Health, Science, & Libraries 2009-02-21T19:29:51Z The opinions expressed are those of the authors. Neither the University of Michigan nor its Library can or will take credit for them. tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396 Movable Type Copyright (c) 2009, janeblum Moving on 2009-02-21T19:29:51Z 2009-02-21T19:20:54Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396.49223 2009-02-21T19:20:54Z This blog is coming to an end at this address. Patricia, Anna, and I are moving the blog to a new address, http://healthscienceandlibraries.info, and our feed to http://feeds2.feedburner.com/healthscilib It's been fun, but we've outgrown our home here. We hope you'll follow us to our new location, for our ongoing blog in perpetual beta.... janeblum web page janeblum@umich.edu This blog is coming to an end at this address. Patricia, Anna, and I are moving the blog to a new address, http://healthscienceandlibraries.info, and our feed to http://feeds2.feedburner.com/healthscilib

It's been fun, but we've outgrown our home here. We hope you'll follow us to our new location, for our ongoing blog in perpetual beta.

]]> Life Outside the Bell Curve, a.k.a. The Limitations of the Evidence Base 2009-02-21T19:29:23Z 2009-02-01T01:51:31Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396.48802 2009-02-01T01:51:31Z The strength and weakness of what we consider traditional American medicine (more accurately referred to as allopathic medicine) is that it focuses on the aggregate rather than the individual, on macro-level patterns rather than micro. The reverse is largely true for homeopathy. If one stops to really consider the methodology of the analysis that underlies allopathic medicine the significance of this becomes more clear. The researcher first identifies a question that is relevant to a substantial community. It has to be a substantial community because it isn't possible to gather enough data to show statistical significance (if it exists) from a small data set. Therefore one is limited to asking questions that at least provide the potential for collecting statistically significant data. Supporting this focus on large-scale scientific inquiry is funding, which goes primarily to support finding solutions to conditions that effect large numbers of people, even mildly, rather than... pfa web page pfa@umich.edu Patricia Ponders The strength and weakness of what we consider traditional American medicine (more accurately referred to as allopathic medicine) is that it focuses on the aggregate rather than the individual, on macro-level patterns rather than micro. The reverse is largely true for homeopathy.

If one stops to really consider the methodology of the analysis that underlies allopathic medicine the significance of this becomes more clear. The researcher first identifies a question that is relevant to a substantial community. It has to be a substantial community because it isn't possible to gather enough data to show statistical significance (if it exists) from a small data set. Therefore one is limited to asking questions that at least provide the potential for collecting statistically significant data.

Supporting this focus on large-scale scientific inquiry is funding, which goes primarily to support finding solutions to conditions that effect large numbers of people, even mildly, rather than those that effect small communities severely. For example, in the USA, you'd have to be sleeping under a rock to not be aware of the tremendous push in the last decade for research in breast cancer. The push has paid off, and breast cancer has shifted from being something terrifying and deadly to one of those where, if you have to get cancer, better to get one you have a fair chance of surviving -- it is considered more of a chronic illness than a deadly disease.

That is now, ten or twenty years ago it was a completely different story. Meanwhile, ovarian cancer has always been one of the really bad diagnoses to get, but because it is comparatively rare (affecting fewer people) it is not as well funded, not as well researched, not as well diagnosed, and has stayed pretty much the same for prevalence and mortality for the past 20 years. (NOTE: This is a drastic oversimplification, and I am aware of that.) If you look at the stats comparing breast cancer to ovarian, even with the dramatic improvements in treatment of breast cancer and little improvement in treating ovarian, breast cancer still kills over twice as many women in the US as ovarian.

SEER: Cancer Mortality Trends, BrCA/OvCa
SEER data: http://seer.cancer.gov/faststats/selections.php

How devastating an illness is doesn't drive funding (which drives both quantity and quality of research) -- it is how many lives it touches. As long as it is still a significant problem, even if we've made huge strides in treatment, it will still drive funding. At some point, this can become a self-perpetuating cycle, the funding drives itself and we keep funding the same things because we have for so long.

Another aspect of what drives research questions is being able to clearly define the question. This is why conditions such as fibromyalgia, that are defined by nonspecific symptoms -- symptoms shared with many other conditions -- tend to be under-researched. The nature of the condition means it is ill-defined and difficult to research.

Bottomline, you don't want to get either a rare disease or one that is vague or ill-defined. God forbid that you be an outlier. You know the whole standard distribution curve analysis, right? Bell curve? 95% of all people fall within 2 standard distributions from the mean. What about those 5% of people who don't fall in the main part of the curve - the outliers? Well, we don't really know what to do with them -- that is not what the research looks at.

Does this mean that rare conditions don't exist? Of course not. Does the presence of a non-specific symptom for which there is no clearcut or inexpensive differential diagnostic process mean that the symptom doesn't exist or that it is purely hypochondriacal or psychosomatic? Of course not. But it does mean that it is sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't, and as a healthcare provider it is often expensive and difficult to tell the difference. Does that mean nothing is wrong? That is isn't REAL? Or that there is no solution? No way to make life even a little easier? Heck no to all of the above. It does mean that the burden of figuring out the problem, solutions, what helps, what doesn't, all tends to lie largely on the person with the problem and their loved ones.

