LISNews Librarian And Information Science News

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If you are a regular reader of business or technology news (or for that matter, business technology news), you’ve probably heard a bit about the Google Book Search lawsuit that has been making its way through the courts over the past few years. In 2005, a group that includes The Author's Guild, Pearson's Penguin unit, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons and Simon & Schuster sued Google, which had begun a massive book-digitization project a year earlier. The plaintiffs claimed that by digitizing these books and making them searchable online, Google had committed copyright violation.

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The emergence of the Internet and digital technology has been a major challenge for our legal system. With information traveling at unprecedented speeds in unprecedented volume, we’ve been forced to re-define basic legal concepts like propriety, copyright and even basic ownership. The Google Book Search case is a legal landmark. Like the Napster lawsuit before it, the case encapsulates how our twentieth century legal system is on a collision course with twenty-first century technology. After Napster, the way we buy, sell and look for music changed forever. Now that the case appears to be headed toward a resolution, experts like Fred von Lohmann at the EFF are saying that it will “change forever the way that we find and browse for books.”

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Of course, we aren’t all experts, and we don’t all have law degrees. If you are a layperson who just wants to know what all of this means, there are a number of places you can turn. ARL offers this great overview, which also includes a “Guide for the Perplexed” if you want more detail. The Fred von Lohmann piece mentioned above is another treasure trove of useful information.

In the library community, no blog has done a better job of covering this issue than Disruptive Library Technology Jester. You can see their very informative posts here, here, here and here.

No matter what your level of understanding may be, in the coming months we will all get a chance to experience what this settlement means, and how this new technology will change the way we look at books.

In "The Comedy of the Commons," Dr. Carol M. Rose describes the commons as a place where each person adds more value. In our LIS701 course here at Dominican, we use Rose to illustrate the potential and usefulness of common spaces in relation to different types of libraries and what they might mean to their users. According to Rose,  "The more who join and use the commons, the greater the enjoyment of each participant."

This was entirely evident in the series of field trips I made this year to visit library spaces that had integrated the idea of the commons. Reflecting on those visits, I see the common threads that connect them: space, technology,  and a culture of collaboration and innovation. I also see the benefits, especially after visiting the spaces and viewing photos of them in use.

I just blogged about "Seven Ways to Think About Information Literacy" at TTW this week. Liz Wilkinson's points from her presentation include:

1. Literacy beyond text
2. Student centered, not library centered
3. Outside experts
4. Involve students
5. Use students’ environments
6. Learning by doing
7. Make students feel at home

These ideas also apply to understanding importance of the Commons space. Reflecting further and with inspiration from Wilkinson, I'd offer these five benefits of creating such a space in your academic library:

The Commons puts students at the center. The idea of student-centered innovation was a theme woven throughout the commons field trips. The commons did not make it any easier for the librarians or to enforce library policies. In fact, Stacey Greenwell of the University was happy to tell me that they made it easier for students to use their cell phones in "the Hub." "Yes, that’s right—at the Hub we actually installed infrastructure to make it easier for students to use cell phones. We actually encourage cell phone use. Truly the Hub is a No Shushing Zone."

The Commons is built with student involvement. Stacey Greenwell of "the Hub" told me that along with the innovations the librarians wanted at UK,  "we sought student input throughout the planning process".  Bob Seal highlighted the ways his librarians discovered students needed: space, access to technology, and ease of use.

The Commons is a welcoming, useful gathering place. The folks at Indiana University South Bend started with a specific goal: to be a welcoming center on campus. Michele Russo detailed this idea when it came to the desk: "The new service desk was also designed to send a welcoming message.  It allows space for librarians, IT consultants, and multimedia specialists to work at one of two levels." The Zones at Georgia Tech included flexible "anything and everything" spaces. Faculty might give a lecture in the morning, folowed by a DDR tournament in the afternoon and video creation in the evening.

The Commons makes connections. These connections might be between students, betweeen students and library staff, or between students and the various faculty and staff that may use the space as well. Dean of Library Services Michele Russo at IUSB said: "We envisioned making the Library a true teaching-learning-research center by creating an Information Commons where content, technology, and services provided by reference librarians, technology assistants, and multimedia specialists were available to students and faculty in one place."

