a blog: Eleventh Stack.

Stephen Abrams, SirsiDynix's Vice President of Innovation, made a blog post at the end of December regarding 30 Library Technology Predictions for 2008. One thing that keeps ringing in my ears and should be clanging in some heads of others: "#14. Gaming, RSS and Blogs are totally normal in 2008. Not to be using them is to be well behind the curve of your average user. Few users will be able to point to them since they're just normal. It would be like asking users to point to HTML, CSS or SMTP. They're like the freon in your fridge."
I love taking on "new" technologies and incorporating them into the patron service plan. It's really neat and exciting to see CLP delving into the deep. I'm sure there will be tons to read about and you should definitely check it out!

Colorado "Harmful to minors" Bill

On February 13th, the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4-2 to advance Senate bill 08-125 which bans the sale to minors of books and magazines that are “harmful to minors.”

I've read through the entire bill. I would hate to interpret this as a law.
"If a reasonable adult person finds the material or performance to have a predominant tendency to appeal to the prurient interests of minors, finds that the depiction of nudity or sexual activity in the material or performance is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community concerning what is suitable for minors and s/he would find that the material or performance lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.."
My first thought was "Well, there goes that idea for an American Pie movie revival at the Denver cineplex." But seriously, how does one interpret what is pornography and what is not? Do we go with the notion, "I know it when I see it?"

What's really scary is that our collections have materials that adults have a constitutional right to access but unfortunately some might judge them to be harmful to minors. Therefore, libraries could potentially be held liable should a minor obtain said materials. This may have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and creating a rich collection to serve the needs of all users.

Anatomy, art, guides to enhancing one's sexual experiences, etc. These are not "filth" nor are they lacking "serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value." I know that words sometimes fail me when encountering a hostile patron that seeks to take a book off the shelf, even in role playing activities. I think it's because it just boggles my mind that anyone would want to repress anyone else's thoughts, feelings, creativity, etc.

I can only hope that considerations are provided for libraries. I understand those people that wish to protect children. However, it is not up to libraries to shield others from information. I remember someone from grad school saying that "Libraries are dangerous places and they should be." Not with regards to bullets flying through windows, but I'm sure that does happen. People can have access to whatever information they desire at a library and to some people, whether it be political despots, fundamentalists, etc., that is dangerous.
I think that if someone really wants something, they'll find a way to get it. I'm not using this as a counter-argument to this bill. I just think that additional regulations make whatever is being regulated more appealing. Alcohol, sex, drugs, Harry Potter, Golden Compass...you name it. If someone has said, "Oh no! We must protect the children from this!" People will wonder what's all the fuss and naturally will be curious about it. If parents provide a forum within the home for knowledge and free thinking, children can be allowed to question and learn about something with their parents as opposed to their friend's older brother or sister.

If you happen to live in Colorado, please contact your State Senator and tell them that this bill will limit people (adult voters) from obtaining items that could potentially be considered "harmful to minors". Movies that are rated higher than PG-13 may no longer be purchased by libraries in Colorado. Art books, erotica poetry, etc. may be limited as well. Standards of indecency are fluid and it is unclear to me, where upon the slippery slope, it would end.

Midwinter, Reading Maps, oh my!

I'll write a very short recap of Midwinter. Some of this may be old news to some.
It was my first time attending as an ALA Councilor-at-Large. It was very enlightening and I look forward to serving. I'm going to definitely post more often in hopes of spreading information amongst my constituents.

Council I: Council received the Presidential Task Force on Graduated Dues report and voted to move forward with a survey of the ALA members. At the very least it will provide information to determine whether a graduated dues structure is feasible for ALA. Regarding the ALA website redesign: ALA has hired a Senior Usability officer and will be looking at user-centered design.
“A Resolution on Member Access to Electronic Lists of ALA” was brought forth by Melora Ranney Norman. This would enable any and all ALA members access to lists. Some people bristled at the notion that non-members of sections could potentially have access to the lists. Rebuttal statements to that included the point that at Annual conference and Midwinter, those associations and sections that have open meetings do not check at the door to make sure every person attending is a member of that group. Also, non-members could/would have read-only access to those lists until they choose to add that section to their membership dues. Additionally, groups that have closed meetings, such as awards or nominating committees, would still maintain closed lists. It was referred to the Task Force on Electronic Member Participation for clarification. I was befuddled by this since it seemed to be a no-brainer. We are an organization that prides itself on access to information. However, I understand that members of Council are very cautious in taking action.

