Continuing Education for Librarians: A Conscious Effort

By S. Smith

(Part 2 of 2)

Continuing education comes in many formats, both formal and informal, including university classes, webinars, conference attendance, memberships in professional associations and reading. The gamut runs from tweets to academic journals and in between is a wide variety of methods for introducing new skills, updating and improving older skills, and learning completely new methods of technology. From free information to expensive databases, librarians devote many hours of both work and personal time to enhancing our technological know-how. Every time Microsoft releases an upgrade and our library purchases it we have to learn it. Every time a method of social networking becomes popular we have to learn it if we are to keep up with our patrons' needs. Every time a new issue of a journal lands in our mailboxes, online and off, we have to try to find the time to read it. Keeping up with the wealth of technological information available keeps us quite busy but our jobs demand it and our patrons deserve it.

Many hours are devoted weekly to reading material that is either required to maintain professional standards of work or perhaps a librarian wants to gain knowledge in an area in which he feels his skills may be lagging. While the costs of journals read through databases are included in library budgets there also are many free forms of continuing education available on the internet. The ALA, the New York Public Library and many other libraries, and hordes of librarians themselves have Twitter accounts or multiple accounts. There is a proliferation of librarian bloggers and a few minutes spent in the judicious selection of several well-written blogs can provide access to technical information from our co-workers at no charge! Besides formal learning for work we are learning and improving social networking skills at the same time.

Information is available online including Publisher's Weekly (2010) which has numerous daily and weekly free newsletters and Library Journal which has a very informative website (2010). Webinars are certainly a modern approach to continuing education and the wide variety available includes several that have recently been offered free to Wayne State library students.

Affiliations with professional organizations such as the American Library Association and its many divisions can also provide a treasure of continuing education information. American Libraries, the magazine of the ALA, is included in the purchase of a $33.00 per year student membership but regular membership costs are significantly higher and inclusion of several division memberships such as the Reader and User Services Association can cost hundreds of dollars per year. Regular columns on technology are pertinent to our studies and our future professions as well. Columns in other publications provide technological updates including reviews of textbooks, services, and software.

The costs of membership in professional associations may be borne by the individual librarian or library student, as is the purchase of non-required reading material that he is interested in for personal growth related to work. The cost of attendance at conferences may or not be reimbursable by one's place of employment and the value of attendance must be analyzed carefully, particularly if the cost is personal. The ALA Midwinter conference is $165 in advance and $190 onsite (American Libraries, Oct 2010) just for registration. Events have fees ranging from $45 to $380 and transportation, hotel, and food costs must be factored in as well. For a library to send one or more employees to a conference the question of who will fill in for those hours must be addressed as well. The cost of non-attendance may be higher, in the long run, due to missed opportunities to learn about recent library technology and get feedback from other librarians as to what they like, what works, what needs work, and what they want to see in the future.

In summary, continuing education must be a conscious effort on the part of all librarians to not only maintain personal and professional standards of work but, especially in our current economy, to be prepared for work restructuring and possible work relocation. With budget cuts affecting almost every library the cost of the lack of continuing education is both monetary and risky.

"To be a librarian is to be a lifelong, continuous learner" (Kovacs, 2010). As librarians we embrace this fact and strive to improve ourselves in every way possible. The costs of doing so is expensive in dollars and requires an investment of time in ourselves. It is a worthy investment.

List of Blogs, Tweets, and Other Information-Technological or Helpful to Library Students

http://www.libraryjournal.com/

http://www.publishersweekly.com

http://howtosurvivelibraryschool.blogspot.com/ (Full disclosure-Suzy Smith's blog)

http://unlibrarian.com/ (Halsted Bernard's blog)

http://www.davidleeking.com/ (An excellent source of library technological information in blog form)

ALCTS Continuing Ed-@ALCTS-CE "News from the Continuing Education Committee of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, a division of the American Library Association"

ALCTS Continuing Ed-@libraryofcongress

ALCTS Continuing Ed-@alaconnect-"Announcements and help for ALA's collaborative / professional networking site for the library community".

These are just a very small percentage of the links to technological information to help you as a student and in your professional work as librarians.

References

ALA. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/

American Libraries. (2010, Oct.). p 11. ALA Midwinter Meeting Advance Registration & Housing Information.

Kovacs, D. (2010). The virtual reference handbook. p 68. London: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.

