If you thought that the Online Newsstand project was a great idea, then you’ll be dismayed to hear that it’s been shut down. EBSCO cites conflicts in contracts with publishers. Hopefully the shutdown will be short-lived. After all, doesn’t this improve access and promote use of the content? And that’s a good thing, right? Or am I being naive? In any case, for more information read the update on the Swiss Army Librarian’s post. And then contact EBSCO to voice your opinion.
Libraries
Online Newsstand Project
What a terrific idea this is. The Online Newsstand Project brings libraries together to make magazine articles simpler to access. Magazine covers are displayed on your library’s website and your customers simply click through to see a list of articles. I was very excited to see that one of my local libraries, the Bethlehem Public Library, is participating.
Online Newsstand at Bethlehem Public Library
This project was developed by Steve Butzel at the Portsmouth (NH) Public Library. A post on the Swiss Army Librarian blog explains how it works and how simple it is for libraries to get involved and expand the project.
Check out the Online Newsstand Project website to find out which libraries are already participating and how to get involved.
MHLS Build Your Base Online project – RSS examples
I’m working with the Mid-Hudson Library System on a 10 week 23 things online learning project, which is part of their Building Your Base project, a 2 year grant funded project focusing on helping library staff explore new ways to connect their communities.
This past week we explored RSS as a tool for gathering information and to push information back out to the community. As part of this, I’m going to use this space to show the group some examples of how they can repackage rss feeds on their web sites and the web sites of other community organizations. Our course web site is on wordpress.com and doesn’t allow embedding javascript content in blog posts. And anyways, maybe these ideas will give other people some ideas too!
The example here is an RSS feed for the Hudson Valley Reads readers advisory newsletters. (more…)
Having friends over for dinner: Circulating Ideas podcast
It was a crazy busy summer for me and I didn’t notice this wonderful new podcast by Steve Thomas until last week. Circulating Ideas is a monthly interview with librarians from all walks of our profession.
From Steve:
This show is my meager attempt to get the word out on what we’re doing as a profession to remain relevant and to push the boundaries of learning and collating information, getting our ideas out there in the world, circulating them like we circulate our collections. I hope it will also be enlightening to my fellow librarians to learn more about what other librarians are doing to push the profession forward. I’ll be interviewing librarians and other people relevant to the profession and getting their points of view out to you, the listeners, and I hope that they spark discussions, whether you agree with the interview subject’s views or not. (from Epsiode Zero)
Not at all “meager” Steve! Those interviewed so far include: Buffy Hamilton, Kate Sheehan, Lori Reed, Paul Signorelli and the guys from Unshelved. There’s also a fun and informative show on how Steve creates the podcast, a “Library Day in the Life 7″ special episode. Coming up on Oct 11, Justin Hoenke.
Listening to podcasts & cooking go together for me. So when I get hooked on a great podcast, I tend to find excuses to spend more time in the kitchen cooking dinner. Thanks for bringing so many wonderful people into my kitchen! And thanks for all the great dinners. 
Keep me cooking! What are your favorite podcasts?
New York’s Flood Damaged Libraries & Donation Form
Flood Damaged Libraries & Donation Form
Michael Borges of the New York Library Association sent a NYLINE email this morning with more information about libraries that suffered damage in the Hurricane Irene floods. And with continued flooding from the remains of Hurricane Lee, this list could, unfortunately, grow.
Below is list of libraries damaged by Hurricane Irene and subsequent flooding. Donations are desperately needed. Visit the NYLA Donation Form to make a donation to NYLA’s Disaster Relief Fund, the proceeds will be distributed to affected libraries. The more donations we receive the more we can distribute to impacted libraries.
- Moffat Library
- Windham Public Library
- Desmond-Fish Library
- Sarah Hull Hallock Free Library
- Starr Memorial Library
- Phoenicia Library
- Rye Free Reading Room
- Schoharie Free Association Library
- Middleburgh Public Library
- Wells Memorial Library
- Goshen Public Library
- Wallkill Public Library
In addition, our online fundraising partner, CauseVox has agreed to create for free a fundraising website for one of the damaged libraries, it would look like this http://empirestatebook.causevox.com/ . So please contact me if you are one of the libraries on this list.
Plus every library should consider establishing an online fundraising presence and CauseVox is easy to use at very minimal cost. For more info , visit http://www.nyla.org/page/nyla-offers-online-fundraising-tool-for-libraries-487.html
Michael J. Borges
Executive Director
New York Library Association
“Child of the Library” Library Closures Protest Song
“A sea of story waits for you behind the library door,
Don’t say we can’t afford it anymore”
Piers Cawley sings his “Child of the Library” song at OSCON in July 2011. I’d love this song simply for the music and his wonderful voice, but add the lyrics and it’s a powerful library protest anthem. Thank you to OSCON for recording this and to Piers for the song.
Lyrics
A Child of the Library
Chorus:
I’m a Child of the Lib’ry, it made me who I am,
It taught me about freedom and the fellowship of Man
A sea of story waits for you behind the lib’ry door,
Don’t say we can’t afford them any more.
