The Book Bindery Tragedy

One of my courses recently led me on a tour of our local book bindery.  What is a book bindery?  It is a place where new books, historical books, sentimental books, or books that will take a lot of abuse are taken to be given a quality, hard cover.  This will greatly increase the quality and life of the book.  But book binding is a dying industry.  This company was started in 1969 and while it may always have a niche market, it's bread and butter, the public and school libraries, are struggling with budget cuts and are having fewer and fewer books professionally bound.  The following is my report on the tour and at the end are examples of ways similar industries are being saved around the world.

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The book bindery tour was intriguing to me.  It seemed as though we were walking into a Shakespearean tragedy, where you know it wouldn’t end well, but the characters pushed forward, nonetheless.  It was like an artist’s studio; tactile and colourful and messy, but with bits of inspiration scattered everywhere you looked.  Huge rolls of cloth and leather hibernating on deep, dusty shelves.  Bands of gold and silver leaf lighting up a dark wall.  Foreboding machines, dangerous in their blades and heat and rollers and glue, dotting the workspace and declaring their territory, “I am Guillotine, hear me roar.”  Stacks of books-in-process, fragile in their naked cover-less-ness.  And you could not miss the women.  Scattered throughout office and workspace alike, comically grotesque in their paper-collage beauty.

As our guide described the slow decline of a once thriving industry, I felt the urge to thresh some wheat, ride a horse, sew by hand, whittle something.  Anything to keep the past more relevant.  To make sure we cherish the beginning from which we came.  But cheap and shiny and manufactured seem to accompany all things new and the traditional methods are often left to fend for themselves. 

But why such a dark prediction in sentence number two?  Take the stained glass industry.  For hundreds of years stained glass fell out of favour.  The families who spent generations perfecting their methods died out or moved on to new and different things and colour recipes were lost.  Now there are colours of glass that modern technology has never been able to reproduce.  They are lost to us for good. 

As people demand lower prices, books must be produced for a lower cost.  Poorer quality books don’t last as long, so libraries, schools and bookstores can’t justify the cost of having them properly bound.  Poorly bound books fall apart and need to be replaced more frequently which causes people to demand lower prices.  And the fewer books that are professionally bound, the more suppliers shut down, thus increasing the cost of binding books in the first place.  The vicious cycle in which the book binding industry is caught can only be stopped from the outside by those who recognise the value in a quality book and in preserving traditional methods.  So while the glow and allure of all things new may press us forward, we must take hold of this gilt-edged industry, drag it from the jaws of it’s glue-drizzled machinery and give it an place in our world.  Then hopefully my prediction will be proven wrong.

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• The Historic Acadian Village in Nova Scotia is a great Canadian example where people maintain traditional methods to farm and live as they did over 300 years ago.
• The Guedelon Castle in France is a medieval castle being built using only traditional methods.
• The Japanese have a tradition of honouring their past.  This website showcases some of their traditional crafts that are being preserved.

Audio On Demand

Ever heard of radio?  How about Shaw On Demand or Netflix?  Podcasting uses elements from both of these technologies.  Podcasts are online audio files ranging from a few minutes to a few hours.  But instead of waiting until your favourite program, lecture, book review or radio segment happens, you can listen to it any time (the "On Demand" part) once it's been posted on the web.  Generally, music is relegated to sites like iTunes and not really part of the podcasting world.  Podcasting is more for spoken word and since the vast majority of the world speaks some sort of word the potential for broadcasting topics is only limited by technological constraints.  The real question is the listeners; who listens?  why do they listen?  what draws them in?  what might turn them away?  With these questions answered, libraries will have a better idea whether or not podcasting can work for them.

   Who listens?
People who are somewhat technologically savvy.  People who want to learn.  People who are required to.
   Why do they listen?
To learn.  To stay current.  To be entertained. 
   What draws them in?
Interesting content.  Captivating speakers. Valuable knowledge.
   What might turn them away?
Poor quality recordings.  Poor speakers.  Irrelevant content.

