It was not at all clear to me that the Arts and Sciences faculty of Harvard would go for mandatory submission of their articles to the Harvard institutional repository (IR.) But they just did.
Since Harvard is such a leader in US education, expect this to ripple through the rest of the ARL.
One thought: if open access IR's are such a great idea why do the NIH and now Harvard need to mandate submission? Were authors ever told they must submit to traditional journals? Well, yes they were, by tenure evaluation committees on campus and prospective employers. But there is an obvious difference. Authors still had to compete to get things published in the best journals,which is why tenure committees valued peer review publication so highly. The economics of IR's are different. Unlimited storage space and the lack of what we might call market discipline means that potential authors aren't clamoring for limited space in the journal. Instead IR managers are out there beating the bushes for content, which may be why tenure committees have not taken submission to them seriously.
Is this a vicious cycle or simply a start up problem?
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Top Five Issues facing the Library
Later this spring we have a consulting firm -- R2 -- coming to take a look at our Technical Services and advise us on what kind of operation we need to support the Library over the next decade. I have been impressed with the kind of questions they are asking to prepare for their visit. One question they asked us was to identify the 3-5 top issues facing the library. Here is what the librarians agreed we should send them.
Careful readers of this blog (if such people exist!) will note the similarity between those five and our strategic plan. You can see more of the plan on our planning wiki. More on that in a later post.
- In the context of an ongoing process of curriculum review and revision, finding the appropriate role(s) for librarians and the library in developing the information literacy competencies of Rollins students.
- Providing information resources in a hybrid world of print and digital resources so that we adequately respect, maintain, and develop print resources, while recognizing that an increasing proportion of use will be of our digital resources and our resources will be just a fraction of the information resources accessed by our users.
- Balancing our services to users so that our digital services (for instance instruction and reference) are as well developed online as they are in person.
- Raising the level of competency and effectiveness of our personnel in this hybrid world and making sure we are focused on what really adds the most value to the educational mission of the College.
- Enhancing our users' experiences of the library (in this building and online) so that we become a destination on campus and a preferred "third space" in the lives of our users.
Careful readers of this blog (if such people exist!) will note the similarity between those five and our strategic plan. You can see more of the plan on our planning wiki. More on that in a later post.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Permission and innovation
Thad Seymour came to the library a couple of days ago to invite me to lunch with Jack Rogers whose father was the architect of the Olin Library. As is his way, Thad never comes empty handed, he gave me a copy of this entry from his daughter's blog.
I don't tend to read too much about public libraries. I have enough trouble keeping up with College ones. I do know that the way in which public libraries serve or do not serve the homeless has been a significant issue for many public librarians so I was really struck by this librarian's innovative solution to this problem.
It is so easy when we are so busy to simply enforce the rules, to protect the status quo. Sandy Neerman didn't do that. Instead she used the problem to reorient the whole issue. It was no longer about whether or not a group could serve food at a particular location outside the library. Instead it became a way to serve an underserved group. This is the kind of thing that wins you the Charlie Robinson Award.
I don't tend to read too much about public libraries. I have enough trouble keeping up with College ones. I do know that the way in which public libraries serve or do not serve the homeless has been a significant issue for many public librarians so I was really struck by this librarian's innovative solution to this problem.
It is so easy when we are so busy to simply enforce the rules, to protect the status quo. Sandy Neerman didn't do that. Instead she used the problem to reorient the whole issue. It was no longer about whether or not a group could serve food at a particular location outside the library. Instead it became a way to serve an underserved group. This is the kind of thing that wins you the Charlie Robinson Award.
Super Tuesday
We held a Super Tuesday Viewing Party in the atrium of the library last night. I left at 11:30 and there were still a hardy few hanging out for the California results (well, not so hardy. This is Florida and so it is perfectly possible to enjoy an evening outside in February in t-shirt and shorts.) As with the 2006 elections we had lots of people show up for short periods throughout the evening. We kept our own poll using red and blue snacks (a split decision: the red chips won, as did the blue candy.)
Local TV showed up and spent the evening interviewing groups of students. The sororities on campus were rushing (have I constructed that sentence correctly? It is all greek to me.) So at times we had this bizarre post modern mash up of elegantly dressed young ladies parading past the politicos to vote in the Library computer labs.
The atrium, with good furniture, the plasma, and wireless access, worked well as a space. It gave lots of people the opportunity to sit or stop by and became a great meeting and mixing space. Exactly what we were looking for.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Information wants to be free, but writers want to be paid.
Google the first part of that sentence and you get about 101,000 hits. Google the whole sentence and you get nothing. At least at 10:30 a.m. on 1/28/08.
I came up with the second half of this pithy statement. Unfortunately, I am also convinced that someone came up with it before me!
