"Remember The Bookworm Club" meme

I was following the conversation over at Jia's post where she mentioned "The Bookworm Club". The funny thing was that she only mentioned the Bookworm Club only in the title and nowhere in her blog post. However, the subsequent conversation was about the club (Kevin started it!).

My recollection about The Bookworm club isn't very clear. I vaguely remember being in Primary school. Our teacher brought our class down to the science lab. There were lots of books on display. You could buy them. I must have bought something (cost about $2). Paid up from my daily pocket money. They must have given me a flyer or bookmark with this bespectacled round-headed orange worm as a mascot. That's how I learnt about The Bookworm Club.

I found their website. Club was started in 1984. They seem to be still in business (although their site looks as if a revamp has been long overdue. Why don't they start a blog instead?)

My hunch is that most Singaporean adult between the present age of 30 to 35 would remember The Bookworm Club. Out of curiosity, I searched for blogs that mentioned the club and here's what I found:

• Kei credits the Bookworm Club & the money his parents spent on books for improving his general knowledge
• Yu became a bookworm club member at age 7
• Newdaddy's wife remembers the Bookworm Club song
• TheVoiceInsideYourHead says the child of the 80s probably joined the club (item 9)
• Same thing that Nuren says (oh yeah, Bookworm Club = Selegie Road)
• SingaporeIdler & friends recounts the Bookworm Club from their childhood memories

I left a comment in Jia's post, saying:

"Love it or Loath it, "Bookworm Bookclub" is something that will bring back memories of our generation. I remember it with fondness. Upon hindsight, I think they could've used a better name than to perpetuate the bookish-ness of reading by using the term "bookworm".

It really intrigues me how strangers & friends can be connected by a memory -- of a bookclub, no less! (Now if a childhood memory can do this, then definitely a library...)

Ok, anyone wants to continue their reminisce of The Bookworm Club?

Tag: bookworm club

Library Podcast - Lansing Public Library

When you walk on the street, you "bump" into someone. What's the equivalent of that when you're online? Perhaps we <insert sound of your IM software alerting you that you're being messaged> into each other online...

Anyway...

So I was online when Kelli "bumped" me via IM. "Long time no chat", I said. She asked how I've been. Then she blew me away when she informs me that her library is offering podcasts. Here's the info page she put up.

I told her how I liked the way they provided answers for techies and non-techies. Suggested that they also include a description of some content for the podcasts (that might encourage people new to podcasting to try their podcast feeds).

She said last week, their library did a science project workshop for parents and kids (e.g. how to choose a topic, how to do research, highlights of the library's electronic resources, inter-library loan capabilities etc.)

She also begun recording her hands-on computer classes. This was for people who attended the class to review the lesson, or for those who were thinking of signing up for the class to get a sneak audio preview, or maybe for those who had already signed up for a later session but can't wait to hear what's the lesson going to be.

I asked which other library has done podcasts and she says Thomas Ford Memorial Library where is getting their teen customers to record book and movie reviews (Kelli says go read about Thomas Ford's plans for more podcasts; there's a presentation on podcasting on 8 Dec that even I could "attend").

The possibilities are endless for library podcasts. Kudos to those libraries who have put possibilities into practice.

I asked Kelli if her library has considered having librarians do podcasts (like booktalking & discussions). She said their teen librarian is interested in that but generally speaking, she thinks staff might be apprehensive about having their voices recorded on the internet for people to hear. I agree (perhaps staff should blog first, then podcast).

I wished Kelli luck on their podcasting effort. I've not subscribed to podcasts in any big way, but I'll be listening closely to what Lansing is doing. To librarians reading this -- if your library is offering podcasts, I'd be interested to find out more from you (feel free to email me).

Will NLB public libraries be offering podcasts?

This much I can share here -- we're exploring the possibility of offering it, but there's no definite timeline as yet. There are some possible partners and people I'm talking to right now. If you're in Singapore and you're interested in helping the library explore podcasting possibilities as a volunteer, I'd love to hear from you.

