Bloggable Librarian

2011-05-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

Public Libraries and Library Boards:

Where are the Librarians on Public Library Boards?

I have been employed at a fairly large public library for more than ten years. For the past three of those years I have worked as a librarian in the Adult Services and Reference Department. While I plan to pursue hard research in this area, actual experience has shown me that this library’s board as well as a number of public library boards in the surrounding area and beyond, remain comprised of prominent members of the community, none of whom are librarians. Yet, the Library Director must address the Board in nearly all aspects of governing the library. I am honestly perplexed and taken aback at the thought that individuals who are non-librarians play such a large part in determining the direction a public library will take in meeting the needs for items and services of that community’s demographic. Who better than librarians who are charged with knowing the realities of a community’s demographics, and in turn that community’s needs and desires from their public libraries, than librarians themselves? In matters ranging from drafting a feasible budget which will serve as the understructure in requesting referenda, through the selection of items which will comprise the collection, though a continuously open line of communication between patrons and librarians, to the most appropriate design of the library building itself, again, who better to serve in this capacity than librarians who will address these matters from a professional’s realistic and workable perspective? For these are the matters which will form the substance that will shape the library into the type of entity that best serves the needs of the community at this point in history and beyond.

With all due respect to those library boards which are comprised of individuals who strive to best meet the library needs of their respective communities, could it be that the matter of having at least one-third of a six panel library board for example, consisting of librarians, is an idea that needs to be thoroughly investigated and ultimately implemented as a long overdue standard in public librarianship in the twenty-first century?

(rsav72 – May 23, 2011)

2011-05-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Who Will Mind the Memory?

Digital Memory and Hot Chocolate
for Us All

Do you remember? It is a question as vital as our name and address, social security number, favorite food; the one thing that never fails to comfort during a storm…Memory is a very abstract thing in of itself. In the mind we have pictures from childhood, occasions seemingly unimportant that bring back the sense of harmony and peace.

At this moment I have the memory of a rainy afternoon at a lakeside cabin playing a board game with my brother and sisters as my mother heated hot chocolates for us. A fire roared in the background. We had played all day, swam, went fishing, and explored the island on the lake when it began to rain. We came in cold. My father started a fire; my mother towel dried my hair and scolded me as she searched for marshmallows in the cupboard above the sink. It was a feeling of being attached to time and place.

In another memory I am finishing my last class in library school. It is a warm spring day. I walk out sensing the transition. I am a librarian. I am part of the world around me and have a purpose, a calling, a job, and can place myself in the world as part of it. Again that I am here, I was there, and that feeling of being comes into focus…

Last month I read an interesting article in Scientific American in their Tech Files. In the article David Pogue writes about the uncertainty of digital formats and the records it will leave behind. Most storage formats do not last even into double digits. Hard drives crash, flash drives get lost, cell phones are trashed for the newest and better. Storage space in the virtual world is even more uncertain. There are businesses that specialize in storing valuable data for nominal fees. They can go out of business. Poof! It’s all gone. You can email your important files to yourself. But your account can be erased in a micro second or when you cancel that account with your Internet provider you lose all of it.

In the old days of the analogue world we had printed hard copies of everything produced because that was the only way to display your holiday snaps or whatever it was you were documenting. It’s not that people set out to keep an accurate record. Things just had a better chance of showing up as an accidental record. From the yard sale and grandma’s basement come a trunk of old snaps. We may not even know the name of whom or what we are looking at. Yet it is some kind of record. People don’t print as many photos now as they did in the past. Photos go from cell phone or digital camera to computer, and that is if the person remembers to do so.

The issue at hand would seem to be not of just the odds of a digital file making it past its origins, but the question of its format. Well, what is to be done? Human habit is to take the easy route. No one is going to expect people to find ways to preserve our social history. It would be of interest to librarians, or rather should be to a certain extent. It must be something that supports the needs of our collection as it serves our patronage. The digital format is as abstract as any memory in our head. It needs remembering. It needs reinvestment and attention as only caretakers are able to give to such issues.

Right now Google is attempting to digitize it all, all of our recorded knowledge in print formats. The altruism of such an endeavor has its appeal to open source advocates like myself. The practicality of it is daunting, however. Is Google going to be around 500 years later like the plays of Shakespeare are to us now, and if not, who will be minding the billions of files so painstakingly recorded?

What exactly is our stake in this game?

Any thoughts?

Check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_preservation

http://easydigitalpreservation.wordpress.com/

http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/info/guidelines.html

http://www.archives.gov/ncast/

http://www.case.edu/its/archives/Records/digipres.htm

http://agogified.com/tools-and-services

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/partners/pioneers/detail_spencer.html

http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/tutorial/technical/technicalC-01.html

(Dhvibe-May 14, 2011)

2011-05-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

Guess who is back?!!

As it happened I let my blog go quiet for a long time. I can’t think of who was reading it. But I have reason to post today and hopefully more often.

I am posting to announce that I am opening my blog to some of my colleagues who will be posting on the blog too.

I think it will really make it a better blog, and I hope that WE can create a dialogue in the future.

Stay tuned….

Any thoughts?

Please comment below.

9/11

2008-07-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Loose Change: 9/11
Final Cut

Kids and Internet

2008-06-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Where the Action is: You Tube Taken Over by Users on All Fours.

It should be no surprise that the Internet is where the future of entertainment, news, and information is exchanged. Despite Rupert Murdock's miscalculation of it, we have known, those of us who are aware of what is happening, that the format is getting better and better for such exchanges. But the group to watch are the group which is not even old enough to vote or drive a car.

According to a new study from Nielsen Online, the largest number of tykes and preteens go to YouTube for video (or 4.1 million viewers aged 2 to 11), followed by the Disneychannel.com at a distant second, with 1.3 million viewers in that age bracket for the month of April. MySpace.com, NickJr, and Google Video also showed up on that list.

Their habits could signal TV's future. On average, the kids watched 51 video streams from home during April, spending almost two hours on video clips. That usage outstrips the average of nearly 75 million adults who regularly view video clips at sites like ESPN.com and CNN.com. On average in April, adults of voting age watched 44 video streams, for about 1 hour and 40 minutes of their time.

We see this happening in the libraries too. Many questions arise from this, but the big ones are meeting the needs of these information consumers, and also creating zones which are safe for users who are not always capable of distinguishing between what is safe and what is dangerous. I have spoken before about You Tube in the past. Its a great resource for educators and librarians. In the hands of people who want to put it to use for educational purposes and light entertainment it is great. As a source of independent learning it is also a wonderful free for all.

It has problems though. The regulation of offensive material is handled in an uneven manner, and often Children can come across material that is a result of poor search terms. The results can lead a child to content which sometimes contains graphic depictions of violence, obscene or profane language, and even adult sexual situations.

Librarians, particularly library management need to consider how a child may be exposed to this if left unsupervised. I think that of course a lot of this depends on what is happening at home, and for my discussion it is out of bounds. However, The fact that a whole generation has almost now matured into adulthood on line, it is one of the most important issues facing educators librarians and parents across America.

The following are some sites that concerned parents and the like may wish to visit for resources:

http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/foryoungpeople/youngpeopleparents/especiallyyoungpeople.cfm

http://www.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Child_Safety/

http://www.fosi.org/resources/parents/

http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=7978

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/family/default.mspx

http://www.nch.org.uk/information/index.php?i=209

http://onguardonline.gov/socialnetworking.html

These are a few of the many wonderful options for getting a head start on the topic. It is a community thing. Everyone is familiar with the notion of the village raising the child. It simply means that we all have a role in making public places safe for all age groups. Freedom comes with a great deal of responsibility. For example, if you are in the library and see a child unattended then inform the staff of this. If you are looking at web sites in a public place, library or otherwise, please consider the needs of others. If it has content that is not safe for a child then you probably shouldn't be viewing it in a public space. Common sense, the kind mom taught you will tell you when you are exceeding your rights. The whole point is that public space belongs to the PUBLIC.

I welcome any comments on this post. I am an uncle with several really cool nephews and nieces. So I do spend a lot of time thinking about the world I am leaving behind for them.

Any thoughts?

The story mentioned in this article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9963543-7.html?tag=nefd.top

See What Happens When You Don't Read Books

2008-05-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

Don't Try this at Your Library

Shush!

2008-05-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Grumpy Patrons: a Ongoing Lesson

Modern libraries
11:01 - 08 May 2008

SIR, - I am writing in response to the letter from Norman Hart (Herts Advertiser, April 24) concerning noise in the Maltings Library, St Albans. In responding to the changing needs and culture of the community we serve, we are aware that sometimes the library is noisy and this may not suit everyone. Ultimately however, the library is there to serve the community as a whole, which includes an increasingly diverse range of interests and needs, so part of our job is to try to strike a healthy balance between them.

On Tuesday mornings we have two lively and increasingly-popular Baby Rhyme Time sessions, followed by Storytime on Tuesday afternoons. These are provided to encourage children to establish the reading habit from an early age - and admittedly their enthusiasm can make these sessions rather noisy. Apart from these times, during the rest of our 65 hours of opening each week the children's area is for reading and toys are not provided. We are aware that some of our users prefer not to visit during these activities so our suggestion that Mr Hart avoid these times was meant to be helpful rather than "impertinent".

The issue of noise in the modern public library goes along with its changing environment, which is directly influenced by the needs of it's patrons. Libraries must compete with bookstores and cyber cafes for patrons.

The common complaint that I often hear is music (Ipods and Mp3 players) and cellphones. Next is inappropriate use of computers for watching videos or looking at pictures that are offensive to others. Another big problem is how to best deal with the homeless. The open policy is that anyone may come in and use the library so long as they do not disturb other patrons. And last, and most disturbing, patron sex in bathrooms.

Some of these are easy to solve. Most people will be embarrassed and put that phone down or turn their players off. Most people are reasonable.

The second set are those problems which cause direct and harmful environments. Patrons who look at adult videos or who have sex in public places are a threat to other patrons. This is especially dangerous for parents and their children. Direct steps must be taken and kept in check to prevent any incidents in which another child or adult patron may be harmed.

No librarian questions these. Most librarians must, however, be careful in how they deal with such issues. Libraries may easily become libel for injuries or harassment of patrons accused of such violations of the library policies. What some patrons forget is that patrons guilty of offenses have civil and legal rights too. That means the library could get taken to court.

Large libraries can often afford to have full time security who are specially trained in this. I don't know what library students are being taught these days in school, but when I was a student it was discussed, but we never learned what steps to take in handling circumstances.

When I read this article I shrugged. Some people have no idea of the complexities of these issues, and it is unfair of patrons to expect the typically under maned reference desk. The idea of complaining about a children's story time makes me laugh though. Come on, do everyone a favor and save it for a really big bitch.

Any thoughts?

http://www.hertsad.co.uk/content/herts/postbag/story.aspx?brand=HADOnline&category=Postbag&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=PostbagHAD&itemid=WEED08%20May%202008%2011%3A01%3A50%3A253

Cary Your Books for You

2008-05-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Digital Options

InfoTech: OCLC Offering Long-Term Digital Archive Storage
Josh Hadro -- Library Journal, 4/30/2008 9:42:00 AM

Provides offsite managed storage of digital archive “master files” and the services necessary to keep libraries’ data safe in original state.

Program is fully managed and remotely hosted backup for original digital content.
Files can be uploaded directly into the storage servers via Connexion.

Digital archives may solve the problem of scarcity and delicacy inherent with many physical archives, but that doesn’t mean that lasting preservation isn’t a major concern. OCLC last week announced a new version of its Digital Archive service for the “long-term storage of libraries’ digital collections,” providing offsite managed storage of digital archive “master files” and the relevant services necessary to keep libraries’ data safe in its original state.

Unlike other backup and storage options, such as the open source and membership-funded LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe), OCLC’s program is a fully managed and remotely hosted backup for original digital content. The OCLC Digital Archive includes monthly reports that verify file integrity. Hoping to fit into the existing workflow of many digital archives, the service enables files to be uploaded directly into the storage servers via Connexion, the popular OCLC cataloging interface integrated with WorldCat, as well as through CONTENTdm’s digital collections management software for libraries.

The story didn't state the costs of such back up storage.

Any thoughts?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6556213.html

A Fistful of Pisses Me Off!

2008-05-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

More Media Please?

LEELA

Didn't you have ads in the 20th century?

FRY

Well, sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio. And
in magazines and movies and at ball games and on buses and
milk cartons and t-shirts and written in the sky. But not in
dreams. No siree!

--Futurama: A Fishful of Dreams

I found this editorial on the tech side and thought it might be worth noting. It has the realistic ring of today's market with Google perched on the hills of Mount Parnassus and blowing all other search engine hopefuls out of the playing field. But ever the cynic, I wonder if it is good news for the people.

Is it an American super size me philosophy that drives the market? Is more always better? I wonder about that. As recent studies have demonstrated, not only are Google patrons getting less quality information, they are not learning how to search and distinguish the good from the bad and the ugly.

I Google myself, but come from a time when papers were written with outlines and index cards, and it was "Shh!" in the library. I know that time has come and passed out of memory, but I think it is librarians that will save their bacon.

In the editorial the notion is to focus on making Yahoo what it once was:

So how does Yahoo move forward? It needs to rebrand itself an Internet media company, quit chasing Google on Web search, and get damn good at selling brand advertising to Madison Avenue once again. And it has to get it done before Google figures out how to turn the creative ad process over to robots. Does technology play a role in that future? Of course. But the emphasis should be on technology that makes ad sales possible, not ad sales that make the technology possible.

The idea of more corporate sponsorship of the Internet and its searching options sends a chill up my spine. That means the options go where the money is. That is not a democratic conception. It is capitalist mojo of a generation who seem to not understand the marketing of almost every aspect of their lives. But the emphasis should be on technology that makes ad sales possible, not ad sales that make the technology possible. This is a very vague and odd statement. It may suggest an agreement where add revenues profit the interest of a company, but I doubt it comes away so favorably for the average person on line. Case in point, the popularity of You Tube for a long time was that it was a space that was unfettered by commercial bull shit. Now almost two years after Googles purchase of it there are ads everywhere. It has taken away that little corner of ours and turned it over to the snake oil salesmen and hawkers of Madison Avenue. We don't need more ads. We need less!

This isn't going to help anyone other than stock holders of Yahoo. It only makes Googles cold icy grip on Virtual searchers tighter. I was relieved that Microsoft resisted the royal commands of Mr. Gates and have held out for their own. I don't think its too late to ever change things. Much good can come from mistakes if one chooses to pause and learn from them. As a librarian I would be depressed to think my collection is restricted to one or two books. The options for powerful and competitive search engines should be no different. I want there to be a crowded market. I want patrons to have options, so they can choose, and choose wisely.

Any thoughts?

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9936734-7.html?tag=nefd.lede

Tah-Da!

2008-05-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

New ALA President

Camila Alire Elected 2009–10 ALA President
Lynn Blumenstein & Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 5/2/2008

Winner has background in academic libraries Stripling, Stoffle, Kunzel lead race for Council
Larger turnout, thanks to electronic voting.

In an election marked by a growing number of participants, Camila Alire (l.), dean emeritus of the libraries of both the University of New Mexico and Colorado State University, won election as 2009–10 American Library Association (ALA) president with 8,956 votes, or 55.8% of the total. J. Linda Williams, coordinator of library media services for Anne Arundel County public schools in Annapolis, MD, got.7102 votes. Alire will become president-elect at the American Library Association annual conference next month, and will take the top spot the following year. In an interview in LJ in April, Alire stressed advocacy training for librarians "back home," among other things she supports.

Well lets see how this goes. Advocacy training aside (a good idea) what are some of her other top priorities? How about job shortage? How about facing the new president and promoting more tax allocation for funding public libraries. How about reversing some of the damage that Bush inflicted on American libraries?

I know I am leaving a lot out.

Any thoughts?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6557081.html?desc=topstory

DOA

2008-05-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

Yahoo and Microsoft End Negotiations

Microsoft officially pulled its offer for Yahoo on Saturday, confirming an earlier report by CNET News.com.

In a letter to Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer confirmed that Microsoft was willing to offer $33 a share, but that Yahoo was holding out for at least $37 a share, or $5 billion more than Microsoft was prepared to spend. In the letter, Ballmer also says he is ruling out a direct offer to shareholders.

"This approach would necessarily involve a protracted proxy contest and eventually an exchange offer," Ballmer said. "Our discussions with you have led us to conclude that, in the interim, you would take steps that would make Yahoo undesirable as an acquisition for Microsoft."

Not a big surprise. This was dead on arrival.

Any thoughts?

http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9935100-56.html?tag=nefd.lede

SSH!!!

2008-05-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Japanese are Ahead of the Curb in Library Fun

Razor's Edge

2008-05-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Your Mama Said there Would be Days Like This...

Like here in the States, the UK has its share of terrorist threats. Like the librarians in America UK librarians share many of the same codes of ethics. In particular to safe guard the privacy of its patrons. Or in the words of John Pateman, head of libraries in Lincolnshire, UK when asked what he thought of turning over records over to local government and police, he said: “It concerns me. Public libraries are one of the last public spaces where people don’t have to justify themselves” .

I can't think of a better way of phrasing it. Because despite the transformation of the library to a quasi virtual/physical space of information exchange, we tend to think of us providing a harbor in the storms raging in the world around us.

Librarians in the UK are asked not to stuff the shelves with materials that could be useful to a terrorist planning a bombing or other acts of violence. But that sort of policy runs contrary to the open source principles that librarians are trained in. Librarians create opportunities for their patrons to come into a safe and clean environment to explore and learn (certainly not to harbor terrorists or incite or encourage acts of violence) without fear of censorship or invasion of privacy. Most librarians, for example may know that some of their patrons may not be honest people, but its not in their job discription to discriminate. Naturally we want people to be safe, but we want people to be free too, if we can help it.

The Patriot Act here in America has been a challenge to many professional administrators and their staffs. Its intentions are to safe guard the American public against foreign aggression and acts of terrorists, but many have pointed out the extremes violate human rights of privacy. Mr. Bush is not very popular now. We are now on the early stages of a new election and I follow it with great interest. Most certainly the legacy of Bush's war and politics, and economics will be with us for some time. For example in a recent New York times article on the national debt here in the States, written by Larry Rohter and Michael Cooper, the Tax Policy Center in Washington D.C. found that all three candidates will increase the current national debt. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/us/politics/27fiscal.html

Librarians seem to be forced to walk a razors edge of politics, ethics, and patron rights. The questions are broad and dangerous. A smart librarian keeps their politics out of their work place, however, because they should have nothing to do with how we serve the public. There are librarians who support the efforts of the current administration, and then there are those (like myself) who are disgusted and horrified by Bush's policies.

It would be unrealistic, however, that a November election will radically change the scene. I wish it were other than that. So the best one can do is stand for your beliefs, and live for a better tomorrow.

Any thoughts?

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/57851-anti-terror-threat-to-librarian-role.html

Software Blues

2008-05-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

New Tools and Tool Users

The marketing of Vista operating system has had its ups and downs. Hard core XP users often rail about the bugs that have not been, or are now being worked out. The success of it has been marred with all sorts of promises and warnings from tech geeks. Be warned...and then the Geek squad at the Best Buy sell you with admonishments of being behind in security, service, and updates. We are now rolling past the last few package updates for XP and the service is for this is being dwindled away. I have a friend who claims it is motivating sales of desk tops and that is why you are being forced to update.

I know when I first looked at Windows Vista I was lost. I am comfortable with the configurations of my Windows XP Professional. It was difficult, no, it was time consuming to learn the new layout of the Vista. But that was laziness on my part.

The problem of perception is that naysayers will delight and pulling apart the program and its compatibility issues. Yet these are often the same people who know better. They know that a beta release has compatibility issues and bugs. It is part of the territory of updating ones software. But its a hardship that everyone who wishes to be current must suffer through.

But there is one area where the company has struggled to gain ground: how Vista is perceived. "There's certainly a perceptual gap there," Mike Nash, a Microsoft corporate vice president, said in an interview Thursday. He pointed to Microsoft research that shows that 86 percent of those actually using Vista would recommend it to a friend.

The numbers are going up according to Microsoft officials and that doesn't surprise me. Its human nature to bark a little and then settle down and lump it.

I wonder how taxing it is to staff in libraries whenever they must undergo a change in software. Recently here in Chicago the public library launched a new web site. It has some problems but overall I like it. I talked to a librarian who complained of searching for journal articles on it. I did not find problems with it. But how often do librarians undergo that destabilizing transformation of their tools, and what are the strains do it cause on a staff? I would like to read some studies on this.

The inevitability of change is constant. So all a person can do is perhaps develop a better philosophy and grin and bear it. After all, its what we are given to work with and we are professionals.

Any thoughts?

http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9933555-56.html?tag=nefd.lede

Every Book in The World?

2008-04-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

Scanning and Scanning and Scanning and...

Scanning world's every book means turning many, many pages
By NATASHA ROBINSON – 4 days ago

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — In a dimly lit back room on the second level of the University of Michigan library's book-shelving department, Courtney Mitchel helped a giant desktop machine digest a rare, centuries-old Bible.

Mitchel is among hundreds of librarians from Minnesota to England making digital versions of the most fragile of the books to be included in Google Inc.'s Book Search, a portal that will eventually lead users to all the estimated 50 million to 100 million books in the world.
The manually scanning — at up to 600 pages a day — is much slower than Google's regular process.

"It's monotonous," the 24-year-old said. Then she knit her career hopes into the work.

"But it's still something that I'm learning about — how to interact with really old materials and working with digital imaging, which is relevant to art history."

