Understanding how libraries (and librarians) can survive in the new media ecosystem

Just came across PowerPoint Presentation of Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project. The presentation is on How libraries can survive in the new media ecosystem. I am trying to understand the message conveyed by this presentation. It is about "how people's use of the internet and cell phones has fundamentally changed the 'information ecosystem' in 10 ways". Information in this age is Abundant, Cheap, Personally Oriented and Designed for participation. According to Lee, 'information ecosystem' is changing in the following manner:

- Volume of information grows

- Variety of information and sources of information grow

- Velocity of information increases and smart mobs emerge

- Venues of intersecting with information and people multiply and the availability of information expands.

- People’s vigilance for information changes. Attention is 'truncated' and 'elongated'.

- The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact.

- Valence (relevance) of information improves – search and customization get better

- The voice of information democratizes and the visibility of new creators is enhanced.

- Voting on and ventilating about information proliferates as tagging, rating, and commenting occurs and collective intelligence asserts itself

- Social networks become more vivid and meaningful.

So what can Libraries and Librarians do in such an 'information ecosystem'? Well, they have been advised to take following actions:

-Be findable and available

-Think of yourself as a news node for information and interaction.

-Think of yourself as a social network node for people looking for 'friendsters'

-Think of yourself as an information hub -- an aggregator and a linker to others who have useful, interesting material

-Experiment with Web 2.0 applications

-Offer your good offices to help people master new literacies - Graphic; Navigation; Context; Focus; Skepticism; Ethical and Personal literacies.

The new information ecosystem and required actions for being relevant in this new ecosystem has been well explained by Lee. However, I am trying to understand how the ideas expressed by Lee Rainie correlate to the theory and philosophy of Library and Information Science. Changes in 'information ecosystem' is consistent with Ranganathan's Fifth Law - Library is a Growing Organism. The Library (system) being an Organism, grows and thus get more and more differentiated. It evolves like any other living organism on earth in response to changes in ecosystem. Most 'actions' suggested by Lee are consistent with Forth Law - Save the Time of The Reader. Well, I am not able to fit the concept of 'social networking' on Internet in terms of philosophy of library science. Perhaps, someone from you can help me.

LIS Blogs in India

Sri Badan Barman of Guwahati has compiled a list of 44 Library and Information Science Blogs in India. He has picked these from 69 blogs after hard work of ten days. He feels that Indian LIS bloggers are not professional enough to attract large number of readers. He advises bloggers to remain focussed on one or two themes.

Anyway, let me console myself - I write for myself.

MixedInk

MixedInk is a Free Collaborative Writing Tool.

OpenGoo

OpenGoo: An Open Source Web Office to create, collaborate, share and publish documents.

Article on UGC - User Generated Content in SEARCHER

A nice writeup on User Generated Content (UGC) appears in SEARCHER - U-Content: Project Gutenberg, Me, and You.

Open Access and Ranganathan's Laws of Library Science

About a week back I was seeking comments on Open Knowledge Society from subscribers of few library and information email groups. I expressed my personal view that Open Access is merely an extension of philosophy behind. Ranganathan's First Law of Library Science - Books Are For Use. I got few responses. I would to like share one response from Miss Charu Mathur. She is a School Librarian in Delhi and blog at VIRTUAL WORLD and LIBRARY WORLD. She feels that Open Access is not just extension of First Law but can applied to all Five Laws of Ranganathan."..The demand of second law, to get every reader his/her book can be fulfilled by only open access. Internet has opened the new door and information explosion already has taken place. In that situation only Open Access is the way by which any reader/user can have the required piece of information at the right time. Same is the case with third law which urges that every book/information has its reader/user. In absence of open access it is just like the situation where books were used to be kept in locked and chained wooden shelves. In As the demand of fourth law, only freely available information can save the time of reader/user, otherwise the process of opening the door of closed access is too cumbersome and time consuming and this is sheer violation of this law. In fifth law, Ranganathan suggest that Library is the growing organism, so as information. Peter Suber initiative is the best answer of this golden rule.." (Charu).