The ways libraries currently respond to the first three questions are to incorporate podcasts that address different people groups.  A number of libraries have book readings for children.  I don't find these particularly useful and generally, the quality of the recording is very poor.   Most young children are very visual and tactile.  They are primarily drawn to a book by it's big bright illustrations and like to actually hold the book and turn the pages.  I just can't see an audio-only book reading holding the attention of anyone under the age of 8 or 9 unless they have nothing else to distract them.  There may be a niche for these types of podcasts for visually impaired kids or long road trips, but it's a pretty small niche.

Many libraries have also started book club, book review or author interview podcasts.  These hold a little more relevancy in my mind.  Adults generally (but not always!) have a slightly longer attention span than children. They are much more likely to multi-task and therefore podcasts are a great way to cram a little more into their day.  Just think; listening to a podcast while driving, jogging, surfing (the web, that is), cooking, playing their ukulele (no, scrap that one, might be kind of difficult).  A broad and loyal following could be gained with regular, entertaining podcasts in this category.

Then there are informative podcasts.  Some may be educational, while others just give out info on a popular topic.  These could be very popular for a public or high school library.  An example might be an interview with a local expert on a particular topic. 
  * An interview with a botanist about caring for Zone 5 (warmer climate) roses in a Zone 3 climate (like Winnipeg). 
  * Or tips and tricks for tracing your family's history in southern Manitoba from a local archivist. 

An academic library might have discussions or interviews revolving around the content of particular courses or informational that would help a student navigate their way around the campus library.
  * Discussion with a local historian regarding the 1919 General Strike in Winnipeg for a course on Civil Rights.
  * How to request an article through the Inter Library Loan program.

To answer the last question; what might turn them away?  A number of the podcasts that I reviewed had poor sound quality.  The listener was distracted by background noise or a muffled voice.  This could be remedied with the purchase of better quality recording equipment.  Another problem were speech issues such as accents, lisps or regional slang.  Depending on the targeted audience accents and slang may not be a problem, but if the audience is broad the speaker needs to be someone who is easily understandable.  Being someone who took many years of speech therapy (picture a little blonde charging a fee, usually candy or fruit rollups, to say "Gwaham Cwacketh" - Graham Crackers) I hate to exclude someone who suffers from a speech impediment, but there is no point in recording a podcast if the general populace can't understand it.  But the biggest problem would most likely be irrelevant information.  If the information is irrelevant or common knowledge then the time and energy put into the podcast would be a big waste of time! 

Overall I think that podcasts would be useful if the audience is targeted effectively and accurately.  Libraries must know their audience and keep their podcasts current, informative and interesting.
Know who the audience might be (people with the means and the time to listen), what topics are popular and current, and be consistent.  A library that posts once or twice a year is not likely to gain a large following.    With all this in mind, I think that most libraries could utilise this media if it is carefully managed and advertised.

The Social Library

Once upon a time libraries were a social hub.  Clubs met there and classes were given.  Skinny kids sought books on weight lifting...or boxing...or any trendy intimidation factor.  Families read books together (many from their library) instead of watching TV.  Kids came in for story time.  Seniors brought their morning coffee to chat and read the paper.  Couples sometimes even found dark, private corners to nuzzle in.  It may have been a quieter hub than some of the others, but it was a hub, none the less.  So I pose a question.  Are they still a social hub?

In an age where society feels the need to cram so much more into their lives, is there a place for the library? 

Once upon a time the library was the smart, friendly, girl that everyone wanted to get to know despite the fact that she was a bit shy.  That same smart, friendly, shy girl (hereafter known as SFS Girl) is still there, but she's come to realize that if she wants to have a social life, she needs to put herself out there.  With the tools at her disposal, she is moulding herself into Chatty Cathy (without the creepy, haunted doll factor) and becoming a social hub once again.  What are the tools?  Social Bookmarking, Social Cataloguing and Social Networking. 

