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/

Libraries are about information…

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

…and libraries are about people.

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

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

Libraries are for use

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

Libraries are for use

Every reader his book

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

Libraries are for use

Every reader his book

Every book

its reader

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

Libraries are for use

Every reader his book

Every book

its reader

Save the time of the

reader

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

Libraries are for use

Every reader his book

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/

Librarians organise informationso that things can be found

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

online≠

findable≠ free

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reway2007/5081390215/

online≠

findable≠ free

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reway2007/5081390215/

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

So what do librarians do?

Lib

rari

an

s h

un

t fo

r re

sou

rces

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

Librarians throw things away

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niznoz/3894418911/

Librarians throw things away

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niznoz/3894418911/

(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/mr_t_in_dc/4024156752/

…and teach people how to use them

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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/

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.

A Spotter’s Guide to Librar*

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

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

Librarians have lots of names

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

Authority Control & Cataloguing Specialist

| Content

Development Officer | Development Officer |

Information Advisor | Information Officer |

Information Consultant | Information Services

Manager | Knowledge Engineers | Knowledge

Manager | Knowledge Strategist | Learning Resource

Centre Manager | Metadata Administrator | Research

Specialist | Research Advisor | Transformation Officer

Librarians have lots of names

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

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

Libraries are everywhere

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

business

news companies

law firms

engineering firms

Libraries are everywhere

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

business

news companies

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

engineering firms

Libraries are everywhere

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

business

news companies

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

specialist & learned societies

engineering firms

Libraries are everywhere

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

business

news companies

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

universities &

colleges

specialist & learned societies

engineering firms

Libraries are everywhere

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

business

news companies

schools

law firms

Research labs

hospitals

universities &

colleges

specialist & learned societies

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/

“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/

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

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

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