Library Journal. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/

Publisher's Weekly. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html

Librarians without Libraries?!

by L. Young

(A brief look at where the profession is heading)

Book digitization and digital media is changing the way libraries work. Much like the internet changed many retailers' business models, the internet and proliferation of digital information is forcing libraries to consolidate and change how they "do business." As Eric Hellman explained in a recent post on his blog Go-To-Hellman:

"book digitization and the shift to e-books … will completely change the way most people use libraries.

* * *

Public libraries will need to adapt their physical plants to accommodate this changed usage pattern. Stacks will become more warehouse-like; public spaces will have fewer books and more coffee. Patrons will demand larger collections, but will accept less physical access to print. Home delivery of library materials will become much more common.

* * *

All of these trends will put pressure on libraries to work together on shared services, and ultimately to merge. Larger libraries will be more effective at delivering both print books and e-books, and patrons will care less about where the print books are stored when they're not being lent. Smaller libraries will find it difficult to support the technical and operational expertise needed to run the public library of 2020. (Hellman, 2010).

While this trend of library consolidation is easy to see, the question that I would like answered is: What is going to happen to all the librarians?!

A rather bleak view, expressed by poster "Jennifer" in response to Hellman's Blog, is: "One result of [library consolidation] will be a need for far fewer professional librarians and (possibly) more library assistants. Here's hoping the profession gets ahead of this coming reality and boosts the assistants pay scale as fast and as far as they can since the future is one of many professional librarians living out their careers as assistants." (Hellman, 2010). Another view expressed by Barbara Quint, a writer for Searcher Magazine, anticipates that some library professionals will thrive while others are probably doomed (Quint, 2010) ("Fewer, Better Libraries run by Fewer, Better Librarians"). Other scholars believe that many of today's librarians will have to re-invent themselves to become "Cybrarians" - i.e., specialists at finding information on the internet, see Rau and Babo, 2001 (collecting sources), and still others believe that librarians, even in the traditional sense will still be needed and relevant tomorrow:

Intelligent agents may eventually "think" like librarians do today. (Rao and Babo, 2001).

Codification and classification of [] information to facilitate easy location is best done now as well as in the foreseeable future by librarians. The familiarization with new gadgets and methodology of locating information for vast majority of population requires guides and librarians can easily fit into this role with training. The leveraging of the available information to suit the needs of clientele is also best done by the librarians. (Rao and Babo, 2001).

While I hope this latter prognosis is correct, with all of the changes that seem to be occurring in this profession, I am beginning to wonder what the future of librarianship actually is.

References

Hellman, E. (2010, Jan. 3). 2020: Fewer librarians, more locations. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://go-to-hellman.blogspot.com/2010/01/2020-fewer-libraries-more-locations.html

Quint, B. (2010, Feb.). The great divide. Searcher Magazine. Vol. 12, No. 2. Retrieved from http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/feb04/voice.shtml

Rao, K.N. and Babu, K.H. (2001). Role of librarian in internet and world wide web environment. Information Sciences, Vol. 4, No. 1, p. 27.

Budgeting Decisions:
Electronic vs. Monographs in Academic Libraries

By D. Mick

Budget shortfalls are nothing new for libraries. In this post we will specifically consider academic libraries making decisions on what electronic databases and journals to subscribe to and which, if any, books and journals to purchase in monograph format. With more colleges offering online instruction and many journals available both in print and in electronic journals online, the purchasing decisions of library material are being changed and a new balance being sought. Kusik and Vargas state in a paper published in the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, "The primary goal of the academic library budget should be to obtain information resources that support the university's instruction and research. Curricular priorities should drive collection development and these priorities in turn should determine the collection development budget" (2009). Sounds simple enough, right? It is not. Consider that there are thousands of journals to choose from. When Judith Nixon evaluated journals for the Management and Economics Library at Purdue University, she reviewed approximately 900 journals. As Head of Purdue's Humanities, Social Science and Education Library, Nixon's staff of seven librarians reviewed nearly 3,000 journals in fifteen departments. The process Nixon used involved a seven step process:

1. Assess the situation.
2. Establish rapport with the faculty and give them full information.
3. Explain the factors contributing to the crisis.
4. Explore solutions.
5. Implement a plan of action.
6. Involve the faculty in decision making by setting up meetings with librarians to review titles department by department.
7. Generate final list of titles to be cancelled; allow faculty to review these lists.

