That’s how to run a library

I was fortunate enought to attend another exciting, challenging and inspiring mashed library event  Chips and Mash at University of Huddersfield . One of the main topics of the day was RFID. Having recently been involved in implementing self service at one of our libraries, I really appreciated the opportunity to see RFID from a different perspective. Two talks I enjoyed were Andrew Wilson from Blink and Julian Cheal from UKOLN.

Andrew described RFID as technology for telling a story and described some of the projects he has been involved with, including a snakes & ladders game where people could play an online game of snakes & ladders by touching physical RFID readers around the building and thereby encouraging more circulation throughout the building. It was fascinating seeing use of RFID aside from simply issuing and returning library items.

Julian started his talk by confessing to having tagged his own personal book collection and showed how it was possible to send targetted messages to people via their smart phones as their entrance into the building is registered. Taking the interaction with a user away from a self service kiosk to a method of their choice provides much more flexibitliy and  highlights the extent of this type of technology.

Both Andrew and Julian inspired me to think about RFID outside the library context, which is what I needed having recently been distracted by the difficulties in finding an effective solution to tagging multimedia stock, just dont ask.

All the talks during the day were very interesting which as always diverted my attention from actually sitting down and trying to develop any of the ideas whizzing round my mind. It was good to have an update on the Jerome project run at University of Lincoln.  Lincoln are working on improving access to resources, improving search speed,  utilsing the data more effectively to provide a better search experience. Matt from Talis sped through their work on JUICE which is also working to enhance the search experience in enriching the information found on library catalogues. There seems a real need to provide relevant appropiate information speedily to users  alongside a desire to augment the information provided. I think its interesting to see how as the information libraries provide access to becomes larger, richer and complex the methods of discovery however need to become simpler and faster.

It was an enjoyable day with the advantage of many badger related paraphanalia for distraction, I recomend Laura’s Dark Archive for a great summary of the day and an explanation of how ‘badgers are the official mascot for mash up events’

Over 30 ideas were generated throughout the day which hopefully will be added to those on the mashed library wiki, all in all an inspiring day and many thanks to the organisers and speakers.

As I have been looking into rare books I have began to wonder about the reader space. I think it would be good if both the physical and electronic copies could be explored together.

for example

• a digital wall allowing you to have a collection of images in front of you with the physical ones in your hands to compare, over lay etc.
• a  touch screen desk which once you lay the physical item onto it,  digital images are also loaded onto to it, links to articles, comments etc.
• software and hardware allowing users to maniplate images and text from the digitised version

I have very  limited experience of reader spaces within libraries with rare books collections so am interested to hear more about the type of facilites that are available and if there is any successful examples of utilising technology to enhance the physical items within a collection.

I have been fortunate to be involved in a project called ‘Reframing the past’ which is funded by the Student Academic Partnership scheme at BCU, a scheme providing funds to allow students to work on projects with faculties and services and thereby providing a sense of comunity between the university & the student body

‘Reframing the past’ is investigation into exploiting potential of our rare book collection, housed at Gosta Green library. The project is looking at raising the profile of the collection within the university and also the potential monetization of some  images.

Before meeting with the student I had a look at some of the items in the collection and decided to see if any of these had already been digitised. I used a number of sources to find out what was available and I quickly learned how disparate the collections were. COPAC was very useful in findingwho else held print copies. In some cases COPAC indicated where a digital copy was held, if available in large databases such as ECCO and EEBO although this wasn’t consistent. In many cases part of the book was digitised, perhaps for an exhibition, images to sell etc.

For example,  ‘Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani / Bernardi Siegfried Albini’ published by  Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden) : Prostant apud Joannem & Hermannum Verbeek, 1747

• Print copies are held in number of UK libraries, such as University of Birmingham, Kings College London.
• A digitised copy is avaialbe to subscribers of Eighteenth Century Collection Online (ECCO)
• Some of the books images are availabe at the Wellcome Library
• Some of the books images are available from the National Library of Medicine, US
• Some images from the books are on flickr

This made me think about the potential of bringing this information all together to give a more thourough record/history of the title. Would the concept of Linked Data be a solution to these mulitple sources?

