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Continuing the Conversation: How to go High-Tech on a Tight Budget

Wed, 02/01/2012 - 15:35

We just wrapped up the first session of Maurice Coleman and Robin Hastings’ workshop How to Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget. The readings, resources and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!

The Readings for Today’s Workshop:

Maurice's and Robn's web page for resource links:

Maurice and Robin’s Slides:How to Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget: Part 1

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Archive of the 2012 ALA Midwinter Tech Wrapup

Mon, 01/30/2012 - 14:19

The 2012 ALA TechSource Midwinter Tech Wrap-up was a huge success. We had great presentations from our panel, and great participation from our audience.

If you missed the event, or want to experience it again, you can view the video archive of the event here.

Again, the URL for the archive is: https://alapublishing.webex.com/alapublishing/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=4742212&rKey=1b36dc291d7a1f59 

The slides from all panelists are below.

ALA TechSource 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Jason Griffey(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

ALA TechSource 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Marshall Breeding(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

ALA Tech Source 2012 Midwinter Tech Wrapup: Sue Polanka(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Apple's Textbook Strategy

Thu, 01/26/2012 - 23:20

Apple has decided to attempt yet another media disruption, this time focusing on reinventing the textbook market. This move was foretold in the biography of Steve Jobs, where Walter Isaacson wrote about Jobs:

“He wanted to disrupt the textbook industry, and save the spines of spavined students bearing backpacks by creating electronic texts and curriculum material for the iPad."

The details of the announcement should definitely interest anyone in libraries, but especially school libraries (and, I think, academic libraries as well). The first announcement was the simple fact that Apple is getting into the electronic textbook market, providing tools for making electronic textbooks with rich media embedded and selling them in the iBooks store for the iPad. Apple also announced that they had signed three of the largest producers of textbooks in the US to be partners in the project; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, and Pearson.

There were three different software products announced as well: iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and iTuneU for iPad. iBooks 2 gives you access to the textbook store, as well as adding features like highlighting and note-taking, definitions, lesson reviews and study cards. The iTunes U app is a shortcut into the previously iTunes focused iTunes U portal for free curricular content from a number of colleges and universities across the world. iBooks Author is the most interesting of the products, as well as being the one that’s generated the most discussion, almost entirely because of its end-user license agreement.

iBooks Author allows for the creation of media-rich eBooks for the iBook Store, or exportable to PDF or TXT files without the fancy media embeds. Unfortunately for everyone, Apple chose to not support the emerging EPUB3 standard for import and export. This is an Apple-Only playground for the time being, with no import facilities at all. You start from a template, and build out an ebook using tools that are reminiscent of Apple’s own Keynote presentation software...it’s by far the best interface I’ve seen for creating complicated ebooks. It’s a real shame that Apple chose to restrict the output to only working in iBooks...understandable from their point of view, but overall I think the wrong call.

The real controversy comes in the EULA for Author. Included in the agreement is a section that reads:

B. Distribution of your Work. As a condition of this License and provided you are in compliance with its terms, your Work may be distributed as follows:

(i) if your Work is provided for free (at no charge), you may distribute the Work by any available means;

(ii) if your Work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service), you may only distribute the Work through Apple and such distribution is subject to the following limitations and conditions: (a) you will be required to enter into a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary) before any commercial distribution of your Work may take place; and (b) Apple may determine for any reason and in its sole discretion not to select your Work for distribution.

The commercial clause is the one that has most people worried, and seems to be unique in the world of EULAs. You’d be hard pressed to find another piece of software that limits your ability to sell the output of said program...they exist, but this is far more direct and draconian than any previous license that I’m aware of. For authors who want to use the tool, this locks them into distribution via the iBooks store, which means that libraries and librarians are going to be cut out of purchasing them for collections in any real way. On the other hand, it means that if libraries themselves want to use the tool to produce tools to help users and distribute them for free, they can easily and quickly do so with iBooks Author.

Apple is starting their textbook rollout with titles designed for high school (grades 9-12 in the US), which is surprising given the intense political and educational decision-making that goes into choosing public school textbooks in the US. I had expected them to start with College and University textbooks where the decision to use or not use is almost entirely up to the professor teaching the class. This is almost certainly just a preliminary trial, and I suppose if they hook the high schoolers then the expectation of iPad textbooks might trickle up to the world of higher education. 

