News Report #5

Michigan Librarians Stunned as State Ends Reimbursments By Michael Kelley http://www.libraryjournal.com/

The article is about the Michigan Library Association battling with the Michigan State Legislature on its decision to keep funds that belong to the libraries. The state legislature set up tax free zones for businesses years ago to help stimulate the state’s economy. In doing so the state was required by law to compensate the loss of money to tax funded programs such as libraries. Apparently now without changing the laws the legislature has decided to keep that money rather than give it to the libraries. The amount of money being illegally kept by the state is around three million dollars. For some libraries the loss in money is painful but only about five to six percent where for smaller libraries the loss in funding is estimated to be around thirty percent. Some of the library representatives have stated that this could cause branch closings and that there is no evidence the state is actually creating jobs with the money.

This is very similar to the last article I chose. The big difference is that the state legislature is blatantly breaking the law. They are openly stealing from a state funded business. It is amazing at how corrupt and greedy our government is becoming. Not only are they breaking the law, and stripping money from a vital community service, but one of the state representatives openly admitted it when confronted. How far are they willing to go to get money? First it was cutting money now it’s openly stealing it. I would also like to point out that the area of money that is being taken by the state is also supposed to go to schools. I guess literacy and education take the back burner when the state representatives need a raise.

News Report 4

Illinois’s Regional Library Systems Gasping for Air

By Michael Kelley

http://www.libraryjournal.com/

The article discusses a different side to the growing problem libraries are facing right now, funding. In the case of the article it is not necessarily the lack of funding that is the issue right now, but rather getting the money already promised. The state of Illinois has yet to give the library system the majority of its funding for this fiscal year. The article stated that the fiscal year ended in July and yet the state hasn’t paid up. This is due to a clause that permits late payments until December. The libraries say the problem with this is that without the money they cannot continue programs dependent on the state funding. Some of the programs mentioned were delivery of interlibrary loans and audible reading programs for people who can’t read themselves for whatever reason.

I think things like this are ridiculous. You never see any politician suffer because of lack of funds. The state wouldn’t feel too happy if a citizen decided to wait until December to pay taxes instead of April, they would be punished. Yet businesses and common people suffer because we can’t cut a governor or senators budget so they cut ours. The article spoke of lay-offs in one library that went from 48 employees to 8. That is ridiculous. Not only did 40 people become unemployed but imagine how overworked the remaining 8 are. Maybe if funding was paid on time those 40 people could have kept their jobs, paid taxes, and then there would be more money to dish out. The workforce brings the state money. Without them the state loses money causing others loss of funding. More workers equal more money which brings more funding. Anyone see a circular pattern?

Reading #4

Bell, Steven J. "The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an AppetizingAlternative to Google." Chronicle of Higher Education 50.24 (2004): B15. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 19 Oct. 2010.

The article is discussing how Google has made it actually more difficult to research subject, people, or items for students. It speaks about the mass amount of hits each term receives when using Google as a research tool. I also mentions how most of the sites given by Google are not scholarly cites and can be filled with domains that can’t be used as authoritative. The author says that due to places like Google students have now made their research methods broader rather than learning how to shrink down their search for more detail. The alternatives offered are of course libraries, but also new internet projects that are working with libraries combining information from different locations. Also the new projects will be ranking the information given in order of relevancy to the terms being searched.

I think the article makes a good point. We actually discussed these things in class last week. Google will throw out pages of web sites for any subject you look up, but generally the top lists are opinionated or not considered scholarly so they first pages or so may be useless. There is also no way to weed out the unneeded sites you simply have to scroll. I think the projects like RedLightGreen are a great idea. To be able to use a site just like Google and not have to worry if the sources given are credible is wonderful.

The article proposes that by starting with internet parodies using libraries and actual commercials will spark a new craze for libraries. That people will see these videos on YouTube and become interested, supportive, and enthusiastic about libraries again. The author offers a number of benefits of a library such as the fact that they are “open to the public” showing that no one is ever turned away. Also makes a comparison that your local librarian is like if your computer could walk and talk. There is even the usage of the new go green concept sweeping the world. The author says that it is eco-friendly to rent books from the library rather than buy them because it saves trees. This also ties into the free concept of reading books and magazines at the library rather than going out a purchasing them.

While I think that this is a clever and well thought out article I don’t necessarily agree with the author. There are good and valid points regarding the benefits of using public libraries. Having said this I just don’t see the ideas and concepts in this article bringing about a new surge of interest in local libraries. The idea that the Old Spice parodies will spawn movies and reality shows is a little bit of a stretch for me I see Old Spice commercials all the time and still haven’t spent a dime on the product. Also how can one forget the TNT trilogy The Librarian? Those movies ran for a week straight and there was no resurgence of public library usage.

News Report #3

This article describes how a city’s economy is actually shrinking public libraries. Because of Seattle’s loss in revenue budget cuts are being made to make up for the loss in money. One of the first cuts in budgets is of course the library. The mayor intends to cut the public libraries budget by 8.5 percent. This plan will essentially remove certain positions as well as downsize the number of other positions. Plans for the cut are also being made to transform some of the libraries into circulating libraries. Also to make up for the loss in funds libraries intend to increase fee and fines as a small compensation. It is hoped that with the increase in prices this will not necessarily make up for the loss in money, but at least attempt to put a dent in it.

