Librarian's Rant

I found this very interesting. Santa Fe Library (friend works for them) has a calculator to show you the value of the library services that you use.

http://santafelibrary.blogspot.com/2008/03/library-value-calculator.html

Thanks amym for the link.

GREAT blog post from David Pogue in the NYTimes Circuits section on the reality of kids and the Internet. Like him, I recommend the completely amazing PBS Frontline documentary (completely available online, free) on Teens and the Net.

As I mentioned last month, I got written up in the December issue of American Libraries for some work I did blogging for the MaintainIT project about wireless. The MaintainIT folks very kindly made note of the AL write-up, and gave me some kind compliments.

I'm very pleased with what they're doing over there, as I think it's helpful esp. for smaller libraries, who sometimes feel left out in the technology cold. I'm delighted I can be of some help, because really, why should they have to reinvent the wheel?

Jenna Freedman just sent this to the LU list, and I couldn't stop laughing.

This has been making the rounds via email:

More than half of the systems responsible for managing the nearly 17 million titles in the Library of Congress catalog have tested positive for prohibited "performance enhancing" content, according to an Inspector General's report expected to be published next month.

In a public statement issued by the IG, he stated that "The use of taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, and other performance enhancing content often referred to under the catchall term 'metadata' has long been suspected by Library fans. For much too long, Library owners have simply turned a blind eye, choosing not to question how their high-priced key assets had been able to break one long-standing performance record after another. As long as they were seeing the performance, nobody wanted to question or acknowledge how it was being achieved."

The investigation was triggered by anonymous tips and overheard conversations between certain unnamed staff members alluding to "a card catalog on steroids."

continued...

[From Jenna] I thought it needed a home on the web, and so posted it, with permission http://jenna.openflows.com/loc/steroidscandal

The Hennepin County and Minneapolis Library System will now merge. This should solve a host of problems for the Mpls system, which was in major need. I know my friends in the Twin Cities are looking forward to branches reopening or restoring cut hours.

Well, sorta. I got mention in this month's American Libraries (p.29 if you're interested) for some work I'm doing over at MaintainIT.org. Of course, the one bit they chose to pull out as the teaser isn't actually what I said...

At the Polk County Dems Central Committee meeting last night, my friend Mary and I (both precinct reps) got to meet Sen. Joseph Biden and former VP Walter Mondale. His assistant (in the background) asked if he could sit with us, and we were delighted. I had a nice conversation with "Fritz" as we listened to Sen. Biden, who then Senator Mondale had sworn into office many years ago. Mr. Mondale is stumping for Hillary. We used my phone camera, which Mary wasn't familiar with, hence the blurriness.

My political stalking campaign continues!


UPDATE: Turns out I'm inspiring envy with my stalking. Chris Z. on the Library Underground list recently posted the following:

It's that time of year when I am jealous of Iowans. Specifically Louise Alcorn [link to this post]

Bwahahahaha! Don't worry folks - we're a strong people, we Iowans. We'll toughen these politicians up for you.

Because you get to hear gems like this one. Caveat: this did not happen to me, but instead happened to our newest reference assistant, Katie, who regaled me with it this morning.

This is roughly paraphrased, but you'll get the flow of the conversation:

Katie: Reference desk, may I help you?
Patron on Phone: I need you to find something for me.
K: Of course, what can I help you with?
P: Can you search for "God-given stretch marks"
(small pause)
K: Is this the name of a book or an article you want to find?
P: No, I just want to see what there is on this.
K: (trying to do a proper reference interview) Do you need medical information on the causes of stretch marks, or information on faith healing?
P: No, I had stretch marks, but then they just disappeared, and it must have been God's work! I want to find out about this.
K: (faithfully doing Google and OPAC searches like mad throughout conversation) I'm not really finding any information specifically on this. Again, we have books and articles on stretch marks and their causes and treatments. We also have items on faith healing or divine healing. Would these interest you?
P: No. Can you go to Google? Try that!
K: Well, I have been...
P: Try "God-given stretch marks" (she's clearly indicating that this is a single phrase)
K: I did try that...
P: Then try "stretch marks Jesus gave me".
K: ...I'm sorry, I don't seem to be finding anything on that specific topic...would you like to come in and do a search yourself?
P: No! Just give me the phone numbers to the Chicago Public Library and the Orange County Library. (why these two, we don't know)
K: (doing lookup) There are a number of branches for both of these library systems. Do you know which you want?
P: I've heard these are good libraries. (a-ha. sure, why not, let them try to find something)
K: I found a general phone tree number for Chicago, but not for Orange County. Do you know which library you want?
P: No, you pick one for me.