The first part was originally written by Stewart Brand (I understand in the May 1985 issue of the Whole Earth Review, transcribed from a 1984 conference) and has since metastasized through our culture. His original quote was, “information wants to be expensive, because it is so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time.” This is a far more nuanced thought than the short phrase normally quoted. So where did the second part come from?
Bryan Alexander suggested that Bruce Sterling had originally made this point. But I have been unable to hunt down any of his writings where he makes this exact point. The closest I have come in a speech he gave to the LITA Conference in San Fransisco in June 1992 in which he rails against the commercialization and commodification of information and states, ironically, “You seem to be under the misapprehension that information wants to be free and that enabling people to learn and follow their own interests will benefit society as a whole. Well, we no longer believe in society as a whole. We believe in the *economy* as a whole -- a black hole!”
Another possibility is John Perry Barlow's March 1994 article in Wired "The Economy of Ideas." In which, while proposing a new system of encouraging creators to create because copyright will not function in the digital age, he states that, "Stewart Brand is generally credited with this elegant statement of the obvious [information wants to be free], which recognizes both the natural desire of secrets to be told and the fact that they might be capable of possessing something like a "desire" in the first place."
Trouble is neither of these express exactly the pithy second part of my statement. They are about as close as the ur-statement of copyright's purpose, "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8.)
So, I am looking for some help. Do you know who first said or wrote the second part? Let me know, leave a comment.
I find Barlow's article really interesting for another reason. I have always been unsatisfied with information science's understanding of information. We have tended to define and think about information as objects. As though an reference interaction for instance is as simple as a question and and answer that ca be captured with a hatch mark on a stats sheet. Any reference librarian will tell you it doesn't feel like that. Barlow articulates the reason for my discomfort. He writes about information as an activity.
"Freed of its containers, information is obviously not a thing. In fact, it is something that happens in the field of interaction between minds or objects or other pieces of information.
I came up with the second half of this pithy statement. Unfortunately, I am also convinced that someone came up with it before me!
The first part was originally written by Stewart Brand (I understand in the May 1985 issue of the Whole Earth Review, transcribed from a 1984 conference) and has since metastasized through our culture. His original quote was, “information wants to be expensive, because it is so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time.” This is a far more nuanced thought than the short phrase normally quoted. So where did the second part come from?
Bryan Alexander suggested that Bruce Sterling had originally made this point. But I have been unable to hunt down any of his writings where he makes this exact point. The closest I have come in a speech he gave to the LITA Conference in San Fransisco in June 1992 in which he rails against the commercialization and commodification of information and states, ironically, “You seem to be under the misapprehension that information wants to be free and that enabling people to learn and follow their own interests will benefit society as a whole. Well, we no longer believe in society as a whole. We believe in the *economy* as a whole -- a black hole!”
Another possibility is John Perry Barlow's March 1994 article in Wired "The Economy of Ideas." In which, while proposing a new system of encouraging creators to create because copyright will not function in the digital age, he states that, "Stewart Brand is generally credited with this elegant statement of the obvious [information wants to be free], which recognizes both the natural desire of secrets to be told and the fact that they might be capable of possessing something like a "desire" in the first place."
Trouble is neither of these express exactly the pithy second part of my statement. They are about as close as the ur-statement of copyright's purpose, "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8.)
So, I am looking for some help. Do you know who first said or wrote the second part? Let me know, leave a comment.
I find Barlow's article really interesting for another reason. I have always been unsatisfied with information science's understanding of information. We have tended to define and think about information as objects. As though an reference interaction for instance is as simple as a question and and answer that ca be captured with a hatch mark on a stats sheet. Any reference librarian will tell you it doesn't feel like that. Barlow articulates the reason for my discomfort. He writes about information as an activity.
"Freed of its containers, information is obviously not a thing. In fact, it is something that happens in the field of interaction between minds or objects or other pieces of information.
Gregory Bateson, expanding on the information theory of Claude Shannon, said, "Information is a difference which makes a difference." Thus, information only really exists in the Delta. The making of that difference is an activity within a relationship. Information is an action which occupies time rather than a state of being which occupies physical space, as is the case with hard goods. It is the pitch, not the baseball, the dance, not the dancer."
Mystical, but really, really good. There is lots more there that is worth considering. Read the article.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Seasons 52 5K Race
TR and I (and about three thousand other people) ran this 5K today. My first Florida race and my first 5K. I was pleased with my time of 23:45. TR (of course!) did it in 18:21. It was a beautiful course up and down Park Avenue and around the neighborhood near Lake Maitland
Thanks to Melanie for taking the photo and particularly for coming out to support us at 7:30 a.m.
Thanks to Melanie for taking the photo and particularly for coming out to support us at 7:30 a.m.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
ILLiad
Way back in September '06 I mentioned ILLiad as one possible software package we should consider using in interlibrary loan (ILL.) Well we just signed the agreement to begin using the software. Our goal is to implement it over the summer of '08. It took longer than I hoped but I think this is going to make a huge difference in how easy ILL will be for our users. It will also make ILL more efficient for the staff who work on ILL requests and thus get stuff to our users faster. Imagine this:
- You find a citation to an article in one of our databases. It works for books too, by the way.
