new trends in libraries in usa and europe: personal experience from oclc fellowship program

Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career

Development Fellowship Program:

Personal Experience

Mahmoud Khalifa

mahmoud.khalifa@cybrarians.org

Presented at:

OCLC/EMEA regional

meeting

Beirut, Lebanon

May 2012

OCLC Fellowship Program

• OCLC with cooperation with IFLA

offer this program for librarians in the

developing countries

• Program period is 5 weeks.

• Fellows spend 4 week in US, and 1

week in Europe.

OCLC Fellowship Program

• The program started in 2001.

• Until 2012, 60 fellows from 33

countries participated in the program.

OCLC Fellowship Program

• In 2008, the first fellow from Arab

countries was selected.

Hanan Erhif, Morocco

OCLC Fellowship Program

• In 2010, I was honored to be the

second fellow from Arab countries,

and the first from Egypt.

OCLC Fellowship Program

• 2010 program included 3 main activities:

1. Sessions about OCLC services, American libraries community, and new technologies in libraries.

2. Attendance the first Global Council Meeting of OCLC members.

3. Visits to 17 libraries and organizations in US, Netherlands, and France.

Visits

• United States

• Ohio State University

• Illinois State University

• Westerville Public Library

• Columbus Public Library

• Chicago Public Library

• Coffman School Library

Visits

• United States

• OCLC Library

• Library of Congress

• American Library Association

• American Theological Libraries

Association

Visits

• The Netherlands

• The Netherlands National Library

• Amsterdam Public Library

• Leiden University Library

• NDB Biblion Company

• IFLA

Visits

• France

• National Library of France

• Information Public Library

Libraries here … and

there

What’s the different?

Philosophy

• Libraries in US and Europe has

different philosophy in the concept of

library services.

• Lake of budgets is common factor

between libraries here and there.

Philosophy

Working hours

• 12 hours is the minimum working

hours.

• Some libraries do not have weekends.

• Libraries work in the official holidays.

• Some libraries work for 24 hours.

Philosophy

Libraries are not a prison

• Foods and drinks allowed inside

libraries.

• Games allowed to be used on

libraries’ computers.

• Free use of internet web sites.

The true meaning of “public”

• Libraries opened for all.

• Residences, visitors, and foreigners are

allowed to use the public libraries.

• No library card need to use the library.

• Library card needed only in case of

circulation.

• Libraries without walls.

Philosophy

Technology in Libraries

Pre

-axio

ms

Axio

ms

Mo

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rn

Te

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no

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ies

Fu

ture

Te

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nolo

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s

Pre-axioms

• MARC 21

• Information library systems

• Libraries web sites

• Online OPACs

Axioms

• Free use of internet

• Wireless internet

• Databases

• E-journals, and e-books.

Modern Technologies

• Self circulation and return.

• Transportation systems inside

libraries.

• Video games and music studios.

• Equipments circulation.

• Digital reference service.

• Web 2.0 applications.

Modern Technologies

• Transportation systems inside

libraries.

Modern Technologies

Music studios

Modern Technologies

Equipments circulation

• Laptops.

• Digital cameras.

• Video cameras.

• MP3 players

• iPods.

Modern Technologies

Web 2.0 applications

• Libraries’ blogs.

• Content tagging in catalogs.

• Using online social networks.

“User Technology NOT

Library Technology”

Use the technology which user already uses, not

what your library want to apply.

Don W. Barlow

Westerville Public Library

Future technologies

Mobile libraries

• Searching OPAC

• Digital reference service

• Reservation

The treasure

• OCLC Library has one of the most

important treasures in history of libraries:

• The 1st edition of DDC.

• The draft of the 2nd edition written by

Dewey on a printed copy of the 1st

edition.

OCLC work environment

•OCLC is different !!

Benefits of OCLC program

• Promoting library community in your

country.

All fellows asked to prepare a

presentation about library community

in his own country, this presented in

front of OCLC staff, and Jay Jordan.

Benefits of OCLC program

• Professional and scientific benefits

oGet knowledge about recent technologies.

o I got big support from OCLC to finish my PhD.

About the digital reference service.

Benefits of OCLC program

• Building international relationships

• Free membership in IFLA and ALA.

• I was selected by IFLA to attend a workshop

to graduate and accredited trainer at (BSLA)

Building strong library association program.

• I was selected by IFLA to be a refree in the

editorial board of “International Cataloguing &

Bibliographic Control Journal” which

published by IFLA.