Posted on January 10, 2012 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
Beware Graphic Content Ahead!
This graphic image or word cloud was created using Wordle. It is derived from the subjects and authors of postings in PubLib for November 2011. The size of the graphics is directly related to the number of un-weighted unique occurrences each month of the individual words represented. Most automated graphic processes that generate these types of word clouds use additional weight for H1 – H6 tags through feeds. These graphics are not processed with H1 – H6 tags. The titles and authors were copied to Notepad and stripped of all HTML before being run through the Wordle Java platform. The process is case-sensitive so Library is not the same thing as library.
The most prominent word without employing filters would have been Publib. Publib and Fwd were deleted from the plaintext files before processing. In addition, the Wordle program automatically disregards articles, conjunctions, and prepositions.
Posted on January 31, 2010 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
Best of Publib Current Topics and Archives
Video returning soon
This week in Best of Publib covers January 24th through January 31st 2010. This week includes discussions about the Broadband Stimulus Programs, collection development, technology planning, library programming, access to archives, and the effect of library reference poaching. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
Topic» Library Fines – Lynda Dydo in Los Gatos, CA wants to know who raised fines – What was the impact on revenue?
Topic» Author Meet & Greets - Rhonda Jessup in Whitby, ON Canada wants to know how you introduce authors – What is most effective?
Topic» Employment applications – Kathleen McCorkle in Sedan, KS would like examples of library specific employment applications
Topic » Documented LJ Index Problems – Thomas J. Hennen Jr. in Racine, WI provides analysis of issues with LJ Index – Will the problems be answered or resolved?
Topic » program attendance question – Elizabeth Fraser in Charleston WV is looking for program statistics – Which programs are successful?
Topic » GED revisions? – Kevin O’Kelly in Somerville, MA wanted to know about GED updates – the NETLS Coordinator provided the answers
Topic» Question for Frequent Travelers – Jennifer Ray in Cassopolis, MI wants to know how to predict the best deals on flights – Sharon Foster offered Bing
Topic » Church Partnerships? – Tony Ross in Washington, DC wants to know how to build relationships with local churches – Are there constitutional considerations?
Topic» CD shelving – Lynne S. Ingersoll in Blue Island, IL is looking at functional storage and display for 3000 CDs - What works?
Topic» RFID Implementation- Andrea Taylor in Fullerton, CA wants your story on setting up RFID – What were the processes and pitfalls?
Topic» Challenges to newspaper index entries – Bruce Brigell in Skokie, Illinois relates the effect of newspaper archives that disparage – What is the balance between public access and public disparagement?
Topic » CD and DVD protectors – Margaret (Meg) Van Patten in Baldwinsville, New York wants to know what works best – How do you protect the data side surface of your DVDs?
Topic» which Speaker System to use – Amy Blossom in Ashland, Oregon wants a low-cost speaker system with portable mikes for library programs – Which products work for you?
Topic » iPad and what it means to the library – Andrea Taylor in Fullerton, CA discusses the potential impact of the Apple iPad on similar products and libraries – What do you think?
Topic » Tax season – Elisa Babel in Washington, DC provides a great link to Closed Stacks discussing tax season effect on libraries and the types of tax filers librarians are most likely to encounter – How did libraries become in loco IRS ?
Topic» Social Networking and the Library – Jane Genzel in Muskego, WI wants to know how your library benefits from blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social networking tools – How do you measure success?
The Publib archives from the Webjunction listserve are available here: ArchivesPlease note: Archives remove html attachments. Compose in plain text or rich text.
Posted on January 19, 2010 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
Best of PubLib at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Exhibit Hall Review
This week, Best of Publib covered the ALA Exhibit Hall at the Boston Convention Center. The HD video below includes hundreds of vendor displays. We hope it will help you imagine the experience if you were not able to attend, or help refresh and reinforce what you learned.
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
The Boston Convention Center was an excellent venue for ALA. The train brought us to South Station - just a few minutes away from the hotels and convention amenities. There are many local publishers and library suppliers within a short distance, so start-ups and unique product suppliers could present affordably. And, Boston rocks! The Freedom Trail, Duck Tours , along with world-class museums and libraries are within short distances of the convention center.
The organizational effort by ALA and attention to detail by the library vendors was outstanding. It was easy to lose track of time on the exhibit hall floor amidst the panorama and noise. It took on a casino / carnival atmosphere with prizes to win and vendors pitching their games. High above, you could use the Food Court sign as a directional beacon.
Of all the hundreds of vendors represented, we chose to review five.
The first is :I-Concepts which defines itself as Innovative Concepts for Nonprofit Organizations. We could imagine many libraries outside of Boston benefiting from this service, along with fostering a general appreciation of local history archives. If you are looking for a way to both encourage collection use and raise funds - i-concepts may be the answer. The Amelia Earhart print was fascinating.
LibraryThing.com/forLibraries
The second is :LibraryThing. Tim Spalding along with his gregarious black-shirted horde truly represented the best of Open Source, Library 2.0 and viral marketing. They were eager to engage and highly entertaining.
