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Curators and digital docents

May 22, 2009  ♦  Categories: Change Management
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In a recent post, Kent Anderson of the Scholarly Kitchen differentiates the roles of curator and docent. He observes that “Scholarly publishers are very experienced curators — collecting, preserving, and archiving interesting research. We aren’t especially adept or confident docents. We usually only point to what we own.” Hmmm…

Digital docents are emerging everywhere.  With ownership “a fading advantage”, Kent ponders the shifting value between collecting and preserving objects and guiding people to valuable objects wherever they exist. I wonder…

  • What is the right mix for public libraries?
  • Does it vary by constituent, or object type?
  • Does increasing accessibility to information diminish the value of safe, comfortable, supportive spaces to explore and consume information?
  • If libraries maintain their curatorial focus, do they risk being overwhelmed by digital docents?
  • If libraries dilute their curatorial focus, do they risk being just one of the crowd “linking out” — and who would take up the slack to curate and archive local historic materials?

*Original image by Brown University Library

Public libraries and single-payer healthcare

May 20, 2009  ♦  Categories: Advocacy, Funding
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Coalition building was a topic at the Massachusetts Library Association’s annual conference earlier this month. Speaker Margie Schuster encouraged attendees to take one more step—in addition to lobbying and message development—and create a coalition to expand into a broader sphere. Good advice.

Given the magnitude of the library funding crisis, I’d urge state and national library associations to do the same. They might, for example, coordinate their efforts and form coalitions with other groups to lobby for big money issues like single-payer healthcare.

There are a number of reasons to support single-payer healthcare. One is that municipal funds currently spent on health insurance could be reallocated to public libraries and a range of other vital services. In West Boylston, 16% of our FY2010 budget will be used to purchase group healthcare insurance for town employees. This single line item is equivalent to the FY2010 appropriations for these town departments:

  • Police
  • Fire
  • Public Safety
  • DPW
  • Library
  • Treasurer/Collector
  • Building Inspector
  • Town Counsel
  • Cemetery

Incredible, isn’t it?  You know, each of these departments took budget cuts in FY2010.  They might also want to ban together with library associations to call for more responsible national leadership on healthcare and financial issues.

* Original graphic by Quest Medical Claims.

Difficult, inspiring change

May 18, 2009  ♦  Categories: Change Management
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Michael Edson, March 2009

War, famine and road construction can come and go, but don’t mess with a library. …Change is inevitable and anxiety ridden. It is also exciting and rich with possibilities!
From Change: the only constant!, Practical Librarian, May 2009.

You change because what you do for a living was never just a job—but more a mission. …You change because of all the people in the world—teachers understand the value of being a lifelong learner.
From Why Change?, 21st Century Learning, March 2007.