You have to have spent the last 5 years on a remote mountaintop to not have some idea of what social networking is, but just in case that's you (welcome back, by the way) here's a brief summary.  Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and others help people to, "...communicate informally with other users, or find people with similar interests to oneself."  (Wikipedia)  People, companies, clubs, organizations or (pause for effect) libraries can easily put together their own little page that others can link to and voila!  A channel is opened.  A conversation is started.  This is like our SFS Girl introducing herself to new people and having a chat. 

I dare you to find a public library's website that does not have a link to a social network.  (Brandon Public Library's already taken - I found that one.)  There are some out there but they are few and far between.  Libraries usually use social media to advertise themselves to their patrons; upcoming events, quizzes, clubs, job postings, contests, book recommendations, or links to their blog.  The Winnipeg Public Library has a pretty active one, but libraries have to be careful to strike a balance.  When someone "Likes" an organization they generally don't want 30 postings a day with random tidbits and observations. Social networking fans can be a valuable resource so just send them "the meat".  Info to get them involved and down to the library!

Social bookmarking and social cataloguing are not quite as common, but their usefulness for libraries is continuing to be recognised.  In brief, social bookmarking (through sites like delicious, digg, or reddit) is a way of letting others know what websites you like.  Social bookmarking may not be the best option for your average public library, but a large one with many departments or a specialty library could benefit from this.  Social bookmarking is very topic-specific.  Check out this site with links to tattoo websites.  Or this one about architecture-inspired art.  Libraries could have social bookmarking sites that revolve around a certain genre, study tips, and recommended resources.  Bookmarking sites are akin to SFS Girl showing people what topics she's interested in.  Generally only those who are really interested in the same stuff or think that she is absolutely brilliant will explore her suggestions, but generally not too many other people.

Social cataloguing (through sites like Library Thing, goodreads, or shelfari) is letting others know exactly what sort of material you like to read.  Once you find a person with similar taste to yours, an expert (or contemporary) in your field, you can return to the website over and over again for book ideas, website ideas, and resources in general.  To use a social cataloguing site a library would need an enthusiastic librarian who is willing to put together recommended reading on one of these sites.  Building genre-specific reading lists and resources could be a great service for patrons.  Patron-specific lists can be put together along with book reviews to help patrons decide what to read.  They could revolve around staff resources for a high school library, book club recommendations for a public library, or a complete catalogue for a very small library.  SFS Girl would probably find the book reviews a handy tool.  It would be her way of enthusiastically babbling on about her latest read.

All of these mediums have great potential, but probably social media (due to it's popularity) and social bookmarking (due to it's ability to comment on and rate books) are most applicable for libraries.  So finally to answer the question I posed, "Are libraries still a social hub?".  While they may have waned when technology started to hit it's zenith, I believe that the use of many of the new media formats available is helping to increase it's popularity although it may be in the virtual world more than the tangible.

Tricky Wiki?

The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know. 

Once again, I begin my blog with a statement about how little I understood about particular areas of the internet.  Today it is Wikis.  I actually had no idea that a wiki was a type of website.  I thought that Wiki was some random compilation of letters that they came up with to start "Wikipedia".  I have, of course, used Wikipedia, but thought that it was an anomaly.  A brilliant, but isolated example of collaborative efforts.  Once again, I was wrong.

Wikis are websites that multiple parties can contribute to or edit.  They are often centred around a topic and people will add things like articles, recipes, pictures and the like.  Wikis can have many more applications then just an encyclopedic use.  There are wikis for lovers of bacon, wikis based around travel tips, movie fan wikis  and professional wikis for businesses to collaborate and learn from each other. 

If you think you know a thing or two about nearly anything then you can probably find a wiki revolving around that topic.  But be prepared as there may be someone out there who knows more about that same subject and has the ability to edit your work.  For that reason know-it-alls and those who can't handle anyone else's opinion should stay away - you may find out that you aren't as smart as you thought!  For the rest of us, they are a great resource and due to the increased usage are becoming more and more reliable. 

