'People view librarians as peons' James Nye

James Nye in conversation with The Telegraph's Sanjib Mukherjee

"Known for his efforts in documenting thousands of records relating to South Asia, James Nye, the bibliographer for south Asia at the University of Chicago Library, was in Bhubaneswar to speak at the Odisha Knowledge Lecture series hosted by the state government. His connection with India began in 1960s, and since then, he has been coming to this country twice every year. His initiatives also include making the records available online. Anwesha Ambaly of The Telegraph spoke to him on various issues related to archiving of documents and his association with India's history ...
♦ Do you feel that the role of a bibliographer is significant in India as it is in western countries?
There is also a cultural problem where people have viewed librarians nothing more than peons. There is a deep need for people across all the fields in library sciences. From people selecting or cataloguing to administrators, who could run library as organisations, the needs are rising but the gap is huge. But, there are great opportunities and the country needs to realise that...." Full text here and here

On the same shelf:

• The Indiana Jones of words, In a telephone interview, with MEHER MIRZA, The Hindu
• Conservation of cultural assets need of hour: Nye Indian Express

  "Delivering the fifth lecture of Odisha Knowledge Hub (OKH) in the State Secretariat here, Nye emphasised on conservation and open access to cultural assets and heritage." [also here]

The bad news ... even 25 years after its invention, not everything is available on the Internet; The good news ... 33 reasons why libraries with physical books still matter

What people do at libraries and library websites : 

(Pew Internet’s survey explored in depth what people do at libraries)

• 33 reasons why books, libraries and librarians are still extremely important, by Will Sherman (quoted at Cites & Insights):

1. Not everything is available on the internet

2. Digital libraries are not the internet

3. The internet isn’t free

4. The internet complements libraries, but it doesn’t replace them

5. School libraries and librarians improve student test scores

6. Digitization doesn’t mean destruction

7. In fact, digitization means survival

8. Digitization is going to take a while. A long while.

9. Libraries aren’t just books

10. Mobile devices aren’t the end of books, or libraries

11. The hype might really just be hype

12. Library attendance isn’t falling—it’s just more virtual now

13. Like businesses, digital libraries still need human staffing

14. We just can’t count on physical libraries disappearing

15. Google Book Search “don’t work”

16. Physical libraries can adapt to cultural change

17. Physical libraries are adapting to cultural change

18. Eliminating libraries would cut short an important process of cultural evolution

19. The internet isn’t DIY

20. Wisdom of crowds is untrustworthy, because of the tipping point

21. Librarians are the irreplaceable counterparts to web moderators

22. Unlike moderators, librarians must straddle the line between libraries and the internet

23. The internet is a mess

24. The internet is subject to manipulation

25. Libraries’ collections employ a well-formulated system of citation

26. It can be hard to isolate concise information on the internet

27. Libraries can preserve the book experience

28. Libraries are stable while the web is transient

29. Libraries can be surprisingly helpful for news collections and archives

30. Not everyone has access to the internet

31. Not everyone can afford books

32. Libraries are a stopgap to anti-intellectualism

33. Old books are valuable

Conclusion

Society is not ready to abandon the library, and it probably won’t ever be. Libraries can adapt to social and technological changes, but they can’t be replaced. While libraries are distinct from the internet, librarians are the most suited professionals to guide scholars and citizens toward a better understanding of how to find valuable information online. Indeed, a lot of information is online. But a lot is still on paper. Instead of regarding libraries as obsolete, state and federal governments should increase funding for improved staffing and technology. Rather than lope blindly through the digital age, guided only by the corporate interests of web economics, society should foster a culture of guides and guideposts. Today, more than ever, libraries and librarians are extremely important for the preservation and improvement of our culture."

See also:

• HOW TO KEEP A LIBRARY OF (PHYSICAL) BOOKS, Meditations on strategy and life, Ryan Holiday 

Extract:

Below are some tips on keeping and maintaining your own library. I hope they help:

-First, you have to read a lot.  

-Buy, buy buy. I took some heat for criticizing checking books out from the library a while back.   

-In other words, RESIST THE KINDLE.  

