Just a Room Full of Stuff? Why Libraries are Great / Katie Birkwood

JUST A ROOM FULL OF STUFF?

why libraries are greatKATIE BIRKWOOD | @girlinthe

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52890443@N02/4887366327/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52890443@N02/4887366327/

Libraries are about information…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twicepix/4789171695/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twicepix/4789171695/

…and libraries are about people.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eole/1394588888/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eole/1394588888/

S.R. Ranganathan, The five laws of library science, 1931, http://hdl.ha\ndle.net/10150/105454

http://flic.kr/p/PFuot | http://flic.kr/p/8jJEcN | http://flic.kr/p/amaB2 | http://flic.kr/p/8JQ3iD | http://flic.kr/p/5Qej3

The Five Laws of Librarianship

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/105454

http://www.delicious.com/maedchenimmond/fivelawslibraryscience




Libraries are for use







Every reader his book








Every book

its reader








Every book

its reader

Save the time of the

reader








Every book

its reader

Save the time of the

reader

Libraries are growing organisms



Info

rmati

on

is

mess

y

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crumpart/3158169788/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crumpart/3158169788/

Librarians organise informationso that things can be found

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebees/3448097325/

online≠

findable≠ free

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online≠

findable≠ free


We need librarians more than ever in the internet age.


Google can bring you back 100,000 answers.

A librarian can bring you back the right one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/formalfallacy/3357070581/

Neil Gaiman, 16 April 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH-sR1uCQ6g

http://www.flickr.com/photos/formalfallacy/3357070581/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH-sR1uCQ6g

So what do librarians do?

Lib

rari

an

s h

un

t fo

r re

sou

rces

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/dronir/3230377585/

Librarians throw things away

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Librarians throw things away


(Most) libraries aren’t just silos of stuff that will

be kept for ever.Some, like the British

Library, do have a role in keeping stuff for the

nation, but most want their resources to be

accurate and useful to their current users. That means throwing

away the resources that are out of date.


Librarians make catalogues…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesterpubliclibrary/3352920732/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesterpubliclibrary/3352920732/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/4024156752/

…and teach people how to use them

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/4024156752/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wumbus/19699360

http://lccn.loc.gov/85072923

Personal Name: Hansen, Robin.

Main Title: Flying geese & partridge feet : more mittens from up north & down east / by Robin Hansen,

with Janetta Dexter.

Published/Created: Camden, Me. : Down East Books, c1986.

Related Names: Dexter, Janetta.

Related Titles: Flying geese and partridge feet.

Description: 133 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 23 x 26 cm.

ISBN: 0892722142 (pbk.)

Notes: Bibliography: p. 128-133. Subjects: Knitting --Maine --Patterns.

Knitting --Maritime Provinces --Patterns. Gloves --Maine. Gloves --Maritime Provinces.












ISBN: 0892722142 (pbk.)



This book title is eccentric and doesn’t tell you much about the book’s contents.












ISBN: 0892722142 (pbk.)



This book title is eccentric and doesn’t tell you much about the book’s contents.

Controlled vocabulary added by a librarian helps you find

what you’re looking for.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/tillwe/4229084559/

Librarians arrange things



Librarians arrange things

The Dewey Decimal system isn’t the only

way of classifying books.

Most libraries don’t arrange books by

colour, though many librarians have

thought about it…


W h a t a b o u t t h i s ?http://www.flickr.com/photos/weesen/3515201536/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/weesen/3515201536/

W h a t a b o u t t h i s ?http://www.flickr.com/photos/weesen/3515201536/

Classifying stuff is always hard.

Librarians don’t just blindly follow rules: they interpret them

in the way that’s best for their library and the people who

use it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/weesen/3515201536/

A Spotter’s Guide to Librar*

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardholden/4908920140/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardholden/4908920140/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/4464205726/

Librarians have lots of names


http://www.flickr.com/photos/b-tal/236503376/



Public libraries are amazing, but that’s not all there is…


Libraries are everywhere

http://www.delicious.com/maedchenimmond/typesoflibrary




business

news companies

law firms

engineering firms




business

news companies

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

engineering firms




business

news companies

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

specialist & learned societies

engineering firms




business

news companies

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

universities &

colleges


engineering firms




business

news companies

schools

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

universities &

colleges


engineering firms


“Iflibraries

wereinventedtomorrow

peoplewouldflock

to them”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joffley/5218675956/

Ned Potter & Laura Woods, 2010, http://prezi.com/if9wccvvunup/escaping-the-echo-chamber/


http://prezi.com/if9wccvvunup/escaping-the-echo-chamber/

“Iflibraries

wereinventedtomorrow

peoplewouldflock

to them”


Ned Potter & Laura Woods, 2010, http://prezi.com/if9wccvvunup/escaping-the-echo-chamber/

Libraries are great. Don’t take them for granted.


http://prezi.com/if9wccvvunup/escaping-the-echo-chamber/

Katie Birkwood

@GirlintheGirl in the Moon

Libraries & librariansVoices for the LibraryTen things you need to know if you want to work in librariesWhat it takes to be a 21st-century librarian

Find out more

Library Day in the Life Project

Photos used in this presentation

Credits

http://www.twitter.com/girlinthe

http://www.maedchenimmond.blogspot.com/

http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org/

http://www.slideshare.net/thewikiman/if-you-want-to-work-in-libraries

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/job-of-21st-century-librarian

http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com/

http://www.delicious.com/maedchenimmond/ignite+finalcut+photographs

Just a Room Full of Stuff? Why Libraries are Great / Katie Birkwood

Education

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