ALA-APA Council: We learned about the progress made by ALA-APA's Certification Project for Public Library Administrators. The first batch of graduates completed the program this past fall. The number of graduates is increasing and CPLA will increase the number of the providers as well this year. They are gearing up to begin a program to address the needs of para-professional staff that has been funded by a grant from IMLS. The budget has been trickling upwards through subscriptions to Library Worklife newsletter, subscription access to the Salary Survey and items for National Library Worker Day. It's a very worthwhile organization that can use the support of ALA members. They are working to promote our interests whether it is regarding salaries, public awareness of what library workers do, etc. I support it not only because donations are tax-deductible but because I want to support a group that is looking out for my professional interests.

Council II: Council voted to give the Budget Analysis and Review Committee the task of investigating ways to shorten Council sessions so that they can end on Tuesday rather than Wednesday. We honored Pat Mora, Effie Lee Morris and Peggy Sullivan with Honorary Memberships in ALA.

Council III: “Resolution on Providing Accessible Workstations at ALA Mid Winter Meetings and Annual Conferences” was passed. This resolution calls for ALA to facilitate access to computer workstations and other accommodations for persons with disabilities during annual conferences and midwinter meetings. There was a resolution on the crisis in Kenya which called for an end to the violence and to the abridgement of freedoms in that country such as freedom of the press, etc. It passed with a narrow margin (67-65). “Resolution on the Confiscation of Iraqi Documents from the Iraq National Library Archives” passed and called for the return by U.S. and British military forces of cultural documents to Iraqi repositories.

It was a very exciting meeting and I look forward to Anaheim.
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I was very fortunate to attend the NEO-RLS reader's advisory learning group on February 21.

We discussed reading maps which are reader’s advisory tools that lead readers to other books that they might wish to read. By utilizing elements that are central to the book, (subject matter, read-alikes, other books by the author, etc.) reading maps explore recommendations in a different way.

Other libraries are using Flickr as a tool of hosting images and creating reading maps. Examples: http://flickr.com/photos/roundlakelibrary/ and http://flickr.com/photos/7384687@N03/439668465/

The group also discussed the possibility of having a reading map website that will be hosted by NEO-RLS where librarians and people can post reading maps. I am very excited about this and look forward to assisting where I can. I learned a lot and am energized to find additional tools that I can use to approach and assist our patrons in a new and different way.

Ohio Library Council 2007 - Report

Some of this comes from my report that was sent to my supervisor. My report to my library is considerably longer. I wanted to at least share what I learned with other people. I picked three workshops that I thought were very valuable.

Look Before You Leap: Why Web 2.0 Alone Can't Save Your Library
This was presented by Laura Solomon from Cleveland Public Library and Glen Horton from SouthWest Ohio and Neighboring Libraries. The presenters discussed various Web/Library 2.0 tools and what not to do. “How to Kill a Blog/Wiki/IM service/etc.” As I took the notes, I changed it to positive as to how you can make xyz item successful. They also mentioned the positives of engaging/using these tools. You can find their PowerPoint presentation here.
The last part of the presentation discussed how to look at these tools critically; asking if this is the right tool, what are your expectations, etc. A closing note to the presentation was that even if an organization does not want to engage in this, it ought to claim the webspace/Internet space so that others do not. I spoke with Laura Solomon afterwards and noted that I did not have my bubble burst and would still like to incorporate these tools. I’m willing to do the work and even train people. I am uncertain as to the reasons for administration’s apprehension and would welcome a discussion.

"You Offer Me Nothing": Serving Next Generation Patrons
This was a very well attended workshop and I anticipated it highly. Don Yarman of Delaware County District Public Library moderated a panel discussion with Karl Jendretzky, OPLIN and Christine, a friend of Don’s. Both of these individuals do not use libraries. Their reasons varied. Karl uses bitTorrent to download videos and audio files. He stated that it’s easier to steal rather than borrow legally and in some ways safer. If a person uses audio CDs on a computer, the DRM programming installs files onto that computer which can cause damage.
Christine does not like to go to libraries because she feels that libraries are intimidating and the shelves make her feel claustrophobic. Both of them do not understand Dewey and don’t like having to go to the reference desk for help. Christine likes to read a book and then keep it. Someone suggested that if libraries were able to allow patrons to check out books and keep them for as long as they want. The counterpoint to that argument is it would potentially throw off the budget. Most people would not tell the library that they plan on keeping the book and if they did, the library would still have to figure out how many books to acquire, etc.
One thing I would like to see is faster ILL. If a person can get an item sent from a company overnight, why can’t libraries do the same thing? I understand that there are costs involved but I still find the ILL turnaround time to be longer than necessary. This is merely an observation. It’s probably not under the Hudson Library’s control based on our CLEVNET membership.
They liked the roving reference idea and had suggestions for ways to get people into the library. For people like Karl, holding a LAN party where people are playing a multi-user game together (example: World of Warcraft, Runescape). Marketing ideas: advertising on pizza boxes (flyers attached to a pizza box noting various events or services.)

