Spreading my wings…

As is always the case when I find myself with a bit of time on my hands, I’ve been trying indulging in a little ‘project’.  I’ve finally decided to experiment with my own little space on the internet.  I had been reluctant for some time to go  down the whole domain/hosting route but I thought it was time I stretched myself a little and developed some new skills.  Much as I like the option to use a WordPress.com site, I thought it was time to try something that got me trying a few new tools (up until now I did not have a clue what an FTP was let alone use one!).

I have to say I have learnt a heck of a lot already.  Whilst I had some knowledge of HTML from my days using Blogger as my platform of choice, I was a little rusty and only really knew the basics.  I’m hoping that my creating this little space I will continue to develop and learn new skills – which I think in the current climate is very much a good thing.  So anyway, what about the site itself?

Well, after a bit of thought about what to call the website, I went for Infoism.  I was keen to avoid a domain that used either my name or my Twitter username and plumped for a ‘word’ that I think reflects my interests (information and politics).  I plan to use the site to cover a wide range of topics from libraries to information in general (perhaps with a particular focus on the information divide – which is one of my pet interests).  I was also keen to avoid creating a blog that provides hints/tips/useful tools for those in the profession. There are more than enough of those, all of which are far more eloquent than anything I could contribute.  Instead, I wanted to create something that is more focused on general issues facing the information society (I say that now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that intention goes by the wayside!).  I suspect I’ll still use this blog from time to time, perhaps to share my continued experiences on my course or to post random stuff, but my new blog will become my main home.

Anyway, at present my home page is a little basic (don’t forget I am teaching myself HTML here – I perhaps should have used some HTML software!) but I have created a mobile version (woo!) and even a cool little icon when you bookmark it on your iPhone/iPad/iPod thing.  I suspect once I have access to Photoshop again I’ll create a more appealing, less texty front page…but it will do for now.  Oh, and I have also posted my first blog post here.  Be gentle with me, I’m still learning!

Kent refuse to reveal rejected proposals…

County Hall, Maidstone (image c/o John47kent on Flickr)

During a meeting earlier this year, proposals were put before the 73 Conservative members of Kent County Council regarding the future of libraries across the county.  It is alleged that these proposals included the potential closure of a substantial number of libraries across the county.  The Kent Messenger’s political editor, Paul Francis, wrote at the time:

 

“Precise figures are hard to come by but at least one source has mentioned over 40.”

There are presently over 100 libraries across the county, meaning that the proposals suggested the closure of nearly half of all the libraries in Kent.

Interestingly, not all the councillors were enthusiastic about the proposals:

“Sources say that many county councillors were aghast at the proposals, not least because some of those identified for closure were in Kent’s Conservative heartlands. Others pointed out that they had made various election commitments that local libraries in their areas would be safeguarded.”

Perhaps recognising the strength of many campaigns across the country, one councillor allegedly remarked:

“You can do more or less what you like to any other service and not many will care, but not to libraries.”

Read more at Voices for the Library.

Advocacy etc

I must be mad, but I thought I’d give my perspective on the whole advocacy discussion that blew up today. I should be chilling but the discussion was fascinating on so many levels I couldn’t help myself. This will, no doubt, be less eloquent than other blog posts on the topic but, of course, I ain’t gonna let that stop me!

To be honest, I was a bit surprised by how things blew up. As far as I could see, most of the people who were upset about the discussion do advocate. For me, advocacy can mean going out and telling your users what a great service you provide (marketing) or it can be simply providing the best service your users could ask for (which requires a certain amount of activity on your part – in the sense of seeking to find out what your user wants). In terms of the latter, the old maxim often used in retail applies: a dissatisfied customer will tell 8-10 people of their bad experience (that’s a drum that is pounded loud and clear in retail). It therefore follows that, should you provide good service, those customers will act as proxy advocates for you – telling other people about the great service you provided. So, you may not have engaged in advocacy per se, but you have sewn a very powerful seed.

Let’s face it, corporations gave up a long time ago in simply shouting slogans at people and thinking that was enough to ‘advocate’ their products. Things have become much more sophisticated. Top companies know that the peer groups are the most powerful advocates you can have. It is one reason why a lot of current business thinking has moved away from top-down authoritarian structures and developed nice cosy environments that keep the employees happy and, subsequently, speak positively about their employer when they are with family and friends. The change in management culture is not due to a sense of entitlement towards employees, it is one part of a carefully constructed marketing strategy.

