PLA Presentation: Now What: 12 Steps to Thriving in a Different World

Now What: 12 Steps to Thriving in a Different World

View more PowerPoint from Peter Bromberg

QandANJ: Brief Update on NJLA Reference Section Meeting of May 13th

On Friday, May 13th, approximately 60 people turned out at the Princeton Public Library to participate in the NJLA Reference Section meeting convened to discuss the future of QandANJ.  Many people drove lotsa miles to be there, and represented all types of libraries and library organizations; publics, academics, association, consortia.  It was wonderful to hear so many independent voices from all over the state speak overwhelmingly and passionately in support of keeping QandANJ alive.

The two big pieces of news:

1.  LibraryLinkNJ Executive Director Cheryl O'Connor announced that her Board had voted unanimously to accept an extra $50,000 from the State Library and continue to run QandANJ through early September.  A big thanks to LibraryLinkNJ Board members and Cheryl O'Connor!
2. The NJLA Executive Board will appoint a Task Force to chart out a path forward for QandANJ

Cheryl, along with QandANJ Project Coordinator Beth Cackowski, had already done a good deal of analysis on how far $50,000 takes us, and they presented a number of spending scenarios and sought input from the attendees on how the money should be spent.  I would like to again thank Cheryl and Beth not only for the time they've invested -- which was not insignificant -- but also for the their their transparency in sharing their budget numbers, presenting possible spending scenarios, and proactively seeking the input and feedback of the library community.

If there was a recurring theme of the day I'd say it was transparency.  A good part of the afternoon was spent in small group discussions aimed, ostensibly, at providing guidance for the as-yet-unnamed Task Force.  During report-backs from the groups the issue of transparency came up repeatedly.  Whatever happens to QandANJ -- or any other shared service -- in the future, we want to be part of an informed discussion and offer input into how our limited shared resources are used.

Again, progress was made on Friday.  But there is also a lot of work ahead.  The as-yet-unnamed Task Force will have its work cut out for it, and a fairly short timeline in which to operate. The clock is ticking.  Stay tuned... (or follow along on Facebook.)

Note added 5/16, 10:45 AM:  A HUGE if belated public thank you to Michael Maziekien, NJLA Reference Section Chair, and the NJLA Reference Section for calling this meeting in spite of pushbacks from those who thought an open discussion was either unnecessary or otherwise politically problematic.  I am greatly appreciative of Michael's leadership, sense of professional responsibility, and the amazing integrity and fairness he has displayed throughout this process. 

See Also:

• Andy Woodworth's take on the day
• My quick-n-dirty handout on QandANJ

Workplace Leadership and Learning

Workplace Learning & Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers
By Lori Reed and Paul Signorelli

Congratulations to my good friends Lori Reed and Paul Signorelli on the publication of their new book: Workplace Learning & Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers, published by ALA Editions.

I am honored to have been interviewed for the book, and humbled to be in the company of the other distinguished interviewees including:

• Helene Blowers, Director of Digital Strategy, Columbus Metropolitan Library
• Char Booth, Instruction Services Manager & E-Learning Librarian, Claremont Colleges Library
• Maurice Coleman, Technical Trainer, Harford County Library
• Janet Hildebrand, Library Human Resources Manager, Contra Costa County Library
• Jason Puckett, Communication Librarian at Georgia State University Library
• Sandra Smith, Learning and Development Manager at Denver Public Library
• Jay Turner, Director of Continuing Education for the Georgia Public Library Service
• Catherine Vaughn, Continuing Education Coordinator, Lee County Library System
• Pat Wagner, Pattern Research, Inc, Denver, CO
• Louise Whitaker, Coordinator Training & Staff Development, Pioneer Library System

I've read through the book twice, and I'm sure I'll be going back to it again and again.  The book is a must have for anyone doing training and staff development.  But at heart I think the book is a primer on leadership, which happens to overlay neatly with the skills and mindset required to be an effective teacher/facilitator.  Strategic thinking, listening,  big-picture thinking, partnering, engaging and empowering others-- these are the themes that emerge and re-emerge in conversations throughout the book.  I highly recommend it!

Allen County Public Library's "Conversation Series" Video

I am honored to have been included in Allen County Public Library's Conversation Series, "a collection of interviews about the future of libraries, technology and the role we play in shaping the libraries of tomorrow."  Thank you to ACPL's Sean Robinson and Kay Gregg for inviting me to participate in the series and for creating such a beautifully produced video.

Common Sense Librarianship

David Rothman has written* a beautiful, concise "Manifesto of Common Sense Librarianship".   I’m not much for manifestos, but I dig this one not only for its content, but for the way it actually walks its own talk. It is clear, concise, and written in a simple yet engaging voice. It’s got style AND substance.  For example,

"If you can find something that your library is regarding as more important than user needs, something is very wrong."