The article is just another example of how local officials are willing to sacrifice whatever will not affect their pocket to make up for money they are losing. One of the main reliefs in a bad economy is being a state or federal employee. This is because the jobs are pretty much set in stone. Now that is not the case. The mayor is trying to generate more money in the economy by removing a substantial amount of money from the public libraries, which is effectively remove citizens positions and leading to an increase in unemployment. Also, where does education as a concern when libraries are being down sized to compensate for lost revenue. I doubt in the mayor’s budget cut plans they chose to downsize from a Lincoln to a Buick or take one less vacation.

News Report 2

“Library by Design: DC’s 21^st-Century Branches”

Rebecca Miller

September 14, 2010

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/886533-264/library_by_design_dcs_21st-century.html.csp

The new innovations being constructed by the DCPL are designed to keep libraries up to date with the changing world and its technology. The newly constructed library now offers features that were once not available and not so much geared towards the American library setting. The library’s new design offers a much more open and spacious library that is not closed off and cluttered with walls and towering shelves of books. There are numerous rooms in each building now that are specifically designed for one on one tutoring and/or study groups. Each room is also equipped with WiFi so internet access will not be a problem. Also each building now has a Meeting Room with a capacity of one hundred people. The new design and features are geared toward bringing a new desire to venture to your neighborhood library.

These features do have the possibility to attract new consumers into libraries. Now rather than having a large meeting at an expensive restaurant or in a stuffy office building you can have it at a state of the art library with no interruptions or distractions. Also the offering WiFi in every study room is a plus. There are still a lot of public libraries that do not offer their own wireless internet which of course is a deterrent from going there to study. The separate study rooms I think is a wonderful idea. In most cases reading area are the same as study areas creating lots of vocal static and can be distracting to both the readers as well as the studiers.

Reading # 2

I feel the article is the realization that the internet “buzz” is simply just like every other fad that has come into play. Eventually things in certain genres will die out. For example, the genre of music, every decade or so a new way of buying/listening to music comes out and the old way simply disappears into stories told buy your parents. My parents can’t remember the last time they bought an eight track, I can’t remember the last time I bought a record, and the new generation won’t remember the last time they bought a CD. Wikipedia sky-rocketed and was a very unique idea. With this said, so was instant messaging: which became MySpace, then Facebook, and is now turning into Skype. There is always something better coming but with the unreliability of Wikipedia’s sources and constant editing from anyone this is the first time something on the internet will simply “die.”




I think that the major default that Wikipedia has that other internet dinosaurs have is the lack of personal satisfaction. Unlike MySpace or IMing there are little personal touches. With MySpace and Facebook you place your own individual fingerprint on the internet. Yes other people can message you or put photos of you on your page but they can’t actually change it. With Wikipedia your fingerprint might be altered within the hour of your original posting. It is still your post only with modifications from any and everyone. Also, and possibly most importantly, it is not truly a reliable source of information. Yes there are facts and great information on Wikipedia but you never really know if what you’re reading is factual without further research. I feel if you’re going to have to research the facts you just read then why read those facts at all? This may very well be the first eight track of the world wide web. This could be interesting to see the Wikipedia replacement though, if video killed the radio star then what new concept will kill the Wikipedia star?

Reading Assignment 1

I actually learned a couple of things from this article. First I didn’t realize how much time people really spend creating fictitious sites. Also, I never thought about the variety and cleverness of these sites. The Martin Luther King site for example: I never really thought of racist people actually creating a fake site to lure people away from supporting his ideals and beliefs. The one thing that did bother me a little was the misinformation site about things like AIDS and cancer that professors made. Regardless of whether or not they post a disclaimer on the site I don’t think those are the most ethical subjects to choose when conducting a study. That kind of offended me to think someone whose job is to educate would choose such dangerous subjects to mislead people. I wasn’t aware there were so many websites dedicated to researching and discovering false sites. I honestly never thought about such a site existing.


What I truly found amazing is how the internet has changed even the way people wage war. All those countries instead of using snipers and assassins have hackers. The fact that they use fake websites of their enemies and send viruses to the actual sites and the opposition’s supporter’s sites is amazing. To think that instead of attacking buildings they chose to attack URLs is simply crazy. It makes you wonder if these are tactics used in the mid 90’s when technology was limited to these countries, why would we put every bit of information and control of our military into computers that have already been hacked before?

News Report #1

News Report #1




“Innovation Symposium: The Future is Mobile”

Michael Greenlee, Edited by Josh Hardo

June 21, 2010

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/technology/technews/885462-294/infotech.html.csp





In order for libraries to stay in business and keep a growing consumer market they must keep up with the ever growing advances in technology. No longer do people need to travel to their local library to rent a book or research information for school or leisure. The internet has made all of this information readily available with the click of a button from your computer at home. Granted public libraries have been battling this fight for some time now by universally connecting with internet search engines such as Google to offer digital access to their books and information via the internet. The problem arising for libraries now is the 4G network. It has been discovered that most of the people who do use library domains are actually 55 and over. The market for 54 and younger is progressively resorting to the 4G network. Rather than looking up websites and search engines on a computer at home or school information is now being accessed and exchanged through cell phones. Organizations such as Copia, Blio, and the OCLC are now proposing the creation of applications to be downloaded on smart phones giving the owner immediate access to libraries resources. This is believed to revive the life span of libraries by reaching out to a much younger and diverse audience.



I think this is a very unique idea. Often these days people of my generation don’t ever step foot in a library unless a class requires them to meet there. More often than not we just use some type of search engine or use the suggested web sites recommended to us from the professor. If there were an application on our phone that sent information straight from a library, rather than having to Google the subject we are looking for, I believe my generation would be more inclined to venture to the library or at least their website to gain information. This could actually bring a realization that libraries are not obsolete due to the internet but can actually bring a more centered focus to your search with nothing but credible sources and information.