- You use the "Find It" button to see if we have it in full text
- The link resolver shows that we do not have it in fulltext and recommends you use ILL.
- You click on the ILL link and the system asks you to login, you use your Rollins username and password and you're in.
- ILLiad automatically finds your account based on that authentication and also fills in the citation information. You check to make sure everything is OK and press submit.
- If you fit certain criteria the request will go straight to the lending library. The next thing you know an e-mail arrives in your inbox inviting you click on a link to get the article.
- Behind the scenes the system is collecting all kinds of stats and helping the staff place requests and manage requests to borrow from other libraries.
- If you get curious about what is going on with your outstanding requests (or even if you realize you need that green book you borrow on ILL last summer, but can't remember the title) you can login, view you record and track your outstanding and past requests.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Thinking About Information Literacy
I think about information literacy a lot. What college librarian doesn't? But a couple of interesting reports have come out recently and Rollins is going through a process of curriculum review at the moment so I am particularly interested in the role of information literacy in the curriculum.
The AACU 2007 report of its Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative "College Learning for the New Global Economy" lists information literacy as one of six "intellectual and practical skills" that are "essential learning outcomes" should be "practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance" (p.22.)
On the other side of the pond JISC and the British Library just released a report on the Google Generation. According to the Executive Summary, they aimed to, "identify how the specialist researchers of the future, currently in their school or pre-school years, are likely to access and interact with digital resources in five to ten years’ time. This is to help library and information services to anticipate and react to any new or emerging behaviours in the most effective way" (p.5.)
Although they define the Google generation as people born after 1993, they note that the information seeking behaviors of that generation are now common to us all, "horizontal, bouncing, checking and viewing in nature. Users are promiscuous, diverse and volatile" (p.9.)
There is so much in this report it is tough to pick out just a couple of thing, but here is what really concerns me. "The information literacy of young people, has not improved with the widening access to technology: in fact, their apparent facility with computers disguises some worrying problems" (p.12.)
The JISC report is aimed at helping libraries change to serve this new generation, but I am more concerned with the how liberal arts colleges like Rollins need to change our curricula to effectively educate such students.
Information literacy isn't the point of a liberal education but I agree with the LEAP report. It is an essential skill that should be practiced repeatedly in increasingly complex ways throughout the four years that students spend with us.
The AACU 2007 report of its Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative "College Learning for the New Global Economy" lists information literacy as one of six "intellectual and practical skills" that are "essential learning outcomes" should be "practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance" (p.22.)
On the other side of the pond JISC and the British Library just released a report on the Google Generation. According to the Executive Summary, they aimed to, "identify how the specialist researchers of the future, currently in their school or pre-school years, are likely to access and interact with digital resources in five to ten years’ time. This is to help library and information services to anticipate and react to any new or emerging behaviours in the most effective way" (p.5.)
Although they define the Google generation as people born after 1993, they note that the information seeking behaviors of that generation are now common to us all, "horizontal, bouncing, checking and viewing in nature. Users are promiscuous, diverse and volatile" (p.9.)
There is so much in this report it is tough to pick out just a couple of thing, but here is what really concerns me. "The information literacy of young people, has not improved with the widening access to technology: in fact, their apparent facility with computers disguises some worrying problems" (p.12.)
The JISC report is aimed at helping libraries change to serve this new generation, but I am more concerned with the how liberal arts colleges like Rollins need to change our curricula to effectively educate such students.
Information literacy isn't the point of a liberal education but I agree with the LEAP report. It is an essential skill that should be practiced repeatedly in increasingly complex ways throughout the four years that students spend with us.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Great new exhibits at the Cornell
Bethany and I went to the preview of the new Cornell exhibits on Friday evening. A superb collection of works by Louise Neville -- cool, black serene. Figure drawings, prints, etc. from the museum's permanent collection that once again so how rich that collection is. Finally a couple of crazy contemporary installations. Watching Bethany traverse the crocheted rope of Orly Genger's installation in her high heels was the high point of the evening as far as I was concerned.
Yet more reasons why I feel lucky to working at the same place as Luanne McKinnon.
Yet more reasons why I feel lucky to working at the same place as Luanne McKinnon.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
OCLC ILL Direct Borrowing
Imagine placing a request for an book via interlibrary loan. You fit a predetermined profile for the library (for instance you are a faculty member, or a student), you are requesting a book that is not owned by the Olin Library, it is owned by a couple of libraries that lend to us for free. Having met all these criteria (automatically, no extra steps for you) your request doesn't stop at Olin waiting for our staff to review it. It goes straight to the lending library. The first we ever see of the book is when it arrives via the US Mail. The same can be done for articles. It adds speed and cuts work and all depends on setting up the custom holding paths and policies correctly.