I am also interested in the reason behind multiple sources for the same images and whether there needs to be a record of versioning. The scanned quality of the version in ECCO was not as superior as some of the sites with selected images.

Our reasons to scan some of the images is driven by our project and therefore specifically chosen from an artistic point of view. I am now looking forward to seeing what these images will inspire.

I have been in my new post, eLibrary Manager for nearly a year now and thought it would be good to take brief look back.

I am really enjoying having this opportunity to focus on electronic services within the library and a few key areas of interest are;

Opening up data – there is definate recognition in terms of how much more we can do in exploiting the data we collect. The MOSAIC project has clearly shown the value to be gained from the data libraries hold. LMS suppliers are also showing an interest in exploiting library data,  recomender services such as ExLibris’s BX uses data from its customers alonside other information. I think the value added to this information is key.

Mashing data – Middlemash was a definate highlight to the year as a great opportunity to meet lots of talented people as well as  inspiration for new services & developments. I could see mash ups allowing us to provide some quick low cost effective solutions. I am hoping to build on middlemash and perhaps organise a local mashette.

Discoverability – with the volume of  information available a key challenge is improving the search experience. Me and my team have been investigating a number of resource discovery products currently on the market and have blogged our progress to date.  There has been  rapid development in these products with provision of some great features. The limitations however are also becoming apparent and a concern of mine is content coverage

Ebooks and ebook readers – the findings of the  JISC national e-books observaroty project came out last year and for many it seems ebooks are the way forward, including BCU. There has also been wide spread coverage of the readers and their ease of use. The announcement of the iPad provided more opportunity to showcase differences in an online reading experience with the potential of added multi media, e.g this demo of Penguin’s upcoming books for the iPad. 

I’m still however not sure how we tie the ebook reader with ebooks in HE, what pricing models and subscription services will vendors provide?

Digital collections – I felt, from the conferences I attended last year, focus was on  discoverability of digital collections and gaining an understanding how they are being used. Preservation of digital collection is also important, while projects such as Galaxy Zoo and the Great War Archive highlighted the value of crowd sourcing.  BCU have a large digital collection so it has been interesting to find out more about developments in this area.

Web 2.0 – The opportunity to build networks and join communities has been of great value, espeically in my new role in gaining more of an understanding of some of the issues and priorities facing libraries. Embedding them into my work practice and encouraging their use within the library are areas I really want to develop.

These are only a few of the areas that have been interesting me and I am looking forward to what the next year brings, I suspect plenty more challenges.

I thought I would join in the blog meme having seen a few folk on twitter @joeyanne, @sarahgb

British Museum

& @WoodsieGirl take part

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack?

Not usually as I do most my reading on the train commute to work, but if I do get the chance its generally crisps.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

When I was studying I used to write in my books but only in pencil and only in my own copy, never a library copy. I remember when young enjoying reading my older sister’s copy of Romeo & Juliet covered in her scrawl which I loved to try and decipher, I thought it added character. Nowadays I might write in the inside cover of a book if it’s a present.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?

I generally use a scrap of paper or old rail ticket as a bookmark but never dog-ears. If I can’t find a bookmark I try and remember the page number, although that rarely ever works as I always forget and spend ages skimming through trying to remember where I last left it.

Fiction, Non-fiction or both?

It tends be both owing to reading more work related stuff and I having a keen interest in cookery books, but generally I read more fiction.

Hard copy or audiobooks?

Hard copy, although have started to read ebooks on my iphone – found it really useful when staying in a room without a bedside light and a sleeping baby. As for audio books only when in the car, we had a great trip to Scotland one year listening to Northern Lights  and often staying in the car having arrived at our destination so we carry on listening to the story

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?

I prefer to stop at the end of the chapter but it doesn’t bother me too much if I have to put it down at any point.