Its going to take a very long time to copy these works too. The accessibility is still a problem. Unfortunately searching one after downloading it is cumbersome. But then again it is there and can be looked at.

In Chicago we have the Newberry Library, which is famous for its open door policy. It is easy to make an appointment to come in and look at the rare manuscripts. The efforts of Google should be applauded on the one hand and skeptically watched on the other. Data is something this behemoth cannot get enough of, but the quality, storage, indexing and retrieval of that information still has a bit of a ways to go. Using Google Scholar is still not as effective as a card catalogue. I do have faith that the right people will get it right one day. Its an important issue because students today always Google it first, and in many cases that is all they do. Educators and librarians, administrators and public officials should all focus on this. I don't think attention spans are getting longer.

Any thoughts?

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jMr8wAZqhesLHmGt1TW9jtUT04EgD908M3780

Cheap cheap cheap...cheap cheap cheap

2008-04-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

Patrons Are Cheap

At LAPL, Proposed $1 Fee for Holds Appears Dead
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 4/23/2008
Fee was discontinued in 1994
More than 900 emails in protest
Library director “overwhelmed” by citizen concern

The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) proposed reinstating a $1 charge to reserve or place a hold on books, but citizen resistance has apparently killed the plan. While the Library Commission on March 20 approved a new Fines and Fees Schedule, to go into effect July 1, it is expected to approve a revised schedule this Friday, without the fee. Activists and preservationists Kim Cooper and Richard Schave, who regularly use LAPL resources for historic research, created the saveLAPL web site and generated nearly 900 email messages asking the library not to impose the holds fee. (The web site also encouraged readers to contribute to LAPL, given the library’s effort to help with the city’s $400 million shortfall.)

The campaign worked. “I am overwhelmed by the passion and concerns for the value of library services in our city expressed by hundreds of people in the e-mails," wrote City Librarian Fontayne Holmes. "Had we anticipated this kind of a response, we would not have made the recommendation for the fee in the first place. We really thought that we were reinstituting a library holds fee that we previously had for decades in the library system, a fee that was fifty cents when it was discontinued in 1994." (Of the 31 library systems LAPL surveyed in southern California, 12 currently charge 50 cents to $1 for a hold.)

“As a result, I am submitting a report to the Board of Library Commissioners, asking them to revise the Library Fines and Fees Schedule to rescind the $1.00 ‘holds’ and to increase the overdue book fine from 25 cents to 30 cents," Holmes wrote. "The increase in the overdue fines should produce revenue equal or better than the revenue from the 'holds' fee. Cooper and Schave commented, “You have been heard! Keep watching this site for more news of threats to the Library as the City budget is worked out, and ways you can speak up about how important a well funded Library is to the people of Los Angeles.”

I am posting this as an example of how cheap people can be. Perhaps the proposed dollar fee should have been halved, but still library patrons are cheap. I am sick of the starbucks cups left in the stacks. If you have money for two or three mocha half cafes then you can pop for a dollar on the odd chance you go for a book rather than your usual netflix or American Idol.

I often think Americans assume that libraries simply spring up out of the concrete already staffed and payed for. Granted, we cannot expect a totally free ride, but librarians bust their butts for nothing most of the time.

Wake up America, you are rapidly slipping into a pit of ignorance and corporate branding of your brains. Sacrifice that high calorie muffin and step over to the library one afternoon with your kids. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Good luck America. You're going to need it.

Any thoughts?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6554386.html

Wow, I Built a Way Back Machine and Look What Happened!

2008-04-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I Refuse to do Any Kind of Retro Sweating

Update on Microsoft Bid on Yahoo

2008-04-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Microsoft maintains tough line on Yahoo

Posted by Ina Fried

With Steve Ballmer having issued sharp words on Yahoo across Europe this week, it was not a surprise to see Microsoft take a hard line on its Yahoo bid Thursday.

In its just-completed conference call with analysts, Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said the company has seen no good reason to up its bid.

Liddell said Yahoo continues to lose search share and see profitability decline.

"We've yet to see tangible evidence that our bid substantially undervalues the company," Chris Liddell said. "In fact, we have seen the opposite."

Of course, Yahoo also talked tough on Tuesday in its call, suggesting that it won't consider a deal unless it fairly values the company, which it has said Microsoft's does not.

Liddell complained at the glacial pace at which Yahoo was responding to Microsoft's offer.

"We have been clear that speed is of the essence," he said. "Unfortunately, the transaction has been anything but speedy.

For those who have forgotten the details amid the seemingly endless war of words, Microsoft made its offer on February 1, saying that it would pay a combination of cash and stock valuing Yahoo at $31 a share. Yahoo rejected the offer, saying it undervalued the company. Since then, Yahoo has been looking at all kinds of other options including a tie-up with AOL and a search advertising test with Google.

Liddell reiterated the company's deadline for Yahoo to get serious about negotiations.
On Thursday, Liddell again told Yahoo to hurry up.

"Unless we make progress with Yahoo by this weekend, we will reconsider our options." He adds that those options include taking an offer directly to Yahoo shareholders or walking away from Yahoo shareholders. If Microsoft walks away, Liddell suggested Microsoft might spend the money on other acquisitions or in trying to boost its own online business.

While Microsoft was talking up the strength of its bid, it's offer actually got weaker on Thursday given that it is a half cash, half stock offer. Microsoft's shares dropped in after-hours trading Thursday in the wake of Microsoft's less-than-blowout earnings. As of around 3:30 p.m. PT, the stock was at $30.27, down $1.53, or 4.8 percent.

http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9928321-56.html?tag=nefd.lede

Sharpening those Google Skills

2008-04-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

What are We Teaching the Children?

In what is proving a wake-up call for libaries, Dr Ian Rowlands and his colleagues at the Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research (Ciber), based at University College London's centre for publishing, examined research literature on the information-seeking behaviour of the virtual scholar - and combined this with an analysis of the use made of British Library and Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) websites.

The report, Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future, found users "power-browsing" or skimming material, using "horizontal" (shallow) research. Most spent only a few minutes looking at academic journal articles and few returned to them. "It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense," said the report authors.

But this behaviour was not restricted to "screenagers". "From undergraduates to professors, people exhibit a strong tendency towards shallow, horizontal, flicking behaviour in digital libraries. Factors specific to the individual, personality and background are much more significant than generation."

Further on:

Rowlands suggests in his study that schools are failing to equip students for independent online study. Academics and librarians are debating nationally and internationally whether students should be taught information literacy as a separate , accredited, skill - as occurs in some American institutions. Or whether it would be better to teach them to navigate virtual libraries within their main subject based studies - an approach favoured by many information specialists.

This all makes perfect sense. The very nature of using search engines like Google ingrain a kind skimming approach. Most students are not given even simple tools like a knowledge of Boolean searches or simple common sense rule that beginning small works best when starting out. They are not machines of precision. They stake a claim on sheer volume of information stored in their databases, the indexes are there but they do not work in a sense of a index in a book.

As I remarked previously in another post, I am working on a book. I did most of my research in the old old old school of using books. My sources were rare and often out of print works that in most cases if even available on line would be so for a price.

Students of all ages need to learn to make independent assessments of the quality of material by looking at the authors' experience, funders, use of sources, and where published.

Duh! Haven't librarians been pointing this out to educators since computers first appear in schools, libraries, and homes?

The boon of a great information exchange comes at the price of responsibility. The scenario is not that much different than that of a timid student walking into a large library and being overwhelmed by the card catalog and stacks of books around them.

I have said before that librarians should be teaching courses in grammar school on searching on-line. Like math and science, these are essential skills for any student to have.

I hope that politicians and civic leaders will get behind schools in helping them to fund this kind of education. Remember, you have to pay for this too.

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the full story.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/librariesunleashed/story/0,,2274796,00.html

Be Sure to Mention My Name

2008-04-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Cross Refeferencing Service Launching the Summer

Weekly News Digest

April 21, 2008 — In addition to this week's NewsBreak(s), the editors have compiled the Weekly News Digest, featuring stories from the week just past that you should know about. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. CLICK HERE to view all of this week's Weekly News Digest items.

CrossRef to Launch Plagiarism Detection Service CrossRef (www.crossref.org) announced an agreement with iParadigms, LLC (www.iparadigms.com) to launch the CrossCheck service to aid in verifying the originality of scholarly content. Following the success of CrossRef’s recent pilot of CrossCheck, the plagiarism detection service is scheduled to go live in June.

CrossRef is partnering with iParadigms to offer its members—scholarly and professional publishers—the opportunity to verify the originality of works submitted for publication using the iThenticate service to check against a vast database of proprietary as well as open web content. Until now, there was no automated way to check submissions against previous publications because the published literature had not been indexed and "text fingerprinted" for this purpose. The CrossCheck database will include the full-text journals of leading academic publishers, and it is expected to grow very rapidly over the coming months as CrossRef member publishers sign up for the service.

CrossCheck will be available to all CrossRef members who opt to contribute their content to the database. To use the service, publishers will need to integrate the checking tool into their editorial processes and develop suitable policies and guidelines. CrossRef is working with iParadigms, member publishers, and editorial system software producers on appropriate technical information and guidelines for CrossCheck.

iParadigms’ products include Turnitin, a web-based service used by students and faculty for the digital assessment of academic work, and iThenticate, an internet service that enables companies to determine originality and check documents for misappropriation.

Source: CrossRef

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/wndReader.asp?ArticleId=48820

Britanica Online Fight Back

2008-04-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Kung FU Fighting with Wikipedia

The publisher's Britannica WebShare initiative, launched April 13 with Twitter streaming of a daily topic, announced on Friday a service called Britannica Widgets, with which bloggers can "post an entire cluster of related Encyclopaedia Britannica articles" for free.

Britannica also is offering "people who publish with some regularity on the Internet, be they bloggers, Webmasters, or writers," free access to Britannica's online content, with registration.

To use the widgets, anyone can now "copy and paste the several lines of code associated with each widget as HTML into the appropriate place on your site," Tom of Britannica WebShare wrote in a post. "Any readers who click on a link will get the entire Britannica article on the subject, even if access to the article normally requires a subscription. Really. Try it."

I somehow feel this is going to be an uphill battle. The article implies for example that since I keep a regular blog that I could get free online access. Well, I might be induced to look into it if I could be guaranteed no spam mail or that I will have unlimited access. To me that is the rub of it. I am spoiled by the Internet. I enjoy the instant gratification of for nothing school of researching.
The frustration of working remotely from home and being denied access because there are problems with the server, you have no proxy, your subscription has expired, and a host of other little annoyances are part of the virtual world.

For example, I am currently working on a book. Most of my researching is being done in libraries and at home with my personal reference collection-that is BOOKS! I know, you have heard campfire tales of your grandparents owning and using these heavy box shaped paper weights. Yet sometimes it isn't available for free on the web. I often find that I need works of a peer reviewed quality, and the Internet is a haven for all sorts of rubbish. It is also full of potential good, too. The problem is that good information is often swimming in an ocean of worthless information. Most good researching on line must happen through libraries and university servers. Scholars publish on line sometimes, and there is a new generation of teachers and university professors using social software and wiki's to publish. The emergence of open source software has led to some hope of free access to the best literature in sciences, social sciences, and arts. The problem is that greed often precedes these endeavors. In most cases it is not a universal access where for example, the X university is posting actual complete video taped or pod casted lectures of professor Y with notes. You couldn't really sit at home and watch an entire semester of lectures on You Tube for example.

The concept of open access on the Internet as theorized by the early architects of the Internet is different than what we see in most cases. The exceptions are sites like Wikipedia. Even the long awaited and talked about Google initiative to scan ever book in existence and post on line is not what it seems. Often I will find that I get only portions of the book and links to .com selling sites like Amazon or Borders Books.

Then I think that I some how got it wrong. That I never understood the point of free access on line and that my deluded notion of some Utopian free for all was me building sandcastles.

So yes, I will walk into the Britannica Online with my tail between my legs and humbly sign up and hope for the best. I am seeking knowledge after all, not ask Yahoo or Billy Bub.com online.

Any thoughts?

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9923867-7.html?tag=nefd.top

In the Near Future

2008-03-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

Found this on You Tube. I Laughed a Lot. Its Supposed to be a Cool Way to Learn Dewey Decimal System.

What I am: a Statement

2008-03-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well...

I am a librarian. I am a professional dedicated to bringing more information and exchange of information and ideas. I am a gate keeper. I am more than a gate keeper, I am of a culture and its history. I help to help other professionals work to a common goal, the idea of library as a philosophy and not simple a building or place where the books are.

I am an extension of those ideas. I am those ideas. I am also an individual with talents, who has given his professional ambitions to a common interest and not to personal goals alone. I write, I read, I play the guitar, I draw, and I live for learning about the world and share my love of learning with others.

I look on the profession of librarianship as a living experience which evolves to the purposes of its culture and champions that cultures finest values. I consider the role of the librarian central to all cultures who wish to prosper from reflection and exchange of thought. The thought of a world without us is impossible to me.

I believe in technology and its place in my profession and as a tool to create new opportunities to create physical and virtual environments for all users to enjoy and learn and discover in. I believe in the ability of this technology to keep me alive and dynamic as a learner and user of technology. I believe in its endless possibilities and not in limits.

I look on the world and celebrate its diversity and invite other professionals from other heritages and backgrounds, other races, religions, and cultures to come and share with me their thoughts on librarianship, and what it means to be a librarian to their people. I wish to learn from them.

I want to share with others my beliefs and inspirations. I want to share my ideas and be part of ideas like my own.

I want to learn and learn everyday, I want to be evolving like the needs of my patrons and to invite them to the dialogue of what they believe library and librarian is.

Any thoughts?

Stop that Man! He's too Advanced!

2008-03-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

Who is In Charge Here?

The suspiciously thin, port-free laptop sends airport security into a tizzy, until cooler heads prevail.

Maybe it's time for some tech briefings at the TSA, no?On his blog, programmer Michael Nygard (by way of the Unofficial Apple Weblog) writes that during a recent trip through the airport, his solid-state MacBook Air stopped TSA agents—puzzled by its lack of rear-facing ports or a standard hard drive—in their tracks.

Nygard said the agents put him and his suspicious "device" in a holding cubicle as security staffers huddled nearby, looking at X-ray printouts of the sinister-looking Air and scratching their heads.

A younger TSA agent—who, apparently, was aware of Apple's newest laptop—tried explaining to the group that the Air uses solid-state memory in place of a traditional hard drive.

The senior staffer, however, was still reluctant to let it go: "New products on the market? They haven't been TSA approved. Probably shouldn't be permitted," Nygard writes.Finally, after booting up the Air and running a program, the agents let Nygard go, he said—but only after he'd missed his flight.

I've been hearing stories like these all too often, which leads to the question: how exactly are TSA agents being trained, anyway? How about, I dunno, some regular briefings on the latest gadgets that might be making their way through security checkpoints? And while TSA agents are wasting time fussing with laptops, undercover investigators with bomb parts in their bags have been sailing though security checkpoints. Anyone else out there get stopped by airport security because of a "suspicious" gadget in their luggage? Feel free to vent right here.

This story amazed me too. The spots on TV for these ultra thin notebooks have been splattered all over TV for months now. I suppose these particular security agents were acting with the best intention, I think this may have been a case of profiling, however.

A couple months back I sent a friend who works in a nearby library a list of the expected technical skills that a librarian should have. She was stunned by a long list of knowledge in operations, networking, hardware and trouble shooting, software, programming and markup languages, social software, the universe of gaming, and oh, yes, how to download on every piece of the latest cellphone or IPhone that every kid walks in with.

No trouble? Then your ahead of me. I cannot afford most of the toys out there today. And because we live in this seemingly beta mode of life, what was hot two months ago is as old as microfische. Or so it seems that way. As fast as it seems to be moving it also has a saturation point. At a certain point fascination with the new toy is given over to buyers remorse. Consider Windows Vista, and the IPhone. Both were pushed on a busy market and people lined up to get their's. Then all the nasty bugs, the unpleasant surprise when, for example, travelers using their IPhone got a nasty shock on reaching home. A bill for hundreds of dollars for surfing the Net on their new toy. The point is that human folly has a price. Error in programing, hidden fees, and a general disregard for the old axiom "Caveat emptor" will lead to misunderstanding. If you want to lead the pack it may you cost you more than you think.

If I could, I would live blissfully in the printed age. With my copy of the Golden Bough or sermons by John Donne I have the sweet and familiar footing and no roaming charges or threat of hackers. Nor do I have to worry about phishers, cookies, viruses, or my mother board blowing (the last having happened to me). Its just there.

But I am linked to computers because I live in the 21st century. I have a social need for them and they have come to represent in my consciousness a vital part of my link to the world around me. I could unplug them and go and live on an Island, but according to recent ads on TV you can get Internet access even on Gilligan's Island.

So what's the point of this? Well, I suppose to turn the damn thing off once and awhile, and go for a walk. Go to a cafe, or a bookstore. Go and see a movie or call someone up and invite them over for a home cooked meal or go out to dinner. Remember that they are here to serve us.

We should not become slaves to our technology. That is the old lesson that even tech savvy Jones' can learn. In some small way we are part of something else. Someone else is leading us around when we spend hours hammering away at a keyboard or shrieking when are hard drives crash. Who is the master is the question. Or:

Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Which I Gave to His Royal Highness

I am his Highness' dog at Kew;
Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?

--Alexander Pope

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the story above:

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/14047

You Educated?

2008-03-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

You Tube Open Source Format a Boon for Free Exchange

The need for open source exchange software and formats is a great idea for teachers and librarians here is an example that is leading the way:

You Tube has opened up its application programming interfaces (APIs) to the world. This will let developers build what amounts to their own mini-YouTubes on their Web sites, blogs or Wikis.

"We now support upload, other write operations and internationalized standard feeds," wrote Stephanie Liu of the YouTube APIs and Tools Team on the YouTube blog.

Users will also get APIs for the video player and what's called a "chromeless player" -- a bare-bones player using Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE) Shockwave Flash that can be customized and controlled with the player APIs to provide the look and feel the user wants.

Users get two types of authentication to control who logs into YouTube accounts on their Web sites, blogs or Wikis. One is AuthSub, for Web applications, where the Web application can acquire a secure token, and the other is ClientLogin, for installed applications.

The authentication capabilities let Website owners retain their users: "Your users can upload to YouTube, comment on videos, manipulate playlists and more all without leaving your site or app," Liu said.

So universities and schools can set up entire web universities that keep its users on sight and they will not be steered away to ads or bothered by unrelated content. Entire course loads of professors and there lectures can be posted.

Users can tag and comment, create favorite play lists and do everything else they can on You Tube on any site now.

Pretty cool, huh?

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the story:

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/YouTube-Gives-Developers-Video-Takeout-Option-62093.html

Bigger and Bigger and Still Bigger

2008-03-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Ever Expanding Digital Exchange

The "digital universe" of data was bigger than expected in 2007 and continuing to explode in size, according to a new study from IDC.

The study, sponsored by EMC (NYSE: EMC) and titled "The Diverse and Exploding Digital Universe: An Updated Forecast of Worldwide Information Growth Through 2011," found that there were about 281 billion gigabytes (or 281 exabytes) in the digital universe in 2007, exceeding original estimates by about 10 percent.

With a compound annual growth rate of almost 60 percent, meanwhile, the digital universe is also growing faster than was previously thought, and is projected to increase tenfold over the next five years to reach nearly 1.8 zettabytes -- or 1,800 exabytes -- in 2011, the study's authors predicted.

"Society is already feeling the early effects of the world's digital information explosion," said Joe Tucci, chairman, president and CEO of EMC. "Organizations need to plan for the limitless opportunities to use information in new ways and for the challenges of information governance."

45 GB per Person
In 2007 the digital universe was equal to almost 45 gigabytes of digital information for every person on earth, IDC said, or the equivalent of more than 17 billion 8 GB iPhones.

Accelerated growth in worldwide shipments of digital cameras, digital surveillance cameras and digital televisions are among the factors behind the information explosion, IDC found.

Other fast-growing corners of the digital universe include those related to Internet access in emerging countries, sensor-based applications, data centers supporting "cloud computing" and social networks comprised of digital content created by many millions of online users, the study found.

The Digital Shadow

Of the wealth of data that exists about individuals, IDC found that the majority is now created by entities other than the individuals themselves, the study found.

"We discovered that only about half of your digital footprint is related to your individual actions -- taking pictures, sending e-mails, or making digital voice calls," explained John Gantz, chief research officer and senior vice president with IDC.

"The other half is what we call the 'digital shadow' -- information about you -- names in financial records, names on mailing lists, Web surfing histories or images taken of you by security cameras in airports or urban centers," Gantz added. "For the first time, your digital shadow is larger than the digital information you actively create about yourself."

New External Focus

With so much data in general and so much information about virtually every individual on the planet, security, privacy protection, reliability and legal compliance will all draw increased attention, IDC said.

For corporate IT departments, one of the biggest transitions will be from focusing purely on internally generated data to also managing data that comes from outside the company, Dave Reinsel, group vice president for storage and semiconductor research with IDC and a coauthor on the study, told TechNewsWorld.

"All of a sudden, companies providing structures for Web 2.0 or other service-oriented architectures are becoming custodians for someone else's data," Reinsel explained.

More Unstructured Data

Expiration concerns will be among those that emerge as a result, he said.

For example, "if a customer wants data deleted, it will have to be removed off the primary database but also through the entire infrastructure," he said.

An increasing proportion of unstructured data, meanwhile, will make it difficult to maintain relevancy, Reinsel added. "With structured data, it's nicely organized, but when it's unstructured, many times we don't even know where it is," he explained.

