Everyone's been blogging about this already, but since Brian sent it to me this morning with the note "sis - this is all you!," I figured I should post it as well.
Libraries Reach Out, Online
By TIM GNATEK
Published: December 9, 2004
In addition to being all about eBooks (which, given that I'm about to learn a great deal about e-documents of various kinds for my new internship... fingers crossed, background check pending), is very cool.... it also mentions library blogs and other pet topics of mine!
Some good quotes:
"E-books are only one way that libraries are laying claim to a massive online public as their newest service audience. The institutions are breaking free from the limitations of physical location by making many kinds of materials and services available at all times to patrons who are both cardholders and Web surfers, whether they are homebound in the neighborhood or halfway around the world."[The very first paper I wrote for library school was all about how "New information technologies have transformed the library in many ways, but rather than fearing new technologies or going to the extreme of completely virtual libraries, libraries can best serve their communities by intelligently combining their strengths in both the physical and technological areas to provide services, create public spaces online and off, and encourage community building and dialogue."]
"Posting electronic versions of libraries' holdings is only part of the library's expanding online presence. Library Web sites are becoming information portals. Many, like the Saint Joseph's County Library in South Bend, Ind., have created Web logs as community outreach tools."[of course that's Tame the Web's blog]
"Others are customizing their Web sites for individual visitors. The Richmond Public Library in British Columbia (www.yourlibrary.ca), for example, offers registered users ways to track books and personal favorites, or receive lists of suggested materials, much like the recommendation service at Amazon.".[my most recent paper for class was on overlaying recommender systems like that onto the online catalog...]
"But libraries' investments in online services are aimed at more than just remote users. They are also adding technology inside their buildings to draw community members in. Despite all the modernization, old-fashioned formulas still matter."Posted by Emily at December 9, 2004 04:51 PM | TrackBack