Another complicating situation is when the patient has multiple symptoms. They might be related, or they might not; it might be a syndrome, or it might be a series of otherwise unrelated problems that just happen to be present in the same person. Almost a coincidence. As a general rule, the medical literature and research process don't do well with complicated situations. That makes it hard for the doctors, and it isn't something that it easy to address in training. It is hard to understand the various bits and pieces as part of an overall pattern. It is not unusual to break it down into bits and pieces and look at them one at a time. This to manage the pain, that to control the inflammation, this lifestyle change to build strength and combat fatigue, this dietary change to help manage fatigue at certain times of day.

Often the only difference between being told a problem is in your head and not is the trust between you and your clinician. By this I mean you have a pre-existing relationship with your clinician which has generated trust on both sides. Even then, there is a fair chance they will say, "How much stress have you been under lately?" or "Why don't you just make sure you're eating well, exercising, drink lots of water, and make sure you are sleeping well - none of those late nights, ok? Come back if that doesn't work." Luckily, vague symptoms sometimes respond to vague solutions.

My personal perspective on this dynamic is a little off-center. I am trained in evidence-based healthcare research methodologies and consult in this area. I have a fair understanding of how the evidence stacks up, or doesn't, the significance of insufficient evidence to support an important question, the importance of being able to assess the levels of evidence available and make decisions based on the best available evidence (even if it isn't perfect). At the same time, I have the eccentric joy of being a member of a family just stuffed chock full of outliers. I know quite well what happens when what is wrong with you or your loved one doesn't fit under the curve.

Alright, well, so our healthcare and research systems are not designed to deal with all situations. The evidence is incomplete, and that is part of our process - it is always incomplete, and always will be until we stop learning and asking questions. That means the decisions, services and accommodations based on that research share the same flaws. As long as we understand that, we can adapt the decisions, services, and accommodations; we can include the outliers, those who don't fit under the curve. The danger, the very real danger comes in trusting the research completely without questioning, without acknowledging the inherent flaws and limitations of the evidence base.

]]> "Seeing White in Black"--a Fungible Concept 2009-01-28T12:24:00Z 2009-01-28T12:20:06Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396.48703 2009-01-28T12:20:06Z Dr. Kafi Kumasi, of the Library and Information Science Department at Indiana University, recently spoke to a UM SI/MIX audience in an expansion of her dissertation "Seeing White in Black," a narrative of 10 African-American participants (14-16 years old) in the Circle of Voices Book Club at the Monroe, Indiana, Public Library. The major points of the discussion involved Whiteness Theory and Double Consciousness Theory. Tension and challenges were employed as integral, constructive components of these racially-centered book discussions to tease out social and cultural emotions and impressions. Dr. Kumasi quoted Audre Lord (librarian/poet/activist) who believed that librarianship should be part of social and cultural perspectives. Using Dr. Kumasi’s thoughts and presentation as a jumping off point, it occurs to me that the Whiteness Theory can be used as an allegory for other ethnic marginalized groups. This theory encompasses the concept that whites hold privileges automatically that they don’t even... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts Dr. Kafi Kumasi, of the Library and Information Science Department at Indiana University, recently spoke to a UM SI/MIX audience in an expansion of her dissertation "Seeing White in Black," a narrative of 10 African-American participants (14-16 years old) in the Circle of Voices Book Club at the Monroe, Indiana, Public Library. The major points of the discussion involved Whiteness Theory and Double Consciousness Theory. Tension and challenges were employed as integral, constructive components of these racially-centered book discussions to tease out social and cultural emotions and impressions.
Dr. Kumasi quoted Audre Lord (librarian/poet/activist) who believed that librarianship should be part of social and cultural perspectives.

Using Dr. Kumasi’s thoughts and presentation as a jumping off point, it occurs to me that the Whiteness Theory can be used as an allegory for other ethnic marginalized groups. This theory encompasses the concept that whites hold privileges automatically that they don’t even realize they have and that whites are not considered a race but are defined by their not being one of the marginalized races that are subordinate to them. This theory, by another name, can, I think, readily be applied to other groups as well. For example, we might propose: “Seeing Christianity through Judaism”. This would work perfectly well on several levels: sociologically, psychologically, and biblically. The theory of double-consciousness is similarly fungible. As an example, the Germans and Italians of Jewish ancestry often did not think of themselves primarily as Jews until they were so defined dictatorially by Hitler and Mussolini, respectively. In similar fashion, when the “Racial Laws” took hold, there was the sense of being both a citizen of one’s native country and a member of a subordinate special group, in effect fitting the theory of a double consciousness. I think that these two theories might also be applicable to various other populations with which I am less familiar—the Hutus and the Tutsis, perhaps, as well as most other marginalized and therefore disadvantaged ethnic groups?