IDC also found that the number of individual information packets is growing even faster than the simple amount of information, Reinsel noted. "Managing that influx is going to be very difficult," he warned. "Companies will need protection schemes and good information management to understand what that data is."

Privacy Concerns
Privacy advocates, not surprisingly, worry about the effect of all this data on individual privacy.

"My big concern is that pretty soon these organizations that have collected so much information about us will know more about us than we do about ourselves," Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), told TechNewsWorld. "We need to start thinking about this, particularly as ID theft becomes more widespread."

Possible approaches to protecting privacy could include limiting the amount of data retained, making companies more transparent in the information they collect, and also making it more difficult for companies to collect it in the first place, Rotenberg said.

"We don't think the 'notice and choice' approach is correct," he added. "Information needs to be made less personally identifiable

After digesting this I felt like hiding under my favorite blanket in bed. You could get nervous just thinking too hard about it all.

With the ever increasing amount of surveillance that goes on in America today, and the increase of ways people who are dishonest may steel your private or sensitive information, it becomes a question of how can we regain some of the comforts of the printed world where there seem to be more privacy.

I think it goes beyond any one social trend or history of one particular kind or another. It seems to be an outcome of our need to find ourselves in the whirlwind of technology as it is. Social software is a grand marker of what we thought we should fear most, meaning that it makes things too easy and dangerous for our youths, and yet kids today are not given enough credit for understanding the technology or how it affects their own lives.

When it comes to the question of "Digital Shadows" and the like then it only seems to be a matter of common sense. You think of operating a computer as being one sided, yet there is an endless trail of information that is out there. Does that mean it is being used always? Certainly not! I think that as a matter of record it falls to the hands of individuals to think about there actions.

1. Use good sense. Avoid shopping on line if you can. Or, only use proven and known vendors and pay centers like Paypal for example.

2. If you do not want people to know things about you, don't do them online. Propriety is a matter of self control. If there is some personal information about you and your lifestyle, and you wish it to remain a secret then do it off line!

3. A good friend of mine is a banker advises me to do my banking in person at a branch and never online. She has related horror stories concerning identity theft. The funny thing is, she explains, sometimes it is not a complete stranger. Sometimes it is not someone phishing on line, but a neighbor digging through your trash! Lesson here: shred all financial document before tossing them out.

4. Don't assume that you have privacy anywhere in a public setting. Assume you are being watched. There are security cameras and people with phone cameras.

5. Information has changed itself. Everything seems to be up for grabs. Granted, this does not make it right or fair. The point, finally, is to use good sense.

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Study-Dark-Data-Shadow-Follows-Everyone-62096.html

Awh....

2008-03-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Before There was Footloose, there was Marian

100 Posts! Wow Everyone Will be Thrilled!

2008-03-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

100!

It helps not to have any social life. Never go out or go to work. Stop returning phone calls. Cancel subscriptions. Toss your TV out. Stumble on a blog page. Hmmm....you begin to wonder.

How has the world existed without the witty observations and profound insights that I alone can offer?

The answer is clear-IT CANNOT.

So without considering the time spent or the cutting and pasting, the long hours thinking of catch phrases and goofy titles, you dive in.

And then it happens. The great trickle. A nerve wracking, eye popping flood of comments. Prepare yourself: I get one or two comments. I know, don't these folks have a life? After all who is running the libraries?

At first it was hard, but I reminded myself that it was about ME ME ME ME ME ME! and then I felt better.

Plus I love being a librarian. I love it. Also, I want to be the center of the universe because I am afraid to die and think world domination is fun career choice. I will do it one library at a time! Ha ha ha!

OK, that is out of my system.

Sorry.

I can't figure out why more people don't adore me.

Guess I will just have to go back to posting news.

Later...

The Bloggable Librarian

Hacking You

2008-03-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Worthy of Hollywood, or at Least Cable Access Hijinks

For a couple of hours on Sunday last You Tube IP Address was hijacked. Below is a link for the stories. There is an excellent link in the article of this story marked "Time Line"(http://www.renesys.com/blog/2008/02/pakistan_hijacks_youtube_1.shtml).

The basics of this hack is that by order of the Pakistan Government false ads were put up by Pakistan Telecom. Pakistan Telecom responded by broadcasting the false claim that it was the correct route for 256 addresses in You Tube's 208.65.153.0 network space. Because that was a more specific destination than the true broadcast from You Tube saying it was home to 1,024 computers, within a few minutes traffic started flowing to the wrong place.

Within the space of less than a minute a large portion of You Tube traffic was sent off the trail to a dead end. To put this in simple terms legitimate hosts of the You Tube broadcasts were cut out by a bogus claim of Pakistan's ISP hosting the broadcasts.This is not the first time that such a quick switch has been accomplished (http://www.renesys.com/blog/2005/12/internetwide_nearcatastrophela.shtml).

The opinion is that measures should be in affect to double check all changes in addresses. One example suggested is the following: One way to handle this is for network providers to be automatically notified when the virtual location of an Internet address changes, which is what some researchers have suggested in the form of a "hijack alert system." Another is to treat broadcasts with changes of addresses as suspicious for 24 hours and then accept them as normal. Simple filtering of broadcasts may not always work because some networks provide connectivity to customers with thousands of different routes.

Probably the most extensive countermeasure would be a technology like Secure BGP, which uses encryption to verify which network providers own Internet addresses and are authorized to broadcast changes. But Secure BGP has been around in one form or another form since 1998, and is still not a widely-used standard, mostly because it adds complexity and routers that understand will add additional cost.If there is a way to fool people or disrupt service some people of a less democratic frame of mind will find it and use it.

When ideology clashes with human exchanges the result is often something as ugly as terrorism and in a very small way this is terrorism. Granted it is not the murder of innocents people, but it is a violation of the open concepts of the Internet and as librarians is just another in an endless list of reasons for librarians to be defenders and keeps of that which is virtual and not only the print.

Any thoughts?

Here is a link:

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9878655-7.html?tag=nefd.lede

New Custom Ideas from Thomson

2008-02-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

Thomson Scientific to Use Collexis’ Knowledge Dashboard in Custom Solution

Thomson Scientific (www.scientific.thomson.com) and Collexis Holdings, Inc.

(www.collexis.com), a developer of search and knowledge discovery software, announced plans to join together Collexis’ Knowledge Dashboard with Thomson Scientific’s Web of Science to create a custom data mining solution for the research community. Called the Thomson Collexis Dashboard, it is designed to provide enhanced knowledge discovery for the academic and government R&D communities. By merging Thomson Scientific’s Web of Science data with the Collexis Knowledge Dashboard, users will have the ability to identify and search for documents, experts and trends, and to make new discoveries more quickly, accurately, and deeply than via conventional search engines.

The Thomson Collexis Dashboard is a custom software and information solution that enables scientists to analyze large numbers of publications concerning a defined topic swiftly and efficiently and filter the essential information. Additionally, it allows researchers to explore existing knowledge concepts and provides proactive suggestions about the direction of research across a topic or by category. It also includes multiple thesauri that allow different points of view on the same data and subject navigation. A time-saving solution for scientists, the Thomson Collexis Dashboard includes summarized information, which reportedly is not to be found in any system currently available, and it provides identification of experts across categories on multiple subsets of the literature instantly—including their relevant social network.

Source: Thomson Scientific

Any thoughts?

Here is the link:

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/wndReader.asp?ArticleId=41005

New Additions to OCLC

2008-02-25T17:09:00.000-08:00

OCLC NEWS

NetLibrary announces agreements with 21 international publishers

DUBLIN, Ohio, USA, 1 February 2008—NetLibrary, OCLC's platform for eContent and the leading provider of eBooks for the institutional library market, has announced agreements with 21 leading publishers that will add thousands of new eBooks and eAudiobooks to NetLibrary's growing catalog of more than 160,000 titles.

This international agreement will be a great source of free documents for scholars and students. Score one for open source!

I sometimes wonder if Americans cares at all about education. The opening of the market further shows that financial profit need not be the motivation behind publishers when working with libraries. Libraries everywhere need more of this.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the full story:

A Man, a Guitar, a Librarian

2008-02-24T15:26:00.000-08:00

Minstrel Kiss and Tell

About Time!

2008-02-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

Yeah!

This is a very interesting article on the recent movement in libraries to hire and maintain full time software developers to handle the e needs of cataloging collections. Long outsourced the waste and frustration of living with and depending on databases not designed under the direct supervision or by librarians is changing. There is some reason for the complaints which have been so common. While the third party solutions have been a crutch, a movement to resolve these issues in the profession has been slow in development. As Andy Guess points out in this article:

Still, some libraries, fed up with software that doesn’t fully meet their needs, have decided to take matters, figuratively, into their own hands. With a bit of grant money and some eager developers, institutions have begun creating their own open-source solutions that are fully customizable, free for others to use and compatible with existing systems. The result has been a whole crop of projects that, when combined, could serve as a fully integrated, end-to-end open-source solution for academic libraries, covering the interface, search mechanism, database system, citations and even course management.

Meanwhile, the increasing availability of open-source software has nudged some libraries to reconsider the role of their in-house technology gurus, and to wonder whether it would make more long-term financial sense to hire more developers than to continue paying for products over which they have limited control.

The name of the game is open source and saving money. It's all about finding solutions that work and will not lead to crippling investments and subscription and maintenance fees. For example:

Open-source Web catalogs like VuFind tend to look a lot like search engines that people who work online are already used to. VuFind (and, eventually, XC) adds Web 2.0 functionality on top of the traditional interface, allowing users to e-mail search results and save results to their favorites. One feature Nagy said was a high priority for library developers is “faceted navigation,” which allows users to drill down and refine searches by, for example, author, topic or format. The VuFind interface is also completely compatible with the open-source citation management tool Zotero, a plugin for the Firefox browser.

Another piece of the puzzle is federated search: an engine that sifts through numerous different databases for each user query. One tool being developed at Oregon State University, LibraryFind, combines federated search with a simple, Google-like interface that lets users sort by relevance, save items, refine searches and view electronic documents.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the story:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/02/19/opensource

Not So Social

2008-02-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

Decrease in Traffic at Piczo Social Networking Site

CNET News.com reporter Caroline McCarthy co-wrote this article.

Three former Piczo employees described a company grappling with the meteoric rise of competitors Facebook and Bebo and internal squabbles over the direction of the 3-year-old start-up. The company has also struggled to convince skeptical advertisers of the effectiveness of social networking as an effective ad vehicle--a tough sales pitch for the entire social-networking sector, say insiders. Know for its target audience of teen girls, this social site is now in what management is terming a restructuring as it branches out into a more mature European market. While use of FaceBook is growing this company saw a decline in the past year after a promising start in 2006.

Jeremy Verbo, acting CEO of Piczo, sites the nature of the industry, software development, seasonal changes, and most importantly competition from other big players in the market."We were in the United Kingdom early, and certainly as (Bebo and Facebook) came on, that affected us," Verba said. "Our growth started slowing. But it's a time-spent issue. Our users didn't move on to these other sites. What we're seeing is a lot of overlap. What happened is some of our engagement decreased."

The lay off of employees is like the platuea that occurs in many industries in computer related fields. The saturation of the market leads to a burn out. The ubiquity of these services make them common place.I know that people will often open a Facebook account, Myspace, and play around with other scenes to get a sense of where the flow is. Then the account often sits unattended. Users are simply tired of it, some blog pundits have argued, and they won't stay on any one site too long before moving on to the next big thing. In part the number of visits a site gets is a number factors including last but not least its indexing in a search engine. It should be no wonder that that novility can get you far, but then you better keep getting your name out.In the long run there is no sense of loyalty, but instead an iconographic association occurring in some web places. For example, You Tube is often copied but still remains the largest in an ever growing sea of video playing platforms where for nothing people can get their 15 minutes. People think of it like they do Craig’s List. Its like Googling. You turn your computer on and just do it.

The lesson may be that there is a limit to the market size and smart web developers are coming up not with the latest template but riding the next social software wave.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link:

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9877437-7.html?tag=nefd.lede

What Do You Mean It Won't Work?!

2008-02-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

I Hate My Computer!

Everyone who has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous compatibility issues will tell you their story about how all their buddies were playing World of War Craft and then they logged on to find the version they purchased is not compatible with their system or the computer they inherited from their second cousin twice removed after he married (sorry about the example-this happened to someone I know) isn't powerful enough to handle e-mails. So it isn't surprising that in a world where gaming is typically the province of gaming systems there are compatibility issues.

Lets face it, until someone makes the universal grail of a consumers information and entertainment needs, I mean a tool that is a computer, home entertainment system, office system, and will play any game you plug into it, there will be a kind of raw distrust that manufactures of PC's will be forced to suffer through. But now the PC Gaming Alliance is moving to do something about it.

The nonprofit PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) aims to unite hardware and software creators, game developers, publishers and others committed to the PC gaming market with the common purpose of advancing the PC as a gaming platform. The group's founding members include Acer/Gateway, Activision Publishing, AMD, Dell/Alienware, Epic, Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia and Razer USA. Together, member companies plan to cooperate on accelerating innovation, improving the gaming experience for consumers and serving as a collective source of market information and expertise on PC gaming, the group said.

It should be no surprise that in an age where gaming platforms like Playstation, Wii, and Xbox are as powerful as some low end PC's, that such a standardization of PC's would help manufacturers keep their consumers happy.

The PCGA has a long haul ahead of them. Among the many challenges ahead is to produce a set of minimum expectations as to what game developers should be targeting in terms of minimum system requirements for their games.

Uniformity of system standards would be a great boon to game designers who would like to see everyone playing their games. I know that the first time I saw the price of the Playstation 3 when it was released last year was to gulp and assign myself to not being one of the cool kids on the block. It was too expensive. As for my friend with the junk from his cousin’s yard sale I can only offer him my sympathy. Hang in there man, he may be upgrading to Vista soon.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to this story:

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Can-the-PC-Survive-as-a-Gaming-Platform-61760.html

Lexis Nexis Becomes Exclusive Distributor of Praeger Security Online

2008-02-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

Lexis on Crime

LexisNexis Now Exclusive Academic Distributor for Praeger Security Online

LexisNexis (www.lexisnexis.com) and Greenwood Publishing Group (www.greenwood.com) announced a partnership in which Greenwood’s electronic product, Praeger Security International Online (PSIO), will be sold exclusively to 2- and 4-year college and university libraries by the LexisNexis Academic Sales Group. Designed to serve the needs of professors, researchers, and students who need quick and efficient access to reliable information on the world’s most important political, military, and foreign policy issues, PSIO combines expert commentary with the complete text of hundreds of print titles—and the easy access and comprehensiveness of a sophisticated online database.

Updated weekly with commentary by advisory board members, expert authors, and researchers from Oxford Analytica (an international consulting firm drawing on senior faculty at Oxford and other major research institutions), PSIO provides in-depth analysis of security issues that threaten to destabilize our world. Expertly indexed and cross-searchable and featuring the complete text of more than 600 books, original content on important and regional events written by today’s leading scholars and experts, more than 1,000 primary documents, a worldwide chronology of terrorism events, and a carefully prepared annotated bibliography, PSIO is constantly evolving. It is intended for both distance learning and residency programs in homeland security, foreign policy, criminal justice, and business security.

Source: LexisNexis

This should provide an excellent resource for scholars, students, journalists, and professionals working in government and law enforcement.

Here is the link to this story:

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/wndReader.asp?ArticleId=40971

Pure Sweet Rage

2008-02-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

Mama Said there Would be Days Like This

Awh Man!

2008-02-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

Keeping Up with the Tech Blues

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Sony's Blu-ray technology is emerging as the likely winner in the format battle for the next generation of DVD players after Toshiba appeared ready to ditch its HD DVD business.

People watch a demonstration of HD DVD at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Such a move would help consumers know which system to invest in and would likely boost sales in Blu-ray gadgets, analysts say. But it will disappoint the 1 million people around the world estimated by Toshiba who have already bought HD DVD players.

Toshiba said Monday no decision has been made but acknowledged it had started a review of its HD DVD strategy. The comments follow a flurry of weekend Japanese media reports that the company was close to pulling the plug on the business.

I sometimes joke with my father who still argues with sales clerks in department stores and goes on extended polemics standing on line at the small video store which still rents VHS. "Why don't they just make up their minds?" he drones. He has a VHS player and refuses to budge.

Who can blame him? I don't make a lot of money. The thought of having to chuck out all my gear and movie collection (as I had to do with my VCR and VHS tapes) sends a jolt of cosmic outrage up my spine. I can't keep up. I have friends who have made the jump to HDVD and Plasma this and High definition that and I still have the TV set I got as a freshman in college. And now with the 2009 cross-over looming, a large section of techy updaters are going to be shouting: "Awh man! Give me a break here!"

But now after roughly 6 years of building up a DVD collection I am hearing that Blue Ray will be the format of choice. It kind of hurts to hear it.

Storage methods have come a long way from film and magnetic tape formats. There are no doubts that in the next ten years grandpa will get teased for his funky Blue Ray collection.

So what do you do in the mean time? Have a lot of cash on hand I guess. Keeping up on the latest tech is pricey, and dicey. Ask any librarian who has a basement full of Microfiche. Its a hard life, that tech life.

Any thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/02/18/toshiba.hddvd.ap/index.html

E Art

2008-02-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

You-Art

DeviantArt gets 1.5 billion page views a month, making it one of the most popular Web sites that many people have never even heard of.

Despite the name, only a fraction of the art on the site is what might be labeled deviant. In reality, the site boasts millions of user-uploaded works of art, everything from photography to 3D digital conceptual art to old-fashioned canvas-and-paint portraits.

Think of it as a YouTube for artists trying to show their own work. Pieces can be viewed, commented on, even added to a user's own gallery of favorites. The range of work defies characterization, but there is a heavy dose of cartooning and fantasy art as well as some adult content, which is blocked for unregistered users.

In some cases, artists have posted their digital leftovers in a "stock" pile that other artists can use as the genesis for their own work.

The site's goal, in a nutshell, is to democratize and inspire art.

After checking out this site I thought of the Impressionists of the 1860's. Up until these artists the Académie des Beaux-Arts, the French endorsed institution that defined, set, and held up what was supposed to be great art. Without the support of the Academe, an artist could not show his work in the Salon and would be treated like a rank shlock. The importance of the meeting of the Impressionism was giving artists like Cezanne and Monet a venue and to help establish a public exchange.

And this site is an exchange, it has chat and forum sections where those who contributed can discuss issues.

I am not sure that I am a good judge of the content so I am pulling away from offering opinions. What interested me is to see how Web content is so powered by ungoverned class systems. The open source rubric of the Internet is at the heart of most Virtual spaces. While there has been a move to public censure or control Web content, the model of the Web World continues to defy categories and move faster than words can describe it. It is a dream land. What is the web, other than a tool which morphs as it is used? As technology breaks down walls the possibilities change how we express and think. It defines us as people and how we behave. It's only limit is that of the user itself. The story is the story teller, not the fiction itself.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the full story:

http://browse.deviantart.com/?offset=24

http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9873228-56.html?tag=nefd.top

New SIIA Survey

2008-02-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

Web 2.0 is Good Business

SIIA Releases Survey Results on Business Use of Web 2.0 Technologies

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has released the results of a survey on business use of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs, social networking, and user-generated content, which indicated that businesses are increasingly embracing these new technologies. Conducted to coincide with SIIA’s Information Industry Summit, the survey explored the ways in which business-oriented content companies are using the various forms of Web 2.0 capabilities to enhance their connections to their users.

Nearly 42% of respondents are currently using social networking technologies such as MySpace and Facebook, while another 35% plan to do so in the near future. Only a third place user-generated content on their sites, while more than half carry at least one blog. The survey found that B2B users expected social networking to enable them to reach new markets and increase user engagement and loyalty. While slightly more than 80% of respondents expected to achieve these goals, about 40% feel they have already reached new markets, and a third believe they have increased customer engagement.

Those surveyed about the utility of blogging had a mixed reaction. While more than half of survey respondents indicated that they do publish blogs, almost two-thirds believe that their influence on the industry has been mixed. Only 15% view blogs as "critically important" to the industry’s market environment.

To view the full results of the SIIA survey, visit: www.siia.net/content under Recent Publications.

Source: SIIA

More evidence of how user created content is changing the exchange.

Any thoughts?

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/wndReader.asp?ArticleId=40925

New Wilson Web Release

2008-02-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

New Wilson Web Update

InfoTech: H.W. Wilson Announces WilsonWeb CX Edition

Josh Hadro -- Library Journal, 2/15/2008 5:55:00 AM

Formerly known as WilsonWeb 3.0

Tool includes a frameless search screen to speed up result retrieval Can translate documents into foreign languages

H.W. Wilson has announced its revamped WilsonWeb CX Edition interface, named to commemorate 110 years since the independent publisher’s founding. Formerly known as WilsonWeb 3.0 in its October 2007 beta testing release, the new software’s goal is to let users and subscribers access “Wilson data with unprecedented ease and versatility,” said product manager Bernie Seiler.

The new design for the company’s online tool includes a frameless search screen to speed up result retrieval, new graphics for buttons and tabs, and a new translation feature allowing the user to “translate Full Text HTML documents from English into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and/or Korean.”

The new language translation feature will be a great help to students.

Any thoughts?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6532721.html

Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Goose!

2008-02-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

Something to Look at Other Than a Lover

15TH Century Man Seeking Woman:

Young Duke of Orleans
stuck in dead end career
after battling English dogs
seeks a bright and professionally
bound Lady of noble manners.

