It has been a very difficult year for libraries and budgets. I think that this IMLS research shows that despite this, many state library agencies have been stepping up to the plate and managing their dollars well to serve their constituents. Sometimes the decisions that have to be made are horribly hard. Let’s all keep up the good fight everywhere.

It helps that federal money to libraries is up again after the new highs during the Bush administrations. The challenge now is state budgets for statewide efficiencies in library service and local commuities. Many states have great advocacy programs in place. Support them.

Access the complete research brief (10 page PDF with 15 charts and graphs) here.

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2010

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

Despite Flat Budgets, State Library Agencies Invest in Technology Services

Washington, DC—Despite the lack of real growth in their budgets in recent years, state library agencies are working strategically to assist library professionals and local libraries to meet patrons’ needs, according to State Library Agency Service Trends: 1999–2008, a new research brief by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Limited resources are being shifted as libraries services are being redefined. Over the past 10 years, for example, real dollar expenditures on statewide database licensing more than doubled, reaching a total of $65.8 million in 2008. These databases provide all library users access to a wide range of online resources, such as reference sources for homework, job search and training tools, and specialized magazines and newspapers. This finding indicates one way that state library agencies are making the most of limited resources.

Library services for hard-to-reach populations, such as services for people in nursing homes, individuals with physical or learning disabilities, assistive technologies and devices, and non-English speakers and migrant workers, declined from a high of $57 million in 2004 to $31.6 million in 2008, according to the study. While changing definitions and survey changes may have affected reporting in this area, this important finding may be a harbinger of difficult times ahead. An upcoming study, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, demonstrates that vulnerable populations rely on libraries for Internet access. Among young adults (14-24 years of age) living in households below the federal poverty line, 61 percent used public library computers and Internet for educational purposes. Among seniors (65 and over) living in poverty, 54 percent used public library computers for health or wellness needs. The study, scheduled for release on March 25, was conducted by the University of Washington with support from IMLS and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

IMLS allocates federal funds to state library agencies using a population-based forumula. State library agencies develop plans for the delivery of library services in their states and provide leadership and library development. While there is tremendous variation among state library agencies, this research brief aggregates data in order to characterize trends in services supported by state library agencies. The study examines services such as basic literacy programs, library services for hard-to-reach populations, and state database licenses for public libraries, public school media centers, and library cooperatives.

Funding for state library agencies, which includes a mix of federal, state, and other sources, remained flat from fiscal year (FY) 2004 to FY 2008. The current economic downturn will likely decrease agency budgets and could affect the quality and quantity of state library agency services in the future, according to the brief.

Twenty-first century patrons expect more technology resources in schools, public libraries, colleges, and universities. While current and future information technologies provide exciting new opportunities to extend library services to patrons across the U.S., they require significant investment and coordination, the study found.

IMLS will continue to document the trends highlighted in this report to better understand how changes at the state level affect the quality of library services to the public.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.”

I am especially happy that Gale, my employer, has stepped up to the plate and did no electronic product price increases in 2009 and has committed to hold prices again for 2010 too. We’re all in this boat together – libraries and vendors.

Stephen

I am finally getting my act together and jumping on the latest trend – geosocial apps.

I’ve been so busy trying to get up to speed at my new job that I’ve not been able to play with new apps as much as I like. So this weekend I set a goal to spend Saturday completely offline in St. Catharines visiting my mother-in-law for her birthday with my wife and to spend Sunday geeking out and studying these geo-social things.

You might see one of the most popular in your tweets when you see people declaring that they are now the mayor of the local coffee shop or telling you where they are. That’s usually Foursquare. Yeah, I know it’s irritating and TMI most of the time. But there is something to this stuff.

This is the beginning of a newish major trend – geo-targeting services (and ads). By choosing to tell your geo-social app where you are (or at least letting it sense where you are on the GPS grid with your smart phone) you’re opening yourself up to a multi-dimensional experience that will only grow. (Don’t worry, you can opt out too.) So here’s some of the opportunities:

1. finding friends in close proximity to where you are – serendipitously. Hey, these are apps that have the potential to increase your face to face interactions!
2. getting coupons (and ads about sales and specials) in context that match the shops you’re in or near – like Starbucks, Lord & Taylor, or whatever.
3. finding new restaurants, bookstores and coffee shops nearby.
4. being told your books you have on hold are ready when you’re in the vicinity of your library!
5. finding your local library and programming.
6. figuring out how to get through the huge ALA, SLA or SXSW/NXNW conferences.
7. finding events in your area.

