Stanford Library of the Future

An interesting video about Stanford University Library and Sun Technology digitization effort.

Federated Search on UB Libraries

Many library users have complained about the inconvenience of searching articles in different databases. Not only that it requires a lot of clicks before getting to the destination, users must also familiarize themselves with the different search interfaces of the databases.

After interviewing Scott Hollander, UB Libraries webmaster, I found out that the UB Libraries web team is working on implementing a federated search into Bison. Federated search is a one-stop starting point that will give users an almost-immediate access to the extensive electronic contents that the library subscribes to. The product that they are looking into is called the '360 Search'. For more information about it, you can visit the following site:

http://www.serialssolutions.com/

Google and Librarians

Google at the 2006 American Library Association Conference.

"The two can be great partners."



Google is definitely outreaching to the library community. They have a blog dedicated to this effort at the following URL:

http://librariancentral.blogspot.com/

The Institute for the Future of the Book

This is a collaborative project by a group of intellectuals who are chronicling the evolution of intellectual discourse at it shifts from printed pages to networked screens.

http://www.futureofthebook.org

One of the projects underway there that you might find interesting is '
The Really Modern Library'. They are looking for comments and suggestion. If you're interested, here is the mission statement I quoted from the blog:

"The goal of this project is to shed light on the big questions about future accessibility and usability of analog culture in a digital, networked world."

Library Technology Guides

Marshall Breeding from the Vanderbilt University created this guide of relevant literature, companies, and products in library automation. You might find this useful in helping you keep up with developments in the field of library technology.

Library Technology Guides: Key Resources in the Field of Library Automation.
http://www.librarytechnology.org/

Article from 2001-2007

Ansari, Munira Nasreen. “Librarian as Cybrarian.” Pakistan Library & Information Science Journal 38.2 (June 2007) : 24-31.

Discusses how advancement in information and communication technology has reshaped the library and changed the roles of librarians who now have to perform in cyber environment.

Article from 1981-2000

Derlin, R.L, et al. “Distance Learning and the Digital Library: Transforming the Library into an Information Center.” New Directions for Teaching & Learning 71 (Fall 97): 103-110.

The article focuses on the rapid development of information technology in distance learning while highlighting the support of the digital library.

Article from 1961-1980

Leonard, W Patrick. "The Card Catalog Mentality or We Have Always Done It This Way". Journal of Academic Librarianship 6.1 (Mar 1980): 38, 64.

A passionate commentary on the the controversy surrounding the publication of Anglo American Cataloging Rules (AACR2).

Article from 1941-1960

Parriss, Jean. "Thoughts on Tomorrow: An Introduction to Automation". Wilson Library Bulletin 30 (Jan 1956): 396-7.

This is a great article about automation and how it could affect the future of the library and society. I found it very interesting because it captured the fear that people had about losing their jobs to robots. Interestingly, the issue is still very relevant today especially in our field.

Article from 1921-1940

Patterson, Sara. "The Gaylord Electric Automatic Charging Machine". Library Journal 56 (1931): 304-5.

A review on how this latest innovation improved efficiency and accuracy in library back in the 1930s.

Here is an image of the machine courtesy of the Rodman Public Library, Alliance, OH:
Gaylord Automatic Charging System

Article from 1880-1920

Brett, William. "Modern Library Enterprises". The Dial 34 (395): 75-77.

This article gives you a glimpse on what a modern library meant back in the early 1900s.

Modern Library Technology

Interesting slide show on the current library technology used in Brookdale Public Library, Minneapolis, MN. The video is created by Sara Peloquin.

The Enduring Library

Gorman, Michael. The Enduring Library: Technology, Tradition, and the Quest for Balance. Chicago: American Library Association, 2003.

Michael Gorman is an award-winning author and former president of the American Library Association. The book is written from a traditionalist point of view and discusses the present and future effects of computer technology on society and libraries. If interested, you can find the book in Lockwood Library.