Firefox Add-ons

I am making plans to migrate to a new blog, since this blog has served its purpose. Meanwhile, I will continue to post to this blog.

I spent my weekend looking through the more than 1,500 Firefox add-ons. I did not get through them all, but I did install a few that I found useful as a librarian living in Vancouver (in no particular order):

New

0. Hyperwords puts tools within one click of any idea you see on a web page. It is like embedding a search engine in your fingertips - you almost touch any word, phrase, or idea online and off you go!

Original Post

1. NoScript. Allows you to specify which web pages can run java. Useful for safe browsing and ad blocking.

2. Dublin Core Viewer. Allows you to display metadata on web sites. I already mentioned this on my blog.

3. Infocon Monitor is useful if you want to monitor the health of the Internet from SANS ISC.

4. eQuake. Alerts you to earthquakes around the world. Provides a link to the USGS. eQuake will even shake your browser (if you want). To turn off the shaking, click Tools > Extensions > click on eQuake > click on Options, and select "None."

5. mozCC automatically displays the Creative Commons license of the site you are viewing. Helps you determine the copyright status of a site.

6. 1-ClickWeather. Displays weather.com forecasts. You can customize a lot. Useful if you do not have a window in your office : (

7. etc. There are many more extensions that I find useful, but let me know if you found one out of the more than 1,500 that you think is great.

Move over Gutenberg

As I mentioned in my previous post, I attended the UBC e-Strategy Town Hall "20/20 Visions of 2010" on Thursday, June 22. Representatives from UBC Enrolment Services presented on WordPress, which is a "semantic personal publishing platform," according to WordPress. Translation: a cool tool for blogging! How cool? Check out what UBC is doing with WordPress, and read on.

The speakers were describing WordPress as a "content management system" (CMS), which puts WordPress in the company of other open source CMS, such as: Drupal, b2evolution, TikiWiki, MediaWiki (hint: MediaWiki powers Wikipedia), etc. Wikipedia offers a CMS comparison page. What's a content management system? A tool for web publishing that can be customized with plugins from the open source community. Translation: you can publish a web page in a few minutes for free! With WordPress, all you need is access to a server with PHP and MySQL,

With plugins, one can quickly and easily add neat features to your blog, wiki, or web site. Here are the WordPress plugins that UBC Enrolment Services found useful:

1. Category Icons
2. A spam filter (by WordPress creators)
3. A bread crumb trail
4. A backup
5. Ultimate Tag Warrior

As the speakers noted, plugins must be carefully evaluated before installing them. Read the version history or development notes, FAQ, user comments, privacy policy, and terms of use, etc. Here are some lists of WordPress plugins.

Librarians should be aggRSSive

On Thursday, June 22, I attended the UBC e-Strategy Town Hall "20/20 Visions of 2010." When I was not busy presenting a poster on podcasting and health libraries, I attended two sessions that should interest any librarian who likes RSS and WordPress. Let's start with RSS (or Atom).

One session was on "Remixing and Republishing Dynamic Content Made Easy" by the UBC Office of Learning Technology. The "star" of the presentation was aggRSSive, an open source application developed at UBC, which allows a person to manage feeds, and republish the content of feeds on another web page. What makes aggRSSive neat is that you can combine multiple feeds into one feed! You can even tag your feeds (i.e. assign a "subject heading" to a feed). Yes, you can combine feeds with a few clicks!

Why would I want to combine feeds? Perhaps you have feeds on a similar topic, and you only want to handle one incoming feed on your web site, blog, etc. For example, I have a Political Science Major, so I decided that I want to know about new books on political science acquired by UBC Library and the University of Alberta Library. Both of these libraries offer RSS feeds, so I subscribe to them:

1. UBC Library RSS feeds for new materials and
2. University of Alberta RSS feeds for new books

With aggRSSive, I can combine them into one feed, and display the results anywhere.

Here is what makes aggRSSive irresistible for librarians: you will be able to filter the content of feeds! And I mean "filter" in the good sense of the word from a librarian's point of view. According to the developers, an update to aggRSSive, which is planned for release in late summer 2006, will allow you to filter the content of a feed with keywords.

Why would I want to filter a feed?
Because there is too much information. I subscribe to BBC News feeds, but I do not always want to see all the stories of the day. Imagine I wanted to only view BBC News content that had the term "open access" in the article. aggRSSive would let me filter out the other articles, while continuing to feed my web page, blog, or news aggregator (i.e. I use Bloglines).

Single Search Interface

Another session that I attended was "Is One Stop Shopping all we Dreamed it would be? The Single Search Interface in Action" on Saturday, June 17, 2006. The title was a bit misleading, since it was really on usability testing, in my opinion.

