Paul Reynolds: Living, Learning, Researching in the Cloud

On Monday 22 March 2010 Paul Reynolds gave his valedictory lecture as Adjunct Director, National Digital Library at the National Library of New Zealand.

Paul has posted about the lecture on his PeoplePoints blog. A copy of his slides & an audio recording of his lecture is available below.

NZNL - Adunct Director Valedictory

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The Source: news about digital libraries and library innovations from around the web

Introducing The Source

One teacher's response to literacy learning and teaching using technology (Note: PDF)

From the National Conference for Teachers of English and Literacy website

Teachers are experts in pedagogy, but not necessarily in technology. It is vital that teachers are acknowledged for the considerable knowledge they have about their profession - what constitutes ‘good’ pedagogy, the nature of learning and ways to engage students in the classroom. While there appears an ever-increasing range of technologies to incorporate within classroom learning experiences, many teachers know technology use alone is not a substitute for good practice. As such, it is important that teachers articulate clear reasons and purposes for technology integration in connection with curriculum goals and student learning gains. This paper reports on the initial stages of one project aimed at supporting teachers to do so. It explores teaching practices in the literacy session of one teacher as we:

• identify and describe practices for the integration of new technologies in literacy pedagogy
• begin to examine teacher and student activity in these teaching practices
• consider the theoretical underpinnings of such practices
  

Challenges for academic libraries in difficult economic times (Note: PDF)

From the Research Information Network website

The UK’s Research Information Network (RIN) has released a guide that shows how librarians are responding to the issues of balancing expenditure between information resources and staffing and how they plan to sustain levels of service, as well as developing new services to meet new needs. It demonstrates that library directors need the support of senior managers across the higher education sector as well as from publishers and other information providers, to help address the challenges and the opportunities, faced.


The Modernisation Review of Public Libraries – a Policy Statement (Note: PDF)

From the DCMS website

On 1 December 2009, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) launched a consultation seeking the views of a wide range of people on the future of public libraries. The 154 responses received have now been analysed. The Public Library Modernisation Review Policy Statement provides a blueprint for England’s public library service, to help ensure it is fit for purpose in the 21st century. It aims to help libraries adapt to the internet revolution, grasp the opportunities of digital technology, and to respond to the decline in use of existing services, the current economic climate and the public’s expectation of more customer-focused public services.

The Analysis of Responses to the Consultation on the Modernisation Review of Public Libraries provides a summary of the issues raised by respondents and summarises the Government’s recommendations.


Manifesto for Public Libraries 2010 (Note: PDF)

From the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) website

The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) has published its Manifesto for public libraries, outlining the core ways that libraries help local people and calling for continued investment in this critical resource. “Thirty-four million people a year visit public libraries in the UK. We want to make sure that the Government understands and acts on the priorities of local libraries,” said Fiona Williams, SCL President. “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport [has] published its public library review and we welcome the proposals set out in it. As the people delivering the service, we are continuously looking for better ways to deliver a library service to the public, and we want to ensure that investment in libraries continues,” said Fiona Williams.
The Manifesto outlines SCL’s work and vision for libraries in these key areas:

• Reading and Literacy
• Digital Inclusion and Fluency
• Learning and Skills
• Business and Innovation
• Community Anchors
  

Library and Information Manifesto 2010 (Note: PDF)

From the CILIP website

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Manifesto sets out six priorities for the next Westminster government to ensure that quality library and information provision, delivered by skilled and committed practitioners, continues and improves. It has been developed to focus on making library and information provision better for users and society. If the government implements these six practical priorities our library and information services will both benefit and improve.
CILIP says the government must:

• Make school libraries statutory
• Promote and protect the rights of users within copyright law
• Build a successful knowledge economy
• Preserve the UK's digital cultural heritage
• Fund and enable the effective co-ordination of health information
• Develop a set of library entitlements for public library users
  

The Source: news about digital libraries and library innovations from around the web

Introducing The Source

Crowdsourcing: How and why should Libraries do it?

From the D-Lib Magazine website

The definition and purpose of crowdsourcing and its relevance to libraries is discussed with particular reference to the Australian Newspapers service, FamilySearch, Wikipedia, Distributed Proofreaders, Galaxy Zoo and The Guardian MP's Expenses Scandal. These services have harnessed thousands of digital volunteers who transcribe, create, enhance and correct text, images and archives. Known facts about crowdsourcing are presented and helpful tips and strategies for libraries beginning to crowdsource are given.


