Bobbi Newman, a.k.a. Librarian by Day, has compiled some quotes that illustrate the best way for a group to innovate:  find people who are inspired to be creative and let them have the room to create their inspirations.

Want Innovation?  Get Out of the Way

The one thing I would add would be this:

Other people in the group, including the leaders, need to become involved once the innovation becomes part of the group’s operations.  Not only does this allow for others to know how the innovative whachamacalit works, but it gives the group as a whole a chance to add their ideas for improving it.  Nothing is ever as good as it could be, and as long as it innovation isn’t subjected to “death by committee”, a good group can make a good innovation even better.

This is a fantastic opportunity for the right organizations with the right ideas:

Ben & Jerry’s Foundation

Note that in their Funding Priorities, they limit grants to “grassroots, constituent-led organizations that are organizing for systemic social change”, so this would be something that might be useful to some Friend’s groups, or beneficial as something that a library could offer support to a community group (i.e. helping to provide books, tools, and access to underserved populations such as the homeless).

Think about how this could benefit your community, and who could effectively organize it.  Then think about how your library might be able to add value to the end result.

discovered via an OhioLink e-mail

The Library 101 video debuted today at the Internet Librarian conference.  Created by Michael Porter (a.k.a. Libraryman) and David Lee King, the video is a foot-tapping, library-rocking tour-de-force.  Clear the next eight minutes in your schedule, put on some headphones, and enjoy:

The Library 101 website not only has the video, but also a collection of essays by prominent library supporters, as well as a “101 Resources and Things to Know” page that provides a great overview of just what they are striving to communicate.

To settle any bar bets, as well as disclose a connection:  I am in the video.  I first appear at the 30 second mark (though all you see is my arm and notebook computer), but show up later in full frame.

My using the computer for the “1″ and “0″ was the solution to a problem:  when the call went out for pictures of library people holding sheets of paper containing the magic numbers, I was on vacation in Branson, Missouri.  No printer.  I could probably have found a Kinkos, but it wouldn’t have gone over well with my family because, you see, I was on vacation.  Drawing the numbers might have worked for someone with artistic talent; not for me.

I really like my idea of using the computer… it fits the theme of the video:

So, I hope you watched and enjoyed the video… Michael and David deserve some serious positive feedback for their ideas and efforts.

The State of Ohio has launched an iTunes site that is designed “to share educational resources, professional development materials, and student videos which have been produced by members of higher education, the K-12 community, and community partners free of charge with unlimited access.”

There is a wide range of material available, and it is great to see them open to everyone, with the only requirement being the iTunes software.

Launch the site within your installed iTunes, and see a model for what other states, educational institutions, and libraries can do with their media content.

discovered via the OhioLINK Digital Resources Management Committee (Drmc) list

The Perfect Storm is a brief essay in the current issue of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) newsletter.  G. Sayeed Choudhury, the author of the essay, states that

“Universities have authentication and authorization systems to identify who you are and what you can use; they also have office software or course management systems to support collaboration.    How many passwords do you use within your university system? How easy is it to collaborate with people outside your university? Yet within and without our universities, many faculty, students, and staff collaborate daily using Google’s suite of tools.  This trend will almost certainly grow once Google Wave is launched later this year.  With its impressive integration of services and novel method for identity management, Google Wave may become a tsunami that washes away the office software suite—and perhaps even the course management system.”

I am not so sure that Google Wave will be the tipping point, but it is certainly another step in this direction.  How many of us have stepped outside of the boundaries of the traditional tools we use for our work and schooling?  It is humbling to recognize how much time and effort can be saved through the proper application of a new software program, or an online service, or even tapping into social networking to gain insight (it is interesting that e-mail lists are considered standard, while Facebook, Twitter and blogging still have the “Library 2.0″ label stuck on them… they are all different forms of social networking, with their accompanying strengths and weaknesses).

Choudhury adds:

Too often we fail to examine trends beyond our own institutional context; we are reluctant to embrace risk taking when developing services or infrastructure.  The choices that universities and libraries make regarding infrastructure in the next few years will have profound implications for the future.

I would take it a step further, and suggest that we not only don’t look beyond our own context, we fail to grasp the possibilities that exist with new technology and new applications of existing technology.  When the environment surrounding our libraries changes, the environment within our libraries changes as well – whether we incorporate these changes or remain passive.