You're the Expert – Share It!: On-the-job Training at Your Library
This workshop discussed ways that employees can benefit from micro learning sessions. It is important to maintain institutional knowledge along with creating opportunities for professional development within the organization. The loss of information can be devastating to an organization. Indeed, an organization can bounce back but it’s never quite the same.
Sometimes there is not enough time or funding to allow for employees to attend training workshops. The homegrown approach is definitely applicable within our organization. There are some talents that other might not have. For instance, there are those that have the ability to talk to irritable patrons/customers and to de-escalate a situation; technical proficiency, etc. These talents can be shared in brief 15 minute snippets here and there. However, there needs to be managerial buy-in in order for the employees to utilize their training time together most efficiently. The manager must be willing to allow them uninterrupted time to train.
A particular point that was addressed is whether an organization wants a body or a skills set. Anyone can fill in someone else’s shoes but in order to serve the customers in the best way possible, a certain level of knowledge is essential. Competencies established by various organizations, such as the Ohio Library Council, can provide guidelines in order to lay the groundwork for required skill sets within an organization. (OLC’s core competencies can be found here.)
I have submitted on the Intranet a discussion to see how the Reference/Adult Services department can tackle the issues of institutional knowledge loss and skill set building. It would be optimal for those to take the initiative and seek out those that would be willing to share their knowledge. However, what would stop a co-worker from approaching another colleague in the hopes of establishing a knowledge partnership? Buddying up with another colleague that may be lacking in certain areas not only will provide the worker with an opportunity for growth but it will also increase knowledge share across the board, thereby enabling and empowering employees to provide the best service possible to our patrons/customers.

Overall, I had a great time at my first Convention and Expo. I had been to the previous sectional conferences and found them to be very useful for professional development. The Ohio Library Council is a worthwhile organization for any Ohio library professional and I'm proud to be a member.

Ohio Library Council

I'm heading down to Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio Library Council Convention and Expo. This will be my first Expo since they switched to a biennial format.
I'm pretty excited to be going since I would like to be more active within OLC. I've stepped up my activity level within ALA and would like to act locally as well.
I'm going to be attending a good number of the Library/Web 2.0 workshops as well as "You Offer Me Nothing": Serving Next Generation Patrons. I am still chomping at the bit to try out anything related to Library/Web 2.0. I'd even be willing to train people. Getting institutional buy-in can be difficult in any organization. Is it worse in libraries? I'm not sure. I know that libraries ought to be at the forefront of this movement and yet so many libraries balk at just *trying* something different. If the library is an established center of a community, why not expand and strengthen that "market share" by exploring avenues where other patrons are already investigating? By no means did I wish to turn this into a rant about slow to change libraries and their bullet holes in their feet. An up and coming blog on that is exploring Library 2.0 is Library Alchemy. I've been intrigued by this since this librarian is at a major metropolitan library and it is interesting to see how it's playing out there.
Speaking of playing out, I need to head out. See you in Columbus!

Surveys: Wikipedia at your Library/Technology Access Issues

A number of surveys are being floated around and I would encourage you to participate in them, that is, if you work in libraries.
Surveys help our colleagues better assess our services and allow us to provide supporting statements for services currently used and potential future services.

I received an email earlier today regarding a survey being conducted by Duke University Libraries:

Wikipedia. Love it or hate it? We want to know how librarians are using Wikipedia. Please help us find out.

The Use of Wikipedia by Librarians survey is a research study investigating how librarians are using Wikipedia in their daily work.

Please take 10-15 minutes to participate in the Use of Wikipedia by Librarians survey at this url:
Survey link.

Additionally, the Free Range Librarian posted this to PUBLIB:

A national survey of public library computer and Internet access was mailed to public libraries early September 2007. The study is funded by the American Library Association and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and conducted by researchers from Florida State University's Information Use Management and Policy Institute, and builds on research conducted since 1994. More information on this project is available at http://www.ala.org/plinternetfunding/, including the recently released report based on the 2006 survey many of you completed.

Your participation in the survey provides public libraries, state library agencies, the American Library Association, policymakers, and others with extremely important data regarding public library computer and Internet access issues, the services and resources you make available to users (e.g., e-government, databases, digital reference, etc.), what it takes to sustain public access computer and Internet services in your library, and the impacts of such public access services on the communities that your library serves.

You may access the survey at http://survey.pnmi.com - The survey is web-based and has a total of 21 questions that will take you about 40 minutes to complete. PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY BY NOVEMBER 25, 2007.

You will need your state assigned Library ID code included in the survey announcement letter you received to initiate the survey. If you have lost that ID number, you can look it up on the survey site. If you have any questions, or need further assistance, please e-mail PL2007@ci.fsu.edu.