Images from SC12

Spinning Carr McLean's Wheel of Fortune...sadly we both *just* won tote bags (could have been a net book!)

Blingged-out name tag











Official introduction of the 2012 OLA Board

Waiting to go on stage for official intro

My sis's #whatidolibrary old skewl tweet

Library as Place: Tales from the Community Learning Commons

• staff from Richmond Hill PL
• (link to slides #1803)
• RHPL is heavily used
• used library space for trade show type events to showcase local businesses, artists, authors, crafts people
• also did Extended Study Hall program where the lib was open two hours later than usual exclusively for the use of post-secondary students (also professionals...like people studying for CA exams) during exam times...staffed only by security guards...had in-house access to lib resources and computers...peeps had to be there when the library closed and re-admittance was not allowed
• Technology Fair: invited vendor sales reps, did internet classes, drop-in tech help, invited staff from local tech stores and held a "Teen Technology Mosh Pit" in which teen volunteers helped peeps with their tech questions
• also included adaptable technology
• Health Fair: had a "fair"-like atmosphere, kept it local, building relationships with local health care providers (used previous room-bookings as leads)
• interesting approach to the "library as place" mind set...don't have to squirrel programs away in meeting rooms, use the whole space
  

Copyright Update

• with the amazingly articulate and incredibly smart Margaret Ann Wilkinson from UWO
• IFLA has put library exemptions in to the international forum...librarians have put users' rights on the international agenda for the first time
• (slides online)
• "not pedagogically advisable" ...describing text-rich slides...*so* articulate!
• "publication" is not defined in the copyright act...question arose around hyperlinks and if they are considered publishing (esp. if they are endorsed ...eg "staff suggested links")...the majority of the Supreme Court made this analogy about hyperlinking: it's like a reference in the publishing context: therefore hyperlinking is not considered publication
• the Supreme Court is poised to do things we like
• "fair dealing"...private study (one person) vs a whole class (simply "study")..another scenario is making copies for tests and exams
  
• can visit Supreme Court of Canada Web site and put in file number for updates (file numbers noted on slides)
• currently waiting for two Supreme Court judgments
  
• in case law "publishing" = making copies for the public...but Supreme Court decision trumps all

Access Copyright:

• 4 tariffs pending
• sells the right to reproduction (wrt PRINT only)
• contracts are for a limit amount of time
• Universities are all separate legal entities...Bd of Governors have to deal with copyright: it's a legal decision and involves risk-assessment
  
• Colleges are slightly different
• Access Copyright is the adversary
• some unis have decided to go with Access Copyright, so are not in infringement
• THIS JUST HAPPENED LAST MONDAY: 3rd option: UWO and UofT signed a contractual arrangement with Access Copyright...it's interesting that AC would do it...as they have unis before the Copyright Board...this 3rd option has never happened before...amount in contact is $27.50 per student...amt before Board is $45...whacked that AC is basically under-bidding itself
• UofT and UWO now have certainty re what they are going to pay
• the Tariffs don't include indemnification (ie to pay cost of lawsuit/judgment) therefore protection for rights-holders not in AC
• OLA and CLA made representation to the Copyright Board about this
• the risk for UofT and UWO is that the Bd might decide on an even lower amount
• from a copyright perspective UofT and UWO have showed a third way
• todo: research how AC got started
• the question if whether or not these new agreements are good for libraries in general or not...
• how can we as a full community use this?...we need to work together and leverage our position...obviously there is something wrong with the new process if these peeps are making alternate arrangements
• Bill C11 will prob pass as it is
• CLA had brought forward points that OLA had raised wrt previous bill (as Govt would only hear "new" depositions)
• gov't uses the term "education" but does not define it narrowly...therefore could include libraries (self-study, lifelong learning etc)
• in some FAB news: CLA had ngo status at a huge World Intellectual Property Organization session (held Nov 21-23, 2011)...as did IFLA...and brought the need to consider libraries and archives to the world stage
• this was an historic event in the history of librarianship
  
• users rights moved from the UN to the trade side of the world stage
• all the nations recognized libraries as trusted intermediaries
• continuing to talk about an international statement or treaty about intellectual property...wow! stay tuned... all IFLA's text is on the table
• take a look at "resources" ont he last slide
  

Library Snapshot Day

• guy from Owen Sound PL
• Day in the Life of the Library project
• modeled after ALA project
• nice way to collect stories to enhance stats / tell the story of the library
• set up a camera at the ref desk to snap a pic every minute during the day, then made a movie!
  

Sketching Library Transformation: The Public Innovation Space

• with Knud Schulz from Denmark...CEO of Aarhus city Library
• slides on SlideShare
• ownership of the library space moves from the librarians to the peeps
• the space as medium
• libraries for peeps, not books
• iFloor...wow!
• NewsLAB
• robots
• clap screen
• force users to dismiss "book" as the library brand
• users should be part of the innovation process
• subject browsing story surfer...wow! iFloor Kids Opac...then move "book" to iTable where you can play / get more info / print out call number and cover of book
• Local history "balloon voyage" like google earth / street view with extra local history pics / info / documents added
• inspiration space, learning space, meeting space, performance space
• experience/discover/participate/create...what can you do yourself...what do you need partnerships for?
• urban media space Web site...check it out
  
• ALE: Academy of Library Experience...inviting librarians to work at this Library / use their space to do a project
• wow...pretty much mind-blowing awesomeness
  

User Experience (aka UX)

• two peeps from Guelph University Library
  
• UX in the lib and Web site
• we are not our patrons
• wwpd: what would the peeps do
• consider user behaviour first and foremost
• Henry Ford quote re faste
  r horse...balance what peeps say they want with figuring out what they need..."If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse."
  
