Jettison TEL? GOP may try
Party doesn’t want Blackwell hurt
Ohio Republicans are exploring ways to remove a government-spending amendment from the fall ballot, saying it’s flawed and could hurt GOP gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell.
Columbus Dispatch. 5/05/06. http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?jrl=9808&story=dispatch%2f2006%2f05%2f05%2f20060505-A1-02.html&rfr=nwsl&clk=32548

There’s still time to tour the new library addition
We hope everyone had a chance to attend the library’s Open House on April 2, or at least come in during National Library Week.
Delphos Herald. 5/08/06. http://www.delphosherald.com/page2.php?story=10397&archive=

Library links in Wikipedia

2006-05-08T10:48:00.000-05:00

I noticed that the city libraries of Cleveland and Cincinnati have their own entries in Wikipedia. Many other libraries, including Upper Arlington, Lakewood, and Galion are discussed or linked from the entries about their towns.

Have you checked out the entry on your city or town?

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

2006-05-04T08:41:00.000-05:00

Beware the TEL, groups warning
Ohio Township Association Executive Director Michael Cochran's stance on the Tax Expenditure Limitation (TEL), a proposal that will appear on the November ballot, is pretty clear.
Findlay Courier. 5/04/06. http://www.thecourier.com/

Publisher cancels Harvard student's revised novel
BOSTON (Reuters) - The publisher of a Harvard University student's debut novel took the book off the market on Wednesday and canceled the contract on a second amid mounting allegations that she copied other authors' work.
YAHOO! News. 5/03/06. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060503/people_nm/arts_harvard_author_dc

You can read the press release, or (if you're lucky enough to be a customer of one of these libraries), start using the Search Ohio catalog.

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

2006-04-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

Chapter 2 for library levy
Falls ballot issue back, described as only avenue to restore services
CUYAHOGA FALLS - Securing local funding is the only way the Cuyahoga Falls Library can restore and improve service, the director says.
Akron Beacon Journal. 4/09/06. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14301997.htm

Loudonville library holding photography contest
LOUDONVILLE — Throughout April, there will be a photography contest for seventh through 12th-graders at the Loudonville Public Library.
Mount Vernon News. 4/07/06. http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/04/07/photography.html

TEL proposal raises concerns
ST. MARYS — To TEL or not to TEL — that is the question.Voters will face a new amendment this November that could radically change how local governments operate.
St. Mary’s Evening Leader. 04/10/06. http://www.theeveningleader.com/articles/2006/04/08/news/news.01.txt

'China meets America' at Heidelberg library
In 1986, Heidelberg College began a faculty exchange program with China. Since then, about 100 professors from Heidelberg and 20-30 Chinese professors have taken part in the program.
Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune. 4/09/06. http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/news/story/049202006_new01china0409.asp

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

2006-04-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

04/06/06

Grant to expand services to elderly
Computer classes to get money boost
A whole new world will be opened up to the elderly in Ross County through the expansion of a library community outreach program. During the last year, residents of Hopeton Village have been receiving weekly on-site computer classes through the Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library.
Chillicothe Gazette. 4/06/06. http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060406/NEWS01/604060302/1002

Filtering the funnies
Newspapers more wary of content as cartoonists push envelope
The editor who oversees the Chicago Tribune comics pages almost choked on his coffee one November day while perusing a strip for an upcoming edition.
Columbus Dispatch. 4/04/06. http://www.columbusdispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/04/04/20060404-B1-01.html

The League of Women Voters uses forum to talk about TEL
LIMA — A small crowd gathered in the basement of Lima Public Library on Wednesday to hear the pros and cons of the Tax Expenditure Limitation Amendment. Hosted by the League of Women Voters, the forum ushered in residents and city officials all wanting to know more about what this legislation will mean to Ohio.
Lima News. 4/05/06. http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=24365

Worms will retire to library site
This year, the students will care for the worms in their elementary classrooms, and in May bring them back to the library to join the Wild School Site that will be developed and partially funded by a $500 grant from the state Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
Springfield News-Sun. 4/05/06. http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/content/news/stories/ 2006/04/05/sns0405worminside.html

Where to hang with Peeps
Peep Research: A study of small fluffy creatures and library usage. http://www.millikin.edu/staley/fluff/peep_research.html

Twinsburg wants to know "How the Library Changes Your World"

2006-04-05T06:18:00.000-05:00

In celebration of National Library Week, the Twinsburg Public Library is having an essay and photo contest on the theme "How the Library Changes Your World." The prize is a gift certificate to a local restaurant.

