June 30, 2009

Facebook Mega-Bite - What is Facebook?

For those of you who are still not on Facebook, here's a great video series on how to set up an account. Check it out!

June 26, 2009

Author, Brian Ray discusses his novel

New Flickr Photo Set: Historic Newspapers

I just love seeing new and useful things come out of the Library of Congress, especially when they have to do with using social media tools!  Here is an announcement about the historic newspapers photo set on Flickr!



The Library launched a new photostream on our Flickr page to celebrate this visual heritage. It is a series of 52 weekly supplements in the New-York Tribune, beginning 100 years ago in 1909. About 50 new pages will be added to the stream every month.

More details can be found here and here.



June 22, 2009

Why I Love My Library

If you missed our wonderful video of Why South Carolinians Love their Libraries, now is your chance to see it! Enjoy!

June 19, 2009

Anna Amalia Library, Weimar

Part of my visit to present at the Germany Library Association Annual Conference consisted of a wonderful afternoon trip to Weimar to visit the Anna Amalia Library. The Duchess Anna Amalia Library is named for Anna Amalia, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, who arranged in 1766 for the courtly (hoefische) book collection to be moved into the library.

The main building is the Green Castle (Grünes Schloss), Anna's residence, which had been built between 1562 and 1565. The dowager Duchess had the building converted into a library in 1761. The Duchess, seeking a tutor for her son Duke Carl August, hired Christoph Martin Wieland, an important poet and noted translator of William Shakespeare. Wieland's Shakespeare volumes formed the core of the collection. From an architectural standpoint, the library is world famous for its oval Rococo hall featuring a portrait of Grand Duke Carl August.

One of the library's most famous patrons was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who worked there from 1797 to 1832. The library also includes the world's largest Faust collection. The Duchess's significant 13,000-volume music collection is also available in the library.

In World War II, most of the collection was housed elsewhere to preserve them from Allied bombing.

Today, the library is a public research library for literature and art history. The main focus is German literature from the Classical and the late Romantic eras.

Part of the collection was burned in a fire on 2 September 2004, which destroyed 50,000 volumes[1] of which 12,500 are considered irreplaceable. Another 62,000 volumes were severely damaged. However, some 6,000 historical works were saved, including the 1534 Lutheran Bible and a collection of Alexander von Humboldt's papers, by being passed hand-over-hand out of the building. 28,000 books in the building were not affected by the fire. Other items, like Friedrich Schiller's death mask suffered damage, too. 35 historic oil paintings were destroyed.

The fire came as a particular tragedy, in part because the collection was scheduled to move to another site in late October, little more than a month later. Some of the damaged books are being freeze-dried in Leipzig to save them from rotting as a result of water damage. Book restoration is scheduled to last at least until 2015.

In June 2005, it was announced that manuscripts that were out of the building at the time of the fire, and thus saved, included a hitherto undiscovered 1713 aria by Johann Sebastian Bach titled "Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn' ihn".

The library building was restored for $18.2 million and reopened at the end of October 2007 with some 60,000 volumes. This includes the unaffected books, the first restored books and replacements which have been obtained on the international antique book market, from other libraries, or were donated. An online database lists the books the library still wants to obtain to replace lost volumes.

This photo is of the newer addition. Photography is not allowed in the older, original library. Overall, this was quite a sight to behold!

June 18, 2009

Handheld Librarian Online Conference

Ok, now this is very cool!!!

The Handheld Librarian 2009 – An online conference about Mobile Library Services

More people than ever are using mobile devices for a wide variety of purposes including communication, internet access, text messaging, and entertainment. It is important that libraries provide services on these devices as use increases.

The first ever Handheld Librarian Online on July 30, 2009 is the place to learn about these and other topics related to using wireless and handheld devices in your library. The program -- sponsored by Alliance Library System, LearningTimes and Infoquest -- will include a variety of ways to collaborate, network and learn from a great group of experts in the field. In addition to live interactive webcasts, we will have a collection of available resources, discussions boards, and access to the recording of all live events for one year after the conference.

http://www.handheldlibrarian.org/

June 17, 2009

June 16, 2009

South Carolina Library Association


SCLA with tagline
Originally uploaded by curtis rogers
Have you joined or renewed your SCLA membership this year? It couldn't be easier because you can use PayPal! Visit www.scla.org and join or renew today!