In other words:  We ignore tools such as Google Wave, Open Source, Open Access, Wikis, Blogs, Social Networking, social library catalog tools, and everything else at our own peril.  These tools have changed our libraries, are currently changing our libraries, and will continue to change our libraries as far into the future as we can see.  If we want to remain relevant (in other words:  if we want to survive), we need to pay attention.  Libraries as they have existed in the past will continue to play a role, but that role will be viewed more as an archive than a dynamic library.

We have lost a lot of ground, but we have the ability and the resources to do this, and it starts with each and every one of us.  How can we do our job better?  Smarter?  Faster?  What tools can we use?  How can others help?  The libraries that pay attention to those questions, and strive to answer them effectively, will be the ones to thrive.

I challenge you to, within the next week, find one new tool, idea, or resource that makes you better at your job.  Repeat, ad infinitum – from here it appears that it is Turtles all the way down.

One of the more frustrating things about open source software is the fact that many projects have little-to-no documentation.  William Shields, a software developer from Australia, posts about his experiences and concludes that he isn’t going to patronize projects that don’t pay attention to their documentation.

He is correct.  Any mature software project, whether open-source or proprietary, should have resources available to provide information, specifications, options, and assistance to users.  This doesn’t mean that every piece of software needs a manual and a call desk; there should be options available to provide assistance.

For a smaller, lesser-used product, a brief overview and contact information for further questions may suffice.  As the user base grows, group maintained resources (wiki, lists, forums) can allow those with more experience aid novices.

The ultimate goal with any software is for people to use it, and use it effectively to improve their lives.  Good information on using the software is part of that picture.  When you find an open source project that needs documentation, consider how you might be able to add your knowledge and experience to the project (i.e. when life hands you lemons, make lemonade).

found via What I Learned Today…

The Ohio Library Council has announced that they are canceling their annual conference due to low expectations of attendance.  The organization surveyed library directors throughout Ohio and determined that most libraries simply don’t have the funds to participate.

Is this the beginning of a slew of cancellations, or will it be limited to areas where funding is being drastically cut?  ALA 2009 apparently did well, but will smaller, regional conferences survive?

Watch for conferences to scale down, or even combine with other events, over the next couple of years in order to provide more “bang for the buck”.  If you are a speaker/presenter, look at how you might be able to benefit conferences in your area… they might need all the help they can get.

found via Save Ohio Libraries and The Limnal Librarian

Sugar is the desktop environment developed for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program, and it is now available as an open-source download through the Sugar Labs project.  This could be a fantastic way to keep older computers useful and current.

Here’s a link to their Downloads page.  Documentation and Community Support can be found on their Wiki.

found viae Stephen’s Lighthouse

The Review Board on Principles of Shared Data Creation and Stewardship has released their final report on OCLC’s proposed policy for use of records (pdf), and after reviewing the report, OCLC has formally withdrawn the policy.

This conclusion to the records policy proposal is the best that could be imagined.  OCLC has listened to criticism from the greater library community, considered both the policy and it’s criticism through the efforts of the Review Board, and has responded in a way that allows everyone to move forward with a greater understanding of how best to go about updating the policy.

I suggested early on that OCLC was a tiger, instinctively defending its territory.  This still feels like a proper metaphor:  the movement towards creating a policy without proper input from the library community, and the subsequent review and withdrawing of the policy, seems more like an organization that didn’t realize the true implications of what it was putting in place, as opposed to one that was attempting a power grab to create a monopoly.

This was, and remains, a critical issue for libraries.  The ability to use the metadata representing our collections (as well as connecting them to collections and resources beyond what we own) is critical to our future ability to offer services in ways that will serve our patrons best.

I certainly hope that OCLC sets up a policy creation board similar to the review board – one that seeks a wide a range of ideas, opinion and input.  This will ensure a policy that takes a broader and more complete view of the use of cataloging records, but will also strengthen OCLC, because a membership organization is stronger when the constituent members are consistently heard and respected.  This has happened with the Review Board, and if OCLC continues to encourage it, everyone will come out ahead.

To OCLC:  You have responded well, and in the process have created an opportunity to solidify your position as a membership organization.  Keep up the good work and you will benefit, along with your members.

To the Review Board:  The report is well-written, and does an excellent job of stating what was wrong with the policy (and the process of creating the policy), as well as providing a constructive means to create a new policy that will properly reflect the needs and desires of the membership as a whole.

