“Libraries are Screwed” Video

“Libraries are Screwed” Video

One of our assignments for this week was to watch Eli Neiburger’s video on YouTube about how libraries are screwed because of the rise of ebooks. When I first started watching the video I must admit that I was a little discouraged because coming from a music industry background and watching Neiburger discuss parts of the music industry as “a shadow of its former self” was not an optimistic comparison. But part 2 of Neiburger’s video presented a future role of libraries that I never imagined. Neiburger’s solution discussed a new position for libraries in a community that still held true to the mission of librarians that Lankes advocates.

Eli Neiburger’s Solution:

“The 20^th century library brought the world to its community. The 21^st century library will bring its community to the world.” In other words, libraries will take on a new role of being a 3^rd space/new platform that enables a community to create works. The library will no longer be about the collections it circulates but about the creations of the community, “giving access to production tools and venues and a permanent noncommercial online home for patrons’ creative works.” Neiburger believes circulating collections are outmoded, but it is possible to build a new platform that the community will embrace.

With this model, I believe every library will look drastically different because we (the community and librarians) will help shape and be shaped by the libraries and the knowledge created in these new learning environments– the conversation theory in action! I know it is important to be realistic and understand that this is a new model that will take a lot of planning and investment from both the community and librarians. It will change the physical form of libraries drastically, which I imagine will require a lot of resources and energy, but I believe we have the time to make this dream a reality. It is inspiring to imagine what the library in my community will look like with this new model and I hope I will have the opportunity to contribute to this change, as either a librarian or community member.

The Year of the Patent Wars

 This week in class we started to talk about copyright and patent law, due to the patent reform bill that was passed in September. Before the bill was passed I remember listening to an interesting story on NPR’s Morning Edition that focused on one point that Lankes brought up in class -  many companies are racing to acquire as many patents as possible to gain strength in the market place. For example, the reason Google now owns Motorola Mobility is due to the 17,000 patents that company had registered.  Lankes went into more detail to describe the value of patents and inevitably the potential payout from lawsuits these companies file. NPR stated that 2011 is now being called the “Year of the Patent Wars.” I enjoyed the NPR story because it also gave interesting examples of lawsuit that companies are battling today and how it actually impacts us, the consumer.  The fact that the “patent wars” are having a negative effect on innovation was the most startling. The companies that are involved in the “patent wars” have one goal in mind – to stop competitors. In turn, they are pushing out small companies and new ideas that try to enter and compete in the market place. It is believed that no end is in sight for the “patent wars” and I am curious if companies will find themselves in a weaker position in the future due to the negative impact it is having on innovation. For now, I will keep listening for fate of Kodak.

The full story can be found here: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/26/139924549/patent-wars-could-dull-techs-cutting-edge.

Types of Libraries

When I made the decision to go back to Syracuse University for my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science, family members and friends would ask, “What are going to do with that degree?” My automatic response was, “to be a librarian!” Often I was pressed to go into more detail, but I never had an exact answer; that was the whole point of going back to grad school – to figure out what path of librarianship I was interested in. Of course, I was determined to pick a degree that could lead to multiple career options after graduation. I didn’t want to be stuck on one specific path (I should note that I majored in music during my undergrad and having worked for the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra after graduation, you can now imagine my employment situation and fear of entering a field with little opportunities). I am optimistic about my new career path and excited about the different job opportunities that are available in the field of librarianship.

This week in IST 511 we discussed the different types of libraries – public, academic, school and special. It was the perfect lecture for 1^st year graduate students in the iSchool program, inviting everyone to think about the path they are most interested in. I am attracted to the idea of public librarianship. I love working for an organization that is valued and embraced by a community. When I worked for the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, I enjoyed assisting with the community engagement initiatives and working with volunteers and members of the community that shared a love for the orchestra. I think public librarianship will provide similar opportunities that focus on patron relations and community outreach.  I also like the idea of academic libraries. I was a recent employee at Le Moyne College and the library supports a community of faculty members and students (a great community I would love to continue to be part of). I know I keep going back to the issue of community engagement and all types of libraries support a unique community. Whereas this issue will not necessarily help me find a specific career path, it will allow me to continue to explore the different options available in the field of librarianship.

My Path to Librarianship

I am excited to start my first blog as I embark on a new chapter in my career – returning to Syracuse University to purse a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. Most blog posts will reflect on the classes I am enrolled in, but I hope to find the time to expand on topics I discover outside of the classroom. For now, I will begin by reflecting on my first class, which reminded me why I wanted to follow this career path.

The class started out with everyone sharing a “headline” to describe who they are; these “headlines” provided an interesting perspective into the path each individual took to librarianship. My path was relatively unique – I enjoy working for non-profit organizations that are valued and embraced by a community. It slowly dawned on me one day that libraries are amazing non-profits with a mission that has survived hundreds of thousands of years. I would love to learn how libraries continue to reinvent themselves to ensure that they are relevant in today’s society. I have worked for many different non-profit organizations in the past (most with a mission to promote music and the arts) and I believe that these cultural organizations can learn a lot from libraries.

This belief was reinforced by a conversation in class that focused on “how to define librarianship.” The definition that resonated most with me stated that librarianship is dependent on the mission – it is what you want to accomplish to improve society. The definition of librarianship didn’t focus on function of libraries (such as managing collections) or the history of libraries, because the role/purpose of libraries has evolved over time. I believe this idea of social action is what is helping move the field of librarianship forward. This is exactly what arts organizations need – to have a social service mission focused on improving a community and meeting the needs of a community.

Now I am sure two years from now when I finish this degree I will look back on this blog entry and think I was completely crazy! But I do hope I can draw some parallels between libraries and non-profit arts organizations because I believe libraries have found a great model and continue to strive in today’s society thanks to innovative leaders.