Happy New Year.

Hello all,

Jen and I will be unable to update this blog over the weekend, so here are a couple of links for you to enjoy until we see you again Monday. Have a wonderful 2010!

Libraries should get better with use:
http://www.walkingpaper.org/2399

Digitization of dissertations:
http://bibwild.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/am-i-missing-something-or-is-this-disturbing/

Searches and Such

A Luddite in the Library.

I’ve been saving this article to share with you all for a while.

Luddite in the Library, by Diana Wagman

After reading this article a few weeks ago, I felt that I could not simply pass the article along to you, good reader, without some objections on my part. Upon revisiting the article for this blog post, I discovered the part that bothered me most:

I spent three hours at the library and did not learn much about Luddites, but what I did find actually gave me chills. This is what I discovered: If you have a specific destination, the Web is the place to go. If you just need to search, there is no place like the library.

I disagree with this statement. The library is a place to go for any kind of search - specific, or broad, or just to browse. And, you know who has the skills to make these searches go better for you (and sounds like broke down in this article): librarians. (I would imagine you guessed I might say that, though.

The truth of the matter is a librarian can help you find specific information. This is usually facilitated through a reference interview, to help the librarian know as much about your need as possible. My reference class this past semester covered all the pertinent information about the reference interview - and that process is designed to find specific pieces of information.

Of course, you might be trying to find something like the book you just read and enjoyed. Well, librarians can help with that as well, though a process called reader’s advisory. And are you just browsing for items in a broad subject heading? We can help there as well, with our knowledge of our collections, as well as the Library of Congress subject headings.

So, let me tell you reader, that your local library is the perfect place to conduct any kind of search!

Google vs Cataloging

Another blog post that has been circulating at the top of my pile (on Google Reader) for a while, is this great post about the differences between a catalog and Google. Instead of reading my post here today, go click through the link below, and then tell me what you think!

Google is Not Perfect, by “Fran.”

The Unique Position of Libraries in the Information Age

One of the themes in librarianship that bounces around in my head quite a bit is how we can stay relevant in this ever-changing information age that we live in. I found myself nodding my head yes to the last several paragraphs in this blog post, which I thought you might like to read:

The Search for the Next Big Thing, by AndyW

If I’m in a database such as EBSCO, and one of my results is a citation for a journal article, wouldn’t it be cool if it told me where the nearest library holding was? Make a button so that I can do a photocopy request within the interface if the holding is too far away. (You already have my card number since I needed that to get into the database in the first place.) I don’t think we lack the technology to make this happen either.

This is where our customers are looking for information first; this is where we should be looking to be. And why not? We are all in the “getting people to information” business; we just happen to be the non-profit end. This is a win-win for both sides where we get our catalogs and holdings onto higher profile platforms while they get to offer better varied results to their users. Our library automation vendors certainly aren’t offering us new ways to be able to market our holdings or be able to glance around our area to see what other libraries might have an item. Hell, the idea of adding text message hold and overdue notifications seems like onerous task to them despite the explosion of text messaging as a communication medium.

The truth is that libraries are uniquely positioned as the most universal and diverse “middle man” in the information matrix; we are the best human resource for people to have for all of their questions and intellectual and entertainment needs. We are where the big corporations and our vendors are not: in a position to evaluate information interface effectiveness at the human level on a scale far larger than their focus groups and in real life settings. This is what we bring to the information table and this is why it is important to look to share it with the others. There is nothing to lose, only tools and resources to gain.

Those who hang onto their data fiefdoms do not progress in this information age. They are anchors, relics of an old age where thoughts and ideas must be chaperoned rather than be freed. Only be removing any shackles or obstacles between people and what they seek can we move forward in our mission to provide universal information access. It is where we need to be heading in the new year: proving again our value to the general public while eliminating the virtual distances that keep us separated from the others who work with information. Both of these connections exist; let us strengthen them and forge ahead.

Amen!

Happy Holidays

Readers,

On behalf of me, Jen, Domo, and Cosby, allow me to wish you a very happy holiday season. We hope it is filled with joy and fun times for all. The Dean Files blog will officially be on hiatus until next Monday.

Jason

Changing Roles at the Library of Congress

As you might, or might not, know - for libraries in the United States, the Library of Congress is the “top dog.” Meaning that in general libraries in the United States follow the LoC’s lead in many areas - from classification and cataloging, to subject headings and formatting. But, like many libraries in the US in our information age, the LoC is changing. I recently read this post

Thomas Mann on LC’s Distinctive Role, by Jennifer Eustis.

which talks about the criticisms of the LoC put forward by Thomas Mann. There are some good points in the post, and I suggest reading the post for more information. Also, the blog post discusses some of the key roles for the LoC - important ones for such a large and influential institution.

