Censorship

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Twitter: Follow A Library

Today is follow a library day on twitter. So get on it! You may be best served finding your local libraries but can get some great information from nearly any library twitter!

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Anatomy of a Library Scene

This comic library scene comes from Comically Vintage and an odd one it is. Evidently, this is an older comic strip however the librarian isn’t a stereotype! He looks like Errol Flynn and is dressed just as dapper. The women yearning for books seem to have no interest in subject matter, author, or title. They simply want books. The question though remains, if they want books of any make and model, why not just go to the shelves? Afterall it’s a library, there are books all around, you don’t have to ask Mr. Flynn. That is unless they are trying to attract the attention of Mr. Flynn. Or perhaps he is guarding all the books; they appear to be kept behind the reference desk. Given the voracity and zombie-like cravings these women exhibit the latter seems a more appropriate explanation!!?

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The Library School Degree

Recently, Mary Ellen Bates posted a blog article titled: Is an MLS still relevant? In addition, I have come across other blogs questioning the MLS/MSLIS. It’s a question often defended with answers by the American Library Association, countless graduate school programs, and other library associations. I imagine that the question will continue to be tackled given the economy. Librarians/Libraries do not live in a bubble. We aren’t the only profession feeling the pinch. As a parallel, law school students and even the experienced are looking for work, internships, summer associate programs, etc. and I am sure they find themselves facing the same existential questions we do. Today, many of us are questioning our decisions, education, practical experience, career goals, etc.

So is there value to the degree? The short answer is yes. The long answer involves a relative situation. The MLS isn’t for everyone. Just like a JD or Masters in Music isn’t for everyone. Moreover, it’s what you do with it that makes it of value. With today’s job market, experience and education aren’t the only things for which an employer may wish. Some consider outside involvement, volunteering, and a real passion for the work. A recent law school grad may hold a degree from a top school and perform a summer associate program at a top firm, but did they volunteer their time and skills to the community? Have they become a valuable member of their associations/bar  (more so than just paying dues)? Have they published works and/or managed to get their name into the network of  lawyers? Being successful (at least to me) is more than just going to school and working a job.

The library school degree isn’t a means to an end. It’s a stepping stone towards more education, experience, and wisdom. I value my library school degree highly. It’s helped shape my background and given me a structure that has helped me function in public, private, and academic libraries. I can’t speak for other programs but Syracuse University’s information school prepares students for success. It makes apparent the responsibility to apply learned skills and develop them. SU taught us how to stay apprised of technology and library field changes, because as soon as we learn something it could easily be outdated. The SU ischool students I speak with are consistently impressed by the level of professionalism, education, and direction they are afforded.

The best I can do in defense of the MSLIS is speak to my personal experiences and continual growth. Generalizing and comparing the library school degree only gets us so far. Perhaps the best we can do in service of prospective students, current students, and the future of the degree is speak honestly about our personal tales with the degree. How has it worked for you or how didn’t it work for you? Has it proven valuable in your success or been a hinderance, why?

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Social Networks and Library Professionalism

Developing a well-balanced online presence (socially, personally, and professionally) can be a challenge and never perfect. I maintain a blog and a twitter oriented toward all things library. However, I consider them more a long the lines of musings and passion versus deep thesis like research into the inner-workings of the information world. It also allows me to go back and see myself in the past, as a graduate student, new law librarian, and during times of transition. I keep up on Linkedin as the most obvious professional social network but don’t update it like “tweets”. In fact, I find myself questioning that function on Linkedin. Do I need to update it as I do my twitter: “cataloging a set of new treatises” or “found a patent that looks to enslave apes (à la Planet of the Apes)”? It feels unnecessary. Linkedin is more like a living resume. Professionalism on social networks also means keeping politics, religion, and negativity out. Sure, I can criticize a publisher’s practice or pricing, but that’s part of being a Librarian is it not?

This leads to Facebook. My original intention with FB was friends only: people with whom I’ve known for a decent amount of time, gone to bars, and developed a more personal/social relationship. In time though, Library friends and co-workers  grow into people with whom you go to bars! The only major difference that you’ll find on FB, versus my other social networks, is a list of school buddies and tons of Star Wars references. While it isn’t littered with library-oriented materials; library things are certainly there. If anything, looking at my FB page has me fingered as an uber-nerd.

The librarians that challenge my concept of online professionalism are what I call “the hardcore”. By hardcore, I mean the ones who are opinionated to the point of extremism and swear like sailors. Perhaps they are like this in real life but perhaps they are really sweet, love cats, and are quite tolerant (like most librarians I know!). Obviously, the Internet provides a great facade but my point with all this is to accurately portray who I am. You can go back, read my posts, my tweets, and ask me about them. Honestly, I am able to talk about my social presence (in person) with a straight face. It circles back to something my Library School Professor, Scott Nicholson said: “if what you do in the library was made public in a newspaper article would you still do it?”

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Library of Congress : the Video Game!

The title of this entry is a bit of a misnomer. The Library of Congress hasn’t put out a video game, although it would be fantastic to have an LOC board game; rather, they have released an iPhone app.  The application is a virtual tour of the library, taking adventurers into the deep and mystic rooms of knowledge and history. The application is optimized for the iPhone 4, containing rich graphics, sounds, and interface structures. In short, a free must download app.

