After getting more and more questions from the community about e-book readers like the Kindle, and with the knowledge that many people will have e-book readers under their Christmas trees this year, I fully intended to write a post on that subject....but whether due to the many recent articles and blog posts about e-books and the future of reading that have my head spinning, or sugar overload from the endless array of treats in the staff work area, or just the fact that I am winding down for a nice long vacation, I just don't have a thoughtful blog post in me right now!
Instead I'll share this post promoting the joy of books and reading from the Wise Bread blog. Wise Bread is about personal finance and stretching your dollars, but I find it's often the source of thought-provoking ideas on living more meaningfully, too. I love the form of re-gifting that Mr. Lefall suggests, and would love to get a pre-loved book that has been important to someone I care about.
I'm going to be enjoying some time off at home until after the New Year and am planning to do some serious housecleaning in addition to lots of reading. Now, inspired by Mr. Lefall's "book 'em" project, I'll be weeding my bookshelves not just with an eye to things I can pass on to our Friends of the Library for their book sales but also putting aside some of my treasured favorites to share with people I love.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year, and I look forward to reconnecting in 2010.
Just after I wrote my last post trying to explain braodband and why it is important, I came across this post from the Publicola blog (thanks to Stephen Abram for sharing it) comparing broadband Internet access to access to electrical power in the early part of the 20th century.
In the U.S. and around the world electricity quickly became seen as an essential prerequisite to "modern" life, enabling everything from industrial development to the spread of public education. In the first half of the 20th century governments, including our own, invested huge amounts in electrification projects like those of the Tennessee Valley Authority and today developing nations like China continue to invest in rural electrification through projects like the "Three Gorges" project.
It's hard for me to see how the same will not be true of broadband Internet access. In a world where the Interent is the primarly repository for up-to-date information on everything from crop prices to the weather to the latest scientific and technical news; an increasingly important telecommunications medium; and a means of delivering education and medical services access to the Internet is already dividing the "haves" and "have nots" much as access to electricity has done for the past one hundred years.
Advanced nations in Asia and Europe are already making huge investments in broadband, and the U.S. is beginning to lag far behind. Delivering affordable high capacity broadband to every household in the nation may not be practical or affordable, but surely we should be making sure every community has access to broadband Internet...and what better place than at the public library?
In my view access to broadband is not only a right, it is vital to the future of our nation...but what do you think?
After I sent out some "tweets" from the California Opportunity Online Broadband Summit yesterday I had several requests to "translate into English"...so here is my attempt to do so!
As this Wikipedia article states, the term "broadband" refers to high-speed Internet access, but to really understand what what broadband is and why it is important you need to understand what the Internet is, and how it is evolving. The story (and I apologize in advance for any technical inaccuracies, but I think the broad strokes are correct) is as follows.
The Internet has its roots back in the days when computers were large, extremely expensive machines located primarily in universities, research centers, government agencies, and large corporations. In the late 1960s scientists devised a way to transmit information between these geographically dispersed "mainframe" computers using networks of copper cable that were in essence telephone lines used to transmit bits of data instead of, or more commonly in addition to, voices.
During the 1970s and 1980s computer processing technology became smaller, cheaper and more widespread. Many businesses and government agencies began to use computers for data- and computation-intensive activities like processing large payrolls, inventory management, and controlling manufacturing processes and equipment. These computers were also networked together so that, for instance, inventory information could be collected at a warehouse location and transmitted to a central computer facility at a corporate headquarters. The means of transmitting these bits of data continued to be networks of copper cable...still essentially telephone lines.
The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the first "desktop" computers, and by the mid 1980s most office workers had a computer on their desk. These desktop computers began to be networked into "local area networks" so that information could be transmitted between them within a single location; and also connected to "wide area networks" to enable data transmission between geographically dispersed locations.
Until the early-mid 1990s these computer networks were largely proprietary - that is they were owned, operated and dedicated to a single organization (corporation, university, public agency, etc.) or in some cases an association or coalition of organizations.
By the early 1980s the nature of networks began to change with the emergence of "dial up" computer networks that allowed anyone with a computer, a telephone, a device called a modem, and the codes needed to access one of these networks to connect with other members of the network.
Back when I was in library school in the mid-1980s connecting to a dial up network entailed connecting your computer to a telephone line by literally inserting the telephone headset into a sort of cradle, dialing the telephone number of the network, listening to the phone "ring" at the other end, waiting for the computer at the other end to answer as signified by a high-pitched tone, and then using the computer keyboard to type messages and instructions into the network.
By the late 1980s this process had been simplified a bit by installing modems with telephone jacks into computers and then using a standard telephone cable to connect the computer to the phone jack in the wall. This eliminated the need to insert the telephone headset into the modem, but otherwise the process was the same. In either case if you could not use the telephone line for phone calls while it was connected to the computer network, or vice versa, so many people installed separate telephone lines dedicated to computer use.