These are far from a sure thing, but as the last 15 years shows us, it’s not a good bet to bet against Apple when it comes to selling things to consumers. Libraries should be ready to answer questions about these things over the next year or so as Apple tries to make textbooks into another conquest in their personal electronics and services empire.

Continuing the Conversation: Library Analytics (Part 2)

Thu, 01/26/2012 - 15:49
We just wrapped up the second session of Sarah Houghton and Paul Signorelli’s workshop Library Analytics: Inspiring Positive Action through Web User Data. The slides for the event are below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!

Paul and Sarah’s Slides
How Libraries Analyze and Act(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Continuing the Conversation: 10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website

Wed, 01/25/2012 - 16:23

We just wrapped up Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches-Johnson’s workshop 10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website. The readings and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!

The Readings for Today’s Workshop:

Aaron and Amanda’s Slides:
10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

O'Reilly's Joe Wikert on Publishing Technology and Public Libraries

Fri, 01/20/2012 - 12:28

Joe Wikert is General Manager & Publisher at O'Reilly Media, Inc., where he manages the sales and editorial groups. He is also Chair of O'Reilly's Tools of Change for Publishers conference (TOC). TOC 2012 is February 13-15 in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Times Square. ALA TechSource readers can save 15 percent by registering with coupon code AMLIB, in addition to discounts offered to librarians.

Joe follows new developments in publishing technology and emerging platform. ALA TechSource asked a few questions to get his perspective on public libraries.

ALA TechSource: Some public libraries are looking at ways they can be developers of content, helping people in their communities publish content of interest to their communities. The "hyper-local" approach. Drawing from your knowledge of start-up publishing platforms, what opportunities do you see for libraries?

Joe Wikert: Just as publishers are being forced to reinvent themselves in the digital age I think it's important for libraries to do the same. Part of that means being prepared to completely abandon any/all of the services you provided before. I like the thought of libraries helping their patrons learn how to effectively develop content, but it shouldn't end there. I think they should also serve as a resource to help them distribute that content. This is a big hole that's missing in the self-publishing space, and libraries have an opportunity to step in and do something about it. Authors who want to self-publish are scratching their heads over which platform to use (e.g., Lulu, AuthorHouse, etc.) Wouldn't it be great if your local library morphed into a resource that helps authors figure that out? And let's not forget about the workshop opportunities that could result from this. Local libraries could have regular sessions covering all aspects of content authoring and distribution (e.g., contracts, rights, writing skills, hiring an editor, cover design, etc.) Thanks to the self-publishing phenomenon we're seeing a lot more people get into the area of content creation and libraries are well-suited to play an important role in it.

ALA TechSource: What is your perspective on the state of social reading? Some libraries are using Goodreads for book clubs, for example. Do you think startup social media platforms might be useful tool for public libraries?

Joe Wikert: I see three issues currently with social reading. First, prospective users need to be convinced there's a reason for it. There's a lot of skepticism out there. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say, "reading is a solitary activity...I don't want it to be social!" There's no question that a great deal of anyone's reading should be out of the social sphere, but what about the rest of their reading activity? There are plenty of times when I'm reading a book about WWII where I'd like to ask someone what they might know about a certain battle or leader. I'd love to be able to ask that question right within the book I'm reading and not be forced to hop out to a browser and search Wikipedia, for example. At other times I'd love to ask someone else who's reading the same book for clarification on something. Nothing beats being able to ask a classmate for help with a problem and the same applies to reading a book. I'm convinced social has a role in reading but we're not there yet. Second, there are too many option. Do I go with Goodreads, as you suggest or Librarything, for example? I've used both and there are plenty of other ones out there. Finally, one of the biggest obstacles I see with social reading now is that it's not built into the ereader app. I read a lot on my Kindle and for me to really engage with social activities while reading I'd need it to be built into the app or device.

ALA TechSource: O'Reilly publishes its ebooks without digital rights management (DRM) and offers subscriptions to a collection (including other publishers' books) in the Safari Books Online. Can you offer a general perspective on this model, its rationale, and results? As a publisher, what's your view of the library marketplace?

Joe Wikert: First of all, I love the library marketplace. As I noted earlier, I think this is a great opportunity for libraries to reinvent themselves and I truly hope they succeed in doing so. Regarding DRM and the Safari model, I'm obviously a big fan of no DRM and digital content subscriptions.

