THE BEST CATALOGER IS A FRUSTRATED LIBRARY USER, by John W. Thompson

THE BEST CATALOGER IS A FRUSTRATED LIBRARY USER: CATALOGING FAILURE AND THE UNDERUTILIZATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES, by John W. Thompson

THEOLOGICAL LIBRARIANSHIP (vol 8 No 2)

ABSTRACT

This essay points out that inconsistencies in the assignment of subject headings and call number can lead to failure to retrieve relevant materials from our libraries. Today it is frequently asserted that bibliographic records cataloged by the Library of Congress or other approved libraries will not require review or editing in our local libraries. This paper provides clear, but by no means unique examples of “cataloging failure” and explains the implications of a policy to add unedited bibliographic records (from vendors such as OCLC) to our library catalogs. The result is the omission of otherwise relevant titles from fairly routine searches. continue reading

Canadian Library and Information Technology (LIT) Programs and ROI - Report

Accreditation for Library and Information Technology Programs in Canada: A Proposal

Christina Neigel, University of the Fraser Valley, December 2011 (Revised September 2012)

"Library technicians enjoy significant recognition in Canada and, as the expectations forinformation work expand, so does the call for technicians. According to the 8Rs, 38% ofall library paraprofessionals surveyed were technicians. Upon closer examination, 51%of paraprofessionals in special libraries are technicians and 41% in academic librarieswith numbers significantly lower in public and school libraries (27% and 28%,respectively) (Ingles et al, 2005, p. 40). It would be interesting to see further study inthis area as it is quite likely that the workforce composition varies substantially fromregion to region as well...."

"Indeed, the report suggeststhat LIT programs create a formal national venue of interaction in that competencystandards can be identified and discussed. While this analysis also recommended thatCLA regularly maintain the Guidelines for the Education of Library Technicians, there isa false assumption that CLA takes a leadership role on this issue. There exists adisconnect between the Canadian Library Association and LIT programs. Despite thehighlighted recommendation, “That MLIS and LIT educators as well as employers andassociations come together on a regular and formal basis, under the leadership of anational organization such as the Canadian Library Association, to exchange viewpointsand knowledge on the competencies needed and the education/training capacities tomeet these needs” (p. 16), this is currently not done." 

A battle about the form and function of libraries is not over -- Thoughts from the Secrets of the Stacks

The book that is in context is: The Shelf: From LEQ to LES: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose

"Viewing libraries as repositories, he overestimated their  preservation function and underestimated their need to serve a specific community. I find myself sympathetic, if unequally, to both parties in this dispute, wholeheartedly to Baker’s book-loving bellows of rage at the destruction of precious objects but also to the librarian’s desire to create an institution that serves its community. That this battle about the form and function of libraries is not over was made clear when the New York Public Library’s announcement of new construction caused protests from people (like me) who fear sweeping changes to libraries. (Editor’s note: The New York Public Library recent announced that it was abandoning its renovation plan.) Continue reading: "Secrets of the Stacks ... How libraries decide which books to keep—and which don’t stand the test of time" Phyllis Rose in Book Excerpts...

More food for thought (on A battle about the form and function of libraries from the Secrets of the Stacks):

They want a full collection but don’t want to be saddled with books nobody reads.

Weeding, to such people, is akin to eugenics and murder. Some people feel the same about books: no book should be removed from a library.

On the same shelf:

• The bad news ... even 25 years after its invention, not everything is available on the Internet; The good news ... 33 reasons why libraries with physical books still matter ... >> HOW TO KEEP A LIBRARY OF (PHYSICAL) BOOKS, Meditations on strategy and life, Ryan Holiday
• Why the death of net neutrality would be a disaster for libraries www.washingtonpost.com -- A Q&A with Lynne Bradley, the director of government relations with the American Library Association's Washington office. 

Assessment Skills and the Academic Library Job Market

Recruiting for Results: Assessment Skills and the Academic Library Job Market By Scott Walter and Megan Oakleaf  (pdf)

Abstract:

This paper reports the results of an exploratory content analysis of academic library position descriptions posted between 2004-2009 in order to determine the degree to which assessment skills are identified as required or preferred qualification for hire, as well as the degree to which assessment responsibilities are noted as components of the positions. It suggests that, despite the increased call for assessment in academic libraries over the past decade, there is little evidence that we are recruiting new professionals into our libraries with a clearly articulated responsibility for designing, implementing, or reporting the results of assessment activities.
 Also in Proceedings of the 2010 Library Assessment Conference - LibQUAL

Another library career shelved

Extract:

A library career shelved, by Kelly Grinsteinner Editor kgrinsteinner@hibbingdailytribune.net HIBBING — If one wanted to book some time with the reference and technical services librarian at Hibbing Public Library, they’re out of luck.
That option is long overdue. The position no longer exists.
 ... “I’ll still have to come in and get my books,” she said. “I do some electronic reading, but I’d say about three-fourths of my reading is still a book.”
continue reading: Hibbing Daily Tribune

On the same shelf:

• Study: 70 Percent Of Consumers Tied To Print, Most eBooks Are Never Read, CBS
• Libraries get help to improve digital literacy, By Cody Neff Register-Herald Reporter

• Beware, public libraries: You'll go the way of print newspapers if you automatically diss nonlibrarians' gutsy ideas

• Regular books are dangerous for allergic with acute reactions

What To Expect From Libraries in the 21st Century: Pam Sandlian Smith

courtesy: TEDxTalks

On Arranging Library Books by Color

Info courtesy:  Suresh D Nair

This post is about Library Shelf Classification by Color (Colour)

Colours classify the giant collection in the six-decade-old library

TNN | Dec 13, 2013

Extract:

A simple technique used in small-scale textile shops paved the way for the librarians of Lady Doak College to classify their huge collection of books with ease.

Inspired by the way shopkeepers mark the prices of products using colourful stickers, the J X Miller Library started a unique method called 'Rainbow Classification'. In this method, the staff paste colourful stickers on the spine of the books making their task easier when it comes to sorting and arranging the books.

continue reading:  TNN

Libraries: a plea from a silence seeker -- Any takers?

Once sanctuaries of quiet study, libraries have become glorified community centres.  spiked-online.com