Address all drawings/stats to:

Frenchman
Tower of London
London
England
(Strumpets need not apply).

How Lovers Love the World Over on Feburary 14

ASIA

In China, on February 14, officials can confiscate flowers according to BBC reporting. The holiday is popular amongst most of the population. China also celebrates Valentine's Day on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. On this day, lovers go to the Matchmaker Temple to ask for prosperity in love.

In Korea and Japan, girls and women give candies and chocolates to their boyfriends. In Korea and Japan on March 14, "White Day" is celebrated where boys and men give gifts to their girlfriends. The Japanese bake the chocolates at home for their true loves. The store bought chocolates are for co-workers or friends.

SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14. In some places, the girls pin the name of the boy they love on their sleeve. These traditions follow the old festival of "Lupercalia," the Roman festival celebrated on February 15.

*Historical Notes: Lupercalia was celebrated by the Romans on February 15. The festival took place on Palatine Hill, in a cave called Lupercal. This is the supposed place where Romulus and Remus (founders of Rome) were nursed by a wolf.

SOUTH AMERICA

In Brazil, Dia dos Namorados, or "Day of the Enamored" is celebrated on June 12. This is the day before Saint Anthony's Day. He was a marriage saint.

In Colombia and Venezuela, the "Love and Friendship Day" is celebrated on the third Friday and Saturday in September.

THE WORLD

These countries celebrate St. Valentine's Day similar to the United States:
Australian Countries
Bangladesh Canadian Countries
European Countries Mexico

Russia
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates

According to the Greeting Card Association, St. Valentine's Day is the second largest card sending holiday of the year. Christmas, of course, comes in first. Even though celebrations vary in different countries across the globe, love is in the air on St. Valentine's Day. Spend the day celebrating with your loved ones and feel the love!

Alone on Valentine's Day?

Check this out:

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/valentines-day-history.htm

You will discover some darker moments on this day in history that will make your crappy day seem, as the wise Forest Gump chimes: like a Box of Chocolates.

A poem?

Roses are red
and Violets are blue.
Nobody loves you!

If after all this you crave the affections of another this means you are not a realist but a romantic. This is a psychiatric condition marked by long periods of delusion marked by a strong inability not to coo and awe at even the most pedestrian of things. This may mean long nights alone, and if you are unfortunate enough to gain admitance to the private chambers of that special one, reassuring your intended that they are not too fat and that you think everything they say is interesting.

Romantic love, the nuts and bolts of this holiday, are a tradition going back to the 12Th Century. Trent professor Roy Haden (an authority on the history of romantic love) says:

The troubadours were renowned medieval composers and performers who thrived from 1100 to 1300 AD, first in southern France, then later expanding to neighbouring countries such as Italy and Spain. They wrote more than 2,500 song lyrics in what is called the Old Occitan language. Sifting through a database with thousands of songs written by the troubadours during a 200 year period, Prof. Hagan analyzed every instance they used the word 'amors.'“I found some startling patterns,” he says. “They were treating love as some sort of attacking force. In their songs they were turning love into an entity with power that controlled people's lives. That hadn't been done before.” He says the ancients had a concept of love, but love wasn't about the romantic relationship between men and women, it was about family and friends.

So this whole history of this holiday could only have happened with this shift from more community based social structures to the more intimate and personal form of affection that is recorded in thousands of songs since the 12TH century. It is an entirely different concept of early Greek and Roman concepts of state and family. Before this exsisted the culture of Rome where the family was the social model adopted and supported by the state. Love was an act of loyalty to what seems more like friendship and the honor of a family as Hogan notes:

He also discovered the troubadours use of the word amors, and the development of a new aggressive and all powerful love concept coincided with the Crusades during the middle of the 12th century. “It is perhaps no coincidence that the new 'love God' of the troubadours should be a warrior God, whose central focus was to conquer and control its subjects,” he speculates.

It's no wonder that the common lament of young star crossed lovers is "I'm crazy for you", and that this goes as far as Shakespeare could in Romeo & Juliet.

Hopefully you will not have to suffer as much, nor dramatically as the following scene:

Mercutio: O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore-finger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep; Her waggon-spokes made of long spinners' legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, The traces of the smallest spider's web, The collars of the moonshine's watery beams, Her whip of cricket's bone, the lash of film, Her waggoner a small grey-coated gnat, Not so big as a round little worm Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid; Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, Time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers . And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love; O'er courtiers' knees, that dream on court'sies straight, O'er lawyers' fingers, who straight dream on fees, O'fer ladies' lips, who straight on kisses dream, Which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, Because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are: Sometime she gallops o'er a courtier's nose, And then dreams he of smelling out a suit; And sometime comes she with a tithe-pig's tail Tickling a parson's nose as a' lies asleep, Then dreams, he of another benefice: Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck, And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, Of healths five-fathom deep; and then anon Drums in his ear, at which he starts and wakes, And being thus frighted, swears a prayer or two And sleeps again. This is that very Mab That plats the manes of horses in the night, And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, Which once untangled much misfortune bodes: This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs, That presses them and learns them first to bear, Making them women of good carriage This is she--

This is the gentle advise of not only love, but of its dangers. So if today hits you hard at the bank or in the heart consider this:

Its only love.

Still in love?

Here are some links:

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/valentines-day-history.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Valentines-Day-is-Celebrated-Worldwide&id=975213

http://www.mykawartha.com/news/article/26446

Queen Mab Speach:

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Washington Square Press. New York: 1959.

No, I Had To Work Yesterday

2008-02-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

Just Another Holiday?

Just Another Holiday?Like most people yesterday I went to work. Then I got a call from a friend who had the day off. I asked if he was sick. He then reminded me that it was Lincoln's Birthday. It had slipped my mind because I always work it. However, some people have this day off. This makes me snicker. Perhaps I am cynical at heart, and my feelings of patriotism and pride in my country do not run deep enough. Or, it could be that I suffer from a mix of envy and purposelessness on this day, a celebration of America's most popular leader? The image of this sober minded man, a face that looks as if it were cut from stone almost leaves me mystified at times. He is as iconic and mythological as he is recorded in the pages of U.S. history. He is associated with stove pipe hats and honesty. He is the man who freed the slaves and led our country through the worst moment in its history. But who is Lincoln?

Lincoln Who?

I began to wonder about the holiday. How do you even celebrate Lincoln's Birthday? There are no songs, no special church services or meals, or traditions other than a friend or two bitching because they can't have the day off. All I could recall was a small arts and crafts project from the 4th grade. My class was asigned to cut out out silhouettes on black construction paper. I think my best friend Ralph cut a bullet hole into his and was sent to the principles office. That was it though. Nothing else came to mind. The big deal was President's Day. That was were the action was at. I got to play Thomas Jefferson in a school play. I had a special costume and I was taken to McDonalds afterward for my performance. It was a great day.

So I began to look for info on today's holiday. There is a traditional wreath laying cerimony in his birthplace of Hodgenville, and in Washington. Other than that it is like crikets. This passed over me when I first learned this like water.

Histronics and History

I began to think of him saving America as we know it. I also thought about how he ruled the country, that is suspending habeas corpus and and seizing the telegraph offices in Maryland and shutting down trains. Also consider that he overstepped his boundries by blocking Southern ports and esentially declairing war. Basically Lincoln is known most for his Emancipation Proxlamation and Gettysburg Address. He is thought of as the great healer of a nation and the man who freed black America. Those shining moments are part of a background of very conservative man, however. In reviewing sources I found a wonderful article from the Partisan Review. It sums up much of what I learned in school and more. Lincoln was in truth a cautious man who never spoke exstemperainously in public, prefering to write all speaches with great care, often doing many rewrites. He never jumped into ventures that he had not thought out carefully. So accomplishments of of these two examples of presidential leadership have a rather hypnotic effect on the mind of most admirers and confuses them to learn that he came to fame calling not for the end of slavery but for its restriction from territorial lands... The modern mind gets clumsy when distinguishing prudence from hypocrisy.

Missing the Mark and Resolution

Lincoln is mysterious, even though he is the most talked about President of the 19th century, and perhaps of all time. For everthing written about him he seems frozen in the ice of his war time accomplishments. He is the man, who loved theatre, and poetry. He is the man who married the daughter of a slave owner, and who later during the early part of the war ordered the arrests of thousands of citizens who spoke out publicly against him. He is the man who cut himself off from his cabinet and functioned almost without regard for the advise of his most close and personal friends. He is without an equal, but much of that may be the result more of the times than the man. Granted, he was a great politician. But that is not why people remember him. But like great leaders so much happens that some it changes everything in a very defining way. It is a history of theatrics and not the hellish grind of every other drop of blood spilt in the Civil War that is remembered. On the other hand there were hundereds of bad calls that no one talks about. People remain unschooled in these. On the large side they included hiring bad generals and quarreling with cabinet members. On the small side they were perhaps as mundane as office work. Thus his signature is both large and small, yet always history. He made many mistakes that ended costing the lives of hundereds of thousands of Americans. He was terribly complex. Nothing about him was like the black and white images handed down to us. He could show great compassion for a fallen friend and then on hearing of war crimes show no emotion at all. In one famous example (late in the war mind you) he was informed of how the federal army had pillaged, plundered, burned, and raped its way through the defenseless Shenandoah Valley in 1864, Lincoln only conveyed "the thanks of a nation" to General Philip Sheridan, the chief plunderer, and added his personal gratitude.

Its just hard to understand this man. The more that is discovered the deeper the mystery becomes. He seems lost in smoke of time and bad school room books. It's a strange feeling because here we have this day set aside and it seems poorly concieved. I feel bad for old Abe too. After all of that he get this minor spot on the calendar. Its like Valentines Day, or the inocuous Labor day I at least get that one off.

Any thoughts?

Here are the links to the text I borrowed.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo26.html

http://www.bu.edu/partisanreview/archive/2003/1/whitaker.html

Wow...

2008-02-11T22:57:00.000-08:00

Check out how young Al Gore looks!

Move Over I Phone

2008-02-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Sony Ericsson is partnering with windows to market its first mobile phone. The device will be known as the Xperia X1, featuring a 3-inch VGA display with an "arc slider" to slide out the keyboard. The device will support HSDPA and HSUPA networks, as well as Wi-Fi.

If anything this follows with the trend that Microsoft has been developing in the last decade. This is a great boost for Microsoft. Ericsson offers some great devices I can't wait to hear more.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link:

http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9867633-56.html

EBSCO New Database

2008-02-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

National Criminal Justice Database Now Available From EBSCO

The National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts (NCJRSA) database is now available from EBSCO Publishing (www.ebscohost.com). NCJRSA is sponsored by the Department of Justice and the Executive Office of the President. The service is federally funded and supports research, policy, and program development around the world.

NCJRSA contains summaries of more than 190,000 criminal justice, juvenile justice, and substance abuse resources covering corrections, courts, crime statistics, domestic preparedness, drugs, juvenile justice, law enforcement, and victims. The collection features U.S. and international publications, including citations for federal, state, and local government reports, books, research reports, journal articles, audiovisual presentations, and unpublished research.

The content in the database dates from 1970 to the present. The database will complement other sociology databases available on the EBSCOhost platform, such as SocINDEX with Full Text and Social Work Abstracts.
Source: EBSCO Publishing

Here is the link to this press release:

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/wndReader.asp?ArticleId=40879

New Metatagging Service

2008-02-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Which Came First?

Reuters is now offering a new open source API content-tagging system called Calais Web Service. With this new service comes the flexibility of automatic metatagging content and developing semantic applications.

Calais works through natural language to locate content for metatagging. This generation comes from the acquisition of the vendor Clear Forest. The opening of this new tool is in the spirit of extending and increasing the number of tools out their by getting more developers in using the semantic applications are not used very much.

To promote this Rueters is offering a prize, a kind of carrot on a stick to get the ball rolling:

Bounties will be awarded for the development of specific capabilities that Reuters would like to provide to Calais users. The first announced bounty of $5,000 will be awarded to the developer who creates a configurable plug-in for WordPress that will enrich blogs with tag auto-suggestion, a semantic cloud, and a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). The second program, details of which will be announced later in February, will be a series of contests. "The bounties and contests are there to drive interest," [says Tom Tegue, Reuters’ chief evangelist for the Calais project.] "The challenge is to take a technical tool and make it relevant for real people. Developers are one in a thousand. In order to make the technology relevant, smart people have to translate it into applications."

Part of what spurs this program is the irony of semantic technology. While there is very little demand for development the talented designers stay away. It leaves it floating in a kind of stasis.
Gerry Campbell, who has spent time working for AOL Search and AltaVista, joined Reuters in 2006 as president of the search and content technologies group and headed up the initiative that led to the creation of the Calais Web service. "The world is still suffering from information overload," says Campbell.

Of course it remains to be seen how much this will generate interest. Campbell hopes that encouraging development will solve what he calls the "chicken and egg" dilemma of the semantic web. The conundrum plays out as follows: Publishers don’t use semantic tagging because of the dearth of tools available, and developers don’t create tools because semantic technology isn’t widely used.

Any Thoughts?

Here is a link to the story:

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=40881

Flash Yahoo Says No

2008-02-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

Strike One

I recently read about the Microsoft bidding to buy out Yahoo. This deal would have been a great for Yahoo. The company like many other search engines has been left in the dust by Googles dominance on the scene.

But yesterday the board of Yahoo turned down the offer made to them. The 31 dollars a share offered was just not enough to tempt fate. The current report is that Yahoo will not budge until they get an offer of at least 40 dollars a share.

Even with the overhaul in the top of the food chain, Yahoo still lags behind Google. Google now holds commanding 75% of paid search. The notion is that it is an investment in opening the market a bit.

It makes me nervous to think of Microsoft to own a piece of the Internet pie. I cringe to think of it. They can't even debug their own software. How much better is Yahoo going to get?

Any thoughts?

Banana Freak Applies for Situation

2008-02-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

Aping Librarianship

Dear Mr. Wales: Shame on You

2008-02-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

Well, What do You Have to Say For Yourself?

Wikipedia Islam Entry Is CriticizedPosted February 8th, 2008 by BibliofutureInternet

An article about the Prophet Muhammad in the English-language Wikipedia has become the subject of an online protest in the last few weeks because of its representations of Muhammad, taken from medieval manuscripts.In addition to numerous e-mail messages sent to Wikipedia.org, an online petition cites a prohibition in Islam on images of people.The petition has more than 80,000 “signatures,” though many who submitted them to ThePetitionSite.com, remained anonymous.

“We have been noticing a lot more similar sounding, similar looking e-mails beginning mid-January,” said Jay Walsh, a spokesman for the Wikimedia Foundation in San Francisco, which administers the various online encyclopedias in more than 250 languages.

I have a sense that this could be another example of Western concepts of free speach clashing with religious law. It would be easy for me to write this away as extremism on the part of those signing petitions.

Yet part of me, the part that has a deep respect for all faiths wishes to step in and be peace maker. The power of symbols and religous teachings is something that is sadly eclipsed by a society glutted on a swell of technology and information. The irony is that we have gotten to be less tollerant of foreign beliefs and traditions. It is a further irony that Americans since 9/11 have left most of their trust in the hands of politicians and journalists. We seem to lack an essential sense of knowing what is fear, and what is ignorance. We equate an abundance of information with quality. We assume today's editorialism is responisble, credible, and ethically motivated journalism because it can always flash the iconic imagery of 9/1. It is the oppression of freedom on our TV screens as a reminder.

It may seem I am off the beaten track. Yet if the story above was about a cartoon of Mary Magdalene kissing Christ or was an attack on the Pope I am certain that there would be an uproar in the press. I also think that it would be treated differently. There is a demonization currently occuring in the Western press of Musilm people. Most Americans are taught wrongly to fear Musilm people. What American's should fear is the loss of their constitutional rights. We should be more afraid of what is happening in Washington.

I am pretty sure that most people would like to stop being afraid. People would like to go on with matters other than the war in Iraq. Small matters like the economy, the national debt, and the upcoming presidential election. So why should we care about a wikipedia entry? Well, good question.

In of itself it has no direct impact on my life. But as an example of a lack of peer reviewed sources, it can be seen as more evidence of the trend of the Internet. With all new technologies there are responsibilities. Most hard core enthusiast in the virtual world equate the Internet with unlimited and open sourced structures in its matrix. Very little thought seems to enter into the dialog about the long term effects of its rubric on culture by enlarge. Educators and librarians (yes I think of them in separate terms-different can of worms, sorry) do seem to be interested in the impact of the Internet on culture, but it remains to be seen what the Internet has to say about its heritage. It seems to busy being the Internet to talk about itself.

Wiki has grown into a kind of corporate poster child of feckless scholarship. Its founder and guru Jimmy Wales defends it as having a charitable responsibility towards have nots of the world. There is a long history of that defense too. This defense offends a lot of professors and librarians, too. It offends publishers of encyclopedias and textbooks. It offends English teachers with red pens flaring away. It is the bounty and bane of the information scene. During my two years in library school I heard at least ten polemics for every sigh of relief from an undergrad when wiki was brought up in conversation.

The point is that it is here to stay. Learning to love it like an underachiever or juvenile class may not be the best choice. It may come a time when we must understand the cost and quality of free things at the cost of everything else that is cherished. Who will? Certainly not Mr. Wales. He seems to enjoy pissing off people. It’s a talent of his.

Is it not strange that by the time I post this the Internet has grown by nearly incalculable leaps, that it has changed the nature of information and exchange for billions? It has created an image of our culture, and others. But who is minding the images. And is anyone stopping to see it done right?

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.lisnews.org/node/29101

Come on People!

2008-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

What is the Real Issue Here?

There is a story at Library Journal about the rape of a 6-year-old boy in the New Bedford Free Public Library, MA. Officials now want to restrict children to visiting the library and only under the supervision of their parents or adult guardian. In addition all visitors would be required to sign in with ID and there would be an increase of security and cameras.

I agree with all of these measures. They seem perfectly sensible to me and the response of authorities attempting to restore safety and order to a public sphere. So what's the duff? According to state authorities their is heavy price tag of $50,000 to supply these safety measures and the article goes on to state: The American Civil Liberties Union in Massachusetts cautioned that laws aimed at limiting where sex offenders can go will deter them from registering with local communities, as required, according to South Coast Today. The newspaper editorialized that “I.D. cards have questionable preventative value,” and “Barring any group from using a public library is virtually without precedent.”

There seems to be a sense of unreality to library politics at times. No one questions the absolute paramount importance of making our libraries, schools, and other public venues a haven for children. However, I have noted that some people seem to feel a strange kind of liberal guilt in the face of enforcing order on their environments. I consider myself a liberal. However, I am a sensible one. I understand that we live in a world of dangers. I also know that there is such a thing as evil. If I were a resident of that state I would have no problem with these security measures. I would insist on them. I am almost certain that most honest or like minded people like myself would agree that if that is what it takes it is far better than risking one more child.

Librarians and other civil servants are defensive when they should sometimes trust that the public would understand.I think it is absurd nonsense of the paper to suggest that there is no precedent. The horrible attack on this boy IS THE REASON FOR SUCH MEASURES. I am an uncle, to several nieces and nephew and feel a natural obligation as a librarian to support the cause of parents in making public ways safe. Everyone is familiar with the old saying: It takes a village to raise a child. Does that not mean that a community as a whole takes responsibility in making their public ways safe? If the Civil Liberty Union is so hungry for work may I suggest they go after the real criminals for a change? Why not start in Washington, for instance.

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6528982.html

Needed Funding

2008-02-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

LSTA Budget Shot in the Arm

For the third straight year, President George W. Bush has proposed that the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) include $171.5 million for state grants, which would be sufficient to implement a 2003 law aimed at more equitably distributing the grants. For FY07, Congress appropriated $163.7 million for the states and, for FY08, it appropriated $160.9 million.The American Library Association (ALA) applauded Bush’s funding request, which for LSTA grant components replicated his funding proposals for FY08, all of which were reduced by Congress. He proposed $12.7 million for the National Leadership Grants for Libraries, an increase of $556,000 over FY08.He proposed $26.5 million for the Recruitment of Librarians for the 21st Century, an increase of $3.2 million over FY08. He proposed $3.7 million for Native Americans Library Services, an increase of $143,000 over FY08. He also proposed $3.5 million for library policy, research, and statistics (included in the administration total), an increase of $1.54 million over FY 2008.

I am happy to see any increase on the state level to funding. I find it suspicious, however. The cynic in me raises an eyebrow in scrutiny. The Bush family has made as many cuts as it has contributions. Consider the EPA funding cut (2.0 million from the library system's $2.5 million budget for Fiscal 2007), and Jeb Bush's attacks on the Florida State Library come to mind (Florida Gov. Jeb Bush slashed a total of $5.8 million in grants to public libraries). Bush may wish to leave behind a legacy of endowing future libraries, but unlike the Orwellian nightmare that I remember the first 8 years of this millennium, he will be hard press to cover the horrible facts of the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina (remember he cut funding on that score-In fiscal year 2006, the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suffered a record $71.2 million reduction in federal funding) and his human rights violations such as phone tapping and torturing prisoners of war. To me this seems like a bone tossed in the name of public approval ratings which have been low for a long time now.

The picture of the ALA clapping their hands in gratitude to this hand out makes me laugh. It does little to leave a warm squishy feeling in me concerning anyone with the last name of Bush. In fact from now on any object, person, or otherwise that uses the title "bush" shall not be mentioned by polite and conscious tempered individuals. From now on (for example) Moses in the Bible didn't consult a burning bush, but a burning green leafy thing. The eyebrows on Moses are not bushy, they are eye-staches. After wandering the desert old Moses was heard to say he was very tired, in other words, NOT bushed, but damn tired. So let us review. Not Bush, but something (anything but "---") anything else, just not the "---". Perhaps we can learn from J.K. Rowling who created a character who was so wicked and bad that no one dared say its name, except for one, the boy who lived. However, I am not that boy.

