I’ve not chimed into the conversation on mobile devices, in part because plenty of people cover that beat and also because smartphones and ebook readers, in my opinion, would not have been all that disruptive to libraries. You see, despite the numerous discrete conveniences delivered by both device types, they don’t significantly change the relationship
◊ Technology ◊
Adapting to the information ecosystem
In this post from the Scholarly Kitchen, Joe Esposito urges publishers away from retrenchment in “Publishing in the Google Ecosystem“. Google is now the defining entity in the information landscape. To flourish, as best as publishers can hope to flourish, it’s necessary to find a place within the Google ecosystem. There is no world elsewhere,
U.S. information consumption in 2008
A newly published report from the Global Information Industry Center of UC San Diego offers a few interesting statistics: In 2008, Americans were exposed to 100,500 words/day, nearly 2½ times more than in 1980.1 Television remained America’s leading source of information exposure. 1Americans were exposed to approximately 4,500 trillion words in 1980 versus 10,845 trillion
About those awful websites
In late August I gave a shout out to a new ALA initiative, the Privacy Revolution. By then I’d been following libraries long enough to feel reticent about endorsing a web effort, however the early site—which was more like a wireframe than a live site—seemed promising1. So I went out on a limb on this
Librarians moving up the value chain
Here are some great examples of librarians moving up the information value chain:1, 2 The team at In the Library with the Lead Pipe just keep on doin’ it. Brett Bonfield’s recent post about the publication’s first year is a veritable primer on collaboration, editorial practice and the WordPress publishing platform. And the latest by
The impact of library mythology
In The Future of Reading, information consultant Tom Peters lays out a lofty library agenda. He exhorts libraries to “be part of [the] reading revolution, supporting and defending the rights of digital readers.” Peters warns “If readers don’t assert their rights in the dawning e-reading era, someone else will snatch up those rights” and suggests
Digital Campus on future of libraries
The moderators at Digital Campus, from the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, recently hosted a terrific discussion on the future of publishing and libraries. Josh Greenberg, director of digital strategy and scholarship at the New York Public Library shares impressions & questions like this one, along with creative responses: The
Ken Auletta on Google
Terry Gross, one of the best interviewers in America, recently spoke with Ken Auletta of the New York Times about his new book. The 30 minute interview is a balanced account of the benefits and risks of Google’s ascendance.
New library services: order tracking & event search
Recent library experiences made me think of two more items for the list of services I’ve proposed as a standard suite of public library offerings. Order tracking. I’ve submitted a few ILL requests to my library in the past 2-3 weeks and have no idea of their status. For all I know, my requests may
Recommended podcasts
(Click on image to open the podcast page in iTunes.) Beat the Press from WGBH Boston offers lively discussion among local journalists “talking back to the press”. (30 mins.) ♦ Check out the BTP blog for daily newsclips and commentary. BackStory with the American History Guys serves up a delightful mix of history &