It occurred to Katie later that perhaps she should have asked if the stretch marks were in the shape of the Virgin Mary...

My buddy Bill P. sent me this one. Link is to Publisher's Weekly. The photo and article are about halfway down the long page.

Middlebury Trounces Vassar in Quidditch Match

And how much do I love "Hungry Hungry Hippogriffs"?!

James Q. on the LU list sent this around.

Christian group pushing to filter porn from San Jose libraries
By Stephen Baxter
Article Launched: 10/19/2007 09:21:36 AM PDT
San Jose Mercury News, http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7225171?nclick_check=1

A Christian group led in part by a former San Jose city councilman is pushing for anti-pornography filters on computers at the city's public libraries.

Computers with Internet access at the city's 18 public libraries are divided into areas for adults, teens and children, but there are no Internet filters installed. Library officials say they do not want to block information, and the policy is in line with a 1997 city council decision. The city council can change library policies, but the matter has not yet been placed on its agenda.

Larry Pegram, president and co-founder of the San Jose-based Values Advocacy Council, said the libraries' lack of filters recently came to the attention of the group.

"The city council has the right and the duty to control content on the computers in the public libraries," Pegram said. ...

Um, well, I hope he gets that the "content" isn't actually ON the computers, it's on the Internet and is being viewed via the computers.

Maybe they can tell him they're "filtering the hard drives" and he'll go away. sigh. I get that people are upset, but they need to understand the complexities of what they're trying to censor. And they need to understand that it is censorship, even if they want to call it "values". Call a spade a spade if you're going to use it to bury our freedoms.

I'm also a bit amused that this "recently came to the attention of the group". Where have you been living, a hole? Clearly the library (bless 'em) and the city council were giving consideration to this issue as far back as 1997.

Well, okay. This month includes National Coming Out Day, after all. Why not?

Thanks to Heather H. for the link to the article in the Wash. Post.

And also for this hysterical response from the Icanhazcheezburger cats.

History of video games. Pong! Space Invaders! Pac Man!
1983 Atari made two lousy games, video game market evaporated overnight.
1985 Nintendo tried to make deal with Atari, they refused, so they did soft launch. Sold 80 million units over life. 1991 modern console war. And so on. Xbox had narrow appeal to boys 17-24. Narrow but successful market. Playstation III, though no good games, is an extraordinary piece of hardware. Basically a little supercomputer.

AADL made decision not to do M-rated games. Good way to get it past a Board.

80% of videogame sales are done with parent knowing what they're buying.

Wii is best value for library moving forward.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl is coming out - will be biggest to come out in next year.

Wii Fit coming - work out! Comes with pad.

What you need for game tournaments. cubes, etc. TV's (they got cheap at Sam's Club). Need a memory card (20 bucks) to save game to - get copy of someone's gamesave to use. Amplification, so you can be heard over sounds of event. Video projection adds value.

If you can only get one game, get DDR. What kind of pads? (debate on this). Worth getting the better, hard pads: Cobalt Flux. This also shows the kids you mean business! DDR events MUST be loud!

Qualification rounds, so everybody gets to have a certain number of games before being eliminated. Prizes aren't essential, but they're a good draw. Doesn't have to be big - Cincinnati PL gives candy bars. AADL gives gift cards, paid for by Friends, so no tax money.

Mood Management. As much the opposite of school as you can manage. Turn off flourescents! Furniture for chilling. Food is critical frill. Could have this donated - have moms bring food! (He did this in Alpena, MI).

Marketing - establish a brand. How reach them? Word of mouth. School visits. Branding and Shwag. Give word of mouth time to work - make sure you have your calendar set a long way ahead. Announce on board forums - engaging biggest fans. Viral marketing tricks - each 'clan' gets bonus for new members brought in. And points for girls they bring into clan!

Building community - create blog for discussion, etc. Social networking, get glory from postings of winners. AADL did teen gamer blog.

Blog - "snork".

GT system for scoring. will be available to all libraries soon!

Great presentation, Eli! Thanks!!

Two session workshop. Eli Neiberger, Technology Mgr at Ann Arbor District Library.

Videogames as a Service.

"Videogames are not a niche." Pew Internet and American Life Project study. Each successive age of kids increases their use of gaming. Becoming part of our culture.