OCLC has been doing this for sometime, but I had kinda lost touch with it. It used to cost for each request ,which is pretty unsustainable for most libraries. They have now included it as part of our regular OCLC fee. This makes it much more interesting.
OCLC has been doing this for sometime, but I had kinda lost touch with it. It used to cost for each request ,which is pretty unsustainable for most libraries. They have now included it as part of our regular OCLC fee. This makes it much more interesting.
College Library Directors' Discussion Group
One of my favorite events at ALA, this is a chance to sit down with people in similar situations and find out how we are trying to handle whatever gets thrown at us. This time I sat with a group discussing the relationship between IT and libraries on our campuses. Issues that were discussed included how to collaborate with IT, "micro teaching" (a great description of what librarians spend a lot of time doing), learning commons, the growing phenomena of outsourcing of tech. utilities like e-mail and the potential impact upon library operations, our experience at Rollins with Teamspot, and Element K. Every campus will find its own solution to the relationship between IT and the library.I am glad to be working with such a high quality IT group here at Rollins.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Bibliography management software at ALA Midwinter
Naomi is looking into softwares that will help our students manage and keep track of references etc. and wanted me to look at what the vendors are offering here at ALA. So far I have found Endnote at the Thomson/ISI booth and Refworks. Both have web-based versions that could sit on the network, be accessible both on and off campus, enable students and faculty to create their own accounts and folders to keep reference in. Both work with MSWord. Refworks also works with Blackboard (version 7) and also includes some nice sharing features. I am still on the look out for others.
Our basic point here is to find something that works with our databases and relieves students of the need to laboriously format citations.
Our basic point here is to find something that works with our databases and relieves students of the need to laboriously format citations.
Copyright at ALA Midwinter
Then it was on to a new copyright discussion group. Lots about copyright and multimedia, and quite a bit of the blind leading the blind as usual (I speak as one of the blind.)
But we probably need to have clearer guidelines about public performance rights (PPR) (outside of the classroom) on campus. Maybe take a look at Swank and add local notes about PPR to catalog records when we already have the rights.
But we probably need to have clearer guidelines about public performance rights (PPR) (outside of the classroom) on campus. Maybe take a look at Swank and add local notes about PPR to catalog records when we already have the rights.
EBSCO at ALA Midwinter 2008
I am going to try and blog this conference
I went to the EBSCO lunch and must say I was quite impressed with the "version 2.0" they are rolling out this year. The last major update was in 2002 and a lot has happened on the web since then. Their changes include a really simple "google-like" basic search screen. Lots of added functionality on the results page with faceted searching, float over windows (think Netflix for articles), visual searching (which I don't think they have quite got yet -- not that anyone has), Smartsearching (I think that is what they call it) which blows natural language searching out of the water by enabling a user to put as many words (they could paste a whole article in there) in the search box and get relevant results, better integration of their image collections. It is a major change and it will be interesting to see if CSA/Proquest will respond.
I went to the EBSCO lunch and must say I was quite impressed with the "version 2.0" they are rolling out this year. The last major update was in 2002 and a lot has happened on the web since then. Their changes include a really simple "google-like" basic search screen. Lots of added functionality on the results page with faceted searching, float over windows (think Netflix for articles), visual searching (which I don't think they have quite got yet -- not that anyone has), Smartsearching (I think that is what they call it) which blows natural language searching out of the water by enabling a user to put as many words (they could paste a whole article in there) in the search box and get relevant results, better integration of their image collections. It is a major change and it will be interesting to see if CSA/Proquest will respond.
Friday, January 11, 2008
NITLE workshops on emerging technology
I spent Thursday and Friday in two NITLE workshops on social software and on emerging technologies in liberal education.
I am trying to do my part to raise the profile of technology in the process of curriculum review and in our educational mission in general at Rollins. Of course, when I use the word "technology" I don't mean all the technologies that surround us from from air conditioners to zippers. I mean the constellation of networked computing technologies, both hard and software,that are increasingly embedded in our lives.
I like to explain my concern this way. Our students come from technologically rich environments (in their high schools, their homes, and their social lives.) They will leave us to go into technologically rich environments in graduate school,in the workplace, and most aspects of their lives. What are we doing in the few years they are with us to respond to their technological expectations and to prepare them to be able to critically engage with technology throughout their lives? Many, most,of our students are facile users of technology but not necessarily ready to make informed choices about technology. I think this needs to be part of what it means to be liberally educated in the 21st century. These workshops will, I hope, help the Rollins faculty as a whole to engage with this issue more than it seems they have in the past. Some already are, but I think it needs to be a bigger part of our general conversation.
Some of the technologies discussed at the workshops include blogs,wikis, social bookmarking sites like delicious, facebook, second life, flickr, twitter, podcasting, and games. There are lots of information and other stuff at the workshop wiki links above.
