The Independent Librarian

Sparks of genius and creativity - What?

2008-04-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

I found this very interesting because I know just how much tme is spent making staff conform and stick to the rules, protocols, policies? The "party line" is now more valuable to most library services than any wild card sparks of genius and creativity? More time is spent ensuring common practices and approaches are followed and I would guess very little in nurturing creativity.

This article highlights the critical interrelationships that exist between intrinsic motivation, leadership skill, and the individual employee, job, team and organizational contexts on employee creativity in the library.

While I applaud the sentiments I think we are very wrong if we assume that in general most library managers understand and encourage employee creativity (EC) in their libraries, the leadership skills required to accomplish increased EC are far from clear-cut and have not been addressed, to any great degree, in library literature.

Am I wrong again?

http://www.cilip.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/602F3BA8-EA54-4D77-A239-3A37DF5A3416/0/LibManagementvol29no32008Facilitatingemployees.pdf

The Power of Information Task force

2008-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

The Power of Information Task Force

Libraries look out! The UK government is to explore the ways that it can use social media to improve communication with its citizens. That’s great and I believe it is another opportunity for libraries to teach people the skills they need to be a part of this revolution.
A taskforce has been set up, the Power of Information Task Force, and will be chaired by political blogger Richard Allen. The team's members will be drawn from internet businesses, practitioners, the civil service, and public service bodies and I hope library and information professionals are in there. Its key goal is to "increase innovation and improve the way the Government shares information so ordinary people can develop online services that benefit their community."
Launching the taskforce cabinet officer Tom Watson said, "We need to listen and learn from the experts so we can satisfy people's desire for faster, better public services. I want to move quickly. With advice from the Task Force, we will get on with improving services for our citizens to match the pace of change."
The government will explore the use of online forums, the possibility of using mash-ups to encourage more user debate, and the possibility of advising civil servants on the use of social media sites and tools. We need to be involved!

http://www.iwr.co.uk/information-world-review/news/2213295/government-launches-social

Girl power in Japan

2008-04-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

Every day there seems to be a new way to communicate.

A new gadget in Japan is the Ubi-Wa. This gadget has 2 meanings one is "finger -ring" the other is "speak by finger". Its a ring that's a phone. It converts vibrartions which travel down your hand and arm bones into your ear canal and into speech you can understand.
Too futuristic and bizarre? Given rise in girl power spen in Japan it's only amatter of time before it's the new must have accessory here.

Red carpet in Gilmore St?

2008-04-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

It’s great that the Scottish Library and Information Council have arranged a screening of The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians through Film and I have a ticket!

It is the first full-length documentary film to focus on the work and lives of librarians. Using the entertaining and appealing context of American movies, the film will surprise many people who may think they know what librarians do.

I am tempted to get an Oscar party dress and along with my colleagues turn up on the red carpet to surprise the West of Scotland!

American movies contain so many examples of librarians and libraries on screen -- few positive, some very negative, some very funny and some offensive. Films such as Sophie's Choice, Philadelphia and the fabulous It's a Wonderful Life show librarians as negative stereotypes.

The librarians in Lorenzo's Oil, Desk Set and The Shawshank Redemption, on the other hand, are very clever, competent and professional. However there are many, many more fabulous and brilliant librarians, remarkable stories in real life Scottish libraries that we librarians keep quiet about ssshhh? http://www.slainte.org.uk/events/EvntShow.cfm?uEventID=1146

Kindling the future?

2008-04-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

I read today that teeenagers in Japan are hooked on mobile phone novels, with books being written especially for the small screen and sent in 1,600 character instalments. You probably think /hope? as I do that we in the west can't possibly part with our lovely dog-eared paper versions?

Well guess what? In the US Amazon have just launched their electronic book -the Kindle and it sold out within 4 weeks of going online.

Do those of us who think it will never replace the real thing (including me) need to have bit of a rethink? What are the implications for the future of libraries? Have you thought about it?

Maybe not in my lifetime but.......?

Zurich, Amsterdam, Chicago, Copenhagen, SOUTHWARK?

2008-04-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

I came across a fabulous picture of the multi-hued Peckham Library- a deliberately conspicuous symbol of the area's ongoing cultural regeneration.

It was part of a feature of BMI's Voyager magazine "Book and Learn - monuments to the written word"

Clearly sitting proudly alongside fabulous libraries in Zurich, Chicago, Copenhagen and Amsterdam and aimed at attracting visitors across the world I felt very proud as should the team and cmmunity of Southwark..

How can a seesaw light up Africa

2008-04-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

I was gobsmacked when I read of Daniel Sheridan's simple invention. How simple ? how cheap? how effective?