"Email is how you talk to old people!"

More adult women then teens playing games online!

69% of US Heads of Household report that they play videogames.
88% of gamers report they voted in last election.

Kid Gamers

Gaming events for children - positive thing. Positive interaction between kids and teens! Work together. (Idea for our YA person - we do Book Buddies with kids and teens - could do Game Buddies!)

Wii functions open up gaming not only to older gamers (retirees), but also at the bottom end, with younger kids who don't have the fine motor control for the controllers.

Other thing about kid gamers - Pokemon. There are more Pokemon than Periodical Table, and the kids learn all of them. Great for development. Pokemon games have tons of text. "Playing Pokemon is not at odds with the goals of literacy." Quite the contrary.

Teen Gamers

We have purely recreational programs for adults - why not for teens? "Why does everything we do for teens have to have Dave Eggers involved?" Have a light touch - they're very sensitive to the bait and switch.

Hysterical picture of Eli as SuperMario with his kid dressed as Luigi.

As a parent, he's not worried about his child's screen time - he had to read early in order to play the games. He's no more into videogames than any other kid is into his dad's hobbies.

Senior Gamers

Mostly because of the Wii, opened up to seniors for first time in their lives. Have Wii Bowling leagues, just like they did all their lives with real bowling. And it's something they can do with their grandkids that their grandkids actually want to do.

Videogame sales are almost ½ of book sales in last few years.

Techsource booth at ALA – only thing the maintenance guys would stop for.

Why Videogames?

An $11 billion business – no book rental business in US. Video business because we resisted getting popular titles for long enough for business to take over.

At AADL events, lots of boys. Girls come to other stuff. DDR will bring the girls in at about 50%. Pokemon are very popular with elementary girls, less stigma. Girls tend to "wipe the floor with the boys." lol.

Great marketing tool for the library.

Allows these kids to show their expertise in an area society doesn't normally value. They have kids do color commentary.

Non-pedantic relationship with kids in library. When you step into the DDR line, you change your relationship with these kids at a fundamental level. YOu're part of the community.

Harness the power of peer pressure. Can turn behavior problems into solutions.

Careful...it might work. Once you're doing them, relatively easy to scale.

But this is a Library!

The things you hear ppl today say about videogames is what people were saying about comic books in the 50's, or 3-act plays in 1797.

This is a completely logical next step for libraries.

YALSA: part of YA job is to advocate for YA interests.
Games are content too.
Not all patrons read for leisure.

Storytime is to Picturebooks as Tournaments are to Videogames. Making a social event out of something that would be consumed alone normally.

We're sometimes uncomfortable with the competition aspect, but it's okay.

The Payoff

Comments from Parents.
Make our library a focus of their interests.
Get the boys in the door.
Guaranteed to induce Gasps.
Promote your Core Services to a tough audience. - anti-cool stigma of being inside the library. They are incurring a social cost to come into your building.
They're going to be taxpayers someday
It's not just for teens.
Transform Indifference into Enthusiasm and Respect.

We've already lost one generation - 20-somethings think of library as place to take their kids for storytime.

Discussion of Search Institutes Hidden Assets list. They went through these and found they met 19 of 40.

Scatter game magazines and manga during events to encourage (passively) reading for pleasure.

Values: conflict resolution, social justice, etc.

To Circ, or What?
MARC records - catalogers don't want to hear about it.
Intense competition from video rental industry. Big.
Builds community to have such a collection.
Issues of what games (T for Teen, M for Mature, etc.) to get, cost effectiveness.
At video game events, you get better cost effectiveness throughout. They spent $5K for tournament collection - that would be paltry for circ'ing collection, but for tournament, the cost per person goes really low.
Kiosks and The Bun - image problem. Service attitude - shhh. If you have a video kiosk/game room, you need to be aware of noise issue.
Other Challenges - libraries can do handheld games, but hard to circ the small disks.
Eli: best way is to do events.

AADL -GT - Friday, Saturday and Sunday, different age ranges, once/month.

Video about AADL GT. - change in attitudes toward library staff and vice versa.

A short break while we play some games.

"I come with proof of the existence of God...in 1952 I knelt beside my bed and prayed for something bad to happen to spinach. Watch out for lima beans and brussel sprouts." Joke about Senator Craig of Idaho. lol.

Talk about bringing real life into fiction, esp. "past the censors". His years of child and family therapy work brought him into contact with the worst of families - abuse, etc. When started writing, realized he was in 'amazing spot' to talk to people. When he was doing therapy "I never had a client who wasn't like me in some way" despite working with abusers, etc.

