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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.Libology Blog
Established July 2006
ISSN: 1946-1852
by Rick Mason
Category Archives: Libraries
The 7-per-cent Self-Checkout Solution
The Kirkendall Public Library in Ankeny, Iowa wanted to install a self-checkout system. The $23,000 price tag meant that, at best, they would need to wait until they could raise the money to purchase the system. Eric Melton, circulation librarian … Continue reading
Posted in ILS, Libraries, News, Software
Tagged Ankeny Iowa, Business/Finance, Iowa, Kirkendall Public Library, Self checkout, self-check, tech support, technology
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Change and Trust
Bill Mayer, the University Librarian at American University, has been implementing some fairly radical (for libraries) changes in how the library exists on campus and interacts with the university community: Next Steps : Change at American University I really don’t … Continue reading
Posted in Libraries, Periodicals
Tagged American University, Bill Mayer, change, community, Libraries, Periodicals, Trust
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An Argument for Free High Speed Internet
As the economy continues to remain weak and budgets tighten for public libraries, here is a study that should encourage any community of the value of high speed internet access via their libraries: Internet Use and Job Search (pdf) In … Continue reading
Posted in Libraries, News, Online Services, Training
Tagged Broadband Internet access, Business/Finance, Communication, economy, high-speed internet access, Internet, job search, Labor, Social Issues, technology, Telecommunications, unemployment
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Award Winners
The American Library Association has announced the winners for their many youth categories: Literary Award Winners There are more categ0ries than I remember… scanning through the lists reveals many interesting titles.
Ben & Jerry’s Grant Opportunity
This is a fantastic opportunity for the right organizations with the right ideas: Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Note that in their Funding Priorities, they limit grants to “grassroots, constituent-led organizations that are organizing for systemic social change”, so this would … Continue reading
Posted in Groups, Libraries
Tagged Ben & Jerry's, Community organizing, foundation, Friends, grant, Grassroots, OhioLINK
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Anatomy of a Catalog Record
The American Antiquary Society has a great visual reference on the Anatomy of a Catalog Record: found via Catalogablog
Posted in Books, Cataloging, Libraries, Training
Tagged American Antiquary Society, catalog record, Cataloging, Libraries, Training
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Top Ten Customer Service Skills for Library Staff
ALA Learning’s Top Ten Customer Service Skills for Library Staff is not only a great review of those habits that can make us more effective when we interact with the public, but are also good reminders of what we can … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics, Libraries
Tagged ALA, ALA Learning, customer service, Libraries, Library, library staff
3 Comments
Library Website Fails
I see these types of messages all the time on library-related websites, and I agree that it sends the message that those who manage those sites don’t have a good grasp of current web technology: Time to Update? by David … Continue reading
Posted in ILS, Libraries, Online Services, OPAC, Web Design
Tagged ILS, Libraries, OPAC, Web Design, web technology
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OCLC Policies Directory Preview
OCLC is previewing their new Policies Directory site, which is set to go live on December 13th. To try it out, point your browser to: https://policies-preview.oclc.org/ Authorization: 100028264 Password: oclc Be sure to enter your OCLC Institution Symbol to view … Continue reading
Posted in ILL, Libraries, OCLC, Online Services
Tagged ILL, Interlibrary Loan, Libraries, OCLC, Online Computer Library Center
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How College Students Seek Information in the Digital Age
How College Students Seek Information in the Digital Age (pdf) is a report from Project Information Literacy, maintained by the Information School at the University of Washington that contains a few surprises for libraries: Course readings were the first place … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Libraries, Online Databases, Online Services, OPAC, Search
Tagged academic libraries, Bill Drew, Education, Free Range Librarian, Libraries, Library, Statistics, students
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SSNs @ Your Library?
My former place of work (FPOW) used to have Social Security numbers as college ID numbers, which were written on book checkout cards. About ten years ago, we switched to an ILS and began generating in-house ID numbers for students. … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Ethics, ILS, Libraries, News
Tagged Ethics, Identity theft, ILS, News, Social Security number, University of Toledo
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APA Offers to Replace 6th Edition of Style Manual
For the background on this issue, see Quis custodiet isos custodes. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the American Psychological Association has decided to offer copies of the second printing of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Education, Language, Libraries, News, Publishing
Tagged American Psychological Association, APA, Bill Drew, Facebook, Inside Higher Ed, social networks, the Chronicle of Higher Education;
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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
The title is latin for “Who watches the watchers?” The American Psychological Association’s current style book, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed., contains dozens of errors, several of them in examples and sample papers. Needless to say, … Continue reading
Maximizing Eureka Moments
Want to Innovate? Stop Working So Hard is a post on Librarian by Day by Bobbi Newman that reminds us that the ideas most likely to transform the way we work tend to come at moments of relaxation. Not convinced? … Continue reading
Posted in Libraries
Tagged Bobbi Newman, eureka, innovation, Libraries, Work
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