I’m amused by the Obama memorabilia, particularly the commemorative plates where he looks like Jesus in a suit. I see no harm. Let people buy their Franklin Mint tchotchkes, if it connects them with a historic moment. I, with not one but two Obama car magnets, can hardly object.
Anyhoo…
OCLC Backpedals: As widely reported, the Big O has taken a step back from its proposed policy change (which could be roughly translated as “you create it, you pay for it, we own it”). See my previous post on the policy.
Not Everyone Had a Bad Year: Amazon had its best holiday season ever. Dollar stores are strong. And as national news coverage has demonstrated, libraries — though their funding has been axed in many cases — are mobbed, and fiction reading is up. (Amazon will webcast its report on January 29.)
Librarians Rock: A couple weeks ago I commented that I’d love to see some of the oyster recipes mentioned in this mouth-watering Library of Congress post about recipes in the White House. So Jennifer, a LoC librarian, sent me three recipes! Wowza!
Yes, We Can, and We Do: Did I ever point you to this OCLC report, From Awareness to Funding, emphasizing the high perception the public has of libraries and the particularly strong perception of good librarians? Even if I did, re-read it.
CNN gives libraries a fabu plug in this Facebook inaugural invitation: “Whether you’re at the office, at home, at the library, or anywhere else, you can share this moment in history with your Facebook friends live, as it happens.”
Still, you Know Times Are Bad When: Yahoo lays off the head of its Flickr Commons project — a member of the original Flickr team. Ouch!
You Don’t Knead a Blog (a punny title from my various talks): Remember when everyone predicted the death of libraries if they didn’t jump into every available social networking technology Right Now? (See my take on Everything Right Now, which still feels valid.) As the citizenry overwhelm libraries, this presentation by Lee Rainie of the Pew Project feels anachronistic. Despite some good points, Rainie overlooks the value of library as Place and the value of library workers as gifted, caring guides. (You do need to find your technology sweet spots and deliver them with unbridled enthusiasm.)
Posted on this day, other years:
- Dog Years, Teahouse Fire win Stonewall Book Awards! - 2008
- Contact Info for Mary Jane Anderson - 2006
- Life after MFA - 2006
- Librarians are the Sexiest People on Earth - 2005
- One of Two Librarians at the Blogging and Journalism Conference - 2005