Even if you're not in Twinsburg, your local library would love to receive a note telling them what impact they have on your life. Why not let them know?

Lifehacker Library Articles

2006-03-20T15:02:00.000-05:00

Lifehacker, a weblog dedicated to productivity and software, occasionally runs an article on nifty services offered by public libraries. Some recent articles highlight resource sharing, how to make Google Book Search find titles in your local library, the Elf e-mail reminder service for library borrowings, and this - an extensive article about getting the most out of your local library online. These articles are generally geared towards the more "techie" library patrons, but they might spark some creative ways to promote lesser-known services at your library. You can subscribe to Lifehacker's "Library" tag feed to keep on top of any library-related postings.

"And it is kind of cool that they have animal traps."

2006-01-03T07:47:00.000-05:00

The Akron Beacon Journal reports on some unusual items that customers can check out at the Canal Fulton Public Library:

Along with books, magazines and movies, you can find animal-safe traps at the library. And a sewing machine, 10-by-10-foot canopy tent, stud finder, telescope, overhead projector, CD player, digital camera and soon an electronic wallpaper stripper. (Years ago there was a guitar, metal detector and ventriloquist's dummy, too, but nobody knows what happened to them.)

This innovative collection was the creation of former director Thomas Brownfield, and current director Sandra Murphy is committed to keeping and expanding the collection.

Present Problems?

2005-12-16T11:45:00.000-05:00

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:

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

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

Enter your search term in the Find box.

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).

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.

The Big Picture

2005-12-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

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.

Innovation gets you noticed

2005-12-14T09:52:00.000-05:00

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.

Job Opening

2005-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Want to write for this blog? Check out this job opportunity.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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).

Memorial Mosaic on Library Grounds

2005-10-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

Architectural student Matt Kidd designed the new mosaic installation at the Puskarich Public Library in Cadiz. The mosaic was dedicated on October 17 in honor of John and Frances Rogers, local citizens whose active generosity often extended to the library.

Inspired by a book that came through the library on interlibrary loan, the installation is constructed of several types of stone, brick, and colored cement, forming the picture of an open book on a multi-colored background.

A library by any other name

2005-10-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

Most libraries in Ohio are named after the town where the main library is: Centerburg Public Library, Germantown Public Library, Oak Harbor Public Library. These are the easiest to find on the many, many occasions OPLIN staff have every day to find a particular library in a standard list. Many are named after their counties, like Preble County District Library and Adams County Public Library. A couple dozen libraries are named after benefactors, like the Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna, Henderson Memorial Library in Jefferson, or the Mary Lou Johnson-Hardin County District Library in Kenton. Some libraries have the same name -- there are two libraries in Ohio that are called merely "Carnegie Public Library": one in East Liverpool and one in Washington Court House. Both Sunbury and St Marys call themselves simply "Community Library." OPLIN has to take care not to confuse these libraries when we work with them. And we also have to make sure we haven't confused the Wayne Public Library in Wayne with the Wayne County Public Library in Wooster. Or confused the Perry, Perry County, and Perry Cook Memorial libraries.

By statute, Ohio libraries can name themselves anything they want; no one except the local library boards has oversight over that. So the names can change. The Mackenzie Memorial Library is now Madison Public Library (like in the Music Man!), and the Taylor Memorial Public Library is now Cuyahoga Falls Library. So I'm not surprised to learn that trustees of the Akron-Summit County Public Library are considering shortening their name to Akron Summit Library (registration required). If they do this, they will be following in the footsteps of the former Dayton-Montgomery County Public Library and Public Library of Columbus and Franklin County (now just Dayton Metro Library and Columbus Metropolitan Library).

