The New York Information and Intelligence Forum

The New York Information and Intelligence Forum, hosted by the New York Chapter of the Special Libraries Association and curated by 2010 President Elect Pam Rollo, offered a fresh perspective on the economic and business-related events that rocked 2009 - not an easy feat considering the pervasive analysis of this calendar year by most perceptive news sources.

Keynote Speaker William Duggan kicked off the day's events with discussion on strategic intuition, or - to put it into laymen's terms - the process by which our knowledge of history combined with a quieting of the mind can create insightful ideas which have the potential to lead to the next big breakthrough in business strategy or services. That's a mouthful, but considering a few examples can help.

Consider, for example, Napoleon's early success as a military strategist. His knowledge of the tools of the trade (portable canons) plus military history (the defeat of the British in the American Revolution) added up to a major win for Napoleon at the Siege of Toulon in 1793. Another pertinent example is Henry Ford's moving assembly line, which combined the Oldsmobile model of the stationary assembly line with the method of slaughtering livestock in the Chicago stock yards. A gruesome example, to be sure, but a pertinent one - remember, insight comes from a diverse set of places, so be on the lookout! And, moving more closely to out era, remember that Steve Jobs had the insight to pair small, portable computers with Xerox's newly developed Graphic User Interface, which sparked a revolution in personal computing.

The Take-Away: learn all you can about the past, let quiet the mind, and let the insights roll! Then, of course, comes the hard work...

The next event slated for the day was the Provider's Panel - a group of four high-level executives from our favorite vendors. On hand to answer moderator Bill Noorlander's insightful questions were Trish Frankenfield from Capital IQ, Steven Goldstein from Alacra, Clare Hart from Dow Jones & Company, and Scott Livingston from Lexis-Nexis. This group of savvy individuals answered a wide range of questions from how these companies reacted to the fall out of the financial services bust in 2008 to what the outlook for the corporate library profession could look like in the future. Spectators were relieved to learn that the vendors worked very closely with their clients during the economic downturn, focusing on the needs of businesses in transition throughout the year. Despite the upheaval in the financial markets, our vendors remained financially solvent, taking the opportunity to narrow their business focus appropriately and even investing in new products and services as needed. The most salient points for the library crowd included a discussion about what types of jobs are up and coming which will utilize our hard won information retrieval and organization skills. All four members of the panel see a wide variety of opportunities to come for those with research skills, and each encouraged today's librarians to diversify their skill sets, focusing primarily on what it is that you're most interested in pursuing.

Following a lovely lunch and social hour, we saw two presentations of innovators in the field today. Bill Patterson made the journey from Pricewaterhouse Cooper's campus in Tampa FL to present on current trends in the analysis which his group provides to clients of PwC. Bill sees knowledge services in general trending toward future-oriented analysis and away from the more traditional desk reference. Librarians are in a great position to move into these roles, as we're likely already performing user-oriented research. Karen Kreizman Reczek was on hand to discuss her tireless work in turning out a product for her company, Bureau Veritas, which collates years of research on compliance and industry guidelines for manufacturers. Karen shared her experience with creating a physical, tangible product within a timeline of eight months (yikes!) - the fruition of which is a true testament to the value that libraries can provide for the organizations and clients. Imagine what kind of a book most of us could write with all of the information we've researched and collated for our end users!

A break-out session wrapped up the day, with most participants heading out to discuss the future of libraries. Other sessions included the lasting effects of 2009, mechanical methods for accomplishing our big goals, and influencing library policy at the national level. Each group then reported their findings to the whole. A recurring theme from these breakout session involved the need for more business-oriented training for current and future librarians, and the need to address these issues with the library schools in New York.

All told, this was an expertly curated day of speakers, panels, and break-out groups. Thanks to Vida Cohen's tireless efforts, the day ran extraordinarily smoothly and was punctuated by ample time to mingle and speak with other participants. Most attendees with whom I spoke seemed to walk away from this event feeling galvanized and ready to take on the challenges that await us in the coming year.