One speaker was from Library and Archives Canada (LAC), and she discussed changes to the LAC web site, specifically a federated search. She expressed how important it was to conduct usability tests at every step of the project. Out of all the feedback that she received, perhaps the comment that stuck with me the most was that archivists, generally speaking, preferred to go directly to a specific web site or database instead of using the search interface.

Another speaker presented the results of her surveys from an academic library. Being from UBC Library, and working on virtual reference, I have been exposed to federated search tools, so I was really interested to hear what she thought. At the time, I was using MultiSearch, but it appears that it has been discontinued. One argument in favour of federated searching that I had not considered was that a library can provide its visitors with a uniform search interface, which may help its users navigate and search because they do not have to learn how to use varying database interfaces. An obvious point, but I had previously evaluated federated searching from the perspective of what it allowed me to do on virtual reference. Federated searching helped me identify databases that likely had a concentration of articles on a given topic quickly. I think federated searching is a tool that needs to evolve a bit more, but I also think that it will help interdisciplinary studies.

Bilingual subject headings

One of my current interests is the topic of bilingual subject headings. A few cataloguers at the CLA Conference pointed to the Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval as a source. One cataloguer pointed out that the University of Laval Library supplies French subject headings to AMICUSthrough Répertoire de vedettes-matière (RVM). The Conference was a good place to inquire.

The topic is even more interesting when one considers multilingual subject headings. SLAIS students have already done some research on the literature:
Multilingual ACess to Subjects. The "official" MACS page is still up.

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Photograph: Queen Elizabeth II statue on Parliament Hill.

Consortia in Academic Libraries as Publishers

One speaker presented parts of her dissertation on the role of consortia in academic libraries as publishers. She was speaking as part of the panel on "Privacy, Privatization, Professionalism and the Public Interest: Reconciling Competing Values in Library Practice" on Friday, June 16, 2006. She interviewed librarians in executive roles, such as directors. One of her findings was that 27/30 feel that there is a role for consortia in scholarly publishing. I did not have time to ask her if she was thinking about open access as a publishing model for academic libraries, but her dissertation should be available soon; I believe she said that the title was "Consortia in Academic Libraries."

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Photograph: A picture of the stained glass ceiling at Parliament showing quelqu'un. The names of the Speaker of the House were added to other tiles, but realizing that they would run out of space, a decision was made to add quelqu'un or "others."

Recruitment in Academic Libraries

Being a recent graduate, I attended a session on "Recruitment in Academic Libraries: Current State of Affairs" on Thursday, June 15, 2006. The session started out with research indicating increased demand for academic librarians, particularly between 2003-2008, but the speakers acknowledged budget constraints among CARL libraries and inadequate leadership and management training for librarians who want to step up to fill a position. Although there are some exceptions, such as the University of Alberta, which offers internship opportunities (e.g. 4 to 5 graduates per year since 2000) and the University of Winnipeg (e.g. one internship has been offered since 2001), the speakers agreed that there needs to be more leadership and mentoring available to MLIS graduates. Many applicants report that the recruitment process needs to be sped up, and librarians in the audience pointed out that it was difficult for public librarians to move to academic librarianship; the speakers generally agreed with this statement. One speaker addressed the question about what skills are being demanded by academic libraries seeking applicants: (1) management skills; and (2) leadership potential. The panel agreed that "soft skills" are in demand. Another speaker suggested that everyone needs to be a "systems librarian" these days; every MLIS graduate should know about databases, web sites, XML, etc. One of the speakers asked the audience how they felt about an academic library posting more than one job opening at the same time, and a MLIS student admitted that there may be the perception that something is wrong with the institution, so job descriptions may want to explain why there is an opening. At the same time, MLIS students admitted that they would simply contact a librarian at the institution to ask them why many job positions are being offered at the same time.

Cafe Librarianship

I attended a session on "Marketing Your College Library: The Centre of Your Community" on Thursday, June 15, 2006. Several speakers talked about the concept of "social spaces" in academic libraries, but if you had to condense the meaning into two points, then social spaces seem to mean: (1) students in front of computer hubs in the library; and (2) permission to eat and drink in the library. Although a simple interpretation, I think that these two points sum up "social spaces." And why not? Students network while working in front of computers, and the best conversations are had over coffee.