In the age of social media, this ‘casual’ advocacy has become more important. People tweet about products and things they are doing and that has a much bigger impact on people than an advert on the TV. Of course, this doesn’t work for everyone in your peer group, but you can be assured that your message will influence someone. Essentially, almost every public act is an act of advocacy (because you are doing it ‘publicly’ and we are simple creatures, easily influenced!). One might argue that buying a certain brand in the supermarket counts as ‘advocacy’ (the act of buying being, after all, an endorsement or support for a particular brand). Therefore the creation of proxy advocates is, in my view, very much central to any marketing strategy.

And I guess this is where I find difficulty with those who are up in arms about the recent discussions. As far as I can see, if you are committed to excellent standards of service in your library, you are an advocate (creating proxies). If you have ‘librarian’ on your Twitter bio and have ever tweeted about libraries, librarians or related issues, you are an advocate. If you tell your friend with an e-reader “hey, did you know you can get free ebooks at the library?”, you are an advocate. If you work in a private library and make your colleagues’ jobs easier by providing an effectively (and efficiently – it is the private sector after all!) run library, you are an advocate for that service (you are justifying its existence by making the company more efficient). Essentially, pretty much everyone on Twitter who works in a library is an advocate.

Activism is something I engage in (in a rather lazy fashion to be fair). It means writing to the council, chucking in FoI’s, writing about the problems facing libraries, trying to drum up support in the local community by highlighting the cuts and the impact they will have. Now, that is not for everyone and only a fool would suggest that everyone should engage in it. It’s hard work and saps away your free time. I wish everyone was an activist (that is the nature of my own political views) but hey, we live in the UK and us Brits aren’t known for it! But much as I would like everyone to do it, I know some can’t or unable to. I don’t hold it against them (I hold it against our society in general…kidding!). We make our own choices in this life and it is not for me to tell people whether they should act or not. If you feel you cannot be an activist, fine. If you don’t want to give up your spare time fighting councillors and local politicians, fine. But advocacy? Well, keep on doing what you are doing!

Additional

I should add that the Code of Professional Practice for Library and Information Professionals states the following:

C: Responsibilities to Colleagues and the Information Community

The personal conduct of information professionals at work should promote the profession in the best possible manner at all times. Members should therefore:

1. Act in ways that promote the profession positively, both to their colleagues and to the public at large.

Create an iPhone icon

Ok, it's not as cool as this, but still. (image c/o JD Hancock on Flickr)

You know that when you add a website to the home screen on the iPhone and you get one of those nifty little icons?  Ever wondered how to create one?  Turns out it is dead simple.  Hey, if I can do it anyone can!  It only takes a few steps and, having created one myself, they do look rather nifty.  So, here’s what you do :

1) Create a 45×45 pixel PNG (my version of Photoshop doesn’t allow the creation of a PNG file so I saved it as a BMP, opened it in Paint and then saved it as a PNG file).

2) Save the file using the filename apple-touch-icon.png.

3) Drop the file in the root directory of your website.

That’s it done.  Now if you go to your site, add it to your home screen your icon should magically appear on your iPhone. Easy!

Oh, I’m not sharing mine yet as it is all part of my secret project

A change is on the horizon…

As always when I have a bit of spare time on the horizon, I have a little project up my sleeves. I’m quite excited about it (someone has to be!) and if nothing else I have already learnt a heck of lot (I’m all for developing new skills and stretching yourself). I won’t say anymore at the moment, but expect to see a change in the offing sometime soon.

5.7 million households do not have an internet connection

Libraries can help address digital inequality (image c/o splorp on Flickr)

Yesterday the Office of National Statistics released its latest Internet access – households and individuals report.  Once again it demonstrated something that is often overlooked, there is a sizeable proportion of the population that do not have an internet connection.  According to the statistics, although the percentage of households with an internet connection has grown to 77% (up 4% on last year), there are still an amazing 5.7 million households in the UK without internet access.  Other top line statistics from the report:

• 45 per cent of Internet users used a mobile phone to connect to the Internet
• 6 million people accessed the Internet over their mobile phone for the first time in the previous 12 months
• The use of wireless hotspots almost doubled in the last 12 months to 4.9 million users
• 21 per cent of Internet users did not believe their skills were sufficient to protect their personal data
• 77 per cent of households had Internet access
• 50% of those without internet say they do not need it
• 40% say that the equipment is too expensive or they do not believe they have the skills required

…many children are being left behind

The last three points are particularly crucial.  Households without internet would mean, in many cases, families without internet connections.  This is particularly concerning as it has been demonstrated that children’s performance at school can be affected by their inability to make use of an internet connection.  Whilst the report doesn’t provide statistics on family households without internet access, it is not beyond reason to conclude that there are a great many families included within that 5.7 million households figure.  And, consequently, a great many children who are potentially being left behind by their ‘connected’ peers.  The consequences of this disparity are fairly clear.

