j's scratchpad

Via The Chicago Public Library’s Facebook page

Posted by Rich

Technical services manager and author Catherine Willis tells Radio Boston’s Adam Ragusea about some of the BPL’s McKim Building’s nifty architecture (Pneumatic tubes for communication? Guastavino vaults?). Willis pulled many neat photos together for a book on the library for the Images of America series. Some pictures accompany the Radio Boston piece.

(Look, Ben, something about libraries! )

I know you were hoping for something about libraries, but as I rode home, I couldn’t help thinking about the rumor I heard about Antietem doing something special in the coming weeks for the 150th anniversary of the first year of the Civil War and how that’s great road trip fodder. Many libraries, including the Boston Public Library, are commemorating the occasion with special exhibits and programs. Check your local listings.

The August 30 Library Journal has a very good roundup of the damage suffered by libraries on the East Coast by Hurricane Irene. It appears upper New York State and New Jersey suffered the most damage from flooding. One Vermont library lost 60 percent of its collection:

“The Vermont state librarian is guardedly optimistic that the state’s 183 public libraries have come through in relatively good shape after the devastating flooding caused this week by Tropical Storm Irene, which is expected to be the state’s worst natural disaster since the flood of 1927.”

“The state libraries in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and North Carolina also reported relatively good news, but New York is reporting significant damage to a number of libraries, including an unconfirmed report that one library building in the Adirondacks was swept away.”

“The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which is the state agency responsible for library services in the commonwealth, sent out an email to the state’s 374 public libraries and the 1700 members of the Massachusetts Library System (a regional system) asking for damage reports.”

“We sent out the message but we haven’t heard back from anybody yet,” said Cindy Roach, the head of library advisory and development. “We aren’t sure if it’s because of the power outages across the state or because people can’t get to their building or because there is no damage,” she said

For the whole article:

http://tinyurl.com/3vxy5kn

More info when I get it.

Posted by Rich

PodCamp Boston 6 is being held on September 24-25, 2011 at the Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Cost is $30.00

For those who need a reminder of what PodCamp is all about:

“Podcamp is an unconference where newbies and advanced content makers alike come to learn more about and share their knowledge of podcasting, blogging, video blogging, social media and more.”

For more info:

http://podcampboston.org/

PodCamp is now being held worldwide:

http://podcamp.pbworks.com/w/page/17344268/FrontPage

Posted by Rich

Yep. It’s that time of year again. Cherry blossom festival in DC. So up here we’re busy putting the final touches on another terrific tech unconference: BarCamp Boston 6. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Needle, the nifty data scraper + database builder + data wrangler tool I work on at ITA Software is looking for some folks to do what I do (basically).

Journalism That Matters, the American Library Association, the MIT Center For Future Civic Media, the Media Giraffe Project, New England News Forum and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Project are holding a two day event called Beyond Books: News, Literacy and Democracy in America’s Libraries on April 6-7, 2011 at the MIT Center For Future Civic Media in Cambridge, Massachusetts:

“The capability of newspapers to provide community information is declining. At the same time, informal sources of local information are rapidly increasing.”

“Libraries and legacy media have always shared a common purpose — helping us acquire the information we need to be engaged, informed (and entertained) citizens. They used different tools — newspapers, broadcast stations and books. Now the tools are converging — web search, data taxonomies, database creation and analysis, social networks — as librarians and journalists together foster civic literacy and engagement.”

“Librarians want to expand public access to accurate information, including trustworthy local news. So do journalists. How do we expand libraries as community information centers beyond books — perhaps even beyond their four walls — facilitating and engaging with journalists? What can libraries and journalists do — together — to foster improved access to community information?”

“Thus, as the tools and mission converge, it’s time to ask: “What’s possible at the intersection of libraries and journalism that serves the information needs of communities and democracy?”

