Linda Feesey
Librarian, MI University of Toronto 2012
MFA York University 2002
BAH Fine Arts York University 1982
CBC Canada Reads: The Orenda by Joseph Boyden.
The long list for the Taylor prize for best 2013 Canadian non-fiction book
includes:
- J.B. MacKinnon's The Once and Future World: Nature As it Was, As it is,
As it Could Be. - The Juggler's Children: A Journey into Family, Legend and the Genes that
Bind Us by Carolyn Abraham. - The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master, and the Trial that Shocked a
Century by Charlotte Gray. - Let the Eastern Bastards Freeze in the Dark: The West Versus the Rest
Since Confederation by Mary Janigan. - The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North
America by Thomas King. - The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 by Margaret
MacMillan. - How Architecture Works: A Humanist’s Toolkit by Witold
Rybcynski. - The Dogs are Eating Them Now: Our War in
AfghanistanT by Graeme Smith. - Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life by David
Stouck. - Without Honour: The True Story of the Shafia Family and the
Kingston Canal Murders by Ron Tripp. - Confessions of a Fairy’s Daughter: Growing Up with a Gay Dad
by Alison Wearing. - Little Ship of Fools: 16 Rowers, 1 Improbable Boat, 7 Tumultuous
Weeks on the Atlantic by Charles Wilkins.
A Future for Ontario's Public Libraries: Generation 3.5
We must not assume the ongoing viability of public libraries is inevitable. Public libraries can be privatized, or even dismantled and eliminated. We need to work harder to make public libraries indispensible institutions within our society. They must contribute to the education and economy of their communities, and be perceived as doing do. In Ontario, libraries can perform their task of life long learning by going beyond traditional literacy and leisure to information and digital literacy.
Libraries are the institution to address the digital divide and Ontario’s growing productivity gap. Our province is no longer the economic engine of Canada. Library borrowing is declining overall, even though downloads of e-materials is gradually increasing. Programs in computer hardware tinkering, coding and information retrieval and evaluation for all ages are a starting point. Adult workers need proficiency in all manner computer software and hardware to contribute to their employment.
Professor Wendy Newman of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information has prepared a report titled Third Generation Public Libraries: Visionary Thinking and Service Development in Public Libraries (to 2010) and Potential Application in Ontario for Ontario's Ministry of Culture. It outlines how Ontario’s public libraries can transform their services to help Ontarians tackle the challenges in the new knowledge economy. Available here: http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/newmanreport.shtml
To this wonderful document, I would like to add a few ideas of my own.
At the provincial level:
- Join Toronto Public Library and Southern Ontario Library Service and Ontario Library Service North into a single consortium for buying, e-resources, a single database/server and union Integrated Library System (ILS) catalogue (e.g. Pines in the state of Georgia). This will reduce costs and help to make access to online materials consistent throughout the province. It will give all Ontario public libraries greater leverage when buying all materials including e-books and databases.
- Place all e-resources on a shared storage and retrieval system for perpetuity (i.e. Ontario College and University Libraries' Scholars Portal), not on the vendors’ sites. This will provide seamless one-level security access, and content will not disappear when publishers and distributors fail or are amalgamated.
- Switch to free open source software such as Linux, Open Office, Apache, and KOHA ILS, which is currently in use at Hanover Public Library in Ontario. This will save money and introduce people to low cost software alternatives that they can program themselves. Free opensource software for PC's allows the efficient and speedy use of older computer models.
- A single IT department should service all public libraries and systems throughout the province. This will save money and help to implement free open source software. It will also oversee the single online repository. IT could also control the e-formats so that they will be easily and universally accessible.
- Upload responsibility for public libraries to the provincial level (in a single agency) under the Ministry of Education. Under a comprehensive educational strategy, province-wide transformation is possible. This is more advantageous than being categorized as a cultural service.
- Serve remote and isolated communities such as First Nations Reserves with a cost-free broadband wi-fi connection to Ontario public library e-resources server and the internet. Alberta is leading the way. It plans to provide high-speed internet access to at least 98 per cent of Albertans.
