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Librarians Without Borders Fundraising

I help out the cool members of Librarians Without Borders occasionally.  As part of the LWB fundraising campaign for the Asturias Academy Library in Guatemala this year, they are promoting the book Inspiring Hope: One Story at a Time, from which 100% of net proceeds will go to benefit the Asturias Library. In particular, the funds raised will go to hiring library staff and building the library collection. 
 
I am asking for you to help spread the word about the fundraising campaign. You can do this in any or all of the following ways:
  • Share the blog post with friends and family through social media and email: http://lwb-online.org/?p=5353.
  • Share the attached poster at work or school (There are two versions, one with the link to Amazon.com and one to Amazon.ca – for people in the US and Canada).
  • Buy a copy of the book for yourself or as a gift : http://amzn.to/19jyhwr  (CA) http://amzn.to/1jqclY1 (US)
Copies of the book are available for wholesale pricing. If you want to purchase more than 5 copies for a fundraiser or gift, please email Melanie Sellar to get more details.
Thanks Everyone and enjoy the holiday season!

Melanie
Posters:
Canada
US

–
Founder and Co-Executive Director
Librarians Without Borders
melanie.sellar@lwb-online.org
www.librarianswithoutborders.org
twitter: lwb_online”

 

Stephen

Posted on: December 9, 2013, 5:41 pm Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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Toronto Public Library Study released: So Much More: The Economic Impact of the Toronto Public Library System on the City of Toronto

Toronto Public Library has released So Much More: The Economic Impact of the Toronto Public Library System on the City of Toronto. Conducted by the Martin Prosperity Institute, this is the first study of its kind in Canada. Results clearly demonstrate that Toronto Public Library delivers a strong return on investment through the delivery of library services that enhance Toronto’s competitiveness and prosperity and contribute to a better quality of life for all.

Key findings include:

  • The total economic impact of the Toronto Public Library on the city of Toronto is $1 billion.
  • For every dollar invested in Toronto Public Library, Torontonians receive $5.63 of value.
  • For those who use the library, the average value of services accessed is as much as $500.
  • On average, one open hour at any one of the library’s 98 branches generates $2,515 in benefits for the city of Toronto. The average cost of one open hour is $653, so the average benefit is almost 4 times the average cost.
  • Beyond tangible benefits outlined in the report, the library delivers value to Toronto’s communities and residents in ways that are not easily quantifiable but nonetheless support Toronto’s economy, increase its competitiveness and prosperity and contribute to the city’s livability and quality of life.

http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/content/about-the-library/pdfs/board/meetings/2013/dec09/10_1.pdf

On Dec. 5th at 4pm, the Toronto Public Library Workers Union distributed a press release announcing the key findings of the report a little early, So Much More: The Economic Impact of the Toronto Public Library on the City of Toronto. You can view their release at http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1275089/our-public-library-worth-a-billion-dollars-to-city-s-economy-says-u-of-t-s-rotman-school-of-business

In response, at 5pm the Toronto Public Library distributed their own release (http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1275271/torontonians-receive-5-63-of-value-for-every-dollar-invested-in-toronto-public-library) and posted the full report on their web site at http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/content/about-the-library/pdfs/board/meetings/2013/dec09/10_1.pdf.

The University of Toronto’s Rotman Business School’s Martin Prosperity Institute’s presentation to the TPL Board is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday December 10 at 6pm at the Toronto Reference Library. Everyone is welcome.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1275271/torontonians-receive-5-63-of-value-for-every-dollar-invested-in-toronto-public-library

“Torontonians Receive $5.63 of value for every dollar invested in Toronto Public Library

First-of-its-kind Canadian study illustrates library’s economic impact on Toronto

TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2013 /CNW/ – Toronto Public Library recently commissioned the Martin Prosperity Institute, part of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, to conduct the first Canadian study to measure the library’s economic impact on Toronto. Results clearly demonstrate that Toronto Public Library delivers a strong return on investment through the delivery of library services that enhance Toronto’s competitiveness and prosperity and contribute to a better quality of life for all.

