Rolling 2012 librarian/library assistant thread

I guess realistically we don't really need a new one of these every year but the standard has been set so I stick to it rigorously.

still trying to be more involved in my profession, since as a solo librarian I don't have any contact with any other library people at work. i'm on a committee for the local division of the special libraries association, which has been kind of frustrating in the typical "working on a committee" kind of way, exacerbated by everything being done via email. i won a stipend to attend the SLA leadership summit in atlanta in a couple of weeks. the SLA seems kind of weird though because it's just everyone who isn't public or academic so there still isn't much cohesion in terms of interests or priorities as far as i can tell.

Uh I was involved in SLA briefly when I worked at a corporate library, but had to stop going to meetings because of a creeper/stalker who was involved in a lot of the committees. He even showed up at my work once.

It has been about 7 or 8 years ago now but I'm still reluctant to get re-involved with them because of this -- I would like to even though I am at an academic because a lot of the business and health science information is relevant to things we're working on.

Working on committees is always difficult, mainly because it is hard to get people together. Fortunately we have webex now, which I prefer to trying to coordinate by email.

I might start volunteering at an LGBT library in Philly and will be re-eligible to post on this thread!! I miss working at a librar.

omg just "attended" ALA "web analytics" "webinar" can't wait for part 2!!! seriously tho has anyone ever gotten anything useful out of a webinar ever?

ALA is the worst wrt webinars, but I can't think of any I've had to sign up for that have been of much use.

Ha, forgot to start this so thanks to n/a for carrying the torch.

So! e-books and all they entail. How are you guys dealing with them? And what do you think of what's supposed to be a major thing next week from Apple vis-a-vis partnering with textbook publishers?

We are in a difficult situation because the majority of our students are low income so do not have access to ipads, kindles, etc.

The majority of our ebook efforts have been focused on reference works that can be accessed through our databases.

I have no idea what Apple will be proposing, it will be interesting to see what it is.

E-books seem easier to deal with than e-journals and e-journal subscriptions and all that they entail. That was the case at the college library where I once had employment.

Okay guys, I need major advice. I started volunteering at this LGBT archive and we have hundreds of VHS tapes that are just on a shelf without any order or cataloging or anything like that. And it's pretty much up to me to devise some sort of system for them. Like, what the fuck do I do? Should I come up with some sort of call number system for them, or separate them into subjects, or what? Should I attempt to digitize them, and if so, how (hard drive, authored DVD videos, video data files stored on DVDs, etc)? Most of them are home recordings of TV shows and the like. I feel kinda overwhelmed taking this on but it's something I really wanna do.

this is way out of my area of expertise but my first question would be is this an archive that people regularly access and use stuff from? it seems like digitization is necessary but the format would depend on how often people need/want to access the contents

it's used by a lot of students and people conducting research for books and stuff, but I haven't been there long enough to know numbers. But i mean it's probably a few hundred a year? if that?

Also since they're VHS tapes and a lot of them are from the early 90's there's the whole issue of degradation

*BURSTS THROUGH WALL*

DID SOMEONE SAY ARCHIVING QUEER MEDIA???

(uh i will return with answers in a bit)

Going to the Music Library Association National Conference in Dallas this week. I am very excited!

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/428102_3533352336983_1367529924_3302438_1525707410_n.jpg

Occupy EBSCO!

Library Journal prints a response to the previous letter

https://p.twimg.com/Ar_sKfNCIAAru5U.jpg

"So what's it like supporting a bunch of anti-science ignorant fools while working at a library?"

"Shut up, man, you're hassling me."

There's never been a group more eager to play the victim card than republicans.

hey rolling librarians:
i'm starting library school this year, & i'm wondering about changing my specialisation to the archiving stream. i know it's to some degree a malleable difference, & i know librarians who trained in archiving only to switch back, but i just wanted to cast about to see if anyone had any maybe pertinent advice or experience they wanted to share. did you study one & wish you'd studied the other? do you think it's no big deal which you do? is the world of archive jobs notably in worse shape than the library field?

http://nplusonemag.com/lions-in-winter
pretty interesting, i am sorta treating it as a state of the union on libraries in general ^

forbes names the MLIS the no. 1 worst master's degree for jobs
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/06/08/the-best-and-worst-masters-degrees-for-jobs-2/

!!!!

http://www.publishers.org/press/85/

PUBLISHERS AND GOOGLE REACH SETTLEMENT

Thursday, 04 October 2012 | Andi Sporkin

Mountain View, CA and Washington, DC; October 4, 2012 — The Association of American Publishers (AAP) and Google today announced a settlement agreement that will provide access to publishers’ in-copyright books and journals digitized by Google for its Google Library Project. The dismissal of the lawsuit will end seven years of litigation.

The agreement settles a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Google on October 19, 2005 by five AAP member publishers. As the settlement is between the parties to the litigation, the court is not required to approve its terms.