Some of the collaborators include: Joe Bergantino (New England Center for Investigative Reporting), Jessica Durkin (New America Foundation fellow), Mike Fancher (RJI / Seattle Times-retired), Fabrice Florin (NewsTrust), Marsha Iverson (King County libraries), Library Leadership & Management Assn. (LLMA), Alan Inouye (director, Office of Info Tech Policy, ALA), Nancy Kranich (Rutgers Univ., chair ALA Center for Public Life), Lorrie LeJeune and Andrew Whitacre (MIT C4FCM), Leigh Montgomery (Christian Science Monitor librarian), Donna Nicely (Knight Commission/Nashville Public Library), Patrick Phillips (Vineyard Voice), Josh Stearns  FreePress.net), Colin Rhinesmith (Univ. of Illinois), Bill Densmore, (New England News Forum/Media Giraffe Project/Reynolds Journalism Institute).

The early bird registration has closed. For the other rates:

Before March 21, 2011

Wed and Thursday $125.00
Thursday only 75.00
Student Wed and Thurs 50.00
Student Thurs 40.00

After March 21, 2011

Wed and Thursday $160.00
Thursday only 95.00
Student Wed and Thursday 50.00
Student Thursday only 40.00

For more info:

http:/journalismthatmatters.org/biblionews/

Posted by Rich

In case people are not aware, HarperCollins announced that they are putting a 26 loan cap on their ebooks obtained from library ebook vendors such as Overdrive:

“OverDrive is advocating on behalf of your readers to have access to the widest catalog of the best copyrighted, premium materials, and lending options. To provide you with the best options, we have been required to accept and accommodate new terms for eBook lending as established by certain publishers. Next week, OverDrive will communicate a licensing change from a publisher that, while still operating under the one-copy/one-user model, will include a checkout limit for each eBook licensed. Under this publisher’s requirement, for every new eBook licensed, the library (and the OverDrive platform) will make the eBook available to one customer at a time until the total number of permitted checkouts is reached. This eBook lending condition will be required of all eBook vendors or distributors offering this publisher’s titles for library lending(not just Overdrive).”

Here’s a link to the Overdrive letter to its members:

http://tinyurl.com4bqk4dm

The February 25, 2011 Library Journal reported that the vendor was HarperCollins:

“Though the letter leaves the publisher unnamed, HarperCollins confirmed today to LJ that it is the publisher referred to.”

“The publisher also issued a short statement: “HarperCollins is committed to the library channel. We believe this change balances the value libraries get from our titles with the need to protect our authors and ensure a presence in public libraries and the communities they serve for years to come.”

“Josh Marwell, President, Sales for HarperCollins, told LJ that the 26 circulation limit was arrived at after considering a number of factors, including the average lifespan of a print book, and wear and tear on circulating copies.”

“As noted in the letter, the terms will not be specific to OverDrive, and will likewise apply to “all eBook vendors or distributors offering this publisher’s titles for library lending.” The new terms will not be retroactive, and will apply only to new titles. More details on the new terms are set to be announced next week.”

Here’s the link to the Library Journal article:

http://tinyurl.com/493ns2v

One thing I find troubling is about library lending polices mentioned in the Overdrive letter:

“In addition, our publishing partners have expressed concerns regarding the card issuance policies and qualification of patrons who have access to OverDrive supplied digital content. Addressing these concerns will require OverDrive and our library partners to cooperate to honor geographic and territorial rights for digital book lending, as well as to review and audit policies regarding an eBook borrower’s relationship to the library (i.e. customer lives, works, attends school in service area, etc.). I can assure you OverDrive is not interested in managing or having any say in your library policies and issues. Select publisher terms and conditions require us to work toward their omfort that the library eBook lending is in compliance with publisher requirements on these topics.”

“Another area of publisher concern that OverDrive is responding to is the size and makeup of large consortia and shared collections. Publishers seek to ensure that sufficient copies of their content are being licensed to service demand of the library’s service area, while at the same time balance the interests of publisher’s retail partners who are focused on unit sales. Publishers are reviewing benchmarks figures from library sales of print books and CDs for audiobooks and do not want these unit sales and revenue to be dramatically reduced by the license of digital books to libraries.”

