A Curious View of the World » Trends

Sustainable and Green @ your library: Greener and Eco-Friendly Libraries in the New Century (CASLIS Toronto)

Bruce — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:26:27 +0000

Adapting the library profession, practice and buildings to become more eco-friendly is a long term challenge. Until I had the opportunity to attend a presentation on the topic last week, it was difficult to see what exactly what should do. Initially, I thought of the infrastructure: upgrading library buildings and spaces to obtain the LEED certification, the world’s best known standard for environmental architecture. But that’s only the beginning, there’s so much more librarians can do to address the world’s environmental challenges.

Fred Stoss’s presentation last week at CASLIS Toronto was a wonderful combination of inspiration and knowledge. Among other things, I learned about the history of the green library movement which can be traced back more than ten years ago when the ALA launched the “Libraries Build Sustainable Communities” project. Stoss also pointed out that libraries and librarians have played an important role as educators and supporters of activists; take the example of the Acid Rain Information Clearinghouse that Stoss helped to launch in the 1980s. He also covered some of North America’s best known cases of green library buildings: the Bronx Library in New York City (LEED Silver), the Semiahmoo Library and RCMP District Office in Surrey, BC (LEED Silver, Canada’s first LEED library) and the Lake View Terrace Library in California (LEED Platinum).

Stoss also raised several exciting possibilities for collaborations to encourage environmental educations. Librarians can support teachers educating students about the natural world by providing books, research databases and suggesting resources such as the National Digital Science Library and answering student questions. There is also the relatively untapped frontier of working with informal educators working at museums, parks, wildlife reserves and other settings where an outdoor educator may not have established and reliable access to a library and a librarian’s advice. In addition to educators, librarians can support the green economy in their communities by helping civic leaders prepare well researched grant requests and other planning documents.

Better Reading Through Technology? Not Yet

Bruce — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:54:43 +0000

Last week, I attended an event jointly organized by Knowledge Workers Toronto and the SLA Toronto Chapter called Dealing with Information Overload. The presenter, Karl Dawson of phiScape AG, has proposed a solution to information overload using software. The application he presented is still in the early stages but I gather that it is intended to automatically generate two types of results: summaries and indexes. I think the concept of it is that the software essentially takes a first pass at reading the text and then gives the actual human reader less to go through. I can see some potential for this kind of approach in terms of improving reader productivity.

The potential benefit of this system goes something like this.: if you could read fifty news article in an hour, maybe I could read a hundred news summaries in less time. I should reserve judgement on this approach but I’ve seen things like this before and have not found them that helpful. If you read a series of 10-50 news summaries on events around the world, how informed do you feel? It is the difference between reading the International Herald Tribune and reading the actual New York Times and Washington Post. You can cover more ground in a sense but I wonder if you get more out of it. Still, the presenter made the point that most popular reading innovations lately – such as the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader – are basically aiming to replicate the experience of reading a print book in digital form. This reminds me of the early decades after printing came to Europe; some people thought that manuscript books were far superior and some printers responded by trying to make printed books look like manuscripts (or having scribes add finishing touches to a printed book). In hindsight, that was just a sign of a transition from one technology to another.

Can you think of any technologies or tools available that actually improve on the reading experience? Make it more pleasant? Or perhaps more productive? I will happily agree that the invention of hypertext (and XML) in the 1990s was a big leap forward, but what else is happening in the reading technology world?

No related posts.

The Outsource Proof Librarian

Bruce — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:50:20 +0000

After reading Thomas L Friedman’s columns in the New York Times for months and part of his earlier book on globalization, The Olive Tree and the Lexus, I decided to pick up his book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty First Century. Some of the technology aspects of the book have dated a bit since the book was first published in 2005, but other aspects of the book remain fresh and very interesting. At times, the book can be scary as Friedman lavishes page after page describing brilliant, driven and successful scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs from India and China. You almost have the sense that if you make the slightest misstep, a thousand highly educated Indians will immediately take your job through outsourcing. In continuing to read through the book and critically evaluate it, I realize some of these concerns are slightly exaggerated. Still, the highly competitive nature of the global economy cannot be denied. Friedman suggests that there are some skills that remain critical in helping individuals (and organizations) thrive in an age of global competition: learning how to learn, navigation, compassion and curiousity. I think librarians exhibit and can foster all of those qualities. I’d particularly like to focus on the navigation idea since the concept of “knowledge navigators” was explored in the SLA alignment project.

