Saad Eskander, Director of Iraq’s National Library

· ostephens

From November 2006 to July 2007 Saad Eskander wrote a diary which was published in various places, including the British Library’s website. Although the diary finishes with him feeling he has exploited the situation his staff are in, and ’emotionally blackmailed’ the readers, I do not think that the latter is true in any way.

The diary makes difficult reading. Although there are many descriptions of the difficulties, the one that stayed with me after reading the diary was the following short passage:

“A stray bullet smashed a small window at the Acquisition Department. The Head of the Department had to clean her desk and chair from broken glasses before she could begin her work.”

The way the stray bullet is treated here – not an issue apart from the mess caused, reflects for me the bravery of staff working under these conditions.

Saad Eskander was recently awarded the Scone Foundation’s Archivist of the Year

I haven’t had a chance to listen to this interview from Radio 4 yet… BBC – Radio 4 – Taking a Stand – 8 January 2008 – this is available for the next week

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Kindle Surprise

· ostephens

Having said that I was going to try to post more regularly, I immediately disappear for two and a half weeks. This was for the best of reasons – the birth of our first child. So I’m now easing myself back into work, and thought a short post might be in order.

Obviously there has been huge coverage of the new ebook reader from Amazon, but a couple of things in particular caught my eye.

 

Firstly, Richard Wallis at Panlibus wonders "how long before the first librarian is presented with one along with the request to check out the library’s copy of Harry Potter on to it?". As I note in my comment to this post, a review on Amazon already mentions the inability to read ebooks from the library as a ‘bad’ point (in a very positive review)

 

"I expected to be able to download ebooks from my local library (for free) and read them on my Kindle"

 

Secondly, Karen Schneider posts Kindle doesn’t light my fire. What is interesting about this post is what is missing. Karen complains about several things relating to the Kindle, but the reading experience isn’t one of them. Once you stop complaining about how rubbish the reader is, and start complaining about cost of content, and how you get stuff on the device, then isn’t this a huge leap forward?

 

I agree with Karen that at first look there are some oddities – charging for reading blogs? Who’d pay to read this rubbish? (But of course, you are – reading this has cost you a minute slice of your monthly/annual broadband charge or equivalent)

 

I’m not convinced that Amazon is onto a winner charging for accessing content rather than for using the data connection, but it’s interesting to see a different approach, and for books and similar content I can see some potential here – it’s as you creep into other areas of functionality such as reading blogs, or looking up stuff on wikipedia that the model looks slightly weaker.

Despite Karen’s criticisms, I’d leap at the chance to try one. Slightly ironically considering this is an e-book reader, I’m more interested in reading the paper on it than I am books – if I could get my daily paper (yes, ok, I admit it’s the Guardian) then I’d save huge amounts of paper (anyone done an analysis of ecofriendliness of the Kindle vs a daily paper yet?) – I’d want to be able to do the crossword as well I guess.

I read another comment (can’t track it down now) noting that unlike the situation with music, where existing CD collections could be converted for use with the iPod (and other players), this isn’t true with an ebook reader. Although this is true, it is probably also the case that you re-read less than you re-listen (or atleast, this is true for me).

Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, has talked about the ‘iPod’ moment for newspapers, and although this may not be it (based on the pictures, the Kindle is no looker), it feels closer. Even if the Kindle is not the iPod for ebooks, I hope that it gets a UK release (unlike the Sony Libre), and I get to play with one soon.

Kindle Surprise

· ostephens

Having said that I was going to try to post more regularly, I immediately disappear for two and a half weeks. This was for the best of reasons – the birth of our first child. So I’m now easing myself back into work, and thought a short post might be in order.

Obviously there has been huge coverage of the new ebook reader from Amazon, but a couple of things in particular caught my eye.

 

Firstly, Richard Wallis at Panlibus wonders "how long before the first librarian is presented with one along with the request to check out the library’s copy of Harry Potter on to it?". As I note in my comment to this post, a review on Amazon already mentions the inability to read ebooks from the library as a ‘bad’ point (in a very positive review)

 

"I expected to be able to download ebooks from my local library (for free) and read them on my Kindle"

 

Secondly, Karen Schneider posts Kindle doesn’t light my fire. What is interesting about this post is what is missing. Karen complains about several things relating to the Kindle, but the reading experience isn’t one of them. Once you stop complaining about how rubbish the reader is, and start complaining about cost of content, and how you get stuff on the device, then isn’t this a huge leap forward?