The report is entitled So Much More: The Economic Impact of the Toronto Public Library System on the City of Toronto. Key findings include:

  • The total economic impact of the Toronto Public Library on the city of Toronto is $1 billion.
  • For every dollar invested in Toronto Public Library, Torontonians receive $5.63 of value.
  • For those who use the library, the average value of services accessed is as much as $500.
  • On average, one open hour at any one of the library’s 98 branches generates $2,515 in benefits for the city of Toronto. The average cost of one open hour is $653, so the average benefit is almost 4 times the average cost.
  • Beyond tangible benefits outlined in the report, the library delivers value to Toronto’s communities and residents in ways that are not easily quantifiable but nonetheless support Toronto’s economy, increase its competitiveness and prosperity and contribute to the city’s livability and quality of life.

“For the first time, we can demonstrate the library’s economic impact on our city, in addition to the powerful impact on individuals and communities that isn’t as easily quantifiable,” said Paul Ainslie, Chair of the Toronto Public Library Board. “We think Toronto residents will be very interested to hear that for every dollar invested in the library they receive almost six times the value. A dollar invested in the library has a significant return for the city.”

The Toronto Public Library Board, as well as City Council, requested this study to measure the return on investment for public library service and the value provided to Toronto residents. The study was funded by the Toronto Public Library Foundation, thanks to a generous donation from TD Bank Group and a contribution from the Estate of Norman G. Hinton.

“The prospect of looking at the economic impact of the Toronto Public Library offered the MPI an exciting challenge.  We knew that being the first in Canada to bring a carefully documented and objective evaluation of economic impact and benefits would be an important step,” said Kevin Stolarick, Research Director, The Martin Prosperity Institute, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management. ”We are encouraged that even the lowest, most conservative estimates show significant benefits for Toronto.”

Measuring the value of programs and services in economic terms only tells part of the story. The report also includes analysis of some Toronto Public Library programs and services that make a difference to the city, going beyond the numbers. These services are not easily quantifiable, but create significant value for residents, including opportunities to improve literacy skills, engage in lifelong learning and enhance educational and employment opportunities. These outcomes deliver a lifetime of value to residents and increase the economic competitiveness and prosperity of Toronto.

The study methodology quantified the total economic impact and return on investment of Toronto Public Library services based on analysis of direct tangible benefits, direct spending and indirect tangible benefits. Full study methodology is available in the report.

About Toronto Public Library

Toronto Public Library is one of the world’s busiest urban public library systems. Every year, 19 million people visit our branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow 32 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit our website at torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. To get the most current updates on what’s happening at the library, follow us on Twitter @torontolibrary.

About Martin Prosperity Institute

The Lloyd & Delphine Martin Prosperity Institute is the world’s leading think-tank on the role of sub-national factors – location, place and city-regions – in global economic prosperity. It takes an integrated view of prosperity, looking beyond economic measures to include the importance of quality of place and the development of people’s creative potential.

SOURCE Toronto Public Library

Image with caption: “Toronto Public Library creates over $1 billion in total economic impact (CNW Group/Toronto Public Library)”. Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131205_C8271_PHOTO_EN_34603.jpg

Image with caption: “Total direct benefit as much as $500 per member (CNW Group/Toronto Public Library)”. Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131205_C8271_PHOTO_EN_34604.jpg

Image with caption: “The average open hour at a branch generates $2,515 in direct benefits (CNW Group/Toronto Public Library)”. Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131205_C8271_PHOTO_EN_34605.jpg


For further informationMedia Contact: 
Ana-Maria Critchley
416-393-7212
media@torontopubliclibrary.ca”

Stephen

 

 

Posted on: December 9, 2013, 3:00 pm Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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Phil Bradley Sides: Advanced Internet Searching

A big slide deck from the great Phil Bradley that he uses to teach web searching. Good ideas and links here.

