Best technology for librarians & the user

Disintermediation. This is defined by Redmond Molz as “the elimination of a helper or intermediary between information source and user” (1999, p. 184).

The digitization of information, the move to self-checkout, the reduction of human and financial resources, the rise of Google…all seem to be pointing toward the extinction of the librarian and libraries as we know them today.

Though technology can be seen as the culprit, it can also be used to reposition today’s libraries as relevant and essential.  One thing in favor of libraries continuing to exist was noted by William Mitchell, who commented on the trend among members of the cyberspace communities to want to meet in the flesh. “The more electronic communication expands and diversifies our circle of contacts, the more we’re going to want to add the dimension of face-to-face.” (Molz, 1999, p. 207).

Of the four technologies I looked at, I believe that blogs are most helpful to the librarian and adaptive technology is most helpful to the user…and both can help bring the patron into the library, face-to-face with the librarian and other members of the community.

No matter what the size of the library or its budget, a blog is an affordable technology. All you need is a computer, access to the Internet, time and something to say. There are templates available that help produce a blog without having to know HTML. And the narrative produced for a blog can also be put other uses: in an e-mail, on a website, in press releases, in a newsletter, on a flyer or poster. This technology can help draw patrons into the library and is an efficient, effective way to develop content for a variety of purposes.

Though aimed at the disabled user, adaptive technology has the potential to help everyone.  The example used most often to illustrate this point is the curb cut. Designed to allow people in wheelchairs to cross the street easily on their own, it also benefits people pushing a stroller, shoppers with carts, and travelers pulling suitcases on wheels.  Making sure that public buildings, especially libraries, are available and welcoming to everyone is not only the right thing to do, it builds community and helps guarantee that disabled users have access to all of the information they want/need.

In the new book That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back, the authors, Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum, state that in this hyper-connected world, average is officially over.  Employees need to bring creativity, communication and collaboration to the job and be willing to invent and reinvent on the spot. They challenge the reader to think like a new immigrant who has to figure out what is going on in his/her brand-new world, find opportunities, and pursue them with energy and speed (2011 presentation on BookTV).

Utilizing a blog to its fullest potential and providing access to the library and all it has to offer are two ways that librarians can be creative, communicate and collaborate, rising to challenge of thinking like a new immigrant to ensure that the library gets invented and reinvented, and remains relevant to the community it serves.

Citations
Friedman, T. and Mandelbaum, M. (2011). That used to be us: How America fell behind in the world it invented and how we can come back. New York: Farrar.

Molz, R. (1999). The Institution: Services, Technology and Communities. Civic Space – cyberspace: The American public library in the information age. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Podcasts

For libraries that already produce recordings of programs or library tours, podcasting is the next step in promoting the institution to a wider audience.

For those that are considering reaching younger people and/or providing content that compliments a website, podcasting may be the way to go.

According to dictionary.com 2012, a podcast is defined as

“(noun) a digital or video file or recording, usually part of a themed series that can be downloaded from a website to a media player or computer.

(verb) to record and upload as a podcast.”

Often you subscribe to a podcast, meaning that the latest issue will be automatically downloaded for you to enjoy at your leisure.

A quick scan of the list of libraries utilizing podcasts indicates that many of them are academic libraries.  This makes sense for a variety of reasons:

1)    the majority of students today are part of the Millenials, a generation that grew up wired and are technologically saavy. This is a way of communicating that they are used to having available to them.

2)    a lot of classes are conducted online and this technology is being used more and more by instructors.

3)    podcasts can be played at a time convenient for the student.

4)    podcasts can be played and replayed, until the material is understood.  This is particularly helpful for students whose first language is not English.

5)    one-size does not fit all when it comes to learning.  For those students who are auditory learners, podcasts are ideal.

6)    students can receive introductory information via podcast that makes future tasks easier – for example: a tour of the library or an introduction to searching using the library’s online catalog.

The reason to use podcasts in a public library setting includes all of the points stated above plus

1)    they can be used to draw people into the library, promoting programs, services or new materials.

2)    they can help people who can’t get to the library feel like they are part of a (the) community.

3)    share library and community news with subscribers.

4)    podcasts can help change a library’s image from a stodgy, dusty place to one that is welcoming, friendly, lively and hip.