Actually, another session that I attended briefly touched upon how to market your library, and a common theme was how users enjoy being able to read a book with a coffee in one hand, and a sandwich in the other. The "Idea Stores: A New Model of Service Provision" on Friday, June 16, 2006 by Heather Wills, Idea Store Programme Director was able to show how offering a place to eat and drink led to more people coming to the library. Here is my interpretation of her presentation. There are many other factors explaining the success of Idea Stores in the UK, such as new locations near shopping malls, matching opening hours with rival businesses, staff uniforms and a push to have staff approach clients instead of waiting at desks, architecture using windows to invite people in to the library, etc. An Idea Store combines library services with a commitment to adult learning (and a business-like operation). By "business-like," one could take the URL for Idea Stores as an example, since it ends in .co.uk, rather than .org. Also, Idea Stores define their competitors as cinemas, malls, etc., not other libraries. Idea Stores are being built to replace libraries after surveys found that people were not using libraries, but felt that libraries were important. A major finding was that people wanted libraries to be located where they could combine a trip to the library with other activities, such as shopping. While Idea Stores are still being planned and constructed, some of them have been operating for approximately five years. Borough-wide (in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, England), circulation has increased 141% since 2001, so Idea Stores seem to have a brand that is appealing to consumers. For a recent article that touches on the debate of Idea Stores and corporate-involvement in public libraries, see "Branching out" in The Boston Globe (April 30, 2006).

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Photograph: Statue of Lester Bowles Pearson on Parliament Hill.

Heard of Ex Libris Association?

Have you heard of the Ex Libris Association? The Ex Libris Association is a Canadian national association for retired library and information professionals. I spoke with Ex Libris Association representatives at their exhibit.

An association for retired library professionals? I asked if I could join. With a quick wit, the representative said that I could join the Ex Libris Association, since it is an organization for any librarian who wants to retire some day. Sign me up!

We started to talk about how an association for retired librarians could benefit a new librarian, such as myself. There are three points that come to mind: (1) as a new librarian, I enjoy seeing successful librarians who have had long careers because it gives me something to look towards; (2) the association is able to capture "corporate knowledge" (i.e. the priceless experience of librarians who have seen changes in terms of services and tools); and (3) the association serves as a networking tool, since more and more librarians are set to retire. When I look at librarianship, I often wonder how librarians have adapted, and the Ex Libris Association has the stories that will inspire us and help us define our own career paths.

Let's talk name recognition. Being from SLAIS, I recognized the names of Sylvia Crooks and Basil Stuart-Stubbs in the Ex Libris Association's newsletters. (I researched early BC newspapers based on an essay by Basil Stuart-Stubbs as one of my first volunteer projects in library school). I only quickly glanced at one of Ex Libris Association's newsletters, so I am sure there are more names worth mentioning. As a young and upcoming librarian, I am constantly coming across references to retired librarians who still want to be involved in their communities. At the same time, I can appreciate librarians who want to retire after years of service, and enjoy other aspects of life.

Finally, ELAN, the Ex Libris Association Newsletter has a column on "How I Became a Librarian." I wish that I had known about this publication when I was first considering library school. I hope that Info*Nation (the CLA's recruitment web site) makes use of such columns because if you want to attract librarians, such as myself, then it is wonderful to see stories from librarians with decades of experiences!

Breakfast Most Important Meal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! As a first-timer, I went to the breakfast. Barbara Clubb, the CLA President spoke to us about the CLA could do for us, and what we could do for the CLA. She gave many tips about how to make the most of a conference, but there were two that I wrote down: (1) bring and exchange business cards; and (2) have a "30-second elevator speech prepared." The "elevator speech" idea was meant to make us aware that we could all find ourselves next to an important public figure in the elevator, and we should be ready to advocate for libraries. If only I had thought about preparing a 30-second elevator speech prior to coming to the CLA Conference, then I would have said something more profound than "wow" to Stephen and Avi Lewis who I met before getting on an elevator : )

Blogger Friendly Conference?

What makes a blogger friendly conference? In my opinion, it is decent computers with high-speed internet access, and permission to connect one's digital camera to the computers. Although the CLA Conference has computers sponsored for checking e-mail, I would love to see a couple of computers dedicated to bloggers. I have to run to the University of Ottawa in order to blog. Some participants may bring their own laptops, but laptops need constant supervision. Perhaps an exhibitor would offer to sponsor a computer at a library conference for bloggers? If you have been to a conference that was blogger friendly, then let me know what worked for you.

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Photograph: University of Ottawa (Wikipedia entry) residences. Picture taken from the Pont Laurier Bridge.

Shook Hands with Stephen & Avi

If you could talk with Stephen Lewis and Avi Lewis, what would you say? As you already know, I had to write a feature article with another Student to CLA on the Opening Keynote Presentation by Avi Lewis and Stephen Lewis. As I was waiting for the elevator to bring me to the presentation, I met Stephen and Avi Lewis - I shook both of their hands! Being a Political Sciences Major, I was very excited. All I ended up saying to them was "Wow." I was speechless.

