Carson Block Consulting

Technology Vision. Technology Power. Your Library.

eMedia Smackdown!

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This year I’m president of the Colorado Public Library Association (CoPLA),  and we have an event called the eMedia Smackdown designed to bring members together in Colorado like never before to discuss one of the hottest topics in libraryland – eBooks and other eMedia!

The opportunities and challenges of digital materials continue to loom large over libraries.  While we’ve been mostly reactive to changes, the time has come to “smackdown” eMedia (eBooks, eReaders, video and audio) and become proactive in molding the future of library content to benefit patrons everywhere.

This event is designed to spur dialog among participants to create understanding of the issues and identify strategies they can can use in their own libraries.

Five speakers will frame the most compelling eContent topics today, and excellent facilitators will help guide the discussion in five locations throughout Colorado for a compelling, fun-filled day!

More about the event.

 

Summertime, summertime…

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Well, I’m not the most active blogger on the planet. An update once a quarter is enough, right? :o) Lots of cool things are on the schedule for the rest of the year, including a July keynote address for the WiLS World Conference in Wisconsin! I’ve also been invited to join the audience and participation workstream for the Digital Public Library of America — honored and thrilled!

Speaking is always a blast, but I love working directly with clients even more! Library Facility Master Planning (tech) has been so much fun, and working with other libraries on technology reviews and improvement plans has been just as great. When doing the tech reviews/audits, the IT pieces are often the simplest, and what really needs the most attention are the people who make it all happen, and the communication structures that connect everyone. There’s also been lots of action on the eBook and eMaterials front — it’s on everyone’s minds and libraries are beginning to take action!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — I love my work!

Other talks include TEDx FoCo (yowsa!), the Marmot User’s Group meeting (another yowsa!), Internet Librarian (Yowsa yowsa!), The New York Library Association (yowsa yowsa yowsa!), and more!

I have a mid-year’s resolution is to blog more frequently. Wish me luck!

SXSW talk goes large! (updated again & again)

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Having clear goals is powerful — sometimes in ways we cannot imagine.  I had hoped to reach one new, non-library person at the South by Southwest Interactive conference. That one person happens to write for Time Magazine!

There’s no need for me to introduce the piece — Harry McCracken captured everything, perfectly:

http://techland.time.com/2012/03/11/sxsw-the-fate-of-libraries/

The session was great — 50 folks attended in a room set up for about 330.  At SXSW, where the competition for attendance is intense,  I was thrilled to have 50 people attend a session about library advocacy!

Want to see the slides?   Head over to the Resources page!

**New 4/2/2012**  A podcast of the talk is available here.  Yowsa!

**New 5/16/2012**  Library Journal has a nice article about SXSW here.

**New 5/25/2012**  A video from a 5-minute version (For Ignite Fort Collins) is available here.

Speaking at SXSW and PLA

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Spring is shaping up to be quite a busy season – working with lots of wonderful folks, and speaking at some incredible gatherings…

I’ll be presenting a session at South by Southwest interactive (SXSWi) called “The Great Library Swindle: Your Rights are at Risk”

http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/events/event_IAP11663

I’ll also be part of a number of great sessions the the Public Library Association conference – including Consultants Give Back, the Unconference, a session on innovative programming in libraries, and hosting a “Converstations” session (they used to be called “Table Talks”) called  “Welcome to Planet Geek.”  More on the conference here:

http://placonference.org/

PLA is also a great place to connect with clients in-person — if you would like to schedule a brief meeting on site, please send me a note:   http://www.carsonblock.com/contact/

Happy spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

New year — new libraries and new issues!

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I love my work!

In the past few months I’ve had the opportunity to help improve library technology efforts and staffing structures, coach some very talented individuals, teach (CPLA Technology Management), facilitate (helping libraries find their vision for technology, set goals, and create the roadmap to get there) and speak (“eBooks!  Get your eBooks!”).  Yowsa!

The beginning of 2012 has all that and more — including technology program planning for several new and existing library construction projects across the nation (quite literally from sea to shining sea),  helping libraries and communities identify and realize their vision for library technology, strategic technology planning  and evaluating the effectiveness of LSTA-funded technology efforts.

I’m also settling into my duties as the President of the Colorado Public Library Association (CoPLA), working with an outstanding CoPLA team, as well as serving on the Executive Board (another dynamite group) of the the Colorado Library Association.

