Typed on a plane – will add links shortly
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It’s been a fascinating couple of days at the DPLA workshops and meetings in Washington DC. Five million dollars has been pledged to the effort by the Sloan Foundation and the Arcadia Fund, so the time has finally come to build the DPLA. I can hardly cover all the wonderful talks and contributions that occurred over these days, so for now I’ll focus on only a few thoughts here.

In our first meeting of the Audience & Participation workstream, it was apparent that we need to expand that diversify that group. As a public librarian, I have found it troublesome that the input and influence during the pre-formative and conceptual development phase of the DPLA has largely been confined to the voices of library directors (with exceptions, for example pushy me who has been fortunate to be as involved as I am). I understand that there’s a certain type of knowledge that library directors bring to this conversation, specifically the challenges associated with explaining the DPLA concept to funders, boards of trustees, or local government officials who might not understand the way it will augment rather than replace the library facilities we know and love. That said, having come straight from the Internet Librarian conference in Monterey to the DPLA meeting, I was reminded of how many brilliant technologists and user experience specialists there are in public (and other) libraries. I’m pleased that at this stage in the conversation these workstreams are more open than ever, and I’m excited to actively solicit input from both the technically savvy public librarian crowd and the customer service savvy individuals, who again are a large and expanding crowd.

That said, I believe that these communication and participation issues will also be addressed at the NDPL conference coming up at the Los Angeles Public Library in November. This will be a gathering of both public library directors and technologists, and I hope it will help put everybody on the same page regarding what the DPLA could and should mean for public libraries. Even outside of the scope of the DPLA, we all know that content is going digital fast but library buildings are still seeing record crowds. We will continue to find excellent new opportunities to engage library users in different ways in library spaces. I’ve been quite clear that I believe the public library has to move from a read-only space to become a read/write space, where knowledge is produced rather than merely consumed. Perhaps, as well as tackling the communication and participation issues associated with the DPLA we’ll talk about a complementary future for library spaces. Perhaps there will be conversation about how we can measure the impact of these kinds of activities and begin to communicate library usefulness to community stakeholders with metrics other than book transactions and circulations. Please add your commentary to the discussion board for this conference, and do register and attend if you can.

Back to the DPLA itself: the Audience & Participation working group also identified a need to get more input from school librarians (lower, middle, and high school). The curriculum building possibilities for the DPLA are really fantastic; if embraced by teachers and librarians they could change classroom interactions substantially. The DPLA vision described my some of the Beta Sprints- particularly extraMUROS, ShelfLife and LibraryCloud enables curatorial learning- in other words understanding information pieces in new ways by relating them to others. Building collections of digital objects based on hyperlinks, and the cognitive meandering associated with hyperlinking is very exciting. The cuts that school libraries have seen recently are tragic, perhaps the DPLA could eventually have some kind of rejuvenating effect in that area.

Finally, on Thursday afternoon, the workstreams regrouped and we had what was in my opinion the most provocative session of the day: a brief use case scenario workshop. From the getgo it has felt awkward to consider the DPLA in the backwards, not-so-user-centric kind of manner it has evolved. I mean, it’s service design/software development 101 to start development with user needs, tell their stories, and design products and services based on the way those stories unfold. As a result, the workgroups all were looking to each other for the answers… for example the Content & Scope folks felt they couldn’t define that until they knew their Audience, while in the Audience group we asked “well, what kind of Content are we working with?” I realize now that while it has felt like we’ve been letting technology geeketry lead the development process rather than user needs, by saving the bulk of the user-centered design process until after self-organized groups built and demonstrated their vision of pieces of the DPLA, we gave people more creative space to work with. I’m making the assumption that from here we’ll be looking at the Beta Sprints that were presented at the plenary meeting and choosing the most compelling attributes, discarding the least exciting, and merging the ideas AND NOW FINALLY considering the wealth of different situations in which a user should look to look to the DPLA as their choice service.

So in conclusion I’d say it’s nice to feel like we are moving forward, and touch briefly on Amanda French’s idea that we need to have a building- a giant DPLA structure- a monument to this effort and to digital knowledge. I’m very much in agreement that this will need a physical footprint and that merely building a web platform, code, and APIs is not enough. That said, a centralized building feels like a mistake to me, and I’d suggest that some kind of distributed, networked architecture that is visable in, on or around library locations across the country would be more effective. We have a public library infrastructure, it’s amazing, and we should be proud to transition it into this new time. I don’t doubt that a centralized building will exist for the DPLA one day, it is almost instinctive to build monuments to great efforts. But any public librarian will tell you this: it’s in the library branches where all the real action is. That is where we need the physical manifestation of this thing.

I’ve been a presentin’ madman lately, first with a talk for the wonderful 2^nd LJ/SLJ eBook Summit and then four, yes 4, presentations at Internet Librarian 2012 in Monterey.  Now I’m catching my breath here in Washington DC where the DPLA meetings are going to be taking place over the next couple of days, and I thought I’d take a minute to share the slides and some brief thoughts about what I’ve been up to over the last week or two.  Forgive me if this comes off as a journal entry, but- well it kind of is a journal entry.  Take it or leave it.

