UPDATE ON THE NEW ACQWEB – CHECK IT OUT AT: www.acqweb.org
Dear colleagues across the spectrum of Library land and beyond:
It’s finally time to announce that a new AcqWeb has finally been
planted and the seed is rapidly growing.
Until now, I have been shy about discussing the progress of this
possible revival because I was not sure it would survive to see the
light of day. Several years ago the ACQNET editorial board and
others worked diligently to analyze the results of a survey we sent
out to find out if people really wanted AcqWeb to live. Those who
responded seemed to really want it – so we went forward to see if we
could revamp it. We have been slogging onward quietly. After
consultant Janis Keim (funded by Appalachian State and University of
Utah universities, respectively) recommended the use of Drupal (an
open source content management system) as a possible new platform for
AcqWeb, it appeared that we might have something to work with. Drupal
has become a recognized CMS and is being used by Against the Grain
News Channel as well as the American Library Association just to name
two examples. In other words, we’re in good company and it’s likely
that we’ll find library acquisitions staff with a comfort level using
this platform.
The other development that leads me to think the time is right for a
new AcqWeb is the explosion in the use of social networking.
Librarians are embracing Facebook, blogs, Twitter and all the rest of
the applications that depend on interconnections. In other words,
Listserves are SO 1990’s, and it’s past time to think about moving on.
That is NOT to say that this is an announcement that ACQNET-L is
ending – on the contrary, ACQNET-L is still active and working. But
it IS time to think about transitioning certain conversations to a
different venue. ACQNET-L has served the library acquisitions
community faithfully for almost 20 years. That is really hard to
believe, but it’s true.
The new AcqWeb is certainly still a work in progress and is not
finished, not perfect and has much more work involved to make it what
we want it to be. I came to the conclusion over the last year or so
that there was simply no way to roll out a finished product using
volunteer help. Believe me, there are many people interested in seeing
this project happen. But where does the time go? It goes to our
families, our jobs and other aspects of our lives. But look at
Wikipedia – it has become HUGE and it is on done primarily with
volunteers.
I doubt the new AcqWeb will be anything so large, but look at ALA
Connect. It’s a happening place.
I think that the new AcqWeb could be a great place for technical
services types and their business partners to come together and talk
about all the new developments in our field. Anyone who is involved
in library acquisitions will be seeking a place to find a shoulder to
cry on because library acquisitions and book production and purchasing
in general are getting ready to change dramatically and we need a
place to talk about THAT, if nothing else.
One of the centerpieces of the old AcqWeb was the publisher & vendor
directory. That aspect of the old AcqWeb is woefully out of date and
probably is going to have to come to a close or become a different
animal. Google has superseded the need for such a directory; it was
of great value before Google and other search engines, when the World
Wide Web was new. If a new directory needs to be built, perhaps we
can be the ones to do it – but right now, the main thrust of the new
AcqWeb will be building a useful site for basic communication. We can
make it whatever we need it to be – so nothing is off limits and
everything is on the table.
Right now what I would like to see is some experimentation and
willingness to actually help make this new AcqWeb happen. We have set
up a Forum which we’d like people to use as an alternative to
ACQNET-L. (We’d like to keep ACQNET-L running in tandem, mostly for
Acqflash announcements). There is a blog feature where I and other
guest bloggers can post more lengthy thoughts (Christian Boissonnas
should have had blogger software back in the old days of ACQNET – He
was a natural blogger!)
My colleague Ginny Boyer who is a cataloger by day and a library
science student by all other hours, is working on the bones of AcqWeb
as part of an independent study for her degree program. She has made
great strides at getting the shell up. It will be changing on a daily
basis as we tweak it and add content and features. We want anyone
interested in to be part of the process.
Are you ready for the new AcqWeb? If so, please join us at www.acqweb.org
Eleanor Cook
Chief Editor, ACQNET-L
Eleanor I. Cook
Assistant Director for Collections & Technical Services
Academic Library Services -- Joyner Library
East Carolina University
East Fifth Street
Greenville, NC 27858
252-328-2598
252-328-4834 fax
cooke_at_ecu.edu
_______________________________________________
ACQNET-L mailing list
ACQNET-L_at_lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/acqnet-l
Received on Thu Aug 27 2009 - 16:20:16 EDT