The Commons is a relevant, required space on campus. At Georgia Tech, we ooh'ed and ahh'ed all over Zones 1, 2 and 3 as though on a tour at Disneyland, but Associate Director Bob Fox's message was loud and clear: "We don't build walls here." The spaces, created by innovative library staff and student focus groups, are that central, all purpose place (with access to needed resources and technology) that Rose addressed in her article. The larger the investment of planning, input and participants, the higher the return on use and support. How could spaces like those in my 2008 Information/Learning Commons Field trips not be considered required and relevant spaces for the university setting?

And before I go, you know, I could never end without noting these concepts could easily translate to all types of libraries. Couldn't the public library offer a Commons as well to the community? Just this month David Loertscher calls for the creation of the school library learning commons in our schools in SLJ. Much to think about. How could we build a common space in any type of library following these Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} principles?

The posts:

University of Kentucky

Georgia Tech

Indiana University South Bend

Loyola University

Saturday, November 15, is National Gaming Day @ Your Library, and gamers are gearing up for major events around the country. Hasbro donated their game Pictureka to hundreds of libraries nationwide, an effort coordinated by ALA. Our goal is to get a mind-blowing number of people to play the same game on the same day. Wizards of the Coast offered 1,000 libraries a choice of their games Dungeon and Dragons or Magic: the Gathering. ALA Editions author Eli Neiburger and his colleagues at the Ann Arbor District Library will be running a national videogame tournament on their GT System.

At ALA TechSource, we recently heard from an old friend who is busy promoting gaming in libraries once again. Former ALA TechSource editor Teresa Koltzenburg launched this blog, recruiting Jenny Levine, Michael Stephens, and Karen Schneider. It was Teresa and Jenny who initiated the Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium.

Teresa quietly left ALA in March 2007. At best, our career paths take us on switchbacks where skill and knowledge gained is expressed in new ways. Here's what Teresa is up to now:

After a stint as new media editor at Illinois newspaper, Teresa became Public Information Specialist and New Media Coordinator in the University Relations office of Western Illinois University. Back in September, she wrote this article about gaming in WIU's Malpass Library. She also made this awesome video promoting gaming day:

In response to the video, a colleague posted the following on Teresa’s Facebook page:

"I love working with you. You understand how to market today's library."

Where did she pick that up!!!? Jenny, Michael, Karen, TechSource readers and Teresa caught the bug. She could leave the library association, but she's still got a bit of library in her.

I've been working backstage for some time now as manager of ALA Publishing's Online Resources unit, which in addition to ALA TechSource includes Guide to Reference and RDA: Resource Description & Access. With loads of help from Jenny Levine, not to mention Joe the Drupal developer, I coordinated the migration of the blog to the Drupal platform. I recruited Jason, Kate, and Cindi to the blogging team and hired Dan . . . but I've never posted to the blog! I'll be writing the occasional post, mostly reporting on other ALA Publishing projects. More soon.

Our friends at AL Focus have once again provided some great video coverage, this time from last week's Gaming, Learning and Libraries Symposium.

To relive your fantastic memories, or to find out how much fun you missed, check out this post by Greg Landgraf.

Second Life is good for a lot of things.  Professional networking is one of them.  I have met and worked with so many librarians in Second Life that I probably never would have met if I had confined my professional activities to real life.

A few months ago I met Plautia Corvale, the avatar of Victoria Petersen, the Technology Manager of the Mancos  Public Library in Colorado.  We are, along with several other librarian-avatars, in the process of constructing Emerald City, an island in Second Life devoted to helping libraries and library-related organizations to become more environmentally friendly, and to serve as strong community resources on this topic.

Victoria just returned from the annual conference of the Colorado Association of Libraries with the exciting news that CAL has formed a Second Life Interest Group and is an official sponsor of the Sustainable Living Library on Emerald City in Second Life.

I've never been to Mancos, but I've visited Durango a couple of times. The Durango Public Library has build a new green building, which will open on December 1st. Evidently, southwestern Colorado is a hotbed of green librarianship!  Recently I asked Plautia about some of the nitty gritty aspects of the process of building a green library. 

Was this green building project something the Mancos PL has wanted to do for some time?  

The staff had wanted to create an environmentally friendly building for quite some time. Luckily, we have a board that listens and takes into account staff comment.  

What was the basic process of achieving the organizational decision to build a green library?  

One of the trustees is knowledgeable about the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) process (http://www.usgbc.org/), and that's where the focus started.     

Were any concerns or objections expressed by library staff, trustees, or community members or groups about this project, or does everyone basically agree that this is the right thing to do? 

Once the LEED Certification Program was thoroughly explained to the Board, they were all for it, and yes, did agree that it was the right thing to do.  The Library hosted community charettes [an intense period of design activity] during the planning process, and for the most part, the general community was extremely excited and supportive of the plan to build a LEED certified building.