• slides are here (session 1018)
• anthropologists' techniques
• the user is not broken...often more marketing is not the solution
• Univ of Rochester wrote a book on UX..."Studying Students"...an anthropologist worked at the Library
• reading list will be on SC Web site
• check out the blog Designing Better Libraries
• piano stairs video good example
• way-finding exercise ...how users navigate space
• don't say "how do you like our signs"...say "go here" and watch
• the newly established UX team encountered some sensitivity of turf issues with other Departments...learned a lot about insider bias
• the library is like our home so it's hard to view objectionably
  
• look for people using work-arounds and think about how you can make things better / easier for them
• con
• sider working with anthropologists / anthropology students
• live the UX attitude!
• 
• noted next day that super busy TO Starbucks personalized the assembly-line experience by noting peoples' first names on coffee cups...or maybe it's just easier that way?!)
• 
  
  

User Needs Assessment and Usability: Planning to Analysis

• session 611 ppt available here
• test, test, test...go to the real users
• "Don't Make Me Think"...good book, look it up
• never make assumptions
• should I have "usability" in my job description? (do I?)...big part of virtual services
• NYPL has a blog about usability

Jonah Lehrer Plenary

• wow a v smart guy!
• insight: comes out of the blue with a feeling of certainty that this is IT, the answer
• the answer often arrives when you stop looking for it
• GRIT: creative geniuses keep trying...they have GRIT...keep working in spite of rejection
• practice makes perfect
• 80% of success is showing up (Woody Allen)...that is the grit bit!
• also about choosing the right goal
• does the goal pass the underwear test?...do you feel your underwear?...no, b/c you have adapted to its feel...the brain is designed to be ungrateful...so pursuits that don't bore us keep us interested...grit...passion/love...Love is the opposite of underwear!
• when you feel like you've hit the wall is the time to relax
• if you feel like the answer is on the tip of your tongue, you need to keep focussing / working and use grit
• creative collaboration: cross-disciplinary teams are proven more creative / able to solve complex problems...work together or fail alone
• ideal template for creative collaboration = SPACE
  
• and libraries can provide that to communities
• human interaction is essential...the jostle of human interaction is essential
• physical space is VIP (even more in this time of the interwebs)
• something magical happens when people bump into eath other irl
• no technology can replace people meeting in the flesh
• the imagination is a magic trick of matter
  

Collaboration + Immagination = Innovation

• tale of a small town library that grew
• Librarian + town CAO worked together
• result + new library/community gym/town building
• made old small library super busy to generate buzz / demonstrate need for new one
• no Parks and Rec staff in their town...library took that on
• mayor's philosophy: if you want a raise in pay you have to prove that your worth to the organization has increased
• follow Municipal Cultural Planning
• had all ducks in a row when funding became available (like MJLB)
• Hasting Highlands PL
  

How to Host a Human Library

• promo for the Human Library Toolkit on the OLA Web site
• finding "books" is one of the biggest challenges
• everyone has a story to share
• the social awkwardness of casual encounters is removed
• promote tolerance and celebrates differences
• tons of advice, tools and branding available on the OLA Web site
• there is a Human Library Organization you an register with
• "Help us find human books" survey...ask the peeps to help and also generate interest
• buttons available at OLA store
• never judge a book by its cover
• check out Human Library videos on YouTube
  

SC12: Opening Plenary w Tom Wujec

• clarifying the value of libraries for the future...impact of technology on industry and creativity
• innovation always starts w peeps getting together to doodle/think/create ...so DO that for Virt Coll tag line! (use playdough/markers etc. a la Stephen Abram session at MLA)
• lots of mind-boggling futuristic examples of rapid fabrication / 3D printing / synthetic biology / nanotechnology
• creativity = the skill to move from idea to realization
• immagination: new ideas
• innovation: making things happen
• imagination (new ideas / mindset)...creativity...innovation (making things happen / toolset)
• book "The Shallows" explains how the internet is shaping our brains...diluting ability to sustain attention etc.
• clarifying the value of libs in the future...the *format* of information will always change...so libs need to have a clear idea of what we do
• what is "clarity"?...if you don't create a CLEAR message to your customers, they will create one for you...(interesting...)...good msg for life in general...
• clarity: easy, simple, SHARED descriptions
• make ideas VISIBLE...bring ideas to all senses
• use notes, diagrams, visualizations to get clarity
• future of the lib...not a simple answer
• need to figure out what works for YOU community
• look up Tom's clarity tools (will post in pdf)...eg:
• unlike (competition)... we (do this)...
• be aware and limber wrt new tech, but be true to your value proposition (good advice in general!)