Support Increase in Library Funding TODAY

The New York State Legislature is involved in budget negotiations today that could result in a state-wide increase in library funding. If you would like to express support for this funding, there is an easy, online way to contact your local representatives via the NYLA website: Contact Your Elected Officials! It only takes a minute, I promise. Thanks for your time!

For more information about Library Advocacy in New York State, visit the Advocacy Resources at NYLA.

I saw this coming…did you?

SirsiDynix announces new technology platform. Forget Unicorn, forget Horizon, they’re merging to create “Rome.” Given what happened to that empire, I might have chosen a different name. And given my experience with Horizon, I can’t say I’m thinking this is a good thing. I don’t want to know what our patrons will do when they find out we’re migrating again, because either way, we will be. What do you think?

Nylink Annual Meeting: It’s a Mashed-Up World

“It’s a Mashed-Up World: Current and Emerging Technology Trends”

Wednesday, May 9 – Thursday, May 10
Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa
Saratoga Springs, New York

Shaping the next stage of library services, resources and organization will involve anticipation, collaboration, participation and mobilization. Nylink is pleased to present a group of leading thinkers, researchers and technology professionals to address trends, challenges and opportunities that influence the lives of library users and the library’s role in the cultural commons.

For more information go to NYLINK Annual Meeting 2007.

New Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Database

via NYLINE listserv

The New York State Department of Labor has produced a database of science, technology, engineering and mathematics resources for school-aged children and their teachers as part of their CareerZone web site. The resource called Innovate for Teens is located at:

http://www.nycareerzone.org/graphic/stem

and contains hundreds of listings of workshops, summer camps, internships, and games and activities appropriate to various ages. There are also links to the CareerZone job descriptions of the many occupations which use science, technology, and mathematics skills.

The Teacher materials include externships and sources for professional development for math and science teachers, as well as lesson plans and curriculum enhancement programs.

This web site is constantly being updated, so check back often. Also, if you know of any workshops, camps or internships in your area that we have missed and that have a web site (this database is strictly web-based), please let me know and I will pass the information along to the appropriate staff. You can also reach the CareerZone team by phone at 518-457-4234 or by e-mail at support@nycareerzone.org .

Social Libraries: The 2.0 Phenomenon: An Interactive Workshop

via the Upstate New York Chapter of Special Libraries Association (UNYSLA):

The Upstate New York Chapter of SLA Presents:
A day with Stephen Abram

Friday – April 27, 2007
Kate Gleason Auditorium
Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building, Rochester Central Library
Rochester, NY

The social web is coming fast and it’s BIG! What are the skills and competencies that Library 2.0 will need?

Come and hear what Web 2.0 is and the adaptations we’ll need to make to thrive in the future. Are we focusing on the real end user’s needs?

Are we serving our users in the world that will be or the one that was? The new user is different, very different. This workshop will define and explore the current state of this world and then facilitate a brainstorming session of the potential for these tools in your enterprise. Be prepared to listen, learn, work and participate.

Stephen Abram, MLS a library futurist and president-elect of SLA, will run us through the changes that are being wrought on today’s roller-coaster! He will then lead our groups through valuable discussions and learning to bring these back and apply the learning in our organization context.

For more details and registration information, visit the UNYSLA Spring Meeting Annoucement.

CONSER’s Advanced Serials Cataloging Workshop

Workshop Logistics:
May 16 & 17 in Albany at the Nylink offices

May 23 & 24 at Mid-Manhattan Library

Each two day workshop runs from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 pm. Registration and check-in starts at 8:30 a.m.

Course Description:

An in-depth course on the rules and practices applied to original cataloging of serials. While the course focuses on printed serials, the instructions are applicable to serials in any format.

Course topics include:

• What is a serial in the revised scope of AACR2 and how do serials compare to monographs and integrating resources.
• An area-by-area approach to the cataloging of serials, including some of the more complex aspects: uniform titles, links, designations, and title transcription.
• Cataloging of special kinds of serials: supplements, cumulations, reprints, microform reproductions, and conference publications.
• Major and minor changes, particularly what constitutes a major title change in the revised rules.
• Discussion of how serial records are used in libraries and displayed in library OPACs.

Audience:
This workshop is designed for catalogers who perform original cataloging of serials in any format or extensive editing of copy. Attendees should have some experience with original cataloging of serials or copy cataloging or at least have taken the Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop.

