Whats the difference between a tutorial, a research guide, and a online computer class? Currently in our digital library project we have a Classes and Tutorials category and a Research Guide category. But if you look at what is included in each of them, a video on how to research a stock could fit in either category.
What if we collapsed the categories into a single category? maybe something called "How to..." Let me know what you think. thanks
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
happy people read and unhappy people watch TV
A new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland concludes that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as very happy spend more time reading and socializing. Additionally, data from time use surveys, suggests that TV viewing may increase as the economy worsens and people lose their jobs.
See more at Context Crawler and the full story
See more at Context Crawler and the full story
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
OBR: online borrower registration
TLC has announced the availability of a new service called OBR: Online borrower registration. In other words, people can sign up for a library card over the web.
Here is how I envision it working, let me know what you think!
They enter all the address and contact info and get a temporary library card number. The temp number allows them to place holds but not use databases, etc.
The temp number expires in 7-10 days.
Patrons come to the library to pick up their holds, and they then get a permanent card with a permanent barcode number.
Patrons will need to provide appropriate identification to confirm the information that they provided on the web-self-registration page
Staff wins, because they don't have to type in all the contact info and the patron wins because they can register remotely for a library card.
Here is how I envision it working, let me know what you think!
They enter all the address and contact info and get a temporary library card number. The temp number allows them to place holds but not use databases, etc.
The temp number expires in 7-10 days.
Patrons come to the library to pick up their holds, and they then get a permanent card with a permanent barcode number.
Patrons will need to provide appropriate identification to confirm the information that they provided on the web-self-registration page
Staff wins, because they don't have to type in all the contact info and the patron wins because they can register remotely for a library card.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Remarks at Learning Libraries Celebration
I was lucky enough to be asked to speak at the Learning Libraries V. 3 Celebration yesterday. Below are my remarks. Congratulations to Ginny Hyde, Regina Spiker, Nancy Sudine, Maryland Appel and Lisa McKenney!
I believe in you.
I believe in the power of humans to make things better for themselves and for others.
I believe we must grow and change as individuals and as organizations to stay relevant and healthy.
I believe in libraries as a path to help people make things better for themselves.
To say we are a learning organization is to say that we believe in what we are doing so much that we seek new ways to do more or ways to improve how we are currently doing it.
I believe the job of growth and change is too important for just 1 or 2 people to lead, we need every one of you to lead, maybe not all at once, but your time will come.
Libraries and other organizations will settle into traditions and patterns and standard methods to get things done, they seek out equilibrium. It’s perfectly normal.
I believe that Learning Libraries gives you the tools to disrupt the equilibrium.
Believe it or not, my job and your job are NOT to protection, direction, and order, our job is to create enough disruption that positive change and growth is the path of least resistance.
I believe that every one of you has the ability to do what needs to be done.
The question we face every day is “Am I willing to do what needs to be done?”
What are some of the things that make it hard for you and me to take the next step to act and make things better?
For you to invest yourself into making things better carries risk.
• The Risk of failure,
• risk of success,
• risk of disrupting the flow,
• risk of what you might find, or
• risk of being ostracized.
Here’s where you start to realize the power of emotion and its ability to trump logic.
Has this ever happened to you? You call out “I’ve got it!!?” And then you look out and see lots of skeptical faces staring back at you.
Not because it is a bad idea, but because they, the audience don’t know as much as you, only that something will have to change and we typically get uncomfortable when we don’t know how it will affect us.
When you try to improve things you will make people uncomfortable and that’s not an emotion that we typically enjoy.
Where does that put you as the one leading this change?
You might be seen as the trouble maker, the change maker, the outsider, not typically your comfort zone.
Now everyone is outside of their comfort zone. You as the leader and them as the one forced to change.
FACT: Leadership behavior and moving an organization forward requires making people uncomfortable.
Moving forward requires leadership behavior from you.
Leadership behavior means helping others to absorb the pain of loss and change at a rate they can handle to continue to evolve and move forward.
What’s another reason we must summon the courage to act and make things better?
Because to move an organization forward often requires choosing between contradictory values.
A Library Example: In Allegany County our motto is “Something for everyone…” so you could assume we want everyone to come in to the library.
Take this hypothetical statement example from a fictitious staff member.
“I feel so good when nice people come in and check out a book.” “But why do those rambunctious kids need to use the computers so much, and why are they here? most of them have computers at home. “
For the library to grow and stay relevant and healthy, do you think that one of these values needs to be change or adapt to the new reality or world around it.
Which value do we let go of to move the organization forward?
How do we harmonize those 2 mental models in our own heads?
How do we leave older values and traditions behind?
Then how do you say to the people who you have worked with in the past or have even supported your career that they must change.
Talk about a scary prospect.