Besides the current economy affecting most state institutions, the price of periodicals has risen at a much greater rate than inflation. William H. Walters reports that "Among American research libraries, serials expenditures increased by 302 percent from 1986 to 2005. In contrast, monograph expenditures increased by only 59 percent during that time. . . " (2008). Walters conclusion is that undergraduate libraries would be better off buying more books which increase in price at a rate of about 1.4 percent per year, than buying periodical subscriptions that increase in cost on average 8.5 percent per year. His argument is that undergraduate colleges require less research and "faculty at even the best undergraduate colleges publish far fewer papers than those at research universities" (2008). Furthermore, undergraduates use books more frequently because they are more readable, they are authoritative and more comprehensive, and place facts and theories in a more contextual format than journals. Walters is furthered concerned about what will happen to library collections when a database subscription loses content or budget cuts require cancellation of a database.

While Walters' conclusions make sense for traditional universities serving only on-campus students, it fails as a solution for colleges and universities with a large on-line student body. Fort Hays State University is a small university in rural Kansas with a total student enrollment of 11, 883 for the Fall 2010 semester. With 4,415 students attending on-campus classes. the remaining 7,468 are online students. Resources available in book form in the campus library are not a convenient resource for the majority of students.

Kusik and Vargas suggest a holistic approach to budgeting for an academic library. Resource material should be acquired not through a division of funds allocated specifically for certain media formats, but through a holistic approach that considers the needs of the curricula, the faculty, and the students. If the majority of students attend via distance education, then certainly electronically accessible databases, journals, books, etc. will make the experience much more convenient. It is evident that there is no one approach that will suit every library. It is the responsibility of academic librarians to find a method of evaluation, take into consideration the patrons and accessibility, and work to provide the best resources for their library.

References

Fort Hays State University. (2010). University Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.fhsu.edu/about/university-overview

Kusik, J. P. and Vargas, M. A. (2009). Improving electronic resources through holistic budgeting. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship. 21:3, pp. 200-205. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19411260903446105

Nixon, J. P. (2010). A reprise, or round three: Using a database management program as a decision-support system for the cancellation of serials. The Serial Librarian. pp.302-312. Retrieved from: http://dx.dot.org/10.1080.03615261003619806

Walters, W. H. (2008). Journal prices, book acquisitions, and sustainable college library collections. College and Research Libraries, 69:6, pp. 576-586.

To Train or Not to Train

By A. Flinn

Technology or computer training for the librarian, and the patron, has become an everyday issue for most libraries. The librarian not only has to be in constant training for every system or application their library is using, but they also have to be trained in how to pass that knowledge on to their patrons in a clear, concise manner. The question has become, "How do we go about providing better patron training when we ourselves are being overwhelmed by change?" (Krissoff & Konrad, 1998). As librarians, we need to step head long into the digital information age so that we can provide excellent service and professionalism, which most librarians strive or aspire to.

One of the challenges in serving patrons is the diversity or skill set a librarian will encounter. How do you serve, "Info Nots vs. Info Nuts"? (Williams, 1995). Williams suggests for the Info Nots to, "provide instruction in the use of the databases available in the libraries. Focusing on the broader search strategies is helpful so that patrons can see the linkages between a variety of databases." The Info Nots or technophobic can be anyone from children to senior citizens. Librarians need to be able to identify these types of patrons and be able to listen to them to find the best solutions to help them conquer their technophobia. Basic suggestions are, "setting limits on time and content covered, avoid computer jargon, showing patrons how the database can help them specifically, and show them the use of on-line help and allowing times for hands-on experimentation..." (Harrison, 2001). These simple practices will encourage patrons to use these services again. As for the Info Nuts, the dilemma is how to meet their requests for more information or more sophisticated systems. Do we bombard the Info Nuts with so much information that they go into overload? Is it cost effective to pay to access more information just for the Info Nuts?

As librarians, we need to be able to help and serve this wide range of patrons, "from those who refuse to touch a computer keyboard to those who constantly desire more access than the status quo." (Williams, 1995). Library staff should remember that a primary goal of the library is to provide information. "The patron should never be allowed to leave the library empty-handed…. It is far better for the […] librarian to perform a search himself, than for a patron to leave the library without that information."(Harrison, 2001).