The reason for my post is to remind everyone to remember every time a library is closed, or a professional librarian loses their job to a part time employee. Remember when as a librarian you must make cuts in staffing or services. Never forget the past. By forgetting the past we are doomed to be entombed in it.

Any thoughts?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6529533.html

Surving a Change of Command

2008-02-03T23:08:00.000-08:00

New Boss Blues

Recently I was speaking by email to a friend who works in a nearby public library. She was telling me about how staff changes, along with most significantly a change in the directorship has left her feeling frustrated. Several of her long time co-workers (who were good friends) had been downsized and even her hours had been cut.

I began thinking of all the bad bosses I have had. Then I remembered the advice I have received over the years. Some of it has been good, some it worthless. But the following is good. Its not easy, but it does work. I brushed up on my points of reference so pay head to the link below. It is written by experts in managing employee relations.

Over all:

You must demonstrate a kind of proactive approach to circumstances in which face you. If you are not on the chopping block straight away there are lots of things you can do to make a difference.

The following is a synthesis from:

http://www.iaap-hq.org/ResearchTrends/same_job_new_boss.htm

1. This new person is not your old boss. Don't think of or treat this new leader like your old one.

2. Learn as much as you can about this new person. Don't bury yourself and hope that you will be left alone. Go to every meet you can and learn how your new boss works. Try and contact her previous employer and staff discretely and get the skinny from them about her.

3. Give her space. The first couple of weeks can be jarring for her as well as you. Don't expect to find her rather busy settling in. Don't be a buzzard. Be approachable, however.

4. Set goals with expected deadlines. As soon as you can, sit with her and discuss what her vision is of the library and what she expects from you. She will be glad to take the time to lay out expectations if she is a good director.

5. Continue to meet. This may be informal chats on the floor but that could be your directors way of communicating important instructions. Study her working habits. Is she out on the floor a lot or is she in her office on the phone all the time or avoiding you. That could be a very important sign. Some manager like to keep it informal. Others like to only discuss performance issues quietly.

6. Evaluating meetings. You may find at some point things change. Go with it. Smile. I have had circumstances as a supervisor myself where I had to enforce policy but did not have the option of explaining why, or even the change of a policy. Do not assume you know all the facts. Work to open communication on your part. Employees must have an open door policy if they want to succeed with their manager.

7. Be realistic. If after all of this you find there is a problem, and that you have remained open and flexible, that you haven't taken this new person for granted and given them a chance to do your job, then you can approach them to discuss your issues. If that doesn't work then your HR department can be approached.

I keep a journal of my work experiences and sometime I will record incidents so that I will have a clearer picture of what occurred. However, do not share your opinions too openly.

Be positive. My mother once told me after I came home from a job in a hardware store. (I had a new supervisor, the nephew of the owner of the store). She said I needed to sit still and stop complaining. She had just gotten home from work and was tired. She needed to cook dinner for us. The sink in the kitchen was full of dishes from breakfast and from that afternoon.She turned to me and said, David, watch closely. Slowly she pulled each dirty dish from the sink. She stacked them up neatly. She divided the spoons from the forks and dirty plates and bowls. She set the skillet to the side and then filled the sink with hot water and dish soap. She began cleaning them one at a time and setting them in the dish drainer. Eventually she finished. She dried the dishes and then put them away. Then she pulled down a glass from the cupboard and poured me a coke.

"You see? Now isn't that better?"

Any thoughts?

Here are some links about dealing with bad bosses. Good Luck!

http://www.techdarkside.com/?p=141

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Goodwin77.html

http://positivesharing.com/2007/01/how-to-deal-with-a-bad-boss/

The Dangers in Hiring Paraprofessionals

2008-02-01T09:22:00.001-08:00

Why did I Even Get my MLIS if They are Going to Hire Clowns Like This?

New EBook Intergration Software

2008-02-01T02:07:00.000-08:00

New Options For E Book Users In Libraries

TDNet Launches New eBook Manager

TDNet, Inc. (www.tdnet.com), a provider of e-resource access and management solutions, announced the launch of its new eBook Manager, which is designed to provide libraries with a tool for accessing, resolving, and managing ebooks. It can be used as a stand-alone service or integrated with TDNet’s Journal Manager.

The newest addition to TDNet’s suite of services, eBook Manager currently contains content from leading publishers: Elsevier, Oxford University Press, Springer, Electric eBook Publishing, and Blackwell Publishing; and from aggregators, including ebrary, ScienceDirect, NetLibrary, Knovel Library, IngentaConnect, Oxford Reference Online, MyiLibrary, and many other ebook suppliers. Free ebooks are also represented in the eBook Manager knowledgebase. TDNet’s eBook Manager is a module of TDNet One L2.0 suite of products.

As a stand-alone service, eBook Manager features a customizable A to Z interface that allows users to search and access ebook holdings, or when integrated with TDNet’s Journal Manager, users can perform simultaneous searches of both journals and ebooks. Additionally, users can resolve book citations and link to content at the book level using TDNet’s OpenURL link resolver service.

EBook Manager supports a wide variety of searching options: search for books only, combined book and journal search, or search via an independent book search screen. Users also can perform rapid searches for specific ebook content using book title, ISBN, volume, issue, edition, year, book author, editor, publisher, or vendor.

Source: TDNet, Inc.

I haven't had a chance to look at this yet in action, but it sounds cool. Having more flexibilty in searching is always a plus. The flexibilty of breaking down search into things as wide in options as ISBN, year, and publisher or vendor will also benefit library staff.

Any thoughts?

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/wndReader.asp?ArticleId=40760

OCLC Acquires EZproxy

2008-01-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

Unversial Key

I recall from library school the comfort of having a single key to the door rather than a ring full of jangling id/passwords to remember. I preferred working in the comfort of my home. I seem to recall finding it distasteful and bothersome to have to share space with strangers. Plus I could research in my jammies, bathrobe and Spongebob house shoes (don't laugh).

This could make the gate keeping an easier job. But I wonder what problems may occur from it as well. Not to be a naysayer or Cassandra.

The product is especially popular with academic libraries, since it enables users to connect to all the institution’s licensed databases remotely from their own computers via a single authorized login maintained by the subscribing facilities.

That makes librarians the door man, but not the locksmith, which will remain under the control of the OCLC. One of the benefits will be that its creator Chris Zager will be taking on a year long stint as consultant to the OCLC. Eventually, says officials of the OCLC, it will be used in authentication in its WorldCat databases, too.

It will have its biggest impact on remote learners who cannot get to facilities and often require service from information professionals when the library is closed.

This is good. It has been a while since I used WorldCat. My memories of it were that it had its flaws. I hope that it is a developing and growing service just like any other search engine. Some times we are too fussy. Anyway this will change the game play a bit, I assume.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the story:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6527037.html

Paper Chasing

2008-01-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

Take a Good Look

Yesterday I was in a book shop on Clark street and Wells (here in Chicago) and was looking at the high stacks and thinking about the books all around me. I thought, even in a hundred years I couldn't read all of these books. (Not that it was a big book shop, it just had too many books.) So I set aside the daunting purpose of their place here and now and drifted into deep thought about the packaging. Most of these books will end up in a landfill or will wisely be recycled. That is a comfort to someone who loves them just a little less than the planet which provided the materials to make them. That is, the ink, the wood pulp, and the carbon based bipeds who first wrote, edited, and published them.

I asked the owner of the shop, a worn man in his early sixties (his face looks as if it were a painting by Guiseppe Arcimboldo) if he knew what the oldest book was in his shop is and he rolled his eyes and said "How the hell should I know that?" He then returned to his work. This guy is old school all the way. He doesn't even use a register. He has a cigar box. He figures the tax out in his head. So I went back to poking around. My reason for asking was that I wanted to see a book printed in the old way from linen or some rag stock paper, with fine leather cover for example.

Two weeks before I had been reading about the development of paper and how in the mid 19Th century paper manufactures went from using finer more sturdy pulp of cloth like fibers to wood pulp. Everyone knows that newsprint (the paper that gets its name from it being most commonly used by news papers) is full of acids that over time yellow and break down the fibers of the paper. But early on in the beginning of its processing history the demand came when more and more people were learning to read and write. The invention of a reliable fountain pen (or reservoir pen as it was called then) also spurred a demand for cheap paper. This, along with the steam engine, and the Fourdrinier press, made such paper in the beginning possible.

Much of the early paper made from wood pulp contained significant amounts of alum, a variety of aluminum sulfate salts that are significantly acidic. Alum was added to paper to assist in sizing the paper,[6] making it somewhat water resistant so that inks did not "run" or spread uncontrollably. The early paper makers did not realize that the alum they added liberally to cure almost every problem encountered in making their product would eventually be detrimental.[4] The cellulose fibers which make up paper are hydrolyzed by acid, and the presence of alum would eventually degrade the fibers until the paper disintegrated in a process which has come to be known as "slow fire". Documents written on rag paper were significantly more stable. The use of non-acidic additives to make paper is becoming more prevalent and the stability of these papers is less of an issue.

Paper made from mechanical pulp contains significant amounts of lignin, a major component in wood. In the presence of light and oxygen lignin reacts to give yellow materials, which is why newsprint and other mechanical paper yellows with age. Paper made from bleached kraft or sulfite pulps does not contain significant amounts of lignin and is therefore better suited for books, documents and other applications where whiteness of the paper is essential.

This is all very basic description borrowed from a link below. The science behind it (chemistry) is something I am not good at appreciating. I do have a fondness for anything that lasts a long time. It fascinates me to consider that some paper in the right conditions can survive a very long time. In fact newspaper newsprint from the early part of the 20TH century have been discovered in landfills and other situations where it was buried, and the paper was in remarkable condition. The secret is to keep it out of sunlight. Sunlight is a powerful corrosive. (For people, too).

So I wanted to see something other than the wood pulp that I have known (and only known) my whole life. Trouble is, that is all there is. In the west before wood paper there were two chief candidates (other than clay tablets) for recording thought. One was the Egyptian Papyrus (a fiber derived from a plant called the papyrus plant (duh!) and the Greek solution of parchment or vellum, which was commonly made from sheep or calf's skin. (Uck!). The stuff has a long shelf life though. Think about the Dead Sea Scrolls for example. Granted they were stored in a desert in a cave (and out of the sun!) and held in clay pots.

Paper making is said to go back to China in the 2ND century where inspired by wasps, the Han Dynasty Chinese court official Cai Lun is widely regarded to have invented the modern method of paper making. He must have gotten tired of using silk, bone, and bamboo.

But try and get parchment, or papyrus on Clark Street and they look at you like you are nuts. So I ponder the depth of fortune of sunlight, landfills, dumb luck and careful stinginess of ancient looking booksellers.

Wondrous. That is what I come to in the end. The act of reading on crumbly old cheep novels and on dirty daily rags is no less noble than on the finest silk or parchment. A shepherd boy may fling a rock into a cave and discover lost texts of the Bible or I can walk into a dusty old shop and find a treasure waiting for me.

Regardless of any form they all disappear sooner or later. It all gets washed away by weather and time. So the next time you look at a book, well...

SMILE

Its a treasure, paper or not.

Here are some web links I borrowed from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood-pulp_paper

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpapermaking.htm

http://www.tappi.org/paperu/all_about_paper/paperHistory.htm

http://www.wipapercouncil.org/invention.htm

Here are some some books:

http://www.amazon.com/Papermaking-Dover-Lettering-Graphic-Printing/dp/0486236196

From: http://www.papermaking.net/amazon.htm

The Art and Craft of Papermaking by Sophie Dawson is my favorite papermaking book. It takes you from great step by step instructions on the very basics to explanations of works by all kinds of creative paper artists. ISBN 1561381586

Papermaking with Plants by Helen Heibert is great if you want to work with natural fibers. Again it has great photography as well as easy to read instructions. Rumor has it that she is also working on a pigment book but it is not out quite yet. ISBN 1580170870 - She also has a new book out called the Papermakers Companion. It has a lot of information but pictures are small and hard to follow.

Papermaking - The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft by Dard Hunter is THE book if you are looking for information about the history of papermaking. ISBN 0486236196

The Cloudmakers by James Rumford is a darling children's book. It is a cute story about how a boy and his grandfather take their shoes off and make paper out of their sandals to save their lives. ISBN 0395765056

Paper Art - The Complete Guide to Papercraft Techniques by Diane Maurer-Mathison ISBN 0823038408

Cover to Cover - Creative Techniques for Making Beautiful Books, Journals and Albums by Shereen LaPlantz ISBN 0937274879

Virtual Proof of Reading

2008-01-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

Increase in Online Reading of Newspapers

Newspapers Online: 2007 Record Setting Year
By Marisa Peacock
Jan 25. 2008
Filed Under: newspapers nielsen online publishing web publishing

If there is any doubt that users are going online to read their news, there’s finally proof to dissuade you from thinking otherwise.

According to data released in a new report by Nielsen Online for the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), average monthly unique audience figures for newspaper Web sites grew by more than 3.6 million in 2007. This is a record year for the industry and an increase of more than six percent over 2006 numbers.

In addition, monthly unique visitors to these sites averaged 62.8 million in last year’s fourth quarter. This itself is a record as it is the largest in any quarter since NAA began tracking online usage in January 2004.

Interestingly, October proved to be a boom for newspaper Web sites as they experienced more than 63.2 million people, more than any month on record.

Well, this does make perfect sense. Where do most adults spend there time at work? I wanted post that people are reading as much news print as in 2006. The truth of the matter is that at least people are still reading. This does not say much about what they are reading, however. That would be interesting to know.

Why was there a peak in October?

If the average Googler is hopping around and stops to get the weather or read the sports section are they expecting it gratis or are they willing to pause and pay for a subscription?

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-publishing/newspapers-online-2007-record-setting-year-002243.php

Why Libraries Are So Damn Important?

2008-01-26T11:28:00.001-08:00

I am a Nerd, So Carl Sagan Makes It Sound Cool...Even All Those Greek Names...

Here is a link to info on this fabled library:

http://www.bede.org.uk/library.htm#intro

Fringe Benefits Eyeballed

2008-01-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

Is free Internet Access in Public Libraries Good for People?

Everyone say: "Yes". But up till now the burning question, ok, maybe its just smoldering, will be answered by The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will work with the University of Washington Information School (iSchool) on a national study of the social, economic, personal, and professional value of such access.

Up until now there has been no in depth study to discover the long term impact of such offerings on the house. Questions like how will this benefit communities, their families and individuals will be addressed along with negative implications. It is hoped that such research will be sound evidence of a public need, and that funding it is a priority. The intention is to draw the public into an awareness of funding needs. In other words, this isn't cheap, making technology and information exchange at this level open to all.

The iSchool will partner with the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization. The $1 million project is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

This will be an ongoing project through 2009.

Any thoughts?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6523424.html

Game Night...Library?

2008-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Woah...Dude...I Like Went to the Library and These Old People Were Playing Guitar Hero 3...

Here comes the Wii: game-maker Nintendo has decided to donate 21 of the popular games (valued at $250 each) to encourage library gaming. The recipients are the Alpena County Library, MI; the Free Library of Philadelphia; the Pasco County Library, FL; Ann Arbor District Library, MI; the New York Public Library; and the American Library Association (ALA), which will use its Wii at various events to promote library gaming initiatives.

Indeed, gaming has become a growing trend in libraries—at the recent ALA Midwinter Meeting, YALSA kicked off the show with a gaming night, with demos of Wii and games to play for the 100 or so librarians who attended. Also, Council established a Games and Gaming Member Initiative Group(MIG). The LibSuccess wiki lists nearly 20 libraries known to have Wiis, which use infrared technology to capture the user’s movement and appeal to both teens and adults.

Well don't run to you're local branch to sign up. My worry is that (sorry to be a Cassandra and all) there will be the normal complaints of when will they be available for use by general public, why can't I check out games, when are you getting World of Warcraft...All of these cost money. In typical fashion there is talk about gaming and not more about money.

In previous posts I have discussed how librarians tend not to think in fiscally independent modes, but boxy models that tend to fail them when things get tough. I am now renewing my interest in this subject.

Who is going to pick up the ravenous tab for such expenses? In poor public library systems where directors can barely keep a staff or a decent serials list where is the money going to come from? What are the implications in the public eye? OCLC studies find that most public opinion is that the library is still the place for books...but video games?

These are meant in the spirit of practical good sense. I would do anything to get every age group through those doors. But at the end of the day there is the nasty matter of the bill. Am I killing the buzz before the party happens?

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the press release I quoted:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6525309.html

What Was That Password Again?

2008-01-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

For People Like Me, A Nice Gift Idea for People on the Computer A Lot

Anyone using a computer has three major types of headaches. Connectivity and technical glitches, privacy concerns, and finally log on information. Everyone has at least one to two email accounts, and an endless list of ids and passwords to recall. When small scraps of paper, Post-its, and backs of envelope's run out I sometimes spy folks writing down such important info on the back of their hands. Storing them on the computer can be risky, too. Phishers will do anything to get into your bank accounts or retrieve credit card numbers, social security numbers too.

A good solution is to have one central place to record this all. A company named Innovation Lab Inc. is now offering a solution. The Internet Password Organizer(TM). This 122-page book provides users with a single, centralized location to store their passwords and features a wire-bound spine for easy data entry. Laminate-reinforced tabbed dividers alphabetically separate the 5.5" x 8" pages keeping passwords organized for quick information retrieval.

Each entry includes fields for web page, user name, password, and notes. Additional "Bonus" sections store information about the user's Internet Service Provider, Home Network Configuration, Product Licenses, and other indispensable information required to resuscitate a user's computer when crisis strikes.

For people still used to the notion of this it may make more sense, or so I thought. But in designing this address/domain/info organizer, Innovation Labs surveyed customers and I believe for people at a desk or work station this is just what professional could use. Mark Alexander Barros (President of Innovation Labs Inc.) said "Our conversations with people revealed a common theme. Nothing beats writing your passwords down. The problem is, where? Post-it notes and loose scraps of paper are commonly used, but locating the right one at the right time really hinders work-flow. So people tend to use the 'Forgot your Password' link quite liberally. In fact, for many, that link is their password-management solution. Our goal is to provide a practical way for people to store and retrieve this information and present it in a familiar way."

I thought in a digital world centralized by I Phone and Cell phones/Blackberries, that a software version of this that can be downloaded to a users I phone would be a great success too. That way you could take it with you and when working remotely at home (lets say you are sick and want to catch up in your bathrobe and pink fussy bunny slippers) you can look it up no problem.

However, by writing something down we tend to recall it better. I know that this works for me that way. The utopia of the Mac world excluded, this seems like a great gift idea.

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the story:

http://www.publishersnewswire.com/booknews/2008-01-0123-PNW002.shtml

Peer that Blog, Cite that Site

2008-01-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

Hybridization Daze

January 23, 2008 (Computerworld) -- A professor working on a book about digital fiction and video games has launched what some are calling the first blog-based peer-review process for an academic book.

Noah Wardrip-Fruin, an assistant professor of communication at the University of California San Diego, on Tuesday announced plans to post portions of his forthcoming book, Expressive Processing, on the Grand Text Auto blog for the next 10 weeks to seek peer review. The book to be published by MIT Press.

"Given that ours is a field in which major expertise is located outside the academy (like many other fields, from 1950s cinema to Civil War history), the Grand Text Auto community has been invaluable for my work," Wardrip-Fruin wrote in a blog post. "In fact, while writing the manuscript for Expressive Processing, I found myself regularly citing blog posts and comments, both from Grand Text Auto and elsewhere. Now I'm excited to take the blog/manuscript relationship to the next level, through an open peer review of the manuscript on the blog."

Wardrip-Fruin, a regular author at Grand Text Auto, asked his blog's readers to "please let me know if I get anything wrong. The project is very interdisciplinary, and I know some of you are experts in areas where I'm still learning. More generally, please let me know what you think of the arguments."

It is the logical expression in scholarship of popular culture that the web would find this reflection of its matrix. I began to think of communication in general. How we share and express has long been the province of print and telecommunication and now abstractly like print of a virtual mind, that is a virtual mind working away 24/7 as a human mind, although as a kind of virtual Jungian collective.

The development of the CommentPress software fascinates me. Writing in the margins of virtual text like a book is like the e-book pretending to be a print book. Strange.

Chris Joseph, digital writer in residence at the Institute for Creative Technologies at De Montfort University in the U.K., noted that although a traditional peer-review process will happen alongside the blog-based process, "we believe this experiment affirms the importance and legitimacy of online communities in the development scholarship, and [it] represents a significant step forward by an academic press into possible new hybrid models of publishing and review. With this experiment, we inch a little closer to an exciting fusion of old and new forms."

We are in a flux of hybridization of technology. Fun times! There are limits to a peer process in real/virtual time however. Most folks using the web are not using it to expressly for that purpose, but more as a free for all. It is more about that bridge for the integrity of the publisher, editor and author to remain intact, a traditional peer review must be done, blog review does have a place...

I often feel a kind of schizophrenia of the print and virtual models clashing, as I try to maintain some vestige of print organization and sensibility while working in the virtual landscape. The more I work in the virtual, the more the print rules and regulations (out of poor habit on my part) slip away like crumbling mortar holding the bricks of the old print matrix. My English teachers of past years would rightly be horrified. "What happened?" they might ask, dismayed.

