Archive for the 'Librarians' category

A spaceship, a time machine, a teacher, a friend…

May 08 2011 Published by Fiacre under Librarians, Past

An amazing collection of letters on the Letters of Note website, extolling the virtues of libraries.

Early-1971, in an effort to attract as many youngsters to the premises as possible, Marguerite Hart — children’s librarian at the newly-opened public library in Troy, Michigan — wrote to a number of notable people with a request: to reply with a congratulatory letter, addressed to the children of Troy, in which the benefits of visiting such a library were explained in some form. It’s heartening to know that an impressive 97 people did exactly that, and below are just four of those replies, all from authors: Isaac Asimov; Hardie Gramatky; Theodore Geisel; and E. B. White.

(Although sadly a common situation these days, it’s worth noting that Troy Public Library is currently dodging closure. How long it remains open is a mystery.)

The Troy Public Library has uploaded all 97 letters to their website.

(via Adafruit Industries)

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Library as Techshop

Mar 15 2011 Published by Fiacre under Librarians, Makers, Present, Technology

A very interesting discussion has just opened up at Make magazine, and it is one I have been waiting for. Phillip Torrone asks “Is It Time to Rebuild & Retool Public Libraries and Make ‘TechShops‘?”. I first made the suggestion on this blog back in 2009 that libraries and maker culture were a good match, after attending MiniSoOnCon, the first hacker/maker conference in Ontario…

I believe public libraries and maker culture are a perfect match, and I take the opportunity to spread the word when I can. The ideas that fuel hackerspaces, such as cooperation, resource and information sharing, self-directed education, and a diversity of views are concepts that are central to our profession’s ethos. And in these economically difficult times, a movement that offers an alternative to consumer culture and a return to DIY independence is timely indeed.

I would strongly suggest that librarians contact their local hackerspace or makerspace. You’ll find we have a lot in common. In the near future I hope to see public libraries with 3D printers, laser engravers, tool lending libraries, and classes like the ones at MiniSoOnCon.

Torrone’s argument is similar, and he does a good job of examining the various models, such as hackerspaces and FabLabs, before focusing on TechShops.

To me, public libraries — the availability of free education for all — represent the collective commitment of a community to their future. They symbolize what is most important, a commitment to educating the next generation. The role of a public library should also adapt over time, and that time is finally here. It’s time to plan how we’re going to build the future and what place public libraries have, should have, or won’t have. The goal of this article is to get everyone talking about one of our great resources, the public library, and its future….

If the only public space where 3D printers, laser cutters, and learning electronics happens is in fee/memberships-based spaces (TechShops, hackerspaces), that will leave out a segment of the population, who will never have access. FabLabs often are geared towards under-served communities, so perhaps it will be a combination of FabLabs and hackerspaces.

What if we were to convert just 1% or even 10% of the 9,000 public libraries in the USA to TechShops? I say TechShop because I think they could get it done with the right amount of funding, or at least coordinate the effort. Since 1% of the USA’s public libraries is about 90, that’s close to the TechShop goal in 5 years; 10% would be 900 locations — not a bad goal.

But why does it matter? Some of you will likely say that hackerspaces and TechShops are filling the void where a public library could have evolved to — that’s probably true. I think public libraries are one of those “use it or lose” it things we have in a society. Given the current state of budgets all over the USA, I think unless they’re seen as the future, we might just lose them.

Since MiniSoOnCon I have visited almost every hacker/makerspace in Ontario, attended more maker conferences and events and gave a seminar on the possible influence of hacker/maker culture and citizen science on Open Access, so over the next few days I’ll be posting more here about what I think this would mean for libraries and some of the issues.

Meanwhile, go over the Make Magazine, read the article and leave a comment. I’m interested to see where this conversation will take us.

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… one screen at a time

Jan 27 2011 Published by Fiacre under Librarians, Present

For all the UX Librarians out there.

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A Sermon from Jane McGonigal: On Productivity

Dec 01 2010 Published by Fiacre under Gaming, Librarians, Present

A talk by Jane McGonigal given at The School of Life in London, England.

It is worth while checking out The School of Life if you are a librarian, as it might spark ideas for a few interesting programs at your own library.

The School of Life is a new social enterprise offering good ideas for everyday living.

We are based in a small shop in Central London where we offer a variety of programmes and services concerned with how to live wisely and well.

We address such questions as why work is often unfulfilling, why relationships can be so challenging, why it’s ever harder to stay calm and what one could do to try to change the world for the better.

The School of Life is a place to step back and think intelligently about these and other concerns. You will not be cornered by any dogma, but directed towards a variety of ideas – from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts – that tickle, exercise and expand your mind. You’ll meet other curious, sociable and open-minded people in an atmosphere of exploration and enjoyment.

They even offer bibliotheraphy and do an excellent job of explaining why you might like to give it a try!

Oh, and do go join Jane’s Gameful. You might even find some librarians there…

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Save The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica

Nov 29 2010 Published by Fiacre under Librarians, Present

JR Ritman Library

JR Ritman Library

A post that has very little to do with technology, but instead a plea to prevent the dissolution of a library in Holland.

The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, also known as the J.R. Ritman Library, is an essential resource in the study of Hermeticism, mysticism, Western esoteric works, alchemy, Rosicrucian studies, and comparative religions, especially for those in the program in Western Esotericism in the University of Amsterdam and for scholars around the world.

My own interest in the library comes from my time spent studying for an MA in Religion and Culture, where I focused on the then emerging field of Western Esotericism. I had the pleasure of visiting the library in 2005 while attending a conference on Masonic and esoteric heritage. The library was open to the public but has now closed its doors due to the current crisis.

The reasons for the closure and possible dissolution are complex, involving the Dutch government, the Freiland Bank, J.R. Ritman and the library.

It is widely known that the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam, founded by J.R. Ritman, was in great danger in the 1990s, when the ING bank took possession of the collection and threatened to sell it. Fortunately, the Dutch government intervened: the BPH was put on the list of protected Dutch heritage, and the State eventually acquired over 40% of it. The books remained at the same physical location, integrated with the rest of the collection, and the government would eventually acquire all of it. As part of this process, there were great plans for further expansion. Largely due to the financial crisis and a change of government this was taking somewhat longer than originally anticipated, but nobody doubted that the library was safe.

Last week this turned out to be incorrect. An extremely valuable medieval manuscript owned by the BPH (The Grail of Rochefoucauld) was put on sale at Sotheby’s, and this triggered a reaction from the Friesland Bank, which took possession of the library, that had apparently been brought in as collateral, in order to get back a 15 million euro loan from mr Ritman. At present the BPH is closed, and intense negotiations are going on behind closed doors. It is impossible at this moment to predict the outcome, but there is no doubt that the situation is extremely serious.

If you would like to help, please sign the petition (which currently has more than 4000 signatures) or send a letter to its organizer at the address on the webpage.

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