]]> Publicity is Hard to Do 2009-01-25T10:39:49Z 2009-01-25T10:22:10Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396.48661 2009-01-25T10:22:10Z I heard yesterday from some neighbors, a group of UM Dental students, that on a previous occasion when the Dental School had offered free dental checkups and fillings for the public, there were only about three patients who showed up to take advantage of it. With so much demand for health care and so many people who cannot afford it, I see this situation as a sad mismatch between excellent intentions and the failure to reach the appropriate audience to let them know about the opportunity to take advantage of the offer. I know that when I personally was trying to raise interest in our "Opening Doors" event, I visited churches, wrote to schools, asked numerous friends and acquaintances, generally racked my brain for possible ways to tap into the appropriate interested individuals, and worked for hours and hours trying to publicize the upcoming project. At the occasion itself, we... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts I heard yesterday from some neighbors, a group of UM Dental students, that on a previous occasion when the Dental School had offered free dental checkups and fillings for the public, there were only about three patients who showed up to take advantage of it. With so much demand for health care and so many people who cannot afford it, I see this situation as a sad mismatch between excellent intentions and the failure to reach the appropriate audience to let them know about the opportunity to take advantage of the offer. I know that when I personally was trying to raise interest in our "Opening Doors" event, I visited churches, wrote to schools, asked numerous friends and acquaintances, generally racked my brain for possible ways to tap into the appropriate interested individuals, and worked for hours and hours trying to publicize the upcoming project. At the occasion itself, we had an adequate crowd, but, frankly, I was expecting more people, considering the amount of time and effort that had been expended in trying to spread the word about an excellent presentation that could possibly impact students' future in the health professions. In conclusion, with the UM Dental School's "Give Kids a Smile" Day offering free dental care for children aged 5 to 12, coming up soon, and since I know from experience how hard it is to publicize similar events, I am trying to help out by jumping into the attempt to spread the word.

]]> HEALTH: CARE: COST 2009-01-23T20:19:54Z 2009-01-23T20:07:03Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396.48657 2009-01-23T20:07:03Z I was having a little conversation with someone at lunch today about health care costs, and after a while our talk meandered over to a very specific local site--the University of Michigan. I happen to be familiar with the fact, from being on various internal committees, that health insurance costs here are on an upward trend of 10%/year, which, although all costs are going up everywhere nationwide, is higher than it should be. The UM is self-insured. As a result, the keepers of the funds at UM are worried; however, I am happy to say, they are very reluctant to have to cut benefits for their employees; therefore, they are trying mightily to reduce costs. We see their attempts in the various MHealthy preventive programs--the exercise promotion with fun and financial incentives; the health assessment with $2,000,000 worth of incentives; and the Wellness Champions for various units, who are supposed... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts I was having a little conversation with someone at lunch today about health care costs, and after a while our talk meandered over to a very specific local site--the University of Michigan. I happen to be familiar with the fact, from being on various internal committees, that health insurance costs here are on an upward trend of 10%/year, which, although all costs are going up everywhere nationwide, is higher than it should be. The UM is self-insured. As a result, the keepers of the funds at UM are worried; however, I am happy to say, they are very reluctant to have to cut benefits for their employees; therefore, they are trying mightily to reduce costs. We see their attempts in the various MHealthy preventive programs--the exercise promotion with fun and financial incentives; the health assessment with $2,000,000 worth of incentives; and the Wellness Champions for various units, who are supposed to provide psychological incentives. From both a personal and an institutional point of view, I wish that more people in the UM community understood this and would willingly and enthusiastically take responsibility for their own health. It is not such a difficult thing to do, and it might have positive results both individually and with respect to the common good.

]]> MLK Event--Health Sciences 2009-01-20T18:11:49Z 2009-01-20T18:05:50Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396.48524 2009-01-20T18:05:50Z Kenneth May, UM Dental School Chair, performed a gracious introduction and welcomed the audience. Afterwards, a liturgical dance was performed by some 8 women in colorful garb. Then Frank Ascione, Chair of the School of Pharmacy, welcomed everyone in the Dow Auditorium of the UMHS. I also spotted Douglas Strong, UMHS CEO in the audience. Raymond Gist, Chair of the MLK Program, introduced Dr. Joanne Dawley, the first female president of the Michigan Dental Association, who happens to also be an African Amercian woman, an individual who earned her undergrad degree at UM and her DDS at UM School of Dentistry. The keynote address was about "the perfect storm," meaning what is happening in Michigan economically as well as socially with particular concern about the lack of regular dental care for children who are African American, especially in the inner city. That was essentially it. She quoted statistics to reveal... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu People and Events Kenneth May, UM Dental School Chair, performed a gracious introduction and welcomed the audience. Afterwards, a liturgical dance was performed by some 8 women in colorful garb. Then Frank Ascione, Chair of the School of Pharmacy, welcomed everyone in the Dow Auditorium of the UMHS. I also spotted Douglas Strong, UMHS CEO in the audience. Raymond Gist, Chair of the MLK Program, introduced Dr. Joanne Dawley, the first female president of the Michigan Dental Association, who happens to also be an African Amercian woman, an individual who earned her undergrad degree at UM and her DDS at UM School of Dentistry. The keynote address was about "the perfect storm," meaning what is happening in Michigan economically as well as socially with particular concern about the lack of regular dental care for children who are African American, especially in the inner city. That was essentially it. She quoted statistics to reveal how dismal the situation is and gave a few examples of how lack of dental care can cause systemic disease and even death in one case (fulminating infection in a young man whose mother could not afford to have his tooth extracted in time). Then Q&A with a little discussion about the free dental day at UM but the fact that this is insufficient care. A couple of other questions were followed by a reception in the hall; there was another short segment of dance by the liturgical dancers, and then some of us (those with tickets) went to lunch downstairs in the lunchroom, which was set up nicely with lots of tables-room was just about filled. After lunch, more Q&A and then flowers were presented to Dr. May by a woman with a lot of charisma, possibly Valener Perry, I believe, who said that he was her actual dentist and that she retains her actual teeth (Dr. May had given Dr. Dawley a bouquet on stage right after her presentation).

