Already in my collection management class, we're exploring topics and issues that are really making me think. One of the latest topics brought up in our class discussion is the necessity of weeding as part of collection management. For those who are not librarians and are not very familiar with the terminology, weeding is the act of removing those items that are no longer "useful" from the collection. The reasons for weeding can be 1) the item is out of date and the information is no longer correct, 2) the item has not been checked out or used for some time, which argues against its continued usefulness, or even 3) the item has been replaced by other items more suited to the service population (the people that come and use the library). Or it could be for another reason not mentioned here.
Weeding is an important part of collection management policy because it keeps a collection relevant to those who use the library, and it helps to make space for newer materials that patrons want. However, I think that this particular aspect of collection management will be the toughest for me because I cringe internally every time I think about getting rid of a book. Even with my own collection (which, funny enough, has more items in it than the collection of the library I work in), it is SO DIFFICULT to get rid of anything--including old textbooks that I haven't picked up in years. As I mentioned in a reply to a classmate's comment, "It's not just that they're books--they have a value that I think
librarians and avid readers inherently understand, but others seem to
overlook. There is knowledge there, [not] just factual, but cultural,
emotional, and psychological." The most that I'm ever able to do is pack old books into a box and put them in storage for that day I finally have enough space to give my books their own room (one day...one day...).
So with my tenacious hold on my own volumes, I don't know how I'm going to address the conflict within myself to effectively weed in a library's collection. Is there a training program for that? I suppose this is where the collection policy comes in. A well-written policy will contain guidance for what materials to weed when and why. My personal collection will continue to remain unweeded (though it continues to grow), but the collection at the library I work at definitely needs to be weeded--no matter how much I would like to avoid it. My hope is that I will be able to formulate a policy and procedure for weeding and determine items that can be discarded--especially since I will desperately need the space to put in new materials we will need to purchase for several new programs we will be introducing to our campus. For this, I will, I must put my personal desires aside for the sake of my library's collection. Even though it will be hard.
One of my classmates posted a link to this blog entry with a realistic and humorous approach to weeding: http://perfectwhole.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/i-cant-believe-youre-throwing-out-books/ I can understand and appreciate many of the points the author makes, and maybe I can use the author's attitude as a model for my own approach to my library's collection.
Showing posts with label policies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label policies. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2012
Friday, June 10, 2011
An indication of the times
For millions of people, the often-comforting, sometimes-frustrating presence of the Internet is one that we can no longer imagine being without. The near-infinite amount of information that is now at our fingertips boggles the mind. In many ways, our lives are easier; shopping, keeping in touch with long-lost friends and family, and looking up the process for changing oil in your specific make/model of car are only a very few examples of things that the Internet has made almost effortless. However, there have been some fallout from our willingness to integrate this beast so completely into our lives. The idea of a right to information is butting heads constantly with the right of an individual's privacy in many forms. It also doesn't help that people don't realize a very important truth about the Internet: nothing posted online can ever be guaranteed privacy. Someone somewhere will be able to access it, read/view/listen to it, and distribute it to anyone he/she pleases.
But I'm deviating from the focus of this post: our access to the Internet. It has by far become the norm. Even people in countries we would not necessarily associate with technology are hooking up to the Internet via computers and mobile devices. Our world is truly developing into a global community, one where all the best and worst of humanity is laid bare for all to see. Well, almost all--there are still areas of the world where the government has a say in what their citizens get to view online.
I think that the best indicator of our continued reliance on the Internet and how much an individual's worth can be measured by their online presence is a recent declaration by the United Nations. The UN's report, dated May 16, explains the importance of the Internet for many various reasons relating to other human rights and the means of human progress. According to the UN, blocking people from the Internet is a human rights violation. The report goes on to say that Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is applicable to the forms of information exchange that take place on the Internet, thereby protecting them and access to them as it would other forms of information exchange. One interesting part of the report explains the very specific circumstances in which a restriction of the Internet would not constitute such a violation. Simply because the government is "trying to keep the peace" is not reason enough. It put me in mind of the Egyptian government's attempt to block the online coordination of rebels a few months ago when the old government was (relatively peacefully) overthrown.