Beyond the challenge of serving the diversity of patrons, is the issue of providing computer instruction for home use. Most public libraries do offer these kinds of services; it may just vary to what degree. However, regardless of the degree, all libraries need to ensure they are developing and providing training that is applicable for the user and that patrons walk away from the training feeling they have learned or accomplished something. "The consequences of poor training will be that our users will lose confidence in librarians. They will think that librarians have joined the ranks of others that have fallen under the weight of emerging technologies, and they will see libraries as another institution that is threatened with extinction." (Krissoff & Konrad, 1998).

References

Krissoff, A. & Konrad, L (1998, Jan.). Computer training for staff and patrons: A comprehensive academic model. Computers in Libraries, 18(1), 28 30-32.

Powell-Williams, L. (1995, Nov.-Dec.). Info "nots" vs. info "nuts": Pondering how to serve both. Library Mosaics, 6, 21.

Lucy Harrison (2001). Stress Relief: Help for the Technophobic Patron from the Reference Desk. The Reference Librarian, 33:69, 31-47. doi: 10.1330/120v33n69_04

Is Becoming an Expert Social Networking Librarian Worth It?

By F. DiPietro

Social networking in libraries is not a new concept. You could almost say that librarians were experts at coordinating and maintaining social networking applications before technology stepped in and automated it. To describe social networking in its basic form, simply imagine a bulletin board. Adorning the top of the board, you would find the equivalent of website banners, seasonal pictures and headings, such as " Books Just Arrived!", "Events", "Jobs", "Roommates Wanted", and "For Sale". Just below that, business cards and notes pinned to it with small tear-off tags containing phone numbers (profiles, walls, and photos). With the advent of the internet and social media sites, librarians no longer have just a few bulletin boards to update in order to keep patrons informed. By becoming experts at managing social media, librarians can take advantage of the social media explosion and promote their library. But with that expertise, libraries may have to increase their pay-rates in order to keep these tech-savvy librarians. The idea of using social media to promote libraries sounds like a good one. The list of social media applications is extensive and here are examples of some (Balas, 2010):

All of these applications are of value to the library, but can be just as much a detriment if they are not managed properly. Before installing any of these, the library must develop a best practices strategy for implementing and maintaining the application and ensure appropriate staffing to keep the application up-to-date. What starts out as a positive way to promote the library can quickly become an eyesore once the library has a reputation for unfriendly, outdated, unproductive and immaterial website applications. "The new social media offerings, not to mention the discipline specific software applications and networks springing up, can be useful or just the added burden of a useless tool." (O'Dell, 2010).

The influence of social media has prompted many libraries to add applications to their websites in order to build community, promote their services, communicate with their patrons, and relay reader reviews on their catalog items. With all of these options available, it's important that the librarian in charge of maintaining the website keep the website current. If keeping the website current is not their only job responsibility, they have to put a priority on this task and hopefully, they are earning a fair wage for the job they perform.

"The increase in social networking suggests a set of skills that librarians should possess as social networking-literate information professionals capable of implementing library services and using information at social networking sites," Joe Murphy, science librarian at Yale University, and Heather Moulaison, a doctoral student at Rutgers University, said in a presentation in 2009. These include skills for interacting with patrons within the sites, understanding and articulating the nature of social networking sites and their potential roles related to library services, creating presences and content, evaluating and applying information, and being able to help patrons acquire and apply these skills. The next step should be to pass these skills on to library patrons by applying them to library instruction activities." (ALA, 2010).

References

ALA. (2010, April 5). Social networking and lbraries. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from http://http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries/socialnetworking.cfm

Balas, J. (2010, September). Social networking in the library -- What is it good for? Information Today, 30.

O'Dell, S. (2010). Opportunities and obligations for libraries in a socal networking age: A survey of Web 2.0 and networking sites. Journal of Library Administration, 50(3), 237-251. doi: 10.1080/01930821003634989

Continuing Education for Librarians: The Need for Technological Growth

By S. Smith

(Part 1 of 2)

The need for continuing education in the field of librarianship, particularly in technological areas, is an absolute imperative. As library professionals, we must be prepared to assist our patrons in every way possible, which frequently encompasses expanding areas of library technology. Computerized catalogs, electronic databases, and the computers and peripherals in use for library staff as well as patrons need to be learned, implemented, and updated as part of today's modern library technology needs. Keeping up with social networking requirements (addressed in F. DiPietro's blog) will increase as more and more sites become available for use. E-books, podcasting, and other somewhat recent developments take time to learn. "If you want staff to come up with innovative ideas for improving the patron experience or decreasing costs, they will need time to do research and play with new technology." (Farkas, 2010). We talk frequently about teachable moments in a library setting and they are increasingly spent on technology. 