Once connected to the computer network people could send messages to one another using rudimentary email systems, interact by sending and receiving messages on message boards or forums, play rudimentary computer games, and access repositories of digital information. All of this activity was text-based.
With the emergence of dial-up networks also came the emergence of commercial enterprises ranging from subscription computer networks (this is when America Online started) to commercial databases that collected and organized digital information such as indexes and abstracts of journal articles or the texts of legal cases and made these available for a fee.
Computer technology continued to become cheaper and smaller and as it did more and more people had computers at home as well as at work and more and more people began connecting to the dial-up computer networks that, as they grew larger and more inter-connected became known as the Internet.
As computer memory and processing capacity has continued to increase in capacity and decrease in cost,and as more and more people connect to the Internet, the ways in which people are using computer technology and the vast information highway of the Internet are being transformed. Text-based information is now full-text and in many cases graphically equivalent to its physical counterparts. No longer limited to text, people are using computers to store, edit and transmit photos, videos, and music. "Voice Over Internet" technology allows people to use the Internet as a replacement for the traditional telephone system, but with the addition of videoconferencing capabilities. Online shopping is overtaking going to physical stores. Distance learning programs are bringing together students from around the world to learn together in vitual classrooms. Telemedicine is enabling doctors at major research hospitals to perform surgery in remote locations by using the Internet to control robotic surgical devices from a distance. "Smart phones" enable people to use their mobile phones to capture and transmit photos and videos, navigate using Global Positioning and image recognition systems, access the Internet, download and read digital magazines, newspapers, and books....and the changes just keep coming.
In a world where most employers require online job applications, governments at all levels are relying on the Internet to deliver information to the public and carry out basic activities from business license processing to unemployment benefit applications, e-learning is increasingly a part of the education process from elementary school onward, and for many people online programs are the only practical and affordable means of obtaining post-secondary qualifications access to the Internet has moved from a "nice to have" to a necessity and the ability to transmit vast quantities of data is essential.
Countries around the world have recognized that high capacity "broadband" Internet access is essential to economic and social development and a source of competitive advantage. Unfortunately, as articles like this indicate, the U.S. has been slow to come to this realization and ranks somewhere around 20th in the world in broadband Internet penetration and as low as 29th in average broadband download speed. Contrast the current U.S. average download speed of 5.1 megabits per second with that of South Korea, which currently averages 20.4 megabits/second and has set a target of making 1 gigabyte/second Internet access available in its major cities (50-100 megabits/second in rural areas) by 2012.
The U.S. Federal Government has now recognized the importance of this issue by specifically including funding for expanded broadband access in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and by intitiating a fast-track process to develop a national broadband plan. These efforts are being mirrored at a State level in California.
To explain the importance of high capacity broadbance access a presenter at the Broadband Summit used the analogy of a system of roads and highways. The immense processing and storage capacity of even a low end personal device like a basic desktop computer or smart phone are like having a 10 lane superhighway run right past your house, but the lcapacity of the network that connects your computing device to the Internet in many places is more like that of a two-lane road. You can imagine the traffic jam that occurs when ten lanes of fast-moving traffic try to merge into that two lane road.
To put the analogy in the context of hard numbers, the old "dial up" Internet access transmitted a maximum of about 56 kilobits/second and was functionally obsolete by the late 1990s. A dedicated copper cable called a "T1" line, which was the state of the art for business, government and non-profit organizations in the early 2000s, can transmit about 1.5 megabits/second - or nearly 30x as much as the old dial-up connection. The term "broadband" refers to bandwdiths of 1.5 megabits per second or above.
Today, 1.5 megabits is considered the bare minimum necessary for a multi-computer organization like a library, and here at the Palos Verdes Library District we consider 10 megabits/second just about adequate to meet the current needs of users of our public computers and wireless network at Peninsula Center Library, and we have an additional 10 megabits per second dedicated to staff use. As HD video and other data-intensive formats become more prevalent 10 megabits will no longer be adequate and we will be looking to at least double or triple our current bandwidth in the relatively near term.
For libraries the problem is particularly acute because we serve as a community hub for access to the Internet and millions of people rely on the library as their primary source of Internet access. Last year California public libraries recorded 39 million uses of their public computers...and that doesn't count the people who use their own laptops, netbooks, or smart phones to connect to our wireless networks. In many communities people stand in line to access library computers so they can search for and apply for jobs, do their homework, take a course by distance education or communicate with friends and family. All of this requires access to the Internet, which can be painfully slow if the library's connection to the Internet is not big enough. Adding more computers doesn't solve the problem because that is just like adding more lanes and more cars to the local superhighway and creates an even bigger traffic jam if the road that leads from the library to the Internet is not expanded.