This fall's tour of NYPL SIBL

You probably already know that the New York Public Library system has a research library devoted to Science Industry and Business. But did you know:

• That NYPL SIBL has dozens and dozens of computer stations and laptop docking stations, as well as wireless throughout its facilities?
• That the current site of SIBL is the former site of the former site of the huge B. Altman department store, a New York City institution in the late 19th and early 20th Century?
• That SIBL has classrooms and conference rooms that have been used by 70,000 students in workshops, trainings, programs, and classes that are held nearly every day?
• That SIBL is a first-rate resource for small business people and entrepreneurs of all sorts?
• That SIBL has small collection of circulating popular books on its ground level?
• That SIBL has become NYPL’s job search headquarters, offering free career coaching on weekdays?
• That SIBL is a technologically modern and forward-looking library that just happens to still use pneumatic tubes to page books from the closed stacks?

Neither did I until I dropped in on the Librarians’ Meetup tour of SIBL this fall. It was the first time I had joined the group and I can definitely recommend Librarians' Meetup tour events. They are a great opportunity to get an insider's view of many interesting libraries in the New York City area. And what better way to meet new colleagues and reconnect with fellow information professionals, librarians, and library school students?

Heather Halliday, member NYLM

Metro - For the Facebook addicted (by Jonathan Alpert)

Metro - For the Facebook addicted

From the mywellbeing column by psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert. You can e-mail him your questions at jonathan@jonathanalpert.com.

Mulberry Street Branch Library

In May 2007 the New York Public Library opened its 40th branch library in Manhattan and 87th within the NYPL system: the striking new $6.1 million Mulberry Street Branch Library, located at 10 Jersey Street, between Mulberry and Lafayette.1 Just south of Houston, the Mulberry Branch Street Library is the first branch to open in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan—a neighborhood historically known as the Cast Iron District.2

The Mulberry Street Branch Library “fills the ground floor and two underground levels of an 1886 building” that used to be the Hawley & Hoops candy factory.”3 Designed by the architecture firm Rogers Marvel, much of the old factory's elements were kept to maintain its historical character. “Soaring cast iron columns, dramatically lit underground vaults, brick archways, and massive wood beams are among the original architectural features ….”. 4

However, the space was renovated to house a broad range of resources, “including extensive collections and an advanced infrastructure for library technology.”5

The 12,000 square-foot, three-level library has an extensive collection of 32,655 adult, young adult, and children’s books, DVDs, audio recordings, and other resources including 28 public access computers, wireless Internet access, and a user-friendly self-checkout station. In addition to English, the library also offers a selection of books in Chinese, Spanish, and Italian.6

This selection of language books reflects a special effort on the part of the library to ensure that its materials are representative of the neighborhood it serves. For example, there are a number of books in Chinese for the Chinatown community and the books in Italian are a nod to the area's Italian immigrant past. Additionally, library-card holders can order books from the library’s system by going online.7

According to Supervising Librarian, Jennifer Craft, who oversees the operations of the library, the Mulberry branch offers “resources for every age and every interest, and we want the community to know that we are here to help them with their needs for information and other resources. Whether for recreational reading, story hours, homework projects, job information, or internet access, among many other services, there is something for everyone here in our beautiful new branch."8

There are nine full-time staffers, as well as a number of other part-time and volunteer workers at the Mulberry Street Branch. The library’s hours are Monday: 12-8PM, Tuesday: 10AM-6PM, Thursday: 10AM-6PM, Friday: 1PM-6PM and Saturday: 10AM-5PM. The library is closed on Sundays and Wednesdays.9

For more information about the Mulberry Street Branch Library, please click on the following links:

1. Mulberry Street Branch Information - http://www.nypl.org/branch/local/man/mlinfo.html

2. Press Release: The New York Public Library's New Mulberry Street Branch Opens May 21 – http://www.nypl.org/press/2007/MulberrySt_opening.cfm

