findability.org

My wife (a librarian) loves to tell me that I'm not a real librarian. And she's right. While I do have the degree, I've never served as a librarian. But, I do care a whole awful lot about the future of libraries and their impact upon our schools and society, which is why I wrote the following two articles.

Architects of Learning

It's a tough time to be a teacher. The bureaucracy is stifling. The politics are worse. And, the irresistible force of disruptive innovation has come to school. Everywhere you look, entrepreneurs sell silver bullets that will save our kids from the assembly line. Some teachers quit. That's understandable but sad, because while the system must change and technology will prove transformative, when the dust settles, teachers will continue to serve ...

Inspiration Architecture

The library in 2020 is the last bastion of truth. Sure, you can search yottabytes of free data by simply batting an eyelash. But it's dangerous to believe what you see through the iGlass lens. As you learned the hard way back in the Facebook era, if you're not paying for it, you are the product. That research study about the safety and efficacy of Lipitor Lollipops™ was sponsored by ...

I'm not sure what's next. These articles may be tiny seeds for a big book, or not. For now, I'm happy to have these ideas out there, and I look forward to talking about them at some upcoming conferences. See you on the road!

Strange Connections

This year's World IA Day is in 15 cities, including Ann Arbor.

Understanding IA has over 100,000 views. Thanks for spreading the word!

In myriad ways, writing is a gift. It's a gift to have the education and talent necessary to write well. It's a gift that's invaluable in social, scholarly, and professional pursuits. And, writing creates a gift you can give. When you write an article, a book, or simply a tweet, you send a bit of yourself out into the world, where it might inform or inspire someone you've never met.

Mostly, you never know who is touched by your words. But once in a while, someone writes back. For example, I wrote Architects of Learning and soon after received this response:

Dear Peter,

I received your article the very hour I was pondering if/how to incorporate "after-school programming" into my daughter's Montessori school using the curriculum provided by codecademy.com. The point that propelled me is "We can't wait to be invited. We must crash the party." I'm meeting with my daughter's school today and expect the program will be approved. If it isn't, I'll keep trying. Thank you for the thought-provoking and inspirational article.

Sincerely, Jennifer Michaels

Later that same day, I received this follow-up:

Good news! I got approval to offer the program at the Montessori school. I'll probably start with programs like Scratch and Alice for the younger kids (I didn't even know about them until the kind people at Codecademy suggested them as options).

I also spend time with kids in foster care group homes and plan to introduce programming at a basic, fun level. Maybe one or more kids will feel inspired and confident enough to pursue technology as an area of study or profession. Foster kids need all the inspiration and chances they can get.

Sincerely, Jennifer Michaels

These messages made my day. So, thank you Jennifer, for teaching, and for telling me that my words made a difference. And, thanks to everyone who pays it forward by giving the gift of writing back. As I writer, I can tell you with absolute conviction that your words make a difference too!

Strange Connections

A glimpse of what it's like to be a teacher. Claudia, our 11 year old daughter, can quote this word for word, and she gets the voices just right.

Thanks to everyone who's working to make the second annual World IA Day a big success. I look forward to seeing some of you in Ann Arbor.

On Saturday, I successfully completed my first (and last) Ironman 70.3. It was an amazing experience: a well-organized event, perfect weather, and my wonderful family to cheer me over the finish. But I'll never do it again.

It's not that the triathlon itself was difficult. In fact, after all the pre-race worry, it was fun to swim, bike, and run. I simply don't want to put that much time and energy into training. So, after a decade of upping from 5k to 10 mile, half-marathon, marathon, olympic triathlon, and half-ironman, I'm done. I've climbed my highest mountain. I'm ready to downshift. To pass the time, I'll do something easy. For instance, I may write another book...

Strange Connections

Early in my training, after a nasty bike injury, I nearly quit. I found the inspiration to go on from several sources including this book and video.

I've joined the advisory council of SJSU SLIS and am looking forward to their upcoming (free) virtual conference, Library 2.012, in early October.

Tomorrow, I'm bound for Glacier National Park to witness some glaciers before they disappear. And yes, I may even climb some mountains.