Increasing numbers of patrons are accessing job information including resume construction and employment applications on the internet. Knowing how to instruct patrons in basic and advanced computer usage is now crucial for librarians in public libraries. From an introduction about how to log onto a computer for the first time, to printing, to saving to a disc or flash drive, we will continually be teaching new skills and spending large amounts of time doing so. With our current economy, we must be prepared to spend time with patrons at computers that used to be devoted to other areas of work. 

Time has to be carefully organized to ensure that we have that necessary time to enable us to become proficient when our library systems purchase new hardware and software. The costs of purchasing and maintaining patron and staff computers, including whatever continuing education is necessary is a significant percentage of modern library budgets and must be factored in as a matter of course. 

"In regard to reference training, it is no longer possible to train librarians once and then expect them to provide ongoing satisfactory service to users. Instead, librarians must be trained and retrained, again and again as technologies change…." (Kovacs, 2007). What Ms. Kovacs does not address is just how this training will occur (or from whence the expenditures and sources are derived). Maintaining personal and professional standards of excellence are required in an economy of increasingly decreasing library budgets. Continuing education is an integral part of the profession of a librarian. While we may have requirements at work as to the specific numbers of hours each employee must have per year, we also have a personal commitment to enhance our skills. 

My point is not that we must become experts at those areas of technology that impact libraries and librarians, it is that due to the technological demands of our work we must continually work to improve our skills in those areas. The website for the Special Library Association (http://www.sla.org/) has links to webinars, which are just one way of continuing our education. When we increase our knowledge we increase our marketability in an already competitive environment at the same time as we increase our ability to help our patrons. If our places of employment do not offer significant opportunities for advancement, in the area of continuing education, it is our personal and professional duty to seek out and find it. 

References 

Farkas, M. (2010, Oct). Nurturing innovation. American Libraries: The Magazine of the American Library Association. 36. 

Kovacs, D. (2007). The virtual reference handbook. p 34. New York, New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers. 

Special Libraries Association. (2010). http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/index.cfm Retrieved November 6, 2010.

        

Challenges for the New Librarian with Technology

By A. Flinn

"The impact and pace of technological development over the last 50 years has affected all global citizens. Librarianship as a profession has been very profoundly shaped and impacted by this phenomenal development." (Saw & Todd & Todd, 2007).

New librarians are solidly immersed in Library 2.0 and face new challenges, unforeseen roles and responsibilities that even the best of educations could not prepare them for. "New librarians are prime candidates within the organization to be asked to work on technology-related projects." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009). Because of a more technology-driven environment, there has been an introduction of new job titles, such as digital librarian, web services librarian, metadata librarian, emerging technology librarians and this list will continue to grow.

So what are some of the issues that a new librarian is facing in a new technology focused workplace? The education that today's Library Science student receives is not enough to bridge the technology gap in the work place. Library Science institutions need to update portions of their curriculum to reflect the ever metamorphic field. In addition, institutions need to emphasize to students that even if they do not plan to purse a technical position they still need technical skills to be competitive within their chosen field. In a survey given to new librarians (with less than 9 years of service), librarians were asked about their expectations in regards to technology when they started library school. The graph below shows the students' expectations. However, in most cases, they only experience about thirty-five percent of the fifty-percent expectation.

"An additional obstacle for the entry into the workplace comes from the fact that each work place expects and supports a different level of expertise." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009). Because of this broad field of technology, it is hard for institutions to provide specific training. A response from a new librarian on this issue was, "There are so many aspects to technology in libraries that an MLS cannot possibly cover them all. As a student who did not know what area of librarianship I was going to enter, highly technical classes were a waste of time." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009). One of the conclusions that the survey produced was that, "No program of education will ever entirely fulfill the needs of employees or employers." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009).

Staying current on the trends in library technology is also the new librarian's responsibility. Some of the ways this can be accomplished is staying curious and exploring, and by keeping up on one's reading. This can also be accomplished by using technology outside the workplace, i.e. blogs, wikis, RSS aggregators. If a class or workshop is offered, make sure to attend; attend conferences, and get involved with committees that focus on technology issues. Librarians need to prepare themselves for lifelong learning, especially when it comes to the issue of technology.