Here are some of the latest apps you can play with that will help you learn more about geo-social location based searching and living . . . :

Foursquare
(Works for iPhones, Blackberries, Androids)

Gowalla
(Works for iPhones, Blackberries, Androids, Palm)

Loopt
(Works for iPhones, Blackberries, Androids – US phone numbers only)

I’ve got all Foursquare and Gowalla on my iPhone and 4Sq and, eventuallly, Loopt on my Blackberry. Friend me, I’m needy.

This, of course, does relate to the whole Geo IP trend in libraries which holds out a lot of hope to get rid of all of the barriers to accessing lbrary services (and not having to memorize the bar code of your library card….!)

These seem to be the big three and Foursquare seems in the lead in the first quarter of this relay. Expect a lot of copycats out very soon.

Also, get really worried if I join Farmville or something. I still haven’t recovered from all the sheep that were thrown at me when I joined Facebook years ago.

Stephen

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Presentations that ROCK!, originally uploaded by _Marianne.

Take a look:

http://mlxperience.blogspot.com/2010/03/presentations-that-rock.html

I really appreciate the points about telling your story and gathering support. The best presentations synthesize current thinking and discourse shared via passionate, unique story.

OK, this is only maginally safe for work so I’m posting it on the weekend. It is, after all, heavy metal and discusses guys’ relationships with their moms. Dangerous ground indeed. It’s pretty funny to me.

This YouTube is less than a week old and already has over 222,000 views and made the top of the All Facebook blog too..

Ladies and Gentlemen:

My Mom’s on Facebook

Here’s another version (Rock and Roll instead of Heavy Metal):

My Mom’s on Facebook

Anyway, I continue to be happy that my own children and all my neices and nephews are friends with me on Facebook. I try to be good and not post things about them that might be embarrassing to them. I can’t say the same thing about their 20 year old pictures of me (Kyle I’m looking at you!).

Either way, I have more FB friends than them all put together. I guess I am just needier or more Millennial?

Stephen

I’ll be at PLA all next week in Portland Oregon. Drop by the Gale Cengage booth and I’d love to chat.

We’ll see if I am blogging more or less at that conference but I thought it might be fun to try another poll during the week of PLA.

The topic I’ve chosen is e-readers since I’ve been reading and testing and playing with them a lot lately. So, it’s just a very short survey and only a few questions. You can take the poll from the link on the side of my blog or by following the link in this post.

var PDF_surveyID = 'FD59240C74C2D9DD'; var PDF_openText = 'Here is the survey - let us know what you think'; Here is the survey - let us know what you think

Like last time, I’ll post and share the results with everyone. Thanks for your participation and I am always thankful for your comments too.

Stephen

I’ll have the privilege of speaking at this “Trendy Topics One-Day Online Conference on the Future of Libraries”

DATE: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, 10:00 Central, 9:00 Mountain, 8:00 Pacific, and 3:00 p.m. GMT:

Over the course of the day a group of presenters (including keynote speaker Stephen Abram) will explore and discuss with participants how libraries can understand, embrace, and lead future developments in libraries and librarianship.

Please Note: Participants are required to register for this one-day conference and pay a small registration fee. This is the fifth of nine monthly one-day Trendy Topics conferences that will be held throughout 2010. For more OPAL events follow this link.

Conference Website (includes registration info): Trendy Topics Conference Website

Co-Organizers: Alliance Library System and TAP Information Services

I hope you can be there. These events are priced to fit any budget. The Alliance Library System is being very creative in creating innovative programming for themselves and sharing it with the entire community. Thanks.

Stephen

I lost a few minutes as I delved into this website. I know I learned nothing of use for my life and career but I got all warm amd fuzzy inside just seeing Fred and Wilma’s house blueprints.

Mark Bennett at the Mark Moore Gallery

You’ll also find Uncle Bill’s (Buffy and Jody) apartment, Darrin and Samantha Stevens’ house, Jeannie’s bottle, George & Louise Jefferson’s Co-op, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo’s apartment, Mary Richard’s bachelorette, The town plan for Mayberry, a US map for the Fugitive, Bruce Wayne’s and Rick Grayson’s place, and Frasier Crane’s condo.

Now we should request the Brady Bunch place and the Simpson’s house and neighbourhood.