Competencies for librarians serving youth: Young adults deserve the best

From the American Library Association website

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) that supports library services to teens, has developed these competencies for librarians who serve young adults. Individuals who demonstrate the knowledge and skills laid out in the document will be able to provide quality library service for, and with, teenagers. Institutions seeking to improve their overall service capacity and increase public value to their community are encouraged to adopt these competencies.


Checking out the future: Perspectives from the library community on information technology and 21st-century libraries

From the American Library Association website

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. - Charles Darwin
In the 21st century, the digital revolution shows no signs of slowing. To remain relevant, any institution, including one as established as libraries, must evaluate its place in a world increasingly lived online. The good news is that many library professionals recognise this need and are driving adaptations designed to ensure that libraries remain an integral part of our society’s commitment to education, equity, and access to information.


The Bookends Scenario: Alternative futures for the Public Library Network in NSW in 2030

From the website of the State Library, New South Wales, Australia

The aim of this project was to explore how the future of NSW public libraries might unfold over the next twenty years. The scenarios are intended to enable consideration of the types of roles, products and services that will be offered, delivered and accessed through the NSW Public Library Network in 2030.
The Bookends Scenarios will support NSW public libraries in planning for the future needs of clients, and help to identify opportunities and gaps in terms of competencies, resourcing levels and service models - at the same time assist in developing strategies to ensure the longer term sustainability of the public library network.


2010+: 10 trends: Predictions & Provocations

From the What’s Next website

A list of 10 new and interesting trends for the next 12-18 months.
1. Globalisation unravelling
2. Re-sourcing
3. Expecting less
4. Conspicuous non-consumption
5. Unsupervised adults
6. Constant Partial Stupidity
7. Digital isolation
8. Flight to the physical
9. Hunger for shared experiences
10. Fear fatigue

Friday Foto Fun!

What could be more fun on a Friday than creating animated GIFs from images in our online collections? It certainly makes me view our collections in a whole new way.

Our friend and colleague, Mia, started it all by combining multiple images of soldiers doing physical training at the New Zealand Artillery camp and posting it on her blog.



One of the more intriguing elements of this animation is the peek-a-boo effect of the barn door in the background.

These images are part of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=78461
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=78462
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=78463

Here's an action shot documenting the unfortunate turn of events for a man and his kite buggy in Kilbirnie Park, Wellington, in 1993:



These images are part of the The Dominion Post Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library.

http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=45020
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=45021


And finally, I'll leave you with Ann Blewman and Clifford Howcroft, winners of the national dancing championships in 1951:



These images are part of Evening Post Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library.

http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=63743
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=63742
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=63741
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=63744
http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=63746

We made the animated GIFs on http://gickr.com/. You just upload the pictures and voila, it's done! So go on and have a go. Post a link to your creation in in the comments section.

The Source: news about digital libraries and library innovations from around the web

Introducing The Source


Connecting to the world's collections: Making the case for conservation and preservation of our cultural heritage (Note: PDF)

From the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) website

This report is based on a seminar held in Salzburg, Austria, October 28-November 1, 2009, which explored global themes related to conservation and preservation, including international needs, issues, perspectives, and accomplishments. The report includes practical recommendations to ensure optimal collections conservation worldwide.
The session combined presentations by leading experts in conservation and preservation throughout the world with small working groups tasked to make recommendations for future action in key areas, including emergency preparedness, education and training, public awareness, new preservation approaches, and assessment and planning.


Sustainable economics for a digital planet: Ensuring long-term access to digital information (Note: PDF)

From the Blue Robbon Task Force website

Addressing one of the most urgent societal challenges of the Information Age - ensuring that valued digital information will be accessible not just today, but in the future - requires solutions that are at least as much economic and social as technical, according to this report, the result of a two-year effort focusing on the critical economic challenges of preserving an ever-increasing amount of information in a world gone digital.


2009 Librarian e-Book survey (Note: PDF)

From the HighWire Press, Stanford University, website

This survey of librarians’ attitudes and practices related to e-books was conducted as part of an ongoing exploration of the fast-growing scholarly e-book market. The results and accompanying analysis draw together the input of 138 librarians from 13 countries. The responses underscore the significant growth librarians expect in e-book acquisitions and point to their current preferences and possible trends in this evolving area. The report espouses some familiar and consistent themes:

• Simplicity and ease of use seem more important than sophisticated end-user features
• Users tend to discover e-books through both the library catalogue and search engines
• While users prefer PDFs, format preference will likely change as technology changes
• DRM seems to hinder e-book use for library patrons; ability to print is essential
• The most popular business model for librarians is purchase with perpetual access
  

The Academic Library’s impact on student persistence (Note: PDF)

From the American Library Association (ALA) website

What impact does the academic library have on student persistence? This study explores the relationship between traditional library input and output measures of staff, collections, use, and services with fall-to-fall retention and six-year graduation rates at Association of Research Libraries member libraries. When controlling for race/ethnicity and socio-economic status, a linear regression finds that a change in the ratio of library professional staff to students predicts a statistically significant positive relationship with both retention and graduation rates.