In California today 56% of public libraries have bandwidth of 1.5 megabits/second or less. That means that for those libraries accessing the Internet is truly like merging from a ten lane superhighway to a 2 lane road. I already noted that PVLD currently has Internet bandwidth of 10 megabits per second for the public, and an additional 10 megabits per second for staff. Yesterday I received an email from Verizon promoting its FIOS fiber optic Internet access. The "bargain" level plan promises bandwidth of 15 megabits/second for downloading and 5 megabits/second for transmitting, and they offer higher capacity plans as well....and that is for home use. You can see that 1.5 megabits/second is inadequate for even a tiny library with a handful of computers.
The Broadband Summit that I attended in Sacramento was convened to begin to address the challenge of ensuring that all Californians have access to the Internet at an acceptable level via their local public library. That starts by getting the 12% of California libraries whose Internet connection is below 1.5 megabits/second up to at least this baseline broadband level, but needs to extend to ensuring that all public libraries have adequate Internet connection capacity (which is far more than 1.5 megabits per second even for the tiniest of libraries) both in the near- and long-term.
The Summit was organized and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has long had a focus on supporting libraries as a place where all members of a community can come for free access to computers and the Internet. The Gates Foundation is providing grants to bring all California libraries up to the 1.5 megabits/second broadband threshold, and assisting the State Library in developing a statewide "sustainability plan" for broadband Internet access in libraries.
The Summit brought together Library Directors from across the State, community partners, State government officials, technology experts, and State Library staff to begin to develop the sustainability plan. We discussed the technical, financial, and political challenges and opportunities and affirmed our commitment to the implementation of a Statewide high-speed network connecting ALL California libraries to the Internet. The challenges are significant, but the Summit participants came up with many creative ideas for reallocating funds, partnering with other organizations and with the private sector.
Unlike many public libraries PVLD has so far been fortunate to have access to both the necessary fiber optic connections (which do not yet extend to all communities and neighborhoods in the State), the funds, and the technical staff to ensure we are at least providing an acceptable level of Internet connectivity...but even for us sustainablity in the long-term is an issue. It was exciting to see the Summit participants start to tackle this issue for ALL California public libraries!
Driving home from work yesterday I heard this story on National Public Radio about how the act of reading physically strengthens the network of fibers that carry information around the brain. These cells are called "white matter" as opposed to the "grey matter" cells that store and process information, and there is growing evidence that as the "information superhighway" of the brain white matter plays an important role in brain function.
It turns out that intensive reading practice (along with other activities like playing a musical instrument and jugglingthat require the coordination of activity in different parts of the brain) results in better structural integrity of the white matter, and that greater skill in reading translates to "stonger" white matter.
So...next time you read a book you are not just getting smarter because of what you learn from its contents, you are also providing your brain with a form of strength training. Now I will feel less guilty the next time I decide not to break out the Wii Fit in favor of curling up with a book!
It was truly a magical evening when PVLD won the Mayor's Trophy at the 2009 Rolling Hills Estates Holiday parade! With a rabbit coming out of a top hat, a wizard and a fairy godmother, and more magicians than you can shake a wand at library staff members outdid themselves creating an amazing parade entry on a shoestring.
A great big thank you to Dori Medina for her leadership and costume sewing skills; Laszlo Latkoczy, Louise Beebe, Brenda Sibert and the Facilities staff who conjured up the top hat and created the float; Merna Marshall for organizing a fabulous taco dinner for participants and guests; Kaitlin Waldron for being such a fabulous magician's rabbit; Charles Crouse for being a good sport and agreeing to play a wizard at the last minute; Charles and James Davis for carrying the banner; and to everyone (staff, Trustees, volunteers, partners, kids, grandkids and friends who drove, rode, marched or cheered us on!
Enjoy the slideshow - and the brief video at the end - and look for us to be the float to beat next year!
A couple of weeks ago I was at a meeting of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District's Community Arts Committee, a group of arts teachers, school administrators, and community partners that meets periodically to discuss how to improve arts education in the school district.
One of the teachers said something that really struck a chord with me. I don't remember his exact words, but they were something along the lines of "It's not the art project you made in 6th grade that you remember years later, it's the teacher whose skill and passion turned you on to art." In short, it's about the people not the art.
Ever since I've been thinking about how that might just as well be said of school librarians. Forty years ago when I was a shy kid in elementary school my elementary school librarian, Charlotte DeFirmian, was my hero.
Mrs. DeFirmian introduced me to authors who became lifelong favorites, challenged me to read beyond my comfort zone, and by appointing me an unoffical library assistant made the library a refuge from tormenting peers and a troubling family situation. In fact, Mrs. DeFirmian is probably the reason I am a librarian today.