Friedman writes about navigation in the seventh chapter of The World is Flat:

Second, we need to think more about how we teach navigation skills. As the world flattens out, more and more knowledge, information, news, software, commerce, and communities will reside on the World Wide Web. Out children will interact with each other, with the wider world, and with all that resides on the Web without many filters. Therefore, teaching them how to navigate that virtual world, and how to sift through it and separate the noise, the filth, and the lies from the facts, the wisdom, and the real sources of knowledge becomes more important than ever. When the Web first emerged, I used to joke that if I had one fervent wish it would be that every modem sold would come with a warning label from the surgeon general that would say: “Judgement Not Included.” (pg. 310-311)

If I ever have to explain or define what “information literacy” is again to a non-librarian, I will refer them to this quote. A high and ever increasing volume of information does not eliminate the need for librarians in any way. Formerly, librarians based their work on a scarcity of knowledge, but I’ve learned that every kind of abundance creates a different need or scarcity elsewhere. With an abundance of information, judgement and time to organize it and make use it of it is lacking. That’s one way that librarians will continue to stay relevant and valuable.

Do School Libraries Need Books? (NY Times Blog)

Bruce — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:49:50 +0000

Earlier this month, there was a debate over at the NY Times Room for Debate blog about whether school libraries should have print books or not. For me, the library of the present and the future is not bound with print books. Print books are important and valuable but I think it is reasonable to say that it is on the decline as a communications medium. On some viseral level, this strikes me as sad and misguided. I would find myself nodding as I read Nicholas Carr’s argument that, “The pages of a book shield us from the distractions that bombard us during most of our waking hours. As an informational medium, the book focuses our attention, encouraging the kind of immersion in a story or an argument that promotes deep comprehension and deep learning.” I wonder how that compares to reading manuscript books from centuries ago? The kind of books that could take months or more to produce by hand? Likewise, my studies in book history have incline me to agree with William Powers who argues that we tend to overestimate the speed of technological shifts

Debating whether or not libraries should continue to focus on print books is ultimately about a deeper debate; what are school libraries for? The rationale behind Carr’s and Power’s arguments for books seems to be about encouraging thoughtful and reflective reading practices. You might say that books are a means to other ends: developing skills and acquiring knowledge. As librarians continue to evaluate new technologies and consider how to balance our collections development between print books, databases, DVDs, audiobooks and other resources, reflecting on our ultimate goals is worthwhile. If Carr and Powers are right about digital technology being opposed to deep reading and thoughtfulness, I wonder if there are other ways librarians and libraries can foster that experience? An elementary school I attended used to periodically observe USSR time (i.e. United Silent Sustained Reading), a practice that was quite helpful in helping children to focus.

If libraries continue to move away from books, how does that affect our mission and goals?

Trends in Scholarly Communications in Seven Disciplines (report)

Bruce — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:56:51 +0000

For all those interested in academic libraries and how scholars work, a recent study from UC Berkeley will be of interest: Assessing the Future Landscape of Scholarly Communication: An Exploration of Faculty Values and Needs in Seven Disciplines. The disciplines covered in the work are: archaeology, astrophysics, biology, economics, history, music and political science. Overall trends found include a tendency toward conservative publishing (i.e. publishing articles in famous journals is highly desired), recognition of non-textual communication (e.g. curation activity, designs and multimedia work) exist but these are generally accorded little weight and there is a general lack of interest in sharing ideas or circulating drafts in social media or Web 2.0 forums. Another finding of importance for librarian is that academics often poorly organize their data and research; this could be an opportunity to provide training or other supports for scholars.

The authors of the report explain that traditional modes of scholarly communication are likely to persist for quite some time as academic work environment tends to be conservative:

In all fields, many young scholars, and particularly graduate students, are especially leery of putting ideas and data out too soon for fear of thefy and/or misinterpretation. Given these findings, we caution against assumptions that “millenials” will change the social landscape of scholarship by virtue of their facility with cell phones and social networking sites. There is ample evidence, once initiated into the profession, newer scholars – be they graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, or assistant professors – adopt the behaviors, norms and recommendations of their mentors in order to advance their careers.

These are difficult questions to face if you are generally enthusiastic about the sharing ethic. The very unpopularity of putting ideas out there makes examples of it all the more interesting. For example, you can read all the papers, data and other materials that Chris Blattman, professor of political science at Yale, produces (sidenote: his website is also very well designed and appealing). Ultimately, it looks like not much will change until tenure decisions are modernized to recognize other forms of worthwhile academic activity besides publication in a high prestige periodical. Change will come but it may take a long time and it will likely be very uneven. Academic librarians need to understand the current environment and identify ways to improve it. I expect I will come back to this report several times to read it through more deeply.

What does DIY Education Mean for Libraries?

