Librations

Although UGLi Blog is no longer being updated, we do continue to collect analytics. I am extremely pleased to report the following:

ugli library smells

On Saturday, July 25, 2009, someone in Washtenaw County googled “ugli library smells.” Not sure if that person was trying to send the internet a message (via google search, of course), or if they just really wanted to determine the nature of the complex olfactory sensations at the University of Michigan’s Shapiro Libraries. Any Librators care to identify some UGLi smells for our patron? I’ll get you started: burnt bagels at Bert’s!

P.S. The googler ended up here: http://ugliblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/library-orientation-coolest-gig-in-town.html.

Dear Librations Team,

I am so incredibly geeked that we are all working to put our good librations out into the world. I think we discover and consider many interesting things over our days and weeks, but often don’t have a space to share and discuss exciting new finds or thoughts together (perhaps we have disparate places where we explore ideas, but I see something very compelling about a collaborative space for our ideas to live, breathe, and be nurtured). Librations seeks to be that place.

Ideally, librations could happen in first life all the time, but with our diaspora from graduate school and the lived-in spaces many of us shared in Ann Arbor, keeping in touch becomes something we must attend to more actively. As we create new ways to come together and new gathering places to inhabit, I hope that librations is just one of many meeting facilities we develop over the course of our careers. I would love for librations to be an open and welcoming place for anyone that thinks, laughs, and appreciates community.

This leads me to the #1 (and pretty much the only) rule of Librations: you can’t stress out about librations. Consider that rule your “Prime Directive,” if you need it put in Star Trek terms. The moment this multifaceted project ceases to be fun, I will stop putting my soul into it, and I will find other ways to fulfill my needs for beer and information science chatter.

Librations should feel as safe, supportive, and comforting as we can make it. We should work to make sure we are not unintentionally using exclusive language (this will manifest in our awareness and sensitivity to identity and diversity issues, our explanations of inside jokes when they arise, and our use of simple, clear language to represent our ideas), but we will also acknowledge and appreciate the times when the language we choose can be nothing but exclusive. Librations’ asset will be that it is most accessible and interesting to people who share our values — nerdy or geeky interests that might be best shared over a beer with friends.

Whenever a new contributor joins Librations, ze becomes an Editor or Administrator of the blog. This means that you are empowered to edit posts and play with librations’ structure. There will not be any policing of content here — I trust you; Librations is your library/bar as much as it is mine, and that is the only way this place and this idea can truly thrive. Thank you so much for becoming a member of the Librations community. You are more than welcome here, and I look forward to discovering more about what librations means through our conversations together. Keep those good librations coming and don’t forget to stay hydrated!

Yours,
Katie Dover-Taylor
[Co-Founder & Creative Director]
http://librations.us

This weekend, three Librations team members (Emily, Katie, and Hung) began the long process of preparing for the ideal future — that is, a future where libraries are dominated (and known for) Segway Reference. What, you ask, is a Segway Reference? I will do my best to describe the experience:

Imagine if you can a library with wide aisles and lots of room to maneuver. Now add in the obligatory patron or two, quietly or loudly studying, reading, or computing. Pepper in some high ceilings for good measure, and a pinch of natural light. Now, with your mind’s ear, sprinkle in a little humming — it’s coming closer. What is that noise? It sounds like… a floor being waxed in the next room over. Or maybe an electric mixer, bread-hook attachment confidently working through some particularly difficult dough. As the sound grows ever closer, you can’t help but raise your head expectantly, waiting for whatever it is to round the corner, while the book stacks in front of you don’t even tremble at its approach.

Suddenly she shoots out from behind the books, librarian goggles keeping the wind from her eyes, cape flapping behind her, and a giant questionmark emblazoned across her chest. She is laughing! She is zipping through the library, and you realize suddenly that this why you had to sign a liability release form as you entered the building — this is the fabled — the legendary — Segway Reference Librarian. Her steed is, of course — you should have known all along — a gyroscopic, battery-powered human transporter. She glides up to you and pauses, the forward-backward motion of the stop inherently comical. “May I help you?” she asks.

Segway Reference is my dream for the future of libraries. With basic training complete, at least three Masters of Science in Information (Information) are ready for the next step — recruitment.

Let us know what you think of this idea — is it in you?

We hope so.