morerobots.: I am still thinking about that tumblarian post from yesterday, about... →

morerobots:

I am still thinking about that tumblarian post from yesterday, about blogging about patrons. And some of the responses to the original post I thought came from an especially privileged place.

We do have a responsibility to our patrons. They trust us and put faith in us. Sometimes the questions they ask are frustrating. You’re sent off on wildcat searches. Or maybe they do weird things, I don’t know. I’ve dealt with that too. But we also need to remember about all the different people who use the library. Some come from vulnerable and marginalized places. They deal with a lot of shit, to put it plainly. And I think to be blogging about some measly frustrating question on a hugely public platform is a betrayal of their trust. Why are you a librarian? Why are you in this? ‘Cause this is service. And if you don’t enjoy the service you do, then I don’t know about you. Librarians are people but so are your patrons. Tumblarians are pretty publicized now, and that means employers will be checking this out. Libraries and publishers check this out because they have their own tumblrs. Patrons have tumblrs. It’s pretty easy to figure out who’s who on here because it isn’t private.

Go buy a journal. Call up a friend. Be a little more professional.

An interesting discussion of what, well, we should be discussing here on Tumblr.

Library Patrons Want More E-books, But They Want to Keep Print Books, Too →

booksyarnink:

In addition to use habits, Pew compiled a laundry list of items patrons want from their libraries:

• The ability to borrow books (80%).

• More e-books (83%).

• IPS navigation for locating books (62%).

• Access to reference librarians (80%).

• Redbox-style kiosks for renting books in public spaces outside the library (63%).

• Free access to Internet-connected computers (77%).

• An online “ask a librarian” service (73%).

• Access to library materials via apps (63%).

• An area to try out new devices (69%).

• Amazon-style recommendation engines based on past checkout history (64%).

• Free literacy programs for young children (82%).

Yet when asked whether they would be willing to give up existing resources to make room for these things — to move some books to off-site storage centers to make sense for a device-testing center, for instance — only 20% of survey participants said they were in favor. Thirty-six percent said libraries should “definitely” not move books off-site.

Which sums up the whole problem, really.

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All of this makes me shake my head when I see the stories that have come out about “bookless libraries”. 

In an impassioned address at the Association of American Publishers’ annual meeting, president and CEO of the New York Public Library Dr. Anthony Marx told publishers: “We’re eager to be promoting your books. We are trusted by our patrons to have views about quality. We help to sell your books.” He noted, “on the library site now, if you come in looking for a book and it’s out, the first thing we ask you is whether you want to buy a copy. Our patrons buy books and we buy books. We bring in speakers thorough NYPL live and we hope in the future one, two three or more authors a day…. We are your partners in encouraging reading. We are also deeply committed, pivotally committed to access.

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NYPL President Urges Publishers to Propose Pilot Models | Publishers Lunch

So badass.

(via rachelfershleiser)

Libraries are logical, obvious partners & collaborators for increasing minority student engagement in science and technology →

(Source: libraryadvocates)

From @ala_techsource, Digital Literacy in US Public Libraries:

Nearly half (48 percent) of all public libraries now provide formal classes on how to access online job-seeking and career-related information, up from 27 percent in 2009.

Urban libraries (59 percent) are far more likely to offer formal classes than their suburban (47 percent) and rural counterparts (25 percent), likely due to the availability of dedicated space (often computer labs) and more specialized staffing. Urban libraries were also the most likely to report they have seen increased use of patron technology classes over the past year—41 percent, compared with 32 percent for suburban libraries and 19 percent for rural libraries. A 2010 study from the University of Washington confirms widespread need for and use of public library technology training and assistance. Fifty-two million people got help using computers from a librarian or volunteer, and 16 million participated in public library computer classes in 2009.