Stephen and Avi were presenting on "Cross-Generational Transfer: One Family's Strategies for Seeking Social Change." Here are some of the most interesting phrases from their "conversation" (you have to imagine them sitting face to face with the audience listening in) - I should point out that this is my interpretation:

Avi spoke of the "narrative imperative," by which he meant that there is a need to tell stories. My understanding of the phrase was that he felt that people should share ideas, and continue telling stories, in the political advocacy sense of the word, until someone listens!

Avi also reflected on the importance of parents reading books to their children He spoke about the "dignifying act of empathy," an expression that may have different meanings for various people, but the sentiment was that through childrens' stories we can teach young minds to tolerate the Other, and realize that change is possible, and it is in all of us.

Stephen was asked by Avi, "Why he keeps on fighting?" Stephen replied, "Because futility gets you nowhere." I am paraphrasing, but his reply will stick with me. The act of struggling seems to be a victory in itself, in my opinion. Of course, both speakers had a lot more to say on world issues, but at least you have a sense of how memorable the presentation was for us.

Duties for Student to CLA

Checked in to the Westin Hotel, and I have a view of Parliament! Attended an orientation for Student to CLA, and most of the tasks involve writing a review of a presentation for the CLA Today (conference newsletter). My first feature article will be on the Opening Keynote being delivered by Avi Lewis and Stephen Lewis, and I will be co-authoring it with another CLA Student. If I had known that I was writing a review on Avi Lewis and Stephen Lewis, then I would have done some research. Fortunately, I walked over to the University of Ottawa, and I read a few introductions by Stephen Lewis, since I know that he tends to reference several events when speaking. I came across one passage that I like a lot:

"...there is a need to pronounce on the issues, to take stands, to make voices heard, and to let the community know that thinking, sensitive, decent human beings engage in dealing with people who are vulnerable, isolated, and marginalized."

Sounds like the work of librarians? Source of the quotation was in Sullivan, Nancy E. et al., eds. Social Work with Groups. New York: Haworth Press, 2003. Chapter 1 is "Social Justice: A Global Perspective" by Stephen Lewis. By the way, I am wearing my UBC Alumni pin, but so far, I have not ran into a SLAIS alumnus. Also, I have a First-Timer and a Student to CLA ribbon, which makes my badge colourful!

Touring Ottawa on Conference Day

The start of the CLA conference (for me) has arrived! I picked up my delegate package early in the morning. There were librarians to the left of me, librarians to the right of me, and librarians everywhere! Actually, I thought picking up my delegate package was going to be more eventful, but it only took a few minutes. Since I was selected to attend the conference at a very late date, I was unable to register for some events. I spent the early part of the day touring Ottawa (and getting a sunburn).

I decided to go on a long walk to see the CLA Office on Frank Street. The only museum that I have not seen in my previous visit to Ottawa (see previous posts) was the Museum of Nature. The Museum of Nature is close to the CLA Office. Although it is being renovated, it is worth checking out. Admission is by donation (due to the renovations), which makes it the cheapest museum to visit in Ottawa (depending on your donation). There are some amazing exhibits. I saw some slugs, spiders, toads, etc. I also touched some dinosaur fossils, and I got an introduction to the history of the museum. Ask a guide to tell you about the history of the museum. Apparently, at one time, all the museums in Ottawa were based out of the Museum of Nature building. Out of all the museums that I have visited, here is my list of the most helpful staff:

1. Museum of Nature
2. Canadian War Museum (ask for the grand tour)
3. Parliament Hill
4. Museum of Civilization

All staff working in Ottawa are friendly to tourists, but the Museum of Nature went beyond my expectations. Someone opened the door for me. A staff member at the desk suggested a path through the exhibits, and another person explained the renovations and history of the building. Really nice!

Yesterday, I walked to the Canadian War Museum. For $3.00 (in addition to the reasonable $10 admission fee), I got my own personal guided grand tour of the architecture of the building (it was near the end of the day, so no one was joining us on the tour). Amazing! If you only explore the exhibits, you are missing out. Every piece of concrete and glass has been set in a specific place for a special meaning. For example, the floors are slanted at different angles to communicate a sense of uneasiness. There is not one straight wall in the museum (some may appear to be straight to the naked eye). If you visit the museum on November 11th, then you can see how light will enter the building to strike on the headstone of the unknown soldier.