-Organize, organize, organize. 

-Become a resource for others.  

-Refer back to them!  

-The point of owning the books is to use them.  

-Books are no substitute for human contact, but it is still beneficial, I think, to be in the physical company of the greats.  

-Don’t be afraid to quit books that suck.  

-On that note, don’t collect for the sake of collecting.  

-Don’t loan.  

-It’s all about the IKEA shelves.  

-Collect the unusual.  

-Go through other people’s libraries. 

-Having a library keeps the information fresh in your head. continue reading

• Did you know that not everything is available online? Library and Archives Canada Blog
• Things You Should Know @ Guide To Using the Internet for Academic Research : Not everything is available on the Internet; Research on the Internet will take time; Information on the Internet is not stable; Not everything on the Internet is accurate, true, current, or reliable.
• On Why Libraries Still Matter by Reid Goldsborough infotoday.com 
• Why Everything Isn't Available Online and Free 
• Top 10 Reasons Why Libraries are still Important? 

1. Not Everything is Available on the Internet
2. Digital Libraries are not the Internet
3. The Internet isn’t Free
4. The Internet Compliments Libraries, but Doesn’t Replace Them
5. School Libraries and Librarians Improve Student Test Scores
6. Libraries Aren’t Just Books
7. Mobile Devices are not the End of Books or Libraries
8. Library Attendance isn’t Falling It’s Just More Virtual
9. Physical Libraries are Adapting to Cultural Change
10. Eliminating Libraries would Cut Short an Important Process of Cultural Evolution

New on the shelf: Are Libraries Obsolete?

Are Libraries Obsolete?: An Argument for Relevance in the Digital Age Mark Y. Herring

About the Book
The digital age has transformed information access in ways that few ever dreamed. But the afterclap of our digital wonders has left libraries reeling as they are no longer the chief contender in information delivery.

The author gives both sides--the web aficionados, some of them unhinged, and the traditional librarians, some blinkered--a fair hearing but misconceptions abound. Internet be-all and end-all enthusiasts are no more useful than librarians who urge fellow professionals to be all things to all people. The American Library Association, wildly democratic at its best and worst, appears schizophrenic on the issue, unhelpfully. "My effort here," says the author, "is to talk about the elephant in the room."

Are libraries obsolete? No! concludes the author (also). The book explores how libraries and librarians must and certainly can continue to be relevant, vibrant and enduring.

Contents: Everything is still not on the Internet -- Searching the Web -- Quality control, or lack thereof -- Rotting from within? -- En masse : mass digitization -- Copyright -- Ebooks über alles? -- Depth and ubiquity -- Reading and literacy -- Privacy -- Piracy -- You are here -- Are libraries obsolete after all? : two scenarios -- Epilogue: reviving the spirit of Andrew

On the same shelf:

• How a Loss of Libraries Reflects Society
• Developing Humanities Collections in the Digital Age: Exploring Humanities Faculty Engagement with Electronic and Print Resources, by Sarah Buck Kachaluba, Jessica Evans Brady, and Jessica Critten 
• Who Says Libraries Are Going Extinct? 
• Why you should support your local library (infographic) -- The infographic from StateStats list reasons why public libraries are more important than even in local communities. The visual is backed with figures main

British Library sets out to archive the Web

Extract:

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Capturing the unruly, ever-changing Internet is like trying to pin down a raging river.
But the British Library is going to try.
For centuries the library has kept a copy of every book, pamphlet, magazine and newspaper published in Britain. Starting Saturday, it will also be bound to record every British website, e-book, online newsletter and blog in a bid to preserve the nation's "digital memory."
As if that's not a big enough task, the library also has to make this digital archive available to future researchers — come time, tide or technological change.
... "Stuff out there on the Web is ephemeral," said Lucie Burgess, the library's head of content strategy. "The average life of a web page is only 75 days, because websites change, the contents get taken down.
... Like reference collections around the world, the British Library has been attempting to archive the Web for years in a piecemeal way and has collected about 10,000 sites. Until now, though, it has had to get permission from website owners before taking a snapshot of their pages.
...
Tenner says keeping up with technology is only one challenge the project faces. Another is the inherently unstable nature of the Web. Information constantly mutates, and search engines' algorithms can change results and prices in an instant - as anyone who has booked airline tickets online knows.
"It is trying to capture an unstable, dynamic process in a fixed way, which is all a librarian can hope to do, but it is missing one of the most positive and negative aspects of the web," Tenner said.
"Librarians want things as fixed as possible, so people know where something is, people know the content of something. The problem is, the goals of the library profession and the structure of information have been diverging."
British Library spokesman Ben Sanderson acknowledged that this is new territory for an institution more used to documents written on parchment, paper and the fine calfskin known as vellum.
"Vellum - you don't need an operating system to read that," he said. Continue reading the full article, via abcnews.