A grant of £5,500 means Daniel can turn children's playtime into something that can help. He came up with the idea of a seesaw which works by transferring the power created by the child moving on it to an electricity storage where it can be kept unitl needed. Five or ten minutesa day should generate enough electricity to light up a classroom for a whole evening. Next step is a whole playground to light up a whole village.

What a genius! Small amount of money for so much impact Well done Daniel.

2008-04-06T04:41:00.001-07:00

Love quotations

2008-04-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

I do love quotations and I think this one by William Pollard is particularly appropriate.

“Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized,

processed , and available to the right people in a format for decision making,

it is a burden, not a benefit.”

Any good quotations for me?

A labour of love

2008-04-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

East Renfrewshire is home to the largest Jewish Population in Scotland.

Our holocaust project was about developing a website and a CDROM based on survivors testimonies. However it became so much more than that. It was a labour of love as we learned the first hand harrowing testimonies of the survivors.

We pulled together all the skills library staff are good at - our research, content development, community involvement and web skills were all put to best use.

It was an innovative way to empower and develop the community. It was a runner up in “Libraries change lives “Award and was well received throughout the world

It was technology, content development best used to benefit and educate the community. We added value with exhibitions, book lists and survivors talks in libraries. We had enquiries from all round the world.

Not only did we deliver on this project but we did it with real impact, flair and to a very high standard (If I say so myself!)

At one time I believe it would have been unthinkable for library services to be involved in anything like this project - this let alone lead .Please read my paper in Library Review at :http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1502329

Morphed

2008-04-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

As libraries have evolved to meet new challenges and embraced technology so have the skills and expertise of our staff. We have built on our core competencies and on our experiences. Now, I believe, we have developed into a very valuable new breed equipped to bring the profession to the forefront of the knowledge economy, in which information is the new currency.

As a profession we have a reputation as effective communicators and facilitators, We are good at liaison and team working. We have excellent customer-facing skills. We are approachable, flexible and keen to help.

Despite widespread use of the internet and its supposed user-friendliness, people need significantly more guidance in using electronic resources than they did in using a library of print materials.

The skills of library staff are more valuable than ever. You have an opportunity to deliver innovative, creative, effective information and learning options.

Innovation and transformation

2008-04-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

The public sector is routinely accused of an inability or an unwillingness to innovate and transform. Yet innovation and transformation in many library services I know is just simply core business now.

Public sector organisations are increasingly operating like the commercial sector, facing unprecedented pressure to improve service quality while progressively lowering costs. Striving to become more accountable, customer focused and responsive to stakeholder needs in a climate of shrinking budgets and resources means librarry managers have to be good, have to manage like the best private sector managers.

In my view perfection is the unique alliance of public sector values with excellence in skills, behaviours and creativity usually attributed only to the private sector

What do you think?

Excitement and libraries

2008-04-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

No it's not an oxymoron for millions of us!

I had the pleasure of working with a wonderful young woman for a short time - Christine Rooney-Browne. I just heard today that she is speaking at the 74th IFLA General Conference and Council in Québec, Canada this year and I am so pleased for her.

Her presentation is entitled : “Enabling access to the global library - Small is Beautiful:" I am just so sorry that I won't be there to hear her.

Not only did it give me such pleasure to see her success it reminded me if the intense excitement I felt when I delivered a paper at IFLA in Argentina on my work with the Holocaust project in East Renfrewshire.

I look forward to seeing more of Christine's work over the coming years! Boring library work? I think not

The quiet revolution

2008-04-05T04:41:00.000-07:00

Darwin said

"Its not the strongest of the species that survives, but rather the ones most responsive to change"

How true this is! I think back to the days when I worked with little cards and a Browne issue and then on my career implementing Content Management Systems, working with the Scottish Government on interoperability standards. Developing learning centres, web content and access to electronic resources.

We created a " new industrial revolution" when Libraries quietly - too quietly? went through a huge transformation with the People's Network implementing innovative new technology that we and all now take for granted

responsive to change? ??????

Order out of chaos

2008-04-05T03:38:00.000-07:00

I have changed jobs very recently and my work as Business Development Manager with Talis is now very,very different. However what struck me on another blog was the impact on me of a powerful image of a devastated library in Soviet Union with the stock strewn across the floor.

I had this very urgent, basic instinct to create order out of chaos. I felt quite sad and annoyed with myself that I had been moved in the past by stories of Rumanian orphanages and never felt the real urge to get up and go help. However here I am with the real urge to gather more some similarly sad people and ride to the rescue.

Guess it's in the blood and I have been a librarian for far too long now