]]> More on Communication 2009-01-18T22:41:24Z 2009-01-18T22:26:27Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2009:/hsldir/4396.48490 2009-01-18T22:26:27Z I have continued to ponder the blog-o-sphere. Last night on BBC World Service, there was an interview with a journalist who protested that blogging is not journalism. Just because a person has something to say and posts it, does not entitle that individual to be considered a reporter, this interviewee stated. That may be the case; however, in an op/ed piece in today's (1/18/09) NYT "Horatio Alger Relocates to a Mumbai Slum," Anan Giridharadas points out thst the social is back in politics, that whereas a decade or so ago, Americans were said to be "bowling alone," now there has been "a neo-Tocquevillean flowering online, of Wikipedia editors, Twitterers, and bloggers, an unpaid army stirred by that ancient impulse to blow in larger currents." My feeling about the burgeoning blog trend is that this is a wonderful new era and I love it. I have always enjoyed reading "Letters to... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts I have continued to ponder the blog-o-sphere. Last night on BBC World Service, there was an interview with a journalist who protested that blogging is not journalism. Just because a person has something to say and posts it, does not entitle that individual to be considered a reporter, this interviewee stated. That may be the case; however, in an op/ed piece in today's (1/18/09) NYT "Horatio Alger Relocates to a Mumbai Slum," Anan Giridharadas points out thst the social is back in politics, that whereas a decade or so ago, Americans were said to be "bowling alone," now there has been "a neo-Tocquevillean flowering online, of Wikipedia editors, Twitterers, and bloggers, an unpaid army stirred by that ancient impulse to blow in larger currents." My feeling about the burgeoning blog trend is that this is a wonderful new era and I love it. I have always enjoyed reading "Letters to the Editor" and have considered them to often be the most interesting section of the daily newspaper. Now, I can wallow in blogs as if they were lengthy "letters", thus keeping current with events and other people's perspectives on them and skip "the straight news" entirely if I want to.

]]> Changes in our Local Media 2008-12-17T12:59:31Z 2008-12-17T12:36:56Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.48087 2008-12-17T12:36:56Z I am interested in what is going on in the Ann Arbor area and consequently I scour the local media pretty thoroughly on a regular basis, reading in print: "The Ann Arbor Observer," "The Metro Times," "Between the Lines," "Current" and whatever other free papers I find around town. And online I read: "The Ann Arbor News" "Arbor Update," and now "The Ann Arbor Chronicle." Now, it seems that the News wants to change its ways and become more focussed on the local news, a role now being quite well played by the new Chronicle, and to emphasize the online aspects of keeping abreast with what is occurring in our town and surrounding areas. The editor of the News, in fact, wrote in an editorial on Sunday that he requests input as to what readers want to see in the paper. In reply to his editorial (I usually read all... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts I am interested in what is going on in the Ann Arbor area and consequently I scour the local media pretty thoroughly on a regular basis, reading in print: "The Ann Arbor Observer," "The Metro Times," "Between the Lines," "Current" and whatever other free papers I find around town. And online I read: "The Ann Arbor News" "Arbor Update," and now "The Ann Arbor Chronicle." Now, it seems that the News wants to change its ways and become more focussed on the local news, a role now being quite well played by the new Chronicle, and to emphasize the online aspects of keeping abreast with what is occurring in our town and surrounding areas. The editor of the News, in fact, wrote in an editorial on Sunday that he requests input as to what readers want to see in the paper. In reply to his editorial (I usually read all the commentary and blogs, as well), he received quite a bit of constructive criticism about the mlive.com website, which is not easy to negotiate, although it has become a little more organized and aesthetically pleasing lately. Respondents wrote both in the News blogs and in a Chronicle column. Of course, it goes without saying that the current economy is a huge factor in stimulating this desire for change on the part of the local media, but it seems very obvious that ordinary, everyday people's habits are changing, too, perhaps because they have become used to the ability to blog and comment and they want to maintain and expand this feature, thus having even more say in how the news is presented and even what it consists of. And, the corollary to this theory is that online is the way to go. I personally am staying tuned for even more changes in our local media.

]]> "What Have You Changed Your Mind About?" 2008-12-15T22:11:03Z 2008-12-15T22:00:43Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.48067 2008-12-15T22:00:43Z Randolph M. Nesse "used to believe that truth had a special home at universities." Mr. Nesse, professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan and an expert on evolution and medicine, now thinks "universities may be the best show in town for truth pursuers, but most of them stifle innovation and constructive engagement of real controversies -- not just sometimes but most of the time, systematically." Faculty committees, he complains, make sure that most positions "go to people just about like themselves." Deans ask how much external financing new hires will bring in. "No one with new ideas ... can hope to get through this fine sieve." --Josh Fischman Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Campus 12/15/08... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu People and Events Randolph M. Nesse "used to believe that truth had a special home at universities." Mr. Nesse, professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan and an expert on evolution and medicine, now thinks "universities may be the best show in town for truth pursuers, but most of them stifle innovation and constructive engagement of real controversies -- not just sometimes but most of the time, systematically." Faculty committees, he complains, make sure that most positions "go to people just about like themselves." Deans ask how much external financing new hires will bring in. "No one with new ideas ... can hope to get through this fine sieve." --Josh Fischman
Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Campus 12/15/08