There are a lot of resources on the web that demonstrate the technical aspects of creating a podcast.  The list of equipment needed includes a computer, microphone, and a sound card.  Recording/editing software is required, and most recommended Audacity, freeware available from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. A powerpoint prepared by students at Washington State University on podcasting cautions that Audacity also needs the LAME MP3 encoder installed in the Audacity directory; otherwise it is easy to use (Galbraith, B., O’English, M. and Merrill, A., 2007).  However, a group of librarians at the Curtin University Library did not find the software very intuitive so it took quite a while for them to find all of the functions they wanted/needed (Berk, J., Olsen, S., Atkinson, J., and Comerford, J., 2007, p. 414).

All of the resources I consulted emphasized that the equipment is inexpensive, costing as little as $100, not including the computer and internet connection.

Anyone creating podcasts must be very careful that they follow all copyright laws, publicity rights and trademark laws.  Creative Commons has posted a Podcasting Legal Guide on their website that provides definitions and guidance for those just starting out.

As a marketing tool, a way to reach new (younger) audiences or people unable to physically visit the library, and provide “how-to” information, podcasts are one more way that librarians can engage the community in the unique and vital services they have to offer.

Citations

Berk, J., Olsen, S., Atkinson, J., and Comerford, J. (2007, January 8). Innovation in a podshell: Bringing information literacy into the world of podcasting. The Electronic Journal, vol. 25, no. 4.  Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Galbraith, B., O’English, M., and Merrill, A. (2007, April 20). Library podcasting at Washington State University. Washington Library Association Conference presentation. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/oenglish/podcasting-in-libraries-presentation

Grabianowski, E. (n.d.). How to create your own podcast. How stuff works, a Discovery company. Retrieved from 

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/how-to-podcast.html

Griffey, J. (2007). Podcast 1 2 3. Library Journal online. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6449566.html

Podcast – dictionary.com. (2012). Retrieved from 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/podcast

Podcast – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (last modified 2011, November 4). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

Podcasting – Library success: A best practices wiki. (last modified 2011, March 22). Retrieved from http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Podcasting

Vogele, C. and Garlick, M. (2009). Podcasting Legal Guide. Creative Commons Wiki. Retrieved from http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

If you have ever used Exxon Mobil’s Speedpass, California’s FasTrak electronic toll collection, or the SmarTrip pass when riding the Metro in Washington D.C.; had your American Express Blue credit card scanned to verify your identity, gotten a US passport in the last 5 years, microchipped your family pet, or worn a Champion Chip on your shoelace during a marathon – all of these activities have been made possible by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) (Courtney, N. (Ed.), 2005, pp. 42-43).

In Technology for the Rest of Us, Chapter 5, the author describes RFID as using a combination of radio frequencies and microchip technology to transfer data from an electronic tag to a reader.  Though similar to barcodes, RFIDs are the next generation in tracking and identifying objects (2005, p. 43).

The technology got its start in response to war. In 1945, Leon Theremin invented a covert listening device for the Soviet Union that utilized radio waves.  In the United Kingdom, similar technology was used to identify which aircraft was friendly and which belonged to the enemy RFID-Wikipedia, 2011).

Mario Cardullo patented a passive radio transponder with memory in 1970 that is considered the first true ancestor of RFID.  He imagined his invention being used in transportation, banking, security and in the medical field.  His vision wasn’t far off! (RFID-Wikipedia, 2011)

A basic system has three components: a tag that contains a microchip that stores a unique identifier along with other information; the reader that extracts the information from the tag; and the antenna that acts as the conduit between the tag and the reader.

This technology can be used within a library setting and there are a few early adapters who have installed an RFID system including the Rockefeller University Library (New York), Farmington Community Library (Michigan), Seattle Public Library (Washington), Marathon County Public Library (Wisconsin) and Tulsa City-County Library (Oklahoma).

How is it utilized? 

Check out: the tag can be read regardless of position or orientation and doesn’t have to be visible; several items can be read at once and can even be piled on top of each other; self-checkout is easier for the user to do with fewer “operator errors”. This results in shorter lines at the counter and less repetitive strain injuries for staff.

Check in: multiple items can be checked in at once and, if a reader has been attached to the return slot, the items can be processed at that point.  Some libraries have installed an automated materials handing system that puts the items on a conveyor belt that carries them past a RFID reader. The reader checks them in and sorts by category, directing them to the proper bin or cart. This saves staff time and reduces potential injuries.

Inventory: when a collection is fully tagged, a hand-held device can be passed along the shelves without removing the books, and lost/mis-shelved items can be located easily. The California State University Long Beach library reported that with their system, they can inventory 5,000 books per hour.  After tagging its collection, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas library found 500 lost/mis-shelved items during the inventory process, saving $40,000 in replacement costs.

