readings for Feb 7

RFID In Libraries- This article was about RFID technology use in libraries, the controversies over how it could be used to track and monitor what patrons check out.

When I first heard about RFID in libraries it was when one of my friends who is a clerk at MCPL was telling me about it getting used there. Books could be checked in and out by the stack, shelf reading would be a thing of the past, books can be sorted by that new machine. I doubt he knew about the potential privacy concerns that also come with RFID. This article really made me think about emerging technology and the dangers that can come with embracing it too fast.

The Next Generation of The Library Catalogue- This article compared two studies done to examine the usefulness of different digital catalogs, trying to find which catalog best captured "the next generation of catalogs."

Well as I'm taking Intro to research right now I find myself asking all these questions, is looking at just three catalogs really going to show you what options there are for the next generation of catalogs? Also I wondered if since no study had ever been done comparing open source and proprietary catalogs before, if it might not be worth it to conduct a new study as opposed to comparing two previous. I was really excited to see that open source was pulling it's own (especially after all our budget reading from last week). Although is Evergreen is the second best catalog, I fear the bar is set painfully low.

The Koha Saga: A gift that keeps giving- This article gives the history of the open source catalog system Koha, and how it almost became proprietary thanks to copyright law.

This article was very interesting if only to explore the possibilities that libraries have. I love that The Horowhenua Library Trust saw a problem, that there was no open source catalog out there, and made one. I think that's a very exciting idea. Of course that's not really the meat of the article, I think the three conclusions of the article in how to keep things open source were very good to keep in mind: think about the legal implications of what will happen to what you've created.

Examining the Role of Libraries in an E-book World- this article discussed the rise of eBooks in the last few years, the ways in which they work in public libraries; and how book sellers, publishers, and devices limit how libraries can lend out eBooks.

I started my career at SLIS hating eBooks and everything they represent, I now own a Nook. I think, and have read a lot about- thus the nook- libraries taking this chance to work on getting more exciting and less known eBooks for their collections. eBooks cost almost nothing to make, so why are major publishers trying to get libraries to pay so much more for them? Working with smaller local publishing houses, and libraries publishing books themselves, would be an exciting way to cut costs and champion new author's and works.

Across the Digital Divide- The author shares her personal narrative growing up working poor in America to discuss how loosing print books and only having eBooks would not allow the poor access to books.

Even with libraries renting out eBooks, where are folks to read them? Renting out eReaders does seem dubious, and there isn't enough computer time for people to read them there (if that was even desirable). Which brings up all kinds of things that people "on the other side" of the digital divide should be able to use the library for, social networking, game playing, and even-I'm going there- porn.