Ohio's libraries on top again

2005-10-05T06:55:00.000-05:00

Every year, Thomas Hennen has taken the statistics public libraries report nationally and determined ratings for them within their population categories. Ohio libraries consistently lead the pack. The latest rankings are published this month in American Libraries, and the article is also available from the HAPLR Index website.

Ohio's three largest libraries -- Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cuyahoga County -- all are in the top ten libraries for their population category, with Columbus coming out on top nationally. In all, 21 Ohio libraries appear in the top 10 libraries in their population categories. As Hennen writes in his introduction, "There are, of course, magnificent libraries out there that the data alone cannot find." A quick glance at the complete stats for Ohio shows a number of excellent libraries who fell just short of the top ten list. So I send my congratulations to all libraries, and to the communities that helped make Ohio first in library services.

New interfaces

2005-10-03T06:15:00.000-05:00

The full text newspaper and magazine content that Ohio libraries provide just got a makeover. The new Student Research Center from EBSCOhost provides access to the same premium electronic content that has been available for years, but now through an attractive interface designed specifically for the needs of middle and high school students working on homework. Easily search within newspapers, magazines, biographies, TV & radio transcripts, encyclopedias, and more. It even includes quality consumer health information. (Even if you're not a student, give it a try. You might like it better than the usual EBSCOhost interface).

And for younger students in grades K-5, check out the new Kids Search.

Most popular searches

2005-09-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Stephen Abram, the author of the ground-breaking "Born with the Chip" article about the information attitudes of Millennials, made an interesting suggestion on his blog this weekend: "How about offering (sanitized just like Lycos) lists of the most popular online searches at the local library to the local press?"

Intriguing idea. I checked the stats for searches on OPLIN's OneSearch and found this top 25 for the past 6 weeks:

Enter your search topic here.
Monkey's Paw
google
yahoo.com
death penalty
www.Yahoo.com
yahoo
dysleix
sanborn maps
auto repair
sanborn
heritage quest
Hurricane Katrina
genealogy
ohio
google.com
Neighbor Rosicky
science
pickaway ross vocational adult classes
census
child abuse
obituaries
geneology
ebay
Cleveland Ohio

Conclusions?

Most people just click the "Go" button rather than following the instructions to "Enter your search topic here." That's a usability issue that we should address.
Many people use the search form instead of the browser address bar to type in website addresses. That's a training issue, but I think usability is a factor too -- after all, if you type "yahoo" into a Google search box or "google" into a Yahoo search box, the first result will be the site you're looking for. Not so with OPLIN OneSearch. I think our search vendor should address this.
Many people think OneSearch is a site search for OPLIN, a quick way to locate links to resources like "Sanborn Maps" or "Heritage Quest." We should accommodate them by making our site one of the "databases" searched by default.
Some people treat the OneSearch like a library catalog search, entering subject terms and expecting to be presented with resources that match the subject. Perfectly understandable, but very limited, ignoring the power of OneSearch to look for terms deep inside subscription databases. I wonder how we address this usability flaw?

Automation

2005-09-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

For decades, we in the library biz have said a library is "automated" when they can check out books with a computer. And we still think that way. Today, there are only a couple public libraries in Ohio that aren't "automated."

But automation can be so much more: any manual task that can be assisted with technology can be said to be "automated." Take for example the relatively new chore occupying much of a library's time: controlling how long someone gets to stay on a computer, and figuring out who gets to be on next.

This is a big deal. So big, that it was a news story when the Wadsworth Ella M Everhard Public Library put one of these systems in place.

My prediction? A few users will hate it, and of course there will be deeply frustrating technical glitches. But generally everyone understands that libraries sometimes have to control access to scarce resources. Twenty-five computers isn't enough for everyone in Wadsworth to have all the time on the computers they want. Nor is it practical just to buy more computers until no one has to wait anymore. Not only isn't there space for it, there isn't staff to maintain and help.

"Automation": it's not about imposing controls; it's about using tools to do some of the routine tasks so people can put their energy into other things.