Publishers who are using DRM are saying they don't trust their customers. What an awful message to send. And let's not forget that a DRM model that can't be cracked has yet to be built. DRM is nothing more than false security. Look around at all the ebooks available on torrent sites. Most of them were originally "protected" with DRM. Many others were never even officially released as ebooks but someone took the time to scan in the print version and create an e-version. So even if an uncrackable DRM could be developed, and it can't, illegal ebooks would exist thanks to simple scanning technologies. Given all this, why should publishers use DRM? Not only does it say they don't trust their customers but they have to pay extra for the feature and they limit what the customer can do with that content. What an awful formula. I'm sure you now see why I think DRM needs to completely go away!

Safari is a great model for content subscription. It's mostly based on technology and business content but I could see the same model being successful for other genres too. Amazon is testing this out with their Kindle Owner's Lending Library program. It's a great deal for Amazon and their customers but an awful one for publishers and authors. Why? Amazon has acknowledged in their own press release about the service that they're paying most publishers a simple flat fee for use of their content. So regardless of how popular a given book is in the program that publisher/author's income is capped. I'm as opposed to revenue and royalty caps as I am to DRM. Amazon's model should be like Safari's, which is a pay-for-performance one. The more use a particular book gets the more income that publisher/author receives. It's uncapped, like it should be.

Note: The O'Reilly Radar blog recently posted on web discussions around the mertis of publishers' DRM srategies and the possible threat of being beholden to Amazon. See also Joe's post "The problem with Amazon's Kindle Owners' Lending Library." and his Joe Wikert's Publishing 2020 Blog.

RMG Presidents' Seminar Explores Library Technology Trends

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 11:57

RMG Consultants will lead their 22nd Annual Presidents' Seminar on Friday, January 20, 2012, at ALA's Midwinter Meeting at the Dallas Convention Center (Rooms A201/A202) . This year's theme is "Invasion of the Customer Snatchers into a Saturated and Content-Driven ILS Marketplace"

Senior executives of library technology companies will answer questions from moderator Rob McGee of RMG as well as the audience. Smart Libraries Newsletter editor Marshall Breeding will weigh in as a special commentator along with RMG's Geoff Payne. The companies and panelists expected this year are:

  • Auto-Graphics,  Paul Cope
  • ByWater Solutions,  Brendan Gallagher
  • Ex Libris,  Matti Shem-Tov
  • Infor,  Ann Melaerts
  • Innovative Interfaces,  Neil Block
  • OCLC,  Robin Murray
  • Polaris,  Bill Schickling
  • Serials Solutions/ProQuest,  Jane Burke
  • SirsiDynix,  Bill Davison
  • The Library Corporation (TLC),  Annette Murphy
  • VTLS,  Vinod Chachra

McGee will solicit opinions on how library workflows must change with the shift from print to electronic resources, Patron-Driven Acquisitions (PDA)/Demand-Driven Acquisitions (DDA), e-Book Lending, Discovery Services with access to Open Content and pay-per-download of licensed content, the synergies and competition among the technology and content sectors of the library industry. He will also seek comments on the competive environment wth new web-scale library management system players and vendors supporting Open Source Integrated Library Systems going after the customers of established players.

RMG's Presidents' Seminar is a terrific opportunity to learn about the library technology marketplace. Even while executives strive to to stay on message with their competitive advantages, the open forum explores library technology trends and reveals how vendors are positioning themselves.

Below are the trends and topics that RMG has identified.

    For a vendor in the saturated North American ILS marketplace, getting a new-name customer can mean snatching a library from somebody else’s ILS customer base – or selling it an add-on product or service.

    Content increasingly rules, and cloud services have gathered; this combination challenges legacy library automation systems designed and created before the dominance of e-content and the Internet. Discovering, accessing, and delivering e-content is a compelling alternative (or complement) to a library’s investment in a traditional ILS package of standard modules – along with a tug in another strategic direction for the ROI (Return on Investment) in RFID/AMH (Automated Material Handling) systems for gains in customer services and staff performance in managing books and AV materials.