First presentation was the LJ/SLJ eBook Summit talk of Oct 12, called “Library Service Models in the Digital Transition: From Read to Read/Write”.  In brief, I spoke to the idea that a proliferation of digital content -both eBooks and web content- is going to have a lasting effect on both the activities that libraries support and library facilities themselves.  I don’t believe that the systems of branch libraries that replicate collections of physical content are going to be as sustainable in coming years.  They already aren’t: check out the branch library closures across the country.  I also don’t believe libraries will continue to communicate unique value in their communities unless they support knowledge production with the same commitment they now pledge to knowledge consumption.  In the presentation I showed off the Uni project as a portable, flexible delivery system for physical content and learning spaces, I showed of the Library Lab as a modular support system for content creation, and then I presented the idea of a distributed library system that offers these differing kinds of services in different locations based on needs assessment.

Then it was down to Monterey for the Internet Librarian conference: a favorite both because of subject matter and the exceptional location.  First I helped out Jason Clark of Montana State University with a 3 hour preconference session on mobile design, development, and strategy.  I love this format: we had 14 people from very different library backgrounds in the room, and because it was a small group we were able to be flexible with the class and teach to their individual needs.  Very satisfying.   I hope the class enjoyed it as much as I did.

Next was a presentation about lessons learned thus far from the Scan Jose mobile history app/site/Layar.  Scan Jose has been interesting.  Half technology experiment, half storytelling experiment, all funded by an IMLS grant, for me and the rest of our group at San Jose Public Library it has truly been a learning experience.  It’s still totally beta-ish, with glitches and some need for attention to detail on my part, but it is pretty cool.   Take a look on your phone at the walking tours if you get a chance but beware: this truly is a hyperlocal app and if you are in Australia it will try to give you walking directions to the points in San Jose.  Anyways, this presentation was supposed to be about usability testing for mobile apps, and I thought when I proposed the session I’d have done a lot of that.  In reality I/we haven’t done much of that yet so I spoke of all the scenario prototyping and storyboarding that could be a load of fun to do (and I expect to do) someday.  Check out the slides below.

Third at Internet Librarian was a talk about user experience design.  I spoke about the order of perception and used an image of a bear to show the way that images and labels can interact with one another on a web page to create different meaning and different priorities.  There’s a lot of fascinating theory behind user interface design and I jump at opportunities to ramble on about it.  It’s also a great opportunity to show slides of pretty weird stuff, and then explain to the audience that you are showing them that weird stuff for some high-brow conceptual purpose.  I was psyched to get away with the clip art bear and puddle of blood.  I followed up the conceptual bit with a problem I’m hoping to solve on the San Jose Public Library website: weaving together an information architecture fro both browsers of our unique content as well as searchers, who use the site as a utility.  Some screen shots below…

Last and the very opposite of least was a presentation with Chris Noll about the Library Lab.  It was really energizing to get an audience who was excited and engaged in that project.  I won’t go into detail about it here, since there’s an early PLA Bog post detailing what it was and is, and because I expect I’ll be writing a lot more about it in the not-too-distant future.

So now, abruptly and without much rest, it’s off to the DPLA meetings.  Stay tuned for updates!

Don’t miss PLA’s “Public Librarian’s Guide to E-Books: A PLA Webinar Series” which begins on Oct. 25. This special series features four weekly webinars designed to provide public librarians with practical information and actionable steps to integrate e-books, e-readers, and related e-materials into a public library collection. Each webinar will be moderated by consultant Carson Block and filled with guest speakers and panels. Participants will hear from librarians, technologists, and e-material vendors.

The four webinars occur at 1 p.m. Central on the following days:

Oct. 25 – “Intro to E-Books” (Learn about different e-reader devices and the e-book market.)
Nov. 1 – “Laying the Groundwork for a Successful E-Book Collection” (Learn about licensing, purchasing, and loaning.)
Nov. 8 – “Powering Up Your E-Book Program” (Learn actionable steps to create an e-book program for libraries of any size.)
Nov. 15 – “Strategies for Sustaining Your Library’s E-Book Program” (Learn how to determine costs to maintain program, understand risks, and measure effectiveness.)
The program is designed to build upon each webinar, so it is recommended to register for the full series; however, it is possible to register for individual webinars.

The cost to attend “Public Librarian’s Guide to E-Books: A PLA Webinar Series” (four webinars) is $99 (PLA Members), $115 (ALA Members) and $129 (Nonmembers). Groups of any size can register for the entire series for $379. Individual webinar registration costs $28 (PLA Members), $31.50 (ALA Members) and $35 (Nonmembers). Groups of any size can register for individual webinars for $129. Get more information here.

The Pespectives column in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of “Public Libraries” will focus on public libraries and the homeless. Share your library’s story or your personal story with the rest of the public library world. We are seeking essays of up to 1,500 words in length. Deadline is November 11, 2011. If you’d like to contribute an essay, or if you have questions, please contact the column editor, Nanci Milone Hill ().