I am trying to do my part to raise the profile of technology in the process of curriculum review and in our educational mission in general at Rollins. Of course, when I use the word "technology" I don't mean all the technologies that surround us from from air conditioners to zippers. I mean the constellation of networked computing technologies, both hard and software,that are increasingly embedded in our lives.
I like to explain my concern this way. Our students come from technologically rich environments (in their high schools, their homes, and their social lives.) They will leave us to go into technologically rich environments in graduate school,in the workplace, and most aspects of their lives. What are we doing in the few years they are with us to respond to their technological expectations and to prepare them to be able to critically engage with technology throughout their lives? Many, most,of our students are facile users of technology but not necessarily ready to make informed choices about technology. I think this needs to be part of what it means to be liberally educated in the 21st century. These workshops will, I hope, help the Rollins faculty as a whole to engage with this issue more than it seems they have in the past. Some already are, but I think it needs to be a bigger part of our general conversation.
Some of the technologies discussed at the workshops include blogs,wikis, social bookmarking sites like delicious, facebook, second life, flickr, twitter, podcasting, and games. There are lots of information and other stuff at the workshop wiki links above.
Monday, January 07, 2008
AAAS Says Science Will Remain in JSTOR
It looks like the outcry worked. Science is going to stick with JSTOR. This is good news. I am sure that the AAAS would have done a fine job of archiving the journal Science, but having it in JSTOR strengthens that archive and it is a strike against the proliferation of single journal or publisher archives which makes the lives of users (and librarians) easier.
I wrote about this back in July 2007 I am glad to see they changed their minds.
I wrote about this back in July 2007 I am glad to see they changed their minds.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Guide to Winter Park
Note: This is an update as of 10/8/08.
Cup O'Soul has moved to 711-A Orange Avenue, a couple of blocks closer to campus. Strollo's website is still in the works, luckily the restaurant is much further along.
The weather is just beginning to break in Florida as we move from the rainy season to the dry season. Temperature in the 80s during the day, in the 60's at night. Perfect strolling weather. If you have a day free, rent a car and go to the beach at Canaveral National Seashore. Just one hour away.
Note: This is an update as of 4/28/08.
The The Authentic Cuban Cafe is supposedly under new management. The quality is still the same, but the prices have risen.
I should have mentioned Tolla's last time round. Good honest Italian-American food. I love their linguini with clams.
Try Cup O'Soul on Fairbanks. Good coffee, cakes, and lunches. And they serve their coffee in ceramic cups. Yay!
Also another new place on Fairbanks. Strollo's Cucina Due. Has some interesting Italian deli (pancetta etc.) and the bread is not bad, but they have really good lunchtime sandwiches and desserts.
OK so the Cheese Shop on Park is not a restaurant, but they have really good cheese. Get some bread from the Olde Hearth at the Farmers' Market, a couple of tomatoes and some fruit, wander over to this place and pick up a perfectly ripe cheese, wander to central park and as we say in my country -- Bob's your uncle!
*********
We have a couple of NITLE workshops coming up here at Rollins next week. So while we have visitors in town I thought they may like to explore a bit and sent them the following. The hotel mentioned, is the Comfort Suites on Orange. If you know Winter Park, what would you add?
I have already heard that I should add The Enzian, Hannibal Square, Red Light Red Light, Mad Cow Theater, and The Authentic Cuban cafe. All good ideas.
Places to eat and things to do in and around Winter Park – Jonathan Miller.
There is no shortage of information on the web about things to do and places eat in and around Orlando and central Florida. This list is one resident’s (albeit a recent arrival) idiosyncratic short list of things to do and places to eat around Winter Park and may give you a different impression of this area from the usual impression of the area as the “House of the Mouse.”
Restaurants, Coffeehouses and Bars in Winter Park
Palmanos – best coffee in town in a hidden courtyard off Park Ave. One block from campus.
Eola Wine Company – great people watching spot on Park Ave. with good selection of wines and food.
Ravenous Pig – New and very good “gastropub” with lots of fresh ingredients, between your hotel and the College on Orange Ave.
Fiddler’s Green. Classic Irish pub with darts, music. Food is good. Guinness is better. Between your hotel and the College where Orange meets Fairbanks.
Stardust Café – About 2.5 miles from your hotel. My second favorite coffee shop in town. Good food, great video collection, definite coffee house atmosphere. Free wifi.1842 Winter Park Rd, Winter Park, at the corner of Corrine.
Thai Place – best Thai food in town. Two miles north of your hotel next to the Winter Park Village shopping complex.
Little Saigon – 1106 E. Colonial. Less than a mile from your hotel. Good Vietnamese food in the Vietnamese section of town at Mills and Colonial.
White Wolf Café – Half a mile south of your hotel on Orange. I haven’t visited but want to. I have heard good things. It is in an interesting part of town with antique stores and Lake Ivanhoe.
