Comments on: 10 Predictions for 2012

By: Of Cabbages and Kings

Of Cabbages and Kings — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:38:23 +0000

[...] can guess what you are thinking, “So why mister misanthropic, disciple of the annoyed librarian are you taking this class?” The answer is because cataloging and particularly cataloging digital [...]

By: chicagolibrarian

chicagolibrarian — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:51:52 +0000

the traditional movie and music content providers who have steve job’d us into this world where people think books and records won’t exist. GFY GFY, and you, GFY! Libraries will digitize what they own, books will be better, nicer and (less fiction! yay!) and if things go according to plan, we can get rid of overdrive and tablets altogether when the cost of ‘free wifi’ begins to hit the skidmarks of reality. If you do not appreciate the printed book, you are not a librarian. No? GFY.

By: Elena

Elena — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:44:47 +0000

Very sobering and lots of tongue in cheek truth saying. Love my gig, but I see the writing on the walls.

By: Formerprof

Formerprof — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:55:18 +0000

I’m sure a lot of people where building livery stables while Henry Ford was building his first factory.

By: Joneser

Joneser — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:52:54 +0000

A-bleeping-men.

Almost 5 pm – VERY busy day helping many many happy and satisfied patrons in this lovely physical building which serves as an unofficial community center and if not temple then at least a center of learning and enjoyment. I have come to the conclusion after over 20 years of very hard work and lots of crap that I am finally in a very good place (in all sorts of ways). Yes, we have significant funding issues. No, we aren’t going away.

I just wish all of you weren’t so busy preaching to your choirs.

By: Joneser

Joneser — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:41:17 +0000

Libraries and independent pharmacies are totally different entities. That should be obvious.

By: Cathy Gontar

Cathy Gontar — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:01:39 +0000

Public libraries open–and close. We just opened a
multi-million dollar one here, one of 15 in this county.
There are a heck of a lot of libraries out there and
they are still opening and closing. People want public
libraries. Period. People want books
in their libraries. They will continue to pay for them unless that right is denied to them. That is the real world. Publishers have never been hostile to public libraries. Public libraries are automatic sales. Since there is very strong book loyalty, hence market. ALA should be on the side of preservation of the book and book culture, print and electronic.

By: Formerprof

Formerprof — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:02:09 +0000

Jean,
I’m not sure that analogy is apt. Independent pharmacies may be closing, but pharmaceuticals are still widely and conveniently available. In every town I’ve lived in, there’s a CVS and/or Walgreens on every 3rd corner. The distribution of pharmaceuticals is consolidating.

Are you suggesting that another entity is going to consolidate the distribution of free published material?

By: noutopianlibrarian

noutopianlibrarian — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:46:09 +0000

Let’s not leave out academic libraries:

1. Faced with mounting database access costs, academic libraries begin selling those books that have never circulated.

2. Left with largely empty library buildings after these booksales, and driven by the desire to attract students, insightful administrators hire events promoters. It turns out that toga parties and indie rock concerts are most popular with college library patrons. Interestingly, these events co-exist well with study use of the library spaces also, since students are plugged into high volume ipods in either case.

3. In an effort to satisfy the bibliographic needs of professors, money is set aside to build library wings on their homes. Full professors also receive the services of a personal librarian (live-in servant quarters optional), but others must share a travelling professional.

4. Graduate students, faced with bookless libraries and piles of books purchased at firesale prices from the booksales, can apply for grants to furnish them with concrete blocks and 1x8s to construct their home bookshelves.

5. Community colleges and other less well-to-do academic institutions, faced with plummeting use, begin to compete with public libraries for their homeless patrons.

By: Greg Belvedere

Greg Belvedere — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:06:21 +0000

I have my own prediction. We will see a DRM-free ebook lending social network. At first it might only allow users to share ebooks in the public domain, but will ultimately let people share any DRM-free ebooks. Read how it will work at ourbookshelf.com