Advanced Internet Searching: Winter 2013

Stephen

Posted on: December 9, 2013, 6:12 am Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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GARTNER’s Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2013

GARTNER’s Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2013pic.twitter.com/2msrv7pegW

 

 

Stephen

Posted on: December 8, 2013, 7:05 am Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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EOS Systems Webinar Dec. 4, 2013

I had the privilege of doing a webinar for EOS Systems users.  Here are the slides:

Effectively Communicating the Library Technology Plan 

 

Stephen

Posted on: December 7, 2013, 6:53 pm Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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Are We Overlooking a Powerful Engine for Social & Economic Change?

A one-page infographic outlining how libraries can contribute to social and economic development.

http://beyondaccess.net/resources/beyond-access-infographic/

 

Beyond Access Infographic

 

Stephen

Posted on: December 7, 2013, 11:53 am Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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Seven Uses of the e-Mail Signature

Seven Uses of the e-Mail Signature

http://gizmodo.com/what-your-email-signature-says-about-you-1465020068

 

 

 

I still remain worried about the horrible signatures I see where it’s a pained task to contact the sender other by e-mail.  Some stuff should just be a telephone call or snailmail shipment!

Stephen

Posted on: December 7, 2013, 6:28 am Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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CRS — Poverty in the United States: 2012

Some data for one of libraries’ core missions to bridge divides and create equity of access:

CRS — Poverty in the United States: 2012

http://fulltextreports.com/2013/11/20/crs-poverty-in-the-united-states-2012/

Poverty in the United States: 2012 (PDF)
Source: Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists)

In 2012, 46.5 million people were counted as poor in the United States—the number, statistically unchanged over the past three years, is the largest recorded in the measure’s 54-year history. The poverty rate, or percent of the population considered poor under the official definition, was reported at 15.0% in 2012, a level statistically unchanged from the two previous years. The 2012 poverty rate of 15.0% is well above its most recent pre-recession low of 12.3% (2006) and remains at a level not last seen since 1993. Poverty in the United States increased markedly from 2007 through 2010, in tandem with the economic recession (officially marked as running from December 2007 to June 2009). Little if any improvement in the level of “official” U.S. poverty has been seen since the recession’s official end, with the poverty rate remaining at about 15% for the past three years. Some analysts expect U.S. poverty to remain above pre-recession levels through much, if not most, of the remainder of the decade, given the slow pace of economic recovery. The pre-recession poverty rate of 12.3% in 2006 was well above the 2000 rate of 11.3%, which marked an historical low (a rate statistically tied with the previous historical low of 11.1% in 1973).

The incidence of poverty varies widely across the population according to age, education, labor force attachment, family living arrangements, and area of residence, among other factors. Under the official poverty definition, an average family of four was considered poor in 2012 if its pretax cash income for the year was below $23,492.”

 

Stephen

Posted on: December 6, 2013, 6:29 am Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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How geeks and non-geeks can collaborate at work

How geeks and non-geeks can collaborate at work

Transcending stereotypes with ‘Geeks and Non-Geeks: From Contraxioms to Collaboration in Higher Education’

http://techpageone.dell.com/technology/geeks-non-geeks-can-collaborate/#.Uo0MA1eukhw

“Authors Paul Glen and Maria McManus recently published an article about the on-going communication problems faced by geeks and non-geeks. Read it here: “Geeks and Non-Geeks: From Contraxioms to Collaboration in Higher Education.”

The article focuses on six ways geeks and non-geeks differ: work, future, knowing, language, lying, and wanting. These six points form the basis of two very different world views. Therefore, if you are a non-geek supervisor in charge of IT projects, you need to understand what geeks love to do.

In addition, Glen and McManus say there are three things that motivate geek culture. They are:

  • Difficulty: Geeks love to tackle hard (but not impossible) problems.
  • Learning: Geeks love to learn new things.
  • Competition: Yes, geeks love to compete with worthy opponents for pride and bragging rights.

If you, as a non-geek, understand these three things, you will be less-annoyed by missed deadlines or industry jargon that is sometimes intimidating and indecipherable.”

Stephen

Posted on: December 6, 2013, 6:16 am Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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Free iSchool @ Toronto MOOC: Library Advocacy Unshushed: Values, evidence, action open for registration!