Things to do
Winter Park Farmers’ Market – Every Saturday 7 am – 1pm. Corner of New York and New England, three blocks from the College. You gotta love a green market in January with fresh strawberries and citrus.
People watching on Park Avenue – Park Ave. is the entrance to the College from the north. Sit at any one of the many outdoor cafes and restaurants and watch the beautiful people.
Cornell Fine Arts Museum – On the Rollins Campus. Great permanent collection and some stunning visiting exhibits.
Morse Museum of American Art – At the other end of Park Avenue. A world class Tiffany glass collection.
Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden – One block from the College on Osceola. Small lakeside jewel of a garden. The gallery tour costs, but access to the garden is free.
Orlando Museum of Art – Less than a mile east of the Comfort Suites by either East Rollins Street or Princeton Street. Located in Lock Haven Park along with the Science Museum and the County Historical Museum.
Scenic Boat Ride – 312 East Morse. About three blocks from campus. Hokey but fun tour of three of the lakes of the area. They get the history right, you get to indulge in house envy.
Urban Think – Great bookstore, near some good cafés and restaurants in downtown Orlando next to Lake Eola and Thornton Park. Two miles south of your hotel.
Cup O'Soul has moved to 711-A Orange Avenue, a couple of blocks closer to campus. Strollo's website is still in the works, luckily the restaurant is much further along.
The weather is just beginning to break in Florida as we move from the rainy season to the dry season. Temperature in the 80s during the day, in the 60's at night. Perfect strolling weather. If you have a day free, rent a car and go to the beach at Canaveral National Seashore. Just one hour away.
Note: This is an update as of 4/28/08.
The The Authentic Cuban Cafe is supposedly under new management. The quality is still the same, but the prices have risen.
I should have mentioned Tolla's last time round. Good honest Italian-American food. I love their linguini with clams.
Try Cup O'Soul on Fairbanks. Good coffee, cakes, and lunches. And they serve their coffee in ceramic cups. Yay!
Also another new place on Fairbanks. Strollo's Cucina Due. Has some interesting Italian deli (pancetta etc.) and the bread is not bad, but they have really good lunchtime sandwiches and desserts.
OK so the Cheese Shop on Park is not a restaurant, but they have really good cheese. Get some bread from the Olde Hearth at the Farmers' Market, a couple of tomatoes and some fruit, wander over to this place and pick up a perfectly ripe cheese, wander to central park and as we say in my country -- Bob's your uncle!
*********
We have a couple of NITLE workshops coming up here at Rollins next week. So while we have visitors in town I thought they may like to explore a bit and sent them the following. The hotel mentioned, is the Comfort Suites on Orange. If you know Winter Park, what would you add?
I have already heard that I should add The Enzian, Hannibal Square, Red Light Red Light, Mad Cow Theater, and The Authentic Cuban cafe. All good ideas.
Places to eat and things to do in and around Winter Park – Jonathan Miller.
There is no shortage of information on the web about things to do and places eat in and around Orlando and central Florida. This list is one resident’s (albeit a recent arrival) idiosyncratic short list of things to do and places to eat around Winter Park and may give you a different impression of this area from the usual impression of the area as the “House of the Mouse.”
Restaurants, Coffeehouses and Bars in Winter Park
Palmanos – best coffee in town in a hidden courtyard off Park Ave. One block from campus.
Eola Wine Company – great people watching spot on Park Ave. with good selection of wines and food.
Ravenous Pig – New and very good “gastropub” with lots of fresh ingredients, between your hotel and the College on Orange Ave.
Fiddler’s Green. Classic Irish pub with darts, music. Food is good. Guinness is better. Between your hotel and the College where Orange meets Fairbanks.
Stardust Café – About 2.5 miles from your hotel. My second favorite coffee shop in town. Good food, great video collection, definite coffee house atmosphere. Free wifi.1842 Winter Park Rd, Winter Park, at the corner of Corrine.
Thai Place – best Thai food in town. Two miles north of your hotel next to the Winter Park Village shopping complex.
Little Saigon – 1106 E. Colonial. Less than a mile from your hotel. Good Vietnamese food in the Vietnamese section of town at Mills and Colonial.
White Wolf Café – Half a mile south of your hotel on Orange. I haven’t visited but want to. I have heard good things. It is in an interesting part of town with antique stores and Lake Ivanhoe.
Luma is a crazy hip place, very expensive.
Cafe de France has good French food and a quietly formal (at least by American standards) atmosphere. I was taken here during my interview and when I went back many months later the waiter remembered me.
Park Plaza Garden and Spice occupy opposite sides of the avenue and offer similar fare and a similar experience. Good places to be see and be seen if you sit outside and, after all, why don't you sit outside? It's Florida!
Bosphorus is a good Turkish restaurant, the best taramasalata (oops, that is what they call it is Greece!) You must try what my son calls the "volcano bread and see if your waiter will read your fortune in the lees of the Turkish coffee.