We live in an era when California ranks near the bottom of the nation in funding for school libraries, when at the elementary and middle school levels most libraries are staffed by low-paid clerical employees who may or may not have the knowledge of children's literature and talent and skill for connecting kids with books that Mrs. DeFirmian had, and when many school are closing their school libraries or relying on volunteers to keep them open.
It seems to me that we are at at the bottom of a downward spiral that started when we downgraded the school librarian from someone with the skill and training to really engage kids with reading to a clerical or volunteer position focused on checking the books in and out...and that what the schools have saved in staffing costs has been more than offset in the loss to students. It's not about the books, it's about the people...and I hope our schools will come to realize this.
A family situation has meant more time away from the office this week than I had planned, which is also reflected in less time to think about blogging. I'll be back to a more normal schedule next week, so expect more frequent posts.
In the meantime I am heading off to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and I'll be counting my many blessings.
It has been a tough year in many respects, both personally and for PVLD, but there is still much to be grateful for - not the least of which is that I have a terrific job that allows me to work and interact with so many amazing people. With so many people, including some of my own family, unemployed or stuck in jobs that they don't enjoy I feel very lucky. I also see the cuts many other libraries are suffering, and appreciate how relatively fortunate we are here at PVLD.
My best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Yesterday I received an email from my friend and Palos Verdes Peninsula School District (PVPUSD) Board member Malcolm Sharp outlining a dilemma that our local high schools are facing.
The high schools have developed a "core reading list" of books that students at each grade level are expected to read by the end of the appropriate school year.
Here at the public library we are very familiar with the core reading lists because of the demand from students (and their parents) to check the books out from the library, or to buy them from our Friends of the Library book sales. We never have enough copies of these items to meet the demand, and the problem is compounded by the fact that many can now only be purchased in paperback so wear and tear is also an issue. Our librarians regularly search the book sale rooms for these items as a way of stocking the library collection, but of course that means fewer are available for students to purchase.
The schools are facing a similar dilemma as these are not considered "textbooks" and so have to be funded from discretionary monies. Many of the copies at the schools are years old and in bad condition, but at a time when budget cuts have meant teacher layoffs there just isn't the money to provide new copies of these books in the schools.
Malcolm's idea, expressed in his email to me and a number of PVPUSD administrators, was that the School District consider the use of e-books.
I've been mulling over the advantages and disadvantages of e-books for personal use for somee time. I'm also well aware, as this story about a Boston private school that eliminated it's traditional school library in favor of e-books highlights, that PVPUSD is not the first school to think about moving down this path for more than textbooks...and I confess that I still have not made up my mind about whether this is a good thing or not.
On the one hand, the core reading list is made up of "classics", most of which are available for free online. It seems foolish to spend scarce money on hard copies when the content is available for free in electronic form.
On the other hand, I am still having a lot of personal difficulty separating the content from the package when it comes to books. It is hard for me to imagine that the experience of reading the words on a computer screen is the same as reading them on the pages of a book, or that making the books available online will foster the kind of classroom discussion that I remember from my long-ago high school days when we all were able to look at the same page as we discussed it.
I think this is especially true since the free online e-books are accessed via an "old-fashioned" computer, rather than a personal reading device like the Kindle or Sony Reader which is designed to try to mimic many of the features of a real book.
But maybe I am just exhibiting previously hidden Luddite tendancies!
PVPUSD is only thinking about making students and parents aware of the e-books as an option given that the number of copies available via the school or the public library is limited, and not making them the default so it will be interesting to see whether students gravitate to them.
And as always I'd love to know what you think, so post a comment or two!
The islands came to Malaga Cove Library today. A great crowd enjoyed slack key guitar, hula lessons, lei making, Hawaiian BBQ, shave ice, and hawasian culture and stories. Thank you Mitch Chang, Jennifer Addington, and Jennifer Chaffey for organizing the event - hope we can do it again next year!
I just heard that my friend and colleague Stacey Aldrich has been appointed the new State Librarian of California. Stacey has been in the acting State Librarian since her predecessor, Susan Hildreth, left to become the Director of the Seattle Public Library last spring. I'm thrilled!
Stacey, at the relatively young age of 39, has nearly 20 years of library experience as well as training and experience as a professional Futurist.
I've had the pleasure of getting to know Stacey as a fellow mentor on the Eureka Leadership program and through working together on several taskforces. She is energetic, smart, politically astute, and a lot of fun.
Her passion for exploring the further horizons of the future and trying to understand what it means for libraries, her commitment to nurturing the next generation of library leaders, and her commitment to finding ways to unite libraries across this large and diverse state are just what California needs right now and I am looking forward to working with her as she takes on this challenging task.
Congratulations Stacey!