This is a slightly redacted version of a study I did (with Melissa Stockton of Quipu Group) on the library delivery system in Massachusetts. We evaluated delivery, sorting, and in-library practices and everything in between.
I thought you would like to know that there will be an off-site Open Source Unconference during ALA 2009. It will be held Saturday morning, July 11, 9:30am-12:15pm at the Harold Washington Library Center. The goal is to get people informed, inspired, and involved in Open Source Library System projects in the Library.
The group Books Not Filters is trying to fight the push for installing expensive, and imperfect internet filters on public computers at San Jose Public Library. The group is behind the Vice Mayor's proposal.
I'm one of the contributing authors for a new book titled Moving Materials: Physical Delivery in Libraries available from ALA Editions.
Valerie Horton and Bruce Smith are the editors. It's $70 (crazy high ALA prices) and is available for preorder now.
Here's how they describe the book:
Picking, packing, delivering, and returning library materials can be very time consuming and expensive; yet, it is one of the most important and least understood functions within a library.
Attached is the result of a study I did for King County Library System comparing materials handling operations at two very similar libraries: one with automated self check-in and library sorter, and the other using manual materials handling. The report (PDF) demonstrates significant savings at the library with automated check-in. It's short and sweet. Give it a read!
I recently undertook an analysis of the cost savings (if any) of a client's use of automated checkin. This was an interesting project for me because I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Although I'm a big fan of automated checkin for many reasons, I wasn't sure that it would result in clear cost savings for this particular client because they were already using automation in their central sort operation. The automated central sort system included a tote checkin feature -- this means the receiving library only had to scan a tote (or bin) to checkin all the items in the tote.
I just signed on to a letter to President Obama (I love saying that!) urging him to consider expanding the use of Open Source Software in government.
Here's an excerpt from the letter:
Open-source software brings transparency to software development.
Trent Benson wrote a thought-provoking article about one of the more vexing problems humans face today: abundance.
He argues that humans have always been very good at dealing with scarcity, but abundance? Not so much. Think carbon dioxide, garages and basements, traffic jams, off-site storage units, Web everything, and just plain data.
The great problem our culture faces right now, in all ways, is glut.
(60 min podcast)
Radio interview with Andrew Thornhill on Creative Washington, a radio program which aired on 1150 AM KKNW. January 27, 2009, Seattle, Washington.