"What does this have to do with libraries?" I hear you ask. Well, perhaps not much overtly, but at the heart of the purpose of public libraries is a free exchange of ideas. Libraries are perhaps the best physical embodiment of the First Amendment in the US Constitution and the right of free speech and freedom of expression guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They provide the forum for us, the people, to find any information on any topic that we want. They provide the resources for us to explore any idea, no matter how controversial, so that we can make our own informed opinion of what we believe. And now with the rise of the Internet that I've been talking about during this whole post, libraries have included access to the online world and all the resources that it can provide as well. Libraries have continued to advocate by example the free exchange of ideas on all platforms--digital and otherwise--something that the UN has officially come to recognize as well.
Okay, on to a lighter topic, I do have another recipe to post: mocha pudding cake. This is a slow-cooker recipe, which makes me think that it may not take much tweaking to adapt the recipe to a dutch-oven heated over a campfire or with barbecue coals.
What you'll need:
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter--melted
4 eggs--lightly beaten
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
What you'll need to do:
1. In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa, instant coffee, ground cinnamon, and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together the eggs and vanilla extract.
2. Add the egg mixture to the large bowl along with the melted butter and pecans. Mix everything together until well-blended.
3. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 3-quart slow cooker. Add the batter and cover.
4. Cook on the low setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until set around the edges but still soft and slightly gooey in the center. Let stand for 30 minutes (still covered) and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
But I'm deviating from the focus of this post: our access to the Internet. It has by far become the norm. Even people in countries we would not necessarily associate with technology are hooking up to the Internet via computers and mobile devices. Our world is truly developing into a global community, one where all the best and worst of humanity is laid bare for all to see. Well, almost all--there are still areas of the world where the government has a say in what their citizens get to view online.
I think that the best indicator of our continued reliance on the Internet and how much an individual's worth can be measured by their online presence is a recent declaration by the United Nations. The UN's report, dated May 16, explains the importance of the Internet for many various reasons relating to other human rights and the means of human progress. According to the UN, blocking people from the Internet is a human rights violation. The report goes on to say that Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is applicable to the forms of information exchange that take place on the Internet, thereby protecting them and access to them as it would other forms of information exchange. One interesting part of the report explains the very specific circumstances in which a restriction of the Internet would not constitute such a violation. Simply because the government is "trying to keep the peace" is not reason enough. It put me in mind of the Egyptian government's attempt to block the online coordination of rebels a few months ago when the old government was (relatively peacefully) overthrown.
"What does this have to do with libraries?" I hear you ask. Well, perhaps not much overtly, but at the heart of the purpose of public libraries is a free exchange of ideas. Libraries are perhaps the best physical embodiment of the First Amendment in the US Constitution and the right of free speech and freedom of expression guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They provide the forum for us, the people, to find any information on any topic that we want. They provide the resources for us to explore any idea, no matter how controversial, so that we can make our own informed opinion of what we believe. And now with the rise of the Internet that I've been talking about during this whole post, libraries have included access to the online world and all the resources that it can provide as well. Libraries have continued to advocate by example the free exchange of ideas on all platforms--digital and otherwise--something that the UN has officially come to recognize as well.
Okay, on to a lighter topic, I do have another recipe to post: mocha pudding cake. This is a slow-cooker recipe, which makes me think that it may not take much tweaking to adapt the recipe to a dutch-oven heated over a campfire or with barbecue coals.
What you'll need:
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter--melted
4 eggs--lightly beaten
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
What you'll need to do:
1. In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa, instant coffee, ground cinnamon, and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together the eggs and vanilla extract.
2. Add the egg mixture to the large bowl along with the melted butter and pecans. Mix everything together until well-blended.
3. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 3-quart slow cooker. Add the batter and cover.