The most interesting story at the museum, from a librarian's point of view, is that some walls are a metallic green (I took pictures of this wall), and it turns out that this wall was made from the copper roof of the Library of Parliament and Parliament to remind us that decisions about war are made by government.

In some walls, you will see rectangular glass windows, which actually translate into Morse code (one wall spells Canadian War Museum in French and English). There is also one spot in the building where you can see the Peace Tower, and if you step to the right or left, it disappears, which tells us that if we lose sight of peace for a moment, we may end up in conflict. I also have a picture of myself in front of our nation's flag - the one that flew from Vimy Ridge. If you tour the museum with a guide, he or she will point out details you may miss, such as a gold medal from World War III. I did not mistype. There is a medal for World War Three that was cast by the East German government (I have to check my facts on who made it); it was created for a war that never happened. My tour guide was Melissa, and she was very helpful!

Touring Ottawa for the Second Time

What would you do in Ottawa if you could tour it for a second time? I decided to take a tour of Parliament again. In fact, I would recommend taking two tours of Parliament. On my first tour, the Library of Parliament was closed, and the House was not in session. On my second tour, I got to go inside the sparkling Library of Parliament, and I sat in the Gallery watching the House. Unfortunately, the tour guide would not permit photographs of the Library of Parliament - apparently, the number of camera flashes distracted patrons and staff. Someone in our tour group offered to turn off his flash, but we still were not allowed to take pictures. I thought about asking if librarians were an exception...

Here is how to tour the Library of Parliament: first, you walk through some wooden doors, and you meet a statue of Queen Victoria. Next, you gaze up to see the dome. Finally, you spin around in a circle looking at the book cases; my eye caught card catalogue shelves, but I wonder if they are still being used?

A nice post on the Library of Parliament, which shows the inside of the building, by a SLAIS Blogger is in Google Scholar. Although I could not photograph inside the Library, I did take photographs of it from the outside. The photograph next to this paragraph shows the shadow of Thomas D'Arcy McGee's statue "trying" to come into the Library. Knock, knock!

My personal favourite photograph of the Library of Parliament is the rehabilitation sign at the back because it collects some interesting photographs of the Library in one place. I recommend walking behind the Library. Check out the following link if you would like to see "before and after" photographs of the exterior of the Library of Parliament.

Also, I took photographs of some statues and plaques, including the Victoria Tower Bell that was originally installed in Parliament prior to the fire. The plaque next to the Victoria Tower Bell reads that "...one of the most pathetic incidents of the night, which moved the spectators, was the striking of the midnight hour by the old tower clock" as the tower burned on February 3, 1916 (CBC Archives).

One photograph that you will have to see to believe is a picture of stray cats lying on the field of Parliament Hill. Apparently, there is a cat sanctuary on Parliament; there are cages for the cats, but the cats are allowed out. People come to pet them! I took a picture of the cats rolling around on the Hill. I think it would be a great idea for every legislature to have a pet sanctuary.

Taking a second tour of Parliament made me want the flag flying from the Peace Tower. Apparently, you can make a written request for one. There is a 17-year waiting list, but I am young enough to wait : ) You can add your name to the list for the flags from the Eastern or Western Blocks if you do not want to wait as long, since the waiting list is only 8 years.

Tomorrow, I move in to the Westin (check in time is 3 pm). I have to pick up my delegate package, and attend orientation at 3:30 pm.

A City Full of Librarians

My flight arrived 5 minutes early! I took the bus to the University of Ottawa residences; it is a lot cheaper than a taxi cab, and just as quick in my opinion. A taxi ride to the University of Ottawa from the airport costs about $28-35, so the 97 bus was much, much cheaper (about $2).

On the flight to Ottawa, I managed to catch the World Cup, so the flight went by quickly. The weather is fine, so I am going to tour more of Ottawa on foot, and pick up something tasty in Byward Market. For some groceries, I will head to Loeb.

By the way, if you come out to Ottawa, bring a COPPUL card with you. I was able to get a University of Ottawa library card for visitors, and it has proven useful. Bon!

A special thanks to Morisset Library for letting guests use their computers. A guest has to fill out a form every day he or she wants to access the computers, and the procedure is simple.

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Photograph: Library and Archives Canada building. Even with a map, I walked by the building once. Where are the signs? Actually, there is a sign (off to the left of the photograph), but I still thought there would be more signage.