    Industry dynamics in the last three years have been game-changers. Bywater Solutions, Equinox Software, and Liblime/PTFS have successfully commercialized the development and support of Open Source ILSs -- Evergreen and Koha. ILSaaS (Integrated Library System as a Service, including the web-scale offerings) is flattening the costs of open source and proprietary ILSs. Baker & Taylor and 3M now offer e-book lending (circulation control) services. In June 2011 Serials Solutions announced a Web-Scale Management Solution to debut in 4Q 2012. These together with Ex Libris’ Alma, Kuali OLE, Innovative’s Sierra, and OCLC’s WMS offer opportunities for improved library workflows and customer services that overcome the costly inefficiency and awkwardness of differentiated processes for selection, acquisition, discovery, access, and delivery of e- and p-resources.

    The pairing of ILS/Discovery by Ex Libris, Innovative, and OCLC has impacted the academic library sector. Discovery and delivery services that focus on public libraries and the e-resources provided by State Library agencies have yet to emerge in needed force to benefit millions of readers who go about public library use largely unaware of expensive licensed e-content that could be within easy reach for them with the right interfaces and services on laptops, phones, and tablets.

    The biggest slices of library budgets are for people/content: in the extreme, 20/80 for academic libraries; 70/30 for public libraries. Annual expenditures for e-resources may reach 80% of some academic library content budgets. Targeting increased ROI in people and content is a strategic direction for libraries.

    The sheer financial might of Baker & Taylor, OCLC, ProQuest/Serials Solutions, and 3M separates them from the traditional denizens of the ILS marketplace. That, coupled with their ability or potential to deliver e-content, discovery, and ILS services on a subscription basis just might be the forces that re-shape the library technology marketplace. Will 3M expand Cloud Library to include an ILS service; or will Baker & Taylor or EBSCO or Gale take the WMS-plunge? Remember Elsevier and Endeavor/Voyager?

    Will the Invasion of the ILS Customer Snatchers be advanced through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of library technology and/or content vendors?

    Are we a step away from Amazon or Facebook or Google or Microsoft launching services that one-up Amazon’s recently introduced e-book lending services, that could partner or compete with libraries to reach individuals, homes, schools, and businesses?

    Will Apple’s iCloud and Siri (think out of the single-search box) lead to Internet, Cable, and TV services that make information as easy to find and use, and as much fun and effective, as the iPhone and iPad?

Register Now for the FREE 2012 ALA TechSource Midwinter Tech Wrapup!

Wed, 01/18/2012 - 14:19

The ALA Midwinter Meeting provides a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how technology is continuing to transform the library world. Between the exhibition floor and the variety of technology-related events, the conference can provide attendees with an overview of where library technology is, and where it may be going. Of course, for various reasons, many librarians won't be able to attend, and many who do will find themselves spread so thin that they cannot attend some of the technology-related events. 

 

We're happy to announce that we're continuing our free, conference-wrapping webinars with The 2012 ALA TechSource Midwinter Tech Wrapup. Our expert panel will present their observations and analysis of the top technology trends from the conference, and what they see as the implications for libraries.

 

We're excited to have a fantasic 3-person panel for this event, which will take place on Monday, January 30th at 1pm Eastern/Noon Cental/11am Mountain/10am Pacific:

 

  • Jason Griffey, Head of Library Information Technology, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and blogger for ALA TechSource.
  • Marshall Breeding, Director for Innovative Technologies and Research, Vanderbilt University Libraries, Library Automation Writer and Expert.
  • Sue Polanka , Head of Reference and Instruction at the Wright State University Libraries in Dayton, Ohio, Vice President/President Elect of the Academic Library Association of Ohio and author/moderator of No Shelf Required.

 

Register now for this Free Event!

 

Please keep in mind that attendance for the actual event is limited to 1,000 people. If you can't attend the live event, the full archive will be posted to the TechSource blog within 24 hours. 

 

Again, the registration page is at http://bit.ly/zKq6S8 

Continuing the Conversation: Library Analytics

Thu, 01/12/2012 - 15:46

We just wrapped up the first session of Sarah Houghton and Paul Signorelli’s workshop Library Analytics: Inspiring Positive Action through Web User Data. The readings, resources, and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!

The Readings for Today’s Workshop:

How Libraries Analyze and Act(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget: A Reading List from Maurice Coleman and Robin Hastings

Wed, 01/11/2012 - 10:18

Do you want to upgrade the technology in your library, but you don't have any money to do so? It's a pretty common problem, and in their new workshop, Maurice Coleman and Robin Hastings will show you how to take your tech to the next level without breaking the bank, or in some cases reduce your spending.