]]> Just because you're smart doesn't mean you get things right the first time. That's the premise behind What Have You Changed Your Mind About? (Harper Perennial), a new anthology. In it, 150 "big thinkers" describe what they now think they were wrong about earlier in their lives. Much of this has to do with technology and education. Among the highlights: Ray Kurzweil no longer thinks that intelligent aliens exist. The oft-cited futurist and inventor, a pioneer in artificial intelligence and in making reading machines for the blind, says that conventional thinking holds there should be billions of such civilizations and a number of them should be ahead of us, "capable of vast, galaxy-wide technologies. So how can it be that we haven't noticed" all of the signals they should be creating? "My own conclusion is that they don't exist." Roger C. Schank used to say "we would have machines as smart as we are within my lifetime." Now Mr. Schank, a former Yale University professor and director of Yale's artificial-intelligence project, says: "I no longer believe that will happen... I still believe we can create very intelligent machines. But I no longer believe that those machines will be like us." Chess-playing computers that beat people are not good examples, he says. Playing chess is not representative of typical human intelligence. "Chess players are methodical planners. Human beings are not." We tend, Mr. Schank says, "to not know what we know."

]]> Is Higher Education Ready to Switch to Digital Course Materials? 2008-11-24T13:15:21Z 2008-11-24T13:10:07Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.46403 2008-11-24T13:10:07Z The Cost of Textbooks Is Driving Electronic Solutions Chronicle Commentary (11/24/08) by Mark R. Nelson: Are Colleges Ready for Digital Textbooks? When I was an undergraduate, one of my favorite professors posted a cartoon from The Chronicle on the bulletin board outside his office. It was labeled "Library of the Future" and showed a librarian, near a row of computers, unpacking boxes containing spray cans with fragrances like "Odor of Old Books" and "Scent of Paper." Less than two decades later, I see there is probably room for a product like that. And, more surprising to me, I am part of the move toward digital and away from traditional print. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i14/14a02901.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts The Cost of Textbooks Is Driving Electronic Solutions

Chronicle Commentary (11/24/08) by
Mark R. Nelson: Are Colleges Ready for Digital Textbooks?


When I was an undergraduate, one of my favorite professors posted a cartoon from The Chronicle on the bulletin board outside his office. It was labeled "Library of the Future" and showed a librarian, near a row of computers, unpacking boxes containing spray cans with fragrances like "Odor of Old Books" and "Scent of Paper." Less than two decades later, I see there is probably room for a product like that. And, more surprising to me, I am part of the move toward digital and away from traditional print.
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i14/14a02901.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

]]> Social Protest in 1968, Panel on 2008-11-21T12:19:30Z 2008-11-21T11:59:28Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.46270 2008-11-21T11:59:28Z Talk about being a part of history, albeit in a relatively low-key, retiring role---I could identify with most of the personal anecdotes told by the various panel members at the Social Protest in 1968 discussion held at the Gallery of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library on November 13, 2008. We moved to a house in a new development in Ann Arbor in 1966, and one of my first clear memories of my neighbors was when I went door to door to petition against the Vietnam War, and they more or less literally slammed their respective doors in my face. Talk about neighborliness! However, I should have known better, I suppose, because even then it was all about "protecting the troops" and thus being fearful about speaking out against the war, whether one was in favor of it or not. I remember Sheriff Harvey and his brutal men first beating the... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu People and Events Talk about being a part of history, albeit in a relatively low-key, retiring role---I could identify with most of the personal anecdotes told by the various panel members at the Social Protest in 1968 discussion held at the Gallery of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library on November 13, 2008. We moved to a house in a new development in Ann Arbor in 1966, and one of my first clear memories of my neighbors was when I went door to door to petition against the Vietnam War, and they more or less literally slammed their respective doors in my face. Talk about neighborliness! However, I should have known better, I suppose, because even then it was all about "protecting the troops" and thus being fearful about speaking out against the war, whether one was in favor of it or not. I remember Sheriff Harvey and his brutal men first beating the students bloody and throwing them in jail afterwards. The narrative by Dean Emeritus Harold Johnson about then- UM President Robben Fleming putting his body between the Sheriff and the students, was poignant even after all these years. I remember feeling so close to the students, the only ones courageous enough to take a stand (well, my neighbors took a stand, too, I suppose, but one that I could not admire in the least). One week, the Today Show came to the Diag to televise from campus in an attempt to convey the atmosphere at UM, so I arrived to watch early in the morning and stayed as long as I could. Another memory was evoked by the mention of Mark's Coffee shop in the alley off Maynard Street, the first in town, a friendly and interesting if somewhat messy and dirty location that did not even offer very good coffee, but it set the precedent for our current coffee shop culture. Also, I loved the tales that Cynthia Diane Stephens told about BAM and other student protest movements. I recall that in our library classes BAM made little or no impression; we did not close down in support, which was disappointing. And despite Daniel Zwerdling's comment about the importance of protests about all the minor causes that took up space in the pages of "The Michigan Daily," the really BIG cause, to my mind, was the WAR!