I’m seeing more than ever before — and seeing how important it is for all of us serve from where we are.

As institutions, libraries continue to serve the public good like no other,  yet are facing threats ranging  from perennial funding challenges to a coming crisis over electronic content.  We’re well familiar with the funding issues, but e-content (especially eBooks, but also audio and moving picture media) is still a bit fuzzy.  Libraries have hundreds of options to purchase and loan physical materials — but less than a  handful of options to lease and loan eBooks.

Some are simply waiting for things to “settle out.”  Waiting is risky — librarians are among the very few (again, less than a handful) who know and see the public good being served.  If we truly value information access for citizens, we can’t wait for someone else to do something.  It’s our job to ensure that the essential and unique  role of public libraries — connecting people to valuable information and enrichment at no direct cost as a publically-funded good — endures.

The good news is that taking action need not be a grand political gesture.  Little things, if we all do them where we are, could have a huge effect.  Just talking with those we serve could be enough.

The most recent Perceptions of Libraries report from OCLC  indicates that librarians are trusted.  In a world where we often feel at an arms length from companies (such those who give us prices too low to ignore, but we never seem to completely trust them) trust is a rare and beautiful thing.

A moment is coming that you can seize — when the next wave of folks with bright shiny eBook readers begin flooding into your libraries after the holidays.  They’re coming because when it comes to reading — and books — the library is the place to go. It doesn’t matter if the book is physical or digital. According to the “Perceptions” report, the book remains the brand of the library.  But from experience, we know that our eBook lending systems are not only few, but they’re imperfect.  I’m thankful for the vendors and non-profits currently providing eBooks to libraries, but we really need more and better ways to connect people with electronic materials.

The flood of new eReaders is a golden opportunity to not just help patrons with their new devices, but to also talk about the issues.  Many libraries are taking the ball and helping patrons understand eReaders, but not so many are sharing that eBooks in libraries are a whole new game, with rules that are changing every day, and no certain time when this whole thing is going to settle out.  I know not knowing the answers is uncomfortable for many librarians, but I think this is a case where sharing the challenges with patrons will help us form the right questions, together.

I want to wish you all the best in 2012!  Thanks for visiting the site, and please get in touch if I can help you in any way!

Thankful this holiday season for Books, eBooks and Buildings

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I’ve  been doing lots of speaking lately about eBooks lately (at the California Library Association annual conference, the PLA eBook webinar that just wrapped up, a PLA Facebook chat on eBooks, and more to come…) as well as projecting the impacts of eMaterials on the built environment as part of current construction design projects!

Just as we saw the consumer market embrace eReaders last year around this time, eBooks have become *the* hot topic in library land.  During the course of the four-week PLA webinar, I was struck by how similar the issues are for libraries — from small to large.

There is a clear shift to digital in the publishing market, and the transition has been difficult for many libraries.  It’s a world of contrasts.  Patrons and many library staff love eMaterials.  Some library staff aren’t yet sold.  Libraries have very few (less than a handful) of eBook options to offer patrons.  There are many eReader devices on the market — seemingly a new one each week. Change is constant.

Despite the uncertainty — it’s clear that public libraries that haven not entered the eBook world should begin — first to understand, and then to help influence this shift in publishing for the benefit of the patrons we serve.

What stood out to me during the eBook webinar (which featured many guests weekly — including librarians, techs and vendors) is that all successful eBook projects had strong, visionary leadership at the core.  This element is key when so many aspects of eMaterials are still in the emerging stage.

PLA Webinar on E-Books!

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I’m producing and hosting a 4-part webinar on E-Books for the Public Library Association called “The Public Librarian’s Guide to E-Books”

Here’s the blurb from the PLA website (at http://www.ala.org/pla/onlinelearning/webinars/guidetoebooks):

E-books are here to stay, and people are turning to the library for answers as well as the latest bestsellers. Make sure you are comfortable in the world of electronics and .azw files

Register for “Public Librarian’s Guide to E-Books: A PLA Webinar Series.” This series features four weekly webinars (Oct. 25 through Nov. 15), offering a practical approach to integrating e-books, e-readers, and related e-materials into public library collections. You can register for the entire series (discounted per webinar fee), or attend individual webinars.