4. Cook on the low setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until set around the edges but still soft and slightly gooey in the center. Let stand for 30 minutes (still covered) and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Yet Another Reason to Support your Public Library
I’m thinking of a place where you can go for free computer classes that can help you learn basic computer programs. This same place will have free workshops on everything from Chinese Medicine to the culinary arts to knitting blankets. You’ll also be able to pick up the latest book by Charlaine Harris for free, then log on to check your email (for free) before getting your pressing question about the national health care plan answered. Meanwhile, your 9-year-old son is getting (free) help with his homework assignment for Math before choosing a copy of “Shrek 3” to take home and watch. A coffee for you and an orange juice for him wrap up your visit to this magical place where all this happens on a regular basis.
What place could I possibly be talking about? The public library.
Our society has turned into one where money is no longer the only currency: information is the new fad. And libraries, information brokers since the dawn of time (not literally, but you know what I mean), are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this. And the kicker is that they provide their services for free. An article I read mentioned that if the idea of libraries had been proposed now, there would be no way that they would have been created. I have to agree; there would not be nearly enough funding to create enough public libraries across the nation, and people would likely begrudge the thought of any more money being squeezed out of what little they have by the government. In a time when it seems that nothing is free anymore and people’s ability to afford more than the bare minimum is almost non-existent (and in some cases it is), we should be valuing the benefit of the public library.
Lucky for us, it seems that a significant percentage of the population does. ALA’s 2011 The State of American Libraries Report has shown that visits to the library and the utilization of library services continue to steadily increase. People know and appreciate what the library can provide for them. After all, the library is the only free place you can go that connects people with the information they need and helps to bridge the Digital Divide (a claim Google would not be able to make).
If you’re not convinced that the library is still valuable with all of the digital and Internet resources you now have at your fingertips, I encourage you to take a look at this article. I think that the first point is the most important: “Libraries serve the disenfranchised.” Right now, there are a lot of have-nots in the country. People can’t afford the hardware/software/Internet connection/Wi-Fi/etc (the Digital Divide issue I just mentioned) that is steadily becoming the norm for looking up government forms (ex. unemployment benefit forms), searching and applying for jobs (many if not most companies only post open positions online), and staying connected with family and friends (social networking). So what happens to those that don’t have a computer but still want to be able to do these things? They go to their local library.
Sony, Google and Apple are all under fire for various reasons regarding their customer’s privacy. Sony’s PS3 Network was hacked, and millions of users’ information was obtained in the attack. Google and Apple are currently dealing with lawsuits that allege their violation of users’ privacy in the type and amount of information that their smart phones have been secretly collecting. I take comfort that I will never have this problem in the library: “Libraries are interested in your privacy.” The librarian is no stranger to defending her patrons’ privacy, and the ALA also offers guidelines on confidentiality and privacy in the library.
The public library—and what it has to offer—is a role model for society.
What place could I possibly be talking about? The public library.
Our society has turned into one where money is no longer the only currency: information is the new fad. And libraries, information brokers since the dawn of time (not literally, but you know what I mean), are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this. And the kicker is that they provide their services for free. An article I read mentioned that if the idea of libraries had been proposed now, there would be no way that they would have been created. I have to agree; there would not be nearly enough funding to create enough public libraries across the nation, and people would likely begrudge the thought of any more money being squeezed out of what little they have by the government. In a time when it seems that nothing is free anymore and people’s ability to afford more than the bare minimum is almost non-existent (and in some cases it is), we should be valuing the benefit of the public library.
Lucky for us, it seems that a significant percentage of the population does. ALA’s 2011 The State of American Libraries Report has shown that visits to the library and the utilization of library services continue to steadily increase. People know and appreciate what the library can provide for them. After all, the library is the only free place you can go that connects people with the information they need and helps to bridge the Digital Divide (a claim Google would not be able to make).
If you’re not convinced that the library is still valuable with all of the digital and Internet resources you now have at your fingertips, I encourage you to take a look at this article. I think that the first point is the most important: “Libraries serve the disenfranchised.” Right now, there are a lot of have-nots in the country. People can’t afford the hardware/software/Internet connection/Wi-Fi/etc (the Digital Divide issue I just mentioned) that is steadily becoming the norm for looking up government forms (ex. unemployment benefit forms), searching and applying for jobs (many if not most companies only post open positions online), and staying connected with family and friends (social networking). So what happens to those that don’t have a computer but still want to be able to do these things? They go to their local library.