Nation's First Bookless Public Library in Texas

Nation's First Bookless Public Library Could Be in Texas

Nation's First Bookless Library Set To Open

All-digital library system is planned for Texas community

Completely Paperless Public Library Could Come to Texas

International Internet Preservation Consortium (IIPC)

About the consortium: In July 2003 the national libraries of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, The British Library (UK), The Library of Congress (USA) and the Internet Archive (USA) acknowledged the importance of international collaboration for preserving Internet content for future generations. This group of 12 institutions chartered the IIPC to fund and participate in projects and working groups to accomplish the Consortium’s goals. The initial agreement was in effect for three years, during which time the membership was limited to the charter institutions. Since then, membership has expanded to include additional libraries, archives, museums and cultural heritage institutions involved in Web archiving. For a complete list visit our members page.

In the news / on the same shelf:

Archiving the web ~~ Born digital: National libraries start to preserve the web, but cannot save everything, coninue reading: The Economist

New Library Technologies Dispense With Librarians - WSJ.com

"In this suburb of St. Paul, the new library branch has no librarians, no card catalog and no comfortable chairs in which to curl up and read. Instead, the Library Express is a stack of metal lockers outside city hall. When patrons want a book or DVD, they order it online and pick it up from a digitally locked, glove-compartment- sized cubby a few days later."

The Battle of Building Library's Digital Collection, Revisited

Chennai now boasts South Asia’s largest library : The Anna Centenary Library (ACL)

M R Venkatesh, Chennai, Sep 15, DHNS: Deccan Herald

In a big boost to book lovers, the publishing industry and to the public library networking concept, the Anna Centenary Library (ACL), a magnificent eight-storey structure said to be South Asia’s largest and most elegantly designed state-of-the-art library, was unveiled here on Wednesday evening. continue reading

See also:

Free access to Anna Centenary Library initially

So what do we lose when we lose libraries? -- Thought for the day

Extract:

"My librarian friend reminds me that President Barack Obama obtained his first job after attending Columbia University by going to the New York Public Library. He used something called Job Search Central, which provides all kinds of databases, books, classes and books on how to find a job that is both suitable and desirable, how to start a new business, how to write a resume, how to prepare for a job interview, even how to look for a job if you've just been released from prison. And you don't have to buy a $5 latte from Starbucks to enjoy the privilege.

In short, libraries are vital to creating an informed citizenry that is the hallmark of any democracy. So what do we lose when we lose libraries? We lose a lot." Continue reading the full article: The Death of the Library: Read It and Weep 

On the same shelf:

• Why We Absolutely Need To Care More About Library Funding
•  Job Search The Canadian Way

Now entire library on chip developed by Indian-American

By IANS, 29 April 2010

Washington: An Indian-American scientist has developed a computer chip that can store an unprecedented amount of data - enough to hold an entire library.
The new chip stems from a breakthrough in the use of nanodots, or nanoscale magnets, and represents a significant advance in computer-memory technology.
"We have created magnetic nanodots that store one bit of information on each nanodot, allowing us to store over one billion pages of information in a chip that is one square inch," says Jay Narayan, professor of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU).
Narayan, a product of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, conducted the study. continue reading Economic Times

'Future library' goes on display in Abu Dhabi

My Note: Sounds great, innovative and exciting book find through a vending machine. But, is it an experiment that has been tested, tried, and evaluated? Which e-books in which languages and which type of audience will be catered to? Needs more research [See, at the end of this post, the replies I am getting from Librarians about similar ventures: Cathy, Linda***].