Security: RFID tags can have a theft-detection bit added to the microchip that gets deactivated at check out and reactivated at check in.  Because the tag can be read regardless of the orientation of the object and at a distance, holding the item above your head or kicking it along the floor no longer works as a way to get past the reader without going through checkout.

(Radio Frequency Identification-Library Success, 2011)

A few problems remain

Though this system will probably become commonplace in libraries in the years ahead, there are still barriers to its use.  The equipment and staff time required to install it is still quite a costly investment (conversion time alone is estimated at 11 months for the average-sized collection). RFID tags can be problematic on items that don’t have as much heft as books. Magazines can be too thin and flimsy for the tag, and the tags may be too close together if you stack up magazines to read them all effectively. Items with odd shapes and metal components can also be a challenge for some systems (RFID-Wikipedia, 2011; Coyle, K., 2010).

There is concern that a library patron’s privacy might be compromised since the tags can be read fro a distance. The tag itself does not contain personal information and to match up the data on the tag with the user information stored in the library’s secure system would be quite a task. More problematic is the fact that the RFID tag information and its link to a particular user is archived rather than destroyed on a regular basis, which other check-out systems can be programmed to do. There are experts currently working on this issue and I anticipate that a solution will be available soon.

If this technology is used in conjunction with self-checkout, a patron can come into the library, get what they want and leave, without ever interacting with a librarian.  Building relationships will become harder and trained staff may be considered by the patron as irrelevant to the library experience.  Though US libraries using this technology along with self-checkout have not reported that staff, in particular those involved in circulation, have been laid off, there is the potential for this to happen. 

Citations

Courtney, N. (Ed.) (2005). Radio Frequency Identification. Technology for the rest of us: A primer on computer technologies for the low-tech librarian. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Coyle, K. (2010). Management of RFID in Libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, v. 31, n.5, pp. 486-489.

Radio Frequency Identification – Library success: A best practices wiki. (last modified 2011, February 18). Retrieved from  

http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Radio_Frequency_Identification_(RFID)

Radio Frequency Identification – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (last modified 2011, November 12) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification

Adaptive Technologies

Just as the American Library Association has adopted a Library Bill of Rights, there is a Bill of Rights for people with disabilities.

1) The right to live independent, active and full lives.

2) The right to the equipment, assistance and support services necessary for full productivity, provided in a way that promotes dignity and independence.

3) The right to an adequate income or wage, substantial enough to provide food, clothing, shelter and other necessities of life.

4) The right to accessible, integrated, convenient and affordable housing.

5) The right to quality physical and mental health care.

6) The right to training and employment without prejudice or stereotype.

7) The right to accessible transportation and freedom of movement.

8) The right to bear or adopt and raise children and have a family.

9)  The right to free and appropriate public education.

10) The right to participate in and benefit from entertainment and recreation.

11) The right to equal access to and use of all businesses, facilities and activities in the community.

12) The right to communicate freely with all fellow citizens and those who provide services.

13) The right to a barrier-free environment.

14) The right to legal representation and full protection of all legal rights.

15) The right to determine one’s own future and make one’s own life choices.

16) The right to full access to all voting processes.

(REACH Disability Rights, 2011)

Libraries must be proactive in reaching out to people with disabilities and make every effort to support their needs (American Library Association, 2009).

According to Technology for the Rest of Us, Chapter 10, the author defines assistive technology as referring to any item that helps perform a task with no permanent effect on the environment in which is it being used.  Adaptive technology describes items that modify the environment in which they are used.  Many of the accommodations made within the library setting are adaptive in nature (2005, p. 123).

Some examples include

            ACCESS TO MATERIALS

·      Shelves reachable from a wheelchair

·      Clear and easy-to-read signs with pictograms

·      Reading and computers tables of varying heights throughout the library

·      Unobstructed aisles between bookshelves

MEDIA FORMATS

·      Talking books, talking newspapers and talking periodicals

·      Large print books

·      Easy-to-read books

·      Braille books

·      Video/DVD books with subtitles and/or sign language

·      E-books

COMPUTERS

·      Designated computer workstations adapted for users in wheelchairs

·      Adaptive keyboards or keyboards overlays for users with motor impairments

·      Designated computers equipped with screen reading programs, enlargement and synthetic speech

·      Designated computers equipped with spelling, and other instructional software suitable for persons with dyslexia

WEBSITE

·      Provide software to enlarge text, change font and contrast, length of lines and space between lines

·      Accompany audio with text

(Nielsen, G.S. and Irval, B, 2005)

The most important asset the library can offer anyone with a disability is staff and volunteers trained in the use of the technologies, the ability to communicate clearly and the desire to make everyone feel welcome.

