Hello everybody, welcome to Using Emerging Technology To Improve Your School Library Program. This is Session 10: e-books, e-readers, and mobile learning

Before we do anything at all,

I want to take a moment to wish Lisa Schmucki a very happy birthday!

I also want to thank edWeb.net, our host, and our sponsor Follett Software

I think we have quite a few Follett folk with us today. Please “stand” and be recognized! They are the folks who bring us back together every month so we want to take a moment to thank them!

As we have done in the past few sessions, we have “chatter” today. I am honored to have Neal Goff facilitating our chat while I present. Neal is President of Egremont Associates, and the host of Exploring eBooks for K-12, just “next door” to Emerging Tech in edWeb.net. I know we have lots of community crossover – which is wonderful. He is also the founder and owner of

Speaking of community crossover, I will be a “Chatter” at Neal’s upcoming Lunch & Learn event On April 29th at

Did you know that we are up to 2113 members? WOW! About a year ago, we were 78.

#edwebet. In CT, we started a list of CT librarians who Tweet. It’s a terrific resource and nice complement to the state librarian association (CASL) lsitserv. I recommend doing this in other states. It is really helpful. If you are in CT and you wish to be added to the list, let me know @mluhtala

This is a picture of my nightstand ten days ago

This is a picture of my nightstand today

What happened? I reached over to my nightstand about a week ago and grabbed my book. I picked it up, opened it and realized that I didn’t want to read a codex. I put the book back down on my nightstand picked up my phone instead and started reading the same text, which I had already bought and downloaded. Just next to my nightstand, was my school bag, which contained an iPad and the same downloaded book. Yet I chose to read on my phone. Just for the record, folks, I am well into middle age and my eyesight, which was never good in the first place, is impacted by every one of my years, so reading on my phone is not easy for me, and yet, it is my default reading device.

The next morning, I returned everything on my nightstand to my library.

My library account, for the first time in years, is clear. How did this evolve and what does it mean for schools and libraries? That’s what we will discuss today.

We have a packed agenda: Clearly the eBook discussion is becoming increasingly incendiary, so I’ve broken down today’s discussion into five adversarial relationships in the digital content world: We will talk about e-books v. codex – or print books - after thousands of years, the term “codex” seems to have resurface in our lexicon We will talk about eTextbooks, which raises an entirely separate set of issues - particularly where 21st-century instruction is concerned We will talk about consumer, library, and publisher ownership – and how easy it is to forget AUTHORS these days! What would we be fighting over if it weren’t for them? We will talk about devices, and I will warn you now that my experience with Kobe, Kindles, and Nooks, Netbooks, and Droids is negligible. My expertise (for if there is such a thing at this point in the game) is with Apple products, iPads, iPhones and iTouches.

Buffy Hamilton and Jennifer LaGarde will do a TL Virtual Café webinar on that in a couple of weeks – I am definitely going and I hope you will too!

e'll talk about Applications and browser-based platforms.

If I were an English teacher, and my student proposed this agenda for research, I would throw it right back at her and tell her to narrow her topic. But as we all know, the truth about teachers is that we don't always practice what we preach, and today's webinar is an excellent example of that.

Was follows was initially compiled for a district tech council meeting. It’s a pretty heady group and we meet periodically to explore goals, directions and policies. They wanted me to report on eReaders, but I really can’t have a conversation about eReaders – they are just tools, so I told them I would talk them a bout learning. Here is an A-Z list of things to think about when comparing print to digital reading:

Access: how many ways can we retrieve the book? Is it tied to one device, one account, a single user? Can it be shared?

Breakability: What would you rather read on the beach? What would you rather have on a ski slope? In the desert? In the pool? In bed?

Convenience: I do most of my reading on my phone either with my eyes or my ears. It's the most compact way to carry a variety of reading resources.

Durability: is it more durable in print or in digital format? I remember learning in Library school that the average shelf life of a CD ROM was 10 years, whereas print books easily lasts for decades.

Eco-friendliness: According to Adam Hodgkin, in his 2008 blog post The Carbon Footprint of Digital Print, digital books are “two orders of magnitude more efficient than print” – of course one astute commenter pointed out that his calculations failed to factor in reders – which of course only applies if you have an eReader. Nowadays, chances are that your device is more versatile.

Focus, impact on: As regulars here in edWeb.net know, I am a HUGE Nick Carr fan. He wrote The Shallows, and of course the joke is that I can’t seem to finish the book. Print reading is a one-way activity. You read. Period. But with a digital book, there are far more opportunities to interact with the book. How does that impact the reading experience?