 

I agree with Karen that at first look there are some oddities – charging for reading blogs? Who’d pay to read this rubbish? (But of course, you are – reading this has cost you a minute slice of your monthly/annual broadband charge or equivalent)

 

I’m not convinced that Amazon is onto a winner charging for accessing content rather than for using the data connection, but it’s interesting to see a different approach, and for books and similar content I can see some potential here – it’s as you creep into other areas of functionality such as reading blogs, or looking up stuff on wikipedia that the model looks slightly weaker.

Despite Karen’s criticisms, I’d leap at the chance to try one. Slightly ironically considering this is an e-book reader, I’m more interested in reading the paper on it than I am books – if I could get my daily paper (yes, ok, I admit it’s the Guardian) then I’d save huge amounts of paper (anyone done an analysis of ecofriendliness of the Kindle vs a daily paper yet?) – I’d want to be able to do the crossword as well I guess.

I read another comment (can’t track it down now) noting that unlike the situation with music, where existing CD collections could be converted for use with the iPod (and other players), this isn’t true with an ebook reader. Although this is true, it is probably also the case that you re-read less than you re-listen (or atleast, this is true for me).

Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, has talked about the ‘iPod’ moment for newspapers, and although this may not be it (based on the pictures, the Kindle is no looker), it feels closer. Even if the Kindle is not the iPod for ebooks, I hope that it gets a UK release (unlike the Sony Libre), and I get to play with one soon.

Marketing your library services

· ostephens

The last session of the conference, which is a presentation by the Antony Brewerton from the Unversity of Warwick about branding and libraries. He wrote an article called "Wear lipstick, have a tattoo, belly-dance, then get naked: The making of a virtual librarian" – he suggests if you enter ‘Antony Brewerton naked‘ into Google, you’ll be suprised what you’ll find!

So – to start with we should consider what we mean by brand, particularly the ‘library brand’ and review the options for re-imagining the brand.

Brand is more than just the logo. "A set of ssets (or liabilities) linked to a brand’s name and sybmol that adds to (or subtracts from) the value provided by a product or service" – David Aaker from Building strong brands, 1996.

Walter Landor (an ad guy) said "Simply put, a brand is a promise". The Building Brands website has more on brand definitions.

To start with, What is a library?

The OCLC perceptions report (Question 807) found that the first thing people thought of was – wait for it – books. The point that Antony makes, that if this is what people think a library is, then when you try to have a open, flexible learning space without books (such as described by Les Watson this morning see the comment from Les Watson below, more accurately I think Les described flexible learning spaces, but wasn’t suggesting that there should be no books) then you are going to get resistance rather than support.

The library includes:

  • Stock
  • Space (for study, but not necessarily traditional library space)
  • Support

OCLC perceptions report 812b found negative associations with the library were grumpy/mean librarians – but support should be one of our USPs.

But the world is changing:

  • Stock

books more affordable – buy instead of borrow
students only want electronic texts

  • Space

non-library users coming into HE – digital natives, they are used to reading on the net, not going to the library
library as the ‘third place’ (see reference to this in the post on Les Watson’s talk)

  • Support

community support
decline of authority figures – students don’t relate to authority figures

Historically three waves of brands:

  • Wave 1 – Brands as a guarantee of physical quality – e.g. St Michael
  • Wave 2 – Brands as statements to express personality/community – Gap
  • Wave 3 – Brands as partners with consumers, with consumer influencing desing, plaing a more active role in the brand community – e.g. howies

Libraries probably got in at Wave 1, never really got Wave 2, but there is now an opportunity for Wave 3 – engage our users (Warwick got users involved in the library redesign – specifically they seemed interested in the stairwells for some reason)

We need to research users concerns/interests more – user surveys and focus groups – but also feedback to users about the results – what have you done because of the survey results etc. At Oxford Brookes they found (for example) that students didn’t care about food and drink in the library, but they did care about noise. They decided to use 7" singles to promote different zones of the library:

  • It’s oh so quiet – bjork
  • Happy Talk – Captain Sensible
  • Silence is Golden – The Tremeloes
  • Hanging on the Telephone – Blondie (area where you could use phones)
  • Dead Ringer for Love – Meatloaf (area where you should put your phone on silent)

Posters with illustration of single and song title, with explanation.