Whether you planning to attend or not, check out this reading list they created. Some items are available for free on the web, some require payement or subscriptions. No matter what type of library you're at, you should be able to find something helpful in this list!

What's In Store for the Library Automation Industry in 2012?

Tue, 01/10/2012 - 09:19

This article appears in the January 2012 issue of Smart Libraries Newsletter. To read more from Marshall Breeding on mobile library technology and other facets of the library automation industry, you can purchase this issue or subscribe to Smart Libraries Newsletter at our metapress site.

As we enter a new year, I’d like to pause and consider some of the trends and events that I anticipate playing out in 2012.  The predictions I made for 2011 largely held (see Smart Libraries Newsletter, February 2011).  Given the momentum of developments and the issues currently in play, 2012 may turn out to be a very interesting year in the realm of library technologies.

The year will mark the beginning of a new cycle of transitions in automation platforms that will run to completion over the next decade.   2012 will be a watershed year in the roll out of a new generation of library automation platforms, especially in the academic library arena.  Several major new automation systems will see their debut, including Ex Libris’ Alma, Sierra from Innovative Interfaces, and Serials Solutions’ Web-scale Management Solution. 

2012 should be a big year for Ex Libris’ Alma.  In 2011, libraries that were engaged with Ex Libris as development partners received a series of incremental releases of the software, leading up to a final version, which is expected at the year’s end.  With general release anticipated in early 2012, implementation by the libraries already signed on as early adopters should begin. 

Innovative Interfaces planned beta versions of Sierra by the end of 2011.  While it’s not clear when the software will be ready for production use, Innovative has announced a significant number of libraries that have committed to migrate to Sierra as early adopters.

While some libraries implemented OCLC’s WorldShare Management System in 2011, we can anticipate a new surge of adoption of this new platform following OCLC’s recent rebranding of the product and as libraries gain confidence in the product following the experiences of the pioneering institutions. 

In the open source realm, the Kuali OLE project should continue to roll out new preliminary releases, though it’s not likely that the development partner libraries will transition to full production from their legacy ILS products this year.  We can expect continued adoption of both Koha and Evergreen.  A number of consortia that have been in the planning stages of implementation for the last year or so will likely come into production in 2012.  Koha will continue to see new implementations by libraries in all parts of the globe. 

Despite interest in open source automation products, proprietary solutions should do reasonably well, especially among larger libraries with more complex needs. 

On the mergers and acquisitions front we can expect some activity in 2012.  As I predicted for 2011, we saw some changes in ownership among the library automation vendors: SydneyPLUS acquired Inmagic (Oct 2011); in the RFID and self-service a new giant emerged with the acquisition of Bibliotheca AG, Bibliotheca ITG, and Intellident by One Equity Partners (May 2011); OCLC made business acquisitions of BOND (Apr 2011); and Talis sold its library-specific automation business to Capita Group (Mar 4).  I expect additional companies to change ownership in 2012.  Some transitions may result in additional consolidation; others may simply involve existing investors taking an opportunity to exit and hand off companies out of their portfolios to new owners.  As was the case last year, I anticipate no business failures in 2012.  Despite a harsh economy, library automation vendors have strong resilience and dependable cash flow through annualized support and hosting fees. 

It seems reasonable to expect a resolution of the lawsuit between SkyRiver and OCLC in 2012.  The case has sat mostly inactive since April 2011, pending a judicial ruling.  I have no insight whatsoever regarding what party—if either—might prevail as a result of the suit.  But resolution should bring some clarity and settle some of the uncertainty that has been looming around this issue, with at least a low-level stifling effect on this corner of the industry.

Mobile technology will continue to attract strong interest, but it will not necessarily drive significant innovation.  Despite the ever-increasing use of mobile devices to access library services, strategic library-oriented mobile products continue to develop and see implementation at a relatively slow pace.  While I do anticipate some progress in bringing better support for mobile devices to library services, I worry that progress will lag behind that of the non-library world. 