I’ve am very excited to be able to pass on this announcement about the latest MOOC for library folk.   It’s an important one – advocacy and influence skills and competencies for those who value and support libraries.  It is being run by the University of Toronto’s iSchool and it’s the right price . . . free.  It has been in development for months by a great team lead by the esteemed award winning library advocate and U of T professor, Wendy Newman.

Everyone and anyone is welcome.

The Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (where I am the executive director) is supporting this MOOC and recommends it to all members and beyond.  Sign up today!

 

Library Advocacy Unshushed: Values, evidence, action

https://www.edx.org/course/university-torontox/university-torontox-la101x-library-1335

Learn how to be a powerful advocate for the values and future of libraries and librarianship. Be informed, strategic, courageous, passionate, and unshushed!

About this Course

How can we strengthen libraries and librarians in the advancement of knowledge, creativity, and literacy in the 21st century? Though libraries have been loved for over 3,600 years, their relevance in the digital age is being questioned, and their economic and social impacts are poorly understood. What is really essential about libraries and librarians, today and tomorrow? How can library members and all who support the mission of 21st-century librarianship raise the profile and support of these timeless values and services, and ensure universal access to the universe of ideas in all our communities? This course is based on what works. We’ll take an inspired, strategic, evidence-based approach to advocacy for the future of strong communities – cities, villages, universities and colleges, research and development centres, businesses, and not-for-profits.

 

The course will include:

  • Values and transformative impacts of libraries and librarianship.
  • Research on current perceptions of libraries and librarians.
  • Role of relationships in advocacy.
  • Principles of influence and their impact on advocacy.
  • Strategic thinking and planning in advocacy.
  • Effective communication: messages, messengers, and timing.

 

Ways to take this edX course:

Simply Audit this Course

Can’t commit to all of the lectures, assignments, and tests? Audit this course and have complete access to all of the course material, tests, and the online discussion forum. You decide what and how much you want to do.

or

Try for a Certificate

Looking to test your mettle? Participate in all of the course’s activities and abide by the edX Honor Code. If your work is satisfactory, you’ll receive a personalized certificate to showcase your achievement.

Course Staff

  • Wendy Newman

    Wendy Newman

    Wendy Newman: Senior Fellow and Lecturer, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto has contributed in administrative, advocacy, consulting, and educational roles to libraries and the communities they serve, and to library associations in North America and beyond. As a public library director, she has led ground-breaking partnerships that build community capacity and advance economic and social strengths. A passionate advocate for libraries and librarianship in the public policy arena, she served on the National Broadband Task Force, the Blue Ribbon Panel on Smart Communities, and the Board of Directors of MediaSmarts. Her consulting practice has focused on strategic issues in librarianship. She is former president of the Canadian Library Association and a long-time member of the American Library Association. Among many awards for her work as a leader/advocate, Wendy has received the Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship from both the American and Canadian Library Associations, as well as recognition for achievement at the provincial/state and national levels. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for community service. A graduate of the University of Toronto, Wendy has developed and taught graduate level courses in advocacy and influence for two ALA-accredited programs. She is also the co-author of a forthcoming book on advocacy.
  • Gwen Harris

    Gwen Harris

    Gwen Harris is an instructor, an instructional designer, and an online course developer. She has worked for several years with the Faculty of Information and the iSchool Institute in developing and supporting online courses. Through the Institute she also teaches a popular online course on web search strategies. In addition to design and development of this MOOC, she’ll be assisting in the overall delivery of course. She holds master’s degrees in library and information science and business administration.

  • Carolyn Dineen

    Carolyn Dineen

    Carolyn Dineen is a student in the Master of Information program at the University of Toronto. She has a background in freelance writing and copy editing, and experience in academic and public libraries. She is interested in MOOCs and online learning.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of librarianship and library services is recommended, but not required.

If you have any questions about this course that are not answered in this FAQ, please email LA101@ischool.utoronto.ca.
The Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (where I am the executive director) is supporting this MOOC and recommends it to all members and beyond.  Sign up today!
 Stephen

Posted on: December 5, 2013, 3:41 pm Category: Uncategorized

By: Stephen Abram

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