To detractors of the policy:  Those who offered strong, but constructive, criticism deserve recognition.  This was an emotional debate, and keeping focused on the issues at hand has ultimately won the day.  The best, and most complete, resource of commentary and information is the Code4Lib OCLC Policy Change page.

This has been an education for all involved:  the power of sustained commentary, of constructive criticism, of listening as well as talking, and of reviewing and changing positions when necessary.  Everyone should keep it up.

resources:  ResourceShelf & Disruptive Library Technology Jester

It’s happening, folks.  State and local budgets are under extreme pressure, and tough decisions are being made by Governors, state officials, countys counties, towns and taxing districts.  Libraries that rely on public funding are now almost certainly facing severe cuts.

In Ohio, state funding for libraries is facing a proposed $227 million cut over the next two years… a nearly 50% cut.  Ohio’s libraries happen to be, for interesting historical reasons (Pdf), very reliant on state-level funding for their operations.

When one reads Governor Strickland’s budget statement, as well as the overview of affects on various agencies (Pdf), it becomes obvious that the cuts are being shared by many agencies that will have trouble absorbing them (Pdf), and that most will have to significantly scale back services in order to survive at all.

Think about your library’s budget… what percentage of it could disappear before you would face staff cuts, reduced hours, and elimination of programs?  I suspect that these effects would appear well before the 50% mark.  When one considers that funding to supporting organizations (such as OhioLink) is also being cut, the impact may be greater still.

At what point would the basic operation of your library be at stake?  This number is different for every library, as it depends on your physical presence (building size, layout, holdings, etc.) as well as staff training.  Cross-trained staff who have a good overall sense of the many facets of a dynamic library are able to provide far more services for their salaries than those who are compartmentalized.

What can be done?  At this point, the options are limited.  Library administrators will soon be forced to simply react to events, and have lost the window of opportunity to make anticipatory changes in their organization.  When I wrote about this last January, I was guessing that the effects would be most pronounced in the 2010-11 budget cycle (instead of this one).  California, and now Ohio, suggest that things are happening faster than many anticipated.

What can we do at our libraries?  Make it clear to those you serve, as well as those who fund you, what is at stake.  Whatever changes you make, let them know what you are doing, and why.  If you eliminate services, or reduce hours, or cut staff, that information needs to be disseminated, if only to lay a foundation for restoring them in the future.  When you find a way to save or restore a service, or more effectively utilize staff time and ability (see below), this needs to be conveyed, as well.

Of greater importance, undertake an assessment of your organization’s abilities.  Find out what the library staff can do, and what your resources truly are.  By effectively applying their skills, you likely can make better use of your staff than you currently are.  Find out what can be cut from the budget that can be done for less simply by utilizing less expensive resources and well-applied staff time.

Laying off a staff position will save a given block of money.  Eliminating the outsourcing of a service that costs even more, but can be done by that person in 15-20 hours per week, creates a win-win situation for your library.  There are many victories to be had in the line items of your budget.  The question remains:  is there time to find and implement them?

The fundamental approach to this has to be dynamic… anticipate changes, and be prepared to adapt.  The most adaptable area of your library is the people who do the work.  If everyone works together, sacrifices together, strives to find ways to save money by better utilizing their skills and time… if all of this can happen at your library, you have a much better chance to ride this out.

found on LISNews

Amidst a great many other topics, HTML 5 has been on my mind the past couple of weeks.  It started on Tuesday, May 26th, with Kevin Yank posting HTML 5 : Now or Never? on the SitePoint blog.  He was floating the question of whether or not they should look into publishing a book on HTML 5 now, or if they need to wait until it matures enough for developers to use with confidence.  If you read his post, and especially if you look over the comments, you will see that there is a full range of opinions (including that HTML 5 should never be implemented) by developers about the topic.

This remained a relatively minor, background issue until two days later, Thursday, May 28th.  On that day Google announce the existence of a new project called Google Wave.  My initial thought was that Google was simply creating their version of a FaceBook/Twitter/Blogging style platform.  The more I looked, the more I realized that this was much different, and much more important, than a differently branded service.  Wave is something that has the potential to change many, many aspects of how we use the internet.

