Exposing Amateur Radio to the Public A Case for the Public Library

Hi Brian,

Yep, I did copy the wrong URL for the FAA research page I was actually attempting to reference. This is the correct one: https://www.faa.gov/data_research/. My apologies for the error. Nonetheless, my larger point is sustained. IF you will take the time to actually read the documentation to the IMLS library survey's methods, you will see that it is largely identical to what the FAA does! And, to what the school you previously taught at before your FAA job did for their state agency (or the DoE NCES Private School Survey, if it was a private school. I assisted in the design of the PSS by NCES). So, using your belief that the IMLS "inflates" their numbers out of self-interest. So does the FAA do that to "deflate" their Accident & Incident Reports, Airline On-Time & Delays, Unruly Passengers and Passenger Boarding, National Wildlife Strike Database, etc.? After all, as you stated, they are "government" so you can't trust them, Lol! No, I don't think they do. Because it would require a very grand conspiracy for the FAA to get all of the local parties who submit those data based on prescribed rules and methods to all agree to lie. Or, for the FAA database admins to "deflate" their data after it's submitted...as if the local entity doesn't go back and check. All of these FAA survey series are parallel to the IMLS surveys of public libraries. It's just not reasonable to believe that the IMLS or the thousands of contributing libraries would "conspire" to systematically inflate their Service numbers, risking the loss of their jobs, state revenue, and federal funds in doing so.

Brian, you're pre-judgment (prejudice) of the use of libraries---whether in your local community or nationwide---is simply not reasonable based on the available data. You can persist in your belief but those of us who use data and understand how survey's are designed, administered and analyzed will see it differently. You might wish to learn more by reading the Handbook of Survey Research, 2nd Ed (https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/Handbook-of-Survey-Research/?k=9781848552241). You'll find that I contributed a chapter there with one of my then-PhD students on surveys and GIS methods. So I'm very familiar with the National Geoditic Survey produced through NOAA as I've worked with the NGS since 1997 when I coordinated a $60M commercial remote sensing project with NASA.

I have to chuckle on this part of your post, "The young man on the podcast did some searching on Youtube.......the internet. He didn't go to the library. He didn't do research in books. He used the internet. Everything he mentioned was web-based. In fact, the only person to even mention the library was the older gentleman conducting the interview." Uh, that "older gentleman" was me. And I've communicated with Graham Brody quite a bit on this. He does use the library. Many, many ONLY have Internet access through the library. To characterize libraries today as only being about "books" shows that you've not been in a library since you were age 14 ("I personally haven't been myself since I was 14 and doing a project in high school.". They are about books available electronically and a whole lot more! And, it also reveals how your views are shaped by this lack of direct experience with libraries. If you're driving to work when you pass the Lancaster Library, is it early in the morning and late in the afternoon? Time of passing makes a real difference, especially when you can't "see" the remote users of that Library using their local PCs. There are 638 people who belong to the ubiquitous Friends of the Library just for the Lancaster library! Hmm, I wonder if a "friend of the library" ever visits? While the Lancaster Library is closed right now for the Covid-19 pandemic, as are all LA County Libraries, you can contact John Elford, Manager, at 661.948.5029 for a tour when they reopen. That is, if you really want to know how a library might have changed since you were age 14. But that is your choice.

But the Gallup survey organization identified one leisure activity as “the most common cultural activity Americans engage in, by far.” That activity is visiting a public library (http://k4fmh.com/2020/02/12/public-libraries-new-served-agencies/). Gallup is perhaps the most respected professional survey organization in the world. They find for the US that there are more women and children visiting the library than men, as I said in my original blog post. But you don't "see" them with your own eyes so you do not believe that this occurs. Do you have the same opinion for your physician's test results? There are many measurements that we don't "see" with our own eyes. But that does not mean the things measured do not exist.

Brian, your speculations about how and where "new" hams get into the hobby as licensed amateurs are just that. What you say you've seen. We do not have a high quality survey program on licensed hams. Period. Those that the ARRL says they conduct through their QST readership studies are "privileged" information according to the previous CEOs. Thus, even the League does not publish high quality survey data on amateur radio even though their stated mission is to learn and educate about ham radio. So I'm not going to challenge your speculations on this. I see different things but they, too, are just from my own "personal windshield" too.

I'm going to end this discussion with you on this note. You're free to feel how you wish. I also thank you for your federal service to the FAA. Some years ago, I was a GS-15 with USDA and later served on the Secretary's advisory board for agricultural statistics. Federal employees don't get the respect they deserve for what they do, although there are many celebrated exceptions noted in the news media from time to time.

73,

Frank
K4FMH

 

Lol! Thomas, that would be consistent with what far too many EMA Directors expect for ARES teams, no? My biggest problem when I served as EC in Starkville MS was that the EMA Director would steal the coax from my dual-band antenna I had installed out of my own pocket. Replaced it three times. But serving coffee and donuts is always a good thing to draw a crowd to a presentation!