The Right Click v2.0

2005-08-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

The OLC IT Division held its second showcase of library technology projects, The Right Click version 2.0, on August 19 at the State Library of Ohio. The presentations were a diverse collection of the many ways libraries go about using technology to support their services. An important thread running through the presentations was that technology doesn't stand alone; these projects succeed because a great deal of attention was put into planning, managing, supporting, and promoting the work.

All of the projects could be clustered into two types: the showcasing of homegrown solutions, and the discussion of local experience implementing commercial solutions.

Homegrown Projects
Up first was Evelyn Janoch presenting Rocky River Public Library's Reading Room (which was previously featured here). They call the Reading Room a "match-making tool for readers." It began with "Book Talk" index cards, with information for each title about other authors and titles that people who like this book might enjoy. Describing the development, Evelyn tells a familiar story: librarians have trouble communicating to tech consultants what they need, tech consultants have trouble understanding library processes. But clearly, they've perservered, creating an excellent, home-grown, Amazon-like service. (It's a shame, though, that these Amazon-like services have to be home grown, and haven't been standard functions of library catalogs for the past 5 years).

Staff from the NOLA Regional Library System discussed some of the tools they developed to assist them with their portion of the KnowItNow project. NOLA manages the "AfterDark" operations, the live reference services that run from 8:30 PM to 9:30 AM. They created the KIN-AD Extranet to facilitate the selection, management, scheduling, and payment of their 63 AfterDark operators -- all done remotely and with minimal paperwork.

Four local history/digitization projects were presented. Two of them, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library and the Hayes Presidential Library, offer obituary indexes on the web. GCLC's Greater Cincinnati Memory Project was first implemented on commercial ILS service and later migrated to open source Greenstone software. Rodman Public Library's Alliance Memory Project runs on the popular library digitization platform, CONTENTdm, customized for local needs. I think all of these projects are great examples of what the OCLC Environmental Scan identified as an important new role for public libraries: the opportunity to be "the aggregator of community information" and specialize on local grey literature.

Implementing Commercial Solutions
Not every problem requires the invention of a new wheel. One of the greatest commercial solutions to a common library problem is the Polaris Wireless Access Manager. Patty Fonseca and Matt Naylor of Clark County Public Library gave a presentation that went far beyond being a commercial; they covered the many reasons why a solution was necessary, and gave a detailed explanation of their experience implementing this solution. I was most impressed with the patron information flier they created, and the other promotional steps they took to get community buy-in.

Similarly, Dave Mezack's presentation about implementing a "Voice over IP" system at Clermont County highlighted not the technology work but the management work necessary. He made a great business case for the technology, but told a more compelling story of how implementing such a system doesn't just involve tech work, but a great deal of planning and preparation.

Award for Most Disappointing Presentation
Most disappointing for me was the presentation about downloadable, digital audiobooks. This audience didn't need an explanation of what they are; we all know by now the general landscape of this service. What we needed to hear is what Clark and Clermont County provided: tales from the trenches. What should we consider before implementing? What pitfalls did you encounter and how should we avoid them? There's plenty of controversy about these new services; I am particularly taken with Jenny Levine's tales of digital rights management woes. Shouldn't we be made aware of the issues? Shouldn't we be enjoined to advocate for better services from the providers?

Award for Most Educational
Always always always listen to Laura Solomon when she has something to say. Her presentation wasn't just a description of the RSS feeds she implemented for Cleveland Heights-University Heights; it was a demo and tutorial of how each of us can make RSS work for us. The audience was riveted.

Yarmando Develops a New Pet Peeve
Too many presentations began with disclaimers: "I am not a techie." It's time library workers stopped saying that. Information technology cannot be separated from the day to day business of libraries; like it or not, we are all techies now. Programs like the Right Click are terrific opportunities for all walks of the library community to come together, share our experiences, see what others are up to, and (if necessary) find ways of coping with being a reluctant techie.

