EDITOR'S NOTES
Everything New Under the Sun
by
Dick Kaser
The focus of this month’s issue is, as always, libraries and the things librarians can do with technology to help their patrons. And, as always, we have a lot of interesting case studies to share.
But recognizing that lessons don’t always come from our own backyards, we’ve gone global in this issue’s coverage in an effort to see what can be learned from our colleagues working abroad or focusing their attention worldwide.
Inside, you’ll find an in-depth report on efforts of global agencies to improve information literacy in far-off lands. But the challenge of bringing patrons up-to-speed on digital skills is not just an issue for our colleagues in new or developing states. It’s also a matter of concern in the developed world. The article describes various train-the-trainer programs, and it provides a rich set of references to information literacy programs and reference sites for libraries of all kinds and in all places.
In our virtual world, you don’t have to live far away from your co-workers to appreciate that an ocean might as well be in the middle. You’ve heard it said before in these pages: Web 2.0 technologies may just be the answer to reaching out both to distant communities and nearby but “remote” workers in the same time zone.
As a reminder that not all parts of the world develop at the same pace, we’ve also included an article about a library in India where computing technology has just arrived, and a collection in four local languages is being cataloged and accessed by library patrons online for the very first time.
Our columnists have also delved into global topics, and, as a special treat, Marshall Breeding shares photos and notes from his visits to libraries around the world.
We hope you will enjoy this glimpse into libraries far away but with lessons close to home.
Happy holidays.
Dick Kaser, VP, Content
kaser@infotoday.com
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