Three of the wiki-building sites out there are Wikia, Wetpaint and PB works.  Wikia and Wetpaint are free and seems to have lots of smaller, fun and more personalized sites.  They are easy to navigate, interesting to browse and have great tips on building your own wiki (Wetpaint in particular).  PBworks is not nearly as much fun.... but is great for a professional, business-based wiki.  It is harder to browse and though it's basic wiki is free, there are fees if you want to do anything fancy.  It also has a much more professional looking template.

There is a place for them in libraries, though I'd say less so than some of the other online mediums discussed previously in this blog.  Specialty libraries like university, scientific or perhaps law libraries may have more use for them than the average public library since their patron base is more distinct and interested in many of the same topics.  They can have wikis where patrons can discuss or debate the topics concerning their discipline.  These wikis would also be a great soapbox for people rallying others around their cause.  High school libraries would probably get a lot of mileage out of a wiki.  With the amount of technology used by teenagers in particular they could be a viable option to get students involved with their library.  So take a minute to browse through the interesting world of wikis.  They might be right for you!

Squeeze a Little More

I have to admit, before starting this little project I had a very different view of RSS feeds.  I thought that they were a function that sent whole blogs to your blog reader.  I thought that the only way they saved time was in cutting out the search step.  My response to RSS feeds was, "I don't have time to do that much reading!".  I was wrong.  Am I the only one who misunderstood them? 

RSS feeds are an exerpt from a blog you are following that are sent to your RSS reader.  Instead of receiving the whole blog, you receive the title and a line or two that tells you what the rest of the blog expands on.  With this bit of info you can decide if it interests you and if you want to take the time to read further or skip it for now.  With that in mind I now realize that RSS feeds are a little more up my alley!  I have 3 kids, a big house that is constantly undergoing renovations (mostly undertaken by my husband or myself), hockey & tae kwondo, and all the not-so-fun mom stuff (laundry, cleaning - my husband helps with these - and cooking).  I've returned to school full time (more or less), I have a garden that I love to putter in and I actually try to socialize once in a while.  Who has time to sit and read blogs?!?!?  But with this new information under my belt, I may be able to squeeze in some fun, online reading once in a while.

I do have a few blogs that I like to follow, but I generally only read them if I happened to catch their link when it got posted to facebook.  Using this inefficient and sporadic method, I usually missed many blog posts.  That worked out fine for me since I usually would read the entire thing whether it interested me or not (I have a hard time stopping in the middle of something - I have to follow it through to the end).  If I had caught all of them I would have spent more time than I had reading!

RSS feeds are for the blog connoisseur who wants to be efficient with their time by streamlining their information portal.  If you don't read many blogs and have no interest in ever doing so, then it may not be for you.

Certain libraries can use this technology dependent on their patrons.  If your patrons are primarily seniors, young children or others who are not normally internet users, then you may not have need for an RSS feed.  But if you service youth, adults or work at a library that services a particular group of professionals (hospital or law libraries, academic libraries, etc.) there is a good chance that many of your patrons would find an RSS feed useful. 

• Public libraries can use them to notify patrons of community events like author visits, artistic displays and contests.  Specific programs like Children's Reading Groups, New Immigrant Literacy, Youth Activities and online Book Clubs would also benefit from the added exposure.  For  an example take a look at the New York Library System.  I would have loved to use the Winnipeg Public Library System, but alas, they do not provide RSS feeds (yet).
• Private libraries (like law, hospital or topic specific libraries) could also use RSS feeds.  They have a group of patrons who have a very specific area of interest and so the blogs would probably be relevant to a higher percentage of their users.  The National Transportation Library is a good example.
• Academic libraries (universities and colleges) have a pretty broad user base, but they would benefit from topic specific feeds.  New aquisitions and program updates could be included.  Just take a look at the University of Lethbridge; they have over 50 separate library blogs you can subscribe to!