Glare & back-lighting: Who reads in the middle of the night? Remember those book lights? Backlit reading could single-handedly do more for insomniacs than the entire pharmaceutical industry! on my phone!

Hearing text: digital text can be converted to audio on my phone!

Instant purchasing: Right here, right now – one of my favorite Fat Boy Slim songs, BTW

Jacket privacy: As a librarian, this is my least favorite thing about eBooks – pool & beach snooping is getting so dreary!

Kinetic experience: Some folks really like the physical motion of turning the page, others…not so much.

Learning tools: Dictionary, thesauri, etc…

Multimedia delivery: audio, video pictures? Do they help or hurt the reading experience?

Note-taking & highlighting functions: I am always intrigued to learn what other readers highlight – but this takes us back to a perplexing concept – Wikiality – if a lot of people underline it does that make it important?

Open-source compatibility: Ever tried to read a Kindle book on Ubuntu? No? Know why? You can’t. !

Portability: No lie. My 19 year-old daughter only wants books. Me? If it’s bigger than a phone, I don’t want to read on it. That’s what makes horseracing!!

Quality of font: Really reaching here, but digital books give options. Print is one-size-fits-all.

Recycle-ability: Yes, the absurdly overlooked factor in Adam Hodgkin’s equation. Sure, print maybe less eco-friendly, but factor in the eReader market!

Search-ability: Uhh search field? How many times have I had to help a 10th grade find the word “prostitute” in a print copy of Catcher in the Rye so he/she can reference it in his/her lit based essay???

Transferability: hand-to-hand works like a charm. Lending an eBook is a whole different ball game

Updatability: Not sure where I going with this one: software upgrades?

View-ability: changing backgrounds, screen direction – all good, no?

Weight: No doubt about it – Gone with the Wind is a lot lighter on a phone

X-pense: totally cheating now with the alphabet thing, but this is more important than ever – a HUGE factor - not so much for consumers, but definitely for librarians !

Yoke-like eBook retailer behavior – yet another reach, alphabetically speaking, but definitely a bone of contention among librarians – just ask Bobbi Newman (Librarian by Day) and Sarah Houghton-Jan (Librarian in Black)

Zoom factor: What keeps me reading on my phone!

Thank you Follett for bringing us together today and every month for Emerging Tech!

Disclaimer here: much of what I know on this topic comes from the another webinar presented by InfoPeople and the panelists included:

Sarah Houghton-Jan blogs about library technology, Librarian In Black. She is the co-author of the eBook User’s Bill of Rights.   Eli Neiburger who presented “Libraries are Screwed” at LJ/SLJ EBook Summit last October.   Mary Minow is a copyright lawyer and former librarian   The webinar is called Can eBooks Fit into the Print Paradigm and it’s amazing. They broke it down into four questions:   * Is there true ownership of eBooks for libraries? * Can libraries exist without ownership of eBooks? * What is the best access model for eBooks? * Is there a right of first sale that applies to eBooks

Sarah says no – and that people are incorporating the worst of features of print and not taking advantage of the benefits digital formats offer. She sites a number of convincing points to make her case. Of great note is the issue of ownership

Libraries seldom have the opportunity to own resources, which undermines their role as content preservers. As you have all probably heard by now, Harper Collins arbitrarily established the max number of eLoans on a eBook at 26. This is the topic of a hot debate in library world, and

Eli Neiburger weighed in on it to reminded us that if we were comparing the information revolution to the industrial revolution, we wouldn’t have reached the Model T on the spectrum yet, so that expecting the old library norms to remain effective in this new era is both shortsighted and may be detrimental to the future of libraries – he warns that by being adversarial, we may be shooting ourselves in the foot.

The main problem for us as school librarians is that in most cases, we have more limited access to mainstream titles than individual consumers, library prices are typically higher than those for individual consumers, and that we now have to answer to a lot of publishers and vendors for lending practices.

We used to just put a sign on the copier! This is a whole new world.

Steven Dubner of Freakonomics posted a mini assessment of Who’s the Biggest Loser in E-Books? Publishers are saying it’s them, but Dubner tells us it’s the authors. He didn’t factor libraries into that equation. Librarians are loud. Vendors and publishers hold the cards, or books in our case, but it’s the authors are getting screwed. Even authors who WANT TO LET LIBRARIES have their books for free are being restrained.