Packed and Ready for CLA Conference

For the "long" flight to Ottawa, I updated my iPod with science, technology, and game podcasts. Also, I am taking books and articles with me. One essay that I am especially looking forward to reading on the flight:

Jordan, Mark. The Self-Education of Systems Librarians. Library Hi Tech 21, 3 (2003): 273-279. Every SLAIS student should read this article at least once. It would be nice to see a SLAIS repository where alumni deposited articles that they write as professionals, or at least a bibliography, for three reasons: (1) students would benefit from seeing what has been written by SLAIS alumni; (2) SLAIS would be able to promote itself as an institution where its members go on to do research; and (3) we could all benefit from seeing if SLAIS alumni are solving similar problems, discussing relevant topics, etc. Does anyone know if a SLAIS alumni repository exists? Currently, I can only track SLAIS alumni publications by searching for names that I recognize.

For any SLAIS alumni who may find this blog after the conference is over, I have asked Alexa to crawl this blog in the hope that it will be "preserved" by the Internet Archive.

By the way, CLA has sent me a tentative list of duties, and I have already been in touch with my roommate from FIS. Most of the duties involve writing a short review of presentations for CLA publications.

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Photograph: Canal. Courtesy of City of Ottawa Photo Gallery.

Flying to Ottawa's History

I arrive in Ottawa on Monday, June 12. If you are a librarian in Ottawa, and you happen to be driving near the airport around 5 pm, then I would appreciate a ride. Email me.

I decided to arrive ahead of the conference because it is going to cost me the same amount that I am spending on flight and accommodation for an extra two nights in Ottawa than if I had booked my flight on June 14, which is the start of the conference. Gives me more time to explore Ottawa.

Ottawa has a history worth exploring. Here are some web sites with quick facts about Ottawa in the present, and Ottawa in the past. There is even a web quiz that you can take after visiting these sites (my score was not high, but the questions are tough)!

Present Ottawa

The City of Ottawa web site offers some Quick Facts About Ottawa and demographics on Ottawa Facts & Research. For SLAIS Alumni considering a move to Ottawa from Vancouver, you may be pleased to learn that renting in Ottawa is 3.5% cheaper than Vancouver (2003 data). In fact, the City of Ottawa's web site above claims "Ottawa is a city of tenants." If you decide to buy an average house on the resale market in Ottawa, it will cost you $219,713 (2003 data), which is 1/3 cheaper than Vancouver). And you will not need a car in Ottawa! The same web site claims that "Ottawa is a city of walkers." Apparently, 7.5% walk to work (Vancouver is second with 6.5%). Better buy comfortable shoes.

Past Ottawa

If you want to test your knowledge of Ottawa's history, then try taking the Heritage Day Quiz. Here are some sites that may help you with the answers:

Ottawa History, City of Ottawa
Ottawa 150 (CBC.ca)
Historical Development of Ottawa, Bytown museum

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Photograph: City Hall. Courtesy of City of Ottawa Photo Gallery.

A Third SLAIS Alumnus Working in Ottawa

As part of my ongoing mission to answer the question, "What does it take for a SLAIS alumnus to be a successful librarian in Ottawa?" I interviewed Caitlin Fralick, a recent graduate, working as an Adult Services Librarian at the Ottawa Public Library at the new South Central District Branch. Let me start off by congratulating Caitlin!

1. What courses have benefited you the most in your current position in Ottawa?

Since I'm working as a public librarian, the courses I took on services to various user groups, like young adults, children and families, are especially useful. The public library management course I took is also coming in handy. My primary responsibilities are reference and collection development, so any courses in those areas, like advanced information retrieval, are an asset. Who knew that slogging away at DIALOG might actually be worth it someday?

2. What is one thing you wish you knew about working in Ottawa before you arrived?

I wish I'd known how many opportunities there are for librarians outside of traditional positions. There are so many research-oriented jobs within government and at NGOs and other non-profits, and we can really use our skills in diverse ways here. I also wish I'd known how much politics matter; it's true--politics are a huge topic of discussion here, and everyone, from the bus driver to your neighbours knows what's going on. It pays to be on top of things, locally and federally, before you get to the city.

3. What resource(s), as a new librarian in Ottawa, do you find indispensable?

The Ontario Library Association is a great organization to belong to, especially as a newcomer to the professional community in the province. Their website and newsletter are a great way to stay on top of things. It's also nice to be so close to the CLA headquarters, especially this year, when our president is the chief librarian at Ottawa Public Library. So far it seems like just being in Ottawa keeps you connected--you can't shake a stick without hitting a librarian around here (in a good way, I swear).

4. What should SLAIS students consider doing to find a position in Ottawa?

Join OLA! Or at least lurk on their job site. It seems like there are always tons of postings for positions within government, at universities, and in the public library system. The Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto also has an excellent job site, which is worth checking out for positions in Ottawa and across Canada. And take a French course, or brush up on the French you already know--even in areas that aren't primarily bilingual, bilingualism is still usually a requirement of work here. Reading Chatelaine in French really paid off for me! Buy a good winter coat (or at this time of year, an air-conditioner). And try to be here by Canada Day--it's the only time that librarians can party as hard as college students, put on maple leaf temporary tattoos, and get away with it.