Tolla's is one of my favorites. Good authentic Italian-American fare and a very welcoming atmosphere.
Things to do
Winter Park Farmers’ Market – Every Saturday 7 am – 1pm. Corner of New York and New England, three blocks from the College. You gotta love a green market in January with fresh strawberries and citrus.
People watching on Park Avenue – Park Ave. is the entrance to the College from the north. Sit at any one of the many outdoor cafes and restaurants and watch the beautiful people.
Cornell Fine Arts Museum – On the Rollins Campus. Great permanent collection and some stunning visiting exhibits.
Morse Museum of American Art – At the other end of Park Avenue. A world class Tiffany glass collection.
Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden – One block from the College on Osceola. Small lakeside jewel of a garden. The gallery tour costs, but access to the garden is free.
Orlando Museum of Art – Less than a mile east of the Comfort Suites by either East Rollins Street or Princeton Street. Located in Lock Haven Park along with the Science Museum and the County Historical Museum.
Scenic Boat Ride – 312 East Morse. About three blocks from campus. Hokey but fun tour of three of the lakes of the area. They get the history right, you get to indulge in house envy.
Urban Think – Great bookstore, near some good cafés and restaurants in downtown Orlando next to Lake Eola and Thornton Park. Two miles south of your hotel.
Friday, December 14, 2007
24 hour access
At 7pm tonight, our 24/7 hours come to an end for this semester. here are the results.
Between Midnight and 8 a.m. we had a gate count high of 350 (Monday, December 10th)and a low of 47 (Saturday, December 8th.) the average between 12/3 and 12/14 was 209. Our data on how many people were in the building is pretty squishy, but it look like we had between 40 - 50 people in the library at 4 a.m. on any given night. Between midnight and 1 a.m., most people entered the library between 12-1 a.m. (an average of 59 on any one night) and the fewest people entered the building between 4 and 6 a.m. (an average of 9 per hour.)
On a campus with a residential population of less than 1700. I deem those numbers, along with lots of nice comments and thank yous, to be a success.
Between Midnight and 8 a.m. we had a gate count high of 350 (Monday, December 10th)and a low of 47 (Saturday, December 8th.) the average between 12/3 and 12/14 was 209. Our data on how many people were in the building is pretty squishy, but it look like we had between 40 - 50 people in the library at 4 a.m. on any given night. Between midnight and 1 a.m., most people entered the library between 12-1 a.m. (an average of 59 on any one night) and the fewest people entered the building between 4 and 6 a.m. (an average of 9 per hour.)
On a campus with a residential population of less than 1700. I deem those numbers, along with lots of nice comments and thank yous, to be a success.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Olin Library Website
I would really like your contribution to this -- post a comment, please.
I have written about this before, twice in fact, but now we are on the verge of making some real progress so it is worth revisiting. I have never been particularly impressed with our website. I don't think it is very attractive or functional (in terms of both architecture and functionality) and I think we can do a lot better. We have made some progress with functionality over the last year and expect to make more soon, but we have held off on the attractiveness because ....
Rollins is currently involved in a project to ramp up its marketing efforts and the College's web presence is obviously a big part of that. Some of us from the Library met with the folks who will be redesigning the College's web presence last week to talk about our audience, what they do on our website, what functionality we need, what we see coming down the pike, and other concerns. It was a good meeting.
One way to approach this is look at what we like about other websites that can inform our rebuild. Last time I wrote about this we got lots of comments. Here are the sites that were mentioned:
Brigham Young University -- Yvonne liked this one. The only thing I don't like is that the white box does not resize. It is a fussy box anyway, and this makes it even fussier. Well not the only thing -- the colors clash as well.
British Library -- The only things I don't particularly like are the navigation bar in the center of the screen and the horizontal orientation
Bowdoin -- I am not as big a fan as I was, except of their federated searching solution, but that could stand out more.
Bucknell -- This one did not get mentioned, but it should have been. First they are using xml. Sweet. Look at that picture with text in the middle -- object lessons on how they change teaching and learning, and they change as you visit the site. The search of the (Bill -- Sirsi!!!) catalog is right there in the middle and look at that calendar function. The whole impression is full, perhaps tending to fussy, but generally, very good.
Gustavus Adolphus -- Still like the clean lines and space, but why call a good blog "Library News"? They could be more creative than this.
Middlebury College -- I still like it, but there are still too many links, and why not have a federated search function on this opening page?
Oberlin College -- What was their new site is now in production and still looks good. I like the blog, but there are too many options under "find", and why aren't they federated search boxes?
Smith College -- I still like the direct link to subject guides in the "find resources" drop down menu, and the quick search of the catalog, as well as the float over menus. The left side is still fussy though.
Sonoma State University -- Another one Yvonne liked. It is clean and has the search of the catalog right there, and I like the haiku.