References

Del Bosque, D. & Lampert, C. (2009). A Chance of storms: New librarians navigating technology tempests. Technical Services Quarterly, 26, 261-286. doi: 10.1080/0737130802678878

Saw, G. & Todd, H. (2007, August). Library 3.0: where art our skills? Paper presented at the meeting of World Library and Information Congress, Durban, South Africa.

Librarians Become Outsourced Contractors

F. DiPietro

Communities and schools are in a constant battle to effectively budget reduced funding against ever-increasing expenses. Libraries can easily be overlooked as just another line-item on a list of necessities and essentials but should be considered one of their best resources in helping to develop the minds of their greatest assets, people. Statistics have shown that library usage has increased, and yet the value of the library is discounted when necessary funding is not approved. Because of the economic climate, societal values and technology, librarians should be looking at their job descriptions and examining ways to adapt to this changing environment by becoming subject specialists or they could become outsourced!

According to a recent report by the Association of College & Research Libraries, technology's impact on libraries will be high should outsourcing become an accepted method (Staley & Malenfant, 2010). Is that such a bad thing? Apparently not to most people if they let it happen in the first place. It could be a Catch-22, as libraries make computers and the internet available to patrons and patrons become proficient using online resources, resulting in a decrease in the value of the research librarian's skills. As the value decreases, so do the funds to maintain libraries, slashing funds available for technology, thus reducing access to computers by patrons.

On the other hand, since necessity is the mother of invention, with more people doing their own research, information companies could mushroom and develop new search engines and other preferred tools. This could result in making the librarian's role obsolete and forcing libraries to rethink their job functions, possibly outsourcing these positions for the remaining work with contracting companies, and cutting payroll dollars, much like contract computer programmers. With these added skills, librarians are finding employment as corporate librarians and database administrators (Crosby, 2001). This could allow for an entirely new job market for the librarian at the information companies, perhaps giving them the title, "Cybrarians"(McCauley, 2000). In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics sees an increase in job openings due to growth and replacement needs between 2008 and 2018 (see chart).

What are we to do in the face of this impact? We can begin to plan now and develop a strategy to either embrace the change or take advantage of the time to alter the course of events leading to an outcome in line with the profession's designed mission. As professionals, we should have a strategic concept of our profession, with standards, including best practices and continue to improve the profession and guide ourselves to making our goals a reality.

References

Crosby, O. (2001, January). Librarians: Information experts in the information age. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 44(4), 2-15.

McCauley, P. (2000, Winter). From Librarian to Cybrarian: Coping with Accelerating Change in Libraries. Ohio Media Spectrum, 51(4), 31-36.

Staley, D., & Malenfant, K. (2010). Futures thinking for academic librarians: Higher education in 2025 (pp. 33): Association of College & Research Libraries.

Internet Filtering Policy Remains an Issue

By D. Mick

Librarians continue to advocate for the right to free speech. Just because the internet has been in general use for almost 20 years, does not mean that the fight to limit information has been settled. In 1997, the United States Supreme Court ruled that "The use of software filters which block constitutionally protected speech is inconsistent with the United States Constitution and federal law and may lead to legal exposure for the library and its governing authorities; now therefore, it be resolved, that the American Library Association affirms that the use of filtering software by libraries to block access to constitutionally protected speech violates the Library Bill of Rights" (www.ala.org). In 2000, Congress enacted Federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which requires public libraries to certify that they are using computer filtering software so that children do not have access to obscenity, child pornography or other material that might be harmful to minors. The ALA challenged the ruling and, in June 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that CIPA does not violate First Amendment rights, because libraries may disable the filters for adult patrons, upon request (www.ncsl.org).

What does this mean for librarians? Twenty-one states have Internet filtering laws, and it is up to librarians, library boards, and school boards to adopt policies that will stop minors from accessing sexually explicit, obscene, or harmful materials (www.ncsl.org). Many libraries and schools include social networks in their blocked sites. Social networking tools allow young people to improve communication skills, share pictures and documents, collaborate, and exchange information. With this freedom of sharing comes responsibility and caution. Instead of blocking social networking sites, parents, teachers, and librarians need to educate students on how to safely navigate the information highway. Librarians and teachers should implement programs to teach parents and youth about internet safety similar to a program in Park Hill, Missouri where students are taught that "courtesy, mutual respect, and civility exist on the web just as they do in person." (Ramaswami, 2009). Restricting these sites in schools and libraries is missing an opportunity to inform and educate the overwhelming number of young people who frequently use social networks. A National School Boards Association (NSBA) conducted "study found that 96 percent of 9- to 17-year-old students participate in online social networks; of that group, 59 percent use social media to talk about educational topics, and 50 percent talk specifically about schoolwork" (Ramaswami, 2009).

