Week 1 Blog Comments

Comment 1: Lindsay's blog

Comment 2: Elaina

Week 1 Muddiest Point

I found most of what was said easy to understand. I was a little confused about due dates and deadlines. Are the readings listed for each week the ones to read for the next class, or the ones that should be read before the class they're listed under? (So for example, do we have two sets of readings this week? The ones under Aug 26 and the ones under Sept 2? I'm not sure!)

Week 1 Readings

I thought the term "format agnostic" was cute, but also very representative of the way many people have changed the way they access their information. While I don't think physical books are going anywhere for a while, there are so many other format options, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. I think it is short-sighted when people insist that traditional books are the best way to access content, but I also think it is nostalgia talking in some cases-- book lovers will often remark on the feel and smell of the physical book. But our new formats can solve so many problems when used simultaneously, at least! Think of the Kindle or the Sony reader. Both of them have limited ability to enlarge text. I can't wait for this to become more available and popular-- have you ever seen how limited the large print sections are, whether bookstores or libraries? This would be great for people who can only read large print, and that's just one example.

Ebooks still aren't growing as quickly as some hoped or expected, but part of that is ease of use and availability. As I understand it, cheaper ereaders have had issues, and the Sony Reader and Kindle have some as well, and are out of most people's price range. We're still in the early adoption phase. Publishers aren't making a wide selection of ebooks available yet, and it's still largely limited to small presses who can't afford the expense of print publishing.

Regarding blogs and libraries, I have noticed that more and more libraries are using blogger, whether for their children and teens pages, or just for general information. So far, though, I have not seen much in the way of comments, even when it's obvious the blog is being read. Still largely a one-way distribution of information.

The Lied Library article related some things that were very familiar, particularly the problem of community users monopolizing the computers intended for students for hours and hours. And the value of the equipment poses its own problems as noted in the article. As libraries acquire more and more expensive pieces of technology, the risk of losing them grows. DVD theft can be limited by keeping the discs locked up, but how do you stop someone from walking off with headphones, a mouse, or even larger items? Security measures can be taken, but at what expense? I definitely agree that libraries will need to continue to evolve and keep up with technology, and also be open to adjusting methods as needed and as the needs of the libraries and the patrons continue to change.