]]> People and Events 2008-11-17T18:58:37Z 2008-11-17T18:40:30Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.45989 2008-11-17T18:40:30Z There was a wonderful celebration of Jim Toy's many years' incumbency at the University of Michigan, held on November 12th at Rackham Auditorium. Jim is retiring after years and years of gently and courageously helping people who had been discriminated against for reasons of sexual preference or who were afraid to live in the roles that they were most comfortable in. Present were literally hundreds of people of all ages, genders, persuasions, academic and social levels--all mixing and mingling to sing Jim's praise, praise that he completely and richly deserves. I was proud to be a part of that celebration. http://www.diversity.umich.edu/about/faces_toy.php... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts There was a wonderful celebration of Jim Toy's many years' incumbency at the University of Michigan, held on November 12th at Rackham Auditorium. Jim is retiring after years and years of gently and courageously helping people who had been discriminated against for reasons of sexual preference or who were afraid to live in the roles that they were most comfortable in. Present were literally hundreds of people of all ages, genders, persuasions, academic and social levels--all mixing and mingling to sing Jim's praise, praise that he completely and richly deserves. I was proud to be a part of that celebration.
http://www.diversity.umich.edu/about/faces_toy.php

]]> Questions to Ask about Librarianship and the Future: Thoughts about the Ithaka and Portico Reports 2008-09-03T16:34:49Z 2008-09-03T16:34:15Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.43008 2008-09-03T16:34:15Z A week ago Anna Schnitzer, my friend and colleague, brought to my attention the following blog post. For the past several days, I've been working off and on to write this blog post. ACRLog: StevenB: The Question They Forgot To Ask: http://acrlog.org/2008/08/22/the-question-they-forgot-to-ask/ The post was in reference to the Ithaka Report, released August 18th. Ithaka: Faculty and Librarian Surveys: http://ithaka.org/research/faculty-and-librarian-surveys [PDF] Ithaka's 2006 Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation in Higher Education, August 18, 2008: http://ithaka.org/research/Ithakas%202006%20Studies%20of%20Key%20Stakeholders%20in%20the%20Digital%20Transformation%20in%20Higher%20Education.pdf Around the same time as the Ithaka Report a related report was released from Portico, one of the partners on the Ithaka Report, available for download from the following page. Portico and Ithaka Digital Preservation Survey of U.S. Library Directors – Results Released: http://www.portico.org/comment/ [PDF] Digital preservation of e-journals in 2008: Urgent Action revisited; Results from a Portico/Ithaka Survey of U.S. Library Directors. http://www.portico.org/comment/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/porticosurveyondigitalpreservation.pdf The Portico document refers to a survey of... pfa web page pfa@umich.edu Patricia Ponders A week ago Anna Schnitzer, my friend and colleague, brought to my attention the following blog post. For the past several days, I've been working off and on to write this blog post.

ACRLog: StevenB: The Question They Forgot To Ask: http://acrlog.org/2008/08/22/the-question-they-forgot-to-ask/

The post was in reference to the Ithaka Report, released August 18th.

Ithaka: Faculty and Librarian Surveys: http://ithaka.org/research/faculty-and-librarian-surveys

[PDF] Ithaka's 2006 Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation in Higher Education, August 18, 2008: http://ithaka.org/research/Ithakas%202006%20Studies%20of%20Key%20Stakeholders%20in%20the%20Digital%20Transformation%20in%20Higher%20Education.pdf

Around the same time as the Ithaka Report a related report was released from Portico, one of the partners on the Ithaka Report, available for download from the following page.

Portico and Ithaka Digital Preservation Survey of U.S. Library Directors – Results Released: http://www.portico.org/comment/

[PDF] Digital preservation of e-journals in 2008:
Urgent Action revisited; Results from a Portico/Ithaka Survey of U.S. Library Directors. http://www.portico.org/comment/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/porticosurveyondigitalpreservation.pdf

The Portico document refers to a survey of library directors performed in 2008, and provides a brief preliminary overview of their data, while the Ithaka Report is a fuller (but still incomplete) preliminary analysis of data collected in 2006 from faculty and academic librarians at four-year institutions. Both reports examine the significance and impact of a shift toward electronic collections, with a focus on digital preservation of electronic resources, as well as looking at how these trends impact on the profession of librarianship.

StevenB's main take home point in his response to the Ithaka report boils down to this take-home snippet.

"If we want to avoid a further decline in the profile and relevance of the academic library, I advocate that the major change needed to ensure our important role in the intellectual life of the campus is the one that transitions us to a fully integrated partner in the teaching and learning process - in both physical and virtual classroom spaces."

This was primarily in response to this sentence from the original report.

"Over the course of these three surveys, we have tested three 'roles' of the library—purchaser, archive and gateway." Ithaka, op cit, p. 5.

The Ithaka Report is quite overt about the limitations of the study -- that their focus is on academic libraries and "how to best serve faculty" (p. 4), not students, administrators, staff, or community. In other words, what they do is important and useful as far as it goes, but it does not in any sense look at the larger view of the roles and functions of academic librarians, much less librarianship as a whole. It leaves plenty of room for other groups to make similar enquiries about the future of the profession.

The Portico overview statement provides a footnote stating their restrictions on data collection and response rate.

