Everywhere you turn in the world of libraries these days, you hear people talking about the need for private fundraising. ALA conferences have multiple concurrent sessions on fundraising, articles dealing with fundraising in library publications abound, and listservs everywhere are dissecting the pros and cons of private fundraising.
Library Foundations Raise Money for Libraries… Right? | Advocate’s Corner
By on March 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
Promise and Problems of Big Data | From the Bell Tower
By on March 13, 2013 3 Comments
Movers & Shakers 2013
By on March 13, 2013
Awesome: that’s the best way to describe the 2013 class of Movers & Shakers. This particular group may have more librarians working outside traditional libraries than ever before, attesting to the role librarians, and those in the library field, play in the larger world. Yet whatever their title or workplace, these Movers are making outsize contributions. This latest group of 50 (rolling out over the next week) brings the number of Movers to over 600. The Movers are quick to tell us they’re stand-ins for the many creative, diligent librarians, and others, building the library future. We know there are innumerable talented candidates, and we thank all of you who took the time to send in your nominations.
What a $10,000 College Education Says About the Downside of Goals | From the Bell Tower
By on March 6, 2013 3 Comments
Higher education requires cost containment, and recent calls by some governors for a $10,000 diploma sound good, but some goals are doomed to failure. An academic library without a strategic plan is almost unthinkable. Without one how would we share our goals with the world, or whoever cares enough to look? Perhaps we should question the value of all the time spent on developing plans and the goals found in them. Some experts believe the specificity of our strategic plans may actually contribute to decreased levels of productivity. Perhaps there are better ways to devise the roadmap to our intended outcomes.
Is There No “I” in “Teamwork”? | Backtalk
By on March 1, 2013 4 Comments
“We need to work as a team.” “Let’s do it for the good of the team.” “You aren’t working as a team player.” Those phrases can be heard around many offices, often during meetings, in the halls, or from the CEO. Another phrase with which everyone is familiar is “There is no ‘I’ in ‘team’.” Teamwork is undoubtedly an important buzzword in the workplace today. As someone who has often had to be a “solo” presence in my work responsibilities, I have really relished the experiences I have had as a part of team atmosphere. My teamwork experiences have been instrumental in providing opportunities for innovation and growth. That said, I would have to dispute that there is no “I” in teamwork.
NYPL, Brooklyn Merge Technical Services
By on February 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
The New York Public Library (NYPL) and Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) will integrate their tech services departments, the libraries announced last week, saving BPL $2 million per year and NYPL about $1.5 million.
Who Controls Your Usage Data? | Backtalk
By on February 18, 2013 1 Comment
As technology has become central to American life, nearly every organization leverages data to improve its performance. Political campaigns analyze potential voters. Credit-reporting agencies devise algorithms to predict who can repay loans and credit cards. Businesses reach potential customers with highly targeted marketing and advertising messages. Yet when it comes to analyzing their own data, many libraries have not really been able to capitalize on it.
Achieving Library Menschness | Not Dead Yet
By on February 14, 2013 10 Comments
I was on the Information Desk in Widener today and my friend and colleague, Joshua Parker, stopped by for a moment. It so happens I’ve been looking into MOOCs lately, with special interest in edX and Coursera, and when I saw Josh it occurred to me that he should be teaching a MOOC on supervision [...]
A Look at “Profiles in Leadership” | Focus on Leadership and Management
By on February 11, 2013 1 Comment
Leadership has become one of the most popular terms when applied to human behavior, particularly with regard to the operation of an organization, the actions of government, or the success of other entities or endeavors. In some cases, it has been used interchangeably with the term management, thus confusing the differentiation commonly cited between the two words.
Cornell, Columbia Libraries Integrate Infrastructure
By on January 30, 2013 1 Comment
The libraries at Columbia University and Cornell University will integrate their technical services departments, thanks to a three year, $350,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Said Anne R. Kenney, Cornell’s Carl A. Kroch University Librarian, “Eventually, both units will operate as part of one whole.”
