Are you going to PLA?

As I'm preparing for PLA, I realized that the conference is not a month away anymore, it's in a week. I'm looking forward to my first in-person PLA conference. I attended the virtual PLA conference two years ago. Are you going to PLA? If so, be sure to check out some of the programs mentioned in my last blog post about PLA?

Dewey: Stick with it, let it go, or work with it

There has been a lot of discussion about libraries using or not using Dewey. Take this Library Journal article: The Dewey Dilemma, for example. Part of the article focused on the Darien (CT) Library and how they use a combination of Dewey and subject categories; "We wanted to retain the findability of Dewey while encouraging and enabling browsing" - Kate Sheehan, knowledge and learning services librarian.

The article mentions some good points such as children's books where the question usually involves finding a book on a particular topic for a particular age/grade. From my experience, patrons usually want a story book (fiction) on that particular topic for a particular age/grade. This makes it even more challenging because fiction is organized by the author's last name. It doesn't even involve Dewey at all.

Sometimes patrons tell me that they don't like the system that we use, that all they want to know is where the [insert subject/topic] books are without having to ask someone, especially having to wait in line at the reference/information desk.

Also, I know that many libraries are pushing for great customer service, but how good is that customer service if people are feeling lost, confused, and sometimes even frustrated?

So what do you think? Should we use Dewey, not use Dewey, use a combination of Dewey and something else?

Should the Three NYC Library Systems Be Merged?

Last week the Mayor and City Council reached an agreement to restore library funding so that NYC libraries can continue to provide 6-day library service. In the midst of the budget crisis and petition signing, WNYC did a piece titled "One Library System Instead of Three: A Radical Cost-Cutting Solution?". I've heard the merger idea suggested before. What do you think? Should the three NYC library systems be merged?

Is the MLS/MLIS Necessary?

Having just received my MLIS two weeks ago, I still wonder if the degree is necessary. While I did learn some very interesting and useful things in library school, I'm not sure how much I really use or refer to that knowledge in my everyday work. A recent Library Journal article talked about the decreasing number of MLS degreed librarians in public libraries. The article discussed many aspects, including the changing of core functions, decline of reference, centralized collection development, and the changes in desk staffing. What does this mean for the future of the profession and libraries?

Keep Your Library Open

"If education and information are going to provide the means as America digs itself out the great big hole we are in, the public library is handing out the shovels. Cut or kill the libraries and you yank away a shovel" (Libraries Are America's Lifelines. Leave Them Alone).

New York City libraries are facing a 22% budget cut (Library Journal). This would mean:

• Over 900 library employees would be laid off
• Many neighborhood libraries would be closed on the weekends
• Less programs such as storytime, computer workshops, workshops on resume, interviewing, and job searching, book discussions, health workshops, etc.
  
• Less books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, e-books, audiobooks, databases, etc.
  

What you can do:

• Write to your City Council Member.
• Find out more ways to take action to save NYC libraries.

Libraries Connect

I just realized that this week is National Library Week. The theme this year is Worlds connect @ your library. The way I see it, libraries are about connecting - connecting to and with resources, services, ideas, people, communities, etc. I see this whole connecting mesh thing in my mind of what libraries can do - the potential of libraries. What do you see when you think of libraries? Speaking of connecting, check out SLA@Pratt and connect with your colleagues.

Science, Magic, Medicine, and Harry Potter

This is really cool. The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in cooperation with the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has a traveling exhibition, "Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine", which was created to explore the link between Harry Potter and the history of science using materials from the National Library of Medicine. Public, academic and medical libraries may apply to host the banner exhibition. The deadline is May 1. Check out the exhibition site.

Libraries for the Future (LFF) Closes

Libraries for the Future (LFF), a national non-profit organization that supports innovation and investment in America's libraries, has closed due to budget issues. LFF developed and supported many great programs, including the Human Genome Project Community Conversations, a project that aims to promote genetics literacy in communities by using public libraries as a resource for information and venue for workshops, lectures, and discussions. I am actively involved with this project at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL). This project will continue since there are still some funds, but it's sad to see that a national non-profit organization of 17 years is now closed.

Library Journal 2009 Movers & Shakers List is Out

Congrats to all the 2009 Library Journal Movers & Shakers, including one of my mentors, Joe Murphy. Also, check out the map that Library Journal put together of the locations of the 2002-2009 Movers and Shakers.