"A web-based survey was sent to 1,371 library directors at four-year academic institutions in the United States. The survey launched on January 11, 2008 and stayed open for 11 days. A total of 186 full submissions were received, in addition to 10 partially completed surveys, for a response rate of 13.6%." Portico, op cit., p. 1.

There are discussions currently objecting to the response rate as insufficient. Personally, I find the response rate rather remarkable and quite satisfactory, especially given that this is for a survey of library directors sent in January of the year and open for response for only eleven days. My concern is that the timing and constraints on the survey would tend to self-select toward responses from persons who care passionately about the topic, and would tend to exclude opinions from more moderate viewpoints. The Portico analysis did make an attempt to account for a possible skew or bias in the results, but this would remain a concern of mine to be kept in mind while reading the report.

"We found no evidence of response bias according to the Library Materials Expenditure of the institutions polled; our sample mirrored the larger population in its LME breakdown (according to ACRL data). We also checked to see if the survey might be skewed towards those who were actively concerned about preservation or favorably disposed towards Portico, since the survey announcement came from the librarians on the Portico Advisory Committee. ... In order to correct for this bias, we removed responses from Portico participants at random from the sample until the proportion of Portico participants in the sample matched that of the larger population." Portico, op cit, p. 1.

Now, beyond questions of the validity of the studies, moving on towards the bigger picture. Both reports are looking at the impact of current trends on the future of the profession. The Ithaka Report provides the following vision of what an academic library does.

"The [academic] library exists to maximise its value to is constituency, both improving its own stature locally as well as facilitating scholarship, teaching, and learning among its community." Ithaka, p. 33

I agree completely with StevenB's observation that the education component is and has been historically a critical role for librarians. I would even suggest that this role is but a small element in a role that is both a broader and deeper element of librarianship—that of the expert "dog with a bone" searcher, the person who (within the questioning and research processes) is partner, facilitator, scout, guide, translator, mentor, even information magician—in short, the Trailblazer, in the sense in which Vannevar Bush used the term.

"There is a new profession of trail blazers, those who find delight in the task of establishing useful trails through the enormous mass of the common record. The inheritance from the master becomes, not only his additions to the world's record, but for his disciples the entire scaffolding by which they were erected." Bush, Vannevar. As We May Think. Atlantic Monthly July 1945. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/194507/bush

I have never forgotten the first time I read those words, the way my brain burned, as if a voice inside me shouted, "This is what I am. This is what I do. This is what I will be."

In my mind, I tend to think of the rest of what we librarians do as falling into tasks that support this one unifying fundamental and critical function—discovery. The functions examined by the Ithaka Report—gateway, archive, buyer—are important parts of what we do but do not represent the overarching unifying theme of librarianship. While education comes closer to connecting with the fundamental mission of the profession, I would argue there are many important and useful functions of librarians that are not overtly stated in images of the profession by either the patrons or the librarians. There are assumptions being made on both sides about what the profession of librarianship is, does, and supports. Decisions being made now will impact on those unstated functions in unpredictable ways, that may prove to be to the detriment of all for having not been addressed in the overt decisionmaking process.

What I looked for from the Ithaka Report was a clarification of the phrase "among its community". Every academic institution is embedded in a local community as well as having broader national and international partnerships. The academic libraries' roles and duties should reflect these relationships in addition to direct service to the immediate local academic community of that specific institution.

Portico asked a series of useful and provocative questions at the close of their report.

"* Who is responsible for ensuring the digital preservation of e-journals? Can e-journal
preservation be sustained if only a relatively small proportion of libraries is engaged
in supporting e-journal preservation initiatives?
* If it is desirable for participation in the digital preservation of e-journals to move
beyond the 'trailblazers' of the library community, when and how might that 'tipping
point' be reached? In the meantime, is there a risk that libraries could wait until they
are out of options?
* What can community leaders and e-journal preservation initiatives themselves do to
help simplify the e-journal preservation landscape?
* What is the appropriate place for e-journal preservation efforts in the face of
competing priorities?"
Portico, p. 10.

I am concerned that while the Ithaka Report does a good job of looking at the relationship between faculty and librarians, and Portico is examining the assumptions of library directors with respect to digital preservation, no one is yet examining in similar ways the relationships of libraries with and the impact of digital preservation on other community members — students and local communities in particular. I suspect there are assumptions being made about what academic libraries do, assumptions of the sort where people think the library is, of course, doing XYZ, but in reality the libraries feel it is someone else's job.

One example of this that has come to my attention is the role libraries play (or could play) in local disaster response. Does the library, in planning digital preservation initiatives and in making de-accessioning decisions, make decisions based on the day-to-day needs of the faculty, administrators, and students of the institution? Do they also consider what potential disasters are most likely to occur in their local physical environment and what information would be needed in what format by the institutional and regional decisionmakers in responding to these specific types of crises? If the decisions are focusing on the day-to-day needs are the institutional and regional decisionmakers aware that this is what is happening, or are they assuming that the library has kept the appropriate information in appropriate formats and locations for responding to the crises that could be anticipated? If the library is not keeping information to address these situations, who is? What other situations or information needs might be assumed as part of the role of the library, but have not been made overt to the library as part of their role?

I very much liked the Ithaka Report's emphasis on holistic and collaborative approaches to making these types of decisions, and encourage institutions to adopt those themes in their planning (p.33).

