Is Amazon anti-libraries?

Have you taken a look Amazon's main page today? These is a nice letter announcing the exclusive deal Amazon has with JK Rowling and the availability of the Harry Potter series (which I LOVE ) on the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.

I am curious, is Bezos anti-library. Are libraries just another business to take over? Should librarians be worried about this?

On the one hand, we all saw this coming right? On the other hand, libraries need to shift and recalibrate and reassess how we can better serve our communities. I know, not everyone can afford a Kindle and a prime account but what else do we do? Do we pull our hair out and worry? Do we move forward and look at what else we offer our communities and focus on those things?

Things to think about...

California Doesn't Value Librarians...

Reading an OPED piece from the Los Angeles Times - these statistics caught my eye:

"Other states employ an average of one public librarian to 6,250 patrons. As of last year, 3,432 full-time librarians served 37,253,956 Californians. In other words, California librarians were each expected to serve 10,854 patrons. We also employ fewer school librarians than any other state, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Here, there is one school librarian for every 5,965 students; the national average is one librarian to 865 students."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-powers-librarians-20111026,0,3265383.story

It just kind of mind boggling to see the disparity.

QR Code Fun!!!

The Library Goddess forwarded an email to me about QR Codes in the Library so I decided to play around with it and brainstormed with one of my students about what we could create QR Codes for.

If you don't know what a QR code is read "What is a QR Code and Why Do You Need One?" or also, this article in FastCompany from last year is great (and also a reason why you should go to SXSW Education or Interactive this year) "What Business Card? Just scan my QR Code." And of course, you can always go to Wikipedia.

Here is a tiny glimpse of what our front page looks like. I am restricted in what I can do since this is only part of a bigger site but you get the picture. If not, check it out here. LibGuides actually has a nice mobile version so students can use their phones. I just discovered this when I created the QR code. A lot of our kids have smartphones and tend to work on the bus to games or what not. A lot of our students have iPads as well. I hope that when the new iPads come out with the camera feature, students can also scan these QR codes.

If you want to read more about how libraries are using QR codes, check out LibSuccess.org's QR page. If we had historical buildings we could actually put QR codes with the history of our campus around for when people are walking around campus waiting for their tours. But we are middle school so that might be a bit too much. I also was thinking it would be a great way to familiarize our kids about the library by using it for a scavenger hunt. Most of the libraries featured on that wiki page are universities but I don't see why it wouldn't be great to use it for a school.

Are you doing anything with QR codes at your school? I know one school is using it to promote books on their newsletter to parents.

What Is The Point of the Children's Library?

Today, a patron came and was really upset with me because I told him he could not use the computers in the Children's Library. This got me thinking about why there is a special area set up for the children's collection and I thought I should post about it for the benefit of all those adults who think there is no reason for the children's library except to keep them away from using computers and making their life difficult. (excuse the snark but I really am irritated at how entitled adults are)

In 1895, American libraries started building separate areas for their childrens books and media, later this innovation spread to Europe. The mission of these spaces were to provide a distinct area for children to use. It was to provide a space where children can learn about what the library has to offer, promote literacy, and provide other sources to enhance their interest in life-long learning. These spaces would be separate from the adult collection and also be distinct in their construction, layout, and decor. This mission has not changed, but I think, it's been forgotten by some of the people who come in to use the library, especially those people who do not have children.

So, this long established space now has dvd and cd collections and computers. Computers that are set up for children 14 and younger. There are reasons that kids have their own area with their own computers to use. And one of them is so that kids do not have to sit next to the older guy who decides he can look at porn on the library computers. It is set up so that kids can do their homework without interruption. It is also here so that kids do not have to battle adults for a library computer to use. You might laugh at that one but there are adults who use these computers all day long, steal other patrons card numbers and use them, and just are online for those 2 hours they have alotted under the library policy. It is also a "safe" area for kids to be.

So, I'm sorry if you think I'm being unreasonable because I won't let you use these computers. It's moments like these when I remember the father who came up to me and thanked me for enforcing the policy set up in this room. He said "My daughter would not be comfortable using a computer next to a man."

iPods and audiobooks in the Library

First of all, isn't this a great way to promote audiobooks! Way to go PlayfulLibrarian, I think that totally rocks and also a great book to showcase as well. If you haven't checked out The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, you really really should. I LOVE that book...it's like a movie that's been printed out scene by wonderful scene. But I digress...

Our upper school started checking out iPods loaded with audiobooks that are being read for the various English classes there so we decided to start the same program here at the middle school. Right now, I have 2 computers open - one devoted to the audiobooks (if available) used in our middle school courses and 1 for my work since there is some waiting and listening that needs to happen when determining if then audiobook will work.

I just wanted to mention it here but I can't go into it until later...However, if you are in Los Angeles, and attending the CAIS Conference next Monday, Maureen Frank, who figured this program all out at the US, will be presenting. You should go to her presentation!!! I'll be there!

It's all very exciting. Also, I am kind of surprised at how many classics are not in audiobook form - A Raisin in the Sun, The Pearl, and To Kill A Mockingbird to name a few that I can't find audio files for. Also, I love how many actors do voice overs, I'm previewing Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep read by Elliot Gould. He's a great reader so far. I also really love Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) reading A Series of Unfortunate Events series. SO great!!!

Library 101

I'm sure everyone else knows about this already...but I thought I would share it anyway.

clipped from http://www.libraryman.com/blog/essays-on-101/ Sarah Houghton-Jan Barack Obama David and Michael asked some widely known and respected folks in Libraryland to talk about what they see changing in libraries and what we need to be doing to ensure we remain relevant as technology and society evolve. And these folks have some VERY interesting things to say! Check out the essays below.

James Tracy, Headmaster of Cushing, Library Update

A few weeks ago, the school library world was in a tizzy over the article in the Boston Globe about the library at Cushing Academy going "bookless." Here is an update from the Headmaster. From reading the letter, Cushing is in step with what is happening at Goucher College and the Atheneum that was built recently.
Libraries are rethinking their place in their communities and rethinking their entire architecture. Recently, during jury duty, I was asked by a fellow juror, "Libraries? What are libraries going to do now that we have the internet?" Good question. Well, looking at these two libraries (Cushing and Goucher) I think libraries need to rebrand themselves and reimagine what they are to their communities. If not, we will be reading more and more about closures (e.g. Philadephia FPL) and soon libraries will really become an endangered species.

clipped from http://www.cushing.org/misc/library-update.shtml Above all, it is important to know that Cushing Academy is not going “bookless.” The issue at hand is merely one of offering books via an electronic or printed medium. Our view of the matter is that we love books so much that we want our students to have dramatically increased access to millions of volumes rather than just 20,000. This year, the library still houses 10,000 volumes, and many of the books that have been removed from the library have found new homes in departmental offices – faculty had “first dibs” on all books before the remainders were donated to nearby schools. Moreover, many teachers continue to assign printed books in their courses, and students are encouraged to read literature in any format they find most convenient. I am delighted to see a Cushing Academy student sitting under a tree reading Chaucer, whether she or he holds a paperback or a Kindle to do so. Be assured that books, in all formats, will continue to abound at Cushing!

More traffic at the library

This morning I was flipping through the LA Times (I still look through the print edition) and found this article on the increased use of libraries during these tough economic times. Not only is supporting your local libraries a great idea, you can also save money too :)

I can say for a fact that this is true. Sundays are the BPL are now even busier than it has been in the past. People come in for all sorts of reasons, great events, checking out books, using computers, reading magazines and newspapers, and even checking out videos and dvds. I am also pleasantly surprised at who comes into the library - star sightings have been known to happen. You really never know what or who you'll find at the library.

Feeling a little overwhelmed

I have not been able to post at all. I wanted to post more often and also write a bit about the IL conference but I just keep running out of time. I think I need a secret hour, like in Westerfeld's Midnighters series, so I can just catch up on reading and writing.

Some cool things I am checking out:

• Flock - social web browser
  
• My Pop Studio - for digital literacy and critical thinking skills amongst middle school girls
• reading SLJ about Twitter & Libraries

That's about it for now. One day I will catch-up. Hopefully.