What is Google Wave?  I have spent a good part of last week trying to distill it into a couple of paragraphs, and am not having much success.  The overall essence of it is something that I haven’t yet wrapped my head around, but here are a few aspects of it that will hopefully illustrate some of it:

It is a communication platform that allows users to send, receive, and use a variety of information (think communications like e-mails, IM, tweets, feeds, etc.) in a way that offers greater control, speed, and usability.  Messaging becomes “real-time”, with your keystrokes being sent live to the person you are communcating with (unless you select to hold the message until you are ready).  The effect of this is that it becomes possible to hold a real-time conversation with others utilizing a variety of communication forms simultaneously.  You can incorporate text, images, documents, and other digital formats into the conversation in a free-flowing manner that saves time, effort and reduces confusion.

To quote from the introduction to an interview, “Email is asynchronous conversation. Instant messaging, by contrast, is synchronous. Wave is both.“  Possibly the best general description of Wave could be that it lets users and groups easily communicate and collaborate in one interface, using whatever editing/communication/collaboration techniques fit the task at hand.  Think of it as a collaboration mash-up tool.

A few places to find further info:

• Went Walkabout : Brought Back Google Wave. (Google Blog)
• Google Wave Drips with Ambition. (TechCrunch)
• Video Interview with the Google Wave Founders (TechCrunch)
• Live with the Google Wave Creators (TechCrunch)
• Sergey Brin : Google Wave Will Set a New Benchmark for Interactivity (TechCrunch)
• Google I/O A Real Eye-Opener (SitePoint)

Watch for the technological shift from these developments.  This will not only give us new and improved tools to perform tasks and work together (think of the possibilities for online meetings and conferencing), but will set standards for what will be expected from web presences.  Our OPACS may have some new goals to aim for.

Note added later:  I have had a busy week, and forgot to actually address the relationship between HTML 5 and Google Wave.  I do so in another post, Why HTML 5.  Apologies for not getting it right the first time!

For those interested in Open Source Integrated Library Systems such as Koha, Evergreen, Open Library Environment Project (OLE), OpenBiblio, etc., the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) will be holding an e-forum on April 21st and 22nd.  From the announcement:

Please join us for a free ALCTS e-forum discussion!   Participation is open to all.

April 21-22, 2009:  Open Source ILS and Technical Services:   High Risk or High Reward?

Moderated by Clint Chamberlain, University of Texas Libraries, and Rob Van Rennes, University of Iowa Libraries, members of the ALCTS CRS Acquisitions Committee.

Over the past few years, many librarians have expressed dissatisfaction with our current ILS, citing inflexible systems, high costs, and lackluster vendor service.  Some libraries have consequently pursued Open Source ILS such as OLE, Koha, and Evergreen.  Join this e-forum to share your experiences with and your questions about Open Source ILS and your thoughts on the future of the traditional, proprietary ILS.   We are particularly interested in hearing about experiences with the technical services aspects of Open Source ILS:  acquisitions, management of continuing resources, and cataloging.

Discussion will start Tuesday, April 21, 9AM EST and will conclude Wednesday, April 22, 5PM EST.

You can sign up at http://lists.ala.org/sympa/, go to the ALCTS section, then select alcts-eforum@ala.org.

I am especially interested in hearing about how the Cataloging, Acquisitions, and Circulation functions are viewed by people who use them in a production environment.  Koha and Evergreen have been making incredible progress into the library world, and I suspect that many of us will have experience with them before long.

received via SerialsT list

Gary Hamel’s blog post on the Wall Street Journal is titled The Facebook Generation vs. the Fortune 500, but the issues contained within the post are ones that are going to touch upon all businesses and organizations, including libraries.

He lists 12 “work-relevant characteristics of online life” that will impact the workplace, including:

• All ideas compete on equal footing.
• Leaders serve rather than preside.
• Groups are self-defining and -organizing.
• Power comes from sharing information, nor hoarding it.
• Intrinsic rewards matter most.

All of these are features of organizations that are in a better position to survive, simply because members are motivated to be adaptive, communicative, and supportive.  Think about groups and workplaces you have been a member of… most of your negative associations with them likely would be less critical if one or more of the ideas above were a greater part of the environment.

These ideas will slowly creep in, championed by those who have experienced the benefits a group/organization/business gains by applying them.  Resistance will be the unspoken response by those whose power lies in control of information, expression, and rewards.

The mix of these ideas will affect different groups in different ways, but they will affect every group, including libraries, in a profound manner.  The greatest benefits go to those who can successfully adopt the attitudes and behaviors that will ultimately succeed within that group.