- Create a digital archive of aboriginal art, literature, music and video on the server, as well as a forum for discussion (blog).
- Host technology clubs that create websites, blogs and presentations using free open-source online software. Host coding clubs and hack labs. We need young people and others that can do more than consume digital information and communication technology (ICT), we need people to create and innovate digital technologies.
Branch level programming:
- Coding clubs for kids (and others) begin learning with free online software Scratch (MIT) its tools, and community website. Follow this up with learning actual coding languages through the free Codecademy. Based on Code Club in Britain, which uses computer scientist volunteers to run afterschool clubs for kids 9-11 years of age.
- Tinkering with computer hardware and programming on the $35 Raspberry Pi computer, the Arduino micro-controller or the Galileo development board from Intel.
- Make squishy circuits with insulating and conducting dough.
- Hold an annual one-day mini maker faire at NYCL or TRL, similar to the yearly Toronto International Comic Arts Festival at TRL.
- Hack lab club including creating electronic circuits and circuit boards.
- Presentations from software and hardware innovators
- Entrepeneurial incubators ongoing.
- Linux coding club
- Scriptwriting for teens with free online software Celtx (St. John’s NF initiative)
- Information literacy - retrieval from the library catalogue and databases, the internet and on the shelf, as well as the evaluation of and engagement with authoritative, credible resources.
- Create a free websites with Weebly for kids, teens and others
- Setting up a blog and blog websites
- Creating dynamic presentations with free online Prezi
- Free online university course club so that students can work and study together, as well as use librarians to facilitate their research. Courses are availabe at different levels through Khan Academy, Coursera and Class Central. These courses are great for teens contemplating a university or college major, as well as people between or finished formal education. They also allow people to follow their educational passions cost-free.
- Creating podcasts and videocasts with simple tools such as cellphones, and bundled or free open source software. They can be posted and linked through Youtube, Vimeo, a blog or Weebly website.
- Introducing skills for computing and e-readers
- Demystify the online public catalogue and the Dewey decimal system.
- Have fun with personal and community library building resources such as Shelfari, Pinterest and Librarything.
- I-think initiative presentation the Rotman School, University of Toronto. Form an I-think style club for integrative thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship for teens, young adults and everyone else.
In the burgeoning knowledge economy, libraries must make a greater educational, economic and social impact by providing access to 21st century literacies such as information, internet and digital abilities. Libraries can assuage the digital divide and Ontario’s productivity gap by taking a greater role in informal education. Public libraries can be the place where personal aspirations become attainable. These ideas reflect our shared values and budgetary constraints. We all want to better ourselves and our employable skills without prohibitive costs. Life-long learning is not optional for most in the 21st century. Delivering ICT literacy is a contemporary public good. As always, individual library branches must remain responsive to local community needs (literacy, ESL, early learning, etc.) when serving as an informal learning centre.
Libraries are the institution to address the digital divide and Ontario’s growing productivity gap. Our province is no longer the economic engine of Canada. Library borrowing is declining overall, even though downloads of e-materials is gradually increasing. Programs in computer hardware tinkering, coding and information retrieval and evaluation for all ages are a starting point. Adult workers need proficiency in all manner computer software and hardware to contribute to their employment.
Professor Wendy Newman of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information has prepared a report titled Third Generation Public Libraries: Visionary Thinking and Service Development in Public Libraries (to 2010) and Potential Application in Ontario for Ontario's Ministry of Culture. It outlines how Ontario’s public libraries can transform their services to help Ontarians tackle the challenges in the new knowledge economy. Available here: http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/libraries/newmanreport.shtml
To this wonderful document, I would like to add a few ideas of my own.
At the provincial level:
- Join Toronto Public Library and Southern Ontario Library Service and Ontario Library Service North into a single consortium for buying, e-resources, a single database/server and union Integrated Library System (ILS) catalogue (e.g. Pines in the state of Georgia). This will reduce costs and help to make access to online materials consistent throughout the province. It will give all Ontario public libraries greater leverage when buying all materials including e-books and databases.