Sony, Google and Apple are all under fire for various reasons regarding their customer’s privacy. Sony’s PS3 Network was hacked, and millions of users’ information was obtained in the attack. Google and Apple are currently dealing with lawsuits that allege their violation of users’ privacy in the type and amount of information that their smart phones have been secretly collecting. I take comfort that I will never have this problem in the library: “Libraries are interested in your privacy.” The librarian is no stranger to defending her patrons’ privacy, and the ALA also offers guidelines on confidentiality and privacy in the library.
The public library—and what it has to offer—is a role model for society.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Good and the Bad
Admittedly, being a librarian is fun for a vast majority of the time. I get to live in a world full of books and media, where knowledge is the currency and I am seen as the One With the Answers. However, there are those moments where I'm sometimes made to feel like the bad guy: informing patrons of money (late fees) they owe, reminding patrons about overdue materials, and enforcing library policies. Today's incident involved the latter.
We have a policy of no cellphones in the library, meaning no conversations on the cellphone. It's annoying to other students who are using the library to study, and the space is also used for students who have to make up a test. Needless to say, it's imperative that while in the library, all students 1) use low voices if they want to talk to each other; 2) keep loud noises to a minimum; and 3) stay off the cell phone. There are signs posted in various locations reminding patrons of the cell phone policy. If a student needs to take a call, they are asked to take it outside and have their conversation away from this "sacred space." A student here this morning took exception to this policy and let me know it loud and clear.
The student (we will call him "Bob") was belligerent and rude in response to my (repeated) polite request that he follow the policy and take it outside. Bob didn't think he should follow the policy if no one else was around, regardless that the policy is enforced with no discrimination during all hours of operation. I will not go into detail about the conversation/confrontation that took place (it wouldn't be flattering to Bob), but it left a bad taste in my mouth and really put a damper on the rest of my morning.
I didn't ask Bob to leave simply because I didn't want to make an even bigger deal than he was already making it (he ended up leaving on his own shortly afterward anyway). But how else can you deal with a patron who, in effect, decides to have a fit because things aren't going the way he or she would like? I need some ideas on other ways to (politely) deal with patrons who, like Bob, decide that they are right, regardless of the policies in place or library staff who say otherwise. Customer service is such an important aspect of library service. I'm well prepared for the many positive encounters I have with patrons (and continue to have on a daily basis), yet I feel so under-prepared for those problems that do arise and lead to confrontations. Any ideas or similar stories that you want to share?
We have a policy of no cellphones in the library, meaning no conversations on the cellphone. It's annoying to other students who are using the library to study, and the space is also used for students who have to make up a test. Needless to say, it's imperative that while in the library, all students 1) use low voices if they want to talk to each other; 2) keep loud noises to a minimum; and 3) stay off the cell phone. There are signs posted in various locations reminding patrons of the cell phone policy. If a student needs to take a call, they are asked to take it outside and have their conversation away from this "sacred space." A student here this morning took exception to this policy and let me know it loud and clear.
The student (we will call him "Bob") was belligerent and rude in response to my (repeated) polite request that he follow the policy and take it outside. Bob didn't think he should follow the policy if no one else was around, regardless that the policy is enforced with no discrimination during all hours of operation. I will not go into detail about the conversation/confrontation that took place (it wouldn't be flattering to Bob), but it left a bad taste in my mouth and really put a damper on the rest of my morning.
I didn't ask Bob to leave simply because I didn't want to make an even bigger deal than he was already making it (he ended up leaving on his own shortly afterward anyway). But how else can you deal with a patron who, in effect, decides to have a fit because things aren't going the way he or she would like? I need some ideas on other ways to (politely) deal with patrons who, like Bob, decide that they are right, regardless of the policies in place or library staff who say otherwise. Customer service is such an important aspect of library service. I'm well prepared for the many positive encounters I have with patrons (and continue to have on a daily basis), yet I feel so under-prepared for those problems that do arise and lead to confrontations. Any ideas or similar stories that you want to share?
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