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If you know a SLAIS Alumnus working in Ottawa, then I want to interview him or her! Ask them to visit my blog.

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Photograph: Lansdowne Park. Photograph is provided by the City of Ottawa Photo Gallery.

Ottawa Security and Safety

News media are reporting on Parliament Hill security today (CBC News), and given the recent Toronto Bomb Plot (CBC News), I took a few minutes to look over the City of Ottawa's Emergency Preparedness for Residents of Ottawa web site.

Another story that caught my attention was that the Royal Swans of Ottawa (The Ottawa Citizen) will not be released along the Rideau Canal this summer because of fear of avian flu.

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Photograph: National Gallery, Peace Monument. Photograph is provided by the City of Ottawa Photo Gallery.

Google Map of CLA Conference

C

Ottawa Civic Centre, Lansdowne Park
Location: 1015 Bank Street,
Phone: (613) 580-2429

W

The Westin Ottawa
Location: 11 Colonel By Drive
Phone: (613) 560-7000

F

Fairmont Château Laurier
Location: 1 Rideau Street,
Phone: (613) 241-1414

National Summit on Libraries and Literacy is being held here on Wednesday, June 14. Check the official conference web site for the most current information: www.cla.ca/conference/2006

Wow! I created a Google Map to display the location of important sites for the CLA Conference in Ottawa. The idea was presented by Rachel Singer Gordon and Michael Stephens in "Online Cool on a Budget" in Computers in Libraries (June 2006). The script and tutorial for creating a Google Map was from GMapEZ.

The Google Map should display three locations (zoom out using the minus sign): C for the Lansdowne Park (Ottawa Civic Centre), W for the The Westin Ottawa, and F for the Fairmont Château Laurier. If you click on a letter, you will get contact information.

Let me know if you would like additional sites listed on the map. I hope this map helps you navigate the conference, but check the official conference web site for the most current directions.

I am not sure if this map qualifies as a mashup, or "web application that uses content from more than one source," but I read that "...it has been estimated 10 new mashups are created every day..." according to Andrew Moore-Crispin's "Mapping mashups: It’s no joke." HUB 19, no. 6 (June 2006), 14. A lot of mashups seem to use Google Maps.

You may have to tell your pop-up blocker to allow pop-ups in order to see the map if you are using Internet Explorer. A special thanks to Chouser for helping me correct an error between my blog and the map.

Now With Metadata!

I added Dublin Core metadata to the blog, can't you see the difference? : ) If you would like to see the metadata, click on View > Page Source in your Firefox browser, or View > Source in Internet Explorer. The LCSH applied to this blog may need some work.

An add-on for Firefox that allows you to see metadata more conveniently is the Dublin Core Viewer. Now, I can automatically detect and view metadata. This should please my cataloguing professors :)

I used the Dublin Core Metadata Template, but I admit that the page was last updated in 1998, so I checked the Dublin Core user guide "Using Dublin Core", and I think that the metadata for this blog is solid, but email me if you have any suggestions.

In the next post, I will add Google Maps to the blog, and I may even create a Map that displays the major conference events and locations in Ottawa.

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Photograph: Guarding the entrance to Parliament are these lions carved in stone.

Virtual Tours of Ottawa

Unable to attend the CLA Conference in Ottawa? Try a virtual tour! A virtual tour may be a photo gallery, a slideshow, an interactive map, etc. Some tours require your computer to have Macromedia Flash Player or Quick Time installed. Start your tour today!

Before we tour Ottawa, grab a virtual map. Here is a map of Ottawa Libraries, but if want to see the cultural sites in Ottawa, then visit the Ottawa Kiosk for area maps.

Arriving by plane? Tour the Ottawa Airport. Pick up your bags on Level 1. Go to the Information Booth and purchase a package of (pink) bus tickets; it will save you a lot of money.

Take a taxi cab along the Rideau Canal. Although we are enjoying warm weather, try to imagine the Rideau Canal during the winter when it becomes the largest skating rink in the world (Guinness World Record)! Take a stroll down memory lane to learn more about the history of the Rideau Canal.

Our taxi driver suggests we start our tour at Parliament Hill (web cam). The Hill is busy today. Take a virtual tour of Parliament Hill from the convenience of your wireless laptop while you enjoy a coffee across from the Hill. Looks like it is worth seeing in person. Plan a tour of Parliament.