3. Gothamist L.L.C: Mulberry Street Public Library Branch Opens Today! - http://gothamist.com/2007/05/21/mulberry_street.php


Works Cited:

1. The New York Public Library. (2007, May 15). The New York Public Library's New Mulberry Street Branch opens May 21. In Current press releases. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2007/MulberrySt_opening.cfm

2. The New York Public Library. (2009). Mulberry Street Branch information. In Branch history. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/branch/local/man/mlinfo.html

3. The New York Public Library. (2007, May 15). The New York Public Library's New Mulberry Street Branch opens May 21. In Current press releases. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2007/MulberrySt_opening.cfm

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Chung, J. (2007). Mulberry Street Public Library Branch opens today!. Gothamist. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://gothamist.com/2007/05/21/mulberry_street.php

8. The New York Public Library. (2007, May 15). The New York Public Library's New Mulberry Street Branch opens May 21. In Current press releases. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2007/MulberrySt_opening.cfm

9. Chung, J. (2007). Mulberry Street Public Library Branch opens today!. Gothamist. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://gothamist.com/2007/05/21/mulberry_street.php

Volunteers Needed

As mentioned in November's meeting, NYPL Mulberry Street Branch would appreciate volunteers to help with reshelving. Interested librarians and library science students should contact Jennifer Craft, Supervising Librarian, via email (jcraft@nypl.org). It's a lovely library! - LT

Twitter lists and real-time journalism By Pete Cashmore, Special to CNN (repost)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore: There's money to be made on Twitter lists
A new feature allows Twitter users to create lists of people to follow
The micro-blogging site is buzzing about this addition
Cashmore: Lists help cut the noise out of Twitter; and list curators add value .


Technology
Editor's note: Pete Cashmore is founder and CEO of Mashable, a popular blog about social media. He is writing a weekly column about social networking and tech for CNN.com.
London, England (CNN) -- The Twitter community is abuzz this week about the site's new "Lists" feature, which allows users to create collections of interesting people to follow on the micro-messaging service.
From lists of sports stars to comedians to political pundits, Twitter has provided its members with the tools required to splice a torrent of updates into a series of relevant, topic-based streams.
In doing so, the social networking startup may have hit upon the long-overdue cure to information overload and birthed a new breed of editor: the real-time Web curator.

Drowning in data

Approximately 25 million Tweets are posted every day; more than 5 billion have been created since Twitter's launch.
Facebook users are even more prolific in aggregate: Forty-five million updates are posted there daily. In May, the last date for which we have data, YouTube announced that 20 hours of video is uploaded to its servers every minute. That's more than three years of content being uploaded to YouTube daily.
As the barriers to media production fall -- cameras in virtually every cell phone, video cameras in iPods, text messaging as a publishing platform -- this content tsunami is growing ever taller.

The friend filter

An obvious antidote: use your friends as a filter.
Google's new Social Search allows users to add their social networking profiles to a Google account and see search results filtered and prioritized based on their circle of friends.
Through integration with Facebook, meanwhile, Web sites are allowing users to create personalized experiences. Connect your Facebook account with social news site Digg.com, for instance, and your existing friends become a filter for the most interesting web links.

From personal to professional

Much like blogging, however, link-sharing on the Web has evolved beyond the personal. While most Twitter users stick to the standard "What Are You Doing?" fare, a growing number spend much of their time collating links and pointing their followers to relevant, timely, topic-based information.
Tracking the pulse of PR in the digital age? You'll probably want to follow Edelman Digital's Steve Rubel, who scours the Web for topical links and shares his findings on Twitter and FriendFeed.
Seeking insights into the mainstream media's transition to the Web? Follow Jeff Jarvis, journalism professor, podcaster and media pundit.
Want to know what venture capitalists are reading these days? Try Union Square Ventures' Fred Wilson, who shares links and insights daily with his 35,000 Twitter followers.

