OH!Libraries: Spotlight on Ohio library services

If you're like me, then the holiday season is the most wondrous time of the year... except for the overwhelming sense of dread that accompanies gift-giving. How on earth are you supposed to decide which digital camera, MP3 player, computer, DVD player, or other gadget is the best one for your friends and loved ones (or maybe narrowing down your own wish list is giving you grief...)?

Luckily for Ohioans, there's free help online via the Ohio Web Library. Ohio consumers have easy access to Consumer Reports, Money magazine, and thousands of other popular magazines for impartialreviews and test results.

Here's one way to get at them:

1. Click on this link for MasterFILE Premier. (You can also find this link on the OPLIN Research Databases page).


2. If you're not inside a library, enter your library card number.


3. Enter your search term in the Find box.


4. Enter "Consumer Reports" in the Publication box (or you can click on the "Publications" button at the top for an alphabetical list of all available magazines and journals).


5. Hit the Search button, and away you go!

Ohio students and teachers can also log onto Consumer Reports and other Ohio Web Library resources through INFOhio and OhioLINK.

Want more consumer tips and guides? Check with your public library to see what else is available.

Last week, OCLC released their mind-blowing study on Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources. While the report (portions of which were telegraphed early from the It's All Good blog) is careful to say that it doesn't offer any surprises, only confirmation of conclusions from the 2003 OCLC Environmental Scan: Pattern Recognition, it has some stark facts to offer:

• The library brand is "books." There is no runner-up.
• People do not begin searching for information with the library.
• Younger people recognize no value that librarians add to searches.
• People do not trust paid-for information more than free information.

The final word is a simple but stirring call for action: "It is time to rejuvenate the 'Library' brand."

I think this drops at an interesting time, when so many library-related blogs are talking about "Library 2.0," a way to think about new users and new information behaviors, and the ways that libraries can leverage new tools to re-imagine their services and integrate them into users' lives.

I listened this week to a podcast conversation between Talis's "technology evangelist" Paul Miller and OCLC's George Needham. My favorite part happens 30 minutes into the conversation, when Paul asks how do we take the next step and start driving changes in the library sector? George suggests that we need to promote new practices, not "best" practices because we don't know what those are yet. He says the big center of the bell-shaped curve wants to hear about new ideas and the experiences of how they've been implemented. This gives us all ideas of what we might be able to do in our own institutions.

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library got a fly-by mention in a recent "Wired News" article, The Firefox Hacks You Must Have:

Want to see if book titles on Amazon.com are available at the Cleveland Heights Public Library?

This is because CHUHPL is one of the libraries that have written and posted a script to query their catalog to userscripts.org. This is a fantastic example of one small thing a library can do to meet its users where the users are.

If CHUHPL isn't your local library, or if you don't run Firefox and the extensions that make tricks like this work, you might explore the LibraryLookup project. Here you can find a "bookmarklet" specific to your library (I count 141 Ohio academic, school, public, and special library links already on the site) or create a bookmarklet of your own.

Lead Ohio public libraries into the future. The Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) seeks a creative, technologically sophisticated, and visionary Executive Director to expand upon the successes of OPLIN's first ten years.

OPLIN is seeking a new Executive Director to lead our organization in the development and delivery of networked information services to Ohio's 251 public libraries. As the chief executive officer, the Executive Director recommends programs, projects, and products to the 11-member OPLIN Board and is responsible for implementing approved programs. The Executive Director represents OPLIN to the state and national library community, government agencies, information industry, and business and professional organizations. The Executive Director is responsible for fostering new and existing partnerships with other consortia and state agencies to insure the effective utilization of OPLIN services, and coordinates public library participation in OPLIN. The Executive Director is responsible for managing, directing, and supervising a staff of seven, and for developing a $15 million bi-annual budget, including over $2 million in E-rate funds.

OPLIN provides broadband network communications, services and support to Ohio's public libraries and several regional network cooperatives. OPLIN also hosts or contracts for a range of commercial, educational and historical databases available to all of Ohio's public library users through its web site at http://www.oplin.org.

The position requires a MBA, MPA, MLS or other related advanced degree, and three years of relevant work experience. Starting Salary: $75,000 - $90,000. State of Ohio employees also receive a generous package of health, leave and retirement benefits. For more information see http://das.ohio.gov/hrd/empbenes.html.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of application, resume and three references by January 7, 2006 to: Tim Kambitsch, Search Committee Chair, Ohio Public Library Information Network, 2323 W. 5th Avenue, Suite 130 Columbus, Ohio 43204. Applicants may also apply online at http://statejobs.ohio.gov (select "Library Board" as the agency for searching).