If you come across an unfamiliar work, do you stop to look it up right away?

No and the type of books I read means this doesn’t really happen very often!

What are you currently reading?

Am reading ‘The Peacock Emporium’ by Jojo Moyes as I went to the library last week and got a stash of light reads for my commute. I am also reading ‘Sea of Poppies’ by Amitav Ghosh.

What is the last book you bought?

Designer Doodles from Amazon

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?

I generally like to have a few books on the go so I can read whatever suits my mood

Do you have a favourite time of day and/or place to read?

I used to enjoy reading in bed but nowadays with a little boy to look after I don’t get the chance, so I tend to do most my reading on the train to and from work.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?

I like series books especially having started reading more teen fiction.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?

I have recommended the ‘Time Travellers Wife’ to a lot of people and the Jasper Fforde series. If there is a book I have really enjoyed they tend to get bought as presents for friends and family.

How do you organise your books? (By genre, title, authors last name etc)?

We are renting at the moment and haven’t unpacked our books, the few we have unpacked however are not organised at all. Generally the fiction is organised in alphabetical order by authors last name and the non fiction by genre.

I very recently set up a twitter account for the library at Birmingham City University and have been thinking about what I am going to be tweeting about.

My first thought was as a means to market services and facilities, such as training events, new resources, paying fines online etc and also to share news, such as changes to opening hours, stock moves etc.

Secondly I have been thinking about ways in which to use twitter to engage with students and staff. It was interesting to see the techniques companies, such as Marks & Spencers, use to keep customers engaged and following them such as providing advance notice of sales, ‘Deal of the day’ #DOTD, competitions and give aways etc.

I am therefore keen to investigate ways in which the library twitter account would be worthwhile to students and thereby keep them following us as well as a channel to provide feedback, make suggestions etc.

I think that usage statistics for online resources could be a good source of information in providing timely tweets, for example recommendations on popular databases. I am hoping to compare usage statistics over a number of years for patterns and use this to promote appropriate database or alternatives.

Another thought is to use Twitter to alert followers to e-books where there is a spike in usage and thereby using twitter as a recommender service, highlighting texts to students that they may not yet have come across.

I also think there may be some potential in looking at search logs, if there are patterns of topic searching we could use twitter to provide further suggestions of keywords to search alongside search tips and alternative resources.

As well as providing useful information via twitter to gather more followers there is also the question about voice and personality. Should we use twitter to show an alternative side to the library such as the back room areas of the library or viewpoints from varying levels of library staff. Personally I have found that I enjoy following COPAC on twitter because of their topical search suggestions which reminds me of the value of libraries and the collections they hold.

I hope that the BCUlibrary twitter account will provide valuable information, personality and rapport for its followers.

I was interested to read about the realease of Dan Brown’s new title as an ebook where the publisher reported ‘the possibilities, including books with scored soundtracks and video inserts, are just becoming clear.’

This started me thinking about the added value ebooks provide, can they offer enhanced features, will they become just the new CD-ROM?

Can ebooks allow the experience of reading to be more immersive and media rich, for example with the additon of audio and video? Examples of companies investigating this already, Enhanced Editions and vook. Perhaps the location of where the books is being read will influence the content provided.

Can e-books create a more collaborative experience of reading for example could you meet other readers and share impressions of the book during reading? A feature of the  VitalSource software is the opportunity to share notes and highlighters on ebooks. Perhaps this will lead to multiple editions of ebooks edited by readers.