Filtering computers is only partially successful. Because there are multiple types of web filters, it is up to the staff to find one that best meets its needs. There are IP and URL blacklists, content filtering, and combinations of these. All can be circumvented, and keeping the IP and URL blacklists up to date is time consuming and often disregarded. An advantage to newer content filters is that they can reduce the threats of malware that is particularly troublesome with social media sites. Brad Dinerman, founder and president of the National Information Security Group (NISG) and president of Fieldbrook Solutions, a security consulting firm urges schools to bite the bullet and replace firewalls and filters instead of using out of date versions. He remarks "relying on an old firewall is like protecting a bank vault with a screen door." (Ramaswami, 2009). By using the right kind of filters and firewalls, schools and libraries can allow for the sharing of information in accordance with the First Amendment right of free speech and create safe learning environments for youth.

The United States stands for intellectual freedom and an educated republic. We caution other countries not to limit the access of information to their citizens. In January 2010, Google.cn quit complying with China's censorship of politically and socially sensitive issues. "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly praised Google and called for a global end to Web censoring, prompting a critical response from the Chinese government." (Chen and Wang, 2010). This was less than a year after the U.S. government pressured China to revoke the Green Dam requirement that China was placing on all computers sold in China. Green Dam is a desktop Web filter, so not only would public computers be blocked, so would every privately owned computer. It is essential for librarians to be educated on software that will protect computers from attacks, to educate users on protecting themselves by self-censoring the personal information they share, and to continue the fight to keep a free flow of information, allowing only for the government mandated CIPA to protect the young against child pornography and obscenity.

References

American Library Association. (1997, July 2) Resolution on the use of filtering software in libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=IF_Resolutions&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=13076.

Chen, T.M. and Yang, V. (March 2010) Web filtering and censoring: Information on the Web is not as uncontrolled as it may appear. Computer. 43:3 pp. 94-97. Retrieved from http://computer.org/portal/web/csdl/doi/10.1109/MC.2010.84.

National Conference of State Legislators. (2009, December 28). Children and the Internet: Laws relating to filtering, blocking and usage policies in schools and libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/IssuesResearch/TelecommunicationsInformationTechnology/StateInternetFilteringLaws/tabid/13491/Default.aspx.

Ramaswami, R. (2010 June-July). Nothing to lol about: to dodge threats to students from social media, districts are choosing an unfortunate solution: blocking technology that has sub-stantial educational value. New filtering tools offer a better option. T H E Journal (Technological Horizons in Education). 37.6 pp. 24-25.

R.F.I.'d Me
(An overview of librarians' prominent role at the front line of the RFID-privacy debate)

by L. Young

It seems almost beyond debate that the library professionals of tomorrow are going to have jobs that differ significantly from the jobs of their predecessors. One such change relates to the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, both from the perspective of implementing and managing the technology in a library setting, and in ensuring that patron privacy is protected. According to Wikipedia, the first RFID systems were installed in libraries in the early 1990's. (Wikipedia, 2010). Today, libraries all over the world employ RFID technology. Id. (listing examples).

From a technical perspective, RFID is very useful in a library setting. It allows for the automated check-out and check-in of materials and it is capable of being used as a security device. Id. However, from the perspective of the professional librarian, the personal and professional cost of implementing technology like this is tremendous. First, there are many different types of RFID systems and tags to choose from. Second, it takes approximately 11 months to convert an average size library over to RFID technology. Id. Third, the cost of the technology and conversion cost is substantial (systems cost $50,000 and up, and tags cost at least $0.35 ea.). And, finally, obtaining approval and staff hours for a massive undertaking like this requires strong, forward-thinking leadership.

The other impact that RFID technology has in a library setting relates to the issue of privacy. RFID tags come in two basic forms, passive and active, both of which are capable of being "read" from a distance by electronic readers. (Molnar and Wagner, 2004). While libraries typically used "closed" RFID systems and try to avoid coding user information onto tags they use, publishers and retailers are increasingly urging the use of "open" RFID systems to allow tracking of consumer reading, spending and buying patterns. Id. Several industry watchdogs and privacy groups oppose these moves by publishers and retailers, and not surprisingly, these groups believe that library professionals should take a leading role in trying to stop such practices:

The library community [should be] a leader in protecting intellectual freedom and user privacy. Libraries have an opportunity to be societal leaders and a 'model industry' in the way in which they adopt RFID-based circulation and ILS systems. (Givens, 2004).