See a list of CNN's anchors on Twitter

Next up: collate dozens of these experts into a topic-based list, and -- voila! -- your hand-picked editorial team extracts the signal from a wall of noise.
Most of these link gatherers have "real" jobs, you'll notice; I see no reason why that should remain the case. In the attention economy, wherein the scarce resource is time and the abundant one is content, those who effectively allocate our attention create value.
Where value is created, it follows that money can be made. The inevitable outcome: Web curators are not just real-time but full-time.

The rise of real-time journalism

Possibly we don't need a new breed, however, just an adaptation.
Journalists, it would seem, are well-placed to capitalize on the trend, since directing an audience's attention via links is not materially different to editing a newspaper or magazine.
Perhaps media companies already see this emergent future: The New York Times has created a Twitter list of all its staff, and the Los Angeles Times has set about categorizing Twitter celebrities.

See CNN International's Twitter list

The Web-centric Huffington Post has gone a step further by embedding Twitter Lists on its Web site to create hubs of real-time updates.
For those cast adrift in a sea of content, good news: A "curation" economy is beginning to take shape, tweet by tweet, list by list.

Uncovering Steve Jobs' Presentation Secrets - BusinessWeek http://ping.fm/0FG4w

Librarians & Blogging

Monday evening four local librarians generously shared their experiences as bloggers in a Meetup meeting at the NYPL Mulberry Branch’s community room: Lisa von Drasek, EarlyWord Kids; Alexandra Crosier, Shelved @ NYC; Jenna Freedman, Lower East Side Librarian; and Jennifer Craft, Blogs @ NYPL−Mulberry Street Branch.

The blogs discussed range from professional to semi-personal, from collaborative to solo, from self- to system-initiated. In EarlyWord Kids, von Drasek reviews advance books for young children, providing a heads-up for librarians. Crosier’s unique New York City-based blog, Shelved @ NYC, combines an event calendar with her commentary on library-related issues. Freedman, who has other blogs, mixes personal and professional concerns−among them subject headings and zines−in Lower East Side Librarian. Craft and her staff contribute to the NYPL system-wide blog for their branch, Blogging @ NYPL−Mulberry Branch, featured in a recent NYPL newsletter. (To read Craft’s blogs only, see http://www.nypl.org/blogs/jennifer-craft.)

They did a fantastic job as speakers, touching upon meeting untapped needs, development of their respective blogs, snarky blogging, and finding a middle ground between caution and total frankness. Von Drasek, for instance, turns to colleagues (in the audience!) who serve as sounding boards for posts that might be over the top.

Other issues explored were rude feedback, posts that received lots of hits and why, and waning output. Attentiveness to design, commitment to open-source technology (Lower East Side Librarian utilizes Drupal), and use of tag clouds and Twitter were also discussed.

About twenty people attended this informal discussion, including Marion Lipshutz, a Meetup member. She started a library-related blog last month, Information Vistas. Afterward seven members went to a nearby restaurant on Lafayette Street.

Thanks so much to our fabulous guests and audience for their participation. And a big thank you as always to Jennifer Craft, Mulberry Branch Supervising Librarian, for use of the community room. - LT (rvsd. 11/6/09)

New York County Lawyers Association Guided Library Tour

New York Librarians MeetUp October 27, 2009

New York County Lawyers Association

The New York County Lawyers Association, one of the largest bar associations in the country with 10,000 members, was founded in 1908 as a response to the restrictive membership rules of other state and local bar associations. Interested in legal and public policy questions, it is open to all members of the New York Bar. For a more detailed description of the Association, see its website: http://www.nycla.org/.

The NYCLA library, with about 230,000 volumes, expects to serve 12,750 patrons in 2009 both in the physical library and fee based services such as copying and legal research. About 45% of NYCLA’s budget is appropriated to the library. The library has 6 professional librarians on staff.