Top 10 Things That Are Being Killed Off By Digitalization

One of the most interesting library-related lists I have seen recently is this list:

Top 10 Things That Are Being Killed Off By Digitalization, by Richard.

That’s all I have today - you might also want to look at the discussion in the comments beneath that post - some good thoughts there. What do you think is being killed off by digitalization?

Librarians, Library Assistants, and Library Staff Titles

From my reading this year in the world of libraries, there seems to be a bit of contention about who should hold the title of “librarian,” and who should be titled an assistant, technician, or the like. This blog post highlighted this for me, and made me want to share some thoughts on titles with you:

Librarians and library assistants, by Stephen Denney

Initially, I agreed with Mr. Denney - there are many folks out there working in libraries who do not have an MSLIS who do great work, and share skillsets with librarians. The library workers out there with these skills should not be disparaged by other MSLIS holding staff simply because they do not have the degree. Intelligent people work in libraries, and should be treated with respect - regardless of their title. (I also, incidentally, think this applies in life.)

However, I can see some points of the other side of this argument, and I think that is where my opinion lies - just over the “line” of this debate. I have an abstract concept of how I feel, but allow me to illustrate it first with an example from another field.

An MSLIS is a professional degree - much like a J.D. is for a lawyer, or an M.D. for a practicing physician. These degrees give the holders (of the degrees) the skills, knowledge, and expertise to perform tasks in their fields at a very high level, and to be considered experts in the field - so much so that people will pay handsomely for their services. Patients who need medical advice on a problem do not seek out a physician’s assistant, nor do people seek out paralegals when they need good legal advice. They might go to these people for general pointers, but not to solve problems - you seek out a “professional.”

And so, I think that the public at-large is partially responsible for the “title divide” in librarianship talked about in Mr. Denney’s blog post. When people have an information problem, they seek out a librarian - a person with a professional degree. And this is not to discount the skills of assistants, etc - but people desire that someone with the skills gained in the course of their professional degree help them with their problem. And, that is why I think that the title “librarian” should be restricted to MSLIS holders.

Decorating for the Holidays

Last night, Jen and I put up our Christmas decorations in preparation for the holidays. This really is our favorite time of year, as there is so much to love about it. The weather (especially this year) is wonderful, and we love the spirit of friendship and fellowship that (for us) really drives this season. We both love to hang decorations in our house, and each of us have our favorite decorations from when we were kids. Here’s some photos, and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

The Information Diet

On this blog, I have referenced before that one of the developing and stated roles of librarians is to help people decipher and sift through the massive amount of information available to them so that they can find what they need. While catching up on my Google Reader this weekend, I read this interesting article, that tells us that on the average, Americans “consume” about 34 gigabytes of information each day. Of course, only part of that is traditionally the purview of librarians - but it does give you an idea of just how much information we use (and need, hopefully) on an average day. Here’s the article, I hope you enjoy it:

The American Diet: 34 Gigabytes a Day by Nick Bilton

The Kimbell Holiday Party

Jen’s job at the Kimbell has many perks - one of them being the annual holiday party. All of the staff is invited, and everyone has a great time. I think last night was the best one I have been to - mostly because of two things: the hard work Jen put in (she did an amazing job!!) and the folks we sat with. What a fun evening! Here are a couple of photos of the party in that beautiful space:

A Recent Video Recommendation

Readers,

Jen and I are currently working our way through the most recent film and book by Simon Schama: The American Future: A History. We really like the work of Schama - he is a great (peerless I would say) narrative historian; whose works include A History of Britain, and The Power of Art. His most recent series looks at American history through the lens of the election of Barack Obama. We are in the middle of the first episode and we are enjoying it - and you might, too, Here’s a preview:

What’s new around the Dean Files

Well, hello reader - it has been a while since last we met. Things have been quite busy here at the Dean Files, so let me fill you in on all the goings-on.

First, my fall semester at Syracuse is all wrapped up, which is great. I feel as if I have learned a great deal, and some of it I have already put into practice. I’ll write more about using my new reference skills in another post, but I have enjoyed putting the abstract concepts discussed in class into practice in the “real world.” Over the month of December, I will do my best to share with you some of the things I found interesting that I picked up over the semester.

Second, Jen and I have been hard at work creating a links page for The Dean Files, and that page is now live - you can go to it through the link at the top of the page. The links page features some of the links we really enjoy from a variety of areas - so check it out. We also have updated the Library link up top to reflect out current collection.

Third, the holiday season is upon us. A busy time for everyone, but a great one - I will be sharing more personal news and updates on here during the month of December, and I hope you like it.

See you again tomorrow!

Jason