Ten Tips (or Steps) for Tracking Trends

By Elisabeth Doucett, 05/11/2010, American Libraries Magazine
Libraries can stay relevant to their users by strategically riding the wave of societal trends. [This article is excerpted from What They Don’t Teach You at Library School, to be published by ALA Editions in July].
Extract:

Step 1: Identify potential sources of information for societal and library trend tracking

Step 2: Develop a method for regularly reviewing those resources.

Step 3: Search social networking sites.

Step 4: Review each idea that you pulled out of your research, considering potential implications for your library.

Step 5: Leave your idea list in a file until you start the same process the next week.

Step 6: When you identify the ideas that you want to pursue for your library, get together with some of your fellow librarians to help you review the ideas and find the good and bad about them.

Step 7: Put the ideas back in the file and let them sit for another week.

Step 8: Once a month, pull out one idea that has gone through steps 1–7.

Step 9: Approval.

Step 10: Turned down. Continue reading 10 Tips for Tracking Trends

Another graduate school serving the library field is about to lose the “L” name

Any alumni of Rutgers University, and any LIS professional, including this blogger, will be shocked to read about a revival-cum-survival spirit. Rutgers' is again in news--and LJ has it right on--not for a new Rocket Science, rather it is again about a Name change (undeniably, a debate that has always been our cup of tea!!!):

"as a form of protest, i refuse to come up with a witty title for this post
ok, i feel like i should maybe weigh in on this whole Rutgers dropping 'library' from SCILS situation. i posted a comment on my friend mike's blog, and i guess if i'm gonna speak my mind there, i might as well post it here as well. since i am lazy and don't really feel like spending much time or effort stressing over the whole thing, i'm just going to copy and paste my comment. (and what an easy way to drop a post in, since i haven't written in awhile. heh.)" Quoted from The Info Babe

Interestingly, other Library Schools that have no 'L' word include: Ischool @ University of Toronto, and iSchool at Drexel University; these are two current examples of a trend that will influence others.

See also: What’s the matter with our profession?

Bottomline: Some may wonder why we need the word: 'information' if words are just the matter as was argued in "Information Studies Without Information" In Library Trends 52(3) Winter 2004!!! Hence, are we getting into the same pond and business as in the following story where the naming business is a big business: Fresh Fish Sold Here

Talking Books Librarian: Who Needs Libraries?

Listen to this Article
It seems like these days, almost everyone is debating the purpose of libraries and printed books... and lots of libraries are facing budget cuts... in light of this, have you heard the online sound publication titled Who Needs Libraries? You can listen to it at SoundPrint

On the same shelf: Article: Cell Phone Reads to the Blind

Obsolete Academic Librarian Skills

"A few bloggers were having fun identifying totally obsolete skills. You know, the sort of things we all used to do all the time that nobody has to bother with anymore. For example, dialing a rotary phone, using carbon paper to make copies, or changing the ball on a selectric typewriter. That got me to thinking that in the years I’ve been in this profession, for the vast majority of academic librarians, there are more than a few accumulated skills and practices that could now be considered obsolete...." continue reading
Posted by StevenB on February 20th, 2008 under Just Thinking. Comments: 38

PUNCHLINE:
"If Google and a librarian had an informational smackdown, who would win?"
"Today's librarians are shelving stereotypes" read more by By CAROLYN FEIBEL: Information isn't reserved for books @ Houston Chronicle

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