Dan Jordan, the Director of Library Services, provided a tour of the library which encompassed an introduction to legal bibliography and research. As he explained the development of legal bibliography and the basics of legal research, he showed us the physical books, not just the shelves, but what the books looked like inside. We also visited the basement where the superseded volumes required for research are stored. As in most libraries, legal materials are moving online and people (depending on when they graduated from law school) are using books less. So NYCLA deals with the question of what to keep in physical form and what to discard.

I had briefly worked at the NYCLA library when I worked for Cassidy Cataloguing in the early 1990’s. As a law librarian for more than 25 years, I was familiar with legal bibliography and research. Still, I enjoyed the tour very much. This meetup was an excellent introduction to legal bibliography, legal research and the workings of a subscription library.

Caren Rabinowitz, JD, MLS

Assistant Organizer, NY Librarians Meetup

Librarians and Blogging

Librarians and Blogging

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Free Job Board, Job Search Engine, Resume Search, Post Jobs Free, Apply To Jobs

Free Job Board, Job Search Engine, Resume Search, Post Jobs Free, Apply To Jobs

Did You Know 4.0

This is a vide response to "Did You Know 2.0".

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’ Student Reception

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center is home to one of the world’s most extensive combination of circulating and non-circulating reference and research materials on music, dance, theatre, recorded sound, and other performing arts.1 It is an essential resource of information for a myriad of professionals and aspiring students in virtually all aspects of the performing arts: dancers, singers, actors, composers, choreographers, conductors, directors, set and costume designers, critics, and historians. Hence, whether you are a professional, an amateur or a member of the general public, the Library for the Performing Arts is an invaluable resource for everyone with an interest in the performing arts. 2

At present, the Library for the Performing Arts contains over 350,000 published items, which includes books, periodicals, sheet music, audio cassettes, compact discs, videotapes and DVDs.3 All together, the Library’s collections come to a staggering nine million items. However, only 30 percent of the research holdings are actually books. The remaining 70 percent is comprised of historic recordings, videotapes, manuscripts, correspondence, sheet music, set, light, mechanical and costume designs, press clippings, programs, posters, and photographs-- and all these materials are freely available for borrowing.4

In addition to being a lending and research library, the Library for the Performing Arts functions, as a creative laboratory for performing artists; “artists draw inspiration and direction from the materials to create their work, and the documentation of their process becomes part of the collections.”5 It also serves “as a museum, a video production center, a valued consultant to the artistic community, and a performance venue, regularly presenting concerts and theatrical events as well as lectures and seminars. Through its collections the public programs, the Library attracts some 425,000 visitors a year.” 6

Kevin Winkler is the Library for the Performing Arts’ Assistant for Access Services. He leads the creation of community-driven, customer focused facilities and service plans and is responsible for the development and implementation of uniform public service policies in all LPA divisions. Winkler reports to the Executive Director regarding the management of fiscal operations such as budget preparation and control and is responsible for all aspects of public service including research and circulating collections. His day-to-day tasks include coordination of administrative support for all library units, and overseeing facility operations and security. Winkler is also responsible for content development of the Library’s website and long range planning of technology based service programs for on-site and remote users. Additionally, he oversees collaborations with Lincoln Center on facility and marketing projects.

Curator for the Library for the Performing Arts’ Music Division, Robert Kosovsky is responsible for the division’s collection of rare books and manuscripts. The Library for the Performing Arts’ Music Division is “one of the world's preeminent music collections”7 and serves the needs of an extensive professional constituency, “including singers and instrumentalists in search of unusual music, writers preparing program notes for concerts and recordings, lawyers searching copyrights, television producers and book publishers in need of illustrative material, and sociologists studying popular culture.”8 The Division contains many scores and manuscripts that are centuries old and documents the art of music in all its diversity: opera, spirituals, ragtime, jazz, musical theater, film, world, orchestral, rock, and pop music. The Division’s “curatorial mandate is one of activist, placing major emphasis on capturing the creative output of contemporary composers.” 9 Its acquisitions program spans the globe to bring the Division the latest published music from many nations. The Library for the Performing Arts’ Music Division provides a vital information center for music scholars and students alike. 10

On Tuesday, September 15, 2009, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts hosted its 2nd annual student reception. The evening invites students and faculty from the New York area to meet and reconnect over drinks, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. The event also gives students and faculty the opportunity to learn about the unique collections, scholarly opportunities, programs, and services at New York’s world class performing arts library. In preparation for this year’s student reception, I interviewed the Library for the Performing Arts’ Kevin Winkler and Robert Kosovosky, to find out what to expect.

