Image by Welkyn Software Solutions. Retrieved from FlickR. Used under Creative Common’s licensing.
If you follow ebook news, you have no doubt heard of James LaRue, Executive Director of the Douglas County Libraries (Colorado). Patrons often want the New York Times list of bestsellers in ebook format. But, it is doubtful that they understand how dearly libraries are paying for some of these titles. Ebook prices are set by the publisher, and current distributor business models depend on pocketing more than half of the sale. In true form, Larue challenges librarians as to why they are willing to go along with this model. Prepare to be astounded by the following chart that compares the library pricing of an ebook as opposed to consumer pricing. What does this mean for the future of libraries if readers increasingly ask for ebook formats?
Image by Wertheim. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Common’s licensing.
Welcome to Your Voice, a column that shares Quick Question Poll (QQP) results from libraries/school media centers in the twelve-county, CMLE region. Whether a statistical response or textual response to open ended questions, your voice matters. Invitations to engage in the polls arrive in your email; please participate! Most poll results will be shared in aggregate form unless stated otherwise in the poll or through additional approval arrangements.
Part 1 of this post happened last week. If you want to catch last weeks’ column, feel free to read it first!
In answer to one of our recent poll questions: Which two or three things are going especially well for you in your library, school district or media center, we share the following quotes…..
Many donations to keep the library up to date on newer books, very few lost books through the school year.
Library remodel. Collection development.
Circulation remains strong. Our district is supporting a movement toward a 1:1 laptop program. Our program continues to receive strong district support.
We are extremely busy and the numbers for library use of all kinds look great and are rising. We are getting additional space when we move over to the new building the college has purchased to house the library. Our administration is very supportive of our library.
The “library without walls” environment continues to be amazing—with all of the e-resources available to our students and staff, we can enhance learning in ways we dreamed of!
Personal goal of using more technology in my lessons and student options for technology use. Implemented iPod touches.
Good things are happening…..it’s easy to focus on what is wrong or not getting done, but reflecting on what is right can enrich your work life. If you would like the full story on any poll results we share, let us know and maybe we can arrange to get more detail for a future blog post!
If you have suggestions for new polls, or have questions about existing polls, please feel free to contact me at papost@stcloudstate.edu or 320-308-4779.
Image by Bogeskov. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Common’s licensing.
A few weeks ago, we had a spirited conversation after a fire drill about risk, and how far an employee should be expected to go when a college student will not vacate the university library during a fire drill. And what about if there had been a real fire? Should library staff be expected to risk their lives for patrons who will not comply with announcements to vacate the building? Needless to say, there were feelings expressed, and some with passion too! Let me tell you a story about risk and passion…..
I read a story about a children’s librarian in Queens (Miss Susan) who made a promise for her summer reading program. If at least 300 children registered and read at least 4,000 books over the summer, she would read a story to a live alligator! In past years she has made other outrageous promises too, made good on all of them, but this one topped the previous ones! Well, you guessed it, Miss Susan read “There’s an Alligator Under My Bed” by Mercer Mayer to Wally, a female alligator. Read the full story and please be aware that after hearing the story, Wally had no comment!
Image from MN Book Awards. Retrieved online. Some rights reserved.
As a native to Minnesota, I love to learn about local authors. It’s heartwarming to hear stories from our member libraries about how they recognize authors. Some examples include; famous quotes, webcasts, book talks, celebrating birthdays, table displays, etc. As a result, I wanted to share with you a resource from the MN Book Awards. It is a literary map, From Main Street to Your Street: Minnesota Writers on the Map. Click here to find an author near you.
TIP: Kate DiCamillo, who is currently living in Minneapolis, MN, is holding an exclusive webcast with Jon Scieszka on October 21st. If you would like to attend, registration and additional information can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/kesjsml.
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