Why should you join SCLA?

* Advocate and Support Libraries/Advocate for Higher Salaries - Do you feel librarians are underpaid? Do you want to have association members talk to congressional members at Library Legislative Day in Washington DC? If you join SCLA, you’ll have a voice with SCLA executive board members and others who will advocate for higher library staff member salaries, and much more.
* Partnerships/Collaboration Opportunities - Through networking opportunities, you may be able to find another library and library staff members who are working on similar projects, dealing with similar issues, and thinking about new services. You may be able to partner with other libraries on these topics. Just ask!
* Continuing Education/Developing New Skill Sets - Sections, Committees, and Round Tables sponsor various and reasonably priced workshop opportunities throughout the year where you can develop new skills and learn what is going on in the profession.
* Provide Leadership Opportunities - Do you think you’d be a good leader? Do you want the opportunity to help and lend your support to guiding the association in the direction you want to see it go? Become a section leader, join a committee, and work with a round table. There are many opportunities!
* Resume/Curriculum Vita Credentials - Do you want to move ahead within the profession? Do you want potential employers to see that you’ve been active with association work? Get involved to get ahead!
* Awards and Recognition - The association provides recognition at the annual conference in many categories. Nominate your colleagues and recognize their efforts!
* Newsletter and Information - Keep up with what’s going on in the South Carolina library community. See who is doing what! Visit the ever-changing web site at www.scla.org to keep in touch with the latest news. Chat with the web master!
* Strength in Numbers - When issues and problems arise, your association can provide you with resources and connections.
* Scholarships/Diversity - The association works hard to provide scholarship opportunities. Contribute your time and money to give future leaders the opportunities they may not otherwise have.
* Annual Conference - The association hosts a multi-day annual conference which can provide you with many memorable experiences, both learning and fun. These experiences will last you throughout and beyond your library career!
* It’s an Honor and Duty - While this sounds like an outdated notion, it holds true. It is an Honor and your Duty as a library staff member to join your state’s library association. You’ll have wonderful opportunities to meet others in the profession in the state. You may learn something new from someone. You will make lasting connections to take you through your library career. Join today!

June 12, 2009

June 11, 2009

Reading Rooster Recommends June 11 2009

Check out the latest Reading Rooster and subscribe to the SC State Library's YouTube channel!

Libraries featured on the Today show.

Cathy DeRosa OCLC Presentation at Bibliothekartag 2009 in Erfurt Germany

this is an important point for library staff members who specialize in PR and Marketing.

Market the library's mission, not the library.

I think we should concentrate on specific services and how they support the library's mission. We need to stop just saying how wonderful the library is and market the why's...

June 10, 2009

Will Books ever Go Away?


great slide
Originally uploaded by curtis rogers
Here is a wonderful slide I took a photo of at the Germany Library Association Conference - Bibliothekartag 2009. I like what it says and makes a lot of sense about why books are being improved upon... however, i still think we have a long way to go (because I really like to see the pictures too) :-)

June 07, 2009

exhibits area - touch screen PC table

one of the coolest things in the exhibit hall at the Bibliothekartag in Erfurt was this PC table!!! watch the video!

June 03, 2009

Web 2.0, the Blended Library

Yes, the library is open and new things are happening here in Germany!


Open
Originally uploaded by Tallent Show

This morning in I attended a very interesting presentation about the Blended Library. A professor from the University of Konstanz provided very interesting information about new technologies being used in the library for visual learners. He talked about how the computer is a disappearing metaphor and that new designs in touch screens are being used for more new forms of tactile engagement. He discussed Embodied Interaction and that humans have really only been using their fingers, eyes and ears working with computers and that we need to use more engaged ways of accessing technology. He mentioned a book, Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction so I will have to check to see if my library has it so I can read more... Fascinating stuff!