Q: How did the idea for the student reception at the Library for the Performing Arts come about?

Kevin Winkler: Despite our having been in this location since 1965, I am always amazed when students tell me they didn’t know we existed. [The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is] a prime resource for performing arts students throughout the city, and we wanted to create an event specifically for students that would introduce our services and collections to them.

Robert Kosovsky: The idea of the reception had been brewing for a year; in part we were prevented because a similar [event] was held at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building… . Also, we noted a decline in the number of researchers and realized that many students, especially those new to New York, may be unfamiliar with the Library.

Q: How long has the Library for the Performing Arts been hosting this event?

KW: We started the reception just last year, so this will be our second [year hosting the event].

Q: What is the purpose of this event?

RK: The purpose of the event is to introduce people to the Library and establish what we hope will be a life-long relationship.

Q: Who attends this event?

KW: Students from high school, college, performing arts programs (i.e., music, theatre, dance, film), as well as library school students and students in museum studies—we have an active museum exhibition program.

RK: Undergraduate, graduate and post graduate students are invited as well as interested faculty.

Q: Is there typically a large turnout?

KW: Last year we welcomed 125 students. This year we’re expecting to top that number of attendees.

Q: What can participants expect at this year’s event?

RK: Participants can expect socialization. We hope that students from different schools and disciplines meet one another. There will also be some short presentations that include a guest speaker and glimpses of a few of the interesting items to be found at the Library for the Performing Arts.

KW: First, they’ll be welcomed by Jackie Davis, Library for the Performing Arts’ Executive Director. They will also hear remarks from Tituss Burgess (pictured left), about how important the Library for the Performing Arts is to his professional work. Burgess is a Broadway actor and singer who has appeared in “Guys and Dolls” and “The Little Mermaid”. Students will be handed packets of information regarding the Library’s various collections and services. We’ll also hold a drawing where some great library publications will be given away. There will be time for food and drink as well as the opportunity to talk with LPA librarians and curators. Finally, students will explore the building, where they can visit the reading rooms; wander through the stacks and see samples of our original video documentation of theatre and dance performances. Hopefully, they’ll leave with a better understanding of how the Library for Performing Arts can support their educational curriculum.

Works Cited:
1. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (2009). About the library. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/general/

2. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (2009). History of Performing Arts Library. In Collections. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2001/lpareopenhistory.cfm

3. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (2009). History of Performing Arts Library. In Divisions of the Library for the Performing Arts: The circulating collections. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2001/lpareopenhistory.cfm

4. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (2009). History of Performing Arts Library. In Collections. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2001/lpareopenhistory.cfm

5. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (2009). History of Performing Arts Library. In Divisions of the Library for the Performing Arts: The circulating collections. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2001/lpareopenhistory.cfm

6. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (2009). History of Performing Arts Library. In Collections. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/press/2001/lpareopenhistory.cfm

7. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. (2009). About the music division. In Collections. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/mus/musabout.html

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

News: Libraries of the Future - Inside Higher Ed

News: Libraries of the Future - Inside Higher Ed

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A library without the books - The Boston Globe

A library without the books - The Boston Globe

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10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets (http://ping.fm/ixMto)

Social Networking Literacy Competencies For Librarians

View more documents from Joe Murphy.

Book Sale for Charity on Upper West Side

This year's Goddard Riverside New York Book Sale takes place on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22 on Columbus Avenue at W. 88 Street. They may still need volunteers to sort or sell; see
Goddard Riverside Community Center for more information on this.