There is a growing grass roots movement opposing Digital Rights Management (DRM) - which is quite familiar to most of us who frequent the iTunes music store. It’s where the vendor dictates how you access, consume and preserve your purchase – a librarian’s antichrist. It can be argued that DRM protects the author and publisher, but it’s a very tough pill for CPOD folk to swallow.

Raise your chat if you love textbooks? Yeah, I thought so. I wish I had a clicker for this activity – so this entire segment may be moot, but I think it is a conversation worth having. Why are there so few K-12 textbooks? Now here’s where the learning comes in: Do we care? Have publishers, by stalling, forced us into entirely new ways of thinking about textbooks and helped us realize that we don’t need them? For me, unequivocally.

Really, with a little built-in planning time, I don’t think there is a K-12 subject that couldn’t be taught with Wikipedia, YouTube, Twitter, and knowledgeable and competent teacher.

What does your district spend on textbooks? Lost any positions lately? Doesn’t that seem incongruous?

So I guess that’s all I am going to say about that. Too bad, because some of you may remember having this conversation in the early fall – we were outraged that textbook publishers were dragging their heels about moving to digital formats. I don’t know how you feel about it now, but I’m over it. Let’s use something else instead. Save a librarian dump your textbook!

Any of my Follett friends in attendance here will attest to this, I expect a lot from my technology. It is a running joke among the tech folk in my school. They see me coming and they turn and run because they know the next words out of my mouth will be “how do I make the … do…?” I think that’s why I like Twitter so much – it’s a 24/7 on-demand “how to” manual with 140 character instructions. Goodbye phone trees.

OK back on task. What I am getting at is that the concept of an eReader troubles me. I think I am spoiled by my phone, but the notion of buying a piece of electronic equipment that doesn’t give me Internet access and basic computing functions just seems wasteful. Let’s face it: the best bang-for-your-buck eReader is your computer.

But a computer is a drag (no pun intended) to haul around.

So the next best eReader is one that can do almost as much as your whole computer – which in most instance is a netbook.

Reality check. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone, but netbooks are not sexy.

There are so many devices. You know them, and those you don’t know it won’t matter, because if Emerging Tech folk don’t know about’em they ain’t gonna last long! Right? Finding a device isn’t the hard part. Paying for a device isn’t even the hard part.

So what’s the hard part? Configuring your devices to the cloud! Unless you hire someone solely for the purpose of device management, you are in for a rude awakening. You want to talk DRM??? OMG!!! This kid sits at the circ desk all day – now he is getting charged rent (in time)for his seat time.

Guess how many steps are involved in “restoring an iPad from another device” How long does it take? Lately, I have not been a librarian. I’ve been a device manager.

And you thought cataloging was tough! Actually, now it is super tough. I sit on the state digital library’s advisory committee, and we have a state-wide catalog – do we include individual collections’ eBooks. What if they can’t circulate to outside borrowers? Just another unanticipated dilemma, I guess.

And how do you secure these devices? Typical EM strips don’t work so well on electronics

which leaves us with RFID, which is dependent on SIP protocol, which is not supported by most school library management systems. So how do we manage these assets? Literally manage them? Do they leave the library? Do they stay? What will parents say when they get a $600 library fine? I’m just sayin’!

I am channeling Josh Neiberger and hoping that Model T is on its way soon.

I was underwhelmed by the iPad when it first came out. I made icky jokes about its name for the first three months, then I mocked its size – neither here nor there, then when all the hype came out about iPad 2, I said, but I have a perfectly good camera on my phone! I STILL don’t get it.

Literally, my director of technology shoved one in my hands and said, “Try it! You’ll like it!” I hung on to it for a month and gave it back to him. Then I though I might use it for assessment, borrowed it back, and I started fooling around in the app store. That was my aha moment. An App device is an RTI device. Yes, my friends, there is an app for that! For what, you ask? For that. And that. You name. It’s there. Whatever your learning style, your interest, your ability level, your subject, your curriculum, it is there. If it isn’t here yet, just wait a day or two.

Finally, after hemming and hawing for 8 months, we spent our Follett prize money for the National School Library Program of the Year Award on 7 iPads, 10 iTouches and we are assessing the learning ROI before spending the rest.

We’ve added over 200 apps to each device. They are mini libraries. It’s amazing!

Here is the thing: Our circulation stats are impacted. If there’s an app for it, usage is up. If not, it is down – waaayy down. Our ProQuest searches are down 50%. It is amazing!

