Ryan Eby has done what III seems to not be able to do: Create a resource for XMLOPAC users. He's thrown up some wiki pages with the express purpose of documenting III's XMLOPAC. All I can say is, "Thank-you Ryan!" Be sure to participate and help with the documentation--we can all benefit from it.

In addition, Ryan has written up a couple great how-to's on getting item data and featured lists from the XML. I, for one, had no idea it was possible to grab featured lists this way. Ryan Eby has been documenting III's XMLOPAC for quite some time now and he's certainly one of only a handful of authoritative voices on the feature.

David Walker is another, and a very industrious voice at that. Today I had a good chat with him on the Code4Lib IRC channel after he showed me his totally amazing catalog based off his equally cool Shrew project. What he's been doing is exactly what I've been looking for. Even though the Shrew project is currently written in C#, he has plans to port it to PHP5, taking advantage of DomDocument. It's a project I'm completely willing to commit some time to myself, if he asks. The shrew project is "a system that converts the Innovative XML Server into an SRU/SRW and OpenSearch server." He's put a great deal of time into writing XSLT that will translate the III server's output into MARC-XML, Dublin Core, or MODS 3.0. My XMLOPAC class for PHP5 utilizes an older version of his MARC-XML XSLT, but I think when he pulls off this port, the need for my code will go away altogether--his way is preferable.

We also discussed some inherent problems with III's XMLOPAC--of which there are a number, and some potential enhancements. Chief among them would be the ability to conduct business--placing items on hold and such. A lot of work needs to be done, but I'm feeling much more optimistic about my OPAC aspirations now and, thanks to David and Ryan, a renewed sense of enthusiasm. Thanks guys!

[update] Ryan reminded me that Rob Casson is the individual who was kind enough to provide hosting for the wiki [/update]

[tags] OPAC, XMLOPAC, XML, XSLT, Library, Code4Lib, PHP, C#, SRU, MARC, DomDocument, Web Services [/tags]

In the spirit of getting the ball rolling on some Library Camp session ideas, I'd like to toss out some topics that interest me. Being that the April 14th unconference follows open spaces guidelines, I'm not expecting to get to all, or even most of these topics, but the point is to start thinking about these things beforehand.

I've never attended a real open spaces event, so this is going to be a completely new experience for me (I've been saying that about a lot of things lately). I'm confident, however, that the format will be conducive to discussion and I'm expecting that we'll not only learn a lot but accomplish a fair bit as well. A number of great people are planning on attending--be sure to add your name if you plan to come. I believe that space constraints are capping registration at 40.

Some of my topics may overlap what Eli's already tossed out, but that's the idea--to find the overlapping topics and go from there.

I'd like to spend some time looking at Library 2.0. I'm wondering if the term itself is becoming a liability. My concern is that there is so much contention associated with it now that the great intellectual discussion it's intended to represent is being neglected.

I want to talk about ways that techies and non-techies can better communicate. I think there will be a good representation from both camps, if you will, that a candid dialogue could ensue.

I'd like to spend some time talking shop with other techies. Specifically, I'd like to get together with some other III users and see where that goes. I'd also like to cover/learn more about some of the stuff discussed at code4lib. XML/XSLT hacking would be fun too.

I want to talk about OPACs. Specifically, I want to talk about adding social software to the OPAC. I'd like to share some of the work I've been doing in this direction and invite others to do the same. I'd also like to gather ideas on getting buy-in for this sort of thing.

A general talk about trends in library websites. I'd really like to hear from the academic sector on this because the public library perspective can be very different and sometimes the academic library voices don't come through as well as I'd like. I'd like to find out where the similarities end and differences begin.

Because this is not an "in-industry" event, I'd like to talk with library users and get their opinions and perspective on many of the ideas behind Library 2.0.

I'd like to spend some time checking out all the neat gadgets people will be coming with--so bring your cool stuff!