I anticipate some experimental use of Near Field Communications (NFC), especially in the area of patron self-service, though not necessarily new production-level implementations.  While QR codes continue to spark interest, I do not anticipate that they will enter the mainstream of library automation in any way that will challenge existing identification technologies such as barcodes or RFID tags.  I do anticipate steady movement in the implementation of RFID-based technologies in libraries, though not necessarily any new breakthrough products. 

Cloud computing will see continued growth, with a high proportion of new library automation projects deployed through software as a service rather than on servers housed in the library.  In addition to libraries that implement the new-generation products intrinsically designed for implementation as cloud-based services, many libraries running traditional products will contract for hosting services from the vendor.  The library automation economy will continue to evolve away being from one driven by up-front license fees and will become one based more on annual subscriptions. 

New technologies, products, or business models related to library involvement with e-books will emerge in 2012.  We’re at a critical point in the realm of library e-book lending.  Last year, some of the major developments in the library e-book realm included the announcement of the 3M Cloud Library and the launch of Library Renewal (libraryrenewal.org) as a new non-profit initiative to explore issues related to e-books and electronic content.  As this issue continues to build to critical importance, especially for public libraries, I anticipate some new approaches by new and existing players.

By Popular Demand: A New Session of our Drupal Course in February

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 09:45

By popular demand, ALA Editions announces a new session of the facilitated eCourse Using Drupal to Build Library Websites. Sean Fitzpatrick, will once again serve as the instructor for this six-week facilitated eCourse starting on February 6th, 2012.

In this eCourse, librarian, consultant and Drupal expert Sean Fitzpatrick will guide participants in building an attractive, functional library website using Drupal. This test website will be hosted on a server for six months after the eCourse, facilitating additional learning. This eCourse will focus on Drupal 7, while highlighting what is still applicable to Drupal 6. Whether the objective is a simple site or full-service digital branch, this eCourse will give participants the know-how to get a library website up and running.

Sean will introduce you to Drupal, teach you how to set up and configure a site and give you the foundation for learning more.

Learning outcomes for this course:

  • Functional knowledge of Drupal
  • Ability to build basic websites
  • Experience in developing a fully-functional Drupal website
  • Knowledge of resources for expanding the functionality of a Drupal-based library website

Registration for this ALA Editions facilitated eCourse, which begins on February 6th, 2012, can be purchased at the ALA Store. Participants in this course will need regular access to a computer with an internet connection for online message board participation, viewing online video, listening to streaming audio (MP3 files), and downloading and viewing PDF and PowerPoint files.

Free Webinar: Organizational Storytelling

Wed, 12/21/2011 - 15:07

The stories that we  exchange with family and friends this holiday season will express shared values, who we are, and where we’re from. Organizational management experts encourage us to explore the benefits of using stories at work .  ALA TechSource is teaming up with WebJunction to offer the free webinar “Organizational Storytelling: Using Stories for Leadership, Community, and Advocacy,” on January 10, 2012, with Kate Marek and Chris Reppel.  Register todayat  WebJunction: www.webjunction.org/events/webinars#jan10

Below is an excerpt from Kate Marek’s book Organizational Storytelling. We’ll be offering webinar participants a discount on the book. 

Storytelling Retooled(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

 

 

The O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference (TOC) 2012

Thu, 12/15/2011 - 11:56

The O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference (TOC) 2012 will take place February 13-15, at the New York Marriott Marquis. ALA TechSource will be covering the conference on the blog, with preliminary interviews with presenters and live webcasts on topics of interest to libraries; and we have a special offer.

O’Reilly is offering ALA TechSource readers an additional 15% off with discount code: AMLIBRARY. TOC sells out every year, so don't miss out on this essential "brainiac party at the intersection of publishing and digital innovation" exploring the evolving publishing ecosystem from every angle. Early registration ends Tuesday, December 20. Register here.

TOC is where practitioners and executives from publishing and the tech arena come together to navigate publishing's ongoing transformation. Join them at TOC 2012 as they explore new ideas and share what they've learned from their successes and failures. Learn about where publishers are heading and inform your library's strategy for ebooks and collections. If you want to go deep into critical issues, mix and mingle with some of the brightest minds in publishing, and get a close-up look at all the latest gadgets and readers, TOC is the place to be.

Continuing the Conversation: E-Books and Access Part 2

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 15:44

We just wrapped up the second session of Sarah Houghton’s workshop E-Books and Access: Upholding Library Values. The readings, resources and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!