Tag: library podcast

Open reply to Tan Kin Lian's post on "Action against Spamming"

[20 Nov 05 Update: After I emailed this post to Mr Tan, he replied that he has turned on the comment feature. He welcomes direct feedback via his email account as well.]

CEO NTUC Income, Mr Tan, turned off the comment feature after receiving comment spam. He wrote that he welcomed feedback on the matter. I was going to email him but decided to post an open reply in line with blogging tradition.

Hello Mr Tan,
I'm responding to your post on comment spamming as a blogger, and as a reader of other people's blogs:

It's not apparent from your post if you've already tried the new "Comment Moderation" feature or "Word verification for comments" that Blogger has provided. If you've not, I strongly recommend that you do. My comment spam problem was eliminated when I turned on the word verification feature.

If you've already tried those features and still feel that it's necessary to turn the comments off, well that's a personal decision. If you find it a hassle to filter the spam, then might be best to turn it off. No point antagonising yourself over it. You might as well spend that time writing.

In your shoes, I would go for Comment Moderation and spend time filtering out genuine comments from spam, even if it takes up substantial effort.

My take is that the whole point of blogging is to engage with our readers in conversations. Better to allow for some spam than to totally deny the chance for genuine comments to come through.

Of course one can still interact with our readers by providing an email address but it's not the same. The comments feature allow others to be clued into the discussion, even if they are not direct participants. Meaningful comments add to the original post. Some can turn out to be more educational and thought-provoking than the main post itself.

Finally, if you still decide to turn off the comments, then you might want to post an explanation on your position (so that other new readers of your blog understand your rational).

Thanks
Ivan

Tag: blog ethics

High Browse Online: NLB's very first "book blog"

After weeks of planning, explaining, cajoling, testing, experimenting, I'm happy that NLB's very first online "book blog" has been launched -- High Browse Online.

This is old news of course, for it's been Tomorrowed a week ago, thanks to CowboyCaleb.

Incidentally, Caleb has the distinction of being the first SG Blogger to blog about it. You can say that the privilege was given to him. See, he emailed me sometime in Sept to suggest that the library consider starting a book blog of sorts, to which I replied that we are already in the midst of planning for one. I also bounced some ideas off him. I owe him a coffee which I'll gladly offer if he ever decide to reveal himself to me in person (the cool thing is that I've yet to meet him).

Our chief objective remains the same -- to stimulate response and discussion from readers who read High Browse. With High Browse Online, we'd like to invite your comments to the recommendations posted. We also welcome volunteer contributions like reviews and editorials. ~ High Browse Online

The print version of High Browse was first published in Nov/ Dec 2002. It was a Quarterly issue (published every three months) and ran for nine issues up till Oct/ Dec 2004 (archives of issue 1 - 9 can be found here). Then it went into hiatus pending an review of the publication, and also partly because the editorial team disbanded due to staff transfers.

This year, I was tasked to revive the print version by forming a new editorial team (comprising of my librarian colleagues from the Adult & Young People Services). Naturally, I proposed that we offered an online version of High Browse as well. The blog publishing platform was a natural choice, for various reasons.

Call it 's a website; a book-blog... whatever. It's online and it's interactive (comments & readers' submissions are most welcome) and that's the important point.

For upcoming posts, I'll blog what I can share publicly on how High Browse Online was conceived and launched.


Tag: high browse online, library book blog

Celebrating Knowledge Conference - Endnote

That's the end of the two-day event, attended by about 400 over participants. BTW, I didn't blog about every presentation (only those that I've got substantial notes).

At the closing presentation, there was an excerpt from a NTT DoCoMo video. I think it was titled Vision 2010. The snippet showed a "mobile magazine" with a flexible screen, acting as a e-content reader and communication & multimedia device.

I couldn't find the exact video but this one's good too:

The video you are about to see portrays the kind of technological advances that could transform our world over the next ten years. The events depicted are fictional, but the potential of NTT DoCoMo's cutting-edge technology is very real. Our third-generation (3G) FOMA service is already operational throughout Japan; and by 2010, we hope to have fully brought our vision of advanced mobile communications to fruition (www.docomo-usa.com/vision2010)

Worth taking a look.