I, too, would like to talk about IM virtual reference. AADL doesn't do it and I really think we should. I'd like to hear from others who may have successfully pulled it off. I'd like to talk about some other alternatives as well, such as web-based IRC clients/bots/etc.

I'd like to talk about networking in libraries. Perhaps cover different Wi-Fi solutions. I have some ideas on using bittorrent as a content delivery system for patrons I'd like to vet. General chat about networking/server infrastructure would be fun.

I think some discussion should go into whether an information clearinghouse should exist for L2 ideas and resources. The Library 2.0 wiki, perhaps? Maybe we can get a start on filling in some information.

I have a feeling I'll be updating this page post, but this is a start. I'll be cross posting this list to the possible session page on the Library 2.0 wiki. Be sure to add yours there as well. Even if you're not going, if you think of a topic, add it because there will be a number of bloggers present who will be interpreting events. Who knows, your topic might get discussed.

[tags] AADL, Library Camp, L2, Library 2.0, Library, Geek, Unconference, Open Spaces, Ann Arbor, AADL[/tags]

Via Dion Hinchcliffe.

I almost let this one slip under the radar, but I'm glad I didn't. Late last night, I finished reading the transcript of a very candid and open discussion between Bill Gates and Tim O'Reilly at MIX06 on the topic of Web 2.0. Warning: It's rather long, but it covers a tremendous amount of territory and is so worth the read. I thought I'd gather some snippets here (I love this picture, by the way--it looks like Bill is about to bite Tim's kneecaps off).

While reading this, it dawned on me that if Gates would just stop marketing his company for a minute and have a conversation, he'd have some very interesting, very good things to say. That is almost what happened during his chat with O'Reilly.

O'Reilly on the subject of rolling out new technologies and features:

Low barriers to entry and then things take off, and then you figure out how to make it easier for the rest of the people later.

I believe that is a viable model for libraries as well. Take RSS, for instance. There is certainly a technical hurdle to be overcome if an individual wants to take advantage of it, but if that person is unable to do so, there is no access penalty that prevents them from taking advantage of the library in the same way they always have. On the other hand, being able to take advantage of RSS feeds, say, from the new items list, or directly from the catalog, introduces an unprecedented level of convenience that has, until now, not been realized. So rapid development, rapid deployment in the library enterprise will only ameliorate our service level. That's why it's so important to structure our organizations in such a way that these rapid "to-market" features are implemented. This, of course, plays into the "perpetual beta/extreme programming" philosophy which can be unsettling when presented to an uninitiated. At AADL, I think we've shown time and again that it works. I think the positive response to frequent updates and enhancements far outweighs any negative feedback we might get from it.

O'Reilly brought up the topic of social networks:

So moving on to another aspect of Web 2.0, one point that I have made repeatedly is that one of the key concepts that's different about network applications is that they get better the more people use them. Every time somebody makes the link on a Web site, and I think it was Scoble who made this point originally, at least in my awareness, they are contributing to a site like Google or any search engine, because it's the users making links that is the raw material of the whole search Web. And in a similar way, every time somebody tags a photo in Flickr or a Web site in del.icio.us, they're basically making the application better for everyone else.

To which, Gates added:

Well, the idea that the more users you get, the more valuable something is, I think that concept is even stronger today when it's so easy for people to connect up and build communities.

Right!, that community thing... We serve communities, right? You'll notice, however, that Gates and O'Reilly treat APIs as a foregone conclusion and consider the API as something to be accessed by anyone at any time. Naturally, integrating social networks into our systems require them. Unfortunately for us, APIs are not a priority to our vendors, nor are they often a priority to the individuals in our organizations who draft RFPs and, ultimately, make the purchasing decisions. I'm not going off on that jag today.

At any rate, it's still possible for many of us, with a little ingenuity, to slip in some web 2.0 functionality. Like I've said before, libraries are the perfect incubators for social networking. The sooner we start growing that content, the sooner we start fostering an online community with its own unique personality. These will be networks that, twenty years from now, we'll be garnering prestige from.