"It is equally if not more important, however, to engage with local faculty to determine what changes are and are not appropriate for the local campus environment. As we move further into the digital age, questions of campus information strategy must receive serious consideration from a variety of different players; care must be given to ensure that we develop a future in which scholarship, teaching, and learning are effectively supported, and in which important scholarly values are not lost." Ithaka, p. 33

Indeed. But let's not simply engage in these discussions with local faculty, but with a broader community of stakeholders.

]]> Random Thoughts on Facebook 2008-08-27T11:54:57Z 2008-08-26T00:29:55Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.42957 2008-08-26T00:29:55Z Okay, I know that Facebook is far from being a new topic of discussion or an emerging technology in the social networking arena. We are all familiar with it--have at least heard of it--and many of us use it on a regular, irregular or even constant basis. My stance on Facebook is that I am glad I signed on, despite the fact I did so only under a certain amount of protest with an underlying element of hesitation. I enrolled in Facebook originally to give some exposure to my favorite campus organization, the UM Council for Disability Concerns. Well, that didn't take, and only 17 members, when lightly pressured, half-heartedly joined last year, and I don't think that any have visited the site since. However, I have, fairly often, and I am glad that I can. Facebook, to me, is logical and easy to use. Contrary to its name, it... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts Okay, I know that Facebook is far from being a new topic of discussion or an emerging technology in the social networking arena. We are all familiar with it--have at least heard of it--and many of us use it on a regular, irregular or even constant basis. My stance on Facebook is that I am glad I signed on, despite the fact I did so only under a certain amount of protest with an underlying element of hesitation. I enrolled in Facebook originally to give some exposure to my favorite campus organization, the UM Council for Disability Concerns. Well, that didn't take, and only 17 members, when lightly pressured, half-heartedly joined last year, and I don't think that any have visited the site since. However, I have, fairly often, and I am glad that I can. Facebook, to me, is logical and easy to use. Contrary to its name, it isn't "in your face" with all kinds of pressures and complications. If you want to look at unusual facets and new applications, you can check those out, but if you want to keep things simple (and I usually do), you can stick to updating your own profile status or check out what your friends have been doing lately, including taking in any witty sayings they have jotted down for posterity. You can even send a pot of flowers, a message, or a poke (although originally I hesitated with the latter because it did not sound very friendly when I first saw the term). But by and large, it is the friendliness of Facebook that appeals to me most, I guess. I find out little things about people, and they are generally good things--hobbies, charitable interests, abilities, kookiness of a gentle sort. And those little things make the person seem closer to me, whether or not I see him or her regularly and whether or not he or she is really a "friend" or just an acquaintance. Summing up, this morning someone I know from seeing her at the YMCA asked me to acquaint her with the basics of social networking, and I quickly and enthusiastically agreed, figuring that what she should start out with is an invitation to join Facebook!

]]> Random Thoughts Inspired by Deep Blue 2008-08-19T15:46:19Z 2008-08-19T15:00:36Z tag:mblog.lib.umich.edu,2008:/hsldir/4396.42903 2008-08-19T15:00:36Z Yesterday, on my way home from work, I meandered into a campus presentation on Deep Blue by the librarian who conceived of and nurtures this all-campus online depository. I had not expected to be there for anything but supportive purposes--to pad the audience (the session had been arranged by a close colleague, and I hate it when speakers or facilitators are presented with, and possibly disappointed by, an embarrassingly sparse audience.) Well, the surprise was on me! Although I happened to be very familiar with the content of the presentation, the presenter's style was so lively and interesting that I listened closely to the nuances, admired the performance, and left with a couple of thoughts to ruminate about.... schnitzr web page schnitzr@umich.edu Random Thoughts Yesterday, on my way home from work, I meandered into a campus presentation on Deep Blue by the librarian who conceived of and nurtures this all-campus online depository. I had not expected to be there for anything but supportive purposes--to pad the audience (the session had been arranged by a close colleague, and I hate it when speakers or facilitators are presented with, and possibly disappointed by, an embarrassingly sparse audience.) Well, the surprise was on me! Although I happened to be very familiar with the content of the presentation, the presenter's style was so lively and interesting that I listened closely to the nuances, admired the performance, and left with a couple of thoughts to ruminate about.

]]> The speaker referred at one point to Neil Stephenson, author of "Cryptonomicon," apparently a masterful sci-fi work that I have never even heard of, and his distinction between an academic being either a Beowulf or a Dante (forging out to publish on his/her own or being generously supported by his/her patron, the academy). I had studied Beowulf in the original Anglo-Saxon version, way back when, and although I cannot say that I really read Dante in the Italian, I probably should have--so my attention was piqued by all three references.

Another statement that held my interest was the speaker's self- admitted reluctance to tell a faculty member that he/she was infringing on a publisher's copyright if he/she was posting his/her published papers on his/her website without proper permission, since "that is not the way to start a friendly conversation." I know that many people think it's perfectly okay to post one's own publications, because they are uninformed about or don't remember signing their rights away. I asked the question that came to the forefront of my mind: Wouldn't an academic want to have this information, if only for ethical--if not for legal--reasons? I would want to be told, so I figured that others would want to do the right thing, too. I did not receive any confirmation from the audience, which I thought was also interesting. Again, could I be the only one who thinks this way?

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