Empowering Library Users to Work with Digital Media
I have been in awe of the Digital Media Lab at Skokie Public Library since I first heard about it. The Skokie Public Library Media Lab is a space (a whole room!) where patrons can use an amazing array of software and hardware to create digital media. This is the kind of space and service all libraries should be offering patrons to support transliteracy.
Learn more about starting a digital media lap from Richard Kong
The Only Thing This Video Proves is 3 Year Olds Can Be Coached
There is a video making the rounds in libraryland of a very cute 3 year old named Abby talking about what she wants from her library. If you haven’t seen it, I’ve embedded it below. I saw it when it first started making the rounds and thought cute, but clearly that child has been coached and so dismissed it. She isn’t telling us what she wants, she telling us what the person behind the camera told her to say. She is three, she has no idea what she is saying.
But then it started to be retweeted, and librarians started holding it up as proof of something. Of proof we need to adapt and change for digital natives. Then I started beating my head against my desk. Because please, anyone can see this child is coached and this, THIS is your proof? If you showed this to me as proof your stance in an argument I would mock you. And you would deserve it.
I don’t argue that we need to change it is why I work so hard on the transliteracy issue, it’s why I started the blog. The struggle to incorporate new technology into libraries is well documented from both sides of the fray. This is an incredibly important issue. If we’re going to discuss it we need well founded arguments not props. Get a study, get anecdotes from adults who know what they are saying, get stats. (email me if you need these I have PILES of reports and pages of bookmarks in delicious)
But please, I ask you, no I implore you, do NOT use this video as proof of anything other than three-year old girls named Abby are freaking adorable.
What Makes a Library a Library?
Last week Sarah Houghton-Jan posted about a staffless library in Washington and asked the question “What makes a library a library?” Buffy Hamilton took the question to the masses and recorded them for this great video.
How Did You Get Into Libraries? Share Your Story With The Library Routes Project
Have you seen The Library Routes Project? The idea is to share (blog or on the wiki) your library career path. Both the library roots – how you got into the profession in the first place, and what made you decide to do so – and your library routes – the career path which has taken you to wherever you are today. You can share either one or the other or both of them. I know a meme like this has made the rounds before, but the addition of the wiki makes it a great resource. (And nice compliment to The Library Day in the Life Project if I do say so myself) :-)
I’ll be blogging my roots next Monday (12/7/2009), please join me! If you don’t have a blog you can create a page at the wiki & share your story there.
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- Feel free to quote blog posts and link back to the site. Please do not copy my entire post on your site. Thank you
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