- Place all e-resources on a shared storage and retrieval system for perpetuity (i.e. Ontario College and University Libraries' Scholars Portal), not on the vendors’ sites. This will provide seamless one-level security access, and content will not disappear when publishers and distributors fail or are amalgamated.
- Switch to free open source software such as Linux, Open Office, Apache, and KOHA ILS, which is currently in use at Hanover Public Library in Ontario. This will save money and introduce people to low cost software alternatives that they can program themselves. Free opensource software for PC's allows the efficient and speedy use of older computer models.
- A single IT department should service all public libraries and systems throughout the province. This will save money and help to implement free open source software. It will also oversee the single online repository. IT could also control the e-formats so that they will be easily and universally accessible.
- Upload responsibility for public libraries to the provincial level (in a single agency) under the Ministry of Education. Under a comprehensive educational strategy, province-wide transformation is possible. This is more advantageous than being categorized as a cultural service.
- Serve remote and isolated communities such as First Nations Reserves with a cost-free broadband wi-fi connection to Ontario public library e-resources server and the internet. Alberta is leading the way. It plans to provide high-speed internet access to at least 98 per cent of Albertans.
- Create a digital archive of aboriginal art, literature, music and video on the server, as well as a forum for discussion (blog).
- Host technology clubs that create websites, blogs and presentations using free open-source online software. Host coding clubs and hack labs. We need young people and others that can do more than consume digital information and communication technology (ICT), we need people to create and innovate digital technologies.
Branch level programming:
- Coding clubs for kids (and others) begin learning with free online software Scratch (MIT) its tools, and community website. Follow this up with learning actual coding languages through the free Codecademy. Based on Code Club in Britain, which uses computer scientist volunteers to run afterschool clubs for kids 9-11 years of age.
- Tinkering with computer hardware and programming on the $35 Raspberry Pi computer, the Arduino micro-controller or the Galileo development board from Intel.
- Make squishy circuits with insulating and conducting dough.
- Hold an annual one-day mini maker faire at NYCL or TRL, similar to the yearly Toronto International Comic Arts Festival at TRL.
- Hack lab club including creating electronic circuits and circuit boards.
- Presentations from software and hardware innovators
- Entrepeneurial incubators ongoing.
- Linux coding club
- Scriptwriting for teens with free online software Celtx (St. John’s NF initiative)
- Information literacy - retrieval from the library catalogue and databases, the internet and on the shelf, as well as the evaluation of and engagement with authoritative, credible resources.
- Create a free websites with Weebly for kids, teens and others
- Setting up a blog and blog websites
- Creating dynamic presentations with free online Prezi
- Free online university course club so that students can work and study together, as well as use librarians to facilitate their research. Courses are availabe at different levels through Khan Academy, Coursera and Class Central. These courses are great for teens contemplating a university or college major, as well as people between or finished formal education. They also allow people to follow their educational passions cost-free.
- Creating podcasts and videocasts with simple tools such as cellphones, and bundled or free open source software. They can be posted and linked through Youtube, Vimeo, a blog or Weebly website.
- Introducing skills for computing and e-readers
- Demystify the online public catalogue and the Dewey decimal system.
- Have fun with personal and community library building resources such as Shelfari, Pinterest and Librarything.
- I-think initiative presentation the Rotman School, University of Toronto. Form an I-think style club for integrative thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship for teens, young adults and everyone else.
In the burgeoning knowledge economy, libraries must make a greater educational, economic and social impact by providing access to 21st century literacies such as information, internet and digital abilities. Libraries can assuage the digital divide and Ontario’s productivity gap by taking a greater role in informal education. Public libraries can be the place where personal aspirations become attainable. These ideas reflect our shared values and budgetary constraints. We all want to better ourselves and our employable skills without prohibitive costs. Life-long learning is not optional for most in the 21st century. Delivering ICT literacy is a contemporary public good. As always, individual library branches must remain responsive to local community needs (literacy, ESL, early learning, etc.) when serving as an informal learning centre.