Exhibits: "Comic Revolutions" and "Graphic Storytelling"

2005-08-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

Right now, at least two libraries have exhibitions running which cover comics/graphic novels/manga. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has Comic Revolutions: Underground Comix, Graphic Novels, & Manga, an exhibit accompanied by some programs and workshops this fall. And in the other corner, the Cleveland Public Library has "GRAPHIC STORYTELLING from Asterix to ZAP and beyond," a showcase of the importance of comics to culture, and of the Ohioans who have made significant contributions.

Billionth holding in WorldCat placed by Ohio library

2005-08-15T09:50:00.000-05:00

My dad used to get me ridiculously excited over such things as the odometer turning over. It caused me to grow up entering things in my journal like, "Today is 12/12, and the time is 12:12, and I'm at 1212 Dennison Avenue."

So it probably comes as no surprise that I'm excited about the billionth holding entered into OCLC's WorldCat union catalog. And it's great that it was the fantastic Worthington Library that won the sprint. But I notice that SEO and Middletown were doing their best to win the crown.

Garage bands @ the library

2005-08-02T06:05:00.000-05:00

For two years running, the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library has held Garage Rock, a summer concert series that features local musicians in their parking garage. "So far two buildings have complained about the noise," Chris Kozack, media relations officer for the library, told the Independent Collegian, "so I figure we have to be doing something right."

I love concerts in and at the library. The Grandview Heights Public Library holds Music on the Lawn concerts every summer, and Music in the Atrium the rest of the year. A quick Google search turns up other concerts in libraries, including Marietta, Upper Arlington, and Niles.

Sentenced to read

2005-07-27T05:51:00.000-05:00

Wood County Common Pleas Judge Alan Mayberry ordered a Perrysburg township woman to perform an innovative community service duty: spend 200 hours at the library reading to her children. Staff at the Wood County District Public Library will verify for the probation department the hours spent at the library, and will help defendents select the books for reading.

Fitness at the library

2005-07-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

You can always find fitness books and probably videos too at the library. (I don't think I've ever fully recovered from trying out the TaeBo videos I checked out in the late 90's). But Cincinnati is going a step further, landing a grant for fitness activities as part of the national Get Real, Get Fit program.

One colleague said, "I hope this doesn't mean treadmills instead of chairs in front of the Internet computer stations and in the periodicals dept!!!" Intriguing idea, though. But then would libraries also have to locker rooms and showers for the exercising reader?

Grant for Cuyahoga County Public Library

2005-07-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Skirball Foundation has awarded the Cuyahoga County Public Library a grant to support author appearances at Cleveland's Playhouse Square. The new William N. Skirball Writers Center Stage Series brings high profile authors to Playhouse Square for public events, and ticket sales will benefit the library's foundation. This year's series features Pat Conroy, Alexander McCall Smith, Jane Smiley, and Anna Quindlen, telling their stories and answering questions from the audience.

Nothing connects me to a writer like seeing her in person. Congratulations to CCPL for securing money for this fantastic cultural opportunity.

The Choir

2005-07-15T06:20:00.000-05:00

The kickoff event for the Ohio library "One Book, Five Landscapes, Six Partners, Endless Possibilities" project was held yesterday at the Kilgour Theater at OCLC. 144 people had signed up to attend one of the two sessions, to listen to George Needham outline the 2003 OCLC Environmental Scan and begin a discussion of the future of library services.

I love events like this. I love it when libraries come together to imagine their grand futures and the immediate steps they can take to get there. Mark Mabelitini of Westerville Public Library noted that George was preaching to the choir -- "We should all be wearing robes," he said -- but don't we all enjoy a really good choir performing at its best?

The main highlight for me was the recognition that Google's mission statement, "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," is a library mission statement. So what does that mean? So many people think it puts libraries in competition with Google. That is a bad strategy. We can't compete with Google: we will lose and we will lose bad.

So what do we do instead? We put our services where the people are. That's what OCLC did. They put found a way to put WorldCat into the results list of the popular Internet search services. What other services do libraries provide that can be put into Google results, or plugged into the workstations and daily workflows of users? That's only one of the questions that will be posed and turned over and reworked and brainstormed over the next couple months on the "One Book" discussion board at WebJunction. Check it out.

