A brief return to Character-based LMS and the inevitable Public library staff consultation processes

The end of week one in the public library service.  I have to admit a certain fondness for the old Dynix system that is currently used to circulate materials around the Borough.  It looks so 'institutional' with its DOS-style interface. Thinking about it, it had probably been at least 10 years since I typed my last 'dot command'.  The planned upgrade is currently out to tender and my contract will have ended well before they select a new system but it is clear that they have a need for more flexibility in the system they choose.  Being able to access any record from any module rather than having to be at a particular screen being a major gripe for staff users.  The fact that every system on the market has conquered this issue, as well as including features the staff will never have time to develop, means that the decision is likely to come down to cost and ease of migration, rather than user needs.

The branch of the library where I spent my first week is a fine old building and of course it has accessibility issues. There are plans to carry out refurbishment works, but the date is yet to be confirmed.  The organisation of stock is interesting, and I would venture that it is not intuitive to the customers.  I realise it is down to best use of the space, but searching for an author, the book may be in the general fiction alphabetically, or in the paperback racks (loosely alphabetical), or in the Crime, Horror, or SciFi/Fantasy shelves (alphabetical again) or the crime paperback racks (organised by the Tasmanian Devil).  Unless it is Junior Fiction which could be on a different shelf downstairs, or possibly anywhere upstairs.  I consider myself to be able to master a class scheme same-day, but I admit defeat when searching for items  in these collections!

As with almost every other Borough, this one is making cuts to services, and is looking to reduce the library staff significantly.  Redundancy offers have been made and withdrawn and staff have been told to apply for whatever jobs exist after consultation and a restructuring exercise (which coincides with the end of my contract, so thankfully I am not viewed as a threat).
The team are stoically professional and there is very little evidence of the stress that they are all under.  It is unfortunate that staff who have dedicated time and effort to maintaining a useful service will more or less have to compete with each other for what remains of their jobs.  It is also sad to see that collections of materials on local history will no longer be updated. Photographs in the current collection are being scanned and presumably they will need to rely on independent local history groups to collect new data or have no new data at all.

I have met a great team in my first week and have been thoroughly trained up.  Next week I go to a different branch, with a very different customer base....

5 sites from my bookmarks bar

I was recently asked if I had any recommendations for 5 sites that I used regularly. At the moment my most frequently used sites are all careers-based job sites and I will write some thoughts on those shortly.  However, as a librarian in the commercial sector, I have had to research some bizarre questions where the only stipulation was that the sources should be free. I found myself doing a lot of macroeconomic statistics research and regularly monitoring the UK political landscape  and in doing so, I discovered sites that I still visit regularly out of personal interest in the topic.

Housepricecrash  Great for real estate or banking projects in the UK.  Collating statistics on the housing market from a number of sources. Having recently moved house, I made great use of the resources section with links on buying/selling, neighbours from hell, etc...

The World Bank  made their data freely available a while ago so this is the source I recommended most frequently to staff. The World Bank DataFinder app for iPhone/android, lets you access fifty years of World Bank data on global economic indicators, chart and visualize that data, and share those charts.

Health Policy Insight  is a great place to go for insider commentary on policies and news in the UK public health sector. Every time the UK government go through a phase of 'change' for the NHS it is essential reading.  It has frequently cut through the jargon in White Papers and commented with authority. 

Politicshome The re-branded epolitix site filters parliament, press releases, radio, TV, newspapers, websites, blogs and Twitter. They also write many newswire articles making this a very comprehensive site for UK political current awareness.

 Phil Bradley’s Blog  is a must-read for me. He covers themes such as search engine developments and applications that do clever things on the web which saves me the time researching them myself.

My Blog is a Blank

Happily, my mind is not a blank anymore. 

As I am currently a 'freelance' Librarian I have been pondering ways to keep on top of the information mountain and not be left behind by the latest developments.  In the working environment while researching the answer to an enquiry it is part of the process to find the websites that provide the best data coverage, the applications that help organise that data and the tips and tricks to presenting results to their best advantage. Outside that environment, the queries are not forthcoming and the process stops.  There is much Current Awareness to be gleaned from reading industry journals and blogs, such as can be found at Freepint, CILIP, SLA et al. But without the need to answer a question, it is hard to establish the value of a resource.

I intend to begin a review of the sites and applications that I have used over the years. Inevitably some of the sites will have shut down and some of the applications will no longer function, but I will begin looking at their replacements, and I will be seeking Interesting Questions that I can use to test these resources. 

Additionally, I will look at resources mentioned by other bloggers or by the industry specialist media such as those mentioned above.

I might also be moved to write about my efforts in looking for the right role/next step in my career. Or possibly about my garden.  The two are fighting for my attention at the moment. The information world is currently winning because it is raining.