Archive for April, 2006

Yeah Yeah Yeahs meet my cell phone

Sunday, April 30th, 2006

Saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in concert at the Warfield. Probably one of the more entertaining shows I’ve been to in a while, as much for the band as the audience. As soon as Karen O strutted on stage out came the cell phones, the audience was awash in their soft blue glow, taking pictures and texting. The girl next to me was texting her friend throughout the concert, “where are you?”, “wasn’t that cool?”, “I’m so drunk.”

I tried to take a picture but considering I was in the next to last row my little Sony Ericsson camera couldn’t even get decent shot. I’m pretty sure most people were in the same boat but that didn’t stop them.

I realized then that keeping cell phones out of anywhere including libraries is impossible. They’re everywhere. It’s too bad that libraries haven’t figured out a good way to regulate their use, short of constantly “shushing” every infraction. I find it harder and harder to manage their use especially when people are chatting nearby. Ringers are a whole different story. Libraries should turn the quiet areas into faraday cages and call it a day.

Posted in pop.cult, sounds | 1 Comment »

Prop 81 Library Building Bond

Monday, April 24th, 2006

On this June’s ballot is an important proposition that aims to fund new libraries all over the state of California. If passed, Proposition 81: California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act of 2006 authorizes the state to sell $600 million in bonds to cover the construction of new libraries and library renovations in communities that have demonstrated a need. Money for projects is awarded through a grant process controlled by the California State Library.

Prop 81 continues the Library Bond Act of 2000 which resulted in 45 new library buildings adding over 1.5 million square feet in library space. Prop 81 gives us the opportunity to deliver 21st century library services to many more patrons, many of whom have never had a library in their community.

Links:
The Official Prop 81 Campaign Web Site ~ Yes for Libraries

Smart Voter~ Nonpartisan Election Information

Posted in library, politik | Comments Off

Coolest Question of the Day

Friday, April 21st, 2006

Censorship Causes Blindness

I usually don’t report on questions I get at the reference desk, but today I asked what one of our posters in the teen area meant by the phrase”Censorship causes blindness”. As soon as I explained it, her face lit up and she went in and stared at the poster.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Daily Show Authors

Wednesday, April 12th, 2006

In case you missed it… I nearly did. The Daily Show has a list of authors that have plugged their books with Jon Stewart. From the Daily Show website:

You are reading this because a) you can read, and b) you like to read. And because you saw a guest on the Daily Show talking about a book, and you said, “I can read, I like to read, and I might like to read that book.” That’s why we’ve gathered information about the book-related guests on the Daily Show, and packaged it up all nice and pretty for you. You’re welcome.

You can even watch the interview… Great for book clubs. I wonder if anyone is running a Fake News Club where a group of people could discuss a fake news story featured on the show.

Posted in books, pop.cult | Comments Off

Book Review: Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

Tuesday, April 11th, 2006

One of my favorite contributers to This American Life on NPR is Sarah Vowell. Whether she is trying to discover what it means to be “Goth” by dressing up and clubbing in San Francisco or dishing with Conan O’Brien, Vowell delights in a myriad of morbid fascinations with perky diatribes and witty, yet well researched exposés. She continues in the same vein in her latest book, Assassination Vacation, where she travels to famous, infamous, and not-so-famous tourist destinations associated with the assassinations of presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. The book is jam-packed with interesting historical trivia and amusing tales of her visits to tombs, plaques, and kitchy relics, bits of bone, tissue, and hair in museums and roadside attractions. The book is a funny, well-written reminder of the indelible traumas our nation has endured as well as our collective preference for venerating our heroes through velvet paintings and snow-globes.

Read this book!

Posted in books | Comments Off

Doh! SLIS Graduating Requirements Changing?

Thursday, April 6th, 2006

A lot of people are upset and worried that the graduate school is changing the “culminating experience.”

Doesn’t that sound like that should be a ride at Disneyland?… A small group of students enter a darkened room surrounded by imposing animatronic figures of Melvin Dewey and Ranganathan. A booming voice in overdramatic stereo announces “WELCOME! to the SLIS CULMINATING EXPERIENCE! Sit back! Immerse yourself in the final adventure of library school!” The only problem is everyone is standing and there are no chairs. Some sit down. Some pretend they are sitting back while asking everyone next to them if they are doing it right without realizing they are missing the show and the point. This is the end, the last ride before the park closes.

We have three options: write a thesis, a culminating project similar to a thesis, or option three, a culminating experience. In the past, it used to be that you would research and write two papers that were no more than 20 pages based on questions presented by faculty.

Now, with new competencies in place for Graduate Students in Library and Information Science, the school has chosen to add a component that more realistically reflects the competencies by having students submit a portfolio of work. I can’t think of a better way to present ourselves and prepare ourselves for the real world where our accomplishments mean more than our ability to answer two questions. This is something that we can take with us and tie back to the disciplines, ethics, and expectations of our profession.

Posted in slis - library school | Comments Off

Are Library Employees happy?

Thursday, April 6th, 2006

How engaged are library employees in their day to day work? Do we feel supported? Are we allowed to do our very best when it comes to doing our jobs?

Partly as a case study of my library management course and partly out of my own curiosity, I began surveying librarians, library employees, and library managers today about their perceptions of the workplace. It’s meant to be more than a neutral evaluation morale, but also snapshot of the library workplace climate. Being engaged in work is more than just about performance, but it’s about expectations of both the employees and the employers. It’s about how supported, developed and utilized employees feel. I know that this translates (especially over the long-term) to how librarians and library employees ultimately serve the public and feeds into public perceptions of us as “the library.” Hopefully at the end of this project I’ll have enough surveys to compare the library to some other industries and organizations.

Posted in library, management, slis - library school | Comments Off