The final two points are also concerning and provide a stark reminder of what damage would be done by large-scale library closures.  Libraries can play a massive role in addressing these issues.  Trained, professional library staff can help to support inexperienced users to find their way around the internet and gain the confidence to take full advantage of what it offers.  It has been demonstrated in repeated studies that people using the internet are economically better off (££) and, at a time of such economic difficulty, this is more important now than ever.

…public libraries are crucial to reducing digital inequality

Furthermore, the provision of free internet access in public libraries is absolutely crucial to reducing digital inequality and ensuring that a sizeable proportion of the population are not left behind.  Close public libraries and remove the only point of free internet access and you create a society of digitally excluded, those left to flounder as they do not have the finances or skills to keep up with the digitally advanced.  It is not enough to simply provide these people with computers and hope that will resolve the inequality.  Who will provide the support and the training?  Public libraries are still the best way to ensure that the digital revolution does not further isolate the disadvantaged from society and ensure that no-one is left behind.

One further point on this issue that perhaps ought to be made, in terms of libraries/librarians themselves rather than the people who use them.  It is worth noting that neither the Guardian or the BBC made any reference to public libraries offering free internet access, nor did they mention the impact library closures could have on those that are digitally excluded.  You may argue that the point isn’t directly relevant to those particular articles.  Maybe not.  However, it is worth remembering that although there have been plenty of positive shifts in the coverage of libraries in the past year, commentators still do not see libraries as a solution to modern-day problems.  For library advocacy to have any real success, this has to change.  Because if people of influence cannot see the role libraries can and should play in addressing contemporary concerns, there is little hope for the future of the library service and the profession.

Turning blogs into apps

There’s been a lot of interesting chatter on the interwebs the past couple of days about a new application for the iPhone that enables you to create an app for your website. Seeing as Ned has already provided an outline of what it does, I won’t writing something detailing the ins and outs.  However, if you are intrigued to know more, Ned summarises it as follows (it is a handy post if you do want to give it a whirl):

The way Bloapp works is that you download the Bloapp app, and then subscribe to blogs within it that have been ‘apped’. (That’s not a real word, I just invented it; I mean registered with bloapp, basically). A bit like the Stitcher radio app works. So, you can download the Bloapp app from iTunes here, and then you can subscribe to this blog either by searching for thewikiman or, more excitingly, scanning this QR code within the app itself! (By the way, if you scan this QR code outside of the app itself, it just takes you to the normal mobile version of this blog).

As someone who plays around with a lot of web tools for Voices for the Library (and someone who is keen to encourage the whole ‘go on, give it a try’ ethos), I always have a bit of interest in the latest developments and try to find ways to use them to the campaign’s advantage, so naturally I was intrigued.

However, whilst I think this is an interesting tool, I’m not sure it really adds anything.  Admittedly, I do use a variety of website type apps on my iPhone (the BBC and Guardian apps to name two) and whilst they are quite good, they are not really satisfactory for seeking out news stories.  The free version of the Guardian app doesn’t allow search which is a real pain in the backside (guess I should upgrade really!) and you can’t even search the BBC app whatsoever (I really don’t like the BBC app, it could be so much better).  And that’s before we get into the whole closed web nature of apps *shiver* (although I guess this issue isn’t really relevant to this particular development to be fair).  Perhaps there is a search functionality on the app so I guess these are kinda moot points.  But, in general, whilst I sometimes use apps as my first point of call, I usually use the browser to poke around (old skool).

That said, I’m not sure of the other advantages.  I’ve bookmarked my blog on  my phone so I can access it quickly and easily.  The mobile version of my blog is also in-keeping with the style of my website so I don’t feel I am missing out on anything there either:

Mobile version of my blog

I can also share blog posts on Twitter/Facebook etc from the site so that’s not really an issue either (but then I think most mobile sites allow that don’t they??).  I know the pointed has been made about the decline in RSS, so I guess this is something where it may have some strengths.  But, well, I am in the unconvinced camp…

This does not mean, however, that I am against libraries making use of apps, quite the opposite (and as I have said before I am all for experimentation – I work on a ‘give it a try if it doesn’t work learn from it’ perspective).  In fact, I am in the process of putting together an event which touches on how apps can be used by libraries (more on that at a later date when things are finalised).  For me, apps should take full advantage of a smartphones capabilities.  As Chad at Hidden Peanuts points out:

Apps only make sense when they provide something above and beyond what a webapp can do. Do you need to use a device’s camera or accelerometer? Do you need offline access? Then an app is your thing. A blog doesn’t benefit from any of those doodads.