Public Space and Libraries

A friend and I were walking around Union Square tonight and noticed this giant tri-fold science fair type of board with "public space" written very big on one side. There were groups of people around it - some reading, some writing, some even drawing. It was interesting to see the messages that people put on the board. My friend and I decided to contribute and this is what we wrote:


I'm thinking now that I should've taken a picture of the entire board to really show what was happening. Would've also been a good picture for one of my class assignments. Next time...

Libraries = Collections?

Over the past few years, based on conversations with people, libraries are associated with books, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs, e-books, databases, etc. - basically resources or collections of resources, regardless of the media type. Yesterday, I was doing shelf-reading of a print reference collection. Today, I had a conversation with a few colleagues about collections and circulation statistics. Overall, libraries are deeply connected and defined by its collections. My colleague, Nate Hill recently blogged a post about the changing role of public libraries which covers a bit of what I discussed in my last post and will discuss in this post.

For a long time, libraries have been and are still defined by their resources and collections of resources. Increasingly, people are finding information online on their own, which has brought up questions like why do we need libraries and how can libraries stay relevant. It's not only the resources that defines what libraries are, the library staff plays a crucial role. Why not encourage and support an environment for library staff to use their ideas, skills, creativity, and knowledge to collaborate with the community to develop, organize, create, and coordinate events, programs, wikis, blogs, etc. while using the collections? I think there's potential in libraries playing this kind of role and it's great to see that it's happening.

Community Health Information and Public Libraries

Yesterday I attended a workshop "An Apple A Day: Providing Consumer Health Information at Your Library" presented by Arpita Bose from the Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. It was a great workshop. The workshop prompted me to think again about the lack of health information available, particularly easy-to-read, multilingual, and community-based resources. I feel like there is so much that we, as librarians and information professionals, can do, not just in terms of health information, but any information, in general. We can and should play a more active role in working with organizations, institutions, and communities in creating tools and resources to provide access to community-based information and going beyond the resource guides that libraries have been creating and using.

I was in Philly last weekend and visited the Mutter Museum. Pretty interesting museum. What I also found interesting at the museum is Philly's local health information website maintained by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Philly Health Info.org is "a comprehensive directory of health services, events and information for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties." I wonder if the Free Library of Philadelphia and other libraries in Philly participate in this. It is similar to NOAH - New York Online Access to Health since it also links to other resources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and MedlinePlus. It links to NOAH as well. What's different is that it also includes information on health services and events. I wonder how many people use their site, if people find it useful or find it all, can people find it without directly searching for it. I wonder the same thing about NOAH.

User Experience in Libraries

Last month, the new Darien Library in Connecticut was opened to the public. With the bad news about libraries laying off staff, cutting hours or closing, it's good to hear about a library opening. Based on the article in Library Journal, Darien Library's blog, pictures and the opening day video, the library sounds and looks pretty amazing.

What's also amazing and interesting is the creation of a user experience department. According to Darien Library's blog post, the User Experience Department is "primarily concerned with the experience of the Darien Library user, drawing from the successes and failures of human-to-technology interface design. Usability, aesthetics, community, collections, and customer service are the key tenets of this user-centric service initiative."

That is exactly what I learned about and did as a collaborative research project in the People-Centered Methods and Design class that I took last year. The course is based on a project of your own choosing. You can work on the project by yourself or with another person. It's more of a seminar than a lecture-type course. Highly recommend it for those at Pratt SILS. Here's the course description.

It's important that the user is at the center of library services or any service. I think it's a matter of seeing things from the user's perspective. Of course, there are factors like age, language, etc. to consider. Sometimes users have to jump through many hoops to complete a task (for example, make a photocopy). The task of making a photocopy which probably can be completed in a few minutes could turn into something that can take up to 15 minutes or more because the user needs a library card with money (value) on it in order to make a photocopy. Is it really necessary? Can there be no other options?

Take a look around you and see how people are using service interfaces, library-related or otherwise. Are they completing what they need or want to get done? How long does it take them? Do they look satisfied, frustrated, confused, etc.? Let me know - I would like to hear about your observations and experiences.

So what do you think about the Darien Library and its User Experience Department? Anyone up for a field trip to Darien, CT?