Any thoughts?

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9058542&intsrc=hm_list

Gaming Bleeds Over Into Real World

2008-01-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

Gaming in Real Time or How to Get the Chick and Dinner Too

Saving the Net

2008-01-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

New O.C.L.C. Task Force is Formed to Study Storage and Preservation of Internet Content

Reliable preservation and retrieval systems have been subjects of great debate in library circles since the Internet became the hub of exchange in the information world. While it is easy to find information, it is not always the best, and the act of tagging or bookmarking, creating links to sites and files are problematic because sites change, close down, and are not often reliable.

While the Information Age has created a global network society in which access to digital information via the Internet and other means has revolutionized science, education, commerce, government, and other aspects of our lives, this technology has also spawned some unwanted side-effects. Unlike earlier mediums of information—including stone, parchment and paper—minuscule electronic "data banks" often stored in memory sticks, hard drives, and on magnetic tape are far more fragile and susceptible to obsolescence and loss.

The Internet is a highly paced structure of movement with very few sorts of reliable storage for the long haul. How many times have you clicked on a link only to find it is a dead end? Why must people who wish to find something specific in many circumstances get a needle in an information haystack? These are some of the issues that need resolving. The work of this committee in part might be to suggest methods of extraction of a great deal of quality scholarship and information that may be lost over time without better storage and retrieval systems. As it stands now even more advanced search models like Google scholar on spit out long lists of files. Often we get a lot of nothing. Often we spend a lot of time on a computer searching.

This Task Force will convene a broad set of international experts from the academic, public and private sectors who will participate in quarterly discussion panels. The group will publish two substantial reports with their findings, including a final report in late 2009 that will include a set of actionable recommendations for digital preservation, taking into account a general economic framework to establish those objectives.

Just over a week from today the task force will have its first meeting in Washington D. C.. A web site is to be established to update the activities of the task force and for people interested to post their thoughts.

Any thoughts?

http://www.oclc.org/news/releases/200692.htm

Will Buy Geeky Jetsam

2008-01-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

New Buy Back Program Could Reshape Selling Landscape

The following link is to a story on a new trend in buying throw away gadgetry. The idea is to get you, rather than purchase an extended warranty, to pay a small fee of something like 10 dollars to get a guarantee that the retailer will buy it back when you upgrade or go to the next generation of the device.

Instead of being hit up for an extended warranty next time you buy a gadget, you may find yourself hearing a pitch from TechForward Inc., a Los Angeles-based company selling a "guaranteed" buyback plan for electronics.

The idea came from Jade Van Doren, Chief Executive Officer of TechForward, while traveling in Japan where the passion for Tech is an advanced art form. "I just started thinking about ways that you could build a company around ... encouraging people to live that lifestyle of temporary ownership," he said.

The idea of encouraging a turnover is not so advanced either. All companies plan strategies that include the shelf life of their product. In Japan, states Van Doren, people change out their phone every few months. It seems a matter of re framing the American consumers mind to that of such values.

It makes sense that for an agreed on fee at the time of the original purchase that a year down the road the company would take the approach. Consider that the next generation from beta's frequently release the next generation withing the same season as Betas. People wonder, why bother buying an extended warranty when a few months latter they are in the same store looking at the latest model. So rather than pay, $50.00 dollars at a Best Buy on an extended warranty, you would shell out ten to sell back your camera phone or other device.

Sounds great, right? Well there is one small catch. As time passes by you get less investment on junk when you take it back. After one year it is $40.00, after two, it is twenty. Van Doren says it helps keep the consumer update and the retailer gets the customer to come back into their store and spend more money. Their are limits, points out the article, and not all gadgets will qualify for such constructional offers.

There are already many companies who will take your tech trash, but they don't offer money back normally. Programs like this, maintains Van Doran, will stimulate the industry and make it more tempting for someone just on the verge of buying that new toy.

It may be good too, to consider that this echo friendly solution, despite its origins of profit driving sales will appeal to recyclers and Earth friendly minded users. It sounds good to me.

Any thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/01/17/gadget.buybacks.ap/index.html

Dear Mr. Internet: Some Random Curses From the Print World

2008-01-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

Low B Average and Beer for Everyone!

It seems everyone likes to bitch about Mr. Gates. This goes along with lamenting natural disasters and questioning if there is a God or not. The only trouble is we all know that Mr. Gates exists. His ubiquitous influence over all things PC in the world is troublesome for a lot of geeks and savvy users.

In an article (see link below) on year end caps gurus state their share of bitches about Microsoft Windows Vista and in another story I find that Microsoft has a large portion of a Mexican brewery, a recent acquisition. I wonder if this is a move into other markets, where one day Mr. Gates, Rupert Murdoch, and Oprah, along with a handful of moguls will carve up the earth into some Orwellian jigsaw puzzle.

What it means to live in a corporate world? About the same as living in the Christian world when the Vatican was the final word on power, money and of course (but not least) God. Complaints are issued. Users lose what is left of there partitioned mind of 1's and 0's but Mr Gates stays at the top like Oprah stays on the cover of her monthly, modestly named "O".

Is it all shouting in the wind? Perhaps. But like a blog it feels so right to let out a little steam when the error messages stack up and you feel as if it is a personal attack.

I was advised to steer clear of Vista for a couple of years. Its a beta release and there are going to be bugs, I was warned. Yet I kind of still want it. As crazy as it sounds I am a year behind on my Windows XP (awaiting service pack 3, due in a couple of months) and feel as if I am not legitimate. Some part of me feels as if I am writing this blog out on clay tablets in cuneiform.

What is about technology that is so spirit killing? Is it the helplessness? Is it just a matter of keeping up with the Jones? I can't say. There is something neurotic about technology. Living in the beta world can leave a librarian feeling exposed and useless. I want to shout. "Wait, I got all of these books and at least they don't respond with "illegal nonvirtual" or the humbuggery of "the server is down. Try again later." Print is print. It stays that way. Digital is like smoke. I thought I just read that. No, wait a minute.

Never mind...

Any thoughts?

http://gizmodo.com/336829/microsoft-year+end-report-card-b+

2008-01-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

What is Reading? Is This Baby Reading?

Googling Good Deeds?

2008-01-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

Virtual Purse Strings and Naysayers

January 17, 2008 Google.org Spreads a Wider Philanthropic Net

SAN FRANCISCO - Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google Inc, said on Thursday it is expanding beyond funding for alternative energy to focus on projects in health and combating poverty and climate change.

Google.org is working with partners in five fields who will get $25 million in new grants and investments and help from Google employees.

Three of the projects are new, including one that will use of information technology to "predict and prevent" ecological, health or social crises in vulnerable regions. Its initial focus will be on Southeast Asia and tropical Africa.

"We want to take the advantages of Silicon Valley to the Rift Valley," said Dr. Larry Brilliant, executive director of Google.org, referring to support for projects in East Africa, in a conference call to discuss his group's plans.

Google.org mixes the star-power of the world's biggest Internet company with a change-the-world idealism that aims to inject new energy and activism into the world of philanthropy.
But critics question whether the tiny percentage of its $200 billion market capitalization Google has committed to good works is more than just a publicity stunt.

The norm may be cynicism and questioning the motivations behind this move to enter into such philanthropic ventures. But what use will come from such derision's. There aim may be being the big fish, but that is capitalism. I consider myself a liberal, and deeply concerned about issues of poverty, and ecological matters such as global warming. I support capitalism. It is good for a nation to produce a market where competition will benefit society. Technology, goods and services generally improve and are fostered when anyone can get in the game. This article also points out that Google funds projects that back small and medium-sized business in developing countries as a way to alleviate poverty and overcome the limits of both microlending -- grants usually under $500 to groups of villagers -- and conventional aid, involving grants of several-million dollars. That sounds like more than a stunt to me. If businesses in economically poor countries can get a foothold, then that is a good thing. Right?

We all seem to cross paths on a daily bases (or at least once a week at the least) with Google. For me it takes away some of the sting of my complaints knowing that some good is coming out of this behemoth's ubiquitous hold on my researching life.

Any thoughts?

Here is the full story (Italics are passages from this link):

http://www.internetnews.com/breakingnews/article.php/3722536

Start them Very Very Young

2008-01-15T23:41:00.000-08:00

Get Them Hooked!

It should be no surprise to parents and educators who are around this target audience day in and out. For librarians in the children's section it may be one more way to activate a passion for the public library. Called Web Playgrounds of the Very Young, major industry players such as Disney and Nickelodeon are getting there share of the pie. Its a booming market. “Get ready for total inundation,” said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst at the research firm eMarketer, who estimates that 20 million children will be members of a virtual world by 2011, up from 8.2 million today. Even companies like Mattel and Lego are entering the market as well.

My question, and forgive me for asking, how much learning is a kid really doing at these sites?And is it just another marketing opportunity for these giants to profit off parents who wish to find appealing zones of safety that their children may play in without fear of inappropriate content or even worse, predators.

Disney’s goal is to develop a network of worlds that appeal to various age groups, much like the company’s model. Preschool children might start with Pixie Hollow or Toon Town, another of Disney’s worlds, grow into Club Penguin and the one for “Cars” and graduate to “Pirates of the Caribbean” and beyond, perhaps to fantasy football at ESPN.com.

Most of these are more cursory skill sets and web navigation. So it could be useful in getting a child interested in using computer (not a difficult task) and in a safe and friendly way.

A good friend of mine, a neighbor, who has two nephews and three nieces says that, Vivian just turning five will sit quietly for long periods when ever her mama will turn on "Ipies" (Vivian's pronunciation of Pixie Hollow). And this is a young lady who likes to play I can say "No" louder than you, according to my neighbor.

I have checked out the links below and to be honest, they seem oriented to selling, to me. But perhaps I am cynical. If children are learning anything remotely useful, are safe, healthy, and happy, that is all that matters. Right?

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the New York Times article (italics are quoted passages):

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/business/31virtual.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Here are some of the playgrounds mentioned in the New York Times Article:

http://www.webkinz.com/index.html

http://www.clubpenguin.com/

http://www.moshimonsters.com/

http://www.stardoll.com/en/

http://play.toontown.com/webHome.php?r=431716&r=431024&r=674800&r=213428

http://disney.go.com/fairies/games/pixiehollow.html

New Database Alternative

2008-01-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

Another Option for Hungry Researchers

ProQuest Announces Aggregated Full-Text Database for Libraries

ProQuest (www.proquest.com), part of Cambridge Information Group (www.cambridgeinformationgroup.com), has launched a new aggregated full-text database for libraries called ProQuest Central. The company says it is designed to serve as the foundational research collection for academic libraries. ProQuest Central offers more than 11,000 titles (8,000 in full text) and more than 160 subject areas covering core academic disciplines.

ProQuest Central’s coverage includes core disciplines such as business and economics, medical and health, news and world affairs, science, education, technology, humanities, social sciences, psychology, literature, law, and nursing. ProQuest Central, available now, combines content from top publishers such as Cambridge University Press, Emerald Group Publishing, MIT Sloan Management Review , Palgrave, Oxford University Press, Dow Jones, and more. Multiple content types are available, including scholarly and general reference journals, newspapers, full-text dissertations, company annual reports, industry reports, country reports, working papers, and more.

What looks promising about this database is that it may be striving to be more flexible and interface with users. It also appears to have a stated goal of covering a wide variety of subjects and services.

I was unable to access the service but the press release above provides a link to the home page where you can read about it.

I would love to hear first responses from anyone who has wet there feet with it.

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the press release:

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/wndReader.asp?ArticleId=40608

New Wiki Search Engine Hardly a Splash

2008-01-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

With Fewer Results and Proprietary Questions, Wales Still Defends His Newest Search Engine as Being Full of Potential. So? Prove It.

You almost have to have a good dose of P. T. Barnum mixed with the marketing skill of William Randolph Hearst these days on the Internet. Jimmy Wales, the democratic guru of information and sharing the wealth (information that is, not money) has made a lot of promises about his new Wikia. "I’m a big believer in ‘release early, release often,’ so things are going to change a lot." says Wales. Actually when you think of it, Wiki world is at heart the ideal user based social center of the Web. It can be edited and enriched by the same people for whom it is intended. Wikia too, is an example of this same user participation. Wikia is branded as a "social" search engine, significantly different from the big names in search, such as Google and Ask.com. Wikia is hoping that the open and participatory model will make Search Wikia the place to go for search results of higher quality.

Still, the results now are turning people away, according to TechCrunch (Michael Arrington), who cites the low numbers of search results when used. Granted, it is a young pup on the market. But it shall have to grow a lot in the coming months to be able to run with the pack. Are people really even going to think Wikia when the search. Already Google is in the lexicon of slang. When someone wants an answer they "Google it."

The advantage may come in its flexibility. Google is a fixed structure, but by its very nature wiki applications can be altered in ways that others cannot. It is, (Wikia) that is billed as being far more user friendly. Wales has a big promise to keep on this one. If he fails, however, the worst that can be said is that Google will have to work a little harder for its user dollar.

Any thoughts?

Italicized portions of this post were borrowed from an article by Woody Evans titled: "We Find It All: Wikia’s New Social Search Engine"

Here is the link to the story:

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=40606

Try Wikia out:

http://www.wikia.com/

When it Feels so Right!

2008-01-12T00:11:00.000-08:00

I Would if I Could...Give a Damn About Your Problems...

And Now for Something Really Big

2008-01-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

I'm Sorry, How Much Did You Say She Took?

Borrower goes wild at library
Akron woman accused of taking 1,000 items

By Phil Trexler and Katie Byard
Beacon Journal staff writers

Published on Friday, Dec 21, 2007

By police accounts, she had 34 kids, each with a love for DVDs, books and toys.

In reality, Tammie Ware of Akron had just four kids.

And, according to officials, she also had more than 1,000 ''borrowed'' library items, ranging from movies to books to music and toys inside her home.

Some of the items were obtained with a library card, others were not. The items belonging to the Akron-Summit County Public Library and collected by police this week rang up at more than $15,000, plus about $1,000 in overdue return fees, according to police reports and library officials.

Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said it took a pickup truck to haul the materials from Ware's home this week, but the library has its stuff back, generally in good condition.

As for Ware, 36, she is facing charges of theft and receiving stolen property. She is free on bond. No phone number could be found to reach her for comment.

Hmm...There is, according to Dante, a circle of Hell reserved for people like this. Or, I could say, she must love her children very much...ha-ha-ha...

This is the stuff of urban legends. Folk songs will be written about this woman. Rightly so. At a certain point you stop being disgusted and secretly admire anyone who could run a scam like this with kids.

You will remember in Oliver Twist Fagin (Fagin was based on real-life Jewish fence Ikey Soloman,1758-1850) paternal instincts where as good as this woman's. Though I doubt a musical will be made based on her exploits any time soon.

A book on the subject is crying out to be written, however. Something on the abuse of the library systems by patrons, and the librarians secret fantasies about how they would seek revenge on selfish people.

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.ohio.com/news/12695697.html

More Than Your Typical Slap on the Wrist...

2008-01-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

New York Man Learns that His Library Means Business

By ANNE BARNARD and JO CRAVEN McGINTY
Published: December 26, 2007

It may be wrong to return a library book late — or to never return it. But how severe should the punishment be? Should it include being saddled with a bad credit score?

Abraham Kleinman says no. Mr. Kleinman, a lawyer from Uniondale, N.Y., represented a Queens man who sued Unique Management Services for reporting his $295 late bill from the Queens Library system to credit bureaus. The man, Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow, won a settlement on a technicality — Unique’s license to operate in New York State had lapsed when it reported him — but Mr. Kleinman is still angry about the tactic that was used against his client.

A library fine is not really a debt, Mr. Kleinman argues, and should not be covered by regulations that allow collection agencies to report bad consumer behavior.

“That’s his opinion,” said Kenes Bowling, a spokesman for Unique. For 15 years, the company has operated a successful “materials collection” business as a debt collector for libraries, and it relies on its ability to threaten scofflaws with negative credit reports.

When a patron fails to return a book and is then billed for it by a library, Mr. Bowling said, “it is a legitimate debt, and it is credit-reportable.”

I must agree with Mr. Bowling. Libraries ought to be able to protect their interests, and if a patron abuses privileges then often there is no other recourse. I have no knowledge of that particular libraries policies. I would assume like most they are liberal and favor cutting the patron some slack.

I laughed on reading this story. The man, a Rabbi, should know better. How honest is that for a "a man of God" to be skipping out on library fines? My instinct would be to tease him and give him one more chance to pay the bill before revoking his library card.

Everyone has heard jokes about angry librarians taking matters in their own hands. Better watch your steps. The library mafia will come and get you...ha-ha-ha...

Still, as someone who loves libraries I side with the library who stuck it to this guy. Why shouldn't it be considered a debt? The whole point is to remember that what you borrow is not your property.

No, its not like snatching purses or robing banks at gun point. More like stealing candy from a baby.

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow, shame on you!

;)

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the full story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/nyregion/26debate.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200085355-ULRAHzLJY0NjAi6qnNtGyw

Reversal of Fortune

2008-01-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

Wow, Didn't See that One Coming!

Jennifer Pinkowski -- Library Journal, 1/9/2008

A northern Illinois library will move into a space vacated by Barnes & Noble—and it's planning to keep many of the elements that have made B&N so popular with readers, including the café. Next month, the Rockford Public Library (RPL) plans to start reworking a 23,000-square-foot space for its new East Side branch, which will replace the much smaller Northeast branch. The move relocates the five-branch system's busiest library from the back of a bilevel strip mall to a stand-alone building in a centrally located shopping district. Moreover, Barnes & Noble is donating to the library most of the bookstore's fixtures, including shelves, desks, seating, and a checkout counter, which will help to reduce costs. The B&N relocated to a larger space in the local mall.

For all of us who champion libraries and their causes this is the kind of thing we want more of. I doubt that it will become a trend, however.

How often have you cruised through a superstore like B & N or Borders and felt guilty about not using the library instead?

Well, keep in mind I often see students in the cafes at B & N and Borders hard at work on their notebooks. I doubt they ever think of institution loyalty. Also keep in mind that many small branch public libraries become dumping grounds for homeless people, and that they are not any quieter than a cafe in a bookstore. This can make the public library a mixed bag and not always reliable place for peace and quiet. I hate typing that. I love libraries. But facts are facts.

Many professionals in the industry now admit their are lessons to be learned from bookstores when it comes to customer satisfaction. Its easy to find a book and you can have a lovely cup of tea or a cup of java if you prefer while reading it!

One of the reasons I believe libraries are holding their own (as mentioned in a recent PEW study) may be that Americans think of free libraries as being part of their inherited public services available to them. Free public libraries are more American than they are universal. That is Americans may simply assume that it will always be there for them.

That same report sadly finds use of public libraries drops as its patrons get older, however.

I just loved this news story. Winning one for our side is great!

Any thoughts?

Here are a couple of good links:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6517947.html

http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp

War and Loss

2008-01-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

War and Libraries Continued...

The returning Kurdish Director of the Iraq National Library is interviewed recently by the BBC. In this rather heart wrenching description of the destruction welded under Saddam Hussein's tyrannical reign of terror and the invasion which brought it to an end, we learn about his plans. With losses of over 65-90% of the libraries content, I found it very inspiring to hear about this man's passion for returning his family to his homeland and returning to building a professional life.

When you hear descriptions such as these, one feels small for complaining about some of our library issues. I am providing a link to this story.

Any thoughts?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7177208.stm

2008-01-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

A Video on...Well, You'll Get the Picture....

Resume Time!

2008-01-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

On Basics, Rules, Selling Yourself, Services, and Other Thoughts

I promised to write more on employment issues each month. This time I intend to write on resumes.

Below is a link on writing a good resume.

The key to good documents of this kind is clarity and organization. All information must be straight forward and to the point. It must be free of errors. The worst thing possible is to leave a typo or spelling error in such an important document.

Another important issue is to think of how the document will make an impression. The person reading this (most likely an HR manager) is as busy as any other professional, and will not waste any time on a resume with flaws. It will go into the trash. So keeping this in mind:

1. Keep it easy to read

That is, no strange resume paper (classic white is best) or odd fonts. The standard is Times Roman. Do not shrink the font below 12. It doesn't matter what your tastes are. You are trying to get the attention of others.

2. Keep it short

The only acceptable circumstance in which a resume is longer than a page is when it is an academic (curriculum vitae) or if you have been doing this work for a long time. Hence, experience listed should be relevant or at least demonstrate skill sets that apply to positions you are applying to.

3. Organize it with care

For example: if you are just leaving school and have very little work related experience then list your education first and then your experience. When discussing your qualities, those skill sets that make you worth interviewing, list them in bullet points, or some other logical form which is easy to read. The impression you want is that of a highly organized individual who is able to work in an autonomous and professional manner.

4. Sell yourself

The whole point of a resume is to put yourself out into a market where you will be competing with other people. Think of your resume sitting on a grocery shelf with dozens others (the grocery shelf is my clumsy symbol for a desk) who are all vying for the attention of a mother who is most likely tired or has missed lunch because she was too busy to stop and eat. You want her to see you first. She is going to read the label, so make it easy on her. Make sure she understands what a great product you are!

5. Have someone else proof read

I am a terrible proof reader. Actually many writers are. Getting a second set of eyes (usually fresh and disconnected from what they are reading) will almost always see mistakes that you have missed. Get someone who is good at it though. Normally they will do it as a favor. They enjoy doing it.