That quote is worth including alone for the use of the word ‘doodads’.

I will definitely keep an eye on developments and, should it emerge that there is something I have overlooked or there are some interesting developments, I may well give it a try and Bloapp the Voices website.  Until then, much as it pains me to say it, the jury is out.

Happy Anniversary Voices for the Library!

It barely seems possible but this Sunday marks the first anniversary of Voices for the Library. And what a year it has been for everyone that has been involved in the craziness for the past twelve months. There may have been times when we thought reaching a first anniversary was the stuff of a mad man’s dreams, but here we are, one year on and still as determined and committed as we ever were. We have achieved a great deal over the past year and I think everyone who has ever been involved in the campaign should feel really proud about where the organisation is now.

Earlier on today, I was looking back over an old blog post I wrote just over a year ago. It is funny looking back at it now. I remember writing it thinking that I would love to get a couple of people together and collaborate on a blog or something similar to share positive stories about libraries. I was only thinking about putting something together on a very small scale and probably would have had a very limited impact (although it would have made me feel much better!). I was blown away when I discovered others were thinking along the same lines but on a much grander scale than I had ever envisaged. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to get involved and I am so glad that I did. I think the whole project has had a really positive impact on the whole narrative around public libraries and certainly to a greater extent than many of us anticipated.

The extent of the media coverage we have received has certainly been beyond my expectations. As everyone knows, Lauren has really gone beyond what most normal people would do to engage with the media and get that message out there. I certainly think her commitment to share the good that libraries bring to communities and the willingness with which the media has engaged with her has had a massive impact on the success of the campaign. But it’s not just Lauren, everyone has worked hard to build up links and establish relationships with the media. Being so widely distributed geographically has not turned out to have been a bad thing. It means we are reaching people in a way that would have been far more difficult if, say, we had all been based in London. It also means why are able to speak up and raise awareness of things that are happening in parts of the country that would perhaps otherwise be ignored.

The provision of a platform for people to express their appreciation for libraries has also been something I have been really proud of. Reading through the stories on the website it becomes very clear that a lot of people have a lot of affection for libraries. Not just the rose-tinted library of their childhood, but also the library that helps them to seek employment, or helps them to explore the internet. It is sad that much of our activities have focused on ‘saving’ libraries as time has passed, but every story we receive from library users is a positive and powerful reminder of why it is we do what we do. For me, I think it is the most important part of our site and the campaign in general. Before the campaign started there was no place for library users to come together and express why they value libraries or demonstrate why authorities are wrong to close them. Until the campaign launched it was all about individual campaigners and what they believed libraries should be doing on behalf of their users. Now we have a wealth of stories from people who are telling us themselves what they value and what they desire from the library service.

As I indicated at the top of this post, a lot of people have been involved in the campaign over the past year. Yet, as I also indicated on the previous blog post, any changes in personnel have barely affected the way we have gone about our business. No matter how many people have come and gone, we plough on sticking close to the aims we established when we first formed. Yet every single person who has come and gone has helped to make the organisation what it is today. Bethan, Katy, Venessa, Phil, Alice, Mandy – each has been involved at various points and each has left their mark on the campaign. I’m sure many others will come and go as Voices continues to put forward the case for libraries and I am equally sure that their input will, like those before, make it stronger.

Finally, as I repeatedly say, there is still much to be done but I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved together. It is a privilege to work with such passionate library advocates and I am fortunate that I feel I can call them friends as well as colleagues. So, Gary, Tom, Mick, Jo, Lauren, Simon, Adrienne, Abby and Ian, here’s to another year of highlighting the need for public libraries and helping to provide a voice for the library!

Voices for the Library – The Oxford Gathering

The Laurenian

Yep. Yesterday was the second ever Voices for the Library get together. Funnily enough (and purely by accident) the meeting came just one week before our first anniversary on the 28th August (no really, it has nearly been a year…honest!). It is certainly amazing to think how far we have come in such a short space time. Literally from nothing to, er, something? It blows my mind to think how much we have achieved as a team, particularly as none of us really knew each other when we started. Of course, there is still much to be done, but hey, it is a start right? No-one ever said this was going to be easy.