When doing marketing, have to focus on results and outcomes – so don’t say ‘Database Training’ but focus on what the students will get out of the training ‘Save time and improve marks’.

So – promote resources, services and benefits – not the Library.

At Oxford Brookes started to bring in references to specific collections – e.g. National Brewing Library, with accompanying ‘drinks’ campaign – e.g. Get A Head with a picture of a pint of Guiness advertising library training etc.

Outreach activities are important – like Freshers Fair (at Imperial we have a library stand at Freshers Fair). Also get out on campus, on the library floor offering help – more approachable than someone sitting behind an enquiry desk.

One of the things that is really noticeable is the quality of the material Antony is using – clearly a flair for design.

Marketing your library services

· ostephens

The last session of the conference, which is a presentation by the Antony Brewerton from the Unversity of Warwick about branding and libraries. He wrote an article called "Wear lipstick, have a tattoo, belly-dance, then get naked: The making of a virtual librarian" – he suggests if you enter ‘Antony Brewerton naked‘ into Google, you’ll be suprised what you’ll find!

So – to start with we should consider what we mean by brand, particularly the ‘library brand’ and review the options for re-imagining the brand.

Brand is more than just the logo. "A set of ssets (or liabilities) linked to a brand’s name and sybmol that adds to (or subtracts from) the value provided by a product or service" – David Aaker from Building strong brands, 1996.

Walter Landor (an ad guy) said "Simply put, a brand is a promise". The Building Brands website has more on brand definitions.

To start with, What is a library?

The OCLC perceptions report (Question 807) found that the first thing people thought of was – wait for it – books. The point that Antony makes, that if this is what people think a library is, then when you try to have a open, flexible learning space without books (such as described by Les Watson this morning see the comment from Les Watson below, more accurately I think Les described flexible learning spaces, but wasn’t suggesting that there should be no books) then you are going to get resistance rather than support.

The library includes:

  • Stock
  • Space (for study, but not necessarily traditional library space)
  • Support

OCLC perceptions report 812b found negative associations with the library were grumpy/mean librarians – but support should be one of our USPs.

But the world is changing:

  • Stock

books more affordable – buy instead of borrow
students only want electronic texts

  • Space

non-library users coming into HE – digital natives, they are used to reading on the net, not going to the library
library as the ‘third place’ (see reference to this in the post on Les Watson’s talk)

  • Support

community support
decline of authority figures – students don’t relate to authority figures

Historically three waves of brands:

  • Wave 1 – Brands as a guarantee of physical quality – e.g. St Michael
  • Wave 2 – Brands as statements to express personality/community – Gap
  • Wave 3 – Brands as partners with consumers, with consumer influencing desing, plaing a more active role in the brand community – e.g. howies

Libraries probably got in at Wave 1, never really got Wave 2, but there is now an opportunity for Wave 3 – engage our users (Warwick got users involved in the library redesign – specifically they seemed interested in the stairwells for some reason)

We need to research users concerns/interests more – user surveys and focus groups – but also feedback to users about the results – what have you done because of the survey results etc. At Oxford Brookes they found (for example) that students didn’t care about food and drink in the library, but they did care about noise. They decided to use 7" singles to promote different zones of the library:

  • It’s oh so quiet – bjork
  • Happy Talk – Captain Sensible
  • Silence is Golden – The Tremeloes
  • Hanging on the Telephone – Blondie (area where you could use phones)
  • Dead Ringer for Love – Meatloaf (area where you should put your phone on silent)

Posters with illustration of single and song title, with explanation.

When doing marketing, have to focus on results and outcomes – so don’t say ‘Database Training’ but focus on what the students will get out of the training ‘Save time and improve marks’.