[And while you're waiting for the discussion to get started, read Library Geek's take on the event].

East Cleveland hits high note with library's arts center

2005-07-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

East Cleveland hits high note with library's arts center

Greg Reese has kept a free Sunday concert series of Jazz and Blues going at the East Cleveland Public Library for decades. Now he's being honored by having the library's concert hall named after him. The Greg L. Reese Performing Arts Center is part of a terrific new addition: the Debra Ann November Learning Center, containing not only the performance hall but a new computer lab, new children's department, and a Black Heritage Collection room."

Book themed parties

2005-07-12T06:10:00.000-05:00

Following the example of a popular bookstore program, the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library will stay open late Friday to celebrate the release of the sixth installment of the popular Harry Potter books.

Such book-themed parties are great fun, even when they're not held late at night. The Bucyrus Public Library is notable for their successful programs based on children's books. They've hosted parties about Lemony Snicket, Bob the Builder, Captain Underpants, and old favorites like Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Polar Express. Rumor has it they're putting one together for the Magic Tree House series, to be held in September.

These programs are the work of Bucyrus's children's librarian Barbara Scott, who welcomes questions about the programs at barbarascott@hotmail.com.

Why Innovate?

2005-07-11T12:50:00.000-05:00

The perpetual tension of technology in libraries: should technology be solely in the service of enhancing library services, or should the technology be explored as a catalyst for innovation in services? This a theme underlying Laura Solomon's new blog, Library Geek Woes. In her latest post, Laura laments that library technology is not backed up by a business plan, that no one asks "Why do we want this new technology?"

It's a balancing act, I think. I have a lot of respect for libraries that push for innovation. Maybe you don't have a clear picture of where you will end up or even why exactly you want to go there, but you have faith in your sense that it's the right direction to go.

That's why OPLIN gives an annual award to libraries for Innovation in Network-Delivered Services. We've given awards to CLEVNET for KnowItNow, the virtual reference system that now is available to all Ohio residents, and their pioneering work with OverDrive to create circulating ebook collections. We've also given awards to the NOLA Regional Library System (a perpetual innovator) for their ListenOhio project (one of the first to bring digital audiobooks to library services), and to the Portage County District Library for their Library Express project.

Yeah, these projects were spearheaded by visionary directors and managers who understood how the "cool technology" served a clear business plan, and that's why they're deserving of an award. But I still applaud the courage of innovators without the clear vision of where they're going, and would love to give the award to a project that failed. And sometimes it's better not to ask "Why?" if asking is just a kneejerk excuse not to move forward.

Dull name; great resource

2005-07-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

No one would want to go explore something called "LearningExpress Library," and the company's old name, Learn-A-Test, isn't much better.

But trust me, it's great. And thanks to the coordinating efforts of State Librarian Jo Budler, it's available to all Ohioans, and there's something for everyone there.

Prepare for the GED, or practice college entrance exams like the SAT, MCAT, or LSAT.

Starting a new career? There are tools to help build your resume, and practice tests for Cosmetologists, Firefighters, Real Estate Brokers, Paramedics, Postal Workers, and more.

Plus tons of help to build skills for school proficiency exams: Algebra, Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Biology, Writing....

Visit your library to set up an account and get started. OPLIN created a Quickstart Guide to get you on the right path.

Another Ohio library RSS feed

2005-07-08T15:25:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati has a great explanation of RSS feeds (and their own collection of feeds) at http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/feeds/. Check out their offerings:

[Update]
Hubbard Public Library has a feed too. http://www.beyond-books.org/feed.xml

The examples of others

2005-07-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

The State of Rhode Island Office of Library and Information services has a blog: Rhodarian. I saw it mentioned on LISNews.com, and was immediately ashamed at how remiss I've been in updating this site. I'm wasting its potential.

Idaho and Indiana have blogs, too. Utah used to.

Endeavoring to do better....

Whatzit?

2005-05-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

Readers' Advisory.

That's a librarian phrase if ever there was one. What does it mean? The Massillon Public Library says "We're here to help you find a good book to read." They back it up with an excellent collection of Web tools, book lists, databases such as Novelist and Ohio's chat readers' service Read This Now.