This time around it was my turn to act as ‘chair’ of the meeting. That sounds far more formal than it actually is. There is very little need to actively chair at these meetings as we all seek to accommodate each other’s points of view entirely amicably. I think this is definitely one of our great strengths. No matter how many people come and go, the dynamic barely shifts. Everyone is working towards the same goals and any areas of (very slight) disagreement are hammered out harmoniously. Personally I find it amazing that despite the changes in personnel, the core of VftL pretty much stays the same.

It was also also great to finally meet Abby, Jo and Ian, as well as meeting Adrienne again (we met at the Word Festival earlier in the year). Despite having practically ‘worked’ with Jo for around about a year, we had never actually met face-to-face, so it was really cool to finally put an actual person to the emails/phonecalls/tweets. I have a huge amount of respect for Jo in the way she has been dealing with the Gloucestershire situation. I know it has been exceptionally tough for her, but she has been an inspiration in the way she has kept fighting for the rights of library users across the county. I wish I had 1/10th of the drive and determination that she has. Oh, and by the way, Adrienne is total genius

Quite possibly the weirdest thing about the meeting and how the team has worked over the past year is how Lauren and I seem to be almost sharing the same brain (or The Laurenian as I have now dubbed it). I know Lauren commented on it recently on her CPD23 blog and it is scarily accurate. We often seem to think, tweet or (on one memorable occasion) email the same thing at the same time. It’s freaky but it’s kinda cool. It’s especially handy in meetings as I know that I can go quiet and be confident that Lauren will express exactly what I am thinking. The only exception being The Thing That Must Not Be Discussed. For if we were to discuss The Thing That Must Not Be Discussed, The Laurenian would surely explode and leave a big, horrible mess everywhere. And I am not sure that is a mess that anyone would be willing to clear up. God only knows (whoops!) what would happen if she gets that thing. I’ll be chuffed but equally a little bit lost.

Anyways, we had a great day and a really productive meeting. My only regret? I should really have booked accommodation in Oxford instead of driving back to Canterbury at 10.15pm. It’s a long drive.

Oh, and by the way, Gary drinks Lambrini and Jo is genuinely lovely (although she does get full on a couple of crisps). That’s two reputations ruined…

The Voices for the Library Team

Happy Bloggy Birthday

Have a Stormin' birthday, library blog type thing. (Image c/o Stefan on Flickr)

Normally I don’t mark my blog’s birthday, but I have been in a reflective mood of late so I thought I’d post one for a change.  Certainly when it dawned on me that it has now been three years since I started this blog and loads has happened in that time, much of which would never have happened without my little corner of the interweb.  It’s also a bit of a watermark as my previous blog lasted about three years before I abandoned it (it’s still there, I’m just not saying where).  So, will this blog make it to four years and outlast its predecessor?  I’m not sure.  I have ideas of what I want to do in the blogging world once I have finished my course.  Maybe there will be a space for librarianship, maybe there won’t.  I have many other passions that I feel I have neglected of late, maybe I should give them the attention I feel they deserve.  Or maybe a blog isn’t a place for me to explore those passions anymore.  Who knows?

Anyway, like I said, a lot has happened in the three years since I launched this blog.  I successfully submitted an article to The Guardian‘s website and was chuffed by the response I received (even making it on an ALA newsletter for God’s sake!).  I have had lunch with national newspaper columnists, politicians and the head of news at a national broadcaster (all at the same time!) due to the advocacy work I am involved in.  And, of course, I collaborated with others to launch the first dedicated library advocacy organisation in the UK (which just so happens to be approaching its first birthday).  It has been pretty amazing really and none of these things would have happened without this blog so thank you library blog type thing, you’ve been a star.

Enough words, here is my blog in numbers…

This blog in numbers c/o Wordle

205 posts
55522 total visits
1146 busiest day (May 28th, 2010)
5727 most visited post
4403 second most visited post
620 comments
491 tags
13795 total visits in busiest month (May 2010)
33 categories
442 Technorati authority
4915 Technorati ranking (out of 1276770)
14415 spam comments
2361 views via Twitter (most common referrer)
16671 views using the search term ‘ipad’
12 subscribers via WordPress*

(All correct at time of writing!)

* As Ned has kindly pointed out, I kinda overlooked Google Reader here.  At present there are 157 subscribers via Reader…which was very surprising but pleasing