Last week, publishing consultant Joseph Esposito publicly mused about an ebook strategy in which publishers bypass libraries and create direct-to-reader content packages. Esposito described it not as “another evil visited upon libraries by avaricious publishers” but as “a prudent means to find other ways to derive revenue from publications without imposing a further tax on
◊ Technology ◊
What we lose through automation
While training for a new volunteer role at my library, I learned the process for getting an event listed with our public access cable channel. Someone emails me a Word document with program listings. I hand transcribe them onto paper forms and deliver them to the library. Another volunteer picks them up from the library
Disruption everywhere
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
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
iGoogle page of library news & blogs
This week, as I read some really interesting news and blog posts, I wondered if folks might be interested in an iGoogle page of library info sources… Simply click on the image to install.
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
Multi-modal reading
Folks interested in information & knowledge acquisition will want to listen in on this 15 minute conversation about reading newspapers online versus print. On the lighter side, you might also enjoy a librarian’s speculation about if paper was invented today * Kindle image by iStyles
No libraries, no memory, no history
As a symbolic space, a type of collection, a kind of building, the library gives institutional form to our collective memory. Public libraries and other institutions established boundaries between public and private life that have become crucial to the modern meaning and experience of community. Community in postmodern America has itself become a function of
Teach your children well, part 2
Two recent news reports have signaled the displacement of human professionals with technology in high school education. A local newspaper wrote a glowing piece about a Massachusetts high school principal who laid off the librarian and used the funds to transform the school library into a technology center. And in its report about the demise
What’s next for public libraries?
Today’s post spotlights the work of Richard Watson, a futurist based in England and Australia. His current project focuses on the future of public libraries. Public reports are expected during Aug/Sept, and Watson has been blogging about the project this month. The work team has posited four scenarios, and each is an interesting read for