The Future of Research and the Research Library (Note: PDF)

From the Knowledge Exchange website

This recent report seeks to answer the following questions:

• Is there a future for the research library?
• Which possible roles can the research library adopt?
• Can we draw a roadmap to help us move towards a new desired future?
  

The report presents a very digestible history of the research library, which has several types of users and usage. Increasingly, libraries have users who are not aware of the functions of the library. The researcher reading papers in an e-journal, access to which is provided by a library, is not necessarily noticing the essential function of the library. Indirect usage is also important when a function is performed based essentially on knowledge and information provided through the available services of a research library.


Capture and Release: Digital cameras in the Reading Room (Note: PDF)

From the OCLC website

This report presents a core of suggested practices for allowing the use of digital cameras in special collections reading rooms. Digital cameras and other mobile capture devices are revolutionising special collections reading rooms and the research process, but at the same time are being wrongly framed as a threat or a challenge for some repositories to remain relevant. While some librarians and archivists have resisted digital cameras, others have embraced them - and rightfully so. Researchers, repositories, and collection materials can reap undeniable benefits from using digital cameras. In addition, digital cameras can help librarians and archivists achieve their fundamental goals of improving conditions for their collections materials, facilitating greater research economically and efficiently, and resolving competing demands for resources and maximizing the productivity of their staff.


Web 3.0 promises change for libraries

From the Research Information website

The latest developments in web technology will undoubtedly continue to affect libraries. David Stuart, an independent web analyst and consultant, looks at some of the technology on the horizon.

The Source: news about digital libraries and library innovations from around the web

Introducing The Source

A Guide to Distributed Digital Preservation (Note: PDF)

From the MetaArchive Cooperative website

Authored by members of the MetaArchive Cooperative, this guide is the first of a series of volumes describing successful collaborative strategies and articulating specific new models that may help cultural memory organizations work together for their mutual benefit.
This volume is devoted to the broad topic of distributed digital preservation, a still-emerging field of practice for the cultural memory arena. Replication and distribution hold out the promise of indefinite preservation of materials without degradation, but establishing effective organizational and technical processes to enable this form of digital preservation is daunting. Institutions need practical examples of how this task can be accomplished in manageable, low-cost ways.
This guide is written with a broad audience in mind that includes librarians, archivists, scholars, curators, technologists, lawyers, and administrators. Readers may use this guide to gain both a philosophical and practical understanding of the emerging field of distributed digital preservation, including how to establish or join a network.


Rethinking libraries in terms of learning and working collaboratively: An interview with Mary Somerville (Note: Opens as a pdf)

From the Collaborative Librarianship journal website

The interview discusses the context and basic assertions of the book, "Working Together: Collaborative Information Practices for Organizational Learning" by Mary Somerville, University Librarian and Library Director at the Auraria Library.


The big issues in public libraries (Audio)

From the Australian Policy Online website

What are the key challenges facing Australia's public library services? In this seminar, held at the State Library of Victoria on 16 November 2009 as part of the Big Issues symposium, leading thinkers and policy-makers address the big social issues and government policies that will shape the public library service Australia-wide over the next five years.
The speakers explore topics including learning and literacy, digital citizenship, social inclusion and community partnerships, and health and ageing.


Thriving or Surviving: National Library of Scotland in 2030 / Martyn Wade, National Librarian and Chief Executive (Note: PDF)

From the National Library of Scotland website

The National Library of Scotland (NLS) is increasingly conscious of the need to maintain an eye not only on the immediate future but on a more distant horizon. Many strategic decisions - for example on organisational capacity or capital investment - are best considered in the context of this timescale. This paper looks at the influences that will shape NLS over a twenty-year timescale.
The paper includes two pieces of original material commissioned by NLS, which are published as part of this report. These are firstly, a piece looking at developments in digital libraries, and secondly, a record of a series of interviews with a number of influential library thinkers around the world on the opportunities and challenges they see for smaller national libraries in 2030.
This paper is very much intended as a discussion document (it does not represent formal NLS policy) and feedback on the ideas and topics contained in the paper are appreciated.