Better yet, Cleveland Heights/University Heights Public Library just calls it "Find a Good Book." Click on that and you're taken to a similar set of set of book lovers' tools and some unique interactive tools from the CHUH R.A.T.S. (that's the Readers Advisory Team Services staff). Users can use the RATS Blog to share reviews or use the Reserve Club to be alerted when favorite author's publish.

The CHUH RATS say "Recommending good books to readers is one of the most important duties of a librarian. We call this readers' advisory."

Whatever. By any name, online or face to face, finding good books is the best part of any library.

Traveling

2005-04-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

We've been on the road a lot recently, and like most people spent much of our time off in libraries. (You do all hang out in research libraries when you travel, don't you? You don't? How odd! )

In the past year we've noticed a new trend--many libraries charge out of district, out of state or, in the case of association and private libraries, non-members fees. We first encountered this a year ago and this past week encountered it again. When a library, particularly a public library, is supported with tax dollars, I have no problem paying fees as an outsider (aka non-taxpayer), especially, as is usually the case when we are using special collections. The same is true of collections put together by membership organizations. The lines blur, however, and there are serious philosophical questions that arise when a quasi public agency (can you hear me Ohio Historical Society) takes public money, takes public manuscripts and then charges taxpayers in their own state a fee for documents. The tax payer gets it coming and going.

This is not a situation one is likely to encounter in an Ohio public library let me just say, even if you are from out of state. Good for us!

Worthington Libraries Community Breakfast

2005-04-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

I represented OPLIN today at the community breakfast celebrating National Library Week at the Old Worthington Library. What a fantastic event: library friends, volunteers, staff, trustees, customers and partners all gathering to celebrate libraries in general and Worthington Libraries in particular. Even though the news is bleak -- Worthington could lose $1.1 million annually, roughly the same amount as they spend on library materials -- the love of this community for its library is strong, and the enthusiasm of director Meribah Mansfield is infectious.

I ran into George Needham of OCLC and the "It's All Good" blog. Because of BlogLines, I'd already read his most recent post wondering whether non-dynamic libraries have a future (and the failure of leadership that creates a non-dynamic library). I think at the Worthington community breakfast we saw a very dynamic library, with stellar leadership, struggling to stay dynamic in the face of a severe funding crisis.

Big thanks to the "Friends of Worthington Libraries" for sponsoring the event. Good banana bread, and delicious coffee!

I Can Do It Myself

2005-03-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

I tend to be on the independent side. My family can affirm that "I can do it myself..." has been my battle-cry since I was a toddler. That may be why I check out my own groceries at Kroger, never mind pumping my own gas, and absolutely love self check-out at the library.

No waiting in line for this person. Pick my reserves off the shelf, type in my library card number (no fishing in the wallet for me), a quick scan and I'm out the door. If I need help (and I'm willing to admit it) it is always close by. Mostly I say, "No thanks. I can do it myself."

Library Hotline reported that Columbus Metropolitan Library is experiencing higher circulation since they expanded self-check. I don't know about that. I'm just grateful they let me do it.

Shelf Browsing

2005-03-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a lunch-time library surfer.

Browsing the Web catalog links me to much more material than I can find on the shelf at a library branch. It also shows me book covers and offers multiple formats in one place. I can browse by title, author or subject. I can also take a call number, if I know one, and browse all the items in any format that would be next to one another on the shelf, if all the items in the system were in and were on one shelf in one building. I can do it when I want wherever I am.

Do I miss browsing the actual shelves? Not really. I can do that if I want to, too. Sometimes I go to the brick-and-mortor library because sitting among the shelves is a great stress reducer. Besides, I can always find a librarian if I need one.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

2005-03-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

I recently visited the Clark County Public Library to do some training. It was a neat place. But what really caught my attention were the nifty covers they had installed over the fluorescent light fixtures in their technology and technical services area. They looked like skylights, with views of a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds.

Now, CCPL's cataloging and IT staff have real windows, but even with real daylight these covers altered the ambience of the room. They would definitely make great accessories for windowless offices (like those at OPLIN, he hints, hoping Carol Roddy is reading).