Did you decide to go green before you selected an architect? 

Yes, the decision was made very early on to aim for LEED Certification.

How did the architect respond to this challenge/opportunity? 

Our architect, Mr. Dennis Humphries, of Humphries Poli Architects (http://www.hparch.com/)  in Denver, responded quickly and professionally to the entire project.  While LEED is not Humphries’ normal focus, their team of designers worked closely with Ambient Energy, Inc., a LEED consulting firm (http://www.ambient-e.com/ Golden, Colorado).  Humphries Poli strives to build libraries that fit their communities, so in addition to listening to the Board and staff, Mr. Humphries has made several trips to Mancos to get a feel for what the people of our community want.

How have the contractors and subcontractors responded to this challenge/opportunity?  

The decision to go LEED Certified was made before any Request for Proposals went out to contractors.  The chosen contractor, Jaynes Corporation (http://www.jaynescorp.com/  Durango, Colorado), has had a number of LEED Certified projects in the past, and even has a LEED expert on staff.  Weekly meetings are held on-site with Jaynes, MPL Board and Staff, and Humphries.

What about going green during the process of building construction?  

Going green is a way of life, and is definitely not added as an afterthought.  The entire process has green steps, from planning, site preparation, construction, and the final touches. 

Are there ways, for example, to reduce, reuse, and recycle the scrap created during any building project?

A LEED designation consists of adding up a total number of ‘points’.  Each and every aspect of building is conducted through this point system; on the lowest end of the points scale is LEED Certification, and it goes on up through LEED Silver, Gold and Platinum.  Even though we just broke ground and started building in September 2008, we have already accumulated our first LEED point – a special recycling dumpster is on site and monitored by Jaynes staff.  Every LEED point is reviewed by the Jaynes LEED staff, a report is created, and finally submitted to the USGBC for approval.

How have the Mancos PL patrons responded to this project? 

Better than we could have hoped for, actually!  Almost every day we receive positive feedback on the process, and many visit our building project blog frequently (http://librarybuildingproject.blogspot.com).  The Library has and is also hosting a number of “Library Receptions”; interested members of the community host these receptions in their homes and invite their friends.  Library staff caters the reception, answers questions about the project, and also makes a formal presentation using pictures and slides, 3-D models, and material samples.

What types of technologies will you be using to make the new library a green building and information environment? 

Everything from using low-fuel light bulbs to installing high-end energy systems.  There are quite a few; some of my favorites include a photovoltaic system, an energy-efficient Heating Venting and Air Conditioning unit, which also improves indoor air quality, and a solar collector wall.  The solar wall is basically a double-layer wall that traps heat from the sun; this heat in turn helps to provide heating for the building.  We are also looking at several changes in our technology infrastructure to be able to use less energy.

What types of technologies will you be avoiding in the new library because they are essentially not very environmentally friendly? 

Being librarians, of course we love researching!  Every new article that we read, or green website that we find, helps us to make an informed decision.  Every surface, nut, and bolt of the new library has been chosen because it is a ‘greener’ product than what we found at first.

What have been some of the major sticking points or bones of contention? (For example, I think you mentioned a rousing debate around the issue of electric hand dryers in restrooms versus paper/cloth towels.) 

Yes, that is one of the fun conversations we’ve been having throughout this project.  A staff member posted a question about what was greener – an electric hand dryer, or paper towels?  Several staff members were debating on our Staff Portal, and our Director, Patsy Smith, sent the question on to our LEED Consultant, Renee Azerbegi of Ambient.  Ms. Azerbegi responded that while the best thing is really damp pants, electric dryers are typically greener.  So, we’re leaning in that direction, as most of the staff expressed their preference for electric dryers.  And regarding bones of contention, we’ve been lucky to avoid most of those.  We’ve had typical things happen, like anyone building a new structure; different people like different things, so we’ve had to deal with these differences in opinion.  Mainly these issues have all been aesthetic.

What is the process of applying for LEED certification? 

First, the project needs to be registered with the USGBC.  Every LEED point requires a report to be submitted, and there are periodic reviews by USGBC.  Once the project has had a Final Review and is approved, the building is designated as LEED Certified, and an award is given.

Overall, do you think that building a green library has been more expensive, about the same, or less expensive than building a "traditional" library building?  You can answer that strictly in terms of building costs, or the costs spread out over the anticipated life of the building.   

