Recently in Trends Category

This fall I distributed a short survey asking students and faculty whether they preferred print or online journals and books. Here's what I found out!

For books: 81 preferred print; 17 preferred electronic; and 18 indicated that the format didn't matter.

For journals: 52 preferred print; 45 preferred electronic; and 19 indicated that the format didn't matter.

The breakdown on who responded to the survey is this:
faculty 10
students -- landscape 13
students -- interiors 18
students -- architecture 75

Here's a comment from one of the respondents, emphasizing the importance of print materials for browsing: "The serendipity principle is still an important role for the library. People discover things through the physicality of wandering and looking around that they wouldn't consider otherwise." and another comment: "Honestly there are too many distractions online -- print is better." and one more: "Prefer electronic if easy to access."

Thinking about designing the library of the future? What might that look like?

Take a look at this video to see the experiments in library learning and interactive spaces conducted by the Transformation Lab in Denmark and see what you think: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpFO_L_jA1c

One key is giving the users opportunities to become more visible and to collaborate in creating space and use of space.

As is common with the beginning of a new year, many are speculating on what will be happening in the next year. Here are some predictions that may be of interest.

Future Exploration Blog Trend Map for 2007. Broad categories [e.g. Science and Technology], very specific elements [e.g. Discipline Convergence].
http://www.futureexploration.net/blog/2006/12/trend_map_for_2007_and_beyond.html

Trends in Landscape Architecture 2007. Foremost are fire pits, outdoor rooms and sustainability.
http://www.asla.org/press/2006/release122106.htm

Top Green Trends for 2007. Taken from a much larger list of product and service trends, seven trends relating to green products and services.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12/top_green_trend.php

Battelle's Predictions for 2007. Concerning web players like Google, Yahoo, Amazon, etc.
http://battellemedia.com/archives/003233.php

As we bid 2006 farewell, it is traditional to look back on the year's highlights.

For the ASL it has been a good year.

We have received many gifts of books and funds, some of which are noted on our gifts page: http://www.library.unlv.edu/arch/gifts/

We have tried to keep up with technology in various ways including this blog, and the RSS newsfeed on our homepage, and new 11"x17" scanners for patron use.

We made substantial strides in populating our database of Las Vegas Architects and Buildings http://www.library.unlv.edu/arch/archdb/arch.php

We have gotten lots of positive and constructive feedback from our patrons, including written and oral comments http://www.library.unlv.edu/arch/aslpatronsuggestions.html and an impromptu student focus group that resulted in new furniture types in the library, a plasma screen to communicate short information pieces to uses, and boxes of wood pieces distributed through the library.

Yes we have had a good year, and we wish all our patrons a great 2007!

And outside the ASL, the world has also been an eventful place. For lists of the "best of" 2006 -- best of books, best of DVDs, best of movies [well you get the idea!] go to Fimoculous http://www.fimoculous.com/year-review-2006.cfm. Fimoculous also has features such as the year in architecture and architecture of the year.