Recently while speaking at the Ark Group’s Best Practices & Management Strategies for Law Firm Library & Information Service Centers conference in New York, I said something that seemed to really resonate with the audience. I was talking about methods for driving resource utilization and optimization, when I shared my opinion that there is little room in the law firm information industry for passive librarians. What we need to survive and thrive as a profession, I postulated, are true activist librarians. Judging by the discussion after my presentation and the tweets I saw online, my point hit home.

What is an “activist librarian” you ask? It’s usually not what many of us were taught to be and definitely not what most folks envision our roles to be. There was once a time when firm librarians, when not shelving books, could bide their time at their desks waiting for the work to come to them. That is not to say that we have not always been busy. But the nature of the beast that we call law firm workflow has changed. Reference desks, physical libraries, the things that anchored us in days gone by are going away themselves. If we want to avoid going with them, we have to get out and get upfront with our services and our skills.

For more, read the original post here.

Earlier this year, iBraryGuy editor John DiGilio was invited by the good folks at FreePint to write a mini-review of the product. Accoding to the FreePint site,

Our reviewer, John DiGilio, calls it, “arguably the most inspired product the company has released since the launch of its original flagship system”. He’s a particular fan of the simplified yet powerful search, topic summaries and straightforward pricing. This new platform for serving up Lexis’ deep and wide legal content deserves a closer look (and FreePint intends to commission a more detailed report later in 2013).

FreePint subscribers can read the full mini-review here. If you are not reading FreePint, check them out today!

As a manager, I often hear from my staff that work from home opportunities would not only be desirable but the ultimate step towards helping them develop a better work-life balance.  There is merit to this, of course.  Some days, the chance to stay in your pajamas and work from the plush comforts of your sofa seems like a real mental relief.  But I also know that there are numerous drawbacks.  Working from home opens us to more distractions, the potential of actually working harder than we need to or than is healthy (It is easier to work through lunch and well into the evening if we can do so with a cup of tea and the TV on in the background) and it does indeed have a definite effect on collaboration.

Today’s technology is great in that it can connect us to anyone, anywhere, at any time.  But what is the quality of that connection versus being physically and mentally present?  Just how much of a meeting of the minds is there when we become simply voices and/or images on a network?  I think this especially become problematic when you are working with others to deliver a vital service to customers or users.  In the library and information industry, visibility is key.  My gut feeling and my experience is that this visibility is a tangible, real physical presence.  It is as much about people skills and literally pressing the flesh as it is about tech skills and pressing the right buttons.

Am I being shortsighted?  There are certainly days when I wish I had simply stayed at home.  But I know how important my presence really is.  Maybe I am overvaluing it or simply being (gasp) “old fashioned” in my not so old age.

What do you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

John AKA The iBraryGuy

We have been talking a lot lately in my workplace about the ability of computerized searches to deliver exactly what the enduser wants.  There always seems to be this notion that a search engine can be somehow configured to meet the minds and intentions of its users.  Yet for all of our Boolean logic, terms and connections, filters, and word wheels, we seem to always fall short.  It is frustrating to some and frightening to others.  If computers could simpy, efficiently, and precisely answer a user’s questions, what need would there be for librarians and information professionals?

My experience has taught me two things.  First and foremost, there will never be a true meeting of the minds between man and machine.  Even the best engines and algorithms will only be as good as the people who program them.  Centuries of research experience should make it quite clear that even people have a hard time knowing exactly what other people want.  How will our cyber-creations do this if we cannot prepare them for it?  And second, serendipty cannot be recreated in a database, search string, or cloud.  It is when two minds meet and there is a back and forth of expectations, possibilities, and processes that most thorough answers are found.  Let’s face it, most of the time even the asker is not sure of exactly for what she or he is looking!  We can’t explain our needs to one another, let alone expect to be able to explain them to computers.  The intellectual wrestling match that follows a request is as vital to the success of the research process as the answer itself.

Google is pushing for the day when we can converse with a search engine.  I think that is exciting and that it will have its utility.  But it will also have its drawbacks.  For most, it will be a difficult and seemingly one-sided conversation.  We are going to need smart people who know how to speak the right language to make the discussion meaningful.  That is where we, my friends, come in,

Bring it on, Google.  We are ready to talk.

In the Balance: Tools to Increase Your Personal & Professional Productivity

Work, work, work… Most of us do it to live. Sadly, an increasing number of us also feel like it is all we live to do. But is it a sign of the times or more indicative of our own inability to effectively balance our work and our lives? Work is certainly a big part of our lives and we should enjoy and be good at what we do. But there is so much more to life than shifts, time clocks, bosses and pay checks. Separating our lives from our jobs is a form of art and one of the keys to real well-being.

Join iBraryGuy and librarian John DiGilio for an exploration of hot new tools that can make you more productive both personally and professionally. These are tools that can help you find your balance and increase your overall well-being and happiness. The same technology that makes you a superstar at the office can be used to make you shine at home. Come check out some cool sites and fun apps and strike your own balance for the better.

SLA Members: $15
Non Members: $25
Students and Unemployed Members: Compliments of SLA Illinois

Register here: August 28 Webinar Registration

How is it that we only today noticed the little alert on our beloved iGoogle page saying that the service was going away?  It was shock.  Then horror.  Then sadness.  With all of the flops Google has released in recent memory (Wave, Buzz, Plus . . . ), the personalized homepage feature that is iGoogle was by far one of our favorites.  It was so nice to go to one place to get an overview of our e-mail, calendar, news feeds, and a whole host of fun and informative widgets (Confucius Quotes anyone?).  NOW WHAT WILL WE DO?

If you are an iGoogle user, you have until next November (yes, 2013) to wean yourself off of it.  The mobile version will be gone sooner.  You can read the announcement here.

We haven’t felt this vulnerable since our AOL homepages were taken away.  There is no joy in iBraryGuyville tonight.

This week: Has Amazon locked up the solution to local deliveries?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Amazon is looking at a new way to deal with the problem of no one being home to receive a delivery.  According to their intel, that solution is none other than local lockers.  Yes, lockers!  You can read the story here.  It is certainly is a novel approach.  But is it practical?  Give the story a look and then take our poll below.

TaskRabbit is a site that let’s you get the help you need from safe, reliable, vetted individuals. No task is too small or too silly.  You post what you need done and how much you are willing to pay and the site’s corps of “TaskRabbits” will literally bid to do your bidding.  And just who are these folks, you might be wondering.  Well, according to the site:

Every TaskRabbit goes through our application process, which includes a video screening and a multilayered background check.

TaskRabbits and TaskPosters use their real identities online, so everyone knows who they’re dealing with. TaskRabbits are also reviewed and rated on the Tasks they complete, so it’s easy to ensure that good TaskRabbits are always busy.

We recently used TaskRabbit to get help moving some heavy items of furniture.  They guys who took the job were friendly, came prepared, and were very enthusiastic about their work with the site.  It was an amazing experience to say the least.

There are even smartphone apps that let you post tasks while you are on the go.  Can it get any easier?