The biblioblogosphere is all abuzz about Long Overdue: A Fresh Look at Public and Leadership Attitudes About Libraries in the 21st Century. I love the perspective it offers us on our own goals and on our diverse customers. Lots of thoughts race thru my mind when I look at some of these. I love that "Having enough computers..." Finally surpasses "Adequate parking." (not that I don't care about parking...) I love that current materials, self service and comfort are still high priorities.
Because of a lot of what I heard and dealt with in the last year, I most wonder how to reconcile some of these priorities that the public expresses.
Am I taking them too literally or could:
* Providing a safe and engaging space for teens;
and
* Expanding access to the Internet and other uses of technology;
be somewhat contradictory?
How many parents assume we are "safe places" for their children to be left alone in as soon as they reach a certain age. (How many of them got this impression by reading a "Safe Space" sign posted at each one of our doors?)
How many parents assume their children can't get on the internet, or can't get on MySpace, or if they are allowed to browse the web, would only do so under a very aggressive filter? How many of them understand that we sometimes don't even know their age when we serve them?
How can we reconcile some of these expectations with all of our realities?
Have you seen the Zurich commercial on TV that asked: "What if your business plan changes every 4 hours?" I really think of our libraries like that, as having our business plan change every couple hours, toddlers & mothers at 9 AM, PC users at 10AM (in droves), bookclub readers at 2PM, homework high school students at 4PM, music lovers in at 7 PM for a concert... And tomorrow, a "Band of Brothers" showing with actual WWII participants and later in the conference room, a "DAR" meeting...
technorati tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries, policies, customers
Monday, June 19, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
the data we hold
Funny (not ha, ha) how this DOPA business and all the news about the stolen laptop that held all this VA data, makes us (me) face some of our technical limitations, some of our past decisions, some of our core values and some of our new endeavors...
Interesting how we can be expected to apply all kind of regulations on as varied a population as we serve.
It's clear for us that we do not have enough data to ever dream of implementing AGE based policies. Our ILS does not currently have a useable BIRTHDATE field. It has had a BIRTHYEAR field forever but it never even was either required or verified so we have some users with no entry there, some with 2 digit entries there and some with 4 digit entries. Of course, the full, useable BIRTHDATE field will be available to us very soon, but to have the field does not solve the problem, you need to POPULATE this field with accurate data before you can use it....
I LIKE THIS QUOTE:
"The technical infrastructure that makes something possible is only the first step of a long process to make something usable." from Roy Tennant, TechEssence.info
...
Now, if we decide (are made) to gather birthdate info, we will have and hold 2 of the 3 essential parts required for ID theft.
I was thinking maybe we can devise a sensible workaround and gather month and year in separate (verified) fields, without having to know or keep the DAY part. Of course this would require substantial manipulation of the db on a regular basis, but that part can be automated...
Why not seek YEAR XXXX+ MONTH XX and use this to populate a separate Majority: Y/N field? That Majority field can be used to "enforce" certain policies and/or laws.
That way, should (--warding evil eye sign--) our data get compromized, we have exposed our users to much less risk than if we had had a full birhtdate in our records...
Hummmm...
More to come on this.
technorati tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries, policies, customers
Interesting how we can be expected to apply all kind of regulations on as varied a population as we serve.
It's clear for us that we do not have enough data to ever dream of implementing AGE based policies. Our ILS does not currently have a useable BIRTHDATE field. It has had a BIRTHYEAR field forever but it never even was either required or verified so we have some users with no entry there, some with 2 digit entries there and some with 4 digit entries. Of course, the full, useable BIRTHDATE field will be available to us very soon, but to have the field does not solve the problem, you need to POPULATE this field with accurate data before you can use it....
I LIKE THIS QUOTE:
"The technical infrastructure that makes something possible is only the first step of a long process to make something usable." from Roy Tennant, TechEssence.info
...
Now, if we decide (are made) to gather birthdate info, we will have and hold 2 of the 3 essential parts required for ID theft.
I was thinking maybe we can devise a sensible workaround and gather month and year in separate (verified) fields, without having to know or keep the DAY part. Of course this would require substantial manipulation of the db on a regular basis, but that part can be automated...
Why not seek YEAR XXXX+ MONTH XX and use this to populate a separate Majority: Y/N field? That Majority field can be used to "enforce" certain policies and/or laws.
That way, should (--warding evil eye sign--) our data get compromized, we have exposed our users to much less risk than if we had had a full birhtdate in our records...
Hummmm...
More to come on this.
technorati tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries, policies, customers
Thursday, May 18, 2006
not easy
A little Friday Philosophy...
It is not going to be easy!, I keep saying it to everyone I train, meet, talk to about emerging technology. We can't expect that it will go down PERFECTLY. Not when we innovate! It can be fun though... We must learn to appreciate and enjoy the process.
Things have been a little difficult lately at MPOW. I don't know if it's just too many changes at once, not enough comfort throughout. Personally, just like everyone, I have felt like stepping back a little. But it really doesn't help if we start some great project, and abandon it as soon as we encounter a difficulty ( read:one person complains or one thing doesn't work as well as expected.)