Bruce — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:31:53 +0000

Anya Kamenetz’s newest book, DIY U (to be released April 2010) explores the do-it-yourself model of university and education more generally that is rising in importantce. In a preview article written for Chelsea Green, she explores several trends that are well worth considering. Not all of these trends translate to the Canadian context completely but I think they still matter here. Here’s a quote from the article on the four things Anya Kamenetz knows for sure about the future of higher education:

1. The promise of free or marginal-cost open-source content, techno-hybridization, unbundling of educational functions, and learner-centered educational experiences and paths is too powerful to ignore. These changes are inevitable. They are happening now. Innovative private colleges like Southern New Hampshire and for-profits like Grand Canyon, upstarts like BYU–Idaho and Western Governor’s University, and community colleges like Foothill-De Anza represent the future.
2. However, these changes will not automatically become pervasive. Many existing institutions, especially those with the greatest reserves of wealth and reputation, will manage to remain outwardly, physically the same for decades, and to charge ever-higher tuition, even as enrollment shifts more and more toward the for-profits and community colleges and other places that adopt these changes.
3. In order to short-circuit the cost spiral, and provide access to appropriate education and training for people of all backgrounds, there is much hard work to be done in the way schools are funded and accreditation and transfer policies are set. College leaders need to have the will to change, as Chancellor Kirwan did at the University of Maryland, recognizing the central importance of efficiencies and changing the relationship between universities and their funders. Political leaders need to legislate change, as Senator Dick Durbin is by calling for open textbooks, and Bob Shireman by proposing to link funding for student loans to a college’s proportion of Pell-eligible students. Above all, learners and their families need to recognize that alternatives to the status quo exist and demand change.
4. The one thing that can change dramatically and relatively swiftly is the public perception of where the true value and quality of higher education lies. It’s no longer about the automatic four-year degree for all. Institutions can’t rely any more on history, reputation, exclusivity, and cost; we now have the ability to peer inside the classroom as professors are lecturing and see students’ assignments published to the world. So we have both the ability and the obligation to look at demonstrated results.

From: “Commencement”: An Excerpt from DIY U

Libraries and librarians are not mentioned anywhere, so some interpretative work is needed to make sense of this. Firstly, the prospect of “unbundling of educational functions” could be bad news for libraries. If the academic experience is broken down into a set of experiences unrelated to each other, much will be lost including some of the historical reasons for academic libraries. One possible future of the academic library might be to position itself as a student’s home base through their studies; they may take many different courses with different instructors but they will always have a librarian to turn to. Another option is to seek deeper connections with instructors and make the case that library skills in research and evaluation of information are crucial to both academic study and long term success. Kamenetz sees a future with a greater emphasis on outcomes, skills and projects. I think librarians are well posed to meet that change.

Notes on ” This Book Is Overdue!” By Marilyn Johnson

Bruce — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:21:15 +0000

There are many unsung heroes of ordinary life—nurses, trash collectors, accountants—whose job it is to take care of things that the rest of us take for granted. So too the librarian, that iconic figure who long presided over a sanctuary of books and guided readers, young and old, to the treasures of a vast print culture. But the profession has undergone a dramatic transformation of late because libraries themselves are not what they used to be. Today they have less to do with books per se than with computers, films, community events and children’s activities. – Christine Rosen’s review of Marilyn Johnson’s “This Book is Overdue

I’ve recently been thinking a lot about the perception of the library-as-warehouse and whether this perception works for us. For most of library history, when information and literacy skills were low, the warehouse metaphaor (i.e. the library as a place with books and other information) worked well for us. But that is a difficult place to remain in. There are at least two ways to respond to the library as warehouse problem; admit it and add some qualifications around the edges (as in “Yes, but we also have special collections, rare books and other items you wouldn’t find on the Net!” This is still very true, by the way) or deny it complete and opt for a different approach (“The Library is a place with professionals that help you with information; finding it, interpreting it and making use of it.”I think the latter approach will become more and more important; shifting the emphasis from the object (book, DVD, etc) to the service provided by the professional.

In reading Christine Rosen’s review of Marilyn Johnson’s latest book, “This Book is Overdue” in the Wall Street Journal, my worries were expressed again. The book gives the impression of being a survey of modern American public libraries (academic, government and other libraries don’t seem to be included). The description of what is happening with one of America’s most famous and important public libraries has me wondering: “One of the more disturbing stories in “This Book Is Overdue!” is Ms. Johnson’s description of the New York Public Library’s decision to upgrade its image from that of a stuffy research library, replete with reference librarians whose knowledge and expertise are of incalculable value to researchers, to a place where parents and toddlers might want to pick up a DVD and a latte.” I was last in a New York Public Library in 2006 and it struck me as having it all; sure you could get a coffee, but there was also many reading rooms and exhibitions. If the above quote is accurate – I have this mental image of experienced librarians being laid off to pay for fancy coffee – then this is a turn for the worse. I think it is more likely that the changes at the NYPL are being exaggerated somewhat but I remain open to persuasion on that front.

There is some evidence to suggest that the librarian emphasis on skills rather than books and other materials is appreciated by others. “Eric Schmidt, the head of Google, recently told the Davos World Economic Forum that he worried about the loss of deep reading skills. “As the world looks to these instantaneous devices,” he said, “you spend less time reading all forms of literature, books, magazines, and so forth.” This is not a revelation for those that track the literature on reading, but it is still reassuring to see it understood elsewhere. The question remains; how can librarians help people develop their deep reading skills? Many academic librarians do this well but what about librarians working in other contexts?