6. Be Cautious of Resume writing services

There are excellent services that can do all of these things for you. But they cost a boat load of money. If you have the money to spare, then fine. Go for it! My experience, however, is that recent grad students don't normally have a lot of money to spend. Read up on the service. Look for testimonials. How long have they been in business? Be smart. If you have any doubts, do not get that credit card out. Don't spend a lot of money on books either. If you must use them go to a library and take notes, or if you must, a Borders and sit with a nice cup of tea in the cafe.

I hope this brief discussion gets you thinking (its only a start) on what is one of the most important pieces of paper in your life. Like your birth certificate it is vital as a professional that it is smart and up to date.

Here are some links!

http://www.rogers-resume-help-center.com/sample-librarians-resume.html

http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm#start

http://www.questcareer.com/tips.htm

http://www.free-resume-tips.com/10tips.html

http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html

http://www.resume-help.org/resume_writing_tips.htm

http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/resumes/

Some Good Services (keep in mind they charge):

http://www.resumeedge.com/

http://www.resumewriters.com/

http://www.careerperfect.com/content/professional-resume-writing-services-overview?partner=resumelines&cpsrc=resume_main

http://www.1-on-1-resumes.com/

http://www.employment911.com/resumes/resume-writing.asp?B=357&A=2373

http://www.blueprintresumes.com/#a2179l1hx

http://www.aspirationsresume.com/

Coming Soon:
Cover Letters!

A Matter of Privacy

2008-01-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

Dirty Little Secrets and Their URL'S

I am posting this in full with a link because it is so interesting:

AskEraser: Privacy Potential by Greg R. Notess Posted On January 3, 2008

As web searching becomes ever more common in all aspects of our lives, the issue of our online privacy, or lack thereof, is an increasing concern. Searches and visits can be, and usually are, tracked and logged by any website. The information recorded can include a user’s IP address, the previous URL visited, the browser and operating system used, information in cookies set by that site, and search terms used. While none of this information can necessarily identify a specific user, the August 2006 release of AOL search data (see the NewsBreak at http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbreader.asp?ArticleID=17374) showed that some personally identifiable information may be extracted from just a series of search queries.
On Dec. 11, 2007, Ask.com (http://www.ask.com/) introduced AskEraser as one way to help combat concerns with searching privacy. It gives searchers the ability to choose whether or not to preserve their own privacy when searching Ask. By default, it is not turned on, but the AskEraser link is featured in the upper right-hand corner of Ask pages. Users can click that link for the option to turn AskEraser on. AskEraser is available on the main U.S. Ask.com site and at the U.K. version (http://www.uk.ask.com/).

While most search engines (including Ask) have previously stated that they will not keep search log data for longer than 18 months, AskEraser gives users the ability to have their data deleted sooner than that. Patrick Crisp, a spokesman for Ask.com, said that "with AskEraser, we’re in a very real sense laying down a strong industry ‘marker’ that we expect others will follow."

With AskEraser turned on, all Ask cookies are deleted from the browser and one new cookie is set, which only tells Ask that AskEraser is enabled. "Within hours" of a search being run, AskEraser promises that the search activity will be deleted from its log files. Once that deletion has occurred, Ask no longer has any record of those specific searches. The information deleted includes the following:

The IP address of the computer being used
Cookies containing user ID or session ID information
The text of the search query
Older search activity from before the launch of AskEraser or from searches run without an enabled AskEraser will be retained in the logs for 18 months after the search was run.

This is not a simple process. Note that since the concept was first announced in July (www.irconnect.com/askj/pages/news_releases.html?d=123324), it took Ask months to implement it. Part of the difficulty is that logs are automatically recorded for all searches, and getting specific search activity deleted requires additional actions from the search company. This is also why the deletion from the log files takes several hours and does not happen right away.

The Exceptions
Of course, there are exceptions. By no means does AskEraser create a completely anonymous web browsing session. All other servers beyond Ask’s can still track visit information. In addition, some information is passed to Ask’s advertising partner, Google, so that the text ads displayed are connected to the search query.

At first glance, this seems to defeat the whole purpose of deletion of search activity. If Ask deletes it but has to pass all of that information to Google’s ad servers, what privacy is gained? The difference is that all of the information that Ask would gather is not necessarily passed on to the Google ad servers. Unfortunately, Ask cannot comment on the specifics of which data is transmitted to Google. Even so, it is obvious that it would need to pass the query itself to be able to get ads connected with the query keywords. It also seems unlikely that there would need to be any passing of IP address or cookie information. Until either Google or Ask is willing to release more information about what data is passed, users should probably assume that Google ad servers are gathering at least some level of data, but not necessarily more than that which would be gathered from visiting any site that displays Google ads.

Two other unusual exceptions that Ask mentions in its About AskEraser page (http://sp.ask.com/en/docs/about/askeraser.shtml) are for critical technical issues and for a legal request from law enforcement. In the event that search activity data is need "to solve a critical technical issue … search activity data may be retained for a longer period. At the time of technical resolution all search activity data of AskEraser users that was retained will be deleted." As to the legal requirements, "even when Ask Eraser is enabled, we may store your search activity data if so requested by law enforcement or legal authority pursuant to due process." Both of these situations could occur at any other website. At least Ask is upfront about stating the possible exceptions.

AskEraser has also been criticized by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and other privacy advocates (see www.epic.org/privacy/ask/EPIC_%20AskEraser.pdf) for several perceived flaws, which the groups see as correctable. The complaints include the use of a cookie to keep AskEraser enabled and the inclusion of a time stamp within that cookie. Also, in the exceptions for court-requested tracking, Ask should alert that user that AskEraser is not functioning.

One other cookie-related issue relates to Ask users outside of the U.S. and the U.K. Such users can go into the Ask preferences to specify that they wish to use Ask.com rather than another international version, but if they then turn on AskEraser, it will erase the cookie that remembers that preference. So, AskEraser does not appear to be easily available to those users until it is enabled on the other international sites.

The Privacy Alternative

The recent emphasis from several search engines on searcher privacy in the last few years is in contrast to the opposite recent emphasis on search histories and personalized search. Ask introduced MyJeeves (now known as MyStuff) in September 2004 (http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbreader.asp?ArticleID=16364). Other search engines soon followed (http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbreader.asp?ArticleID=16219) with a variety of search history features.

No numbers are available for the percentage of searchers who log in and enable the tracking of their search histories. Nor is Ask sharing any numbers of active AskEraser users. Based on the time that each system has been available, it is likely that many more searchers use Ask’s MyStuff than AskEraser. Crisp notes that Ask is "happy with the usage of MyStuff" and that it "know[s] that users who are using it really love it."

AskEraser and MyStuff demonstrate how a search engine can offer users options in both directions. Those who wish to have more information tracked and recorded for their own use can log in, enable MyStuff, and be able to view their own prior searchers. For those more concerned with privacy, "AskEraser is designed for that subset of our users who would like more control over their data," says Crisp.For searchers who have personal or business reasons to keep their searching as private as possible, AskEraser offers a tool to help keep such information out of search engine logs. While it does not yet offer full anonymity of searching, it is one more new attempt to give users more choices in protecting their online privacy.

Greg R. Notess is the internet columnist for ONLINE and the author of Teaching Web Search Skills (www.notess.com/teaching) and SearchEngineShowdown.com.

Clearly there is no such thing as total privacy today. I am not suspicious by nature so I do not fear people knowing my online activity. It is quite tedious. Between my occasional gaming, online reading of library topics, and visits to Amazon and Ebay, I would not be the fodder of scandal sheets. I do represent information however. I am a consumer of goods. I am an information consumer too. Google likes to follow trends, so I am a water molecule in the bucket, so to speak.

There are two basic kinds of search engines.

The first are web crawlers. Google is the most successful of these. Each time a site is visited your IP address is recorded along with recent history of others sites visited. Google has a series of programs that gather this information from sites and records the trends. It has a listing based on the sites use. The more the sight is visited the higher it is on the results list, or indexes. When you or I uses Google we type in search terms that are used to pull up files (sites, that is their URL'S).he Its kind of a hit or miss. It is a crude way of getting results at times however. Tens of thousands of sites are ordered according to their popularity, and based on the terms you put in.

The other big kind of search index is a directory that is based on human indexing. Squidoo is a good example of this, as well as Stumble Upon. A site owner enters a description of the site and its content. Listing means nothing. What is important is the description of it. Sites that are well designed and have excellent info that is updated on a regular basis often get reviews of it and thus better coverage.

There are also sites that use a combination of these techniques. This was very common in early search engines. For more information on search engines and how they work, I have provided some extra links below.

Privacy may be better thought of as a contract. When we log on through a provider we are agreeing to its terms of use. When we visit a site the same applies. By my way of thinking it is absurd to think that we can enjoy the same level of privacy that we do in our homes. When I was a kid I had a brother and sisters. The only privacy I ever got was in the bathroom. I also think that as Americans, we have a rather inflated concept of human rights at times. We live in what is defined as a democratic state. The truth, however is not so black and white. Like the privacy matter we have shades of rights, and with that many responsibilities. What attracts me most to public libraries (my chosen field) is that they depend on democratic principles to operate in the interest of the public. This of course does not mean we can offer our patrons everything they ask for. That is impossible. The same is true of the Internet.

As the article above suggests, we can afford levels of privacy, but invisibility is not one of them. Its in the contract. And that is the way it is. It is left for you decide, and live with the choices you make.

Any thoughts?

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=40526

http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=2168031

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/search-engine.htm

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2003/HowWebSearchEnginesWork.asp

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/SearchEngines.html

Email Greg R. Notess

Me Read Big Book One Day

2008-01-06T05:08:00.000-08:00

America’s Most Literate Cities, 2007

The Top Ten

1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Seattle, WA
3. St. Paul, MN
4. Denver, CO
5.Washington, DC
6. St. Louis, MO
7. San Francisco, CA
8. Atlanta, GA
9. Pittsburgh, PA
10. Boston, MA

Drawing from a variety of available data resources, the America’s Most Literate Cities study ranks the 69 largest cities (population 250,000 and above) in the United States. This study focuses on six key indicators of literacy: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources. The original study was published online in 2003 at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. A link to the 2004 rankings is provided here. The 2005 rankings were published online at Central Connecticut State University and are accessible here. The 2006 rankings are here.

Dr. John W. Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University, is the author of this study. Research for this edition of AMLC was conducted in collaboration with the Center for Public Policy and Social Research at CCSU

I must admit that my heart skipped a beat after reading this. How often have I sworn that I would put down that TV remote and pick up (from a growing stack of books near my bed) what I had lied about reading in conversation with someone. Yes, I know! Reading is for learning, not for impressing.

Then I paused. I considered the population of these cities. Larger cities such as New York, L.A. and my town (Chicago) are not even mentioned. Could it be that the numbers are so low, or where they even gathered? I then thought of how the sources of information were gathered, that is the industries. Data was gathered from Booksellers; Educational attainment; Internet Resources; Library Resources; Newspaper Circulation; and Periodical publications.

OK, most of these are sources which report sales. The only other is educational attainment.

OK say that again?

Methodology:

Selection of Cities for Inclusion Cities were selected based on their 2005 U.S. Census population figures. The study was limited to those cities with a population of 250,000 or larger.

OK

Newspaper Data:

For the newspaper database, the daily and Sunday circulation figures for the March 2006 reporting period from the Publisher’s Statements were obtained from the Audit Bureau of Circulation website (http://www.accessabc.com/).

Internet Data Figures

For the Internet accessibility database were obtained from Intel Corporation’s 3rd Annual "Most Unwired Cities" survey, which ranks the top 100 U.S. cities and regions for the greatest wireless Internet accessibility.

Magazines and Journals

Data Figures for this database were gathered from the web edition of the National Directory of Magazines (2004-2005) for magazines and the Standard Periodical Directory (2005) for journals through the www.MediaFinder.com website of Oxbridge Communications. Only those journals with a total circulation of 500 or more were included, and only those magazines with a total circulation of 2,500 or more were included.

Booksellers and Stores Data

For this database, information was gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau website (http://www.census.gov (2005 population)), as well as Yellow Pages, Inc. (http://www.yellowpagesinc.com (2006)) for information on retail, rare, and used booksellers. Also, the American Booksellers Association site (http://www.bookweb.org (2006)) was used for independent bookseller information.

Educational Attainment Data

For this database, information was gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau’s “American Factfinder” website (http://factfinder.census.gov), specifically from the results of the American Community Survey, 2005.

Political Affiliation and Literacy:

The data on 2004 presidential voter preferences was provided by Jason Alderman of The Bay Area Center for Voting Research in conjunction with the BACVR’s “The Most Conservative and Liberal Cities in the United States” study. According to Alderman, “The goal of this research was to rank America’s most liberal and conservative cities based on the voting returns of the 2004 United States presidential election.

And Finally:

Library Data:

Information regarding library staff per capita, volumes per capita, circulation per capita, and branches per capita were gleaned from National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) database, specifically the “Library Statistics Program” and its “Public Libraries Survey FY2004.”

So why are the most populous cities not in the top 10? Are we too busy to read? Too tired to drag the kids to the library? Are we on line but looking at porn, not reading the Op/Ed page of the New York Times, or downloading e-books at least? Are large numbers of children and poor still lagging behind despite the efforts of No Child Left Behind?

Yet what is the quality of reading materials in the reported "most literate" urban centers? I see people reading. However, is it enough? Shouldn't Mayor Daley of Chicago find this bothersome? After all, the city is pouring millions of tax dollars into the public library system here in Chicago. Are we doing the best we can to market the library then?

I just have so many damn questions about this. It disturbs me that Chicago, New York, and L.A. don't even make the bottom of the top 10 list.

From a related article in the Science Codex I find:

This is the fifth year the study has been conducted, and its author, Central Connecticut State University President Dr. Jack Miller, reports that his research also substantiates recent studies (such as the National Endowment for the Arts’ To Read or Not to Read) indicating that Americans are reading less and reading less well.

In an overview statement, Dr. Miller notes the growing concern for the decline in Americans’ reading habits and abilities. His review of five years of data shows that as Americans have become more educated, they are reading less: newspapers are disappearing and the numbers for bookstores per capita are decreasing. Yet there are bright spots in this disturbing trend: magazines have proliferated broadly, online reading has increased substantially, and libraries are holding their own.

Dr. Miller’s sources include U.S. Census data, audited newspaper circulation rates, and information on magazine publishing, educational attainment levels, library resources, and booksellers. The information is compared against population rates in each city to develop a per capita profile of the city’s long-term literacy practices and resources.

Yes, I am glad that libraries are stable, but the fact of quality and quantity is disturbing. This is very upsetting. Its a steady decline. Despite efforts are we losing the battle?

And what is the correlation between education levels and reading less? Shouldn't that be the opposite? And what is that saying about our education system? See more questions. By my reasoning, limited I confess, it would mean more reading if folks were more educated.

Could there be a misreading of the stats here?

Any thoughts?

http://www.ccsu.edu/AMLC07/Default.htm

http://www.ccsu.edu/AMLC06/Methodology.htm

http://www.sciencecodex.com/list_most_literate_cities_in_america

Keeping It Safe

2008-01-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

What Would You Do?

A Misplacement of Vigilance
Posted January 5th, 2008 by Great Western Dragon

An interesting editorial from Atlanta talks about the policies of the Atlanta Fulton County Public Library when it comes to adults using the children's area of the library. Apparently it's against policy for an adult to be in the children's section if they're not with a child. In an age of seeming rampant pedophilia, that makes sense, at least on the face of it.

But I think a library staff member at AFCPL said it best in the article when she explained that the policy is backwards. The library shouldn't prohibit adults without kids, rather they should prohibit kids without adults.

This is a tricky one. Growing up in a small town we (my brothers and sisters and I included) were left to roam free. It was believed the most dangerous thing in a library was our own destructive force (kids are messy).

But there is a great threat to children's safety on the web and in public places. Most libraries struggle to keep running and when staff and security is cut due to budget problems, well...Should the library be responsible?

I say no. But then I have no children. I have not had to suffer the worries and strife that most parents must deal with day to day. Most households are places where two incomes are needed to support the family. Children are left wide open to all sorts of dangers...drugs, perverts, and other criminal influences. But still, even when my parents were out they took our actions (those of my own and my brother and sisters) as reflecting on them. They looked out for us and taught us right and wrong.

Is it unreasonable to forbid adults without children in the children's library? Yes, I believe so. Yet then again I have no children or interest in going into the children's section. I have everything in the adult section.

However, it is completely normal for parents to be suspicious of strangers being around there children. In fact I would worry that a parent would not show concern. In a confusing setting with children running around I can see where something horrible could happen. An over tasked librarian or clerk could tragically miss witnessing a crime or be unaware of it as it is happening. Keep in mind, as well, that librarians are not trained as security guards.

So what is the answer?

1. Parents should accompany their children in public places.
2. Parents should teach their children never to speak or trust strangers. If a child is approached by a stranger that child should run and find the nearest authority figure.
3. Library's must not ever assume legal responsibility for the welfare of children. Administrators must do their best to cover the basics.

If a child is found alone that child must be removed to a place of safety until the child's parent or guardian can be located.

So the policy should be: no children should be allowed alone in the library.

Any thoughts?

http://www.lisnews.org/

A Good Idea?

2008-01-04T02:44:00.000-08:00

More Law or Better Classes?

New legislation is now in Congress concerning intellectual property. PRO-IP which is an acronym for "Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property", may substantially reshape copyright and how the rights of creators are fought for, along with possibly changing how the public gets its information.

Behind this legislation is the aim to crack down on infringement of works copyrighted and otherwise to aid in the following:

1. Stricter penalties for criminal and civil infringement.
2. Elimination of registration requirement to pursue criminal penalties.
3. Create an independent branch of government from the
White House with more authority to go after offenders.

I am including a link below to the full story. I think it is in every ones interest to take this matter very seriously.

It could have long range implications in concerns with the Internet, libraries, schools, and anyone who is in a class of information consumers who could struggle with additional cost to access information.

I am all for looking out for the rights of artists, authors, their publishers, and so on... My concern is that we may widen the information gap that technology has been closing by making so much available on line for free. This should be proceeded with caution in my opinion.

Any thoughts?

The link:

http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=40519

Web 2.0

2008-01-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

Consolidating Scholarship

2008-01-02T01:33:00.000-08:00

Cheaper monographs?

New Collaboration for Scholarly Publishing
Posted January 1st, 2008 by Blake

Electronic Publications
Publishing
New Collaboration for Scholarly Publishing Five university presses have announced a collaboration that seeks to find a way to reduce costs of scholarly publishing and to allow more books to be released. The collaboration, created with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will set up a joint operation for copy editing, design, layout and typesetting for the work in American literatures. The presses will retain complete control over book selection and distribution.

Its not clear from this that the saving will translate in savings for libraries. For years university presses have struggled to keep open. It was never a big profit line venture certainly. A collaboration or consortium or whatever the contracts state will be a benefit in a long run anyway to most libraries. It is a fantastic solution. When an organization joins a larger funding group it enjoys the benefits.

It will be interesting to see what happens with this. Lots of people still talk about the death of books still. But like most it is impossible for me to conceive of my life without them.

Any thoughts?

Here is my source for this news:

http://www.lisnews.org/node/28696

Public Libraries Open Gates for Librarians Too

2008-01-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! This is Great!

Threatened by the Internet? Music Biz Should Rock Like Librarians
Written by Marshall Kirkpatrick

December 31, 2007 10:48 AM

At the risk of jinxing things - I think it's pretty clear that there's a historic shift underway between activities we used to engage in offline and things we now do online. It's no surprise, for example, that CD sales were down 20% this US holiday season while online shopping was up 19%. That's how it works, right? People are moving from one marketplace to another, more virtual one.

Another dataset released this weekend, however, paints a more complex picture. According to the newest study from the Pew Internet and American Life Center - the youngest, most affluent and most Internet-connected adults in the US are also the most likely to visit a physical library. It wasn't that way just 10 years ago. How many other legacy industries can you think of today that can say their strongest growth is among young, affluent, power-Internet users? Something is going very right in library land. The music business ought to pay close attention to what's going on there.

As many librarians (and perhaps the most savvy people in the music business) can tell you, the Internet does not have to replace offline activities one-to-one, as a zero-sum game. Both planes, if you will, can provide essential value ads to each other - and thus "make the pie higher," as they say.

The Pew study found that 62 percent of Americans aged 18-30 are active library users, the percentage drops sharply at age 50 and falls to 32 percent of those 72 and up. Library use is highest, the study found, among young people who have Internet access at home. Just a handful of years ago it was widely believed that home Internet access would be the death of the public library.

Well, there it is! Everyone talks about the death of the American public library, but this and other recent surveys have demonstrated a need for a meeting place of sorts to continue their life long learning.

Granted, the numbers can stand improvement. This is especially true of seniors, who's participation drops as they reach well into their 70's. Also, if one considers that people are living longer or are expected to, then the public library has many profiles to market to.

It is amazing that even with Internet access in the home, the average 18-30 something still found visiting their local public library a must in their busy schedule. Yeah! Now lets reel them in. Their concerns are both family oriented and technologically riding the next wave of communication and information exchanges.

I am reminding anyone interested in the solid advice of Michael Stephens, whom I quoted earlier in the post "Tech Trends":

So here's this year's list, with a new name: "Trends" instead of "Things." Sure it puts a finer point on it but it also recognizes the changes in my thinking about the essential duties of librarians:

-Learn to Learn
-Adapt to Change
-Scan the Horizon

As we carry out or essential mission of service, stewardship and access, I really want folks in libraries to be able to watch the horizon for trends -- and I told the group that in Toronto: "We can all be trendspotters. We can all watch for trends that impact not only the profession but our specific communities and user groups." Please ponder these and let me know what you think.

