Internet Librarian Conference 2003: Quick Takes
November 3-5, Internet Librarian 2003 came back to the superb setting of Monterey, California . As usual, the conference provides an interesting mix of technology and content, this year without the presence of the traditional large aggregators. The exhibit floor had many of the traditional services, including the few remaining subscription services. Some quick comments:
- A major theme in the sessions was
incorporating the new generation of software tools into the workflow of the librarian and their clients/patrons, with emphasis on improving productivity and providing additional services, not technology per se. Using search engines effectively was a perennial topic, but consolidation was the news. MSN is hiring top search engine talent, so stay tuned for more mergers and acquisitions.
- Emergence of librarians as digital publishers was a theme throughout sessions. Elizabeth Lane Lawley,
Rochester Institute of Technology, bridged the technology and content worlds, with lively presentations of �born digital publishing� illustrating her coursework, grant application, and professional blogs. Marcia Olstead, a librarian disguised as a senior product planner at
Microsoft (the 3rd largest website in the world), described the positive impact of developing document standards and providing XML based authoring tools to over 100 groups who needed to publish marketing, documentation, and support materials in multiple formats. Catherine Candee of the
California Digital Libraries, provided insight into the complexities involved in operating in depth academic publishing initiative, with multiple authoring groups. An extension of that role is then working with the UC Press to actual production of scholarly monographs, both in print and electronically.
- Attendees filled the room for the panel on
�e-books: The Third Generation�, organized by Don Hawkins,
Information Today. Cindy Hill,
Sun Microsystems, described using user surveys to obtain funding for ebooks for the engineering groups, then getting rave reviews on the completed projects. Dennis Dillon detailed
University of Texas usage statistics developed over six years, which showed significantly lower costs in utilizing ebooks over print books. Both organizations utilize the "one book, one user" model of
NetLibrary.
- Meanwhile, the
next generation of ebook providers were on the exhibit floor, with Christopher Warnock describing the
eBrary implementation at
Stanford University. Both
eBrary and
Knovel have significant added value of context searchability across multiple books and digital content, with pricing based on users, not volumes, an attractive service model for libraries. And for all these customers and providers, the biggest hurdle is getting the titles they want in electronic form!
- XML has become the standard format, supported by the new generation of library tools and software. The
very popular sessions on blogs (aka weblogs) were indicative of the growth of this flavor of author friendly XML tools. Web design sessions are a standard topic at the conference, but now with an emphasis on improving the user experience.
- Fund raising is not a topic usually associated with being an internet librarian, but an evocative evening session on funding dilemmas for public libraries was quite apropos, given the budget crises in California and other large states. The challenge is that about
90% of funding for public libraries comes from tax monies.
Funding from multiple sources is a superior model, and has been accomplished by National Public Radio. In my backyard, the new Martin Luther King Library in San Jose has been a smashing success in combining a public library with a university library to improve services for both constituencies�and opportunities to appeal to both for contributions. Kudos to
Rebecca Jones, of
Dysart & Jones Associates, for focusing on the
bigger picture of ensuring that money is available to purchase the technology and fund the librarians.