Thriving. I love the word. Personally, I thrive on success. I am a troubleshooter, it's in my blood, and nothing makes me happier than seeing it fixed after it was broken. That's success right there! But I also thrive on innovation, and that often takes me to the opposite side... Yes, I love to break things too. In a sick twisted way, that in itself feeds into my 1st passion right? Now that it's broke, I better fix it...
It's a vicious cycle,
no, it's a vivacious cycle.
CHANGE IS LIFE, LIFE IS CHANGE.
technorati tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries, change,
It is not going to be easy!, I keep saying it to everyone I train, meet, talk to about emerging technology. We can't expect that it will go down PERFECTLY. Not when we innovate! It can be fun though... We must learn to appreciate and enjoy the process.
Things have been a little difficult lately at MPOW. I don't know if it's just too many changes at once, not enough comfort throughout. Personally, just like everyone, I have felt like stepping back a little. But it really doesn't help if we start some great project, and abandon it as soon as we encounter a difficulty ( read:one person complains or one thing doesn't work as well as expected.)
Thriving. I love the word. Personally, I thrive on success. I am a troubleshooter, it's in my blood, and nothing makes me happier than seeing it fixed after it was broken. That's success right there! But I also thrive on innovation, and that often takes me to the opposite side... Yes, I love to break things too. In a sick twisted way, that in itself feeds into my 1st passion right? Now that it's broke, I better fix it...
It's a vicious cycle,
no, it's a vivacious cycle.
CHANGE IS LIFE, LIFE IS CHANGE.
technorati tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries, change,
Monday, May 01, 2006
Going away angry anyone?
Seth Godin post a brilliant snippet about policies.
Not only does he make a great point, and share a good idea; he also succeeds in getting you to relate to the topic right from the start. (Story tellers will rule the world one day, I swear!)
Who has not lived thru one of these as a customer? Libraries (some) are intent on writing policies, as soon as ONE event or customer steps off the beaten path. We love policies. I want to speak up, (really, sometimes I want to scream!) each time I see pages and pages of minute, complex, "overthought" narrative trying to predict every single possible scenario relating to the use or feared abuse of one of our resources. We do this with the best intentions too. We want to ensure fairness, prepare our staff for all possibilities, remain ready for all eventualities etc., etc., etc. Right now, trying to justify the creation of a MySpace account for MPOW... Well, this will require a policy right?
Really, then when we start trying to "empower" our front line staff, we end up writing layer after layer of exceptions, increasing complexity and good reasoning each time.
I do enough training to know what it can do to a new employee. Here the rule, here's how/when you should break it... Frankly I would rather spend my time making sock puppets.
Why not THROW AWAY the rule once it no longer serves a purpose, or if it never did.
technorati tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries, policies, customers
Not only does he make a great point, and share a good idea; he also succeeds in getting you to relate to the topic right from the start. (Story tellers will rule the world one day, I swear!)
Who has not lived thru one of these as a customer? Libraries (some) are intent on writing policies, as soon as ONE event or customer steps off the beaten path. We love policies. I want to speak up, (really, sometimes I want to scream!) each time I see pages and pages of minute, complex, "overthought" narrative trying to predict every single possible scenario relating to the use or feared abuse of one of our resources. We do this with the best intentions too. We want to ensure fairness, prepare our staff for all possibilities, remain ready for all eventualities etc., etc., etc. Right now, trying to justify the creation of a MySpace account for MPOW... Well, this will require a policy right?
Really, then when we start trying to "empower" our front line staff, we end up writing layer after layer of exceptions, increasing complexity and good reasoning each time.
I do enough training to know what it can do to a new employee. Here the rule, here's how/when you should break it... Frankly I would rather spend my time making sock puppets.
Why not THROW AWAY the rule once it no longer serves a purpose, or if it never did.
technorati tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries, policies, customers
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Contre-verse-see?
OK, I have a big mouth and I don't mind it if some people disagree with me. It makes my chiming in on the big Library2.0 "nomenclature" much easier. Since my days as a communication students, I have been a sucker for a good marketing line and it seems to go without saying that it's easier to sell it once you name it. But it shouldn't really matter whether it actually deserves it's own name, whether it's a movement or whether it is a shift or a big bang. As long as s#$% gets done, I really don't care...
I really think (and some have already heard me say it,) that there has been a significant change in the last few years in both the web and the library (and surprise! It's the same!!)
They have transformed from being places where people stopped in to get stuff, into places where people spend time to do stuff.
It's the actions that make the difference, not the words so much.
tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries
I really think (and some have already heard me say it,) that there has been a significant change in the last few years in both the web and the library (and surprise! It's the same!!)
They have transformed from being places where people stopped in to get stuff, into places where people spend time to do stuff.
It's the actions that make the difference, not the words so much.
tags:library2.0,library 2.0, libraries
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