RSS feeds definitly have a place in the online world, but given the growing popularity of alternate notification mediums like social networks, other options may want to be considered.  Facebook fan pages and Twitter can function in much the same way as a blog in that they notify users of a new post.  It really depends the mediums that your patrons actually use.  If someone does not already subscribe to RSS feeds it is doubtful that one new feed will persuade them to start.  Perhaps an online or verbal poll is in order.  I guess the main point is to know your patrons and meet them where they're at with what they need. 

I'm not sure if this little study has started me down the path of RSS, but now that I know the truth, I'm reconsidering.  Maybe I can squeeze a little more into my day after all.

Jocasta Who? or Why Library & Info Tech?

Who is Jocasta Nu and why would I want to be her?

Let me preface this with the most common comments and questions that I was asked when I told people I was starting school for Library and Information Technology;

1)      “But you don’t have glasses and a mini-beard.  You can’t be a librarian!”

2)      “You’re not boring.  Why would you want to work in such a boring place?”

3)      “Aren’t libraries dying?  Technology is making them obsolete.  Why would you want to start in that field?”

4)      “There are so many unemployed people with useless degrees.  Just get a job based on your experience.”

First of all – I must address number 1 – Female facial hair does not run in my family so even if I had the inclination to grow a mini-beard, I probably can’t.  Secondly; don’t you think that those assumptions are a little stereotypical?  Come on.

Secondly.  Boring?  I really think that it’s sad when someone says a library is boring.  And to say librarians are boring?  I’m sorry if that has been your experience, but let me try to change your opinion.  This is where Jocasta Nu, the Knights who say “Ni” and all other guardians of information come in.  Jocasta Nu was the Jedi Archives Librarian (fictional – just in case you weren’t sure).  Not saying that she was perfect by any means, but to be an old lady who manages hundreds of years of Jedi archives, can effectively wield a light saber and hold her own against a bounty hunter (while wearing a dress, I might add).  Pretty impressive, I’d say.  I would probably not come to work wearing long robes and carrying a light saber.  Maybe just a cute scarf and a laser pointer. 

A librarian is a guardian to a gateway.  Maybe I’m romanticizing things a bit, but how could it be boring to help people along on their way to discovering new knowledge?  The Knights who say Ni may not be the most accurate example, but they guarded the way through a deep dark forest and 3 sacred words.  Kind of the same.  Forest = wood = paper pulp = books.  (See the connection?)

On to number three.  This is a debate that continues to rage: does the economic climate and new advances in technology cause library usership to decrease because people have less time for leisure because they’re working too hard?  Or does usership increase because people are looking for cheap entertainment, knowledge to enhance their skills, or a calm place to escape?  This may be breaking news to those of you who haven’t stepped into a library since your last high school paper, but libraries are changing too.  They have computers, eBooks, technology stations and more.  You can download eBooks without even having to enter the library, participate in online Book Clubs and find out about community events online.  So while the traditional library is definitely changing, it continues to thrive and morph with the advancement of new technology.  Take a look at what MacLean’s has to say on the matter. 

Number four.  For many library workers, this is a long-term career.  Libraries don’t have a particularly high turnover rate, but as libraries change with the advancement of library technology, many librarians don’t have the skills necessary to keep up.  That’s where the new breed of library workers comes in.  Though current librarians are able to learn new technology, it’s generally faster and easier to hire in new blood.  Library and Information Techs are the ones who update libraries and put into place many of the new advancements that are coming into effect in today’s libraries.  These are mid-level jobs, but are one of those fields that have a broad range of employment opportunities.  Small library management, large library tech, private libraries (like hospitals and museums), information management for large organizations, museums and archives are some examples. 