A couple of minutes later, we have walked to the Supreme Court of Canada. Fortunately, a virtual tour of the Suprme Court is starting right now. After the Court, we continue our walk along the Ottawa River.

We arrive at Library and Archives Canada where we pay homage as librarians. We take a quick tour of Library and Archives Canada. A bit further we walk. Now, we can visit the Canadian War Museum. Let's cross the Pont du Portage Bridge into Gatineau, Quebec.

This is turning out to be a longer walk than we expected, but we are getting exercise! Walking along the Ottawa River, we arrive at the Museum of Civilization. Consider touring the virtual exhibits if you do not have a few hours to spend. Otherwise, take a self-guided tour (PDF).

Take the Pont Alexandra Bridge back to Ottawa. You can visit the National Gallery of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mint in person. I was unable to find a virtual tour. With nice weather, we decide to walk the Prom. Sussex Dr. Although a long walk, it is overlooking the Ottawa River, and we can see some foreign embassies. We eventually arrive at our virtual tour of Rideau Hall.

We could keep walking, but the last few tours are nowhere near us, and the sun has set. With a virtual tour, we can transport ourselves across Ottawa. The Museum of Nature offers a virtual tour of its renovations. If you are hungry, then Byward Market is the place to find food and souvenirs. The Market is "close" to the University of Ottawa. I have stayed at the University of Ottawa, and it is possible to get an amazing view looking down the canal at Parliament. One can walk from the University across the Pont Laurier Bridge to take a virtual tour of the Legislative Library.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

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Photographs are the property of Ottawa Tourism. Permission to use them is indicated on their website.

Another SLAIS Alumnus in Ottawa

As part of my mission to answer the question, "What does it take for a SLAIS alumnus to be a successful librarian in Ottawa?" I interviewed Claudette who works as an analyst with the Government of Canada:

1. What SLAIS course has benefited you the most working in Ottawa?

It's hard to narrow it down to just one course, because it's the entire skill set that will help you on the job. But, I have to say that the most helpful courses to me so have been: LIBR 557, Information Retrieval; LIBR 512, Indexing; and ARST 575A, Topics In The Management Of Records: The Continuing Preservation Of Electronic Records.

2. What library in Ottawa should everyone visit at least once?

The library at the National Gallery is Canada's largest collection about the visual arts, and it's very impressive They have a beautiful facility and their research room overlooking the Rideau River is amazing.


3. What is the best opportunity for networking as a librarian in Ottawa?

Government librarians/archivists/info professionals in Ottawa tend to know each other as it's a small community and keep in touch with various formal and informal events. The best opportunity to network in Ottawa is to join a focus group of interest.


4. What is it like to live in the second coldest capital in the world?

I'm originally from Winnipeg, so I don't mind the cold. Winters in Ottawa though are different here than Western Canada with their scary ice storms, and brutally humid summers. The perfect season here is fall. With the exception of the west coast, extreme temperatures are all part of the Canadian experience.

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Photograph: Parliament Hill. It is difficult to get the whole Parliament in a picture!

Salary Range for Librarians

When an employer asks you, "What is your salary expectation?" how will you respond? Salary negotiation is a topic that is not taught at library school, but it is essential to have strategy for dealing with this type of question. You may even be asked this question during a conference, so keep in mind two points:

1. Avoid being specific. A good answer is one that leaves room for negotiation, so you might reply, "I think I should be paid a salary that reflects my experience and special skills..." Hopefully, you can prompt a salary range from your potential employer. If you are pressed for a more definite answer, then see strategy 2.

2. Aim high! As a recent library graduate told me, "You cannot negotiate up!" Of course, it can be difficult to know how high one should aim. Generally, you want to do research on your living expenses in relation to your new job. Also, you want to know what salary similar librarians in your area are being paid, see below.

Medical Library Association [brochure] (2005)
-Average starting salary was $40,832
-Overall average for medical librarians was $57,982

SLA Salary Survey (2005) - Canadian respondents:
-Median 50% $60,000
-Mean $63,083

Bowker Annual Library and Book Trade Almanac (2005)
-Median $36,335 (2003)
-Average $37,975 (2003)

Job Futures (2004)
Hourly earnings by age range:
20-24: $9.12
25-54: $20.44
55+: $19.73
All: $20.15

BC Work Futures (2000)
-$36,000 to $46,500 (compares librarians, archivists, conservators, curators).

The Quiddle blog offers more general advice on the topic of salary negotiations. Leave a comment on how you have dealt with salary negotiations!

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Photograph: From the Peace Tower. Image may be fuzzy because it was taken through a glass window. You can see the Centennial Flame in front.