Destiny has a Droid App coming in December, and FolletShelf, which we talked about last month – their eBook reading platform, will be integrated with Destiny around that time. I was told today that SIP protocol support for RFID was on the product development road map. A road map is good. I prefer a flight path, but hey…it’s coming.

I try to cap these babies at 3,000 words, and I’m over, so I am going to ask you one last favor before my farewell.

These are both tough and exciting times for librarians. Please be heard by your national organization and vote in the ALA election. Most of you can’t even vote for me, so that’s not what it’s about. It’s about exercising your rights as an ALA member. I spent Friday & Saturday with Susan Ballard, who is running for AASL president and she is a serious dynamo – a brilliant practitioner and a ton of fun to spend a weekend with.

Special birthday wishes to our host, edWeb, and its founder and CEO, Lisa Schmucki, the birthday girl! Happy birthday Lisa!

And now, I will join you in the chat

Using Emerging Technology to Improve Your library Program Session 10: eBooks, eReaders & Mobile Learning

Thank you!

Stand and bow!

Some folks have voiced concerns over the number of notifications. We are considering changing everyone's defaults setting to one daily digest.  Poll

Neal Goff, chatter www.k12teacherstore.com Exploring eBooks for K-12

Lunch & Learn Exploring e-Books for K-12 @edWeb.net Friday Apr. 29 12-1PM, EDT http://instantpresenter.com/edweb10 Host: Neal Goff Topic: “eBooks in Schools and Libraries: How, When, in What Formats -- and at What Cost?”

2113

#edwebet

Agenda eBook v. Codex eTexbooks v. Learning Ownership v. lending Devices v. Cloud Applications v. browser

Diving into Digital Books Adding eReaders to Your School Library TL Virtual Cafe Monday, May 2 8PM, EDT Host: Gwyneth Jones Presenters: Buffy Hamilton and Jennifer LaGarde http://tlvirtualcafe.wikispaces.com/Digital_Books

Agenda eBook v. Codex eTexbooks v. Learning Ownership v. lending Devices v. Cloud Applications v. browser

TOO MUCH!

ACCESS

BREAK-ABILITY

CONVENIENCE

DURABILITY

ECO-FRIENDLINESS

FOCUS, IMPACT ON

GLARE 7 BACK-LIGHITNG

HEARING TEXT

INSTANT PURCHASING

JACKET PRIVACY

KINETIC EXPERIENCE

LEARNING TOOLS

MULTIMEDIA DELIVERY

NOTE-TAKING

OPEN-SOURCE COMPATIBILITY

PORTABILITY

QUALITY OF FONT

RECYCLE-ABILITY

SEARCH-ABILITY

TRANSFERABILITY

UPDATEABILITY

VIEW-ABILITY

WEIGHT

X-PENSE

YOKE-LIKE eBOOK RETAILERS

ZOOM FACTOR

Ownership v. Lending http://bit.ly/eBookPanel http://bit.ly/edwebet10

Librarians who just say NO!

Eli Neiburger

Rules & Regs limited access to mainstream titles library prices are typically higher answer to a lot of publishers and vendors for lending practices.

Copier

Freakonomics

Librarians against DRM

eTexts v. Learning

Westport cuts

Flexbooks

Devices v. Clouds

Speaking of Twitter… #edwebet @mluhtala

DRM??? OMG!!! Michael DiMattia

Cataloging?

EM v. RFID

EM v. RFID

Apps v. Browser

Steven

Get your apps on

3,000 words

TX to Neal for being a “chatter” As promised… www.k12teacherstore.com www.k12teacherstore.com www.k12teacherstore.com

References http://bit.ly/edwebet10 Images: http://www.northeaststage.com/images/stage_curtains.jpg http://themiddleway.net/wpcontent/uploads/2008/01/bowing_figures.jpg http://www.hydromat.com/hydromat_25/system/images/service/24-7-logo.gif http://www.covenanteyes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/teen-computer.jpg http://www.101future.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/elearning.jpg http://mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/imservices.jpg http://www.cettrox.com/seo-blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/opensource_image2.jpg http://www.concego.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/smarter-smart-phones.jpg http://www.topnews.in/files/Tablet_PC-nokia.jpg http://netbook-review.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/averatec-buddy-netbook.jpg http://www.kazete.com.tr/images_haber/2009/03/02/internet_1.jpg http://www.infosavvygroup.com/speakers_jukes.cfm http://blog.northstarmanifesto.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/the-future.jpg