I decided to tackle the app in the most rigorous testing regime I know, as a video game. Here’s the opening scene:

The LOC is epic and luckily the app serves as a Virgil, casting light onto a certain path. After reading the opening scene I knew this journey was not for the weak of heart. Thusly, I finished my sandwich, braced myself, and tapped “explore”. Without hesitation the game was afoot! Gracing my screen was a list of levels, luckily I didn’t have to unlock them- I could travel wherever I wished:

I’m no fan of spoilers or jumping ahead, so the main reading room was the only place to start. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t craving excitement or adventure, as it so happened, I had found it:

The initial screen contained a detailed history and description of the Main Reading Room/ Level 1. The beginning textual mission could have been better displayed if the font were adjustable, as it stands its hard to get a paragraph onto one screen and it becomes difficult to visualize. However, this is quickly remedied by the audio mission.

Sheridan Harvey gives life to the Main Reading Room and engages my imagination. She calls the Main Reading Room the “living heart of the library” and she truly makes The LOC an inviting place, as anyone 16 or older with a valid ID can use the space and materials. She would be perfect for audio books too! After my encounter with Librarian Sheridan the game had me. I was ready for the next mission: photos!

The text and audio description prepared me for a battle with living statues. These high quality images put me in The LOC, feeling the DC sunshine light up the room and bask me in a fountain of olden days. It’s easy to click onto each image, zoom in and out, and learn.

The last mission, link, is exactly what is sounds like: related links to supplemental information. How often do we go to presentations, read an article, or visit a blog with related links? It’s great to have but I bet dirt to donuts that the percentage of actual related links clicks is less than 10%. This mission didn’t challenge me as the others before it had. Yet, minus related links, The LOC app/virtual tour left me pleased to have spent a portion of my lunch break wandering the Main Reading Room, listening to Sheridan’s tales, and mingling with greatness of past times. I look forward to the next levels and expect the same captivating lessons.

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Just a Photo of a Book

This superb photo comes courtesy of  Awful Library Books.

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All Things…

Graduating from UNLV immediately lead to Syracuse University, as heading to library school was always my plan. Anything after that remained open and still does. Librarianship presents opportunities and changes in the least likely of ways and places. The courses I took, the internships I held, and the employers I’ve served have been eye-opening and challenging. My range of experience and education remains cemented by dedication to library communities. My communities have been the public, attorneys, faculty, and students. The location has been in academic, public, and private law libraries. The last two years my service has been to my law firm, the staff, and our attorneys. It’s been a tremendous two years in which I grew from recent graduate to experienced legal librarian.

Unfortunately, the good words of George Harrison mark an occasion: “all things must pass” / I’m getting laid-off. The law firm for whom I work is dissolving. These turn of events are marked with sadness, the firm has a rich history in Sacramento of over 50 years and is the 2nd largest Sacramento based firm. The employees cherished the work culture that was often more akin to a family. Certainly it’s a sad loss for Sacramento and a great loss for the staff and attorneys.  However, the opportunity to find new challenges and accomplish a new set of goals is nothing at which to scoff.  I anticipate the changes and my continued progress/development. The objective though is always the same: to serve library communities.

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Freedom to Tinker

The Digital Millenium Copyright Act is a thorn in the side of exploration and freedom of use. It effectively criminalizes using owned works/software outside of normal/intended means. For example, if you buy a song on iTunes and it is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM): it is locked to your account, your computer, and only to a number of devices that support playing it,  iTunes, iPods, and perhaps a few other devices. You are also restricted to burning the album or songs to a limited number, 3 or 5 CDs or so. CDs don’t last. I’ve had to purchase my favorite albums a number of times, despite my immaculate care, they became unplayable. The music purchased can only be used in the way they want. Want to remix it? You’ll have to get a different version or illegally free it from DRM. Want to play it on a non-Apple/non-iTunes device, same thing. While it’s easy to circumvent the processes in place, it is technically prohibited. Additionally, as far as I can tell, there is no easy way to resell music.

The latest DMCA news involves the Apple iPhone. There’s a world of uses for the iPhone some of which may only be discovered or tapped into if used outside of its design/intended purpose. Jailbreaking could lead to illegal actions, but jailbreaking shouldn’t be illegal. If one were inclined they could download applications without paying for them, that’s obviously illegal. However still considered illegal would be connecting wirelessly to printers or finding ways to make it more efficient and user-friendly. I bet one could turn the iPhone into a full-blown computer, simply by installing a full operating system and connecting it to a monitor and keyboard. Maybe the iPhone would be great for checking in books and scanning shelves via RFID. However, you’d have to install an RFID scanner and software onto the phone. Perhaps the only way to do that would be via jailbreak.

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Analytics, Politics, & The Public Library

Yesterday, a few co-workers and myself, were saying goodbyes to another who was leaving the firm to pursue a degree in political science and work for a campaign. The topic of demographics and statistics came up and it got me thinking. How often do public libraries use public demographics/statistics and/or ask for statistics from political parties? Could this data prove useful? Politicians use this data to determine where to campaign and where a certain percentage of voters typically live.  Depending on the county, city, district, area, etc., library funds are often voted on by the people and/or decided by a governing board;  knowing as much as possible about the people in the community has unknown value. A basic identity can be uncovered and some collections can then be geared towards that. However, the library would have to market the changes appropriately. Just as a politician goes door to door, sends out mailers, and has voices in neighborhoods speaking on their behalf- so too should the library.

I understand that many libraries use this type of data but to what extent? Most certainly do not go as deep as politicians. Politicians employ specialist in organizing this data and lining it up with a campaign plan. Librarians though are armed with a skill set that would make tackling such an endeavor simple. A phone call to a local official  would be a good start. The library wants to reach out to the people and an elected official would want the same. Perhaps the library could set up an appointment with the official’s campaign manager or a specialists from their campaign. It’s a win-win situation and most importantly a win for the public.

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