Wednesday, October 15, 2014
PSAT Morning
As I sit here in a math room surrounded by math textbooks, far my my usual haunts, I'm excited for the final half hour of the PSAT. In the meantime, here's the link to my most recent AISL post on library duties in independent schools: http://aislnews.org/?p=1734
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Libraries in the Digital Age
Oh, Pew Research Center. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
More than any other organization, here's how I started to enjoy perusing through statistical research. There is a lot about how people use information and technology, and it's always presented in a timely, practical way.
Their most recent survey examines people's perceptions of public libraries from research completed over the last three years. The vitality and viability of libraries is a frequent topic in the library world. Libraries are changing as people can access more and more materials from their homes through their own internet connections. Librarians are buying preselected sets of materials electronically and many are spending less time on tasks like book maintenance and check out.
You should browse through their slideshow, but here's my takeaway 10 list of items I learned at Public Library Engagement. (Careful readers will note and lament the typo that made it to the final draft.)
-Half of all Americans own an ereader or a tablet that can host ebooks.
-32% of Americans have read an ebook on their cell phone.
-72% of Americans describe themselves as living in a "library household."
-This one is my favorite about how people use ebooks.
-80% believe that it's important to for libraries to have "librarians to help people find information." (Personally, I must say YAY! Information overload may save our jobs.)
-Among library users, only 16% rent cds while 46% use research databases.
-85% would like libraries to work more with schools. (We're in good hands with Manatee County and have set up several programs to work with our students.)
-This is pretty entertaining too if you look at the categories.
-Among people who deem libraries important, 51% think that an important quality of the library is a safe, quiet space.
If you were reading a few weeks ago, LA was also talking about the need for quiet spaces. This goes against a lot of the literature in the school library community, where people are talking about needing tech-enabled collaborative study spaces. This is of personal interest to me because my space is open, so it can only be either loud or quiet. Differentiated spaces and increase online library presence are the wave of the future!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Dewey Decimal Manga
Wow, literature is cute! Hiroshima library designs anime mascots for decimal classifications
Nowadays, whenever we want to access to the vast wealth of knowledge humanity has amassed, all we have to do check Google, Wikipedia, or the RocketNews24 search box. But long ago, you had to go to a place called a library.
With an Internet search engine you can just type in what you’re looking for, but simply scrawling, say, “history of feudal Japan” on the wall of the library will not only fail to provide you with the information you seek, it’ll probably get you thrown out of the building. Instead, you’ve got to utilize a system of numbers used to organize written works. While the U.S. has the Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress Classifications, Japan has its own framework, called the Nippon Decimal Classification.
For modern youths, though, having to look up books by a numeric code feels extremely cumbersome and inefficient. So how do you get young readers excited about using the Nippon Decimal Classification? By anthropomorphizing it as a team of cute anime characters. , of course!
Located just a few stops south from Hiroshima Station, the Hatsukaichi Municipal Library has created 10 mascots, one for each starting digit of the Nippon Decimal Classification.
▼ 0, General Classification, has an appropriately nondescript appearance.
▼ 1, Philosophy, has a pensive look and classical fashion sense.
▼ 2, History, is all packed and ready to
head out to appease her curiosity about geography, which is also
included in her classification.
▼ The modern and sophisticated 3, Social Sciences
▼ You’ll have to forgive the wild hairstyle of 4, Natural Sciences.
▼ 5, Technology and Engineering, also
covers such delicate and detailed work as sewing and cooking, which
explains the perfect braid in its mascot’s hair.
▼ Agriculture is included in 6, Industry and Commerce, so naturally its character is carrying an armload of tasty produce.
▼ This regal and fashionable lass serves as the poster girl for 7, Arts.
▼ This shy cat lover could probably use a couple of books from class 8, Language.
▼ And finally, 9, Literature, looks enthusiastic and right at home in the library.
The Hatsukaichi Library has even created a mini manga in which some of the characters make appearances.
▼ 9 shows a couple of students the ropes.
You can also spot the characters on placards around the facility, plus on bookmarks the library is handing out.
▼ If you can’t make it to Hiroshima, you can print them out here and make your own.
We suppose you could make the criticism that it’s counterproductive using pictures to tempt people to come to the library. The more people who come through the door, though, the more people who have a chance to stumble across a book they wouldn’t have known about otherwise, and with a set of 10 faces so cute, it’s hard not to be cheering for them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