How cool would that be!?

Stephen

Here’s a fun summary of the state of Google in 2010. It’s probably a little over the top, but, then, it might not be. Great brands don’t get a pass on critical thinking (like that applied to Nike and child labour).

THE BEAST FILE: GOOGLE (‘HUNGRY BEAST’, ABC TV) from Hungry Beast on Vimeo.

Competition and choice in information and information access is essential.

Stephen

I have been talking about this lately and find that many folks are uaware of HTML5 and the role thatis emergng for it. I thought this post from O’Relly Radar was educational:

Why HTML5 is worth your time:
Eric A. Meyer on HTML5’s future and the skills developers need to acquire

Just FYI: “HTML5 is being developed as the next major revision of HTML (HyperText Markup Language), the core markup language of the World Wide Web.” HTML5 introduces a number of new elements and attributes that reflect typical usage on modern Web sites. Some of them are semantic replacements and inline elements. Other elements provide new functionality through a standardized interface, such as for advanced audio and video elements. HTML5 ‘may’ mark an end to Flash and plug ins or mobile Apps (& App Stores). It could be a big step forward in mobile usability.

We’ll see. It will be an interesting stage to watch.

Stephen

SPLATid: RT @sabram: Lighthouse: : The End of Publishing As We Know It http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/03/17/the-end-of-publishing-as-we-know-it/

SPLATid: How Millennial Are You? Quiz from Pew Research Center: http://pewresearch.org/millennials/quiz/ av

SPLATid: RT @libraryfuture: Mobile App Market to Surge to $17.5 Billion by 2012 http://bit.ly/bwYJsn

Photographs from Paul Octavious:

If you read this blog there’s a chance you’re coming to Portland for PLA 2010 later this month. I’m happy to call Portland home and thought I’d share some places you might enjoy visiting while in town. I have no idea where people are staying but I hope you can get away from the Convention Center for a bit. It isn’t a terrible area but it isn’t one of the most appealing parts of Portland. Don’t worry if you’re not renting a car. TriMet is a good way to get around town and no matter where you are you can call Radio Cab (503.227.1212) to come pick you up.

Places to Drink

Portland is beverage crazy.

Coffee
It is a way of life in Portland. Stumptown Coffee is the best known and highest regarded roaster/coffee shop in town. If you’re serious about coffee go to the Stumptown Annex on Belmont for a cupping at 11am or 3pm. I have a slight preference for either location of Albina Press and Barista to Stumptown. Wherever you are you’ll be within a block of a non-Starbucks cafe.

Beer
Another way of life in Portland. There are at least 30 craft breweries in Portland alone. Not bad for a city of under 600,000 people. Almost any bar or restaurant will have an above average selection but if you want the most and best selection check out Horse Brass (great fish & chips too) or Green Dragon (though I’m not crazy about the atmosphere there). If you like beer and make it to Hose Brass, walk over to Belmont Station to see over 1000 different beers for sale.

Spirits
Mixology your thing? Go to Clyde Common (for dinner too), Beaker & Flask, Secret Society Lounge (vaguely Mason themed!) and/or the Teardrop Lounge (though the Teardrop is in the Pearl District. See “Things to Skip” below).

Places to Eat

Breakfast or brunch are the best meals of the day in Portland. Highly recommended are Simpatica (Sunday only), Bijou Cafe, Screen Door, and Gravy. Expect waits for the last two.

For lunch I suggest visiting one of the food cart pods in town. If you’re downtown the main one is on Alder. You’ll find Thai, Mexican, Peruvian (no flutes, thankfully), BBQ and more. Oh, and you could do worse for fast food than Burgerville. They source all of their stuff locally from the Northwest and seasonally too. There’s one by the Convention Center. If you happen to love grilled cheese you owe it to yourself to visit the Grilled Cheese Grill which is housed in a bus.

Dinner options are endless. Pok Pok has great regional Thai food. Toro Bravo is a favorite and serves tapas. Secret Society Lounge (see Spirits above) is above Toro Bravo (and incidentally, across the street from Multonomah County Library’s main office). Clarklewis has a nice happy hour for an early dinner. Go to Laurelhurst Market if you’re in the mood for steak. Olympic Provisions is a new and hyped charcuterie that opens for lunch and dinner on March 20th. For a prix fixe splurge go to Beast (and make reservations). Apizza Scholls is justifiably one of the most respected restaurants in Portland. The pizza is indeed excellent, especially the Tartufo Bianco (Mozzarella, pecorino romano with Truffle Oil and sea salt).