Sarah’s “Organizations to Watch”:

Sarah’s Slides:
eBooks and Access 2-ALA2011(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

How to Go High-Tech on a Tight Budget

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 10:11

For libraries, it's one of the biggest conundrums of our time. To be the library your patrons want and need you to be, you've got to be high-tech, offering fast, IT-integrated services people can't get on their own. Yet to do this, you have to spend money...money you do not have in your budget.

In a new ALA TechSource Workshop, trainers and technology experts Robin Hastings and Maurice Coleman will show you how you can utilize the latest technology tools and train yourself to stay on top of new trends without breaking the bank, and in some cases, without even touching it.

Maurice and Robin will discuss best practices for using technology to keep your library connected and up to date. With their expert guidance, you will be able to evaluate and implement low-cost and free tools for your systems and your patrons. You'll learn about sources of information and training that are available to you and your staff.

To get an idea of the kind of things Robin and Maurice will discuss, check out the preliminary reading list for workshop attendees:

Don't miss your chance to learn! This two-part workshop takes place on Wednesdays February 1st and 8th, 2012 at 2:00pm Eastern. Each session lasts 90 minutes. Registration is available at the ALA Store. Registration is available at both individual and group rates.

 

Learn to Build a User-Friendly Library Website in 10 Steps: New Workshop

Fri, 12/09/2011 - 10:24

ALA TechSource announces an exciting new workshop, 10 Steps to a User-Friendly Library Website with Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches-Johnson.

 A clean, well-designed website can mean the difference between an informed library user and a confused one. With a focus on the needs and wants of the library user, Amanda Etches-Johnson and Aaron Schmidt will help you develop the skills to make your library website easier to use and more interesting.

Topics include:

  • Determining the purpose of your website
  • Identifying your users’ critical tasks
  • Wrangling content
  • Writing for the web
  • How and when to conduct usability tests

Registration for this ALA TechSource Workshop is available on the ALA Store. You can purchase registration at both individual and group rates. The workshop takes place on Wednesday, January 25th at 2 2:30pm Eastern/1:30 Central/12:30 Mountain/11:30am Pacific. The session will last 90 minutes.

Throughout his career, Aaron Schmidt has helped libraries connect to communities using new media technology and social software, most recently at Influx:  Library Users Experience Consulting. As Digital Initiatives Librarian for the District of Columbia Public Library, he assisted with website visioning, conducted usability testing, and formed DC Library Labs, a digital research and development project. He also created user interfaces for home-brewed self check machines and iPad based neighborhood library dashboards. A frequent speaker and Library Journal columnist, Schmidt blogs about library design at Walking Paper. 

Amanda Etches-Johnson heads Discovery & Access at the University of Guelph Library, where she guides teams and projects focused on improving the overall library user experience. She is also a consultant at Influx:  Library Users Experience Consulting. As adjunct at the Faculty of Information & Media Studies at The University of Western Ontario, Etches-Johnson teaches grad students about social media literacy and other topics. She frequently writes and presents about web design and usability, user experience practices and trends, emerging technology, and social media. She blogs at blogwithoutalibrary.net.

Continuing the Conversation: E-Books and Access

Wed, 12/07/2011 - 15:42
We just wrapped up the first session of Sarah Houghton’s workshop E-Books and Access: Upholding Library Values. The readings, resources and slides for the event are listed below. Have further questions or comments? Whether you participated in the event or not, feel free to chime in via the comments area below!

The Readings for Today’s Workshop:
Sarah’s Slides:
eBooks and Access: Part 1(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

Sarah Houghton and Paul Signorelli Take on Web Analytics for Librarians

Mon, 11/28/2011 - 09:29

CHICAGO - ALA TechSource announces a new session of the popular workshop Web Analytics for Librarians: Informing Decisions Through Web User Data with Paul Signorelli and Sarah Houghton. This workshop will take place in two parts on Jan. 12 and 26, 2012.

In order to guide purchases and appropriately distribute services and staff time, it’s essential that libraries accurately track the usage of their websites and online resources. In this two-part workshop, Sarah Houghton and Paul Signorelli will define, demystify, and explore web analytics. You will learn how to use web analytics as tools for improving your library’s information architecture, usability, marketing and communication. 