So – promote resources, services and benefits – not the Library.

At Oxford Brookes started to bring in references to specific collections – e.g. National Brewing Library, with accompanying ‘drinks’ campaign – e.g. Get A Head with a picture of a pint of Guiness advertising library training etc.

Outreach activities are important – like Freshers Fair (at Imperial we have a library stand at Freshers Fair). Also get out on campus, on the library floor offering help – more approachable than someone sitting behind an enquiry desk.

One of the things that is really noticeable is the quality of the material Antony is using – clearly a flair for design.

The Semantic Web and Libraries

· ostephens

This talk by Richard Wallis from Talis. Talis are basing their approach on the Talis ‘Platform’ which they describe as a Semantic platform – this talk is meant (I think) to say something about what they mean when they talk about a semantic platform.

Richard starts by covering the development of the ‘library catalogue’ – from hand written cards, to the latest iteration of the Talis online catalogue. Now covering the different approaches to ‘union’ interfaces – z39.50 vs physical union of records.

Now, demonstrating problems with searching for ‘paris hilton’ when you want the hotel – if you use Trip Advisor it’s great, because the context is explicit, but if you use Google, then you get a lot on the person. He does another example with Ford Prefect using Google and ebay. To some extent this is true, but in both cases Google managed to return Hotel, and the car respectively in second place on the search – so actually this suggests that Google does a pretty good job. I’ not necessarily saying you get ‘better results’ from Google – but it shows that Google does a pretty good job – although it doesn’t know what you want, where there are two meanings the 1st and 2nd hit in these scenarios exemplify the two meanings.

Richard is just playing the video of the sketch about the first IT professional – to everyones amusement.

Anyway, Richard is arguing that Trip Advisor and eBay work better for the examples above because they have good metadata. I’m not sure about this – they have context as well, so at least it isn’t just about the metadata – if Trip Advisor ‘catalogued’ celebrities as well as hotels, then would it have been any better than Google? I’d guess not on a ‘all fields’ search. To take a slightly contrary example, if you search for ‘Ford Prefect’ on Amazon then you might well be looking for the Hitchhikers Guide books – but what you get is manuals for the car.

So – Richard’s point is that libraries have standardised metadata – so we should be able to exploit this.

Moving onto a different tack, Richard is describing the drop in cost of both storage and computing power. You can now buy a laptop for under £250 (http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/products.php?cat=53)  (I so want one)

So – the Talis Platform – big data store – about bringing data into a single store – but more than that. However, difficult to describe as it has no user interface – Richard says it’s like trying to describe a new petrol – he can say it’s better, but how to show it? Talis have now started to build interfaces on top of the Platform (for those who are interested, it’s an RDF store) – I’ve seen a few demos yesterday and today of products built on the platform, and there is an online demo of their ‘Engage’ product built on the platform – this is for community information. The point Richard makes is most of the power of the product comes from the Platform – the interface is quite a thin layer over the top…

So – starting to talk about the ‘semantic web’ – what are semantics?

Semantics (Greek sēmantikós, giving signs, significant, seebma symptomatic meaning, from sema (σήμα), sign) refers to aspects of meaning, as expressed in language (from Wikipedia)

The Semantic web is about being able to express meaning relating to content in a machine-readable way, so software can start to link content together based on meaning. At the moment there is some semantic meaning in links – and this is one of the things that Google exploits – the wording I use in the text of the link gives some meaning to what I link to (which is why I try to avoid using links like this)

The Platform is structured in a way that can start to exploit the semantics implicit in metadata – and obviously specifically library metadata (although not exclusively, as the Engage product show, you can apply it to other non-library metadata just as easily)

Once you have metadata in a semantic format, then you can start layering different interfaces on top. If you have a standardise the representation of the metadata – then anyone can layer tools over the top (an example is the Relation Browser)

I think what I need is an introduction to some of the ‘under the bonnet’ stuff – I understand the concepts of the semantic web, and I kind of know what RDF is, but my knowledge tails off shortly after this (I know that RDF triples exist, but not why they help) – what I need is RDF for Dummies or something.