Instructors:

• Marguerite (Maggie) Horn is Library Systems Implementation Specialist at the SUNY Office of Library and Information Services. She as over 30 years experience as a serials cataloger and has worked as a trainer for SCCTP (Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program) since inception.
• Gretchen Yealy has worked as a serials cataloger at Brown University since 1981 and has been an associate contributor to the CONSER program since 2000. She has also worked as a trainer for SCCTP since its inception.

Free Wireless Internet Access At Thruway’s 27 Travel Plazas

 The New York State Thruway Authority has announced today that free Wireless Internet Service (Wi-Fi) access is now available to motorists at all 27 Thruway Travel Plazas conveniently located along the 641 mile superhighway. The Wi-Fi system provides free Internet access to customers who visit the Travel Plazas with Wi-Fi enabled devices.

Read the full press release here.

Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment

via ResourceShelf

I thought this might be interesting for anyone looking to evaluate or develop a digital preservation project. This is a pretty large document (221p.) but it does contain a lot of good guidelines on what aspects you should look up before starting a digital preservation project. Here’s a blurb from the Digital Curation Centre web site:

The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) and DigitalPreservationEurope (DPE) are delighted to announce the release of the Digital Repository Audit Method Based on Risk Assessment (DRAMBORA) toolkit. This toolkit is intended to facilitate internal audit by providing repository administrators with a means to assess their capabilities, identify their weaknesses, and recognise their strengths. Digital repositories are still in their infancy and this model is designed to be responsive to the rapidly developing landscape. The development of the toolkit follows a concentrated period of repository pilot audits undertaken by the DCC, conducted at a diverse range of organisations including national libraries, scientific data centres and cultural and heritage data archives.

You can download the toolkit here, but it requires a quick registration on the top right corner.

NYLA SMART Spring Workshop – Cataloging 411

or “How I learned that catalogers are NOT trying to make my life difficult!”

Date and Location:

May 9, 2007 – 9:00 AM ~ 4:00 PM
Pioneer Library System
2557 State Rt. 21
Canandaigua, NY 14424 (map)

This is a basic introduction to cataloging, covering four elements: content (AACR2), communication (MARC), classification (subject headings, call numbers), and presentation (the catalog). The workshop will be a mix of presentations and hands-on exercises, with a focus on monographic cataloging. Participants will learn to be more comfortable in the cataloging environment. Those who are not catalogers will learn how their catalogs work and why the catalog works the way it doe. This program is appropriate for anyone looking to refresh or acquire basic cataloging skills.

Presenters:

• Marguerite E. Horn, Library Systems Implementation Specialist, Office of Library and Information Services, SUNY
• John F. Myers, Catalog Librarian, Union College

To Register:

You may register online at http://pls-net.org/calendar/detailed.htm#748 (Look for the Cataloging 411 Event on the page).

OR

You can fill out and mail the following form: SMART Spring Workshop 2007 (.doc)

Ten Tech Trends for Librarians 2007

Michael Stephens is very active in promoting technology in the librarian field, and has become a prominent name in the Library 2.0 world. He publishes the blog “Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology“, but he just published his annual top tech trends for librarians for 2007.

What ever your opinion is about new technologies, this makes for a good read about the changing trends in technology that all librarians should be aware of. Its a bit of a long post, but it is a good summary of the current philosophies in the Library 2.0 concept.

One of the things that was a shock to me was that McMaster University Library “got out of the cataloging business” and has shifted their catalogers to other departments. It was also interesting to see the new positions being created at the McMaster University Library (see descriptions here). My role as the “Emerging Technology Librarian” at Buffalo State College is similar to the “Digital Strategies Librarian” position they are looking for. I am involved in various technology initiatives on my campus that include:

• Maintaining our library blog which I started last year. Now its our main resource for news and events information at our library. My next step is to figure out ways to get more comments from the campus community.
• Maintain the Instant Messaging Reference, which I currently do on my own, just to see if students would use it. This was not really advertised and it was quietly added to the list of Reference Help last fall. I currently get 10~20 questions a month, though traffic has been increasing as more people find out about it.
• Participate in a new project to develop a Buffalo State College presence in the virtual world of Second Life. I became involved because I was already looking at Second Life to see how our library can participate as well.

In the ever evolving world of technology, its good to have someone that maintains an awareness of current trends in technology, and keep everyone else in your organization aware of trends that affect the future of your library.