- LT

The banks must rediscover Victorian values | William Rees-Mogg - Times Online

The banks must rediscover Victorian values | William Rees-Mogg - Times Online

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Some discussion please: What lesson(s) can be drawn from Paragraph 8 concerning the gap in generations, experience, etc.? Both ACRL-NY and LACUNY are planning Fall symposiums to address this issue. Watch this space for more information or Google for exact details.

Slideshow : Future of the Library User Experience 2009 Urban Libraries Council Webinar Keynote

Is there a future for libraries? Please view, study and comment on this on-the-mark presentation. What steps, if any, will you take to insure that literacy, democracy and civilization will be preserved?

Stephanie Gross,
Organizer
NY Librarians Meetup

The Library Of Taybas Western Academy By: Nilda Pilar S. Montecillo

The school is an 80-year old institution located about 112 kms south of Manila in the town of Candelaria, Quezon Province. The enrollment is about 1,900 from elementary to college. More than 1,600 are high school students. Classroom size is 40 to 45 students. Enrollees are mostly from middle to lower middle class families and in the context of less developed country, maybe 30% of the gross family income goes into education.

The library itself is the size of four classrooms equipped with two computers with internet connection and a xerox machine. Not much to go with in terms of hardware but by Philippine standards, sufficient for real basic education. Two library custodians man the fort along with a library helper. The range of our library collection is mostly geared on the subjects offered in the school which is pretty normal. The advent of internet research helped those more adventurous students to explore beyond the walls of the library but we do lack off-the-shelf DVD and CD educational programs.

There is not much to crow about our library. But this corner of the school is a mute witness to the thousands of students who began dreaming about their future lives in some hallowed nook of this library.

The Filipino Librarian By: Nilda Pilar S. Montecillo

We do not know of any place in the world except in the Philippines where librarians are licensed like doctors, engineers and lawyers. Either a place of honor is reserved for librarians in the country or the science part of library discipline was interpreted as the equivalent of quantum physics or the geography of the Himalayas. Anyway, it is only very recently that our librarians are given the recognition and salary levels that most of us richly deserve.

It is however still a long upward struggle for our profession to be financially rewarding in the Philippines and I would suppose in any less developed country. With the economy of scarcity as a backdrop, librarians in the country had learned to be persevering and make do with what they are paid not out of meekness but because of the realization that in the field of education, idealism is more valuable than materialism. Very intellectual but disconcerting nevertheless.

In some top of the line schools where fees are beyond the reach of ordinary working Filipinos, librarians occupy the equivalent of middle echelon management positions with better pay than teachers. Ensconced in their air conditioned libraries and surrounded by top of the line computers with internet access faster than the speed of light, our modern day librarians are in another plane where warmth human interaction is missing. Somehow the romance of actually handling collections and the smell of leather bound books are no longer part of these high-end libraries.

For most of us in the Philippines, we manage libraries the traditional way; manually and with tender loving care. In the Philippines, advance technology is largely expensive to acquire and subsequently maintain. Talk of licensing and cost of hardware. To put everything in perspective, a high school student in our school, a private provincial institution, will annually pay between Pesos: 10,600.00 to 12,000.00 (US$220.00 to US$250.00) in total school fees. On average, a teacher or even a librarian will gross about Pesos: 11,000.00 a month or around US$230.00. The costs to do things manually even if inefficiently still make better economic sense than computerizing the library system or the whole school system for that matter. However, with the advent of less expensive hardware and free softwares, we are moving towards modernization in our own careful and well-planned phases.

