Peter Brantley takes a closer look at San Atonio’s plan for a bookless library’s, dubbed BiblioTech, inspirations and innovation
“Taking advantage of a visit to San Antonio, I was able to sit down with the Judge to talk about this new initiative and its longer term goals. In a wide ranging interview that included senior staff, I was impressed with his awareness of the overall public library environment. Partly inspired from the local UTSA engineering library, which went bookless in 2010, and Stanford’s engineering library, Wolff is alert to the dramatic shifts in digital access. I raised the most obvious objection from other library directors – that no digital library can be comprehensive today because of publisher reluctance to license their books – and he readily acknowledged that not all literature could be presented to county residents through an ebook platform. Yet, he was hopeful that forward-looking demonstrations of community libraries such as BiblioTech would encourage publishers to enlarge their offerings, reaching readers that lacked any bookstore.
“Judge Wolff sees BiblioTech as not just a model for Bexar County, but far beyond it. With great enthusiasm, the County’s staff is rapidly gathering information about e-book vendors and licensing models; educating itself about national initiatives such as ReadersFirst; and has contacted innovative libraries ranging from New York Public to Chattanooga. BiblioTech will have a strong children’s area, with dedicated technology support and a concentration on children’s e-literature. More broadly, as expected from a leader long engaged in State and local politics, Wolff is beginning to consider what mix of community information needs can be presented through its facility; citizen education is considered an important element. And, perhaps because of its newness and innocence, it seems everyone has leapt to provide assistance. Even praise on the layout, size, and staffing of Apple stores has brought offers of help from unexpected places.
“The serious grappling with what future libraries will embrace extends well beyond how they will address books. The BiblioTech team is also considering digital access to music and movies. Although the Judge’s staff had little exposure to maker spaces and some of the other forms of technology engagement and education, they were eager to learn about the range of opportunities. Wolff has been instrumental in bringing large concerns into San Antonio, such as Toyota’s newest truck manufacturing facility – on the same side of the city as BiblioTech – and has formed strong ties to Rackspace, a native San Antonio startup. and powerful cloud storage and computing provider. The opportunity to reshape libraries in San Antonio is significant, and with it there is an opportunity to inform what libraries look like across the globe.”
From Peter Brantley’s blog post for Publishers Weekly, A Maverick Library
Study Shows $2.4 Billion in Benefits from Public Libraries through analyzation of business/organizational entities & other services
“The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) released a study which found that in 2011 alone, the economic benefit from Texas public libraries totaled $2.407 billion. Collectively the libraries cost less than $0.545 billion, for a return on investment of $4.42 for each dollar spent.
“The study, which was prepared by the Bureau of Business Research at the University of Texas at Austin, draws on two quantitative analyses: one of Texas public libraries as business and organizational entities and the other of services rendered. The business analysis found that libraries produced $1.043 billion in local economic activity. Notably, this analysis alone indicates that Texas libraries bring in twice as much as they cost. However, the companion service analysis examined the circulation of materials, access to computers and the Internet, programs, and other services, and produced an additional estimated total value of $1.364 billion.
“In addition to the state-wide results, the report includes case studies of 14 individual libraries, ranging from one that serves a population of 3,807 to one that serves 1,757,728. Case profiles of services and collaborations were also included. Among the more unusual services provided were an exhibit of African hunting artifacts, a puppet loft, a “Cowboys and Computers” class targeting local farm workers, hosting the development of the popular Words with Friends iPhone app, and Southlake, TX’s innovativeVirtual Branch program.
“Though the study itself only measured 2011, “there is no reason to think that the ROI figure of $4.42 will decline appreciably,” said Dr. James Jarrett, the study’s principal investigator. “If anything, the figure might increase.” That increase would come from better measurements of some services already provided, such as the use of materials at the library that are not checked out, from estimating the monetary value of the benefits of library training programs, and from including new services, such as hosting tutoring by private individuals.”
From Meredith Schwartz’s article for the Library Journal, Texas Study Shows $2.4 Billion in Benefits from Public Libraries
In the face of undeniable rise in tablet use for reading, publishers acknowledge lacking digital publishing strategies
“Sixty percent of publishing executives believe that tablets have become “the ideal reading platform,” and 45 percent believe that dedicated e-readers will soon be irrelevant, according to a recent online, by-invitation survey conducted by global research and advisory firm Forrester.
“I would warn you not to take that too seriously yet,” James McQuivey, vice president and principal analyst serving Forrester’s Consumer Product Strategy Professionals division, said when presenting the results of the third annual Digital Book World publishing executive survey yesterday at the Digital Book World Conference and Expo 2013 in New York.
“Oddly, 85 percent of respondents said that they were optimistic about the digital transition, but when questions were asked about their own company’s preparedness, they seemed pessimistic. While almost two thirds (64%) agreed that their company “is capable of competing in a digital environment,” only 55 percent said they believed their company’s plan has a chance of succeeding. Both of these figures have dropped 10 percent compared with the 2012 survey.
“Even worse, executives seemed to feel that their companies have not adapted well so far, with only 34 percent saying that they felt their business was stronger today because of the growth of digital products.”
From Matt Enis’s article for the School Journal, As Tablets Supplant Ereaders, New Challenges Arise for Publishers
Amherst College Digital Collections releases digital open-access Emily Dickinson manuscripts
“Last month Amherst College announced a bold new publishing initiative: The Amherst College Press. This new press will be entirely open access — it will produce academic works to the highest standards then give these works away online for free. Bryn Geffert, Librarian of the College, is leading this initiative and frequently invokes the Amherst College motto – Terras irradient “Let them give light to the world” — when he describes his vision for this venture.
“In same spirit of open access and sharing our light with the world, we are delighted to announce that all of the manuscripts of Emily Dickinson held by Amherst College are now freely available for viewing by anyone with an internet connection anywhere in the world. Last summer the Digital Programs department in Frost Library worked closely with the team in Academic Technology Services to set up a new digital assets management system called Amherst College Digital Collections(ACDC for short). In addition to thousands of images that support the work of Art & Art History students and faculty, ACDC is home to a growing volume of unique materials drawn from the vast holdings of the Archives & Special Collections. The obvious candidate for the first Archives collection to mount in ACDC was Emily Dickinson.
“For those eager to dive right in and start exploring the Dickinson manuscripts, justfollow this link and start browsing. If you have an Amherst College login and password, you will have access to everything in ACDC; if you do not, you will still be able to search, view, and download Dickinson manuscript images, but you won’t have access to the full range of art history images.”
From Mikey Kelly’s release on The Consecrated Eminence, Digital Dickinson
Public libraries can use technology to connect with and serve their young adult patrons through increased librarian technology training and more planning of spaces
“The following article appears in the latest issue of SLIS Student Research Journal from San Jose St. University.
“ABSTRACT: Today’s teens use technology in most aspects of their lives: 95% of teens go online; 80% of online teens use social media (Lenhart et al., 2011); and 87% of older teens have a mobile phone (Lenhart, 2012). This article explores how public libraries can use technology to effectively connect with and serve their young adult patrons. A review of current literature suggests that librarians begin by involving teens in the planning of young adult services and teen library spaces. These services should include librarians trained in working with teens as well as access to technology and gaming. Libraries must understand how and why teens use technology and the Internet. They should then use this knowledge to plan and develop an online presence. Today’s librarians should use library websites and social networking sites to connect with teens. In addition, libraries must address other technologies that interest teens such as mobile devices and e-reading. Technology changes rapidly, and librarians must stay current on best practices for reaching out to and serving today’s teens.”
From Susan M W Aplin’s article, Literature Review: “Using Technology to Connect Public Libraries and Teens”