Grant received: Peace and War in the Twentieth Century

The University Library is pleased to announce that we were successful in our recent grant application. The project, which will digitize collections related to Peace and War in the 20th Century, is a collaboration with Hamilton Public Library and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. The funding is provided by the Canadian Memory Fund, through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Culture Online Program. Special congratulations go to Carl Spadoni and Kathy Garay for leading the application.

2007 Pinnacle Awards

The University Library received a “certificate of recognition” from the Hamilton branch of the Canadian Public Relations Society.  The 2007 Pinnacle Awards recognize “excellence in public relations and communication management”.  We received the certificate of recognition for our work on the Hardy Boys story during the holidays. 

Canadian Association of Research Libraries, Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Canadian Association of Research Libraries

Ms. Leslie Weir        President                                                             2007–2009

Mr. Ernie Ingles        Vice-President/President Elect                        2007–2009

University Librarian, Memorial University of Newfoundland              2007-2009

Mr. William Curran     Quebec                                                         2007–2009

Mr. Jeffrey Trzeciak    Ontario                                                         2007–2008

Ms. Lynn Copeland     Western Region                                         2006–2008

No reference desk?

An interesting article in the Chronicle asks the question “Are reference desks dying out?” It’s an interesting question and I think one that needs to be asked at all academic libraries, particularly at institutions with multiple locations.  At Mac we have moved to a “tiered reference model” where we are relying more and more on non-librarians to handle the bulk of the questions leaving the librarians available to work more directly with faculty.  Intersting read…

Retirees lunch

The McMaster University Library retirees lunch was yesterday. It was a beautiful day and we had a lovely afternoon with good food, good friends and good conversation!

Budget Increases

I’m extremely pleased to announce that the University Library will receive two budget increases for 2007/2008:

1.  A based budget increase of $525,000 for acquisitions.

2.  A one-time, year-end allocation of an additional $600,000, also for acquisitions.

The University Library is anticipating budget deficits for 2008/09 and 2009/2010 but these two increases will go a long way to reducing those deficits.

Gartner Group says: “By the end of 2011, 80 percent of active Internet users (and Fortune 500 enterprises) will have a second life”

Stephen Abram visited our campus a couple of days ago and alerted me to a recent article in Forbes. According to the article:

By the end of 2011, 80 percent of active Internet users (and Fortune 500 enterprises) will have a “second life,” but not necessarily in Second Life, according to Gartner, Inc. Their “five laws” are interesting:

First Law: The initial reaction….is to dismiss them …of no benefit and…something to be banned for wasting…resources and time.

Second Law: “Behind every avatar is a real person.”

Third Law: Be relevant and add value.

Fourth Law: “Understand and contain the downside”

Fifth Law: This is a long haul.

They add: “Find enthusiasts within your enterprise and support them. Understand the implications for access to open virtual platforms from within the enterprise and the risks involved,” and “Despite the concerns within companies, don’t ignore this trend.

McMaster just announced our pilot project in Second Life and a new position dedicated to development of immersive learning/gaming environments. I’m very pleased that we’re at the forefront of these developments in libraries.

Daily news at McMaster: McMaster Libraries offer research services on Second Life

Our university “Daily News” service just announced our offerings in Second Life.