The top tier high schools in the Philippines will cost anywhere from Pesos: 100,000.00 to 120,000.00 annually or about US$2,100.00 to US$2,500.00. The chief librarians at these schools earn about Pesos: 50,000.00 a month or about US$1,050.00; the same pay scale at large corporations particularly law firms with extensive library collections. These schools are mostly catholic schools catering to the educational needs of wealthy families and located in Metro Manila. Public schools cost practically nothing but they are very crowded with lower standards. Public librarians should be grossing about Pesos: 11,000.00 (US$224.00) a month but there is now a law that will increase the pay scale of the teachers and of course public school librarians to Pesos: 15,000.00 (US$312.00) a month in the next four years. Again, as a perspective, the minimum wage in the country is about Pesos: 375.00 or less than US$8.00 daily. At this level of family income, education for the children will be at best up to the elementary grades.

But we are sturdy people who put premium on education. The popularity of Filipinos as educated workers in foreign countries is a testament to our latent talents as a people. With minimal encouragement, we can excel even in the world stage. But this is altogether another interesting topic.

In our country, libraries are where you can still look directly into the eyes of your clients and instinctively know part of their personalities by the kind of books they read. Libraries are where books are stored in open shelves and not in some hard discs. Where titles are handwritten in rectangular index cards. Where library cards are examined not swiped. Where voices are kept low out of respect for the sanctity of the place and not because those are the rules.

Librarians are a respected lot in our country but the type that are easily forgotten. They work tirelessly and unobtrusively for their fulfillment is the perfection of their craft and in making their libraries useful to their public. Oh! I love to be a librarian!

Nilda Pilar S. Montecillo is a member of the NY Librarians Meetup and resides in the Philippines.

Networking at Cosi

Following the group's tour of the Strand Bookstore, meetup group members gathered inside the eatery Cosi on the corner of 13^th Street and Broadway for a networking session. Cosi Restaurant is a wonderfully sophisticated sandwich bar with delicious food at reasonable prices. The restaurant's cozy atmosphere lent itself well to the initiation of fun and intelligent conversation between meetup group members. As group members participated in friendly exchange with one another, their nodding heads and bright smiles gave clear indication that they were enjoying themselves.

Organizer, Stephanie L. Gross was warm, welcoming and provided group members with an abundance of information relating to library and information services. For example, she spoke about various library organizations, associations and clubs like ALA, SLA, The New York Library Club, Inc. and Beta Phi Mu. Additionally, Stephanie spoke about the importance of library advocacy, developments in information technology, and online job networking sites like LinkedIn.

Part II of the NY Librarians August Meetup at Cosi provided group members with an excellent and unique networking experience. It was a pleasure meeting with and learning about people from all different backgrounds in the field of librarianship.

Ardleapat, Member NYLM

Strand Book Store

Yesterday evening several of us met at the legendary Strand Book Store for in-depth tour. Understandably librarian associations are drawn to this independent store. It’s an alluring magnet for book lovers.

Our group visited many areas, among them Receiving, Art Books, and Rare Books. We spoke with staff, including Fred Bass, the president and son of the original owner (see photo above). He readily admits the selling of books is hard work. The acquisition of the Espresso Book Machine by a downtown bookstore underscores challenges that consumers, bookstores, libraries, and publishers face today.

Christina Foxley, our cohost, outlined the store’s history and recent changes in its interior and operations. These include the closing of the annex, elimination of a check-in area, and advent of a successful events program. We learned about the Strand’s creation of libraries for movie sets and individuals, once frowned-upon practice of selling review copies, “dollar” bins, and ability to keep prices low. Because of their unusual affordability, photo books from the store are truly coveted items. The store retains staff with specialized knowledge; in Art Books, for instance, salespeople have a background in art.

Many of us were unaware the Strand works extensively with libraries. John Banister, our other cohost, is Libraries Manager, and distributed material on services. The store's review copies are especially popular among librarians. Graduate students enrolled in library and information science programs should note the Strand offers academic internships with stipends.

Since the Strand needs to restrict the size of visiting groups, New York Librarians Meetup Group hopes to schedule another tour to accommodate members’ enthusiastic interest in this iconic, vital institution. We thank everyone there for their generosity in hosting this event.

- LT

Photograph is used with permission of the Strand Book Store.