Hi Fi Sci Fi Library

Michael Porter and David Lee King not only write together the Internet Spotlight column in the Public Library Association Magazine,  , but they have burst into song together too with hi-fi sci-fi library. It is all about how to harness the power of “wow” in our libraries - to be the library for tomorrow and now.

As Michael (known to some only as Libraryman) explains, he is delivering one of the keynotes at the American Library Associations LITA National Forum (that’s their Library and Information Technology Association.) He wanted to bring along something special. A couple of weeks ago, he published a snippet of song on his blog and asked people in libraryland to film themselves singing along. The clip was published today with snippets from each movie. It’s a great to see a mob of librarians having fun, but we were all upstaged by Cindi’s daughter’s performance at the end, complete with swinging handbag.

Quite amazing to think how many things needed to be invented and the skills that have been learnt in the last three years or so to make an effort like this not only possible, but rather everyday.

My clip is near the start, around 1 min 14 seconds, hi-fi sci-fi library.

Click to play

The whole clip that I sent in is all of 14 seconds. Here it is, Hi Fi Sci Fi Library - Kathryn’s clipette extended play

Click to play

The song lyrics are:

Lyrics:
song: hi-fi-sci-fi Library

Here-in contains collected thoughts from our brains
when it comes to the subject of: wow!
Like: Wow, it’s amazing that for thousands of years
libraries have survived at all
The razing, book blazing, techno staff crazing
fighting competition new tech and how
to emerge like a rocketship, speedy and fast
that is demanded in our world right NOW!!!Chorus:
Hi-fi, sci-fi, library!
Hi-fi, sci-fi, library!
S. R. Ran-ga-na-than ‘long with Benjamin Franklin,
Dewey, Kilgour and good people like YOU
Learnt that Mashed up with currents and a whole bunch of circuits
info went to many not just the few.
Now we wrestle with techno, money and limitations,
that might sometimes make a good man go “ewww”
But we’re telling you brothers, sisters, ladies and others
that we’re near a massive “Wow!” breakthrough.
it is your:
ChorusTo prepare our libraries we must be informed, explore lots
and have fun learning how to evolve.
Learn about things like gaming, social software and being
just where our users are: that brings us HUGE Wows.
Look at open-source software and the creative commons,
look at netfilx and itunes and learn how
We can take competition, turn it into fruition:
THE LIBRARY FOR TOMORROW AND NOW!
It will be:

hi-fi-sci-fi-libraries!
hi-fi-sci-fi-libraries!

Now we sometimes might wonder how to succeed not blunder
since we’re underneath the specter of “how?”
It’s a do or die sea change and we cannot just remain, what we
were before or we’ll just sink down.
Take time daily, read lib blogs, build community, and
slog the through the learning, practice, wisdom and “pow!”
It will be fun we promise, you’ll work hard but will harness
and endow your libs tomorrow with “WoW!”
The wow of:

Chorus repeated

spoken over the chorus

We can do it.
We just need to be wise
and explain the situation
in a way that’s fun and savvy

Be informed
and connect with our communities.
We must engage with em all
from the kids to my mammy

banter over chorus
*fade*”