2009 - Yet Another New Year for me?

Wish you all a very Happy New Year - 2009. I rarely write about myself. So I will not write much.

People make 'New Year Resolutions'. I don't know how many of them actually stick to these resolutions. I had no any such resolution last year. So the question of sticking to such a resolution did not arise.

Last year was just fine for me. I was involved in few things, but the one that gives me satisfaction is the formation of a professional society - Open Knowledge Society. This is what I dreamed about three years back - a platform for people involved in promotion of "Open Access" in India. I am happy that a platform has been erected. I am proud to be one of its founder members. So now the stage is there, but now what about the actors? Well, they are still missing. So, If I can bring in more actors to this stage in 2009, I would consider having done something in this New Year.

Happy New Year.

SMS Channel Google

Google has come up with a new service called SMS Channel Google. It is a SMS based application for mobile phones. It is still in its "Labs" but seems to be a promising service.

One requires to register a Cell Phone number and verify it by using the Code sent via SMS. After successful registration process, one can subscribe to various SMS channels. It will keep on alerting through SMSes just like what egroups do through emails.


One can also create his own channel. Just check out the one I have created for this blog.

Librarian will fine you if you smoke in Library

India has implemented "Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008" from today i.e. 2nd October 2008. According to these rules, Library is included in Public Places. Anyone found smoking in Libraries would be fined by Librarians.

Web application for Data collaboration

Swirrl is a web application that allows to store, share, edit and analyze information.

Catalogue of Delhi Public Library goes online with KOHA

Delhi Public Library is one of best public libraries of India. It is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and governed by Delhi Library Board. It is fully financed by the Government of India. Actually it consists of a network of Zonal Libraries, Branches and Sub-branches, R.C.Libraries, Community Libraries, Deposit Stations, Sports Libraries, Mobile Library, Braille library, etc. spread all over Delhi. Its total collection is over 14 lakh books in Hindi, English, Urdu, Punjabi & other Indian Languages.

Today, it added a new milestone in its journey. It made its Catalogue online. For this it has used an Open Source Software - Koha. Which is a full-featured Integrated Library System.

I have just done a quick search on Library's Online Catalogue.


Well done. Keep it up.

zSHARE.net

zSHARE - Free Image, Video, Audio, Flash and File Hosting

.."With zSHARE you can upload files, images, videos, audio and flash for free. Simply use the upload form below and start sharing! You can also use zSHARE as your personal file storage: backup your data and protect your files"..

Why Google Chrome won't be my Browser

Downloaded and installed Google Chrome. Installing was done without any problem. Just for the last step - it required to close down my Firefox which was installing it. It wanted to copy its settings. Fine, closed the Firefox, but installation pop up of Chrome was refusing to die. The "x" was inactive. Anyway killed it and started the Chrome. Entered Gmail URL, it opens up a pop-up for Proxy Authentication. Ok done, but noticed that it does not provide for saving the authentication which normally other browsers do. So every time I needed to start a session, it prompts for authentication. Very irritating!

The technology behind Google Chrome has been explained through a 38 pages cartoon booklet. This way of explaining is quite innovative. So I was quick to learn that big advantage of Chrome lies in multiprocessing. If a "Tab" gets struck, the whole Chrome need not be killed.

However, I still can not afford to shift from Firefox to Chrome. I am used to many 'add-ons' or Plug-ins available for Firefox. Hope such add-ons are also available for Chrome in near future.

Write-up on Library and Information as Career

Employment News carries a write-up on Careers in Library and information Science.

Koha and Delhi Public Library

Delhi Public Library is implementing Koha for its OPAC. Tried to have a look but could not enter the OPAC. It is restricted to Library Members only. Anyway, a good begining for one of the largest Public Libraries of India.