Cotswold Water Park

A few weeks ago I attended the JISC digitisation conference at the lovely cotswold water park. The conference was streamed, blogged, tweeted etc so please check out the blog posts and videos for a good summary (I would definitely recommend watching the talks by Nick Poole and Robert Miller, inspiring stuff)
It was an enjoyable conference and JISC had put together a fantastic line up of talks. It was a good mixture of people from all aspects of the digitisation world highlighting the importance of collaboration and the value it adds to the collections. While there is now lots of access to some amazing resources the volume of use, ease of integration into teaching and research, questions of copyright and IPR, ease of search and discover were all issues raised during the 2 days.
I found it hard to select which talks to attend in the 4 different streams (and was often distracted by twitter as to what was going on in the sessions I couldn’t attend) There were plenty of useful case studies and resources which I wanted to go away and look at in more detail (unfortunately still not made the time for that). I particularly enjoyed a (too brief) talk by Dave Flanders touching upon wire frames to map out potential ideas and thinking about services from the point of view of a model user, it made me appreciate how it is possible to realise some of those ideas that occasionally pop into my head.

During the conference I really enjoyed tweeting and it really helped me consider some of the sessions in more depth during the time. I am however now  wondering if perhaps blogging some of the sessions would have been more useful with regards to being able to look back and reflect.

What I hope to take away from the conference is to;

• discover more digitisation projects
• appreciate the amount of available resources to researchers, students and teachers
• appreciate how enriched media resources can be used to engage students
• gain a better understanding of the reasons behind digitising collections
• realise the need to secure resources that maybe lost via digitisation
• understand the importance of copyright and IPR and not to view it as a block
• creating these resources does not guarantee use
• appreciate the need to add value to digital collections, enhance the data with other services
• appreciate the need to promote them further
• investigate better search platforms to this data
• better intergration of resources into teaching, and understand how they can be part of the workflow
• freeing the raw data, allowing innovative and greater use
• the importance of collaboration with partners nationally and internationally

Orchid at Kew

At Birmingham City University I’ve had a number of opportunities to hear about interesting and exciting use of technology for teaching especially virtual worlds.

One project is Shareville, a virtual world with real life video to provide gritty and realistic scenarios for learning and teaching. Students can walk around this virtual world based on Birmingham, including a representation of  City North campus, and click on various hot spots to interact with different scenarios. As well as Shareville, the University’s Faculty of Health has developed the VirtualCaseCreator, which is ‘software that supports rich, highly interactive, multimedia, online, simulations.’  Unlike Shareville however this has no real video footage and all the scenarios are  computer animated.  Hearing about these amazing projects, and getting to meet the creators, got me thinking about library services and what value they could add to these virtual worlds, and came up with the list below (I suspect there are many examples of these in practice)

• virtual representation of a library to provide inductions and tours
• virtual trade magazines or journals on coffee tables, buses etc which when selected provides the table of contents or links to articles
• shelves of books, cabinets of documents etc which link directly to the online version
• representation of student study space
• calendars, notice boards, post it notes on fridges etc to remind users of library opening hours
• TV/computers as hotspots once clicked can link to streamed media
• avatars as a representation of the library catalog or search interface

I am not clear as to how much library resources play a part in this type of learning process, however it did make me think more about how the importance of being part of the students workflow and not just part of the learning process but conusmption of information on a daily basis.

On Monday June 22nd I atteded RESCON09 at Birmingham City University, this was the first research conference of its kind and was a really good day.

I had the opportunity to hear about the new research strategy which seems very ambitious and aspirational in moving towards being a ‘research engaged’ university. I also attended a number of presentations on various research projects across the university.

I found it a very useful day, I really appreciated hearing about the wonderful and varied research taking place and was a great introduction to the university. Sitting in the audience it was interesting to see the potential synergies between research groups, how technologically engaged many of the projects were and the real value of national and international collaborations. It depicted a picture of a vibrant, engaged and creative institution which I look forward to working for.

There are clearly some big challenges ahead for the university including co-ordinating these projects and building the infrastructure to support the growth of research across the insitution. From a library perspective this strategy raises many questions/issues regarding its impact to the resources and services we offer but there is also some real potential to provide expertise especially for example with regards to capturing research output. It will also be interesting to see how they build a research community and if web 2.0 tools could be used.

There is more detail available at research at Birmingham City University
and a couple of projects which particularly interested me were

• The Baskerville Project – the man and the typeface
• Haptics – lots of interesting projects
• Artists book collective