Libraries Make the Digital Music Weblog page

Here’s an interesting short story on digital audiobooks and format wars, from the Digital Music weblog.
They bring up the issue of how some audiobook companies use DRM technology to make the book “automatically expire” after three weeks or so - just like how you return a book when it’s due. Of course, the DigitalMusic blogger [...]

Blending is Good!

Last week, I stopped at Starbucks on my way to work. Instead of the usual rather large coffee, I ordered an “iced shaken coffee,” slightly sweetened. It was good! And I realized that it blended multiple things that I like - I like iced drinks, I like coffee, and I like sweet drinks… And this [...]

Realm #4: Esthetic, or “Just want to be there”

The Esthetic Realm is all about passive immersion. You’re immersed, but you have little effect on the experience, leaving the environment untouched. A great example would be standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon - you are immersed in the huge cliffs and the beauty, but you can’t really change anything. Visiting an art [...]

Realm #3: Escapism, or “Just want to do”

Escapist experiences are sort of the opposite of pure entertainment - with escapism, you are completely immersed and actively involved. “Theme parks, casinos, virtual reality headsets, chat rooms, or even a game of paint ball” - all are examples of escapist experiences.
You might have noticed - many of these also involve entertainment. In fact, these [...]

Realm #2: Education, or “Just want to learn”

The realm of Education is also absorbed, like entertainment (discussed yesterday). But unlike entertainment, education requires the active participation of the person beign educated. Your mind has to be actively engaged to for this experience to click.
Again, libraries do well in this realm: reading can be entertainment, and it can be education. Technology classes or [...]

Realm #1: Entertainment, or “Just want to feel”

We’re all familiar with entertainment - it’s something we all do for amusement. Entertainment involves passive participation, and absorption rather than immersion. We don’t usually influence the performance (other than with claps), and we tend to absorb it internally. Examples would be attending a concert or going to a movie.
Examples of entertainment in the library [...]

The Experience Realms

I have a few more thoughts about experience planning, gleaned from the book The Experience Economy, by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore.
There’s a great illustration in this book (I’ve seen it other places too) that depicts the different parts of an “Experience.” Pine and Gilmore call the concept connected to the illustration [...]

Corporate Blogging Guidelines

I found these via the Working Smart blog. It’s a nicely done set of blogging guidelines for the blogger’s company (Thomas Nelson Publishers). The Guidelines walk an employee through the blogging process from start to finish - very cool.
You should definitely go read them if interested, but here are the high points:

Start with a blogging [...]

eBay Day at the Post Office

Take a look at this - just received this postcard in the mail. The Postal Service is hosting free events about selling (and shipping) stuff using eBay. How cool is that?
Their website says “eBay Day is a FREE event where you’ll learn how to make eBay and the U.S. Postal Service work harder for you.” [...]

One Year Blogging Anniversary

I’m celebrating the (approximate) one year anniversary of my blog. Woo hoo, party party! So bear with me a sec as I reflect upon my year of being online, and think a little about the next year.
Last August, I started to blog about library technology types of things semi-regularly. One year later, I’m still blogging, [...]

keep looking »