Library Stuff

“The internet has already had a major impact on how people find and access information, and now the rising popularity of e-books is helping transform Americans’ reading habits. In this changing landscape, public libraries are trying to adjust their services to these new realities while still serving the needs of patrons who rely on more traditional resources. In a new survey of Americans’ attitudes and expectations for public libraries, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project finds that many library patrons are eager to see libraries’ digital services expand, yet also feel that print books remain important in the digital age.”

via Pew

The Guardian – “It’s a time of radical change for libraries. During the summer they were told by the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council and the Local Government Group to exploit digital technologies to survive the spending cuts. In a report on the government’s Future Libraries Programme the two bodies also argued that the latest IT developments present a huge opportunity for libraries to deliver more efficient and effective services. Allen Weiner, Gartner’s research vice president in the US, took a similar line when he shared his thoughts about the role of technology in libraries at the Re-Thinking Libraries event in London this November.”

WSJ – “From around the mid 1970s into the 1990s analog recording became popular and affordable. Photocopiers, audio and video cassette recorders may seem slow and cumbersome now, but then they put capabilities into the hands of individuals which had previously only been available to fairly large organizations.In the days of punk, photocopied “fanzines” spread the word. For other forms of music, home-made mix cassette tapes were often the chosen medium. At the time, their ephemeral nature was perhaps part of the attraction, but now people are beginning to look for ways to preserve examples of a past that often represents their youth.”

WSJ – “When the New-York Historical Society reopens to the public on Nov. 11, it will shun conventional museum policy and invite visitors to touch the objects in its new gallery. Some of them, anyway. A new series of interactive kiosks will invite people to experience the collections through touches, taps and swipes. The technology is part of a three-year, $65 million renovation project that aims to shake the dust off both the building and the organization, which houses the oldest museum in New York City.”

Toronto Star – “If they had a million dollars, they’d buy more time. But a vast online library doesn’t have that kind of cash, so it is drastically reducing its devoted workforce. Internet Archive Canada, a small non-profit company, fired 35 of its 47 employees on Wednesday due to a massive drop in donations. Most will leave Aug. 12 unless a white knight appears soon.”