Topics include:

 

  • The definition of Web analytics
  • How your library can benefit from using Web analytics
  • Determining what to track
  • Google Analytics and other tools
  • Visualizing data using Wordle, Gapminder and other tools
  • Examples of how public and academic libraries  are currently using Web analytics

In this updated version of the workshop that first took place in early 2011, Signorelli returns while Sarah Houghton takes the place of Char Booth, who helped to develop the structure and content of the event.

Registration for this ALA TechSource Workshop is available on the ALA Store. You can purchase registration at both individual and group rates. The workshop consists of two 90-minute parts that take place at 2 p.m. EST/1 p.m. CST/12 p.m. MST/11 a.m. PST on Thursdays, Jan. 12 and 26, 2012.

Sarah Houghton is the assistant director for the San Rafael Public Library.  She writes about library technology, copyright, virtual services and library instruction at her well-known blog, Librarian in Black. In 2009, she was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker as a Trendspotter and is the author of Technology Training in Libraries. Also a consultant and instructor, Houghton presents worldwide on the intersection of technology and libraries.

Paul Signorelli has more than 20 years of experience working for libraries and nonprofit organizations. As director of staff training (six years) and volunteer services (14 years) for the San Francisco Public Library, he created, implemented and managed numerous training plans. A graduate of the Infopeople Master Trainer project, he is co-author of Workplace Learning & Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers. He is active in the ALA’s Learning Roundtable and the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

Social Media Archiving with ThinkUp

Mon, 11/21/2011 - 10:01

Way back in mid-2010, Gina Trapani (founder of Lifehacker, host of This Week in Google, all around brilliant awesome coder) announced that she was developing a piece of software then called ThinkTank, the purpose of which was to archive and analyze her twitter stream. Since Twitter doesn’t give you unlimited access to your own tweets, she wanted to ensure that she had control of her own content and could analyze it any way she wished. Now, over a year later that project is called ThinkUp, is being developed by dozens of coders and the help of Expert Labs, and is being used by the White House to analyze it’s social media presence.

ThinkUp just came out of Beta, and the 1.0 is really an amazing piece of software. It installs on your LAMP server (or on Amazon EC2) with about as much effort as a Wordpress install: unzip, upload, enter some database information, and hit go. It’s a bit more work to get the various websites feeding your database. ThinkUp currently has built-in connections for Twitter, Google+, and Facebook, but in order to connect them to your ThinkUp install you have to follow some simple directions that create a link between your install and the API in question. It’s not difficult, and if you can read and push buttons there shouldn’t be any issues.

Once you’ve set it up (maybe 30 minutes, tops), ThinkUp uses a very clever RSS-based trigger for updating...it gives you a secret RSS feed that you can give to your feedreader of choice, and every time the feedreader pings ThinkUp, it triggers an update. ThinkUp then goes out to all of the social sites you’ve associated with it (and it’s perfectly happy with multiple accounts of each kind, etc), queries for changes and updates, and pulls them into your local database. It’s a completely automated way to fully archive your social media content to a server you control, and as far as I’m aware it’s the only software of its type.

If that’s all it did, it would be a phenomenal tool for the archival of you or your library’s social media presence. But it also gives you awesome measurements and statistics about your content, indexes your content to make it searchable, and gives you the ability to embed a given “thread” of conversation in another site at will. It captures the geotags associated with the content and maps it so that you can see the geography of a conversation...potentially very valuable for a Public Library.

Not only does it do all this, but it can also be used as a hosted service. Once you set up your install, you can turn on registration and allow others to use your install to create accounts and archive to your ThinkUp install. For a University, having the ability for all of the different units on campus to have a central repository of all the social media activity of the Campus is really interesting. For a Public Library, the ability to have each branch have it’s own account and the ability to track its own stats, but still maintain a single database of everything for posterity...well, I think that’s pretty powerful stuff. Not to mention the crazy thought that you might actually give your patrons access to it, and let them use the tool while you go about building an database of local history by way of Twitter and Facebook. There would definitely need to be an understanding of what you were doing on the part of the patron, but there’s so much potential that we should discount that as a possible use.

I’m very excited about ThinkUp in libraries...part of most of our missions is to be the memory of our community. This is a tool that can help consolidate and focus the new ways that we’re forming those memories, bringing our disparate social selves into a single database that we control. That’s powerful, and needed. If you want to see some of what it can do, check out my ThinkUp install. 

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