Blog Archives

What IS a Library?

November 19, 2011
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What IS a Library?

This week, after tweeting a link to ALA’s President Molly Raphael’s statement regarding the destruction of the Occupy Wall Street Library in New York City, I became engaged in a conversation on Twitter about what constitutes a library. To me this seems obvious, but I had a hard time coming up with a hard fast definition. I discovered that, like Justice Stewart, I’m of the know-it-when-I-see-it mindset when it comes to identifying it, a library that is. I am not sure I can define it in terms that reconcile with the statement from ALA. If I say the dissolution or destruction of any library is wrong I need a concrete definition for library, because while it may be uncool (and probably illegal) for someone to come into my home and destroy my personal library, I’m not sure that warrants a statement from the ALA President. Let me be clear, I am in complete and total agreement with the statement from ALA. I will happily defend that statement and ALA’s choice to make it. The problem I ran into was defining a library in terms that fit with it. Not just the OWS library but any library of this type. Even after doing some digging (see below)

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Two New Library Podcasts You Should be Listening To: Circulating Ideas & Whatever Mathers

November 8, 2011
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Two New Library Podcasts You Should be Listening To: Circulating Ideas & Whatever Mathers

There are two new podcasts in libraryland you should be listening to! I know both of these hosts personally and I can’t recommend their work enough so check them out! Circulating Ideas Circulating Ideas is a librarian interview podcast hosted by Steve Thomas. Steve has already had some great interviews and I know the line up he has for the rest of this year and next is going to be great. You can follow Circulating Ideas on Twitter @circideas, Facebook, the blog or subscribe via iTunes. Whatever Mathers Whatever Mathers features creative conversations with fabulous host Amy Mather and a revolving cast of surprise guests from all walks of the creative landscape You can follow Whatever Mathers on Facebook, the blog, or subscribe via iTunes   Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Share on FriendFeed Buzz it up Share on netvibes share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Buzz it up Subscribe to the comments on this post Print for later Tell a friend

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Top Ten Links 2.44: eBooks, Digital Literacy, Transliteracy, Libraries & Quitting Google

November 6, 2011
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My personally selected top ten from the links I shared on Twitter 10.30.2011 through 11.05.2011. In no particular order: 1. Free eBooks, Piracy & Secondhanding Musing on ebook piracy and free downloads yesterday at Alan Baxter’s blog, I made a passing comparison between the digital distribution of books, whether legally or illegally, and the sale of second-hand hardcopies. In both instances, neither author nor publisher makes money on the transaction, but whereas the former practice is almost invariably viewed as foolhardiness where legal and theft where not, the latter is viewed as a benevolent, even positive, parallel economy – and the more I think about this distinction,  the more arbitrary it seems. 2. Digital Literacy in US Public Libraries   Excerpted from the Library Technology Reports August / September 2011 (vol. 47, no. 6) “The Transforming Public Library Infrastructure,” ALA Office for Resarch and Statistics. C While information literacy has been well defined over the past two decades in our school and academic libraries, public libraries are newer to formal instruction in this arena. For many public libraries, teaching basic computers skills—in classes or as needed—has become a requirement as critical interactions with employers and government agencies demand it from those seeking resources and

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Why Amazon’s Lending Library is Not a Threat to Public Libraries

November 4, 2011
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Why Amazon’s Lending Library is Not a Threat to Public Libraries

I had no idea that Amazon’s announcement would signal the end of the world, or at least the end of public libraries, or as my friend & colleague Andy puts it, the library apocalypse or I would have included this in yesterday’s post. First let’s talk numbers about the Amazon Lending Library* Prime costs $79 a year, that’s roughly $6.58 a month. You must have a Kindle (not an app) to use the Amazon Lending Library, those start at $79. There are 5,000 titles available, (here’s a breakdown by genre) None of the six largest publishers in the U.S. is participating. You get one book per month, that doesn’t roll over. Now library ebook/book numbers (I’m not even going to get into other library services and the availability of a real live person to help you) No additional cost, its covered by taxes You can use any number of devices for ebooks and no device at all required for print Untold numbers of titles available 3 of the largest US publishers allow ebook titles in libraries, all allow print. Unlimited books per month Now let’s talk some other numbers. 12% of U.S. adults own an ereader. Not a Kindle, an ereader, which includes all other dedicated ereaders.

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Amazon Announces Kindle Lending Library for Prime Members

November 3, 2011
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Amazon Announces Kindle Lending Library for Prime Members

If you have been paying attention you knew it was coming. The Kindle Lending Library from Amazon. If you own a Kindle, yes you have to have a device not an app, and a Prime Membership you can now borrow books from Amazon. More Info Kindles start at $79 Prime Membership is $79 a year. You can only borrow one book per calendar month. Right now there are about 5,000 titles. The book currently being borrowed can be read on multiple Kindles. devices, as long as they are registered to the same eligible account, but cannot be read on Kindle reading apps. One book can be borrowed at a time, and there are no due dates. You can borrow a new book as frequently as once a month, directly on your registered Kindle device, and you will be prompted to return the book that you are currently borrowing. If you have already borrowed a book in that calendar month, you are not yet eligible to borrow a new book until the next calendar month. There is no “roll-over” or accrual of unused borrowing eligibility. My 2 cents: Honestly I see this hurting publishers and authors far more than libraries. Sure

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photo by Beth Tribe

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