Vegetarians might want to check out the Vita Cafe and the vegan strip mall that includes a grocery store, tattoo shop, bakery and more.

Other miscellaneous spots for dinner and drinks include Doug Fir, Rontoms, and Moloko Plus.

Things to Do

Portland Art Museum. A solidly decent collection usually with interesting special exhibits. A Cy Twombly exhibit is around now!

Portland Japanese Garden. Wonderful. I try to visit once every season and have never been disappointed.

Eastbank Esplanade. A nice path for cycling/walking/jogging along the river. Cross over to the other side at the Steel Bridge and Hawthorne Bridge.

Rent a bike. If you want to get some serious riding in, rent a nice bike from Veloce Bicycles. There are many other places that rent commuter type bikes that’ll get you around town.

Forest Park. A huge park with a ton of trails for walking/trail running/cycling. A convenient place for some quiet time and fresh air. Start at the Thurman entrance or at Pittock Mansion. If you’re into hanging out outside, go to Mt. Tabor Park too. Not only are the views great but it is on a extinct volcanic cinder cone. You can see the crater by the basketball courts.

Laurelhurst Theater. My favorite place to see movies in Portland. Entrance to the movie, a beer (or soda) and slice of pizza costs no more than $10. The Bagdad is similar but has less of a selection of movies (and is part of a local chain that I have mixed feelings about).

Karaoke. What is it with librarians and karaoke? If you must sing, Chopsticks II is always wild and if you want to rent your own booth make reservations at Voicebox.

Ground Kontrol has a large assortment of vintage arcade and pinball games. It is a totally fun way to spend a few hours.

MCL Central Library is a nice, traditional library that is worth poking around.

Historic Columbia River Highway. If you have a car and the time, drive out to the Historic Highway and visit Crown Point, Larch Mountain, some waterfalls, then cross over a bridge to Washington, head back towards town and hike up Beacon Rock on the way.

Ecola Beach State Park. Again, if you have a free day and like the beach, drive one hour out to the coast. It may or may not be sunny, but it will likely be windy and the water will be 50*F. It is guarenteed to be rocky, rugged and beautiful.

Mt Hood. It is very possible to leave town at 7am, get four hours of hiking or skiing in and be back in town by 2pm. Just sayin’.

Places to Shop

Powell’s City of Books is a legendary bookstore for good reason. It is large and has a great selection, including used books. If the topics appeal to you don’t miss Powell’s Books for Home and Garden and Powell’s Technical Books.

Jackpot Records. Good selection of new and used vinyl (and CDs). The main location is within walking distance of Powell’s.

Reading Frenzy is a great place for small and independent publications. There are books, zines, posters, cards and all sorts of great stuff. Also easily walked from the above two. Speaking of zines, Microcosm is the hotspot.

Things to Skip

Multonomah Falls. It’s the #1 tourist destination around here. Sure, it is tall and nice looking but with the crowds and noise from the highway I don’t consider it a pleasant experience. You’re not going to hate it if you go but there are just so many better waterfalls. The best ones, of course, are difficult to get to but if you have a car (or are up for a long bike ride!) and want to see something better than Multnomah Falls check out Latourell Falls and the many others along the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The Pearl District. In recent years this post-industrial zone has been “revitalized” and is now pretty much like any other shopping district in any other city. There are some unique things (for instance, a Chinese badminton brand store) but this area is the least Portland-like place in all of Portland. You’ll be close by if you visit the main Powell’s shop but I wouldn’t make in depth exploration a priority unless you want to buy some big ticket items sans sales tax.

There you have it. I hope you have a good time in Portland.

This really just skims the surface of what Portland has to offer. Get in touch if you have any questions.

An art project from David Maisel:

Library of Dust depicts individual copper canisters, each containing the cremated remains of patient from a state-run psychiatric hospital. The patients died at the hospital between 1883 (the year the facility opened, when it was called the Oregon State Insane Asylum) and the 1970’s; their bodies have remained unclaimed by their families.

The prisoner’s use of the term “library” is apt. The room housing these canisters is an attempt for order, categorization, and rationality to be imposed upon randomness, chaos, and the irrational.

Okay, yes, a slightly morbid way to start the week. I’ll try to make it up to you.