Which of these offers the greatest opportunity for your situation?  What can you do to begin/continue the transition?  Think about this, because it is up to you to change your own approach, and encourage others to change theirs, as well.

found via Lorcan Demsey’s Weblog

Today is the second annual celebration of Document Freedom Day!

So why are open document formats important?  What happens when someone sends you a document created with Microsoft Word 2007, and saved with the default file format?  You get a file with a .docx extension, and you have to find some way to convert it or obtain it in another format.

What happens when you encounter a file from a program you used 10 years ago, when the company is out of business, and you don’t know anyone who still uses it?  This can be more challenging.

The purpose of open document formats is to ensure that the information about how the document was saved is available for any person/company to utilize.  Importers for different programs and standalone converters can be created; the files themselves can sometimes be opened using simpler means.

The most forward-thinking and useful set of open document formats are those from the OASIS project.  They are in use in several programs, but the highest profile of these is OpenOffice.org.  The Open Document Format has proven to be very robust, and stores information in a manner that generally makes them much smaller in size than the Microsoft Office pre-2007 formats (I average about 10% on reports that I generate on a regular basis… that means 10% of the file size, not merely a 10% reduction!).

I like to do this demonstration:  make a copy of a .odt (Open Document Text) file, then change the extension to .zip.  Open the zipped file and start looking around.  Any graphics embedded within the file are saved in a separate folder.  You will find the raw text of the file in files.  All in all, this is a very open way to store and retrieve information from files that you may not be able to open otherwise (plus it is a great way to extract the graphic files).

What can you do to improve things?  Get OpenOffice (or try Go-oo, which bundles some great plugins and configuration settings) and try it out.  It is different from Microsoft Office, but once you are familiar with the menu placements, you can do some wonderful things.

What else?  If you are a Microsoft Office user, you can download and install the converters for ODF files.

Anything else?  Yes… think about what your needs may be for 5, 10, 20 years down the road, and strive to use document formats that will fill those needs effectively.  My recommendation lies with open formats rather than closed.

Added later:  Thanks to Rose Guerrieri, Director of the Kent State University Trumbull Campus Library, for her reminder via the Ohiolink list!

NASA’s Inclusion and Innovations Council has released a follow-up to Barriers to Innovation and Inclusion (link goes to my post containing the embedded video) which shows ways to encourage innovation and inclusion:

Again, I think that the lessons from this group are applicable to any organization in need of innovation.  As you watch the video, think about how you respond to others, and what you can change to encourage ideas from people.

One of the examples is of what they call “servant leadership”, the idea that supervisors should put their efforts into making it easier for those within their areas to innovate.  I see what I have called a “flat” hierarchy, which is the idea that we all should do what we can to make an idea fly, regardless of what our job description says.

found via Wayne Hale’s blog – read his entry for a prime example of the cost of discouraging someone on the brink of innovation.

The Washington State Library has compiled a group of resources called Hard Times in Washington Libraries for the purpose of giving libraries, library staff, and library users ideas and tools to adapt to the current and upcoming fiscal crunch.

Included in the staff section of Hard Times are resources for Grants, learning opportunities, and advocacy, as well as a blog for ongoing additions and updates.

They have also created a page on WebJunction Washington containing resources that library staff can use to help patrons.  It was through this resource that I found a great four-page document called Shifting Gears : Rethinking Resources in Tough Times (pdf) created by Rose Chenowith, Library Development Consultant for the Alliance Library System in Illinois, who has worked with Reaching Forward South (my former place of conference).

This is a model for one way that libraries can get the word out and make a difference.  Ask yourself what you can do.  Check out what resources your area can provide.  WebJunction, your state library, your regional library systems, and various community organizations offer many resources that can make a difference for you, your library, and your library’s patrons.

found via LISNews

Web 2.0 : Perfecting Imperfection is, on one level, responding to a post by someone who attended an unconference about Drupal, calling it “by far the most human conference I’d ever been to.”

On a deeper level, however, it is about the benefits of mutual cooperation and openness, and how they are both part of and improve many of the ideas that are bundled into that which we call Web 2.0.

Beyond the scope of the post, I feel that this can also be applied to libraries and library technology.  To paraphrase Linus’s Law:  given enough people with a shared sense of committment, all problems are surmountable.

