“HighWire Press has released the full results of a Fall 2009 survey of librarians on their attitudes and practices related to ebooks.
The survey was conducted as part of HighWire’s ongoing exploration of the fast-growing scholarly ebook market. The results and accompanying analysis draw together the input of 138 librarians from 13 countries. The responses underscore the significant growth librarians expect in ebook acquisitions and point to their current preferences and possible trends in this evolving area.
The survey data was analyzed by Michael Newman, Stanford University’s Head Biology Librarian, and the report presents his perspective on what his librarian colleagues had to say about ebooks. The report espouses some familiar and consistent themes:
Posted on: March 9, 2010, 4:54 pmCategory: Uncategorized
“The BBC World Service has conducted a poll of more than 27,000 adults across 26 countries to answer one primary question: is internet access a fundamental human right? We can skip right past Finland and Estonia who’ve already made laws to that effect, and take a look at what the other nations thought. Mexico, Korea and Brazil lead the way here with all having greater than 90 percent agreement, while Pakistan, India and Kenya — countries with a slightly different perception of what fundamental needs are — offer the least support, though they’re all still above 50 percent in agreement. Other interesting stats include the claim by 85 percent of Japanese internet users and 81 percent in Mexico that they would not be able to “cope without the internet,” while 55 percent of Brits and most other European nations believe that the internet should be regulated by governments in at least some way.”
And I agree with them. Libraries help to bridge the gap on this access issue in a big way. Indeed some employers won’t take anything except online applications today.
Stephen
Posted on: March 9, 2010, 10:52 amCategory: Uncategorized
1. The First Email
2. The First Ever Domain Name
3. The First SPAM Email Ever
4. The First Ever Mobile Phone with Internet Access Facility
5. The First Ever Website
6. The First Ever E-Commerce Website and Transaction
7. The First Ever Online Bank
8. The First Ever Search Engine
9. The First Ever Blog
10. The First Ever Podcast
11. The First Item Ever Sold on eBay
12. The First Book Ever Sold on Amazon
13. The first edit on Wikipedia
14. The First Ever Video on YouTube
15. The First Ever Message on Twitter
16. The First Ever Voice Chat Service
17. The First Ever Website Hacked
18. The First Ever Social Network Site
I was surprised by some.
Stephen
Posted on: March 9, 2010, 8:13 amCategory: Uncategorized
Do librarians use smartphones much? I often point to research showing the penetration of smartphones (iPhones, Blackberries, and Droids) in the general public, community and student markets. I asked myself, I wonder if librarians use smartphones more or less or the same as the general public? So, we (Gale Cengage) decided to do a little (slightly unscientific) poll of my Twitter followers, blog subscribers and Facebook friends. I wonder what the results will be but we’ll be sure to share them here. Feel free to forward this poll using any social media you might choose that has librarians there.
My personal prediction is that this little poll will produce some very interesting results and cause more questions than it solves!
Smartphones Poll
and create new questions.
Please participate – even if you don’t have a smartphone! It is only 3 questions.
Stephen
Posted on: March 8, 2010, 4:31 pmCategory: Uncategorized
“All libraries are good, some are great. Library Journal is looking for role-model libraries to vie for the honor of being the 2010 Library Journal/Gale Cengage Learning Library of the Year. The $10,000 prize celebrates the library that most profoundly demonstrates: service to the community; creativity and innovation in developing specific community programs or a dramatic increase in library usage; and leadership in creating programs that can be emulated by other libraries. Along with the cash award, the winner is featured in the June 15, 2010 LJ cover story and honored with a gala reception at the American Library Association Annual Conference. Past winners have gained immeasurable prestige within their community and national media attention, often resulting in improved relations with local politicians and increased budgets. It is an honor that resonates for a lifetime.”
The Purchase (Amazon, eBay, Walmart) What I buy.
The Query (Google, Yahoo!, Bing) What I want.
The Social Graph (Facebook, MySpace, Google) Who I am. Who I know.
The Status Update (Twitter, Facebook, Google) What I’m doing. What’s happening.
The Check In (Foursquare, Yelp, Gowalla) Where I am.
It’s all about sharing.
Check out the post for a prettier graphic.
I’d be interested in seeing such a chart for library websites? What are the intentions of users when the approach our sites, landing pages, databases and OPACs?
Stephen
Posted on: March 8, 2010, 11:26 amCategory: Uncategorized
It was a great time in Orlando chairing the COSUGI Executive Track sessions that I helped organize before leaving SirsiDynix. I gave an endnote for the track on top trends and here are the slides:
Lots of nice converstaions with library leaders for a few days. That’s my idea of heaven.
I always end up enjoying conferences in Disney World, even thoug it takes some time to remove the cynical cloak. It didn’t help this time that it was freezing in Florida!
Stephen
Posted on: March 8, 2010, 11:19 amCategory: Uncategorized
Stephen Abram is ably capable of providing tips and techniques for strategic thinking and innovation in libraries. He has visited hundreds of libraries in many different countries and is uniquely positioned to spark ideas and insights to the listeners of this blog.
Recent Comments