The third vendor is :LE@D-Lifelong Education @ Desktop from the University of North Texas This group was absolutely charming and demonstrated infectious enthusiasm for their services. They dressed in some of the most colorful attire at the exhibit. Le@D provides highly affording library training. According to Director - Kevin Haney (in the middle with the green shirt) – costs are as low as $15 for a course! Enthusiastic library training - Deep in the heart of Texas!
New York Times
The fourth vendor is:The New York Times offering 50% off Home Delivery Service Marketing was conducted by On the Avenue Marketing Group with this excellent salesperson hawking half-price subscriptions. She may have been the hardest working individual in the exhibit hall. Yet, it was somehow troubling that this was the limit of representation of the New York Times publishing empire.
III
The fifth vendor is: III – Innovative Interfaces Incorporated. III is one of the heavy hitters in the Library industry. Many libraries are dependent on their products and they have a loyal base. I worked on two transitions to III – the first at Brown University from CLSI and the second at CLAN libraries from Horizon. I have used III for over twenty years and find it offers outstanding service. However, what I observed in the exhibit hall was troubling.
The III booth was very well-appointed and designed with several interactive product displays. It supported a large group of associates to answer questions. Yet, few were actually engaged in discussions with anyone but their co-workers. A librarian approached two of the representatives to thank III for providing a pass to the exhibit hall. One of the representatives took a look at the librarian’s badge and said something to the effect of :
”Well ______ must have been giving away those passes all along the east coast, we had another librarian from ____ stop by earlier “.
Then the rep rattled off a few names of people they considered important from that same institution and basically dismissed the librarian. There was no sales pitch. No offer to demo. Merely, a dismissal.
Library Service, especially in the public library sector, ideally levels the playing field. Service is equal. In contrast, some vendor representatives have obviously been instructed to find out the station of the exhibit hall attendee, determine if they were of the buyer / influencer class and dismiss the others. Yet, the nature of libraries and librarians as technology consumers requires generating interest throughout an organization and getting everyone to buy in. If you have six vendor representatives at an exhibit and you don’t have a crowd around your people, then you should generate interest by engaging everyone. All of the library vendors were start-ups at one point.
The exhibit hall may be the most effective way to get hands on experience with some of the newest and most exciting products in the library world. The meager twenty-five dollar entrance fee – or having an inside vendor representative hook you up for free makes the experience well worth the visit.
Posted on January 16, 2010 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
American Library Association Mid-Winter Meeting
We consumed the Boston Convention Center exhibit hall today. Boston is nearly 50 degrees farenheit! We will feature some of the most interesting exhibitors and products that we found in a special edition of Best of Publib on January 20th – we have pictures of them all. But tonight, we dine with Canadians!
Posted on December 14, 2009 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
Best of Publib Current Topics and Archives
Video coming soon
This week in Best of Publib covers the week of December 7th through December 13th. This week includes questions about building collections in Western, Urban Fiction and Romance genres along with thought-provoking discussions about library organization, library reorganization and control of libraries. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
Topic» olympics? – Sharon Dalton in Parlin, NJ would like to know about Olympic themes for marketing library programs and materials.
Topic» RESUME- Karen Hertel in Idaho asks – what to include on librarian resumes - Are academic librarian resumes the same as public librarian resumes?
Topic» Moving from a municipal department to an association library? - Laurel Goodgion in Wethersfield CT seeks examples of municipal libraries that became independent libraries.
Topic » Reorganizing customer service | Library organization structure - Janice Painter in Princeton, NJ is investigating cross training and various innovative methods of reorganization.
Topic » Flooring material – Connie Meyer in Fort Atkinson, WI is finishing a building project and seeks flooring suggestions.
Topic» Rental Ready Videos vs retail editions, Library edition audiobooks vs. retail editions – Jeanette Piquet in Richmond Heights, MO is looking for guidance on vendor definitions – What are the legal and ethical ramifications?
Topic » Building upon an existing Romance Collection - Sherise Pagan is looking for web site sources to help develop a Romance collection
Topic» Western Paperbacks – Ann Moore in New York is looking for sources for up-to-date paperback westerns
Topic» Bags for Patrons, plastic or otherwise - Rebecca Hermen in Michigan is looking for economical, green library bag guidance
Topic» Kirkus is shutting down – Mamie Ney in Maine gives the sad news about the cessation of Kirkus
Posted on December 7, 2009 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
Best of Publib Current Topics and Archives
This week in Best of Publib covers the week of November 30th through December 6th 2009. This week includes questions about library censorship, uses of smart boards, disposal of magazines , DVD circulation and the necessary data collected about patrons. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
Topic » Arboreta/Greenhouses and Libraries – Jennifer Chilcoat in Little Rock, Arkansas is looking for plans and methods to facilitate – how green is your library?
Topic » 100 books for reading and sharing from NYPL - GraceAnne Andreassi DeCandido in New York offers the list – how do you rate them?
Topic » Censorship at its best? – Terry Lawlor in Phoenix alerts us to this controversial story out of Kentucky – what do you think?