I thought that O'Reilly's thoughts on application boundaries was noteworthy:

I also think one of the things that's really interesting about iTunes is it's an example of a paradigm I refer to, using actually language from a guy who used to work for you, Dave Stutz, called software above the level of a single device. I mean, here is an application that's designed from the get-go to span a handheld, a PC, and a Web site as a single integrated application. It's not just things glommed together after the fact. I mean, it was a first generation of full handheld to cloud consumer application it seems to me, other than communication app.

(Once again, visit my API angst) His comments here play into some of the thoughts I've been having on the virtual boundary of our libraries. For example, if we were to develop a little application that sits in the toolbar and notifies the user when his/her holds are available or when material is due, then we've created a tendril of influence that makes the library almost omnipresent in the daily life of that user. Perhaps that little application could notify the user of events happening at the library too, encouraging him/her to actually come in and participate. It's an area effectively untouched by the library world and it shouldn't be.

Oh yes, books were on the docket as well (O'Reilly):

I'm a publisher, and so I care a lot about how people are going to read in the future. You've promoted a lot the idea of Tablet PCs and reading devices. I've thought much more, because I have the Safari service, that the future was much more in building databases of content, and we've talked about this recently at summit called Reading 2.0, and there was a great post afterwards where somebody said, what will the books say to each other in the library of the future, the idea of books that are effectively growing, you know, all these things that we're talking about for Web 2.0 it seems to me also relate to content.

Gates adds:

Clearly for [teachers] to have [flexibility] they've got to have the right tools, the rights issues can't stand in the way. But I think, say, ten years from now we'll look back and say, wow, textbooks, why did we put the money into that, now we've got this universal tool that every kid just uses instead.

O'Reilly was referring to an adjunct of his Safari service that allows users to combine material from different books to create their own custom volumes--all online, of course. My opinion is that, no matter how techie I may be, I like my O'Reilly books printed on paper, sitting on my shelf, where I can dog-ear them, photocopy them, write in them, and leave them laying open on my desk. I don't think my feelings are very far off from many others and I don't see school textbooks being replaced by tablets, especially not in ten years. This is one of those cases where I wish Gates would take a gander at the real world. Tim O'Reilly, on the other hand, has a vested interest in continuing to print in addition to his online offerings. I like his idea of book mash-ups. I think they'll work in some cases, but our stack are going nowhere--it's our relationship to our stacks and how we find the stuff on them that will dramatically change over the next ten years.

Gates on RSS:

When you think about RSS as the start of a programmable Web, as you expose APIs to your Web sites, amazing things can happen. eBay, of course, is an extreme example where over half the product listings now are done in a programmatic way. And the tools that are turning the Internet essentially into a programming environment where any Web site is almost like a component in a software application, where you make a request to it like you would a subroutine call, it comes back asynchronously with the information, that's allowing people to think through architectures in a very different way.

RSS, to be sure, is a transformative technology. I'm glad that libraries are slowly adopting it (too slowly, but something is better than nothing). [update] See comments for clarification. [/update] It's important to remember, however, that RSS is only the most rudimentary API available. Web-based standards exists that will give us the tools to create the type of immersive experiences Gates talks about:

Beyond browsing speaks to having rich client code that creates a great interaction. We're seeing an explosion of this. Almost every popular Web site is now saying, OK, what can they do, whether it's a little notification thing on the sidebar, or a full screen immersive type experience, this is a very state of the art thing that really is complementary to having that pure browser experience.

And that's the end-game when it comes to the online experience for our users. It doesn't matter who says it, we've got to acknowledge that our systems are in their infancy. We've got a lot of work to do--lobbying our vendors, communicating and convincing our colleagues, creating environments that foster creativity and development, not to mention producing the product itself.

Good luck!

