Dani Guzman, Ex Libris
We hope you enjoyed your summer break (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway). Now, with the start of the academic year, is the time to look at what academic libraries have to offer today. This includes examining how they might improve their services and overall visitor experience. A few insightful, forward-looking articles published recently address how current rapid digital developments can, and should, be leveraged for academic research and the libraries of tomorrow. Finally, for a little audio-intellectual stimulation to accompany the new school year crunch, we introduce you to “The Library Pros” podcasts.
The Library of the Future? It’s Digital
Pivoting off discussions at the 12th Performance Measurement in Libraries Conference, an article in the UK’s leading Guardian newspaper highlights the ways in which information is taken in and shared by “digital natives.” As technological developments are already helping libraries adapt to the new reality, the article advocates a greater commitment and funding for digital solutions. Read more here >>>
Have You Thanked Your Law Librarian?
An anonymous professor at a top law school pens an ode to law librarians, whom he terms “unsung heroes.” Find out why here >>>
Academic Librarians Have Something to Sell
Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian at Temple University in Philadelphia, discusses how Internet-driven changes in the sales dynamic affects the work of modern librarians. As he writes, “[We] have something valuable to sell: our expertise.” Read more here >>>
One frontier of the modern library is its web presence. As Matt Enis, Senior Tech Editor for Library Journal, writes, libraries need to focus on usability and freshness. But, according to one library director Enis quotes, “You’re not going to solve it thinking your way through it…” See his suggestions here for how it could be done >>>
Giving People What They Paid For
As libraries and librarians are praised for what they offer academics, an Inside Higher Ed article offers some suggestions as to what academics can offer the general public. Extolling the importance of a well-informed citizenry, the article calls for a “relatable,” peer-reviewed summary of published academic work. What might it include and how would it work? Click here to find out >>>
We Need a GitHub for Academic Research
Looking at research publishing from the opposite perspective of that highlighted above and advocating layman’s summaries, an article in Slate calls for “[taking] advantage of the unique capabilities of the web to tell the full story of a research project.” This includes releasing even more background data in what has been dubbed the “GitHub of Science.” Columnist Marcus Banks explores the pros and cons here >>>
The Library Pros, Robert Johnson and Christopher DeCristofaro, have put together a series of bimonthly podacsts in which they chat and interview experts about the libraries of today and tomorrow, developments in information technology, and much more. Check the Pros out here >>>
