This week’s 4cast:
1. Sheriff Roy Puts ILS Vendors on Notice
Roy Tennant recently wrote an open letter to all ILS vendors, basically alerting them that the rise of open source ILS options such as Evergreen and Koha is going to put them out of business, especially if they fail to improve the less-than-innovative systems they’re currently hawking.
- Open Letter to ILS Vendors (TechEssence.Info)
- “Strategery” (blyberg.net)
- Lead, follow or get out of the way (Information Wants To Be Free)
- Did Roy Tennant cause this?! (The Distant Librarian)
2. How to Get to 2.0?
As Web technologies continue to rapidly evolve, how can libraries stay innovative? Understanding the basic principles of Web 2.0 (and seeing some Web 2.0 tools in action) can help you envision your library’s next generation of services.
- The Web 2.0 We Weave (TechCrunch)
- Into a New World of Librarianship (Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology)
- My Top-ten Library 2.0 “No-brainers” for Public Libraries (The Other Librarian)
- 13 Ways of looking at a public library (It’s all good)
3. ‘Braries on the Tube
Speaking of Library 2.0… more and more libraries are utilizing YouTube to help explain their services and goals, often with highly entertaining results. In recognition of this growing trend, this year’s Computers in Libraries conference will present the First InfoTubey Awards.
- Allen County Public Library (IN) (YouTube)
- McCracken County Public Library (KY) (YouTube)
- The L-Team (YouTube)
- “Ray of Light” St. Joseph County Public Library Version (YouTube)
4. Stuck in the Cocoon
Library 2.0 is all about embracing change. And as the profession continues to transform, unwilling participants (i.e. libraries and librarians that stubbornly refuse to change) may simply be left behind.
- “I didn’t get an MLS to do that.” (Blog about Libraries)
- Technical Support Should Be a Core Competency (Life as I Know It)
- The Accidental Tech Support Librarian (Library 2.0: An Academic’s Perspective)
- If They Go Elsewhere, We Lose (LibraryCrunch)
