Kent Anderson of the Scholarly Kitchen appreciates the rejuvenating potential of disruption, which is one of the reasons I follow his work. Kent shared two insightful posts this week on evolution, rejuvenation and inertia. New Pencils, New Crayons, Old Humans and Game Over, Man — Has the Disruption of Publishing Already Occurred? Both merit a
◊ Change Management ◊
NPL = the National Public Library Corporation
The folks at In the Library with the Lead Pipe have given me an opportunity to spread my wings with a longer piece on public library advocacy. In “An Inflection Point for American Public Libraries“, I propose a means for public libraries to increase funding, use resources more efficiently, and deliver exciting new services to
The importance of enthusiasm
A weekend post in the Scholarly Kitchen prompted reflection on my own employment — and libraries, of course. Commenting on a video that spoofs Steve Jobs hyping Apple products, TechCrunch author MG Siegler correlates the quality of a company’s products with the enthusiasm level of its leaders and employees.
Sexism thrives in portrayal of librarians
While researching Monday’s post, I was struck by the sexism and misogyny permeating press coverage and self-promotion of librarians. It mostly renders male librarians invisible — which may not be so bad given how it portrays female librarians. The matter goes much deeper than the evocation and reinforcement of unflattering images; it’s about supplanting those images
Librarians get bad press in 2009
Public libraries have received good press in 2009, although professional librarians have not. This summer produced a spate of stories about librarians “playing against type”1 that did more to reify negative images than dispel them. Reputable sources reported on librarians organizing book cart races, competing in roller derbies, and getting tattoos. Interestingly, none spoke about
We like books in Boston
Massachusetts has the oldest library system in the nation. It may also be taking the lead to replace the institution. During the summer, a suburban high school ditched its library for a new technology center. On Friday, the Boston Globe reports that a prep school in central Massachusetts is following suit. 457 reader comments have
Trayless without left turns
Innovation is often associated with technology; there’s a constant buzz about applying technology to existing functions and doing new technological things. Innovation is also about doing things differently or doing better by doing less. Especially in these difficult times, libraries need both forms of innovation. I find two examples inspiring. Beginning in 2007/2008, colleges around the
Please don’t call me customer…
Something from a library video the other day irked me and though it’s a small thing, I wondered if putting my reaction out there might be worthwhile. In the video, the library director used the term “customers” to refer to people who use her library. I’m predisposed to annoyance over this because for years in corporate
Don’t retrench, rejuvenate
Richard Dougherty, emeritus professor of the Univ of Michigan School of Information offers a Prescription for Financial Recovery in the recent issue of American Libraries. While the budget crisis has prompted many library directors to retrench, others have used it as a progressive opportunity to: Re-engage stakeholders Tell the library’s story Introduce new services to
Make some noise for your library
Library professionals typically put public service above all else, even in the face of massive budget cuts. This can have the unintended consequence of weakening advocacy. Librarians Getting the Shaft, as Usual is the Annoyed Librarian’s frank commentary on the subject. Others have also alluded to it. The ALA’s Keith Michael Fields penned a March