Back in February, I participated in a SirsiDynix Institute round table with Steven Abram, Michael Stephens and Michael Casey. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but I came away with the impression that we'd barely scratched the surface on a number of questions Steven asked. Time was limited and the format and venue just didn't accommodate everything that could have been said. That, of course, is one of the reasons why we have blogs: to follow-up and extend.

One of the questions posed to the panel was, where can Library 2.0 make a difference now? Where is the action?

I had mentioned four particular areas where I thought L2 could be a change agent: technology, policy, programming, physical spaces. It's important to note that these four areas of change are in no way inherently "library 2.0"--just a part of the conversation. I think it's also important for me to admit that beyond technology, I really cannot write with any authority about policy, programming, or physical spaces, but I can identify good elements in each and voice an my opinion as to what I believe is good practice in each realm.

It's difficult to have a conversation about what's new in librarianship these days without bumping into terms like RFID, blog, wiki, and IM. There's little doubt that technology is poised to play a defining role in the future of librarianship. The question is how, to what degree, and what will it look like? I certainly see perils--some of which have already manifested themselves, *cough* .. RFI .. *cough* D ... I think we run the risk of chasing our tails in a frenzied loop, driven by tech for tech's sake. Always remember that when considering new technology, be mindful of "the process"--your existing methods and how new technology will impact it. After all, we share a relationship with technology, we don't own it. If we're unrealistic about that relationship and where it's going to go, we run the risk of burning ourselves in a flash of limerent passion.

So, what is the good stuff? As always, my response is, "that depends". Lately I've been beating the OPAC drum because I believe it's a fundamental library tool that's being neglected and passed over for more interesting or hip technologies. I believe in the socialPAC--we'll see where that goes, though. Michael Stephens does an inordinate amount of work trying to get libraries to adopt blogging. We've realized some very positive returns from our blogging initiative at AADL. In less that a year, we've managed to accumulate a sizable archive of quality content that belongs to us and invites community involvement. The model works and it adds tremendous value to our organization.

APIs have become vogue and we're seeing both the term and the technology itself sink into the library vernacular--at least in the blogosphere among library techies. I think the fact that we've witnessed some real successes with technologies like mashups, metadata and microformat-based tools has given rise to a general acceptance that the API is a critical business tool. I'm keen to see what arises from projects like unAPI and OpenURL. The idea here is to get away from technology that no longer works well, or doesn't live up to today's computing standards.

I don't want to speak much on hardware, because that is a bit of a sticky wicket. The problem with hardware is that it's always there and I really don't believe that hardware provides as much ROI as the judicious use of software can. As long as you have the right hardware for the job and enough power to drive your applications, you're set. That's not to say that we shouldn't be experimenting and researching ways to use new hardware--we just need to be careful because hardware vendors often promise one thing while practicality demonstrates another--tablet PC, anyone?

I'm grateful to the administrators who toil over policy development. Well, I'm grateful to them when they produce policy that makes sense! I've always been of the opinion that if the majority of people ignore a particular policy, it's bad--I think there is a little bit of acknowledgement of that going on these days as we look around and see a number of institutions relaxing rules and taking the opportunity to foster environments that are more inviting and less punitive. AADL, for example, now allows patrons to enjoy a beverage anywhere in the library so long as it has a lid. The old stereotype of the cranky librarian shushing anyone who dares to converse above a whisper is slowly eroding. I'd like to see fines disappear--some libraries are adopting very lax fine policies. Fines do nothing but scare off potential users and disenfranchise those who have accrued a balance. Friendly phone calls ought to accompany invoices. Your facilities could have all the right components for an immersive library experience, but if the policies are suffocating, expect users to go elsewhere.

While we're at it, reconsidering organizational structure is not a bad idea. My guess is that a more Google-like approach to staffing in key areas may help foster innovation. In other words, libraries might benefit from flattening out the organization structure of its employees in areas where new ideas are being developed and tested. Staff members need to have a realistic sense that they can approach anyone else in the organization with ideas and proposals instead of scheming up ways of floating them through layers of bureaucracy with the fear that they may be trampling on someones toes. Bureaucracy is an innovation killer.