The tone will be down-to-earth and sensible—addressing the basics, such as why e-books and e-readers are important to libraries and providing a cookbook approach to adding e-books to collections of all sizes.

Learning Outcomes

By attending “Public Librarian’s Guide to E-Books: A PLA Webinar Series,” participants will:

  • Gain a complete understanding of the nature of e-books and why they are important to add to library collections.
  • Learn the ins and outs of licensing, purchasing, and lending e-books.
  • Receive tips and actionable steps to add e-books and e-readers to library collections of all sizes.
  • Hear strategies for creating a sustainable and scalable e-book program for their libraries.

Who Should Attend

  • Public librarians who want to start or build upon an e-reader loan program and/or e-book collection at their library
  • Any library staff hoping to better understand the ins and outs of this ever-growing service

Instructor(s)

Each webinar will be moderated by consultant Carson Block and filled with guest speakers and panels. You’ll hear from library directors, technologists, and e-material vendors.

Dates & Times

Each webinar in this four-part series will be presented at

  • 2:00–3:00 PM Eastern
  • 1:00–2:00 PM Central
  • 12:00–1:00 PM Mountain
  • 11:00 AM–12:00 PM Pacific

Webinar schedule

  • Tuesday, October 25, 2011
    Webinar One: Intro to E-Books

    Starting at page one. The first webinar in the series will introduce participants to the e-book and e-reader market with a look at the devices, including the Kindle, Nook, and iPad. We will also look at market trends to show participants the foothold e-readers and e-books have in the market, and why it’s important for all libraries to have an e-book strategy. Webinar will include an e-reader vendor panel to provide information and answer questions.

  • Tuesday, November 1, 2011
    Webinar Two: Laying the Groundwork for a Successful E-Book Collection

    They may be filled with words, just like physical books, but e-books tell their own story when it comes to building a library collection. The second webinar will cover the particularities of licensing e-materials, and how this represents a change from buying and owning physical books to “leasing” e-book access for use by patrons. The program will also detail available options for collecting e-books–including for-pay, free, and the “library as publisher” experiment from Douglas County Libraries in Colorado. Webinar will also include an e-book/e-zine vendor panel.

  • Tuesday, November 8, 2011
    Webinar Three: Powering Up Your E-Book Program

    So you’ve done all your background research. You’re ready to build your e-book program. What now? The third webinar in the series will demonstrate different approaches to add e-books and/or e-readers to library collections of all sizes. Webinar participants will see successful models that scale from a very small to very large libraries. A panel of librarians and techs who have added e-book and circulating e-reader will share their approaches and experiences.

  • Tuesday, November 15, 2011
    Webinar Four: Strategies for Sustaining Your Library’s E-Book Program

    The final webinar in the series will explore strategic consideration in adding e-books, as well as project management fundamentals (shared in a down-to-earth fashion) to ensure a good start as well as a sustainable effort. Learn how to determine the total costs of an e-book or circulating e-reader program, including startup and ongoing costs; understand the risks; measure effectiveness; and more. This webinar will also share some worksheets to help libraries kick off their own e-book or e-reader program.

Fee

Cost for the full four-part series:

Individual

  • PLA Member: $99.00
  • ALA Member: $115.00
  • Nonmember: $129.00

Presentations Galore!

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As well as working with a number of wonderful library clients this fall, I’m also fortunate to be doing a lot of presentations, including three at the Colorado Association of Libraries conference, the California Association of Libraries conference, a series of PLA webinars, and more.  The most surprising one was a radio interview for a station in Milwaukee!

Topics include integrating eBooks and eReaders into library collections of all sizes, best practices for library technology management, the keys to successful public/academic library partnerships, how to find success in failure (like a phoenix rising from the ashes), using QR codes and social media to market your libraries, and more.

Do you need some help in these areas?  If so, please get in touch!

 

 

 

Keynote – Aurora Public Library’s Staff Day

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I’m thrilled to give the keynote address for Aurora (Colorado) Public Library’s staff day on Friday,  August 19!

The theme for Aurora’s staff day is: To Infinity and Beyond: Into the Future with Libraries and I’m planning to kick off this day of learning with some inspiring food for thought — by sparking a conversation about how the the library is more vital today than ever — and yes, in the age of information — relevant.