While a number of librarians from the past have been outspoken about various issues, this sort of advocacy and industry policing is something entirely new.

References

Givens, B. (2004, Jan.). RFID implementation in libraries. Paper presented at the ALA Midwinter Conference, San Diego , CA. Retrieved from http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/RFID-ALA.htm

Molnar, D. and Wagner, D. (2004). Privacy and security in library RFID issues, practices, and architectures. ACM CCS. Retrived from http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~daw/papers/librfid-ccs04.pdf

Wikipedia. (2010). Radio-frequency identification: Libraries. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification

Introduction (the "White Paper")

Some readers may remember when patrons entered a library, browsed the shelves, searched the card catalog, or enlisted the help of a dutiful librarian to find the book or reference material they needed. Once a book or journal was selected, the patron removed the circulation card from inside the front cover, signed their name, and handed the card and book to circulation staff, who then stamped the due date on the inside of the book and on the card. The circulation card was then filed in the correct due date file.

Or maybe, a few people remember when media selections in the school library included: books, guides, cassettes, handbooks, student workbooks, film strips, sound filmstrips, and reel-to-reel films (Miller, 1972). Of course, the reel-to-reel films were only for the teachers or school nurse. The film was viewed in the 'Little Theater' which substituted as the tornado shelter, and was marked with an eerie looking yellow radiation poster informing students that it was also where they would be sheltered in the event of a nuclear attack.

Times have changed. The technological age has been integrated into every corner of the modern library. This blog is an opportunity to discuss many of the technologies being used in libraries, and by librarians. The card catalog, with real cards, has been replaced by a database. Films have fallen out of favor, while DVDs, and computer technologies, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life, are all the rage. And, libraries more and more are abandoning print resources in favor of electronic information and databases.

Despite these changes, some issues like privacy and censorship concerns, and budgetary constraints, continue to plague the modern library and librarian. Professional salaries are also a concern. Librarians graduating from Rutgers' MLS program in 1972 could expect to earn on average $9,139 (Gleaves, 1974). Adjusted for inflation, this equates to $47,818 today (CPI, 2010). Since the median salary for all librarians in 2010 is $52,530, it is clear that library salaries have not as a whole kept up with the pace of technology. This is a real concern for anyone that is considering a position in a technology-laden library.

References

CPI Inflation Calculator. (2010). Retrieved from http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.plcalc.pl

Gleaves, E. S. (1974). What if everyone wrote everywhere for a job and no one responded? Wilson Library Bulletin. Vol. 48, pp. 703-705.

Miller, M. J. (1972). Connecticut School Librarian's Resources for Teaching Library Skills. Wilson Library Bulletin. Vol. 46, p. 539.

Chart 1: Desireable Librarian Skills

About the Authors

This blog is written and moderated by five graduate students from Wayne State University's online Master of Library and Information Science Program. Beginning November 18, 2010, we will begin posting a series of short discussions on: The Impact of Technology in the Library - The Changing Roles of Librarians in the 21th Century. We hope these posts will be interesting and thought provoking, and we encourage everyone to share their related thoughts and experiences.

Our tentative agenda and topics are:

Nov. 18:

White Paper (Overview)

Nov. 19:

R.F.I.'d Me: The Librarian's Role at the Front Line of the RFID-privacy Debate (L. Young)

Nov. 20:

Internet Filtering Policy Remains an Issue (D. Mick)

Nov. 21:

Librarians Become Outsourced Contractors (F. Dipietro)

Nov. 22:

Challenges for the New Librarian with Technology (A. Flinn)

Nov. 23:

Continuing Education for Librarians: The Need for Technological Growth (S. Smith)

Nov. 24:

Is Becoming an Expert Social Networking Librarian Worth It? (F. DiPietro)

Nov. 25:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov. 26:

To Train or Not to Train (A. Flinn)

Nov. 27:

Budget Decisions: Electronic v. Monographs in Academic Libraries (D. Mick)

Nov. 28:

Librarians without Libraries?! A Brief Look at Where the Profession is Heading (L. Young)

Nov. 29:

Continuing Education for Librarians: A Conscious Effort (S. Smith)