Good policy can also pave the way for radical transformation in programming. In addition to the regularly-scheduled programs like story times and computer classes, I'm continuously impressed with the quality of guest speakers and other events our community relations department puts together. Programming is such an important tool for reminding your community that the library is alive, full of hope and opportunity. Lately, with the addition of gaming juggernauts like AADL-GT, we're seeing an upsurge in the amount and quality of teen programming in libraries everywhere. Teen programming is tremendously vogue right now and is vital to the fiscal health of our libraries in the future. We ought to be hiring and encouraging the very best teen librarians we possibly can right now--they need to be courageous, energetic visionaries, much like our own Erin Hemlrich (who ought to be blogging!). Courageous, because aside from the perceived taboos that need to be broken in order to get teens excited about the library, getting teens excited is not easy--it takes guts to engage those hypercritical hormone-factories. Gaming programs have a huge potential for return, if done right. Eli Neiburger and Erin have put together a gaming initiative that would knock your head off if you saw it--it's so good that it actually impresses the kids who come to it. And come they do--well over a hundred participants often show up for events.

Programming is also receptive to the adaptation of new technologies. Creative and judicious use of streaming audio/video, VoIP, wifi, electronic signage, even our own existing databases can yield results that look highly produced and professional. Attention to detail and a mindset that demands quality will create a product that our users will respect, and in turn, they will feel respected by us. True, money plays into a lot of these programs, but not always, and not as much as one might expect by looking at the finished product--be wily and get it done right!

We've just successfully opened the new Pittsfield Branch Library--the latest addition to the AADL system. It's a beautiful library--my favorite so far. In addition to bright, airy, open stacks and a quiet reading room with a fire place that overlooks protected wetlands, it features a generous kids area replete with toys and game computers. Also, directly in the center of the building is an interactive Bernoulli machine exhibit--a joint venture between AADL and the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. The exhibit allows visitors (mostly the children) to press a pneumatic button that launches balls up a 20 foot tube where they are shot out into a spiral funnel that winds the balls back down another tube into a collection chamber with a spinning disc that sends the balls careening over buttons that light up various panels. The balls then fall back into a pinball-like queue where they can be launched, once again. It's really quite impressive. I also think it was a courageous move to put it in there due to both it's size and the amount of activity that it garners. It's definitely a draw for the 2-8 year-old crowd!

The point here is that physical space plays a major role in defining both the mission and purpose of libraries. I'm glad to see that larger and larger areas are being devoted to youth and teens. Having those resources brings in the stay-at-home parents with their children and starts a process of acclimation that primes the pipeline with future (tax-paying) patrons. Clean, accessible and uncongested computer rooms are essential to providing connectivity to those who may not have it at home, or who may not even have a home (we ought to be thinking about programming for the homeless, as well). Book stores have coffee shops, libraries should too, with free wifi so that the Borders down the street doesn't steal our business.

Okay, so I've taken a few scribblings and turned them into a long-winded brain-dumpish post. What can I say, I love what I do, and I believe that libraries are an oasis. Like most everyone else, I think we can do better. If nothing else, "Library 2.0" reminds us that it's an exciting and challenging time to be a library.

[tags]library, libraries, Web 2.0, Library 2.0, SirsiDynix, OPAC, innovation, technology, policy[/tags]

Peter Morville, along with his publisher , O'Reilly Media, has announced the second Laughing Lemur contest. On the line is a state-of-the-art Ambient Findabili T. So if you're headed to Vancouver--get on it!

I'm not going to Vancouver, so alas, I shall not don the T. It is a thrill, though, to see that he's incorporating into his treasure hunt AADL's catalog and the virtual card catalog cards I've been working on. Speaking of which, there are well over 2000 cards marked-up at this point with 700+ unique individuals building collections. Not bad for a single library in a moderately sized town.

Yep, the market is ripe.