Tag: library event

Celebrating Knowledge Conference - Day 2: The Knowledge Worker Redux

Quotable quote:

"Computers will not replace librarians. But librarians who know how to use
computers will."

Another lively presentation by Doug Johnson (see also, Day 1). I didn't take down much notes for this presentation (words in square parenthesis [ ] are mine. Any inaccuracies in the recording or interpretation are my own):

• A site that Doug recommended - www.habits-of-mind.net, Habits of Mind.
• Mentioned about the role of librarians as "teaching patrons to learn how to learn"
• End of his presentation, he shared a "Bear" story which I thought was really funny:

A man and a woman encountered a bear. The woman put on her running shoes first and then started to run. The man chided her and said, "What's the point? You can't outrun the bear." The woman replied, "No. But all I need is to outrun you."

• Then Doug left with this provocative statement as food for thought: "My job in Minnesota is to teach my kids to outrun your kids in Singapore."
  

Pretty provacative. But it's true, isn't it? That's his job, and every other teacher and educator in the whole wide world.

But I was thinking -- would the statement hold true for the role of the librarian? Would it be possible for librarians to teach kids not to outrun each other, but to run together (i.e. collaborate)?

I don't know. Maybe I'm too naive in thinking that. Globalised economies based on "Free Market" principles inevitable lead to competition.

Still, a part of me feels it's possible for librarians to "make kids run together" -- by directly bridging the gaps or creating opportunities for collaboration and partnerships.


Tag: library event

Celebrating Knowledge Conference - Day 2: The Recent Developments in Web Archiving Technologies

I was late for Dr Paul HJ Wu's presentation on "Recent Developments in Web Archiving Technologies". Dr Wu is a Senior Fellow from the Division of Information Studies, School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.

My notes from the presentation (words in square paranthesis [ ] are mine. Any inaccuracies in the recording or interpretation are my own):

• Dr Wu briefly explained the possible issues in web archiving, like Copyright, Defamation, Content liability, Data protection.
• The next part of his presentation talked about using a "weblog-like publishing platform" for web archival.
• Said that blogs should not be "stereotyped", and that blogs preserve context very well because the blogposts are written in relation to specific entries. The blogging platform is structured and with a built-in archival capability. One could trace back why the author said something in the post.
• He feels blogs are a natural tool & resource for web archival and for digital & cultural preservation. Weblogs can be used to capture cultural discourse from all levels.

Some useful web references from his paper:

Pew Internet & American Life Project. Reports: Online activities & pursuits www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/113/report_display.asp

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: A Continuum of Responsibility (Sue McKemmish)
www.sims.monash.edu.au/research/rcrg/publications/recordscontinuum/smckp2.html

Nationnal Archives (UK) on Records Management
www.pro.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/eros/guidelines

State of the Blogosphere, August 2005, Part 1: Blog Growth (Dave Sifry)
www.technorati.com/weblog/2005/08/34.html

The History of Weblogs (Dave Winer)
newhome.weblogs.com/historyOfWeblogs

Tag: library event

Celebrating Knowledge Conference - Day 2: The International Dunhuang Project (IDP)

"In 1900 a hidden cave was discovered at a Buddhist site near the ancient Silk Road town of Dunhuang. Sealed in about 1000 AD, it contained tens of thousands of manuscripts, paintings and printed documents on paper and silk dating from 400-1000 AD."

Learnt about the International Dunhuang Project (IDP) today, from Dr. Imre Galambos, Overseas Project Manager, British Library. More about Dunhuang and IDP at idp.bl.uk/chapters/about_IDP/idpintro.html

Some quick notes that I recorded (words in square paranthesis [ ] are mine. Any inaccuracies in the recording or interpretation are my own):

• They found that the manuscripts were written in Chinese, Tibetan, Khatoshti, Urghur,
• Khotanese, Tangut, Tocharian, Turkic, Sanskrit, even Hebrew. Some are already extinct languages. Truly a multilingual library back then [evidence of collaboration and resource-sharing back then?]
• Some were already 600 years old by the time they were sealed in the cave in AD 1000.
• Subsequently, since it was discovered in 1900, the manuscripts have been transported and stored at various libraries in Britain, China, France, Germany,Japan, Russia -- which later became an issue for China whose stand was for these national treasures to be returned.
• Problem with such a geographically scattered collection is that scholars don't necessarily have funds to travel to study to the respective countries to study the manuscripts. The same manuscripts could be split across different libraries.