73,

Frank
K4FMH

 

Hi Burton,

I plan to use your library project as a clear example of what I envisioned in the Plant the Seed! Sow the Future program with the ARRL Delta Division. Terrific implementation! Keep us posted on how the MOU and relationship with the Library goes. My suggestion was to now just donate books but to use that as a door-opener to establish a relationship with the "most common cultural crossroad" in the US these days, to use the Gallup organizations wording. Many library directors are struggling to get informative programs into the library. Your stuff is terrific. I live around the corner to our city's Recreation Center. One of my drawing board ideas is to package a program for radio, whether it is broad like shortwave listening that would include amateur radio or specific like soldering. So I would add recreation programs on a target list for other "third places" (Ray Oldenburg, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place) to reach populations of interest. Women and young people frequent rec centers more than men just like public libraries. But many men just don't see it....because they are not there!

Your "touching a nerve" is indeed needed to be touched. Your club is undoubtedly doing what ham clubs can do and do well. Thank you for the excellent role model for others.

73,

Frank
K4FMH

 

you are lucky that they added it to the collection (or perhaps they just removed the old copies recently ... and your offer came along at the right time).

my local library just did their first day of curbside ... they call it "library take-out," which makes me hungry

 

that makes sense. removable parts tend to walk away.

 

err ... kinda. depends on the size of your library.

we have lots of local clubs here, and their outreach has worked well without the library, but they should get involved anyway. some of their outreach efforts (like the state fair) are non-starters this year, and the "main" branch of our county library system has lots of fun stuff that can help folks put together amateur radio kit ...

i think your approach is pretty sound (building the relationship is key), and most libraries would love to work with someone with such focus. (well, when programming comes back anyway ... ).

 

eh, i don't agree at all. i think amateur radio has been poorly marketed for so long by so many that this is the impression that many have.

 

https://www.libraries2020.org/but_nobody_uses_libraries_anymore ... more people go to libraries than go to movie theaters and see pro sports events.

 

This has been one of the best discussions of this type I have seen on the ZED, and 7 pages without degenerating yet. Good for us! What I liked most to begin with was the strong visual appeal 0f your opening page- band scope and world clock. Add an Ameco reprokit and built-up transmitter and you'd have a strangled-hold on the Makers (ok, a strip of surface mnt parts and a square inch of pc board, if you must!).

 

Frank, our ARRL Division Director will be donating ARRL publications to the library and our club will be supplementing this effort so we can carry out licensing classes for those that are attracted to our library ham station. Once they are hooked by the bug, we want to make sure we follow through and help them become licensed hams. Yes, indeed, plant the seed and watch the effort grow! You inspire us to be better hams and Elmers.

P.S. I also was a GS-15 for DoD and the Navy for close to 40 years.

 

Excellent ideas and discussion.

Regarding the thought that libraries are obsolete, I visit my locals in FL periodically, and they seem very busy most of the time. However, they are certainly not the same as those I frequented as a youngster.

They have adjusted to the internet quite well, and not just by being a comfortable community provider for online access. Forget the bad old days of thumbing through drawers of file cards, being able to search their catalog from anywhere is a tremendous tool. Best of all, in the quite likely scenario that my little neighborhood library doesn't have the esoteric title that I want, it's very likely to be somewhere nearby, perhaps in a university library, with which mine has sharing privledges. All I do is make a request and they call or email when it arrives reserved for me.

Not only that but now they even offer the "Library of Things" to lend; musical instruments, fishing poles, hand & POWER TOOLS. I borrowed a nice telescope!

All for FREE !

Regarding an entry point for Amateur Radio, consider the following, Here at the Central Library of Manatee County FL they have established what is called the "Area 52 Lab". See video below.

To me, walking past it screams HAM RADIO albeit without any gear yet. I am curious if this is just a local library thing or catching on elsewhere too.

Here is a description,

BUILD. EXPLORE. CREATE.
Area 52 is a makerspace for teens, featuring specialized equipment, hands-on workshops, and open lab hours. The space offers the tools you’ll need to build your next creative project, explore new interests, and create something original. Visit us on the second floor of the Downtown Central Library to learn more about coding, robotics, 3D printing, music and video recording, sewing, t-shirt design, and more! AGES 12-18.

Check out that specialized equipment, maintained by knowledgeable volunteer supervisors and trainers. A partial list,

COMPUTER LAB AND CODING STATIONS

• 10 Surface Pro Laptops
• 2 iPads
• 2 Fusion Tablets
• Arduino Uno and Raspberry Pi coding stations

3D PRINTING, ELECTRONIC CUTTING AND ENGRAVING

• Ultimaker 2+, 3D Printer
• 4 Creality Ender 3 Pro, 3D Printers
• 2 3D Printing Pens
• Cricut Explore Air 2, Cutting Machine
• Cricut Maker, Cutting Machine
• 
  
• ROBOTICS AND CIRCUITRY

• VEX IQ and VEX EDR, Robotics Kits
• 2 Sphero, Programmable Robots
• Mini Sphero, Programmable Robots Classroom Set
• 2 Sphero Ollies, Programmable Robots
• Ozobot Kit, Programmable Robot
• Makey Makey, Circuitry Kit
• Cubelets, Robot Construction System
• Elegoo, Sensor Kit

​

 

You really don't have any sense or humor do you? Is there any chance that could have meant something else that you didn't get?

Ed

 

Left out one word, shoudl have been nothing BUT positive. Thanks for catching that.

 

Is there a way to edit my post in here???

 

That's a good thing. But all I can compare it to is my two local libraries which are empty of readers.