Wow, it’s been hard to start building in this economy.  Our initial bids came in almost a quarter of a million dollars over budget.  Steel prices were shooting way up, everything kept going up.  We had to wait a few more months, apply for more grants, and hope the next round of bidding went better.  It did, and we were finally able to start this September.  Some things may be more expensive at the beginning, but you have to be strong and look at the long view.  Many things pay for themselves in a few years, and then energy savings kick in.  Over the lifetime of the building, the Library, and therefore the Library District, will save money.  Money we can use to create better programs and services for our community, money we can use to buy more library materials.

What information resources have you used to find answers to your questions about building a green building?  

We use the resources of our consultants, namely Ambient.  They send us relevant articles to respond to our questions, or conduct some of the more in-depth research for us.  For ideas, we surf the web and also read green blogs.  Two of my favorite sites are “Going Green @ Your Library” (http://greeningyourlibrary.wordpress.com/) and “Best Green Blogs” (http://www.bestgreenblogs.com/), which is a directory of green blogs.

What gaps have you discovered in the knowledge sphere about green library buildings?  Are there some questions or decisions that have been really difficult to answer or decide because of the lack of current, reliable information, or at least the difficulty in finding that type of information? 

At this time we have yet to find an official “Green Library Movement”.  Information is scattered all over the Internet; many don’t know where to find this information, and library stuff is patchy.  I was recently speaking to a government webdesigner (agency withheld) that had collected resources about green libraries in Colorado.  This government agency did not know about our LEED Silver project, which granted, has just started – but they also did not know about the new LEED Gold Durango Public Library, which is finished and will open next month!  But we’ve hired good people, and they give us great information.  I’m thinking it would be nice to contact other libraries of course for advice, but also to connect as a sort of support group.  It would have been really nice to have been able to really communicate with other librarians that have been through the LEED building process.

What advice do you have for other libraries that are seriously considering a green building project? 

Do it!  Yes, it’s a lot of work, a lot of learning, but that goes with any building project.  Planning for eventual energy savings and helping our staff and patrons lead healthier lives is smart business.

Building a green library is great, but building any library building is a relatively rare occurrence.  Day-to-day green behaviors and practices by library staff members and patrons is a related but separate issue, correct?  Is the Mancos PL undertaking any initiatives to make these day-to-day behaviors more environmentally friendly?  

We know our workflows will change in the new library, some we cannot even fathom at this time.  However, we have several very environmentally-conscious staff, and we’re very aware of things that can be done.  In our current library we have recycling bins for paper, plastic and glass.  Staff that lives close to the library either walks or rides their bikes to work.  We also have our popular “green printing” program; patron copies made on recycled/reused paper are 75% cheaper than printing on regular paper. So we already have commitment.  We’ll continue these programs, plus more.  In the new library we’ll be opening our recycling program up to the public, and that’s a big deal for a town that got their first recycling drop-off at the school last year!

I noticed on the building project blog that the original construction estimate was over budget and had to be revised downward.  Did that process involve any compromises on the effort to build a green library?  

Not technically.  The Board met and ranked certain high dollar items by priority.  If we had to, some items would be left out of the initial building project.  We were ready with a secondary building schedule, so that all or most of the items would eventually be built.  Our final bidding round went very well, and with another grant we have since applied for and received, we’re back on track.

What are you most proud of about this green building project? 

An aspect of LEED is to teach others about sustainable building and living.  MPL is very dedicated to spreading the word, and to providing resources about all things green.  We’ve already started the documentation of our project on our building project blog, which will serve as a historical resource.  In the new library, we will have a room devoted to green exhibits, as well as a special collection of green library materials.  We hope to become an environmental leader in not only building design, but also to be a leader in educating everyone we can about sustainable living.

If you could start all over and do this project again, is there anything you would do differently? 

We’re very happy with how everything has turned out, but I suppose we would have liked to be better informed ourselves.  Some days we feel that we have two jobs – being a librarian, and being a project owner/LEED expert/secretary/treasurer/accountant, etc.  It’s been a crazy last few years, but we know it’s all worth it!

AL Focus has posted an excellent video review of the LITA National Forum that took place last month.

Hat tip to our friends at LITA Blog for getting the word out about this first.

Greg Landgraf at American Libraries has some outstanding coverage of the symposium over at AL Inside Scoop. You can read his detailed and comprehensive coverage symposium events here, here, here and here.

My parents never bought me a Nintendo when I was a kid. They had this crazy idea that reading was the best way for me to learn and entertain myself, so I had to go over to my neighbors house when I wanted to play The Legend of Zelda or Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out. I’d go back home after playing and describe how cool these new games were to my parents, who inevitably rolled their eyes, frustrated at this trendy, expensive new toy their son was dying to have.

As I write this from the 2008 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning and Libraries Symposium, I can’t help but think how far gaming technology has come since the days of 8-but graphics and cheap midi sound effects. At this symposium, gaming is hardly a game—it’s a rapidly evolving and increasingly important part of our profession. More and more, librarians are using gaming to help students of all ages learn, to help adults improve and hone their skills, and to draw young people into a lifetime of library use.

This was the tone from the beginning of the conference, when Marc Prensky gave an engaging and insightful keynote address that drew heavily from his book Don’t Bother me mom, I’m Learning. According to Prensky, during all those hours I spent annoying my parents by playing video games, I was learning, too! That’s right, video games are for much more than entertainment—they teach reasoning skills, critical thinking, and help children learn to perform under stress. As Prensky put it, a video game is “a problem that you pay $50 for your child to solve.”

There were plenty of demos and plenty of chances to see and try out new technology, but the focus of the sympsium was not drooling with anticipation over new games—the focus was on how to use gaming.  Nowhere was this more apparent than in the jam-packed room that hosted Kathy Makens Outreach 2.0 presentation. Makens described how libraries are building programs from the ground up that use gaming to bring users of all age groups into the library. By applying Library 2.0 concepts to gaming, she argued, we can make gaming more useful, practical and fun while promoting library and/or school services in the process.

Of course, I don’t mean to imply that gaming and gaming technology should be limited to children or teenagers. Allan M. Kleiman gave a fantastic presentation today called “Grandma’s got a Wii”. He discussed the growing movement to bring videogames to seniors, and gave dozens of meaningful examples of how libraries and community centers are using Wii to help seniors lead more active and fulfilling lives.  He showed this fantastic video of seniors playing Wii:
 

From the opening address to the raucous open gaming nights that gave attendees a chance to unwind and socialize, the symposium is for people who are serious about playing games. The audience was as engaged as you’ll ever see at a professional conference. You might think that was just because we were talking about games to gamers, but you’d be wrong. These aren’t just gamers, they are people who understand gaming, how it works, what it means, and just how important it can be in the future of education.

There could hardly be a nicer conference location than Monterey, CA in the Fall. The weather is gorgeous, the town is walkable, and there is a plethora of tourist activities ranging from the phenomenal Monterey Aquarium to the local beaches. So to say that I spent my days at Internet Librarian 2008 sitting in hotel conference rooms should give you some idea of the speakers and the programs that Information Today manages to put together every year.

This year, the highlights included keynotes by Harold Rheingold (author of Smart Mobs) and danah boyd (a PhD candidate at the iSchool at UCal Berkeley, and online superstar...and yes, she prefers that her name be all lower case). ITI also put together amazingly well-tracked presentations like the "Solving Problems" track that included sessions like "Solving the OPAC Problem" with John Blyberg and Christopher Barr and "Solving the Interest Problem" with Kelly Czarnecki and Cliff Landis. The conference was full of great speakers, good ideas, and incredible examples that people could take back to their individual libraries in order to make a difference locally.

In order to get an idea of the breadth of content, I recommend taking a look at a few resources. First is the official conference wiki, which has a ton of information in it. The two best resources for coverage of sessions are Jenica Rogers-Urbanek's blog Attempting Elegance and Sarah Houghton-Jan's blog Librarian in Black. Both covered the conference in remarkable detail, capturing keynotes and sessions better than any other source I've seen. If you read up on their coverage, you will get a very good idea about the content of the conference.

This isn't to say that IL2008 was all business. Some of the best content comes from the dinner conversations with peers, or the "what is your library doing" conversation over a glass of ale at the Crown & Anchor. To get some idea what the social side of IL2008 looks like, check the Flickr pictures for the tag IL2008.

For anyone who is on the fence about attending Internet Librarian, give it a try. Hopefully I'll be there!

It's not too late to attend the 2008 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium! This special event, which takes place in the Chicago area from November 2-4, will feature many of the leading voices in gaming today, as well as exciting demonstrations and open gaming.

Keynote speakers include Dr. Lawrence Kutner, co-author of Grand Theft Childhood and Gamerdad's Andrew Bub.

Registration is still open, so if you are able to make it, don't hesitate to sign up!