University of Rochester -- Dani Picard liked this one and they have the distinction of basing design on thorough usability testing. But why have the owl break the line that way? Ugh! Some of the functionality behind the "finding" (why the gerund?) links is great, but why have different lengths of buttons, and why not find a way to put the search right on the front page?
Webster University -- Naomi liked this one. I like the white space but not the font or those little black blobs. Also why say "look for" instead of "find"? As Roy Tennant says, "librarians like to search, everyone else like to find." Finally, the link to the survey results (great idea!) is ugly.
I have written about this before, twice in fact, but now we are on the verge of making some real progress so it is worth revisiting. I have never been particularly impressed with our website. I don't think it is very attractive or functional (in terms of both architecture and functionality) and I think we can do a lot better. We have made some progress with functionality over the last year and expect to make more soon, but we have held off on the attractiveness because ....
Rollins is currently involved in a project to ramp up its marketing efforts and the College's web presence is obviously a big part of that. Some of us from the Library met with the folks who will be redesigning the College's web presence last week to talk about our audience, what they do on our website, what functionality we need, what we see coming down the pike, and other concerns. It was a good meeting.
One way to approach this is look at what we like about other websites that can inform our rebuild. Last time I wrote about this we got lots of comments. Here are the sites that were mentioned:
Brigham Young University -- Yvonne liked this one. The only thing I don't like is that the white box does not resize. It is a fussy box anyway, and this makes it even fussier. Well not the only thing -- the colors clash as well.
British Library -- The only things I don't particularly like are the navigation bar in the center of the screen and the horizontal orientation
Bowdoin -- I am not as big a fan as I was, except of their federated searching solution, but that could stand out more.
Bucknell -- This one did not get mentioned, but it should have been. First they are using xml. Sweet. Look at that picture with text in the middle -- object lessons on how they change teaching and learning, and they change as you visit the site. The search of the (Bill -- Sirsi!!!) catalog is right there in the middle and look at that calendar function. The whole impression is full, perhaps tending to fussy, but generally, very good.
Gustavus Adolphus -- Still like the clean lines and space, but why call a good blog "Library News"? They could be more creative than this.
Middlebury College -- I still like it, but there are still too many links, and why not have a federated search function on this opening page?
Oberlin College -- What was their new site is now in production and still looks good. I like the blog, but there are too many options under "find", and why aren't they federated search boxes?
Smith College -- I still like the direct link to subject guides in the "find resources" drop down menu, and the quick search of the catalog, as well as the float over menus. The left side is still fussy though.
Sonoma State University -- Another one Yvonne liked. It is clean and has the search of the catalog right there, and I like the haiku.
University of Rochester -- Dani Picard liked this one and they have the distinction of basing design on thorough usability testing. But why have the owl break the line that way? Ugh! Some of the functionality behind the "finding" (why the gerund?) links is great, but why have different lengths of buttons, and why not find a way to put the search right on the front page?
Webster University -- Naomi liked this one. I like the white space but not the font or those little black blobs. Also why say "look for" instead of "find"? As Roy Tennant says, "librarians like to search, everyone else like to find." Finally, the link to the survey results (great idea!) is ugly.
Monday, December 03, 2007
The race to the finish line
There is a palpable change in the atmosphere in the library today. Just two weeks until the end of exams and the semester (at least for Arts & Sciences and Holt. Crummer follows Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution and never seems to stop.) Everyone is busy, focused, and the place is even fuller than usual.
We started 24 hour access on Sunday and will run through Friday December 14th. So far it is pretty slow, but we expect traffic to build as the publicity hits and as deadlines grow tight. Here are the hourly gate counts from the first night. Unfortunately these only tell us how many people entered the library, not how long they stayed, and we are having a devil of a time getting Campus Safety to do a 4 a.m. walk through the building to count heads. However, the building is clearly being used, who are those hardy thirty folks who get up and go to the library between 4 and 6 am?
Monday 12/3 Data
Hour Gate Count
Average 26
However, the building is clearly being used. Who are those hardy thirty folks who get up and go to the library between 4 and 6 am?
We started 24 hour access on Sunday and will run through Friday December 14th. So far it is pretty slow, but we expect traffic to build as the publicity hits and as deadlines grow tight. Here are the hourly gate counts from the first night. Unfortunately these only tell us how many people entered the library, not how long they stayed, and we are having a devil of a time getting Campus Safety to do a 4 a.m. walk through the building to count heads. However, the building is clearly being used, who are those hardy thirty folks who get up and go to the library between 4 and 6 am?
Monday 12/3 Data
Hour Gate Count
| 1am 59 |
| 2am 21 |
| 3am 13 |
| 4am 11 |
| 5am 11 |
| 6am 8 |
| 7am 17 |
| 8am 66 |
Average 26
However, the building is clearly being used. Who are those hardy thirty folks who get up and go to the library between 4 and 6 am?
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