Author: Jaf

Law, libraries, books, crafts, and general geekery.

Genius!

Ok, Library shelving units are not known for being highly active, right?
And if you install a motion sensor for lighting, you tend to want to put it in an area of high activity, yes?
So, what genius put a motion sensor on the lights in the Library area, so if the shelves don’t move for 30 mins, the lights go off? I have to make sure to get up from my desk every 30 mins or less, to make sure they stay on!
Sensor is (hopefully) being moved this week (I actually pointed this out before the move, but I’m just the librarian, what would I know about the activity levels of the library shelving…)

And yes, this means I spent yesterday unpacking and shelving 62 crates worth of library…I have many interestingly coloured bruises (knees and legs I understand, but how did I bruise my hand?!?), an aching back and shoulders…but the result is a lovely new library area! And that’s a mahoosive improvement on the previous library layout!

Today, I’m a happy librarian…who’s considering throwing her bookworm toy at the sensor instead of dragging herself out from behind her desk next time the lights go off…!

I’m back!

Between frantically finalising my portfolio for my Chartership application with CILIP, catching up before holiday, going on holiday, catching up AFTER holiday, running back and forth to vets with a suicidal cat…it’s been a busy month! Not to mention the fact that me and my library are moving to another floor as a result of expansion, which just so happens to occur when I’m on holiday, and means I’ll be crossing my fingers that it’s all packed up properly, then reshelving the whole lot in its new location, whilst covering two offices as my boss is then on her holiday next week…my firm do like us to multitask!

In the meantime, I’ve been reading about Wyoming libraries mudflap girl campaign, Sony’s ‘sexier than a librarian’ campaign, favourite library blogs have been surveyed, virtual picket lines and demonstrations in Second Life, social networking and its business usefulness / timewasting, Enquiring Minds Want to Know has moved to a snazzy new site, The Annoyed Librarian has annoyed many,…oh, it’s a social whirl!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, James Mullan was interviewed for IWR, and kindly mentioned me as a blog he reads…I’m trying to revive my posting to make that less of a futile activity than it has been for the past month!

Also, have had my article on the pros and cons of using a wiki for a Chartership portfolio application published in Impact, the journal of CILIP Career Development Group…although access is for members only. If anyone feels an overwhelming urge to read it, just leave a comment and I’ll work out a way of getting it to you…

Now…off to continue the clearout of ‘stuff’…it’s amazing how things reappear in the library / on my desk when other peoples desks are being cleared…*sigh*

E-reader technology and trauma

Both the English Law Gazette and the JLSS have information on Sweet & Maxwells trial of a new eReader, the iRex Iliad Reader.

Now, while they seem like fun, the downsides (like lack of search and index) do make it look like it’s going to still be a good few years yet before this sort of thing is commercially available, and the fee earners start demanding them / similar technology, which gives me plenty of time to try and work out, for a commercial law firm, the following questions:

  • Are the ebooks individual plug in elements? Or downloadable files?
  • Will we have to provide every solicitor with an eReader, or would we need a library eReader that would be borrowed out on demand? Given their attachment to their other devices such as Blackberries, I can’t visualise them being happy to share a resource like that.
  • How many copies will we need of standard texts? I can only imagine this’ll lead to every solicitor wanting their own copy of each available relevant text…the other alternative would be for the eBooks and eReader to stay in the library, and be borrowed out like normal books. Again, demand could mean this would lead to the Library needing multiple eReaders…
  • And the copies issue leads onto the cost issue…what pricing structure would the publishers be using? Would each eBook cost the same as a book? Would there be discounts for buying multiple copies?
  • Would there be a way to disable the annotating function if the ‘library of eBooks’ option was what was used? Or wipe out ALL annotations in one shot, without trawling through the pages? People DON’T like to read other peoples random scribblings on books!
  • Are pages printable?
  • Would printouts of these pages be acceptable in court?

Anyone got any ideas?