Ten New Positions I'd Like to See
My library just got a huge, anonymous donation to fund ten new positions for as long as we want them. We're now in the process of figuring out the basics of these new lines. It's an exciting time for us....
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Archives for December 2006
December 29, 2006
December 27, 2006
Why Can't a Wiki Be More Like a Blog?
Wikis are admirable tools for the collaborative editing of documents. But many of them lack features that make blogs such a participatory success. Participation on wikis focuses on document editing. But what about other types of participation? This is where...
December 21, 2006
Restructuring Our Positions
Institutional transformation can only happen when positions are restructured. We need to define new responsibilities that target new goals if we have any hope of bringing about major change. I've heard librarians complain for years about increased workload. While new,...
December 19, 2006
New Year's Resolution: A 2.0 Retreat
There are many strategies we might choose for starting on the path toward transforming ourselves into 2.0 institutions. I suggest kicking off a pledge for transformation with a day-long retreat. By retreat, I mean reserving a day in the library...
December 15, 2006
Transforming Our Library Web Sites
I wish I could show you examples of exemplary academic library Web sites, but I can't. There aren't any. Yet. Sure, some sites are pretty good. I frequently suffer from Web site envy. But our sites still follow a model...
December 12, 2006
Skill Sets for Library Administrators
Should academic libraries, as increasingly technology-based institutions, require that its administrators have a baseline of hands-on technical skills? It's an idea worth considering. I was just reviewing a list of preferred skills for ARL library directors included in the 2001...
December 07, 2006
The Accidental Tech Support Librarian
Tech support is a key to our future. Our role in tech support has evolved slowly but surely as our operations have moved online. It's sneaked up on us and now it's a part of our (often unstated) mission. I...
December 04, 2006
Wikis, Collective Intelligence and Libraries
In earlier postings, I've suggested a few ways in which wikis can be used in libraries and academic institutions. I'd like to explore this further, in this entry focusing on student/librarian Web site collaborations. One of the popular misconceptions about...
December 02, 2006
Ingenta Publisher Forum in London
I was in London last week, giving a talk on "Library 2.0 and Scholarly Portals" at the Ingenta Publisher Forum. This is an annual London event in which Ingenta invites its publisher customers to hear about company doings and industry...