My first post is up at Libraries and Transliteracy. Check it out.
RDA, FRBR and User-Focus
WARNING!!! CATALOGING GEEKRY IS FOUND IN THIS POST.
OK, as many of you know, I am a Head of Technical Services, but I make a concerted effort to not post about things related to cataloging. There are a ton of great blogs on the subject. However, the issue I want to discuss is more related to users than to cataloging.
As many people know, we will begin phasing out AACR2 for RDA. RDA has some benefits over AACR2. However, what irks me is that it is touted as user-centered or user-focused. RDA is built on the FRBR framework, also touted as user-centered. For an example of articles please see ( Riva, Pat. Introducing the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records and Related IFLA Developments. Bulletin. orChapman, Ann. RDA: a New International Standard. Ariadne. or Oliver, Chris. Changing to RDA. Feliciter.)
The problem, not one user-study has been conducted on either AACR2 or FRBR or RDA. Heck, we have almost no studies of how users actually look up books in the catalog at all.
Coming to a City Near You
Keynote Address: Pushing It Forward: Social Justice, Civic Librarianship and Information Activism.
While libraries and library staff contribute to the profession and the world, we sometimes forget about our own community. Anthony Molaro will share his story and ideas on how libraries and librarians can create a more just world. If knowledge is power, but inaccessible, what good is it? It is time for us to reunite information and people.
Anthony Molaro, Messenger Public Library of North Aurora
Arizona Library Association Annual Conference. Scottsdale, AZ.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:30 – 10:00 AM
Analysis of Chat Reference: To Chat or Not to Chat, That Is the Question
Academic
Patricia Bravender and Colleen Lyon, Grand Valley State University Libraries; Anthony Molaro, Messenger
Public Library of North Aurora
In the midst of an economic crisis, libraries must continue to provide essential reference services with fewer staff
and resources. Is online chat one of these essential reference services, and, if so, are the reference skills of a
professional librarian necesary to answer the majority of online chat questions? Should libraries provide chat
reference no matter the cost? This program will present an analysis of one library’s online chat reference service for
one year, which showed some surprising results.
Michigan Library Association Annual conference. Traverse City, MI.
Friday, November 12, 2010 9:45 – 10:45 AM
Filed under presentation
The Information Activist Librarian 