Non-Hierarchical Management is an article by Aaron Swartz on the Palinet Leadership Network, and it is well worth reading.

If you are a manager, read it with an eye towards improving how you work with your team.

If you are part of a team, read it with an eye towards improving how you work with your manager, as well as the rest of your team.  Who knows, you may be in a position to manage someday… read it with this in mind.

Whatever your position, you can improve the quality, quantity, and enjoyment of your work by implementing some of these suggestions.  Even if you are the only one applying these lessons, your attitude and approach will be the better for it.

found via Walt at Random

I am a bit of a space freak (several people will read this and say “A bit???”), so this touches on two of my interests.

NASA’s Inclusion and Innovations Council recently had a all-day report period on barriers to inclusion and innovation at the agency.  Changing the institutional behaviors that stifle people’s incentive to provide ideas and input has been a priority at the agency since the loss of Columbia.

One of the reports was not presented as a printed report or a displayed set of slides.  It was a video posted on YouTube, and charted the process in which a NASA employee attempts to contribute an innovative idea to a project.

Barriers to Innovation and Inclusion.

Next, read Wayne Hale’s blog entry about this video.  Recognize that this is a person who has worked in an organization where this type of behavior not only stifles innovation, it can cost lives.  Yet the behavior exists in many places, including many libraries.

Does this seem familiar?  Have you known someone who had an idea, perhaps outside of his or her job description, who was “handled” in this sort of way?  Have you been this person?  Have you been this person’s supervisor, or someone who was approached with an idea?  Did you discuss chains of command, or supervisors, or that it had been done some other way for years?

This is not an issue just for NASA; this is an issue for any organization that risks demoralizing employees and locking themselves into bureaucratic irrelevance.  This might be your library.  Watch the video, and then watch yourselves and others to ensure that you are not part of the problem, but part of the solution.

One part of the solution is to generate ideas, good ideas about anything and everything you observe.  Express them to anyone who can use them; express them in a constructive, positive way, and give people every reason to consider them for adoption.

Another part is to watch for ideas from others.  Encourage them to brainstorm and to express their suggestions.  Be supportive, offer constructive advice, and be that echoing voice during staff meetings or at the break room table saying “That sounds like it has potential!”

Yet another part is to watch yourself, ensuring that when someone makes a suggestion or presents an idea, that it is the suggestion or idea that is discussed, not the bureaucratic structure or the current procedures that dominates your response.

Think about how much better your library, as well as everyone else’s library, can be, if we only encourage innovation and inclusion.  Think about it.

found via Librarian in Black

OCLC announced the members of the Review Board of Shared Data Creation and Stewardship yesterday, save for a member yet to be announced from the European National Library:

• Christopher Cole (FEDLINK): Associate Director for Technical Services, National Agricultural Library
• Poul Erlandsen (EMEA): Head, Document Access Services and Collection Management, Danish University of Education, National Library of Education
• Pat French (OCLC Western): Manager, Collection and Technical Services, Multnomah County Library
• Clifford A. Lynch: Executive Director, Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)
• Brian E. C. Schottlaender (OCLC Western): The Audrey Geisel University Librarian, UC San Diego Libraries
• Ted Schwitzner (ILLINET): Head, Bibliographic Services Division, Illinois State University, Milner Library
• Roberta Shaffer (FLICC/FEDLINK/LC): Executive Director, Federal Library and Information Center Committee, Library of Congress
• Lamar Veatch (COSLA/SOLINET): State Librarian, Georgia Public Library Service—University System of Georgia
• Elsie Weatherington (SOLINET): Dean, University Library, Virginia State University
• Jennifer Younger (INCOLSA): Edward H. Arnold Director of Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame

I do not know anyone from this list, nor do I know of them, but I like the that they are drawn from a fairly wide range of libraries.  At this point I have every confidence that they will approach their duties with the best of intentions.  Theirs will be a challenging task, and one which will be watched and commented on closely.

In the same announcement, OCLC posted an e-mail address for questions and comments:  reviewboard@oclc.org .  I encourage everyone who has an interest in how the records are to be licensed and/or used to compose their views and send them to the board.  Every viewpoint, every arguement, every communication sends a message.  The library community created and nurtured OCLC as it exists, the library community created and nurtured the bibliographic records that are at the heart of this matter; the library community should make its wishes known.

found via ResourceShelf