The settlement acknowledges the rights and interests of copyright-holders. US publishers can choose to make available or choose to remove their books and journals digitized by Google for its Library Project. Those deciding not to remove their works will have the option to receive a digital copy for their use.

Apart from the settlement, US publishers can continue to make individual agreements with Google for use of their other digitally-scanned works.

“We are pleased that this settlement addresses the issues that led to the litigation,” said Tom Allen, President and CEO, AAP. “It shows that digital services can provide innovative means to discover content while still respecting the rights of copyright-holders.”

“Google is a company that puts innovation front and center with all that it does,” said David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer, Google. “By putting this litigation with the publishers behind us, we can stay focused on our core mission and work to increase the number of books available to educate, excite and entertain our users via Google Play.”

Google Books allows users to browse up to 20% of books and then purchase digital versions through Google Play. Under the agreement, books scanned by Google in the Library Project can now be included by publishers.

Further terms of the agreement are confidential.

This settlement does not affect Google’s current litigation with the Authors Guild or otherwise address the underlying questions in that suit.

The publisher plaintiffs are The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; Pearson Education, Inc. and Penguin Group (USA) Inc., both part of Pearson; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; and Simon & Schuster, Inc. part of CBS Corporation.

i can't tell exactly which section of their catalogued books that refers to - iirc the most hot topic portion was those that are in copyright but distantly, w/some grey-area claims to ownership - but it's awesome news all the same. there was a (good) piece on digitisation & NYPL in the most recent N+1 that made it sound like google was looking at having to delete a huge portion of what it had scanned. would be interested to know whether/how it affects the authors guild thing.

I'm becoming less of a children's librarian and more of an after-school homework helper...we used to have 3 teen assistants and presently we are down to 1 so all of the children's librarians are on defacto homework help duty. Thoughts on how to extricate myself from this? I think it involves bitchiness and boundaries.

Oh man I am just imagining you like kneeling next to a kid and smiling and trying to help them and them just like burping and spitting up Hawaiian Punch all over your white shirt

It's not supposed to be funny but it is a little bit

BUT MOSTLY NOT, you should tell them "No!"

Tell me about it, I have to spend two hours every day process Ariel requests which is a completely different department from the one in which I reside. When I suggested to the head of that department that "I won't be helping you out up here forever," she responded with "Are you sure about that?" Grrr.

processING

Haha, Steve, I havent been thrown up on yet, but yesterday they spilled a bottle of coke all my desk, mouse and scanner. I think I've been fostering a culture of dependency that I need to slowly and carefully attempt to extricate myself from. Like the proverbial "I don't do windows" "I don't do homework help" will be my new mantra.

TM, what are Ariel requests? The only Ariel requests that I receive are Disney-related.

It's an electronic document lending system that I really don't know much about.
I'm in the Acquisitions department of a big midwestern academic library.

That's messed up.

And I think most libraries are getting rid of Ariel? We use Odyssey, anyway, and got rid of Ariel awhile back, before I got here.

We still use ariel.

We use both!

I did almost no homework help today. It felt good. I told one little boy I was giving up being a homework helper to go back to being a librarian and I thought he would start crying, or at least complain, but he just said, "oh, she's gonna be a librarian today" and moved on.

I did cave late in the evening and helped some woman with her daughter's project on Guatemala, but the service I provided could be loosely defined as research.

Fighting a sinus infection (low-intensity for now). Staffing is a little lower than usual. I have a three hour desk shift this evening. Yes, I can make it through, I think, since this isn't full-blown yet, but there's a real good chance I'll be calling out tomorrow.

Ugh, I sat on desk for an evening shift once with a rapidly worsening cold, on rotating duty with only one other colleague, so I wasn't really able to go home. By the time we were due to close, my eyes and nose were streaming uncontrollably and the patrons probably thought twice about taking home the books I was checking out/contaminating for them.

hey librarians i have a question for you

how does a person either watch or find or find and watch old forgotten educational films, ones like these?
the only ones i've found are black widow and secret life of 118 green street

Battle of the Bugs
Black Widow Spider -- found this one, it is great
A Night out with Mr. Toad
Life Cycle of the Monarch

National Geographic

Animals and Amphibians
The Hidden World of Insects
Secret Life of 118 Green Street -- haven't watched the whole thing yet, but certainly will

reposted from chicago thread because i thought i would broaden my search even though i am not skilled in librarianship, i know to ask the pros. ps there are library of congress listings but that's all i can find.

boomp ^^^^

Can anyone help me? Redirect me to a place where I could receive help? (that feels like an "effortlessly sum up ilx in one post" type post haha)

Time for a new thread!

Have you checked Worldcat? http://www.worldcat.org/

I guess I'll save it for the new thread, but I have some questions about what to do once I find something on worldcat...