Librarians Give Permanence to Twitter
Posted On Apr 1 2010As is often the case, librarians rush in where the less organized fear to tread. At a recent LITA Camp event, a bright librarian pointed out a method for preserving event-based Twitter posts. Apparently this inspired a small handful of clever librarians with a cataloging bent. What is happening to the historical record as created by millions of tweets? No need to fear, the librarians are here. In an effort supported by the Mellon Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the American Library Association, generous funding will ensure that catalog records are created for historically, culturally, and particularly …
Overdue Stimulation
Posted On Apr 1 2009In a move that is still resonating throughout the library community, the Obama Administration announced that it would be granting nation-wide amnesty to library patrons with overdue books and fines. What this means for the financial bottom line in libraries remains uncertain. One thing’s for sure–libraries won’t hear the cha-ching of the circulation desk cash drawer for some time to come. “Libraries already have a tough time collecting these fines,” commented an Administration official who added, “Getting Americans to spend that money in stores will certainly do more to stimulate the economy.” Neither the American Library Association nor any of …
At Last
Posted On Apr 1 2008Well after only twelve weeks with OCLC, I’m proud to say that I received fantastic support for my first business plan presented to the strategic leadership team. I thought this was going to be a hard sell, but its overwhelming support among libraries was what really pushed things over the top. I take seriously OCLC’s commitment to reduce costs for libraries, so I wanted to build a solution that would both shake things up and save more than just a buck. I have proposed that OCLC begin mass production of card-catalog cards, along with due-date cards and pockets. The first …