Universally accessible technology can improve the quality of life for everyone.  For example, the voice recognition program called Siri that has been incorporated into the iPhone4S is being marketed to the general population but has wide implications for the visually impaired – we all can benefit from good design!

Many libraries post on their websites the technology available to patrons with disabilities.  Indiana University Southeast, for example, has an Adaptive Technology Center located within the library and, in addition to two top-of-the-line Dell computers with large monitors and user-friendly mice and keyboards, they have a variety of software including

·      JAWS for Windows Pro: for those who are blind or visually impaired, JAWS works with a speech synthesizer to read the information on the computer screen and also outputs to refreshable Braille displays.

·      Co:Writer 4000: meets a range of learning needs. For example, the Flexible Spelling Tool can help learners who have phonetic difficulties with spelling.

·      Dragon 8 Preferred: allows you to talk to your computer and your words instantly and accurately appear in Microsoft Word and Excel, Corel, Wordperfect, and virtually all Windows-based applications.  Listen to incoming e-mail and documents read aloud; search the Web by speaking URLs; insert blocks of text , such as your name, title and signature with a single voice command.

(Indiana University Northeast, 2011)

Unfortunately, adaptive technology can be expensive.  The Accessible Technology Coalition offers three ways that libraries might pay for the acquisition, installation, replacement, upgrades, and training required to equip and utilize fully adaptive hardware and software: build the cost into the budget, seek outside funding, and/or be creative.

Given the current financial situation of most organizations and municipalities, seeking outside funding from foundations, corporations and groups like Friends of the Library makes the most sense.  The Library Services Technology Act may be a good resource.

Creative solutions include approaching vendors and manufacturers about discounts or donations.  Other community organizations might be interested in pooling resources in order to purchase equipment together. You can search Craigslist, Freecycle, eBay and assistive technology reuse programs for recycled equipment.

With a little ingenuity, every library, no matter how small, can make its disabled users feel welcome and provide the opportunity for everyone to enjoy what it has to offer.

I found a video on line that defines assistive technology and describes the loan libraries that are found in some of our bigger communities. If you’d like to see it, click here and enjoy!

Citations

Accessible Technology Coalition. (n.d.). Funding assistive technology for libraries and other organizations. Retrieved from http://atcoalition.org/article/funding-assistive-technology-libraries-and-other-organizations

American Libraries Association. (2009, January 28). Services to persons with disabilities: An interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/servicespeopledisabilities.cfm

Assistive technology – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (last modified 2011, November 7). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology

Courtney, N. (Ed.) Adaptive technologies. Technology for the rest of us: A primer on computer technologies for the low-tech librarian. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimted.

Gelbwasser, S. (2005). Adaptive technology: Not just for people with disabilities. Reprinted from Connecticut Libraries in Interface: Web companion to the newsletter of the association for specialized and cooperative library agencies, a division of the American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/ascla/asclapubs/interface/archives/contentlistingby/volume28a/adaptivetechnologya/adaptivetechnology.cfm

Nielson, G. and Irval, B. (2005) Access to Libraries for Disabled Persons Checklist: A practical tool.  World Library and Information Conference: 71^st IFLA General Conference and Council online proceedings. Retrieved from http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/papers/113e-Nielsen_Irval.pdf

REACH: Resource centers on independent living. Disabled People’s Bill of Rights. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.reachcils.org/home/disability_rights/index.php4

Blogs

I read and hear over and over again that libraries need to be user-centered.  I don’t really understand the constant reminder since my personal experience has always been positive – and wanting to provide excellent customer service within a library setting (preferably a rural library) is my motivation for pursuing an advanced degree.

But I do understand it if the statement is referring to the reluctance on the part of some libraries to recognize that the user of today is not the user of 20 years ago.  To stay relevant, libraries must respond to their customers’ needs by providing the services they want.

This is a real challenge as budgets for materials are shrinking and staffing levels face reduction.  However there are some new ways libraries and librarians can engage users that weren’t available in the past that may not be too expensive or too onerous on staff who, like everyone else, is being asked to do more with less.