[I can understand China's position, but personally, I think from a global perspective, such a "distributed storage network" has its advantages over storing the manuscripts in just one country. E.g. insurance against manmade or natural disasters at one storage location].

• IDP was founded in 1994 to try to alleviate this problem through its digitisation efforts of the manuscripts.
• IDP's core activities are: Conservation (cited as biggest priority. Some manuscripts have
• yet to be opened from their cases), Cataloguing (still no complete catalogue or union catalogue), Digitisation, Education, and Promoting research.
• Each scanned image is 200 MB and sold upon request. Lower resolution pictures are posted on the website.

[Try searching via this page in their website for manuscripts - idp.bl.uk/ManuscriptSearch
Just scrolling down the Titles field already boggles my mind. I also wonder if 100 or 1000 years from now, something I might have doodled or scribbled might be discovered and made into a scholarly artifact.]


Tag: library event

Celebrating Knowledge Conference - Day 1: Doug Johnson

[Update, 15 Nov 05: Discovered that Doug has a blog. Here's his post on Day 1. Here's his handout]

Quotable quote from Doug: "Students should come to the library , not to avoid the librarian, but because of the librarian"

Doug Johnson, Director of Media & Technology, Mankato Area Public Schools, USA, shared his ideas about "The Future of e-Books" (words in square paranthesis [ ] are mine. Any inaccuracies in the recording or interpretation are my own):

• Doug suggests that the ebook of 2015 will not be a sony bookman, a laptop or PDA. "A true ebook will be cuddly" - you can take it to bed, to the beach, to the bathtub.
• His ideal ebook will have the following features: padded, lightweight, uses a watch-battery & solar-powered, wireless, provides static memory, and has a "digital" paper, i.e. flexible display screen.
• More features in his ideal eBook: Glare-free screen, allow landscape or portrait display, built-in dictionary & translation service.
• The hardware of his ebook device will feature: a trackball, sound speakers, allow for sound recording, camera, text-to-speech, play audio books & video, allow for annotation, doodling in margins, add electronic sticky notes, set
• bookmarks, also a storage device to load more e-content.
• The use of this future ebook will "change the nature of fiction through customisable storylines, where the user can specify their content maturity-level, interactivity, and a marriage between video & games.
• It will allow notes & papers & study materials, customised textbooks. It will be an e-organiser.
• It will have artificial intelligence -- providing reader's advisory service, conversational reference, search bots, study prompts
• His ebook will be affordable - given away with subscriptions, funded with
• textbook & printing, purchased by parents like how they buy computers for their kids
• It will contain a monitoring chip

[I'm thinking -- would this be overkill? I think what works best is still something that does it's core function extremely well, allowing for a few add-ons. Like a TV set for instance -- no matter if it's Hi-Defition or the ole Black-n-White, all you make it do is just to view broadcasted images.]

• Doug stated four challenges for the development of his ideal eBook: (1) readable screen, (2) power supply, (3) cost, (4) price structure
• How would eBook impact libraries? He says when the Internet became pervasive, bookstores, banks, travel agents were also threatened by this new medium.
• Doug suggests that libraries need to look at how these institutions/ businesses have adapted and survived with the onset of the Internet.

During the Q&A session, I posed this comment/ question to Doug:

"I think your ebook of the future will happen. When it does, I would suggest that it's going to be harder for libraries to assimilate these 'Techology-based Information Containers' such that it's delivery is seamless to users. Right now the delivery isn't seamless and more like an after-thought as libraries react to how they are provided.

I would also suggest that the solution would be for libraries to develop content with the technology provider. Do you agree and if so, how can we get into the act?"