The following is the news story:

Info courtesy: Ali Houissa, The Middle East & Islamic Studies Librarian, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Melanie Swan, March 03. 2010 UAE, The National Newspaper
The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage is modernising the emirate’s library service with the introduction of book vending machines. WAM
ABU DHABI // They will be places to borrow books and CDs, as well as catch up on the internet. But that is where the resemblance to the traditional library will end.

Abu Dhabi’s future libraries are likely to feature 24-hour, self-service facilities with vending machines stocked with books, CDs and DVDs, allowing people to take out and return them any time of the day or night.

There will also be Playstations and Xbox consoles for teenagers to play video games, as well as “lifestyle zones” where visitors can relax and listen to a CD or audio book.

The “future library” was on show at the 20th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair yesterday and is, according to Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach), a concept heralding “a new generation in libraries”.

Adach said the new libraries would use cutting-edge technologies and gadgets. Books, CDs and DVDs will be available in vending machines using radio frequency identification technology.

Juma’a al Qubaisi, the director of the National Library, said the new system “will spark the attention of all in Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates”.

A range of materials will be available to library users, including periodicals, computer games, eBooks and audio books.

The project will be on display all week at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. mswan@thenational.ae

Go to the news story

On the same shelf:

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair underway

Library Culture on the Web

***Similar ventures reported to me:

info courtesy: Linda. We (the Marriott Library, University of Utah) have an Espresso book machine, which is a bit like a book vending machine. We are just getting started: http://tinyurl.com/yesncq5.

info courtesy: Cathy. If you are interested, please see our free book lending service called Library-a-Go-Go:

 Where Are America’s Librarians?

Nalanda Digital Library, NIT Calicut

Nalanda Digital Library, NIT Calicut is an integral constituent body of National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala and started functioning as the largest digital library of India since 1999. It renders its undistinguished services to about 3000 users from all walks of life including undergraduate, post graduate students and research scholars of different branches of Engineering and Faculty and Staff from various departments of the institute and Neighboring Institutions. Continue reading

EU's new digital library operational again

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's first large-scale digital library, Europeana (www.europeana.eu), was online again Tuesday, a month after it crashed after being overwhelmed by readers' interest.

"Europeana works again ... after we have quadrupled server capacity," European Commission spokesman Martin Selmayr told a daily news briefing. continue reading

See my previous post: Europeana ~ On hold

Pangea Day: Kenya sings for India

Info courtesy: SHIRIN S. BADLANI & Suresh Lalvani @ http://www.spectrascribe.com/

Pangea Day - May 10, 2008: A Global Film Event Harnessing the ...
Can Your Film Change the World? Pangea Day taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion, uniting millions of people to build a better ...

What other bloggers are saying:

Says Chris Anderson, TED Curator

Take a look at these films. They are each just one minute long. They feature a choir in one country singing another country’s national anthem: a simple idea that packs surprising emotional power.

France sings for USA
Japan sings for Turkey
They were shot by film directors looking to support the landmark TED project Pangea Day (which I hope you have calendared for Saturday, May 10)

Pangea Day Hopes to Bring the World Together Through Film
15 Apr 2008 by Paul

Is Pangea Day Coming to Your Library?
14 Apr 2008 by Nancy Dowd

Connections, Sharing of ideas, Pangea Day, May 10, 2008
1 Apr 2008 by Steve Doyne

Browse more via Google Blog search

eBooks from European Libraries

eod eBooks - eBooks on Demand - is a European project to make millions of books in European libraries available electronically on demand.

From About eod: "Users will be able to order eBooks via the common library catalogues; the libraries will then digitise the requested item and send it to the user via the EOD service network. The books digitised in this way will simultaneously be incorporated into the digital libraries of the participating libraries and thus be accessible on the Internet."
Currently the project includes 13 libraries from 8 European countries. The UK and

France are not on the list of participating countries: Austria and Germany are.

Source: Gwen @ Internet News