One thing that drew me to this field (which may not be a selling point for everyone) is the high number of part-time positions that are available.  Being a mom is important to me and I don’t want to raise a bunch of “latch-key” kids whose parents arrive home from work hours after they come home from school.  As long as I have kids at home a 30 hour work week is perfect for me. As far as my experience goes the vague description of “Administration” doesn’t get that much recognition in this world.

So I hope this answers some of your questions and maybe even entices a few of you to look into this field.  If so, take a look at the Red River College Library & Information Technology department to find out more. 

And lastly, don't worry about late fees when it comes to any library I'm working in.  If I have any say in the matter we won't be collecting money.  I'll be take payments in shrubbery.

The Blogging Bandwagon

What is a blog?  Are it's writers the anti-social, techno-savvy segment of our population?  Are they written by those with "time on their hands" or "nothing better to do"?  Many blogs once fell under these stereotypes and perhaps some of them still do.  But as technology is simplified and a greater percentage of people puruse the web, more and more are seeing the value in a blog.  If you can believe it, from 2002-2009, 133 million blogs were indexed by Technorati!  We are beginnng to realize that everyone has valuable thoughts that others are actually interested in. Society's collective confidence in our individuality is growing.  We are starting to realize that no matter who we are or where we live, that there is always someone of like mind (be it elsewhere in the world) that we now have the means to connect with.  Now everyone can have a friend.  Or two.  Or two million.

Blogs can be a great way to teach, to learn, to debate, to connect.  Obscure, little known topics are now eagerly published by those passionate about them.  Technology has caused the line between blogging, mini-blogging and social networking to blur.  Instead of having to commit a block of time for blogging, bloggers are now posting more impromptu blogs through their social network from their phones or iPads (Technoratti's State of the Blogosphere).  This newest development is making blogging faster, easier and maybe even more personal.

Two thirds of all blogs are written by men, half of all bloggers are married, and half are parents (according to Technoratti, 2009).  But this skewed cross section of the blogging popluation is changing.  Women, and moms in particular, are starting to blog more.  Being a mom, blogs like Some Random Mother are mostly the types that I follow.  But I don't just follow.  I once started another blog (Cherry Pits in Gravel) while working at my fruit stand...about working at my fruit stand.  (They say to write about what you know, right?)  I posted once and then abandoned it as life got in the way.  Maybe if it had been quicker and easier to blog I would have continued.  Maybe now I will.

This bandwagon of blogging has been jumped on by nearly every section of society and finally libraries are starting to catch up.  They are realizing that blogs can be a great asset to many types of libraries, but high school, academic and public libraries in particular.  Libraries need to be current and engage with their patrons.  They need to reach out to invite in new patrons.  They need to show that libraries aren't just places to find a book.  Meeting a person in their world (the internet) and on their terms is a great way to introduce them to the library.  Library blogs can introduce new authors or genres, advertise events, give research tutorials, start book clubs, writing clubs and music clubs, just to name a few.  Did I say music?  In the library?  Take a look at The Unquiet Library found at Creekview High School in Canton, Georgia.  That looks like a fun library!  Doesn't that blog inspire you to visit their library?

Blogs can help librarians introduce themselves to new patrons and give a window into the library that some people may have never seen otherwise.  The interactivity of blogs encourages communication and participation.  Facebook, Twitter and other mediums may do the same thing but the great thing is that the blogger doesn't have to choose!  The librarian blogger can connect everything through links and therefore gain even more exposure for the library.

If you have technologically savvy & efficient manpower to manage a blog, then it's not a problem but there are some instances where a blog is not a possibility.  A library with a small staff who do not have the experience or inclination to learn may have to make other arrangements.  Perhaps an enthusiastic volunteer?  And then there are the libraries that serve an isolated community with little internet access or slow download speeds.  There may be no reason to have a blog since the community will have little use for it until better technology reaches them.  As technology advances there will be more and more opportunities for libraries to take advantage of this great medium and to advertise themselves to their communities.