Over the next five posts, I am going to explore four different technologies – blogs, adaptive technologies, radio frequency identification and podcasts – and how they might be used in the library.  I will also select one that I think will most improve the library for librarians and one that I think will most improve the library experience for the user.  Here we go…

Blogs

This definition of a blog comes from Technology for the Rest of Us, Chapter 6: “It is a web page that contains brief, frequently updated entries arranged in chronological order” (2005, p. 55).

Two of a blog’s defining characteristics, brief and frequent, are captured in that statement.  The third, written in a distinctive voice that reflects the personality of the writer, is not necessarily found in every blog but is often what drives people to create and/or read them. The fourth, its interactive nature, is what sets it apart from other technologies.

There are several types of blogs:

·      The personal blog is an on-going diary or commentary by an individual.

·      The corporate or organizational blog can be used internally to enhance communication or externally for marketing and public relations.  Club blogs fall into this category; they keep their members up-to-date on the latest activities.

·      Genre blogs focusing on a specific subject.

Blogs were a natural outgrowth of early digital communications.  A few milestones:

1994 - the earliest online diaries appear

December 17, 1997 - the term weblog is coined by Jorn Barger

April 1998 - Open Diary is launched by Bruce Abelson. It allowed readers to add comments to others’ blogs.

April/May 1999 - the term blog is used by Peter Merholz

August 1999 - Evan Williams of Pyra Labs uses the word blog as a noun and verb, and came up with the term blogger. Along with Meg Hourihan, he launches blogger.com, the template I am using to create my blog.

2002 - bloggers report on comments made by US Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott praising US Senator Strom Thurmond.  Mainstream media picks up the story, ultimately forcing Senator Lott to step down.  This is seen as the beginning of blogs as an important tool to enhance political discourse and as a legitimate form of journalism.

August 2002 - Julie Powell begins her blog chronicling her attempt to prepare all of the recipes found in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking over a year period.  It is notable for its huge following that resulted in a bestselling novel and a movie starring Meryl Streep.

January 2005 - Fortune magazine lists 8 bloggers that business people cannot ignore.

2006 - Time magazine names YOU as Person of the Year referring to bloggers and other contributors of user-generated content.

February 16, 2011 - there are over 156 million public blogs in existence.

(Blog-Wikipedia, n.d.)

Blogs are used by libraries to bring fresh content to online visitors.  Since the format is designed to encourage comment, libraries have used blogs for book discussions/reviews, evaluation, question/quiz/game/fact-of-the-day type activities, announcements, etc.  Content can be recycled on Facebook and Twitter as well as submitted to other community entities to use in their digital newsletters and websites.  It can also be reformatted and sent to local newspapers as a press release.  Information is automatically archived, saving it for future reference.

The development of RSS technology means that people interested in a particular blog can receive regular updates to their e-mail and/or mobile device whenever new content has been added.  Followers can be kept up-to-date automatically without having to remember to check a particular site. This feature can help build reader interest and loyalty.

Blogs can help users see that libraries are not confined to a particular building; that staff is engaging, responsive, welcoming and a part of the community.  It can lead to a deeper connection between the library and the user, a win-win for everyone.  And because one blog post can be used for multiple purposes, the librarian’s time can be utilized effectively and efficiently.

Check these out:

Hack Library School: By, for and about library school students.

Screwy Decimal: Tales from an urban librarian.

Forgotten Bookmarks:  Statement by the author/creator: I am a used and rare bookseller.  I buy books from people everyday. These are the personal, funny, heartbreaking and weird things I find in those books.

Citations

Blog – WikiHow, the how to manual that you can edit. (n.d.). How to start a blog. Retrieved from  http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Blog

Blog – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (last modified 2011, November 3).  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Carver, Blake. (2011, February 18). The LISNews blogs to read in 2011. Retrieved from http://lisnews.org/lisnews_blogs_read_2011

Casey, M. and Savastinuk, L. (2006, September). Library 2.0: Service for the next generation. Library Journal online.  Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6365200.html

Courtney, N. (Ed.). (2005). Blogs and RSS.  Technology for the rest of us: A primer on computer technologies for the low-tech librarian. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Gunelius, S. (2011). Blogging.  About.com Guide. Retrieved from http://weblogs.about.com/

Levine, J. (2010, February 24). Library 2.0: Not just for users. The Shifted Librarian. Retrieved from http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2010/02/24/library-2-0-not-just-for-users.html