Bobbi Newman’s Librarian By Day blog has a very good roundup of what’s been going on the issue the last few days:

http://tinyurl.com/5tm4s57

Sarah Houghton-Jan’s Librarian In Black blog has the following Ebook User’s Bill of Rights posting:

“The eBook User’s Bill of Rights is a statement of the basic freedoms that should be granted to all eBook users”.

The eBook User’s Bill of Rights

Every eBook user should have the following rights:

* the right to use eBooks under guidelines that favor access over proprietary limitations
* the right to access eBooks on any technological platform, including the hardware and software the user chooses
* the right to annotate, quote passages, print, and share eBook content within the spirit of fair use and copyright
* the right of the first-sale doctrine extended to digital content, allowing the eBook owner the right to retain, archive, share, and re-sell purchased eBooks

I believe in the free market of information and ideas.

I believe that authors, writers, and publishers can flourish when their works are readily available on the widest range of media. I believe that authors, writers, and publishers can thrive when readers are given the maximum amount of freedom to access, annotate, and share with other readers, helping this content find new audiences and markets. I believe that eBook purchasers should enjoy the rights of the first-sale doctrine because eBooks are part of the greater cultural cornerstone of literacy, education, and information access.

Digital Rights Management (DRM), like a tariff, acts as a mechanism to inhibit this free exchange of ideas, literature, and information. Likewise, the current licensing arrangements mean that readers never possess ultimate control over their own personal reading material. These are not acceptable conditions for eBooks.

I am a reader. As a customer, I am entitled to be treated with respect and not as a potential criminal. As a consumer, I am entitled to make my own decisions about the eBooks that I buy or borrow.

I am concerned about the future of access to literature and information in eBooks. I ask readers, authors, publishers, retailers, librarians, software developers, and device manufacturers to support these eBook users’ rights.

“These rights are yours. Now it is your turn to take a stand. To help spread the word, copy this entire post, add your own comments, remix it, and distribute it to others. Blog it, Tweet it (#ebookrights), Facebook it, email it, and post it on a telephone pole.”

“To the extent possible under law, the person who associated CC0 with this work has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.”

Here’s the link to the Librarian In Black The eBook User’s Bill of Rights posting:

http://tinyurl.com/4sauxrh

Eric Hellman of the Go To Hellman blog has a very good posting on the business side of providing ebooks:

“The story that HarperCollins and other publishers have been using is that ebooks are just like print books. They want consumers to accept similar prices for ebooks and print books, and have fought for this using tools such as agency pricing. For the library channel, the fiction is that libraries can lend ebooks to patrons so long as they work sort of like print books. The libraries can only lend them to one patron at a time. I’ve been calling this the “Pretend It’s Print” model.”

“There are all sorts of good things about this model. It’s easy for all parties to accept because it only changes things where they really have to change. It allows the coexistence of print and digital distribution channels. Nobody has to go out of business, except maybe Borders. It’s comfortable, and there’s much to be said for comfortable. The genius of this model is what has fueled the success of companies like OverDrive.”

“But if you’re using a Pretend It’s Print model, the one thing you can’t do is stop pretending that it’s print without a really good reason. You can’t say all of a sudden that your ebooks should vanish into thin air once they’ve been lent 26 times. Your story about ebooks acting like print no longer makes sense, and all those customers who accepted your story have complete Twitter-fueled meltdowns.”

“I said it a year ago, and I’ll say it again:

Now is the time for publishers and libraries to sit down together and develop new models for working together in the ebook economy.”

Here’s the link to the posting:

http://tinyurl.com/6ypng6n

h/t to:

the Librarian by Day blog
http://librarianbyday.net/

The Librarian In Black blog:
http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/

Go To Hellman blog:
http://go-to-hellman.blogspot.com/

Posted by Rich

I like to wish j and her family, the other Scratchpad contributors and especially the Scratchpad readers a safe and wonderful Happy New Year! See you in 2011!

Cheers

Posted by Rich