Bravo!   Head on over to David's blog to read the rest: Common Sense Librarianship: An Ordered List Manifesto.

* David notes that the manifesto resulted "from conversations with really smart and insightful people like Amy Buckland, Kathryn Greenhill, Jenica Rogers, and Maurice Coleman."  Tip o' the hat to all y'all.

Is a Boycott of HarperCollins the Right Course of Action at This Time? A response

Bobbi Newman asks:  Is a boycott of HarperCollins the Right Course of Action at This Time?

Below is my response; a slightly edited version of an email I sent to a friend a few days ago.

Dear xxxxxx,

Of course I've been reading about the HarperCollins/Overdrive situation, and it is certainly of concern. However, at this point I am not aligned with the idea that a boycott is the best response. 

The larger issue of how digital content is going to be produced and where authors, publishers, and libraries fit into that picture is complex, and I suspect a great big scary unknown for all parties.  While I don't agree with HarperCollins' choice, and I don't think it will ultimately be a sustainable choice for them, I am still able to put myself in their shoes and see their point. Libraries want publishers to make econtent available in the same way, and under the same rules as print content.  But econtent is fundamentally different in that it does not deteriorate, and thus does not need to be replaced. From the publisher's perspective, what we used to pay for multiple times (as copies wore out) we now want to pay for once.

Again, I don't agree with HarperCollins choice (it's inelegant, clumsy, and I doubt if it will increase their bottom line in the way that they hope) but it is a rational decision.  As the owner of the publishing rights, they are free to lay out the terms of any licensing or purchasing agreement, and we are free to say, "yes please, or "no thank you."  Thus, I fully support libraries choosing not to by any HarperCollins content through Overdrive, and vote with their dollars in that way.  I also support libraries who choose to buy HarperCollins content because it meets the needs of their customers and they find the licensing terms acceptable.

My main concern with a full on boycott is this: I think a boycott is an extremely serious response and should be used very sparingly, and when there are large moral issues at stake, and/or there is  an immediate harm (possibly of a long term nature) that needs to be addressed.  Boycotts come at the end of talks/negotiations, not as the opening salvo, and not in response to honest disagreements, and only when there is some chance of having a real economic impact-- which I don't see as a possibility in this case.

Publishers are scared because they see that their profit model -- a model based on scarcity and the high cost of distributing physical items-- doesn't make sense any more.  Their economic model, their bottom line, is threatened.  At the same time libraries are scared and trying to figure out how we can apply the old rules -- rules also based on scarcity, and the cost/labor involved in maintaining/distributing physical items -- to a new digital reality.  There has always been a tension between publishers and libraries, as publishers want to sell multiple copies and it's easy (if shortsighted) to perceive libraries as cutting into sales.  But most publishers are also enlightened enough to see that libraries help them by cultivating readers, thereby supporting and enlarging their consumer base (as pointed out here http://www.courtneymilan.com/ramblings/2011/02/25/on-eating-your-seed-corn among other places.)

I would prefer that before getting into talk of a boycott we acknowledge that publishers have legitimate concerns, and ask them to acknowledge that libraries are -- above all other institutions -- well-positioned to HELP their bottom line.  So let's talk about how we can develop sales/licensing agreements that make sense for all of us.  Let's not demonize each other. Let's get the authors (many of who want nothing more than to be read widely, and are huge library supporters) into the conversation, and get them advocating for us with publishers. (See Eric Flint and Marilyn Johnson's posts, among many others.)

So that's where I'm at with things in the moment. I hope that HarperCollins comes back to the table and renegotiates with Overdrive putting more reasonable options on the table. I hope that I'm wrong and calls to boycott them bring about some positive development. But as I'm not in alignment with this choice I cannot offer my support at this time.

See also: Posts that have resonated strongly with me

• Artificial Scarcity: I attempt to identify the root cause of the #HCOD debacle - Nicholas Schiller
• The Bain Free Library: Comment by Eric Flint, Bain Books
• HCOD, eBook User Bill of Rights and Math - Sarah Glassmeyer
• Boycott?  Bad Idea - Reverse Snowglobe blog
• A message from OverDrive on HarperCollins’ new eBook licensing terms (see discussion in comments section too) - Steve Potash, et al.

Future-Minded

CC 2.0 Flickr User griraffes

I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for any blog post that starts with a Rumi quote... ( “Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.”) And it just keeps getting better from there. 

So get thee over to Sharon Morris' wonderful guest post on SLA's FutureReady 365 blog.   Check it out: Ten Strategies For Being Future-Minded