Nomination Deadline: December 15, 2011

Supporters of outstanding museums and libraries are encouraged to nominate these institutions for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for exemplary museum and library community service. The National Medal honors museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. Medal winners receive a $10,000 award and are honored at a National Medal award ceremony held in Washington, D.C.

Any individual, including a museum or library employee, may nominate a museum or library in the United States and its territories for the National Medal. Public or private nonprofit museums, including zoos, art, history, science and technology, children’s, and natural history museums; historic houses, nature centers, and botanical gardens; and all types of nonprofit libraries, including public, school, academic, research, and archival, are eligible to receive this honor.

For more information and to access the nomination form, please go to: http://www.imls.gov/about/medals.aspx. A complete application will include a five-page, single-spaced narrative; financial statements for the past two fiscal years; and up to three letters of support. These nominating materials are reviewed by members of the National Museum and Library Services Board, a presidentially appointed policy advisory board of IMLS. Based on their recommendations, the IMLS Director selects the final winners.

Nominations must be postmarked by December 15, 2011 to this address (no faxes or emails will be accepted):

The National Medal for Museum and Library Service
Office of the Director
Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M St. NW 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov

Read more about ALA’s founding 135 years ago at http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/ask-ala-librarian/happy-135th-ala.

While it may seem redundant to post this amidst the flurry of activity on Twitter (follow hashtag #dpla) and in other media, I’d like to let PLA blog readers know that the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) site is now live.  It’s an exciting step forward for an ambitious initiative which holds a lot of promise for public library patrons during our changing times.  As a convening member of the audience and participation workstream and as a true enthusiast and supporter of this project, I’ll be posting updates and thoughts from time to time on the PLA Blog encouraging public libraries and librarians to join the conversation and to help make the DPLA something useful, inspiring, and valuable for their communities.

I believe that the first iteration of the DPLA will be an intentional, measured venture into creating a semantic web for all things ‘cultural heritage’, and that it’s underlying structure and standards are going to let libraries, museums, and archives put their metadata and assets on the web in such a way that fabulous new discovery, social, and remixing tools (and the developers who build such tools) will have access to them.  What does that mean?  That means it’ll be much easier for professionals or even hobbyists to build interfaces and curate collections like Old SF, an amazing local history site built from resources at the San Francisco Public Library.  It means that projects like LibraryCloud can ingest your data and make it available through the fascinating social discovery interface called ShelfLife.  It means that you can use slick and powerful curatorial tools like extraMUROS to do even simple things, like building slideshows of library and web content for an iPad on the fly.  It means a lot of different things, but something that I know will resonate in the under-resourced public libraries that haven’t been able to invest in a lot of in-house tech staff: it means the technically inclined individuals in your community will be able to leverage their own skills to make the library better.  And when they make their library better, they make their community better.

That’s a powerful concept.  Public libraries empower their users by providing access to knowledge, traditionally for consumption.  The DPLA will make our cultural heritage available not to consume, but to parse, sort, analyze, visualize, remix, and redisplay.  Perhaps the next iteration of the DPLA might be supporting knowledge production and content creation, but there’s an awful lot of work to do first.  First we need a framework and a few ground rules.  Here we go….

Look to the DPLA Blog for more news.
Check out another post over at Hack Library School.
Get info about the upcoming meeting in Washington DC , Oct 21
Look at the amazing Beta Sprint projects.

Please be advised that the online PLDS database service provider has changed. The PLDS database is now hosted at PLAmetrics. Current subscribers to the online PLDS database will receive an email containing new information about access to PLAmetrics. Please contact PLA at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA if you have questions regarding access to PLAmetrics. For technical questions please contact, Lindsay Thompson, Counting Opinions, 1-800-521-4930.

At 1 p.m. CDT on Oct. 26, the Public Library Association (PLA) will host a live, hour-long webinar, “Building Community: Online Tools for Spanish Speakers” as part of PLA’s “Public Libraries at Work” monthly webinar series. During this webinar, participants will learn how to create a library community that welcomes and assists Spanish speakers by blending emerging technologies and social media with in-person services such as programming and reference.

Instructor Loida Garcia-Febo, coordinator, New Americans Program, Queens (N.Y.) Library, will provide successful service examples from libraries in the U.S., Mexico, Colombia and other countries. She’ll also explore the usage of Twitter, Facebook, blogs and wikis, and will include practical ideas that each library can implement to connect with Spanish-speaking library users.

The cost to attend “Building Community: Online Tools for Spanish Speakers” is $28 (PLA Members), $31.50 (ALA Members) and $35 (Nonmembers). Groups of any size can register for $129. The deadline to register is 4:30 p.m. CDT on Oct. 24. Register here.Get more information here.

Registration for PLA’s advocacy training program, Turning the Page 2.0, is open for the autumn course (week of Oct. 31 – week of Dec. 12). Previous participants have enjoyed learning about library advocacy, including Michael Shell from Jacksonville, Florida, who blogged about the importance of community partnership and how Turning the Page 2.0 can help libraries build them.