Connecting Librarian

Last night was the night of the Australian Census. Apart from only having received our papers on Monday and then working until 9pm, it was a good night. I got home by 9.3pm, settled in and then at 10pm sat down to take care of our census papers.

This year however, the Australian Bureau of Statistics offered the option of completing the census online. Unlike CW at Ruminations, who delights in the experience of quality pen and paper, and being a lover of many things online and because it was the first year we could do so, I decided to complete our household census online. I did so, logging in using the unique number on my paper census questionnaire and using the password which came in a sealed envelope with the questionnaire. So far, so good. All logged in and off we went.

Fortunately, there is only 4 people in our household and we were all here, so there was nothing complicated in it. However, the online version made things even quicker and easier. Instead of having to look at all questions, regardless of whether they applied or not (ie. income levels from the jobs of my 4 and 7 year olds!), on the online census, the answers were removed and a note put in to say that as a result of a previous answer, I didn’t have to answer that question. The sections requiring answers relating to my two children were a lot shorter as a result and I didn’t have to wade through unnecessary sections.

Considering that it was census night and there would presumably be thousands of people filling in their questionnaires online, the speed was remarkable. Broadband access helps of course, but I couldn’t discern any delay in response times or change overs of pages etc.

According to Snail at “Snails Trail” around 1/2 a million Australians did their census online – not bad for a population of just over 20 million. For those who did theirs online, they will not have to wait for the census collector to return for their papers. The Australian Bureau of Statistics will notify the collectors that they have the census online from these people and the collectors will just pass us by. Not a bad system at all.

Of course, I was amused by the one question that did sneak through in relation to my children – that was on their marital status – I’m not ready to have a son or daughte r in law when my children are only 4 and 7! The feedback option at the end of the census, gave me the option of answering some questions about my online census experience and then providing any free text feedback I wanted. That’s where I mentioned the marital status of my children. (I know in some countries they marry young, but not as young as 4!)

Working in a public library, I see the benefits of the census in the statistics the ABS produces and people request on a regular basis. Only 12 months until the first lot from this census become available!

G’day and welcome to the Carnival of the InfoSciences #48. The Carnival is a weekly weblog post that endeavors to showcase the best posts in the blogosphere about topics related to the wide world of Library and Information Science. Each week it is hosted by a different Library Blog. This week its the turn of Connecting Librarian, so welcome Down Under to Australia.

To begin with we have Steven Chabot presenting
Serendipitous Browsing: A summary and commentary of Thomas Mann’s “What’s Going on at the Library of Congress?” posted at Subject/Object. Steven explores 2 of the issues than Mann has raised – namely the abandoning of LC subject headings and the acquisition of digital-born works into the collection. In the rapidly changing field of librarianship, this is an interesting exploration of the issues involved in such proposed changes.

We also have GrrlScientist presenting “The Archimedes Palimpsest” posted at Living the Scientific Life. Its a fascinating read about how Stanford University is using futuristic technology to preserve the past.

Next, some personal choices. Snail at Libraries Interact, a new Australian group blog – points to a career overview of librarians on Australian Jobsearch. Explore who, where, what, why and how librarians are in Australia. Also from Libraries Interact, this time from Peta, its “Blogs masquerading as“, an inspiring look at how blogs can and are being used in libraries.

I am linking to this next one, not only because its from my home state and includes my library service, but also because its a great report on how public libraries are building communities here in Australia. “Libraries Building Communities” is the first comprehensive Australian study looking at the value public libraries bring to their communities. Be prepared for a long read, as its a very comprehensive report in 4 parts. Its well worth it though.

Pew/Internet produces many informative reports, including the May 2006 report on Home Broadband Adoption. It shows amongst other things, that increased broadband adoption has led to increased user-generated content. This trend is echoed here in Australia, as shown by the report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, “More than 3 million broadband services connected“. This has many implications for all libraries, but particularly public libraries.

Finally, a serial in 4 parts, from Library Marketing – “Taking the non out of non user“. It gives well considered focus on the 4 issues involved in converting non-users into users of our valuable services.

That’s the Carnival for this week. Thanks for dropping in down under. Watch out for the Carnival #49 next week at “Connie Crosby”.

See ya later!

Before we begin the carnival this week and to celebrate my first blogiversary (yes Connecting Librarian is 1 year old – didn’t think I’d get this far!), I thought I would share the inventions for our public library that I have made up in my head over the years. They are really a combination of dreaming and wishful thinking, but you never know, one day the technology may be available and cheap enough to enable us to do it.

First off – we have feral runs – where we go around the library during the day and pick up books that have not been returned to shelf or sometimes have just fallen off the shelves. If we only do it once, it can be easily close on 100 items, if not more. We collect them, take them back to the desk, check them in (just in case) and put them on the trolleys to be reshelved. My first invention would solve this problem. At the end of the day, just as staff head out the door, they would push a button next to the door which would start the reshelving process. Any book that is not on shelf would be magnetically attracted back to its correct position on shelf. This would of course, need to be done when the building is empty, to avoid having someone being hit with a flying book!

My second invention goes hand in hand with the first. It would also help to avoid some of the mess resulting from books falling off shelves. We use bookends, as libraries do, to keep books on shelves. However, when people take one or more books out, unless the bookend is straightened, the books start to lean and taking enough books, can cause them to spill onto the ground. It can be hard to straighten the books up, as leaning books can be quite heavy. In keeping with the magnetic book return above, if a book is removed from the shelf, the bookend straightens the rest of the books up automatically. If the person then decides to put the book back, with the approach of the book, a space is opened up for it to be inserted. If however, the person tries to put the back book in the wrong space, it would be repelled (idea of magnets again). Just think how much time would be saved, staff would not have to shelf read or perfect order, because books would never be in the wrong place!

Finally, my third invention is aimed at problem patrons who have been barred from the library. (we have had the odd one or two, who then tried to come back in again during the banned time). When they are banned, we would get a sample of their DNA which would be registered for the period of the ban. Then if they tried to come into the library, a forcefield at the door would register their DNA as belonging to a banned person and would stop them from entering, whilst letting other people freely enter and exit around them.

These are my longest term ideas that are a little out of reach at this time. However, I am sure that I am not the only one with such wild ideas for the library situation. Please leave your ideas in the comments, or challenge me – come up with a problem in your library and I will see if I can come up with a wild solution!

Happy Blogiversary to Me!