Brewer, S553 for 3/6/12

Cooperation in Rural and Remote Libraries:   The Promise of Technology by Clendening

Brief article of person who seemed to provide the correct answer to an interview question and was offered this position along with accepting the position in a rural library.  The article is focused on the challenges these libraries face of geography, lack of funding and lack of resources.  The article addresses lack of resources able to be addressed by traveling to larger collection for some, others practices pooled resources and sharing their materials.  The article mentions the replacement of the card catalogue and microfilmed systems…but said it is still happening today…very slow process for some and very costly for small libraries.  The author feels today is a prime time to link with larger library systems and closes addressing partnerships and ability to utilize provincial and grassroots representation for these libraries.  Also this article in several spots mentions technology providing these rural libraries to have more of participation and a voice in the larger projects they would most likely have to forfeit if the technology were not here for them now.

Changes in Rural Libraries and Librarianship:  A comparative Survey by Flatley and Wyman

Interesting article that went through and compared a survey that was done in 2000 and again 2007, the later time using an online survey tool.  Many statistics are provided in what has stayed the same or differed between the two surveys.   One things that stood out for me was how if a library was too small, and did not have e-mail, they were not included in the 2007 survey.  Information was being sought for libraries in population of 2500 or less.  2007 results were quite close still to the 2000 version with the big change in fiscal questions concerning pay rate and the library budget.  It was interesting to go through the questions that were ask and to see the priority in which they were answered and if this answer differed from the 2000 results.  Once again it was pointed out there is an unrealistic view and image of librarians…and we have talked about this in class.  Throughout the article the common response of communities lacking funds was found.  The article pointed out most of these positions are held by females and historically underpaid with the average being $12 per hr., which is extremely low for someone who has devoted their time and learning arriving at the job with an MLS degree which also was shown as becoming more common.  And last an important focus was the new need to accept the title “Information Manager”.

Service Trends in U.S. Public Libraries, 1997-2007 by Henderson

This article starts off by introducing libraries as a “fluid service environment” due to people using the internet for everyday needs.  This article supported much of what we have been discussing and reading that people are depending on libraries for services such as unemployed benefits applications and surviving the economic culture we have at hand pointing out that even retail pretty much expects applicants to complete online instead of in person.  There is a discussion of metro vs. nonmetropolitan classification system and how it is common to use this measure in rural communities and library systems arriving where it resides is the final determination for data processing. Demands of the patron are mentioned and how rural libraries usually have less number of computers for patrons…once again as the other articles….not enough funding/resources.  The most supported theory of why there seems to be more visits of patrons, but less material checked out was again considered to be influenced by all of the services and internet attractions for the libraries.  And strongly pointed out was how the metropolitan library trend lines in the article represented the overall trend lines instead of non-metropolitan.  Interesting points of what we have studied to this point…but supported by other ways.