I believe the best way to predict the future is to make it yourself.
I believe in libraries and the roles we play in our communities.
I believe we must grow and change as individuals and as organizations to stay relevant and healthy.
I believe the job of growth and change is too important for just 1 or 2 people to lead, we need every one of you to lead.
I believe that every one of you has the ability to disrupt the equilibrium and to do what needs to be done.
To stretch your comfort zones, the learning libraries principles of Systems thinking, mental models, personal mastery, shared vision, and team learning will give you the framework to be prepared for what needs to be done.
But to overcome that room of skeptics, I think our best line of offense is
“Look what we can do together.”
And remember I believe in you and congratulations.
I believe in you.
I believe in the power of humans to make things better for themselves and for others.
I believe we must grow and change as individuals and as organizations to stay relevant and healthy.
I believe in libraries as a path to help people make things better for themselves.
To say we are a learning organization is to say that we believe in what we are doing so much that we seek new ways to do more or ways to improve how we are currently doing it.
I believe the job of growth and change is too important for just 1 or 2 people to lead, we need every one of you to lead, maybe not all at once, but your time will come.
Libraries and other organizations will settle into traditions and patterns and standard methods to get things done, they seek out equilibrium. It’s perfectly normal.
I believe that Learning Libraries gives you the tools to disrupt the equilibrium.
Believe it or not, my job and your job are NOT to protection, direction, and order, our job is to create enough disruption that positive change and growth is the path of least resistance.
I believe that every one of you has the ability to do what needs to be done.
The question we face every day is “Am I willing to do what needs to be done?”
What are some of the things that make it hard for you and me to take the next step to act and make things better?
For you to invest yourself into making things better carries risk.
• The Risk of failure,
• risk of success,
• risk of disrupting the flow,
• risk of what you might find, or
• risk of being ostracized.
Here’s where you start to realize the power of emotion and its ability to trump logic.
Has this ever happened to you? You call out “I’ve got it!!?” And then you look out and see lots of skeptical faces staring back at you.
Not because it is a bad idea, but because they, the audience don’t know as much as you, only that something will have to change and we typically get uncomfortable when we don’t know how it will affect us.
When you try to improve things you will make people uncomfortable and that’s not an emotion that we typically enjoy.
Where does that put you as the one leading this change?
You might be seen as the trouble maker, the change maker, the outsider, not typically your comfort zone.
Now everyone is outside of their comfort zone. You as the leader and them as the one forced to change.
FACT: Leadership behavior and moving an organization forward requires making people uncomfortable.
Moving forward requires leadership behavior from you.
Leadership behavior means helping others to absorb the pain of loss and change at a rate they can handle to continue to evolve and move forward.
What’s another reason we must summon the courage to act and make things better?
Because to move an organization forward often requires choosing between contradictory values.
A Library Example: In Allegany County our motto is “Something for everyone…” so you could assume we want everyone to come in to the library.
Take this hypothetical statement example from a fictitious staff member.
“I feel so good when nice people come in and check out a book.” “But why do those rambunctious kids need to use the computers so much, and why are they here? most of them have computers at home. “
For the library to grow and stay relevant and healthy, do you think that one of these values needs to be change or adapt to the new reality or world around it.
Which value do we let go of to move the organization forward?
How do we harmonize those 2 mental models in our own heads?
How do we leave older values and traditions behind?
Then how do you say to the people who you have worked with in the past or have even supported your career that they must change.
Talk about a scary prospect.
I believe the best way to predict the future is to make it yourself.
I believe in libraries and the roles we play in our communities.
I believe we must grow and change as individuals and as organizations to stay relevant and healthy.
I believe the job of growth and change is too important for just 1 or 2 people to lead, we need every one of you to lead.
I believe that every one of you has the ability to disrupt the equilibrium and to do what needs to be done.
To stretch your comfort zones, the learning libraries principles of Systems thinking, mental models, personal mastery, shared vision, and team learning will give you the framework to be prepared for what needs to be done.
But to overcome that room of skeptics, I think our best line of offense is
“Look what we can do together.”
And remember I believe in you and congratulations.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Rural America At A Glance, 2008 Edition
Rural America At A Glance, 2008 Edition
Rural America At A Glance, 2008 Edition highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas for use in developing policies and programs to assist rural areas. The 2008 edition focuses on employment, poverty, population change, and demographic characteristics of nonmetro areas.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service and Reference Shelf
Facts for Features: The 2008 Holiday Season
Facts for Features: The 2008 Holiday Season
The holiday season is a time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family, gift-giving, reflection and thanks. To commemorate this time of year, the U.S. Census Bureau presents the following holiday-related facts and figures from its data collection.
From the US Census Bureau and Resource Shelf
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