Doug's reply included an example of how teachers create customised content in schools. He also added that the more that kids produce content for the web, the more they will "discern information quality" since they will become aware that not all information put on the web is accurate".

Well my question wasn't answered directly. Not that I'm blaming Doug. He did qualify that he wasn't sure if he got my question right. Heck, even I had difficulty trying to formulate my question properly. I suppose I could have articulated it better. Nonetheless, I found his comment about students being more discerning about information obtained from the Internet intruiging.

It does indeed make sense.

What teachers and librarians can do is to encourage students to post information AND show the students how their posted information is retrieved by search engines.

By showing how their posts are being indexed and displayed, I believe students will realise the implication of responsible posting on the Internet (and those who blog might realise the need to become responsible bloggers). Even that aside, the least they would learn is that not all information on the Internet is accurate and authorative.

As to that part of my question that Doug didn't address, as I said, I don't blame him. He addressed the "how to get involved" but not the "libraries as prod-user" aspect. Or did he?

Let's see:

Suppose students become prolific prod-users and create enough consumer-mass AND libraries create a strong relationship with these prod-users... wouldn't that lead to technology developers (like those for eBooks) having no choice but to develop products according to the direct needs of prod-users (and hence for the library?).

I'll also offer a projection of mine: When we do have the eBook that Doug described, it would also mean that libraries will no longer exist as separate entities within the school. In fact, it will come to a point that the school IS the library, and the library IS the school as well.

Tag: library event

Celebrating Knowledge Conference - Day 1: Paul Saffo

Day 1: 14 Nov 2005. Conference started at 9am this morning. Too bad they didn't have WIFI. I thought I could try out blogging 'live'.


Here are some personal notes taken from Paul Saffo's keynote address, "Knowledge, Media and Libraries after the Bubble". Paul is the director and Roy Amara Fellow, Institute for the Future, USA (words in square paranthesis [ ] are mine. Any inaccuracies in the recording or interpretation are my own):

• He suggests that the Information Revolution is over. That we should drop the word "information" and replace it with "media" -- that we're at a stage of a"media revolution" like how mobilephones are no longer communication devices but media devices as well, with camera & video features.
• There is a shift from mass media to a "personal-media" world. Users expect to answer back [similar idea to a prod-user].
• Libraries have shifted or should be shifting from a place whereby "we don't anybody talk" to a place where conversations take place [sounds very cluetrain-ish].
• In an age of mass media, everyone sees the same thing. But in age of personal media (which we're at), we don't receive the same information and we may even surround themselves with information that reinforce what we already believe in. Suggests that society is in danger
• if nobody has any shared knowledge (I think he meant "shared values"). It may give rise to "new superstitions" (e.g. religious fundamentalism). Libraries have a role in this battle against misinformation.
• It takes time to develop an "attitude of information indifference" where we question the quality of information.

Aside: Paul shares a picture he took at an unnamed airport, where the "Airport Police" and the "Information Desk" services were listed on a signage that inadvertently read as "Information Police"! That got some laughs from the audience.


More notes:

• Machine-to-machine conversation is going to dwarf human-to-human ones. He asks if customers of libraries of the future be machines rather than human.
• Could libraries be setup under the same premises as GeoCaching.com? Where a hole in an oak tree could be a "library" for people to be discovered?
• Paul wants parents to talk to kids on how to download ringtones etc. Says that it's a dangerous situation when we don't know or show no interest in new technology that the young are picking up [I agree. If we don't even genuinely attempt to find out what that new technology is about and why kids rave about it, we inevitably set ourselves up for making certain assumptions. We either dismiss the new technology as something without practical use or we ban their use because we think it's dangerous -- like students & blogs].
• Paul says there's no substitute for direct experience. [Most certainly! That's why many people who assume blogging is something to be "feared" just don't get it].
• Insights to the future of the library profession may come from playing and creating online societies like SecondLife.com & Everquest. Paul cited that these online users spend up to 30% of their gaming time creating and building their online personaes. He wonders why there are no Librarian characters in those virtual world?
• Concluding statement -- libraries of the future cannot be just blogs & wikis. Libraries have to maintain an institutional role.

Tag: library event