MyLibrary.gov ideas from clueful ebrarian
Jeremy A. Frumkin is an e-library expert at the University of Arizona with some pretty neat ideas in the MyLibrary.gov vein. No, he didn’t use that label, but it sure fits. His big premise is that digital libraries should go beyond just offering the services that conventional ones do. Hear, hear–whether the library is the Library of Congress or a TeleReadized version of the library in Fossil, Oregon! Some specifics:
–Personal blog spaces.
–Researcher’s toolbar. [Jenny Levine is also keen on that one.]
–Easy, web-based citation management.
–Community areas fed by information sharing. [In LOC's case, areas could be subject-related rather than by geography. - DR.]
–Tools that allow seemless access from web-based content to desktop applications.
–Easy-to-use online annotation.
I haven’t any idea where Jeremy Frumkin stands on TeleRead, but all of the above thoughts nicely jibe with our vision of locally customizing national digital libraries for communities–and individual readers. With all the extra information available, a well-stocked national digital library system could be more responsive to the needs of communities than old-fashioned pbraries.
And speaking of “MyLibrary”: Check out something close in name, MyLibrarian.com, from long-time TeleRead supporter John Iliff, a reference desk veteran.
Correction: That’s F-r-u-m-k-i-n–no p (and no e, either–even though it’s no mystery where this guy stands on e-books). Blogger isn’t so easy with a rotten connection to distract me, a consequence of being out of town for Thanksgiving; but I, the human, will take the main rap rather than just blaming the network.
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