"You realize pretty early you don't want to please the censors" when writing. Story about being in Texas - 4 days in Houston, then up to Tyler. Warned by librarian in Houston that Tyler "is really conservative". From someone in Texas that's saying something. Someone questioned him about book ...Agnes Mathune (kid with two sets of gay parents). Silence! Next morning they asked if he was going to be talking about "the homosexuality thing" - he said no, only if question - and she said "oh, good...we don't mind so much the rape and incest"!

When writing, you have to clear that stuff from mind, cuz just trying to tell story. Look for emotional truths you can put in the story. Want readers to connect with your work.

Nothing we do more important than learn to grieve. "Grieve all the way through." Beautiful story of grief therapy for young girl from his years doing therapy. He used this realization about needing to grieve for his book about Ben Wolf, dying high school senior. Reads from book.

One thousand librarians are enthralled. I understand why he's won all those writing awards.

Sheryl Bissen, ILA Prez (I've known her since I was 19!) opens conference. Exciting - 920+ pre-registered, plus exhibitors, plus on-site registration. This is the biggest ILA I've ever attended, by far. That's very exciting. Chris Crutcher may have a lot to do with that...

INtroduces mayor of Coralville, John Fausset. Art in the conference center, by Iowa artists. If only they'd thought to have screens in every room built in (d'oh!). I gather we had to pay $35 per screen to have them in our rooms. My preconference yesterday was in a nice room, I'll grant them that. Tech even worked! Shopping in Coralville area, etc. I know lots of folks are here this year in part to go to the "2nd largest mall in Iowa" (my town has the biggest).

Oh, good lord, it's Herky. The U of Iowa mascot. No, I'm not kidding. ANd librarians are standing and cheering the weird yellow and black bird on. Okay, why not?

He sits in audience. Sheryl: "Excuse me, sir, you need your name badge..."

Recognizing Libraries on the Prairie group. My buddy Michele in charge. Introducing Dale Ross, ALA Councilor. Thanks to Dale (he is really a great advocate for Iowa libraries).

Introduce Jean D. chair of the nominating committee. Prez candidates speak:
Joyce Meldrum, Loras Collage Library. Lots of library jobs, etc. Started library conferences for "inexpensive library development". Sharing information w/in profession, regular professional development at all staff levels important (amen!).

oops, I was talking. Don't have her name...speech is pretty general.

Amy Campbell and Craig Paterson, our ILA lobbyists to the Iowa legislature. They're really, really good. Met them last year.

Susan Kling, Maeve Clark and "friend" from ILA Foundation. Naomi Stovall is guest at ILAF table. New fund named for her. Stovall Leadership Fund, help fund Leadership Institute. Which I went to last year, and it was an amazing experience. I'm doing a talk with two others from last year's LI (it's every other year) later this morning about our experience. I'll definitely give to that fund! Currently have $16K, which is halfway there. Great!

What ILAF does for us. Chris Crutcher being here partially paid for by ILAF. Buy raffle tickets! (I'm sitting next to Emily Weaver, who is part of ILAF and has her sporty green money apron for selling raffle tickets

Sheryl. Props to the Conference Committee, Local Arrangements, ILA Executive Board.

Susan Craig, ILA Awards Committee. Iowa Library Trustee of the Year award - John Taggett from Shenandoah, IA. ILA 2007 Member of the Year "tireless, gracious, visionary, leader", etc. As SUsan speaks, I realize it can only be - Mary Jo Langhorne. She really is amazing. She was one of our mentors at the LI last year. Thanks ILA for the "open arms with which you have welcomed teacher-librarians into the fold". I'm glad they're no longer separate. Mary Jo has been a great influence throughout the organization.

Sheryl: Christie Vilsack (former first lady of Iowa and a cool lady) has compiled a poster of former first ladies. Available to Iowa libraries.

Amazing registration for this conference. More than 1000 people here today. "Be patient, there are a lot of us here." Don't forget to go to the exhibits and support the exhibitors. Some sessions will have round tables instead of chair ranks, in order to deal with move from sessions to lunch.

Introduce Chris Crutcher, keynote speaker. Ran 'last chance' K-12 alternative school. Now writes youth fiction. Fiction known for "unflinching honesty" which is why he's been challenged so often. 8 of his books have been named Best Books for Young Adults by ALA. Remarkable.