#13 Library 2.0 - O Brave New World!

I have been in libraries since babyhood, when my mother wheeled me to her volunteer job at the local library (which by the way was the first incarnation of Capilano Library!). When I was old enough, I used the card catalogue to find stuff for school projects and my Sunday afternoon by the fire reading. In university it was microfiche (whoever thought that was a good technology!),and near the very start of my career as a librarian came the computer, which changed everything. I remember in those first days of the computer catalogue, and how often patrons came to me looking for the card catalogue and bemoaning its demise. Think if we tried to bring that back now...!

Now it's all changing again, and libraries need to jump on the 2.0 bandwagon with all their traditional values in hand. Spider Robinson once said that librarians rule the world, because they control all the information. We don't need to rule, but we need to lead, we need to keep libraries relevant and places where people want to go. We need to be at the vanguard, using these new technologies to enhance the old ones. We need to be in a position to teach the new stuff to those who are used to the old, and use the fresh ideas and the people who have them to keep pace with a world that because of 2.0 is not getting bigger but is getting smaller as the whole connects in.

Vanier Park

Winning photo!

I entered this picture in the staff photo contest - theme of food and drink. This is the dessert selection at Stuart's Bakery on Granville Island

Online Databases - Thing # 19

I use online databases pretty frequently, and attend "Webinars" to keep me up to date. The databases are a rich resource and are not used enough by the public, who don't know they exist unless we tell them! They are "hiding their lights under a bushel" (which is not Shakespeare, its the Bible!) Kids especially should be encouraged to use them, as there are several which are excellent homework resources.

Thing 16 - No Phishing!

This kind of fishing is great, but phishing for people's money and identity is despicable. I have received lots of these types of email and always immediately delete them, but I can see how novice emailers can be taken in by them. It really is a lowlife crime. You may think that Shakespeare has nothing to say about this modern day crime, but as I always say, there's usually a Shakespeare quote that fits:

Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands:
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.


Ironically it is the vile Iago (from the play Othello) who says this, who probably would have loved phishing scams, as he enjoyed manipulating the innocent to his own purposes!

Askaway

I have been trained on Askaway and have done alot of sessions. Though it is extremely well used by students, it is not being used much outside of that group. Alot of the students use it instead of the resources at their fingertips, and I feel sure that laziness has alot to do with it sometimes, as clearly they could do the searches just as well as I could. On the other hand, there are moments when you do feel gratification, such as the time a student asked me how to do a math problem. Well, I couldn't do the math, but I could direct him to Math.com and the right section of that website to help him. His reaction was ecstatic, and no doubt he would use it again to help with his homework.

So Askaway is useful, but I prefer answering questions face to face!

Thing number 23

I have already used Library to Go, and found it very easy to download their software and the books. Perhaps I will have more fun with it when I get my MP3 player!

Thing No. 22 Podcasts - In A Pickle

I have already added alot of podcasts to my Google Reader account from the CBC website, choosing some of my favourite CBC 1 shows, like Queue. I checked out Podcast Pickle and found it quite easy to use, lots of different genres. Some of the items on there seem to be commercial items which require payment. I found the NY Times Book Review, and it was easy to download, as they had a selection of icons indicating ways to subscribe, one of which was Google. There are lots of different ways to find Podcasts - but for someone starting out Podcastpickle and their like seem like an friendly way in.

By the way, did you know that Shakespeare was the first to use the phrase "In a pickle"? It is found in "The Tempest".

Something Funny About Mac -- er I mean The Scottish Play

Thing Number 21 - YouTube

Copying videos is fun and easy - one could waste the entire day doing it!