Delivering Da Goods

2005-03-16T14:57:00.001-05:00

I was reminded the other day of another way in which Ohio Public Libraries simply deliver the goods. A letter to the editor complained--at length-- about a Web site supported in part by public money that lured visitors to indexes on the Web but required that they send a check--snail mail-- in order to receive print copy of a record. You have to wonder why they can't just deliver da goods.

A number of my favorite digital library projects leapt to mind. Preble County Public Library for example, has a searchable index of obituaries, vital records, court records, court and military records and other primary source material associated with the county that delivers the actual record. Grandview Heights Public Library manages a searchable index of Grandview High School yearbooks from 1915 to 2000 that delivers that actual page on which the reference is found.

The micro-historian in me is delighted with the wealth in local collections that can be made available directly to Ohio residents--and the World--by our public libraries. (OK, the ugly truth is out, Roddy is a genealogist. ) The public manager in me is more sober. The costs and the policy issues associated with digitizing any given set of records can be prohibitive. We do our humble best, and our best can be pretty darned good.

Heights Library XML Feed

2005-03-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

The new Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library website went live March 7, and as far as I know, this is the first Ohio library to offer an XML RSS feed of news from its site. (If I'm wrong, please post a comment to correct me!) And they offer not just one news feed, but two: library news and today's events.

Why is this cool? Because an increasingly popular way to gather news around the web is by using an RSS aggregator program. You choose your individual news sources (Wired, NPR, Astronomy Picture of the Day) and your aggregator program collects the information for you. This puts library news where growing numbers of our users want to find it.

MOLDI

2005-03-13T09:20:00.000-05:00

If you're going to create yet another library acronym, you might as well have fun with it. So I am a fan of MOLDI, the Mid-Ohio Library Digital Initiative. Nine central Ohio libraries have joined together to share a catalog of digital titles (text and audio) from OverDrive.

What's the big deal? It's not like OverDrive ebook collections are new (off the top of my head, CLEVNET, Wright Memorial, Youngstown, Cuyahoga County, and SEO all use OverDrive). The difference here is that the MOLDI partners do not share a single integrated library system, but are divided between three different systems. In the old days (last month), I had to search every single catalog separately to see whether a title was available in the format I prefer. MOLDI is a sign that those tedious barriers are breaking down.

Now the big question: will the MP3 player I bought last year play the Charles de Lint title I just checked out?

OH!Libraries: Spotlight on Ohio library services

Blog Down Due to Technical Difficulties

SERLS Ohio Library News Digest

SERLS Ohio Library News Digest

"Save Ginny Weasley from the Basilisk"

SERLS Ohio Library News Digest

SERLS Ohio Library News Digest

SERLS Ohio Library News Digest

SERLS Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

In case you missed the OLC Small Libraries Conference...

Programming Ideas Galore! from the OLC Small Libraries Conference

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

Library links in Wikipedia

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

Driving to Data

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

New cooperation: Search Ohio

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

OVAL Ohio Library News Digest

Tag cloud in Pennsylvania

Twinsburg wants to know "How the Library Changes Your World"

Lifehacker Library Articles

"And it is kind of cool that they have animal traps."

Present Problems?

The Big Picture

Innovation gets you noticed

Job Opening

Memorial Mosaic on Library Grounds

A library by any other name

Ohio's libraries on top again

New interfaces

Most popular searches

Automation

The Right Click v2.0

Exhibits: "Comic Revolutions" and "Graphic Storytelling"

Billionth holding in WorldCat placed by Ohio library

Garage bands @ the library

Sentenced to read

Fitness at the library

Grant for Cuyahoga County Public Library

The Choir

East Cleveland hits high note with library's arts center

Book themed parties

Why Innovate?

Dull name; great resource

Another Ohio library RSS feed

The examples of others

Whatzit?

Traveling

Worthington Libraries Community Breakfast

I Can Do It Myself

Shelf Browsing

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

Delivering Da Goods

Heights Library XML Feed

MOLDI