Topic » Discarding magazines? Sara Weissman in New Jersey wants to know where they go – where do they go when they leave your library?
Topic » DVD circulation – Deb Messling in New Jersey is seeing a decline in DVD use - others are seeing a surge – what are the factors influencing use?
Topic » Furloughs – Michael McGrorty in Los Angeles provides a breakdown of state government furloughs across the US.
Topic » Posting Music - Judy Anderson in Washington, DC wants to know where you can store your own music on-line. Jeff Imparato recommends SoundClick
Topic » Keeping driver’s license and other ID numbers in patron records – Margaret Maddox – Centerville, Ohio is looking at policies - What are the implications for collection security and retention? What are the implications for patron privacy and personal information security?
Posted on November 1, 2009 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
Best of Publib Current Topics and Archives
This week in Best of Publib covers the week of October 26th through November 1st. This week includes questions about collection development, thought provoking discussions about intellectual property rights and enemies of libraries , reference librarian development, and the value of library Ph.d programs. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
Topic » Creative display ideas – Robin Shader in Georgia would like your ideas for a display workshop – Abbey Dunlap has many!
Topic » Best book of the year – David Faulkner wants to know – What has been your favorite ___ this year? – Not just for books!
Topic » PLA Room Share wiki for 2010 – Kathleen Hughes and Brenda Dowling want you to ‘get a room’.
Topic » Intellectual property rights – Michael McGrorty points to this Chicago Tribune article - cd ownership – Is ripping from a Library CD ripping off?
Topic » Facebook courses – France Meadows would like to know if you have taught courses on Facebook.
Topic » Community resource websites – Kim Braun in Chester, PA would like examples of community resource websites. Looks like a job for Drupal!
Topic » Cat litter redux – Phalbe Henriksen in Taylorsville, NC wants to know - Does cat litter preserve library materials?
Topic » Shelving plan expertise – Pam Kiesner in Bellingham, WA asks for the best method of reshelving – What is most efficient?
Topic » Ph.D. Program in Library Science - Judith Turner questions the real value of the Ph. D – Is the MLS the real terminal degree?
Topic » Career change – A new MLS want to know how to get her foot in the door - In the current economy, how do you start?
Topic » Reference Department Structure – Carrie Herrman in Burlington, KY would like help developing management skills for reference librarians?
Topic » Oak Brook, the Attorney and the Teamsters – Kathy Berggren offers this story of a library community undermined in Oak Brook, IL - How do we respond?
Posted on September 27, 2009 by Robert Balliot ,MLIS
Best of Publib Current Topics and Archives
This week in Best of Publib covers the week of September 20th through September 27th. The last week includes fanciful discussions about library ecology, thought provoking discussions about FLSA and short story collection development, continuing discussions about cell phones, and even a song about Quiet Libraries. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
Topic - Quiet place and other strange ideas about libraries – Are modern libraries really quiet work places or is that another myth?
Topic - Banned books week is upon us - Please see Elisa Babel’s excellent article in BoP.
Topic - Cell phones create demand for a modern cone of silence – Should we Get Smart and install these?
Topic -Asking library users to leave if they have H1N1 - And, should libraries stock supplies such as masks to inhibit infections?
Topic - What about a Skype phonebooth? Can we offer more with less? How would this affect patron use of phone booths? Would there be a resurgence of heros?
Topic - Pseudo children, the Shoe Syndrome and library card replacement – they could be twins but might they also be clones?
Topic - Short stories – who reads them, who wants them, and where should they go?
Topic -‘Patriot’ Act news from Diedre Conkling – parts of the act are due to sunset – should they?
Topic - Darla Wegener offered a humorous parody of Bjork’s song It’s, Oh, So Quiet set to the modern public library ecology.
This week in Best of Publib includes some elegant and thoughtful discussions on collection development, the value of GSLIS programs and the future of public libraries – some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
Topic- Displaying Reserved Items – practical information including self-serve holds and self-check out methods.
Topic - Guilt – Jobs and People – Library filth – Joe Schallan’s musings on the meaning of GSLIS and the ‘microbial ecology’ of the public library.
Topic - Proper conduct by retired librarians - Joe Schallan’s introspective look at the career endgame – do old librarians just check out or is there more, much more?
Topic – Library-based IT troubleshooting services – should we help patrons fix those computer things or CTRL ALT DEL the request for help?
Topic - Carpet alternatives - flooring alternatives for busy community rooms – hypoallergenic and stain resistant alternatives?
Topic - IRS forms – the forms have attracted patrons in droves – but what problems are happening with the 1099?
Topic - Fear of Facebook – the Web 2.0 is now becoming 3.0 and many librarians concerned with the implications of social networks - how to cope with the changes?
Topic - Part-time employment – Wal-Mart — the future – Wal-Mart is making changes – some which parallel library trends – should we be concerned ?
This week in Best of Publib covers January 24th through January 31st 2010. This week includes discussions about the Broadband Stimulus Programs, collection development, technology planning, library programming, access to archives, and the effect of library reference poaching. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