1. (Learn to Learn) Listen to what patrons say about the library. Their perceptions of the service and resources we provide are vital to the libraries effectiveness. (Without which it wouldn't publicly exist.) Learn from these active home makers and career oriented patrons. They contribute to local tax bases, they vote, they want us to be on their side whenever they drop by. We should be grateful for it. And I know anyone reading this is concerned about how technology is changing the way we converge, communicate and create these opportunities. It is an ongoing process like any ongoing continued education. We are becoming librarians all over each time we encounter a patron.

2. (Adapt to Change) This is my favorite. For personal reasons, however. I am a Buddhist, and am used to hearing the droning bell of suffering and attachment. As long as we cling to a tradition in the face of what comes, we are moving away from a productive mission of service. (A) We can no longer go back to the card catalog and to a time when bibliographic standards ruled the cosmos of information. (B) Rubrics of MARC tags and LC classification held us in static hold, we must accept what I heard one librarian describe as a kind of "kangaroo court". The Internet does seem to resemble a kind of mock indexing of everything that is tossed into the mix. If one considers how social software has impacted on public spaces, and the general freedom that results, it is a scary place at times. But that is no reason to think that we are not needed. Exactly the opposite. We have never been needed more. We are in a flux of change, a beta mode because of the speed at which information is exchanged. Science moves faster, technology moves faster and faster, and tools are replaced by other tools before a second generation even comes out. Habituation is like death.

(Scan the Horizon) It is out there now. On the web and in libraries. The changes are occurring as I type this. Quite exciting. Open oneself to the experience of strange and unfamiliar service orientations, priority is on the development of or growth out of our hobgoblins of fixation and classification.

A. It is a Conversation. (Library 2.0) It becomes open ended. The endless stream is unfixed in print senses completely. It is about expansion (organically speaking) of the flow of exchanges. People want to talk. There are countless new ways to do it in and at a pace like never before.

B. It is a Convergence. Stephens points out that it is the process, not the endpoint that matters.
He further borrows the following: This altered relationship privileges 'expressions' over 'impressions'; engaged consumers draw together information across multiple media experiences...This explosion of exchange is all about itself and less about end results that define a consumer. A person is Googling, for example. I have a friend who is a fellow "YouTuber". I have the new phone, I am connected...but its not like saying: "I am." It is saying: "I do." It is about the changing consumer flows that challenge industries and information outlets

C. It is a Content. Next Stephens borrows from a report of the "New Media Consortium". In it trends of audience consumption finds: User-Created Content. It’s all about the audience, and the “audience” is no longer merely listening. User-created content is all around us, from blogs and photostreams to wikibooks and machinima clips. See?

D. LIS Jobs Redefined. The following considering the exchange of information and user centered service: Libraries may want to evaluate and redefine certain jobs as we move more and more into a user-centered, user-driven environment, in which primary duties may include creating online tools for collaboration and creation, developing innovative programs, and serving as instructors and "strategy guides" for users. I simplify here: but they include the building of structures for users and professionals, and following that they develop electronic resources a rapidly developing information environment.

This briefly touches on a much more meaningful and cogent discussion of information trends than can be afforded here. I hope this will be interesting to anyone reading. The article that prompted this post is evidence that our opportunities are open. We need only be open to them.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/libraries-rock.php

http://tametheweb.com/2007/03/ten_tech_trends_for_librarians_1.html

Happy New Year from the Nude Librarian!

2007-12-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

Some Thoughts, Ancient Passing, Modern Celebration, What We Vow, What We Accomplished When We Vowed, Vocalizing, On Childish Customs, Why What You Eat at 12:01 AM Counts ...

Every year my neighbors clear out for a night of what they defend as their earned privilege to drink and party the new calendar in. I too have done my best to keep French wineries in business in the past, and despite my current preferences for a good book and a nice cup of tea will still reach for a glass of champagne.

But what does this holiday mean from past to present? How much of the history of this most ancient of holidays do you know about?

Here are a few historical facts, and traditions for you to consider as you step out in the next few days to carry on the tradition of all traditions.

Origins:

Originally observed on March 15 in the old Roman Calendar, New Year's Day first came to be fixed at January 1 in 153 BC, when the two Roman consuls, after whom - in the Roman calendar - years were named and numbered, began to be chosen on that date, for military reasons. However in AD 525, Dionysius Exiguus set the start of the Julian calendar at March 25 to commemorate the Annunciation of Jesus; a variety of Christian feast dates were used throughout the Middle Ages to mark the New Year, while calendars often continued to display the months in columns running from January to December in the Roman fashion.

Among the 7th-century druidic pagans of Flanders and the Netherlands it was the custom to exchange gifts at the New Year, a pagan custom deplored by Saint Eligius (died 659 or 660), who warned the Flemings and Dutchmen, "[Do not] make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another Yule custom]." The quote is from the vita of Eligius written by his companion Ouen.

Most countries in Western Europe officially adopted January 1 as New Year's Day somewhat before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. This is sometimes called Circumcision Style, because this was the date of the Feast of the Circumcision, being the eighth day counting from 25 December.

Further information: Julian calendar#New Year's Day, Lunisolar calendar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year

How To Sing:

Auld Lang Syne

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne.

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearcelebrations.html

Juvenile:

European New Year Celebrations -->

In France, for the New Year (Peille Fete) the children write New Years letters and send them to their mother with good wishes and apologies for any wrongdoings during the past year.

In Great Britain, part of the festivities includes the “burning of the bush,” or burning up the past year. Also, there are the “first footers,” the persons who are first to cross the threshold in the New Year. They should arrive bearing gifts, usually food. At midnight, on the first stroke the back door is opened to release the Old Year. Then the door is locked to keep in the luck and the front door is opened at the twelfth stroke to let in the New Year.

In Greece and Scotland first visitors on New Years are important. And in Scotland, the first footers should bring gifts of bread, salt, and coal.

In Denmark, this is a night of pranks and jokes for young people. Children ring the doorbell and run. Finally, at the end of the evening the children are “caught” and brought indoors for treats.

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/new-years/resource/8456.html

Traditions and Cultures/New Year's Bibliography:

The following link is to a great bibliography I found from McCain Library of the Agnes Scott College...

http://library.agnesscott.edu/about/exhibits/2006%20New%20Year%20Traditions-%20Bibliography.htm

Hoppin' John:

Each year I start off with an authentic dish of Hoppin' John. Tradition has that it brings good luck. For my own experience, I find that it just tastes great.

Hoppin' John History

Hoppin' John is found in most states of the South, but it is mainly associated with the Carolinas. Gullah or Low Country cuisine reflects the cooking of the Carolinas, especially the Sea islands (a cluster of islands stretching along the coats of south Carolina and northern Georgia). Black-eyed peas, also called cow peas, are thought to have been introduced to America by African slaves who worked the rice plantations. Hoppin' John is a rich bean dish made of black-eyed peas simmered with spicy sausages, ham hocks, or fat pork, rice, and tomato sauce.

This African-American dish is traditionally a high point of New Year's Day, when a shiny dime is often buried among the black-eyed peas before serving. whoever get the coin in his or her portion is assured good luck throughout the year. For maximum good luck in the new year, the first thing that should be eaten on New year's Day is Hoppin' John. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, many southern families toast each other with Champagne and a bowl of Hoppin' John. If it is served with collard greens you might, or might not, get rich during the coming year.

There are many variations to traditional Hoppin' John. Some cook the peas and rice in one pot, while others insist on simmering them separately.

Most food historians generally agree that "Hopping John" is an American dish with African/French/Caribbean roots. There are many tales or legends that explain how Hoppin' John got its name:

It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and hop around the table before sitting down to eat.

A man named John came "a-hoppin" when his wife took the dish from the stove.
An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, "Hop in, John."
The dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a crippled black man who was know as Hoppin' John.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoppinJohn.htm

The Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
2 medium onions, divided
3 large cloves garlic, halved
1 bay leaf
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 green onions, sliced

PREPARATION:
In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/blackeyedpeas/r/bl80308c.htm

Finally:

Consider the celebration of ancient Rome. The first day of the New Year honored Janus - the god of gates and doors and beginnings and endings. The month of January was named after this god. Janus had two faces. One looked ahead to see what the new year will bring and the other looked backward to see what happened during the past year. So this is how the Romans celebrated. They also gave their friends gifts. Often gifts were given to Senators in exchange for favors.

We thus all have been personally motivated to make sacrifices in the hope of possible rewards and good fortune in the coming year. Be it a bribe to a highly placed government official or the simple resolution to lose weight or read more or work harder, we are vying with fortune for happiness.

What are your resolutions? What do you expect in the coming year? As you go out and party, are you secretly cutting a deal with the powers that be? Or like the spirit which drives this annual celebration, are you in all of its youthful excess celebrating the success which you enjoy or has passed?

Any thoughts?

Merry Christmas from the Nude Librarian!

2007-12-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

HO HO HO!/JINGLE BELLS....BATMAN SMELLS/I'M DREAMING OF A [SANE] CHRISTMAS...You Know the Drill

So what is Christmas? Here is a list of links answering the basics of Christmas history and origin:

Christmas Defined – A basic explanation of Christmas that explores the divinity of Jesus Christ and why he is not only central to the celebration of Christmas but was also instrumental in the establishment of Christmas as an observance long before his birth in this world.

Christmas Before Christ — Christmas was celebrate before Jesus was born. This article explores the history of Christmas from the beginning of time using scripture and prophetic revelation. This history not only provides proper context when considering the day we call Christmas it serves as a reminder of our purpose in this life.

The Real First Christmas — Many mistakenly think of the Nativity as the first Christmas. The real first Christmas was an event that took place long before Christ was born. In this expanded explanation of Christmas origins we remember a Christmas in which every soul that has or ever will live on the face of the earth took part.

Two Christmas Babies — The Nativity didn’t feature the birth of just one Child. There were two. This is a fascinating look at the more human side of the Christmas story featuring an extraordinary child who would grow up to be called the Greatest Prophet of them all and another child who would be known as The Savior.

The Women of Christmas — Mary & Elizabeth, central characters in the Christmas story, are examples of extraordinary faith, devotion and miracles.

********************************************************

Under the Messy Tree List of Books:

HISTORY:

"Inventing Christmas: How Our Holiday Came to Be" Jack Elliot, University of California Press: 2007

"All About Christmas" Maymie R. Krthye, Harper Collins: 1955

"The Book of Christmas Folklore" Tristram Coffin, Seabury Press: 1973

"The Truth About Santa Clause" James Cross Giblin,T.Y. Crowell: 1985

"Christmas Around the World" Mary D. Lankford, Harper Trophy: 1998

"Just Say Noel: a History of Christmas from the Nativity to the Nineties" David Comfort, Simon and Schuster Inc: 1995

ANTHOLOGY

"Christmas Stories" ed. Diana Secker Tesdell, Everyman Library: 2007

I wish a happy holiday season to all library lovers. AND AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here are some cool links:

http://www.boulder.lib.co.us/youth/holidays/christmas/christmas1.html

http://www.realchristmas.com/christmas-library/

So You Want to be a Rock Star, And Wear Wigs?

2007-12-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

Surgeons Who Play

2007-12-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

Bang Bang! The Doctor Says: You're Not Dead!

Surgeons who play video games more skilled - U.S. study
19 Feb 2007 21:00:22 GMT19 Feb 2007 21:00:22 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO, Feb 19 (Reuters Life!) - Playing video games appears to help surgeons with skills that truly count: how well they operate using a precise technique, a study said on Monday.
There was a strong correlation between video game skills and a surgeon's capabilities performing laparoscopic surgery in the study published in the February issue of Archives of Surgery

You will have heard of this study by now.

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From Scientific America:

Action-Packed Video Games a Sight for Sore Eyes
New study shows that an adult brain's visual cortex can be retrained, which could help people with "lazy" eye see crowded letters more clearly.
By Lisa Stein

EYE CANDY: New study finds that playing action video games may actually be sweet for vision.— REDLINK/CORBIS

Could it be? Could playing video games, long blamed by parents for turning their teens into fat, lazy bums, be good for something? Studies have linked nonstop video gaming to such ills as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, not to mention the current obesity epidemic plaguing this nation's young.On the positive side, some research has shown that playing video games can improve eye-hand coordination and visual attention—the ability to search for a target in a jungle of objects, to monitor several items at once, and to keep track of a steady stream of objects zipping swiftly by.And now comes more good news for video game aficionados. A new study, set to be published in the journal Psychological Science, shows that playing fast-paced, action-filled video games significantly sharpens vision, enabling gamers to see tiny, tightly packed letters more clearly.The reason? "Action video game play changes the way our brains process visual information," says study author Daphne Bavelier, noting that after just 30 hours, video gamers showed "a substantial increase in the spatial resolution of their vision." Translation: "They could see figures like those way down on an eye chart more clearly," she says, "even when other symbols crowded in."Bavelier, an associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, says the findings are helping scientists design a way to aid people with amblyopic or "lazy" eye. Amblyopic patients often have trouble discerning normal-size font in a clutter of other letters (such as in newspapers) in much the same way that others might have difficulty reading the fine print in ads and on pill packaging (because the letters seem to collide or run into one another)."We think action video game playing trains the same part of the visual cortex (located in the back of the brain) as that which has a dysfunction in people with lazy eye," Bavelier says. "This is showing us a new path forward for rehabilitation. By combining more traditional methods for doing rehabilitation with these games, we should be in a better position to reopen the visual cortex to learning."

Which shows some of its suggested medical benefits.

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Also:

From an article from the Minnesota Daily:

Assistant professor of psychology and computer science Paul Schrater said he has been interested in perceptual motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination, for over a decade.

Tyler McKeanFirst-year students Andy Fischer, right, and David Reimann play “Halo 3” on Tuesday in Territorial Hall. “I’ve been playing video games for a long time, and I’m still awkward and clumsy,” Fischer said.

Schrater said a video game's virtual environment can help players improve these skills, and not just those needed to beat the game.

"This is one of the interesting things that seem to be true," he said. "The excitement and fun that we see in action video games engages learning in a way that other things don't."

Practicing certain skills will improve them, Schrater said. The excitement of playing an action game helps this more than many other activities.

In his studies, Schrater found that violent video games actually work better to improve motor skills than nonviolent games, like Tetris.

"There's something a little bit mysterious about that," he said.

Tyler McKean University professor of psychology and computer science Paul Schrater claims playing video games can increase perceptual motor skills.

Schrater said while people can learn in boring ways, it could take them thousands of times to show a significant improvement in whatever they are learning. When people do things they find fun, like video games, the process is sped up.

"If the only thing you do is shoot free throws over and over again, it stops being fun, and you stop learning," Schrater said. "There is a deep relationship between things that are challenging and things that are fun."

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Clearly we are at the forefront of important discoveries. In 2006 I seem to recall reading a conflicting study that suggested gaming did nothing to improve eye/hand coordination. When I was a kid video games were played mostly on an Atari. We had games like: Missile Command, Pong, and later on the lord of all games, Donkey Kong. I don't know if we were learning. I do know that my folks thought it a colossal waste of time.

My biggest worry as a librarian is that some of the more "violent" games would offend many parents. In a public library we may have issues of graphic violence that could be unsuitable to have in a public sphere.

In the classroom, again, there may be battles over tax dollars being used for games that would be offensive to some. Would the less engaging games supply the said development. Or would students lose interest and get bored? What kind of games can be used in a classroom setting? Would they need contain graphic and violent content to keep its player in a mode of learning skills needed later? Can they teach them better than more traditional methods?

I am not an educator. I am not out there in the field like many of teachers today. I would enjoy a dialog with teachers. Their futures are our futures.

Lots of interesting questions raised here.

Any thoughts?

Here are the links for the stories I borrowed from:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2J303978.htm

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=action-packed-video-games

And the Survey Says....

2007-12-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

Most Thought of Service

Kentucky public libraries most regarded local government service in survey

Kentucky public libraries are the most highly regarded local government service, according to a recent independent survey of Kentuckians.

In addition, more than 95 percent of Kentuckians surveyed agree that public libraries are a good investment of tax dollars.

A survey of 600 Kentuckians by the University of Kentucky Survey Research Center sponsored by the Kentucky Public Library Association indicates that Kentuckians place a high value on local public libraries.

The research shows that nine out of 10 people view Kentucky's public libraries as a key educational asset in the community, while more than eight out of 10 agree that public libraries improve communities.

Among six services provided by local government, Kentucky's public libraries rank at the top with nearly 86 percent giving public libraries an A or B grade when asked to rate the quality of libraries' services. The second highest ranking is police services at 75 percent.

This is good news. People need libraries. This is especially true in rural and urban arears where lower income families need access to the services we can offer.

Here is a link to the full article:

http://www.newsdemocratleader.com/articles/2007/12/18/news/news09.txt

Jam Session

2007-12-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Scan Baby Scan?

2007-12-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

Google-Scan-Book/Google-Scan-Book/Google-Scan-Book

Columbia University Libraries Joins Google Scan Plan
RELATED ARTICLES

Andrew Albanese -- Library Journal, 12/17/2007

The Columbia University Libraries announced last week that it is the 28th library to sign an agreement with Google to digitize library books in the public domain and make them available online. Under the agreement, librarians and Google will select "hundreds of thousands" of volumes from Columbia's 25 distinct libraries, including its rarest holdings. Digital copies of the books from Columbia will be fully searchable through Google. Because the books scanned will be in the public domain, users will be able to view the full text of the books and download them for leisure reading, research, or printing. As part of the deal, Columbia will also receive a "library" copy of every book scanned, which library officials said it will use both for preservation and instruction purposes. Library officials said they expect eventually to "integrate digital copies" into its extensive digital library program "to extend their utility for research and teaching." Columbia University Libraries is one of the top academic library systems in the nation, with 9.2 million volumes. James Neal, VP for information services and university librarian, said Columbia's participation in the Google plan will make available "significant portions" of the university's collections "in ways that will ultimately change the nature of scholarship."

Hmmm...The times are a changing. While this is old news it is a continuation of the trend to what many call a democratization of scholarly information and its exchange. But what if the libraries, on scanning there content, decide they can no longer house and care for certain documents? Supporters of Google want us to believe that problems of storage and retrieval in the e world will be solved. Maybe. But what of one corporation then controlling the content of millions of files that were once available in most cases for free. Will Google keep them free? Will the quality of information be stored and index in a way that searchers can find it? Will Google take care of the library like librarians? Will librarians be working for Google? You can see I have lots of questions. What are the answers?

When Google bought You Tube it was promised that not much would change. It was also promised that service would be improved. However, nearly a year later there seem to be more problems in the service. Despite new options and flashy buttons there have been cut backs in file storage and more adds and commercialization. A site which was once the haven of the unknown is being shaped into monster of the known. What was once a free for all is more like the attempts of other corporations to tame and own the most sacred of e places, the Internet itself. Corporate control of what belongs to all people is something we must fight.

I see opportunities and deep concerns in this scanning of so much library contents. I hope librarians across America will be ready for what is ahead

Any thoughts?

Here is a link to the story above:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6513347.html

The Hobbit, or Two is Better than One

2007-12-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Once upon a Time There Was a Hole In the Ground

Michael Rogers -- Library Journal, 12/19/2007 6:06:00 AM
Jackson and New Line Cinema settle legal dispute
Hobbit being shot as two films, sequel leads to Rings
Set for 2010 release

It’s half a miracle: Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema finally have settled their legal differences and agreed jointly to produce The Hobbit, with MGM as distributor. The Hobbit will be presented as two films: one based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s material, and a sequel bridging the 60 years leading to the action of The Lord of the Rings. The films will be shot simultaneously, with pre-production beginning ASAP; Hobbit will be released in 2010.

For Lord of the Rings fans this will be good news. For librarians too. Peter Jackson is known for his success in translating classic literary works to film. This is great for libraries too. Anything to get video centered public to turn to books may in turn lead to a library and its resources.

Any Jackson fans out there who would like share their enthusiasm?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6514085.html?desc=topstory

Google Government Gaps

2007-12-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

Show Offs!

Is your search engine finding the government information you need?
Posted December 17th, 2007 by Blake
Government Docs
Internet

Freegov pointed the way to an OMB Watch report [PDF] that highlights "a critical gap in online access to vital government information." In an examination of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Live and Ask and the search function provided by USA.gov, they confirmed that many of these searches miss critical information simply because of the manner in which the government agency has published the information.For example:• A search for “New York radiation” does not find basic FEMA and DHS information about current conditions and monitoring.

A search to help grandparents with a question about visitation of their grandchildren in any search engine does not turn up an article of the same title located on the Web site of the Administration for Children & Families.

They have several recommendations for the federal government. Each of these would encourage greater accessibility of government information by making it more searchable.

As budgets shrink in libraries, depository institutions are hit hard by a need to supply information and still deal with cutbacks. In my last term in library school I had the privilege of sitting in on a government docs class. The instructor was first class teacher and vet of many years experience. During that term, (he worked at another library too) he lost his entire staff and was then demoted. The truth was it was shattering to watch. He is a guy with a great attitude and passion for his work. After leaving the class he invited some of the students to work on a project based on the work in our class. But I will never forget how even as a pro, it can cut you in half when the plug is pulled.

I think the question here gets back to some of the limits of giant search engines. Most can spit out tons of info, but the quality is generally uneven. Most searchers are rather unschooled in evaluating material and know little about search techniques.

This is a chance for librarians to get back into the game. Why not building search engines better than Google? Why not lead the information boom? I know there are a lot of points between here and there, but it is worth talking about? Right?

Any thoughts?

Here is the link to the story: