LibWorm.com provides a librarian RSS filtering service. Over 1500 RSS librarian sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest headlines from journals and sites in the Personnel/HR/Jobs interest group. http://www.libworm.com/rss/librarianqueries.php Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:08:02 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/new/index.php/2008/11/19/the-sequoya-branch-library-opens-thursday/ The much-anticipated new Sequoya Branch of Madison Public Library will officially open to the public at 9 a.m. tomorrow. “We appreciate the enthusiasm of the many library customers who are excited for us to open, as well as the generosity and efforts of the many donors and staff who helped make this Sequoya Branch Library renaissance possible,” said Jane Roughen, Community Services Manager for Branch Libraries. “It’s a significantly larger library, zoned and equipped to support quiet individual pursuits and livelier group activities.” The library, expanded to 20,000 square feet from 12,000 square feet, features a special children’s area with sections devoted to early literacy and family reading, an area especially for teens, and a hearth room for quiet reading. There is a large community room for neighborhood meetings and programs, and smaller conference rooms for study groups, small meetings and tutoring. The new Sequoya will offer expanded Internet access computer stations with centralized printing, as well as full WI-FI availability for laptop users, the option of self-service checkout and nearly 120,000 assorted books and media as well as access to valuable subscription-based informational and educational databases through the LINK system. Sequoya is the busiest Madison Public Library branch, with 279,000 visits and 690,000 items checked out this year. The new library is a departure from the decor of more recently remodeled Madison libraries in that it has a more structural feel, with some exposed elements and bright accent colors. Sequoya construction incorporated many “green” elements such as natural/renewable materials and finishes, and kind-to-the-environment features like a greywater system that collects rainwater from the roof for toilet flushing. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:39:58 +0100 674462 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4811 State: Florida The University of Miami Libraries seeks a creative, innovative individual to provide leadership in the content, technology and effective user interfaces of the Libraries web presence and promotes user-centered resources, digital services, and technologies designed to enhance the user experience. UNIVERSITY: The University of Miami is one of the nation’s leading research universities in a community of extraordinary diversity and international vitality. The University is privately supported, non-sectarian institution, located in Coral Gables, Florida, on a 260-acre subtropical campus. The University comprises 11 degree granting schools and colleges, including Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Communication, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Music, Nursing, and Marine and Atmospheric Science (www.miami.edu). THE LIBRARY: The University of Miami Libraries (www.library.miami.edu) ranks among the top 50 research libraries in North America with a combined collection of approximately 3 million volumes, 48,000 current serials, and over 33,000 E-journal titles. The Otto G. Richter Library lies in the heart of the campus and serves as the central library for the University. Other University of Miami libraries include the Paul Buisson Architecture Library, the Judi Prokop Newman Business Information Resource Center, and the Marta & Austin Weeks Music Library, the Marine and Atmospheric Science Library, and the Louis Calder Memorial Library. The campus also has an independent Law library. The Libraries provide support and services for approx. 10,100 undergraduates, 5,100 graduate students, and 10,000 full and part time faculty and staff. The Libraries has a staff of 37 Librarians and 86 support staff and is a member of ARL, ASERL, CLIR, NERL, OCLC, RLG, and SOLINET. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:54:01 +0100 674360 http://www.infotogo.com/users/index.asp?RSS=31910 "Tests the assumptions behind the U.S. Army’s personnel management system that personnel stability leads to higher unit cohesion, which leads in turn to increased unit effectiveness." ... (Source: Info To Go: Navigating the Internet) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:11:00 +0100 674200 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2008/11/vets-and-active-duty-soldiers-are-major-users-of-online-learning.html The world of online higher education has given thousands of vets like Newland -- and active-duty soldiers -- the opportunity to work at their own pace. Online education is increasingly attractive for military veterans, according to Denver-based Jones International University, a Web-exclusive institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. About 350 current or former soldiers are pursuing a degree at Jones, three times the number last year. In fiscal year 2007, Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force personnel took more than 710,000 online and traditional courses, according to the council's most recent data. Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674342 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FlaJobline/~3/457958035/director-corp-info-branch-manitoba.html Director, Corporate Information Branch, P10Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation Administrative Services Division Winnipeg, ManitobaAdvertisement Number: 20272Salary: $70,111 - $86,717 per year Closing Date: November 28, 2008The Administrative Services Division of the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation is looking for a dynamic individual to lead its newly formed Corporate Information Branch. This Branch will be responsible for coordinating, writing and composing senior executive and Departmental responses to information requests and will also serve as a repository and source of corporate, strategic and issue related information for various users.Qualifications: This position requires a Bachelor or Masters Degree (B.L.S. or M.L.S.) from an accredited School of Library Science and several years experience within a government environment. The successful candidate will also require a minimum of 3 years experience as a professional librarian including current experience in all aspects of cataloguing using an automated environment. Experience in project management, the management of human resources including recruitment, selection and management of staff, as well as excellent written and oral communications skills including experience making presentations and the ability to act as an editor for final review is also necessary, and experience with computers and computer software. A well developed working knowledge of government policies, procedures, methods, and ethics is a must.A demonstrated high level of skill in the following critical competencies is required: Interpersonal Communication; Being a team player; Valuing Diversity; Building Trust; Encouraging Creativity and Innovation; Leading; Managing Change; Building Strategic Performance, Planning, Organizing and Follow-up; Managing Stress; Decision Making are also required. Experience with MS Windows and Office products is an asset. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:01:06 +0100 674541 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/freerangelibrarian/~3/457806673/ I was told this was the “hard” direction — coming back to the U.S. from Australia. It hasn’t been too rough — though I wake up feeling as if I’ve been nailed to the bed — which makes me wonder if I ever really switched over. We jostled our way across so many time zones I think my body plumb gave up trying to adjust. (Do astronauts get jet lag?) No srsly, not to be missed! The big thing I want to share is that this Friday, November 21,  there will be yet another one-hour online ALA Connections Salon. This one is hot as a pistol: it’s “Political Connections,” featuring the charming and well-spoken Emily Sheketoff, associate executive director of ALA’s Washington Office, and Vic Klatt, ALA’s political consultant and former staff director of the House Education and Labor Committee. It’s online, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. Come one, come all! From the blurb: “Online Programming for All Libraries (OPAL) Coordinator Tom Peters will begin the hour with an interview with Sheketoff and Klatt. Both professionals will talk about President-Elect Obama’s Administration, the new Congress and what these changes in Washington portend for libraries during a period—a year, a term and beyond—marked by extraordinary challenges. “Following the interview, participants will be free to ask questions and engage with Sheketoff, Klatt and with one another to discuss the promise and perils of a moment when, as President-Elect Obama said in his victory speech, “there’s so much more to do.” If you’re a first-time user of OPAL, here’s a webpage containing basic information and tips. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:52:01 +0100 674045 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Elsua/~3/457790942/ After a day and a half of a massive catchup; after a wonderful week on holidays, which ended up with yours truly attending (And presenting) at EventoBlog 2008 in Seville last weekend, it is now time to resume my regular blogging activities on my second day back at work! Goodness! What a fantastic few days! For the first time in a few months I have been about 99% of the time totally disconnected from everything Internet related and it felt great! I now know I should be doing this a whole lot more often! It was just too good to be ignored again! But if those vacation days were not good enough, over the course of last weekend I have actually been attending one of the most impressive, and wonderful, social computing events I have attended in the last few months: EventoBlog 2008 in Seville, Spain. Two full days packed with some stunning presentations, round tables and panels around the world of blogging that would be difficult to forget! And the networking throughout the event was just an amazing experience I am hoping to be sharing with you folks shortly. So much so that after attending the event, two days onwards and I am still jazzed up about it! So much that I have decided that from now onwards there will be a number of changes happening with my blogging habits, one of them being that very shortly I will be starting to blog as well in Spanish, as well as English, so that I would be able to reach out to those folks as well who asked plenty of questions and commented quite a bit around the subject of my giving up on e-mail at work new reality, which was the main subject of my talk at Sunday noon. But that would be the subject for a number of upcoming blog posts as part of the series of highlights articles I will be sharing over here shortly detailing what the event was all about. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:02:48 +0100 674407 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/11/18/selection-speculation Personnel changes at my library are changing the way we do collection development. So for the past couple weeks, I’ve been thinking about how to incorporate more review-reading and book selection into my workday. Since this has been on my mind, I had two slightly unusual ideas for potential ways to supplement more traditional selection. Selection via LibraryThing Early Reviewers I’ve been a part of the LibraryThing.com Early Reviewers program since it started (if you haven’t, and enjoy reading, it’s worth checking out). I’ve used this as a resource for new books for awhile, but something I noticed recently was that the books I like often had the most requests. My idea was for Tim to whip together one of his useful tools, so that librarians (or anyone who signed up) could receive an email (or rss feed) each month after the list has closed, with the title of each book, how many requests it got, and also a link to LibraryThing or Amazon. My logic was that if a book appears popular with LibraryThing’ers, there’s a good chance it will also be popular in my library. I wrote to Tim and asked him about this just a couple days ago, and I’m hoping for a positive response. But if you like the idea, contact LibraryThing and ask them to implement it. Lobbying like this is probably the last thing he wants, but I do think this could be a valuable and unique selection tool. Selection via Universal Medical Database For awhile now there’s been talk about the government and hospitals trying to start a single database of health information of every American. The pros are that it’d be easier for a doctor anywhere in the country to access someone’s medical history in an emergency, and it could also prevent conflicting medications and stop people shopping around for prescription narcotics. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:16:57 +0100 674014 http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2008/11/18/just-hire-steve-jobs/ Want to design a better library? Looking for an individual to help your library achieve new levels of creativity? Are you in need of an employee who can help your library innovate like Apple? The answer to all these questions has a single simple answer. Hire Steve Jobs. Sorry if you thought I had a better answer to those questions. But what if you can’t hire Steve Jobs. Then hire someone who works closely with him. This sounds pretty silly because no one is going to hire Steve Jobs. For one thing he has a pretty good job right now. For another, you probably couldn’t afford him. I just bring this up because I’ve now recently twice encountered this exact recommendation in different readings, of course, in a facetious way. In the book Subject to Change: Creating Great Products and Services for an Uncertain World by designers from Adaptive Path the authors write: There are a number of ways to encourage and maintain an experiential focus throughout your development process. One way is to hire Steve Jobs as your CEO. Apple’s success in delivering satisfying experiences stems directly from Jobs’ maniacal focus on customers’ interactions with products. As CEO, he ensures that Apple delivers only the best designs. In an article titled “Design: A Better Path to Innovation” (subscription to Interactions needed) author Nathan Shedroff, experience designer, writes: I got a call from an editor of one of the biggest business magazines in the U.S. What he said was “We’re planning on writing a book about how business can innovate like Apple does, and I was told to talk to you about it.” My answer stumped him. “You can’t write that book”. I had to explain that, no, the book wasn’t writeable. “It would consist of one sentence: Hire Steve Jobs. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:45:48 +0100 673908 http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/news/libraries.php?title=title_129&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 Contact: Erin Lawrimore (919) 513-1188 The North Carolina State University Special Collections Research Center announces the acquisition of a new collection related to the study of sociolinguistics. The Walt Wolfram Sociolinguistic Collection, 1969-1986, contains audio recordings of interviews conducted early in Wolfram’s career with speakers of Appalachian English, Puerto Rican English, Vietnamese English, Ozark English, and African-American vernacular English. The collection also features transcripts of many of the interviews and manuscripts of Wolfram’s resulting work on these dialects. Stanford sociolinguist John Rickford describes Wolfram as the “complete linguist, an exceptional example of how to combine theory and application, research and teaching, and service. . . and he has endeavored to use his knowledge to increase the public good. . .” Wolfram has pioneered research on social and ethnic dialects since the 1960s, authoring or co-authoring 20 books and more than 250 articles on varieties of American English. A central focus of his work has always been the application of sociolinguistic information to social and educational problems and the dissemination of knowledge about dialects to the public. This connection has resulted in the production of television documentaries on dialect diversity, the construction of museum exhibits, and the development of dialect awareness curricula for the schools and general public. Since joining NCSU faculty in 1992, Wolfram has concentrated his efforts on preserving the rich linguistic heritage of North Carolina and raising public awareness of its cultural significance. He established the North Carolina Language and Life Project (NCLLP) in 1993, a project that focuses on research, graduate and undergraduate education, and outreach programs related to language in the American South. Walt Wolfram is William C. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:30:02 +0100 673823 http://www.affordance.info/mon_weblog/2008/11/collusion-1.html En France, le magnat des médias (Arnaud Lagardère) est aussi "l'ami" du président de la république (Nicolas Sarkozy) et le témoin de son (premier) mariage. Collusion ? Collusion. Aux Etats-Unis, le PDG du premier moteur de recherche de la planète vient d'entrer au "conseil des sages" du président Obama (Interview vidéo d'Eric Schmidt). Goobama donc. Les accointances démocrates de l'équipe dirigeante du moteur Google ne sont plus un secret. Pas davantage que n'est secrète la position démocrate sur les enjeux de la neutralité de l'Internet. Pas davantage que n'est anodin le rôle joué par le média Internet dans la campagne présidentielle américaine. Collusion ? Difficile d'en juger pour le moment. Seule certitude : la question hier posée ("qu'arriverait-il si nous répondions mal au mot 'socialisme' ?") se reposera demain avec une acuité nouvelle. (Source: affordance.info) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674429 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/earlham/dGCQ/~3/457533196/more-on-helping-researchers-understand.html Jennifer Howard, For Advice on Publishing in the Digital World, Scholars Turn to Campus Libraries, Chronicle of Higher Education, November 21, 2008 (accessible only to subscribers).  Excerpt: "Rapidly changing" is the term most often used these days to describe the landscape of scholarly communication. Scholars have to clear new and higher hurdles as they bump up against copyright and fair-use issues, open-access mandates, and a baffling array of publication and dissemination models. How much of his own published work can a scholar post on a personal Web site without raising his publisher's ire? How much of someone else's work can he use in his course pack without trampling on fair use and risking a fine or legal action? How does a researcher upload her work to her institution's repository, and are there consequences if she opts out? Those are just some of the questions that professors may find themselves tripping over. Where can researchers find a guide to lead them through this 21st-century obstacle course? The library, of course. More institutions are creating or beefing up offices and programs in scholarly communication or hiring librarians with expertise in copyright and intellectual property.... [Harvard's Stuard Shieber] told The Chronicle that just about all of Harvard's dozen or so faculties are considering open-access policies. "Each school has its own characteristics, and the policies need to be responsive to the differences among the schools," he says. "The process has to be faculty-based and consensual. But the [Office of Scholarly Communication] can help by advising and serving as a source for information." Ambitions don't stop there. Mr. Shieber expects the office to evolve as "a laboratory for expanding and evolving scholarly communication practices. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674061 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FlaJobline/~3/456640736/reference-librarian-airdrie-public.html Position Title: Reference Librarian (Information Services) – Part-TimeReports to: Adult Services CoordinatorAirdrie Public Library is a member of the Marigold Library System and is one of the fastest growing libraries in one of the fastest growing cities in Alberta. The Library has an immediate opening for a Part-Time Reference (Information Services) position. We offer a flexible and supportive work environment, and value initiative and lifelong learning. Position Summary:The successful candidate will be responsible for the following duties:Providing information services to the public using print and electronic resources;Providing Reader’s advisory to staff and the public;Promoting the Library’s services and collections;Assisting with Collection Development: reference materials, Fiction, and Non-Fiction; Providing Technology Training and Tutoring to the public; Qualifications:The successful candidate will have a professional and positive approach and a genuine interest in serving the various customers that frequent the public library. Library Technician diploma or other relevant post secondary education training;Experience in providing information services to customers;Experience in providing technology training (computer, e-resources, and Internet);Excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational skills, and customer service skills. Assets:Adult Education experience or an Education degree;Public Library experience;A great sense of humor, flexibility, creativity and a commitment to organizational excellence and team building. Future Possibilities: In a mid-sized library there is an opportunity to serve in other areas, based on strengths and interests: Preschool Literacy ProgramsTechnology Training/Teaching OpportunitiesTechnical Services Duties: Interlibrary Loan, Acquisitions Employment Terms: Part-time position offering 15-25 hours weekly. Some evening and weekend shifts required. Security check required. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:49:44 +0100 673845 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FlaJobline/~3/456640737/health-sciences-liaison-librarian.html Tenure - Track Position Health Sciences Liaison Librarian The University of Saskatchewan Library provides tremendous opportunities for professional growth and development in a dynamic and flexible work environment. We operate within a supportive campus community focused on innovation, collaboration and engagement. The University Library is strategically aligned with the University’s vision focusing on the teacher learner experience; the research, scholar and practitioner interaction; building broad relationship and engagement opportunities; and is constantly improving the operational effectiveness of the Library with a strong focus on employee engagement. Accountabilities of the Position This position reports to the Head of the Health Sciences Library. Librarians, as faculty, are assigned duties aligned with the practice of professional skills in the Library Standards for Promotion and Tenure (2003, as amended). Duties may cover the development of the collections, organizing collections, teaching information research skills, information services, information technology, administration, and research/scholarly work. Practice of Professional SkillsThe University of Saskatchewan Library follows the liaison librarian model, which includes reference, instruction, and collections responsibilities to support on-site and distributed teaching, learning, and research. As part of the Health Sciences Library team, this position supports all health sciences disciplines.Development of the CollectionsDevelop collections and information resources in the health sciences, primarily in the areas of physical therapy and basic medical sciences, as well as the Health Sciences Library reference collection. Information ServicesAs part of the Library’s integrated reference model, provide reference and information services, for students, faculty, researchers, and the broader community. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:37:12 +0100 673846 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/11/17/one-stop-web-shop-for-usgs-great-shakeout-science-resources-now-open/ One-Stop Web Shop for USGS Great ShakeOut Science Resources Now Open You can now view video interviews, see earthquake animations and impacts, download high-resolution imagery and much more, all related to the USGS science behind the Great Southern California ShakeOut, all in one place: www.usgs.gov/shakeout. This site is in support of the Great ShakeOut, an earthquake preparedness activity in Southern California that will include the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history, on Nov. 13, 2008. The ShakeOut is based on a San Andreas earthquake scenario that the USGS created along with emergency responders, power, water and transportation departments, social scientists, engineers and many others. In the scenario, the earthquake would kill 1800 people, injure 50,000, cause $200 billion in damage, and have long-lasting social and economic consequences. The science and many of the people responsible for that scenario are highlighted on this new Web site, which includes: USGS ShakeOut Scenario scientific studies and products, multimedia interviews with USGS scientists video interviews with USGS partners about how science creates safer communities, video footage and images of areas vulnerable to a San Andreas earthquake, links to earthquake preparedness resources. Source: U.S. Geological Survey (Source: ResourceShelf) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:52:39 +0100 673649 http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23215 The Times They Are a Changin’: Marital Status and Health Differentials from 1972 to 2003 (PDF; 1.5 MB) Source: Journal of Health and Social Behavior Although the meanings and rates of being married, divorced, separated, never-married, and widowed have changed significantly over the past several decades, we know very little about historical trends in the relationship between marital status and health. Our analysis of pooled data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1972 to 2003 shows that the self-rated health of the never-married has improved over the past three decades. Moreover, the gap between the married and the never married has steadily converged over time for men but not for women. In contrast, the self-rated health of the widowed, divorced, and separated worsened over time relative to the married, and the adverse effects of marital dissolution have increased more for women than for men. Our findings highlight the importance of social change in shaping the impact of marital status on self-reported health and challenge long-held assumptions about gender, marital status, and health. (Source: Docuticker) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:51:37 +0100 673630 http://mblc.state.ma.us/jobs/find_jobs/rss.php?job_id=5601 Cary Memorial Library seeks an organized and self-motivated individual to provide high-level administrative support in the Library's busy administrative offices. Primary responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant are providing direct support to the Library Director and Assistant Director, performing complex administrative tasks for the Library and its Board of Trustees, and serving as a reliable and customer-oriented representative of the Library. Specific responsibilities include accounts payable and receivable, payroll and other personnel transactions, producing budget documents and reports, managing purchase of office equipment and supplies, coordinating activities of the Friends of the Library and Cary Memorial Library Foundation with the Library, answering telephones and directing calls, and providing assistance on special projects as needed. (Source: MBLC Job Listings) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:48:04 +0100 673535 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Wisblawg-FromTheUwLawLibrary/~3/456492195/wisconsin_law_journal_names_un.html I'm very honored to have been selected as one of the winners of the Wisconsin Law Journal's Unsung Heroes award. The awards were presented at a luncheon at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee last Friday. The award I received was in the Law Library staff category. WLJ also recognized award winners in seven other categories - Court Staff, Human Resources, Information Technology, Law Firm Administrators, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Additional Unsung Heroes. For more photos of the event, see the WLJ Flickr page. (Source: WisBlawg - From the UW Law Library) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:18:32 +0100 673874 http://inbox.berkeley.edu/?p=457 Trends in the Health of Young Children in California [UCLA Center for Health Policy Research] Unrealized Health Potential: A Snapshot of California [Commission to Build a Healthier America] America’s Health Starts with Healthy Children: How Do State’s Compare? [Commission to Build a Healthier America] Migration and Health: Latinos in the United States [National Population Council of the Government of Mexico (CONAPO) and the University of California] Several new reports mine data from the California Health Interview Survey and other sources to provide a perspective on the health of California’s children. The bottom line: children in California are not as healthy as they could be. In particular, low-income and Latino children face multiple obstacles and consequently bear a disproportionate burden of health problems. According to a related report, Mexican-origin children and youth have less access to public health programs in comparison with immigrants from other regions and the white U.S.-born population. (Source: California Policy Inbox) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:13:38 +0100 673783 http://info.pop.psu.edu/2008/11/17/using-mathematical-models-to-predict-global-migration/ The National Science Foundation has posted a video interview with Dr. Joel E. Cohen describing mathematical models he has developed to predict human migration patterns. (Source: News from the PRI Library and Data Archive) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:12:03 +0100 673564 http://www.slaw.ca/2008/11/17/richard-looks-forward/ Links to a lengthy interview with Richard Susskind (parts 1 and 2) who continues to provoke with his explanations of how the English market for legal services is dramatically different from that in the United States, and how the Legal Services Act presages the future on this side of the Atlantic too. One of the unplanned advantages of federal systems appears to be the way in which they militate against reforms of professional monopolies. Good plugs for The End of Lawyers? Rethinking the nature of legal services , Richard’s book which will be imminently published by OUP. The most provocative ideas concern collaboration - long a them on Slaw - and an emerging market for legal risk management. That concept is being blazed by Terrance Carter in Orangeville, by the Federal Justice Department and an academic in Copenhagen. (Source: Slaw) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:37:18 +0100 674248 http://www.slaw.ca/2008/11/17/east-of-eagan-again/ Bucking the trends of the global free access to law movement, our friends in Eagan have unveiled an ambitious interface to Chinese law. We’re back to East of Eagan: More than 300,000 laws and regulations Cases from the Supreme Court and provincial, local, and special courts Current Awareness Via Email with the latest legal developments compiled from 120+ online sources Digests of the law for 32 topics - 9 available in English The press release is dutifully gleeful in recounting research pain points. “Prior to the launch of Westlaw China, we surveyed attorneys and law students in China and in the U.S. to determine the pain points for legal research in Chinese law,” said Stephen Yao, chief executive officer, Westlaw China. “This customer-centric approach, along with our own knowledge of the Chinese legal system, was used to develop Westlaw China. More and more western businesses have operations in China and the law firms that represent them are now growing their presence in China as well. This gives Westlaw the opportunity to be the single credible source of legal information relating to the practice of law in China.” Westlaw’s blog features interviews with Stephen Yao and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson, a frequent visitor to China, who appears unworried by the West-judiciary controversy. (Source: Slaw) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:20:11 +0100 674249 http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2008/11/book-mob-at-the-san-francisco-public-library.html Through a conference contact a little while back, I got in touch with Rosie Merlin, the Program Outreach Librarian for the San Francisco Public Library.  She organized a Book Mob (flash mob) to coincide with the library's "one book" program that was super-successful and something other libraries could easily model.  I heard about and saw the success of the program through their Flickr photos, so asked Rosie some questions.  Here is the result of our email interview.Can you tell us what a flash mob is, and how a book mob fits in? Quoting Wikipedia, if I may, a flash mob is “a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse.” In San Francisco we see lots of flash mobs including zombie mobs, pillow fight mobs, dance mobs (Thriller in Dolores Park was a special one), and others. The idea for a book mob came up when we were trying to brainstorm new and crafty ways to launch our One City One Book program. 2008 is our fourth year hosting a citywide book club and we knew we wanted something public and exciting and that went beyond more traditional “set up a table and hand out materials” type outreach (though we did some of that during the morning on mob day). With the help of Mary Abler who works at Friends of the SFPL, Jon Worona, SFPL’s BLIP Bookmobile Manager, and a variety of other smart thinkers, we came up with the idea of San Francisco’s first book mob. We googled “book mob” early on and didn’t find anything along the lines of what we were plotting. I’m happy to say that if you google “book mob” now, you’ll find LJ’s blog post about our event. ... Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:41:51 +0100 673673 http://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/scholar/2008/11/17/open-access-its-just-good-science/ Carmeron Neylon is at School of Chemistry at the University of Southampton as Lecturer in Chemical Biology.  Read about his dedication open access to scientific research. Cameron Neylon, Where does Open Access stop and ‘just doing good science’ begin?, Science in the open, October 14, 2008. I had been getting puzzled for a while as to why I was being characterised as an ‘Open Access’ advocate. … This came to a head recently when I was being interviewed for a piece on Open Access. We kept coming round to the question of what it was that motivated me to be ’such a strong’ advocate of open access publication. I must have a very strong motivation to have such strong views surely? And I found myself thinking that I didn’t. I wasn’t that motivated about open access per se. It took some thinking and going back over where I had come from to realise that this was because of where I was coming from. … The debate [about OA] has placed, or perhaps re-placed, right at the centre of the discussion of how we should do science, the importance of the quality of communication. It has re-stated the principle of placing the claims that you make, and the evidence that supports them, in the open for criticism by anyone with the expertise to judge, regardless of where they are based or who is funding them. And it has made crystal clear where the deficiencies in that communication process lie and exposed the creeping tendency of publication over the past few decades to become more an exercise in point scoring than communication. There remains much work to be done across a wide range of areas but the fact that we can now look at taking those challenges on is due in no small part to the work of those who have advocated Open Access from its difficult beginnings to today’s success. ... Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:28:44 +0100 673478 http://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/2008/11/17/shorter-hours-for-thanksgiving-holiday/ Don’t forget about the shorter Thanksgiving Hours!  They will be in effect Nov. 22-29: Saturday, November 22 10:00am-2:00pm Sunday, November 23 Noon-4:00pm Monday, November 24 7:30am-6:00pm Tuesday, November 25 7:30am-6:00pm Wednesday, November 26 7:30am-6:00pm Thursday, November 27 CLOSED for holiday Friday, November 28 CLOSED for holiday Saturday, November 29 10:00am-2:00pm Sunday, November 30  [regular hours resume] Noon-9:00pm (Source: Hardin News) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:25:19 +0100 673441 http://businesslines.blogspot.com/2008/11/november-business-at-lake-county-public.html NEW BUSINESS DVD TITLES at the Lake County Public LibraryDVD 658.812 WHATWHAT DRIVES PHENOMENAL SUCCESS?50 minutes Colleen Barrett explains the success of Southwest Airlines in simple terms. Employee satisfaction is the starting point for customer satisfaction. She describes a hiring process that selects on individual attitudes, sets expectations, and empowers employees from the beginning to do the right thing.DVD 658.046 WIKIWIKINOMICS49 minutesDale Tapscott, CEO of New Paradigm, describes how winning companies innovate and succeed using the knowledge, resources and computing power of millions of people self-organizing into a massive collective force. The Age of Collaboration has changed business through blogs, wikis, chat rooms, peer-to-peer networks and personal broadcasting.DVD 658.4012 EXECEXECUTING YOUR STRATEGY53 minutesDr. Raymond Levitt of Stanford University emphasizes the critical need to revise your strategic portfolio to fit the demands of a dynamic environment. He details the imperatives that enable you to do the right projects, and to do these projects right. Dr. Levitt is the Academic Director of Stanford University’s award-winning Advanced Project Management executive program.DVD 658.4013 DRIVDRIVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE55 minutesWith examples from Fortune 500 companies, Bruno Aziza and Joey Fitts provide a six-stage approach for developing a culture of performance, including increasing visibility into operations, moving away from a gut feel to a more data-driven decision-making and articulating future success. Mr. Aziza and Mr. Fitts are both associated with Global Business Intelligence Sales Strategy for Microsoft.DVD 658.4 LEVELEVERAGING THE SPOTLIGHT OF LEADERSHIP54 minutesProfessor Jay Conger describes how the natural spotlight that managers and executives find themselves in can have both pros and cons. He explains how to use its power to set direction, lead your people and guide their decision making. Dr. ... Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 673769 http://micheladrien.blogspot.com/2008/11/coffee-talk-training-sessions-at.html Getting people to come to training sessions in legal research is never easy: law students, law clerks, lawyers, other personnel are always busy, they may not be working on your presentation topic and therefore see no reason to attend, or they would rather not be lectured to for 45 minutes.Solution: bribe them with free coffee!OK, not really. Though free coffee is part of the deal.Last week, we librarians at the Supreme Court of Canada started a series of "coffee talks", very, very brief weekly sessions lasting no more than 15 minutes in English and then 15 minutes in French. Each session shows a few quick research tricks on a very narrowly circumscribed issue. And people get all the coffee they can drink. At 10AM, which is perfect timing.The advantages are obvious, we hope:it is easier for people at the Court to spare 10-15 minutesit is easier for us to prepare short sessionswe can repeat topics throughout the yearwe can easily add lots of new content to the Intranet on "how to" do this and "how to" do thatit is good marketingWe have come up with a long list of topics. It is very eclectic but addresses the kinds of questions that pop up frequently:how to save money finding and reading Canadian cases in Quicklaw or WestlaweCarswellhow to quickly find legislative history materialstricks in our catalogueadvanced Googlehow to quickly find treaty materials2 or 3 quick ways of noting up UK casesdeciphering legal citations from places like France and pre-1865 Englandwho is this Mr. Halsbury and why has he written all those laws of England?etc. (Source: Library Boy) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 673587 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/11/16/prunesonline-a-guide-to-presidential-appointments/ PrunesOnline: A Guide to Presidential Appointments PrunesOnline is a must-have tool for prospective Presidential appointees, the Presidential Personnel Office looking for the best and brightest, members of Congress, journalists, advocacy groups, and regular citizens who want to know more about the people working for them. It’s your guide to the presidential appointment process and the people involved. Since 1988, the Prune Book series has profiled the toughest management jobs in government. It’s an invaluable guide written specifically to equip the incoming presidential administration with insights into staffing the key appointed positions and links to departments and programs. Although the particular facts and responsibilities of the jobs may change over time, the main aim of the series is to have all the participants involved in the presidential appointment process fully informed and the resources they need to succeed. Source: The Council for Excellence in Government (Source: ResourceShelf) Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:51:24 +0100 673224 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/11/16/lost-in-transition/ Lost in Transition The National Journal and Government Executive have created a new web site, Lost in Transition, for “Helping you navigate the Presidential Handover.” Categories currently covered include: Appointments, Earlybird, Events, Insider Interview, Paper Trail, and The Short List. Source: Free Government Information (Source: ResourceShelf) Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:46:40 +0100 673225 http://blogs.library.ualberta.ca/libnews/?p=991 Opera in Video will contain 250 of the most important opera performances, captured on video through staged productions, interviews, and documentaries. Selections represent the world’s best performers, conductors, and opera houses and are based on a work’s importance to the operatic canon. (Source: Library News) Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:52:12 +0100 673229 http://freegovinfo.info/node/2143 The National Journal and Government Executive have created a new web site, Lost in Transition, for "Helping you navigate the Presidential Handover." Categories currently covered include: Appointments, Earlybird, Events, Insider Interview, Paper Trail, and The Short List. (Source: Free Government Information (FGI) blogs) Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:58:32 +0100 672997 http://bentleywg.livejournal.com/1224859.html Elisabeth Sladen interview:http://lifetheuniverseandcombom.blogspot.com/2008/11/elisabeth-sladen-sarah-jane-adventures.html (Source: BentleyBlog) Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:45:46 +0100 673156 http://www.infotogo.com/users/index.asp?RSS=32157 "Current projected hiring for the Class of 2009 shows very little growth over the hiring levels for the Class of 2008, but no expected decline." From the National Association of Colleges and... (Source: Info To Go: Navigating the Internet) Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:01:00 +0100 672765 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/literaturwelt/~3/453911444/ Alles schien möglich…. Rückschau und Bestandsaufnahme einer Generation, nämlich der 68er. Mit einem hervorstechenden Cover wird das Buch zu dem einzig angemessenen Preis (19,68 Euro) verkauft. Mehr als 50 Autoren (u.a. Günter Wallraff, Peter-Paul Zahl) schreiben in diesem Lesebuch über ‘ihre’ 60er Jahre, ihre Zeit. Erweiternd dieses Interview mit dem Herausgeber Werner Pieper, diesem Urgestein der Hippiegeneration. Ebenso aufschlußreich sein PieperWiki rund um seine Ideen und Projekte sowie sein Verlag Die Grüne Kraft (Gesamtprogramm als PDF). Weitere Informationen hier. (Source: Literaturwelt. Das Blog.) Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:24:53 +0100 673332 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4803 State: Texas The Mary Couts Burnett Library at TCU is seeking an energetic and resourceful librarian with a special interest in Social Sciences. TCU has an innovative, forward-looking academic library that supports academic programs from the BA to the PhD level with a student body of 8,200. TCU offers 98 undergraduate majors, 20 graduate degrees, including nine doctoral fields of study. Job Responsibilities: The position involves serving as a library liaison to the departments of Anthropology; Communication Studies; Criminal Justice; Education; Geography; History; Journalism; and Sociology. The Social Sciences Librarian will have primary responsibility for the development of electronic and print collections in the assigned subject areas; preparation of seminars and lectures for specialized subject area instruction; and individual instruction with particular attention to the needs of faculty and students. The Social Sciences Librarian participates in general and specialized reference work; shares evening and weekend duties, and actively participates in the instruction program. The Social Sciences Librarian participates in the Information Commons, a collaborative approach to public services from the library and the campus information technology department. Requirements: MLS from an ALA accredited library school; knowledge of academic library print and electronic resources with a particular focus in the Social Sciences; excellent speaking and writing skills; superior interpersonal communication skills; and ability to organize and implement programs. Familiarity with web search engines and a working knowledge of MS office applications is expected. Desired experience: recent reference experience with social sciences databases; bachelor’s degree in social sciences. Salary: Low $40s plus excellent benefits and training opportunities. To Apply: This position has been reposted as of November 12, 2008, for new applicants. ... Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:12:01 +0100 672837 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4805 State: Illinois The Illinois Wesleyan University Library invites applications for the position of Information Literacy Librarian, available August 1, 2009. This is a tenure track faculty position intended to provide leadership for the Library’s information literacy program that complements the work of our teaching faculty. IWU is a nationally ranked, fully accredited undergraduate university with 2100 students and provides the highest quality liberal arts education. IWU has adopted a strategic plan that commits to the goal of creating a welcoming, inclusive, multicultural campus where all community members appreciate and respect the diversity of the nation and the world. The University welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds who are committed to an inclusive environment. The Ames Library offers a learning environment that is conducive to interaction, consultation, study, and reflection, dedicated to serving the scholarly needs of the Illinois Wesleyan University community. Opened in 2002, the library facility comprises 103,000 square feet on five levels, with a diverse collection of over 400,000 volumes. The Thorpe Digital Center supports campus-wide digital resources and services, providing expert assistance with projects integrating video, audio, image and textual content. The Library personnel consist of nine full-time faculty librarians and twelve full-time support staff. ... Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:12:01 +0100 672835 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4807 State: New Hampshire HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT DATE: 11/7/08 SNHU has received an Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant to build an institutional repository using DSpace starting with the digitization of student theses and working papers from the School of Community Economic Development. Reporting to the Electronic Resources Librarian, the Digital Initiatives Librarian has primary responsibility for managing the digitization process and for communication with and support of SNHU’s Institutional Repository/DSpace users. This is a grant funded position for up to a period of two years. Qualifications: Master's degree in library science or equivalent experience; experience with using, and helping others in an academic setting to use web-based software and experience working with metadata. Experience with DSpace and/or Institutional Repositories preferred. Applicants are requested to apply online at www.snhu.edu/jobs. Application materials should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a list of three references (names, addresses, and e-mail contact). Review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. EOE/AA Submitted on 2008-11-14 (Source: SLIS Careers Feed) Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:12:01 +0100 672834 http://rabid-librarian.blogspot.com/2008/11/im-wet-and-cold-and-ready-for-bed.html A friend of mine works second shift, so the best time to make the every-two-weeks grocery run is midnight, and it usually lasts two hours. Tonight was normal, except it's raining pretty hard. Don't get me wrong, we've been in a drought and need the rain. But with loading two cartfuls into and then out of the car, I got pretty wet. And even though it's in the 50s, it is a cold rain.Now I'm home and have changed clothes. My mood has been somewhat mitigated by a lovely tangerine, the first of the season that I've eaten. I picked them up because they looked nice and were a very good price, then shared some with a friend, since I won't eat a whole bag fast enough.It's been a good day. I found out that I passed the inspection. They thought the apartment looked very nice. Yay!I got home early tonight (8 pm) and tried to work on notes, but just couldn't focus. I guess it's not close to the deadline enough to panic and get some adrenaline. I really have to get over this procrastination. So, instead, I'm getting up early tomorrow to work on them (or at least, that's the idea).I applied for a job at the branch of the public library that's down the street (within walking distance) of me. It's a reference position that pays $33,000-$52,000 a year. I think I'm pretty qualified, and I have my certification now, so that won't be a problem. The only stumbling block I see is my misdemeanour record when I was having trouble with cheques I'd written. I addressed that in my cover letter. The application says that it isn't necessarily a disqualifier, and of course, I think a felony would be far more a problem, but I didn't get the job at Jessamine County because of that record. The nice thing about the job is although it's primarily reference, it also has got a cataloguing component, which is what I actually specialised in school. I miss cataloguing. It also deals with authority control, which is what I did as a graduate assistant. I have to admit... ... Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 673173 http://obpl.blogspot.com/2008/11/old-bridge-librarys-december-groups-and.html "Old Bridge Library's December Groups and Programs"The Old Bridge Public Library will host a number of public programs during the month of December. For more information on any of the Library's groups or programs, please call (732) 721-5600 ext. 5033 or visit our web site: www.oldbridgelibrary.org.Groups:The Library's Craft Club meets every Thursday at 1:00 p.m. to work on a wide variety of individual projects, with a focus on knitting and crochet.On December 18 at 7:00 p.m., the Original Book Discussion Group will be reviewing Charles Dickens timeless classic A Christmas Carol.The Science Fiction Book Discussion Group will be taking the month of December off for the holidays and will resume in January.Programs:On Monday, December 1, The Old Bridge Public Library will commemorate World AIDS Day. Liz Revill of Raritan Bay Medical Center will host an information table with the most current information on HIV/AIDS that is accessible. The theme for World AIDS Day 2008 is Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise.On Saturday, December 13 at 1:30 p.m. Gail Small will present a program on Hawaiian Culture. Take a break from the cold and the holiday shopping and Go Hawaiian! Ms. Small will display examples of traditional Hawaiian dress and play musical examples along with discussing culture and traditions.Displays:The Old Bridge Library will be displaying two art exhibits during the month of December. In the Reading Room Gallery, the Library will host an exhibit of art from the Old Bridge High School and the High School will have a reception for the students, parents and public on Thursday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m.Library's Garden Gallery will be the paintings of Dr. Bahaa Girgis of East Brunswick.Send comments to: OBPL (Source: Old Bridge Library Weblog) Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 673144 http://bclyaknow.blogspot.com/2008/11/rage-against-machine-part-2.html In 2008 Rage reunitedFor two weeks straight, both in Denver and in Minneapolis, Rage Against the Machine, formed an ad-hoc convention in opposition to both major parties. Although the band has been a significant commercial success — three of its albums in the 1990s attained multiplatinum status — radical politics have always been baked into their music.At both the Democratic and Republican conventions this year, Rage led marches, performed through megaphones when prevented from taking their stage, and generally agitated against the politics of convention and the conventions themselves.None of this would be especially noteworthy, excepting, its hard-core fans are less prone to buying T-shirts than engaging in the kind of civil disobedience that sometimes ends in tear gas.The Democratic convention opened with a free Rage show at the Denver Coliseum in support of Iraq Veterans Against the War, with the band’s lead singer, Zack de la Rocha, kicking into “Guerilla Radio.” “It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime,” he sang, “What better place than here?”The building all but tipped on its side and bucked throughout the frantic, politically framed set, which included a guest spot by Wayne Kramer of the MC5, reprising the song “Kick Out the Jams” from an appearance during the mayhem of the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago.Many contemporary musical acts have lined up behind the Democratic candidate for president, Senator Obama, while the McCain campaign has put some country music firepower behind it, but Rage Against the Machine and its legions regard donkeys and elephants as the same species.“The only difference between the two parties is marketing,” said Adam Jung, a youth organizer who was interviewed during the Rage concert in Denver. “Electing Democrats to end the war is like drinking light beer to lose weight. ... Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 673132 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/FlaJobline/~3/453183000/term-reference-and-collections.html College MacEwan College Library is seeking an energetic librarian to provide reference services, instruction and collection development to support programs at the City Centre Campus. Reporting to the Chair, Reference and Research Services, this full-time opportunity will commence late February, 2009 for approximately one year.The responsibilities of this position include: reference services, general and subject specific library instruction, and faculty liaison and collection development in computing sciences, engineering, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and earth and atmospheric sciences.Some post-secondary education or collection development experience in the above subjects is a definite asset for this position.The incumbent will normally work 35 hours per week with the possibility of some evening work required.Applicants require a Master of Library and Information Science or equivalent from an ALA accredited program. Prior academic library experience including reference, library instruction and collection development is a definite asset. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are essential, as well as a strong customer service orientation. The successful candidate should be flexible and adaptable and have the ability to work collegially in a team environment. Experience with digital resources and new library technologies are a definite asset.Grant MacEwan College, located in Edmonton, is a rapidly growing post-secondary institution with over 10,000 FTE students. The College offers a wide array of educational opportunities and credentials on its four campuses, including bachelor degrees, applied degrees, diplomas and certificates. The City Centre Campus, located in downtown Edmonton has a full-time student enrollment of approximately 6,600.Salary: Based on education and experience Closing Date: Friday, December 5th, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. Quote Competition No.: 08.11. ... Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:49:04 +0100 672909 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/Dbjx/~5/453501516/Report+to+Public+on+Grad+Student+User+Research.pdf There has never been such a wealth of free and low cost tools for personal and research information management, but students still struggle to achieve an effective routine to get them through the research and writing process."All the students we interviewed struggle to achieve proficiency in both traditional and digital technologies. We did not interview a single student who had settled into a satisfactory routine in either. Graduate students change their work processes over the course of their projects and most complain that they have not found adequate ways to organize information and retrieve it later on. We found enormous variety in the way they approach these and other tasks, including communication with peers and advisors." Ryan Randall, Jane Smith, Katie Clark, & Nancy Fried Foster. (2008). The next generation of academics : a report on a study conducted at the University of Rochester. University of Rochester. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1802/6053. Accessed 15 November 2008This paper looks at what authoring tools could be integrated into institutional repositories to meet the needs of individual and collaborative writing and to make it easy to move completed documents into the repository. It also calls for librarians to take on a mentoring role with students as information management experts. Section B. Implications of findings for our software outlines the challenges that students face.A good read for academic librarians and institutional repository managers. (Source: Innovate) Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:27:28 +0100 672771 http://blog.booklistonline.com/2008/11/14/one-funny-prize-and-two-serious-ones/ The Roald Dahl Funny Prize winners were announced last night. Congrats to Ursala Jones (The Witch’s Children Go To School) and Andy Stanton (Mr. Gum and the Dancing Bear). The prize is split up into two categories: books for children ages six and younger, and books for children ages seven to fourteen. Each winner receives £2,500. The purpose of the Funny Prize is to honor Roald Dahl by focusing on humor in children’s books, and also to encourage family togetherness through reading funny books aloud. Michael Rosen, Children’s Laureate, said the following: “Children love funny books but when adults draw up lists of the best books they nearly always leave the funny ones out. When I became the Children’s Laureate, I said that my job should be as an ambassador for fun.” From BookTrust To promote the prize earlier this week, Dahl’s widow granted an interview to the Guardian. She talks about Roald’s seductive side as explored in The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington. You can find the article here.  In other awards news: Callum Roberts won the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award for his book, The Unnatural History of the Sea. Atiq Rahimi won the 105 year old Prix Goncourt for Syngue Sabour. Since the book hasn’t been translated yet, you can read more about his win here. (Source: Likely Stories) Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:52:44 +0100 672684 http://feelgoodlibrarian.typepad.com/feelgood_librarian/2008/11/long-time-no-hear.html Hi, everyone. Many thanks to those of you who have asked after me. I appreciate being missed. Nothing dire is happening, but there is a lot of chaos both at home and at work. My son will be graduating high school a year early, and there are a lot of preparations toward that end going on. I also had another cancer treatment. A fairly common but definitely not hoped for result of thyroid cancer is recurrence. The body scan after last treatment was clear; bloodwork in six months and another scan next fall.   The Midwest is not unlike other regions and has been affected by the current economic crisis. We lost a major manufacturer here due to a direct hit from a tornado, then two others closed up shop. Literally thousands of people are out of work in our tri-county area. The unemployment offices are swamped and people are being sent to the library with little or no guidance.   These former factory workers, some with limited English language skills, and very few computer skills, must use the internet to file for unemployment, get entered in our state’s required database and post a resume. I consider myself fairly computer savvy and this is a cranky, confusing and unfriendly interface.   Many of our patrons do not know how to type and do not understand why they need an email address, much less how to establish one. Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Wal-Mart, as well as the larger employers in our area, all require applications to be filled out online. People who can’t even speak English well are required to make resumes without knowing how to say the word (“my rezoom” is how one patron referred to it), much less fill in the form with properly capitalized names. One man did not know what a capital letter was.   They must locate employer websites, make a user name and password, find a job opening and find the application. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:02:38 +0100 672510 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FreakonomicsBlog/~3/62rxOCu9DPQ/ Do you love the smell of libertarianism in the morning? If so, today is a good day for you. Ron Paul Last week we solicited your questions for Congressman Ron Paul. There was such a big response (more than 400 comments) that we have split Paul's answers into two batches, the first of which is posted below. [...] (Source: Freakonomics Blog) Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:30:12 +0100 672603 http://www.wislisjobs.com/public.htm The Waukesha Public Library is accepting applications for a part-time Librarian I in adult/information services. The Library is seeking a flexible, public service-oriented individual who is interested in adult reference, readers advisory services, and collection development. Responsibilities include: - Assisting customers in the use of the online catalog, reference sources, websites, databases, and various microcomputer software programs - Answering reference questions, including those of a difficult or involved nature - Explaining library services and policies - Providing readers advisory services to teens and adults - Selecting print and non-print materials in assigned subject areas - Creating and implementing programs targeted for specific population groups - Maintaining files of specialized collections such as government documents or pamphlets - Serving on various committees within the library and county library system Regular schedule includes weekdays, evenings, and Saturdays. Schedule will also include Sundays, per the union contract. Schedule flexibility essential. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university, supplemented by an ALA accredited Masters Degree in library sciences, or an equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the necessary knowledge, abilities, and skills. Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply. Salary range: $21.44 - $23.98 per hour. Pro-rated benefits include sick leave, funeral leave, holidays, vacation, and life insurance. Apply by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 1, 2008 with resume and letter of interest to: Jane Ameel, Library Director Waukesha Public Library 321 Wisconsin Avenue Waukesha, WI 53186 Application form is available at www.waukesha.lib.wi.us Applications for this 20-hr. per week position will be accepted until December 1, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. (Source: Wislisjobs Public Library Jobs) Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:32:32 +0100 672848 http://www.wislisjobs.com The Waukesha Public Library is accepting applications for a part-time Librarian I in adult/information services. The Library is seeking a flexible, public service-oriented individual who is interested in adult reference, readers advisory services, and collection development. Responsibilities include: - Assisting customers in the use of the online catalog, reference sources, websites, databases, and various microcomputer software programs - Answering reference questions, including those of a difficult or involved nature - Explaining library services and policies - Providing readers advisory services to teens and adults - Selecting print and non-print materials in assigned subject areas - Creating and implementing programs targeted for specific population groups - Maintaining files of specialized collections such as government documents or pamphlets - Serving on various committees within the library and county library system Regular schedule includes weekdays, evenings, and Saturdays. Schedule will also include Sundays, per the union contract. Schedule flexibility essential. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university, supplemented by an ALA accredited Masters Degree in library sciences, or an equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the necessary knowledge, abilities, and skills. Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply. Salary range: $21.44 - $23.98 per hour. Pro-rated benefits include sick leave, funeral leave, holidays, vacation, and life insurance. Apply by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 1, 2008 with resume and letter of interest to: Jane Ameel, Library Director Waukesha Public Library 321 Wisconsin Avenue Waukesha, WI 53186 Application form is available at www.waukesha.lib.wi.us Applications for this 20-hr. per week position will be accepted until December 1, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. (Source: Wislisjobs) Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:31:30 +0100 673145 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/teleread/KHnj/~3/452873186/ Non-Amazon apps might legally run on the Kindle someday, according to Ian Freed, the company’s VP for Kindle. He says more consumer choices would  result. Great, if it happens! So why not open up the Kindle now? Because, Freed says, “our focus is on providing a great reading experience and we’ve developed applications that do that.” Hmm. So a Kindle-specific DRMed format—useless on desktops and other devices—lead to a great experience? And why not a native ability to read ePub, the IPDF standard that’s catching on? On Stanza vs. Kindle In an interview in TechFlash, Freed also had a few words to say when asked the mix of the iPhone/Touch and the Stanza e-reader software, which some see as a threat to the Kindle. Here is his reply—or semi-reply, since he really steered the conversation back to the K Machine: We think the Kindle ecosystem, end to end, is pretty special. The idea that you can get over 180,000 books from publishers that are sold on a regular basis delivered to you under 60 seconds—that’s something that we really do uniquely. And moreover being able to get over 25 different newspapers and over 25 different magazines delivered on a regular basis is something we do uniquely. So far things have been great and we think that will continue. But wait. What if Stanza turns into a major ecosystem to rival Amazon’s? Stanza enables you to download books directly to your iPhone or Touch? If the DRM issue can be addressed, ideally by avoiding “protection,” Stanza could be one solution for book publishers and others who fear Amazon’s growing power. What’s more, Stanza isn’t the only potential threat to the Kindle. eReader also allows direct downloads to the iPhone/Touch, although the shopping experience right now isn’t as seamless as at Amazon. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:01:44 +0100 672563 http://www.slaw.ca/2008/11/14/playing-the-identity-card-surveillance-security-and-identification-in-global-perspective/ On Monday, November 17, 2008  Dr. Colin J. Bennett, Professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Victoria, will be speaking at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto about identity cards in Canada.  Details here and in the full press release below the fold. PRESS RELEASE For immediate release – November 13, 2008 HOW CANADIAN IDENTITY CARDS STACK UP (Toronto, ON) — Canada’s identity cards, such as Ontario’s proposed Enhanced Driver’s Licence, may help citizens prove “who we are,” but also bring up privacy, civil liberties and human rights concerns. How do other countries handle authentication and surveillance? These issues will be explored by Political Science Professor, Colin J. Bennett, at an “Identity, Privacy and Security Initiative (IPSI)” lecture at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, at noon on Monday, November 17. His talk will be based on the findings of his just published book, “Playing the Identity Card: Surveillance, Security and Identification in Global Perspective,” (with co-editor David Lyon). The authors look into a variety of identity card systems around the world, summarizing how different factors can affect the use of ID cards by the government to manage new technological changes, and shape its application to desirable or undesirable results, and how these trends could apply to Canada. Media are invited to attend the lecture, or arrange for a one-on-one interview. The lecture will be held at the Claude Bissell Building (140 St. George Street), in Room 728, from noon to 1:00 pm, followed by a question and answer period. There is no charge and everyone is welcome. Since 1986, Dr. Bennett has taught in the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria where he is now Chair. He has published numerous scholarly and newspaper articles, as well as written books on the topic of surveillance technologies and privacy protection policies. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:30:28 +0100 672701 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AginfoBlogFromIaald/~3/453961573/making-our-agricultural-information.html Yesterday a small group of aginfo enthusiasts met at Wageningen UR to exchange experiences on the ways they make their information more accessible. It offered a rich insight into some practicalities of becoming ‘truly accessible’ – as the CIARD initiative calls on us to be.IAALD Board member Barbara Hutchinson opened, explaining AgNIC’s ‘born digital’ and ‘re-born digital’ initiatives that aim to provide “persistent long-term access" to the research outputs of US agricultural research and extension. She particularly highlighted the issue of ‘link rot’ – where after even a short period, many web resources can no longer be found via their URL. See her presentation; and further reading.Ingeborg Nagel and Harry Heemskerk introduced ‘Search4Dev’ a new repository that the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) will soon launch. “For Dutch development organizations”, the new site will harvest and make accessible a much wider set of outputs than is normally found in research and academic repositories. The project is a close collaboration with DPRN and their ‘global-connections’ portal. The Dutch national Royal Library will take care of the long term preservation of the repository content.  See their presentation.Hugo Besemer of WUR explained two projects from Wageningen UR: ‘Wageningen Yield’ and ‘Groen Kennisnet’ – or ‘green knowledge net.’ The former is the primary system/repository of WUR, where according to Besemer, they “make public whatever we can.”Hugo's colleague Ger Naber introduced the world soil information database at ISRIC. According to Naber, this was a "small library" whose content - soil maps and related resources - was only accessible to people that visited. For the past two years, the emphasis has shifted towards digital resources and services - 'bringing the services to the people'. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 673406 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConversationalReading/~3/kTuWbpikKQU/weekend-conte-1.html The Jewish Quarterly, "Irène Némirovsky and the Death of the Critic" by Tadzio Koelb. The rebirth of the author becomes the death of the critic:The publishers of Suite Française take little credit for its market success, but some details of the marketing campaign suggest this is false modesty. It would be an understatement to suggest that Suite Française enjoyed a much larger marketing budget than most foreign work; it was, in fact, Chatto & Windus’s second largest budget for that year; posters were displayed in the London tube, a series of major trade promotions were pursued with large booksellers, including Waterstone’s, Borders, Books Etc. and Amazon, and advertisements were placed in all the catalogues to target independent booksellers. Much of this expensive marketing focused on Némirovsky’s own fate; the press release that accompanied review copies, for example, devotes around one hundred words to the two novels, their content and themes, and over 340 words to what it calls ‘The story behind the book’. Most journalists seemingly took their cue from this, and certainly the great majority of reviews and other articles which appeared soon after publication embraced the ‘lost book by a dead author’ angle: ‘The novel in the suitcase’ (The Guardian); ‘History in a suitcase’ (The Herald); ‘War epic trapped in a suitcase’ (Sunday Express); ‘Hidden Treasure’ (Financial Times); ‘Lost and found’ (New Statesman); and so on. Some used the darker aspects of the author’s life to raise the stakes when looking for headlines: ‘Doomed to brilliance’, said The Scotsman. A week later, the Daily Mail offered its review under the title ‘She died in Auschwitz but her legend lives’. The Mail on Sunday topped this with ‘Genius with a tragic ending’. The content of these articles tended to match their headlines for focus. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 672716 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Library_science&diff=251686421&oldid=prev My bad, It was a good edit ← Previous revision Revision as of 01:59, 14 November 2008 Line 37: Line 37: According to U''.S. News & World Report'', library and information science ranks as one of the "Best Careers of 2008."<ref>Best Careers. ''U.S. News & World Report'' http://www.usnews.com/features/business/best-careers/best-careers-2008.html</ref> The median annual salary for 2007 is reported as $51,400 USD in the United States,<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/librarian-executive-summary.html Librarian: Executive Summary - US News and World Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> with additional salary breakdowns available by metropolitan area, with San Francisco coming in the highest with an average salary of $64,400 and Philadelphia the lowest at $48,200.<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/librarian-executive-summary.html Librarian: Executive Summary - US News and World Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This is up from the median salaries in 2006 as $49,060 reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase can basically be attributed to keeping pace with inflation. A $49,060 salary in 2006 was adjusted to $50,457.33,<ref>BLS Inflation Calculator http://www.bls.gov/cpi/</ref> and while data is not yet posted for 2008, adding the same rate of inflationary increase for 2008 (1.028%) one could project an inflationary salary adjustment as $51,894.46 for the 2008 fiscal year.<ref>[http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos068. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:59:24 +0100 672309 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Library_science&diff=251686271&oldid=prev Reverted edits by 173.70.40.43 to last version by JDubman ← Previous revision Revision as of 01:58, 14 November 2008 Line 37: Line 37: According to U''.S. News & World Report'', library and information science ranks as one of the "Best Careers of 2008."<ref>Best Careers. ''U.S. News & World Report'' http://www.usnews.com/features/business/best-careers/best-careers-2008.html</ref> The median annual salary for 2007 is reported as $51,400 USD in the United States,<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/librarian-executive-summary.html Librarian: Executive Summary - US News and World Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> with additional salary breakdowns available by metropolitan area, with San Francisco coming in the highest with an average salary of $64,400 and Philadelphia the lowest at $48,200.<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/librarian-executive-summary.html Librarian: Executive Summary - US News and World Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This is up from the median salaries in 2006 as $49,060 reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase can basically be attributed to keeping pace with inflation. A $49,060 salary in 2006 was adjusted to $50,457.33,<ref>BLS Inflation Calculator http://www.bls.gov/cpi/</ref> and while data is not yet posted for 2008, adding the same rate of inflationary increase for 2008 (1.028%) one could project an inflationary salary adjustment as $51,894.46 for the 2008 fiscal year.<ref>[http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos068. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:58:33 +0100 672310 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Library_science&diff=251686184&oldid=prev Removing spam ← Previous revision Revision as of 01:58, 14 November 2008 Line 37: Line 37: According to U''.S. News & World Report'', library and information science ranks as one of the "Best Careers of 2008."<ref>Best Careers. ''U.S. News & World Report'' http://www.usnews.com/features/business/best-careers/best-careers-2008.html</ref> The median annual salary for 2007 is reported as $51,400 USD in the United States,<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/librarian-executive-summary.html Librarian: Executive Summary - US News and World Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> with additional salary breakdowns available by metropolitan area, with San Francisco coming in the highest with an average salary of $64,400 and Philadelphia the lowest at $48,200.<ref>[http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/librarian-executive-summary.html Librarian: Executive Summary - US News and World Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This is up from the median salaries in 2006 as $49,060 reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase can basically be attributed to keeping pace with inflation. A $49,060 salary in 2006 was adjusted to $50,457.33,<ref>BLS Inflation Calculator http://www.bls.gov/cpi/</ref> and while data is not yet posted for 2008, adding the same rate of inflationary increase for 2008 (1.028%) one could project an inflationary salary adjustment as $51,894.46 for the 2008 fiscal year.<ref>[http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos068. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:58:01 +0100 672311 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/infoisland/~3/452364878/ From Victoria Peterson We are proud to announce the formation of a new Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) Interest Group, the Second Life Interest Group (SLIG). SLIG was formed by unanimous vote at the November CAL Board meeting. The purpose of the group is to: Explore new ways of doing digital outreach, networking and public relations in order to promote Colorado and its libraries (including but not limited to academic, public, special, and school) on the virtual world of Second Life Build a Colorado Association of Libraries presence on Second Life through a new virtual library that will represent the combined efforts of the aforementioned Colorado libraries and their library staff. This new library, “the Sustainable Living Library” on the sim Emerald City, will represent best practices for living an ecologically conscious life. Through virtual workshops, conferences, and links to “green websites”, the community of Second Life as well as real life patrons will learn more about their environment and how to save it. The “Sustainable Living Library” will make available to the community of Second Life the online public access catalogs of Colorado libraries associated with this new library and any programs or activities that promote Colorado, its libraries, or CAL. The Mission Statement of the Sustainable Living Library: The Sustainable Living Library of Second Life is committed to creating better and healthier lives for ourselves and our children through sustainable living practices. By developing workshops, exhibits and other resources, we strive to educate our visitors about green practices and other ways to sustain healthy lives and a healthy planet. SLIG will be meeting soon in the virtual world of Second Life. Interest group members and all others are encouraged to attend this virtual meeting. ... Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:17:37 +0100 672805 http://freegovinfo.info/node/2137 So, where are we at? Yesterday and today were one of those Rubicon moments -- reminding me once again how librarians repeatedly throw themselves across the chasm that lies between the digital and paper shores; a kind of human bridge to bear the burden of our user's information needs. Digital tools are great, and add greatly to the strength or span of our bibliographic structures -- but in the end, it more often than not comes down to just how much the librarian in the breach knows about both worlds that makes the journey across either a success or abject failure. Let me be specific. Yesterday morning I finally met a person who was only an exchange of emails to me. He was searching for a digital copy of the Treaty of Vienna. I couldn't find it, so we agreed to walk into the paper world together and we met at the old fashioned reference desk. Reflecting on the insights of Thomas Mann's two articles about the essential connections between reference and cataloging -- it took me about 15 minutes to find a set of reference books that contained the original text of the treaty. It was really a matter of "generalizing" the LC subject headings and finding the one that referred to a collection of the treaty texts in five easy volumes. I know for us librarians this is a cake walk; but I am surprised how much the use and influence of the web and ubiquitous key word searching has wiped this once common research practice from our user community's collective experience. The other public service moment remains virtual as well and involved the grand jury report on the shooting of Fred Hampton. Using the web, he found a link to the report on the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, but he wasn't sure how to get a copy of the report through this mechanism. ... Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:05:48 +0100 672174 http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/itbloggingsection/2008/11/your-online-ide.html Just like your real life identity, your online identity is something which must be given significant consideration. Online user names identify you and coordinate your online life - they exist on the interwebs as a record of your activities, and will likely stick around long after you are bored visiting those sites. Think of these user names as your brand. Greg Schwartz (of Louisville Free Public Library) did a great presentation at Internet Librarian 2008 on branding. Greg makes two very important points about your online identity: Keep in mind what it will look like to your next employer (who will likely Google your name prior to an interview). Realize that you do not own your online identity. Greg also offers Six Tips on Managing Your Online Brand which are simple steps to aggregating your identity into a brand, and joining the online conversation. Branding: Not Just for Cows AnymoreView SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: management reputation) Once you've selected a user name to represent your brand, check out Where is Your Username Registered - a site which aggregates over 60 social network and Web 2.0 sites and checks to see if your user name is available. I ran a search for my brand - jambina. (Click the thumbnail below to see a snippet.)   Most of the "taken" services are actually me, but I see some (like YouTube) which I did not register for (online branding fail on my part...)So what is your brand? (Source: Blogging Section of SLA-IT) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:00:40 +0100 672587 http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23197 Resource Management of United States Attorneys’ Offices, Audit Report 09-03 (PDF; 3.1 MB) Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General As of April 21, 2008, the USAOs employed 5,381 attorneys and 5,921 support personnel. The USAOs and EOUSA had a combined fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget of $1.755 billion. According to EOUSA officials, when including reimbursable funding the total budget managed by EOUSA was approximately $2 billion. … Our audit found that although funding and authorized full-time equivalents (FTE) for EOUSA (Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys) and the USAOs (United States Attorneys’ Offices) increased during our 5-year review period, USAOs have experienced a significant gap between allocated attorney FTEs and the number of FTEs that the USAOs are actually utilizing.2 EOUSA attributes this significant gap to rising expenses and budget constraints. Further, the average number of cases handled per USAO attorney FTE increased from FYs 2003 to 2007. … Our audit found that although funding and authorized full-time equivalents (FTE) for EOUSA and the USAOs increased during our 5-year review period, USAOs have experienced a significant gap between allocated attorney FTEs and the number of FTEs that the USAOs are actually utilizing.2 EOUSA attributes this significant gap to rising expenses and budget constraints. Further, the average number of cases handled per USAO attorney FTE increased from FYs 2003 to 2007. We also determined that the process used by EOUSA and the USAOs to allocate personnel resources has weaknesses. Specifically, EOUSA does not have reliable and specific data to make fully informed resource allocation decisions and to use in reporting statistical data to others, including to the Attorney General and Congress. (Source: Docuticker) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:42:20 +0100 671970 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TameTheWeb/~3/451793159/ Brenda Hough writes: The MaintainIT Project is happy to announce the latest Cookbook! ”Planning for Success” http://www.maintainitproject.org/cookbooks/planning-for-success It’s a free online resource with current ideas and best practices for planning, building, and managing your library’s computer technology. Librarians around the country have contributed their knowledge on topics ranging from security solutions and strategic maintenance practices to community building experiences involving Web 2.0 tools and vital partnerships. And the Cookbook is FREE. Cookbook topics include: - Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - Evaluations and Metrics - Talking with non-techies - Standardizing your IT infrastructure - Leasing computers - Disk-cloning in libraries - Remote desktop software - Hiring the right techs - Selecting and configuring a firewall - Gaming in Libraries - What to Consider When Evaluating and Implementing Web 2.0 Tools in Your Library - And more!! Thanks to everyone who contributed to all three Cookbooks. These resources reflect the impressive work you all do, and we’re so happy to share them with everyone. Don’t forget to check out the FREE webinars MaintainIT offers, too: http://www.maintainitproject.org/events) (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:22:08 +0100 672183 http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&id=615 Information about retail shopping activity in the U.S. during the winter holiday season. Information before and after the holidays variously includes spending projections, shopping on the Friday and Monday after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday"), online shopping, and consumer surveys. Also includes a report with "recent and historical data on holiday trends, including sales data, holiday hiring, and shoplifting." From a trade association whose membership "comprises all retail formats." (Source: Librarians' Internet Index: New This Week) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:04:01 +0100 671945 http://lostintransition.nationaljournal.com/ This blog was launched in November 2008 to help "you navigate the presidential handover" from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. Blog entries include roundups of top transition stories in the press, insider interviews, and commentary on activities, such as the selection of Rahm Emanuel as Barack Obama's chief of staff (which is noted as echoing a plot point from the television show "West Wing"). From the National Journal. (Source: Librarians' Internet Index: New This Week) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:04:01 +0100 671932 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4791 State: Ohio The Dayton Metro Library is seeking a dedicated, patron focused Children’s Librarian to work at our Burkhardt Branch Library. Burkhardt Branch is a busy, medium-sized branch serving a diverse mix of urban and suburban residents. Located near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the branch service area is home to families of many cultures, including a growing Latino population. Job Responsibilities: The Children’s Librarian is under the direction of the Branch Manager. Responsible for maintaining the children’s collection and for promoting reading and library use among children. Provides library users with assistance in reference, readers’ advisory, and in the use of library materials and reference resources. Serves at the public reference desk and in a roaming capacity. Participates in the development of the branch collection profile, evaluates and suggests titles for purchase or replacement. Develops and coordinates and presents children’s activities and programs. Provides service and maintains liaisons with schools and community agencies. Job Qualifications: Ability to use Internet and other new information technologies; ability to work effectively with schools and other community organizations; knowledge of children’s literature and collection development methods; experience working with planning and presenting children’s programs, and excellent community relation skills required. MLS preferred. Compensation and Benefits: $35,961-$37,029. Excellent benefit package includes up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, staff training day, comprehensive health, dental and vision care benefits, tuition reimbursement program, deferred compensation plan and many other benefits. Application Process: Send resume to Cindi Chibis, Human Resources Manager, Dayton Metro Library, 215 East Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402. cchibis@daytonmetrolibrary.org fax 937-496-4302 Submitted on 2008-11-10 (Source: SLIS Careers Feed) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:21:01 +0100 671866 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4794 State: Wisconsin The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Library seeks an innovative, energetic, and team-oriented systems librarian to join our collaborative and service-minded library staff. The Library serves a growing campus of 11,300 undergraduate and graduate students and 1,100 employees in scenic and recreation-filled southeastern Wisconsin, 45 minutes from both Madison and Milwaukee. The systems librarian will manage the library’s hardware, software, online library system (ExLibris’ Voyager), and participate in a number of library automation initiatives. Position Vacancy University of Wisconsin – Whitewater University Library Position: Systems Librarian (Academic Staff, Annual Renewable Appointment, Full-Time, 12-month appointment) Starting Date: January, 2009, or as mutually negotiated Responsibilities: 1. Support library technology resources & their operations, providing technical & operational support for library systems & software; advise library staff; collaborate with colleagues; serve as library web manager. 2. Manage the library’s systems, applications, & production software by: installing & maintaining software; communicating with vendors; creating reports; and developing training & documentation. 3. Represent the University Library by: serving as library liaison to appropriate campus units; acting as technical liaison with software vendors; serving as technology contact person for UW-Whitewater at the UW system level; representing the library in professional organizations. 4. Serve as part of the library’s administrative team to provide advice on policy and operations and to collaborate with other library department heads on library directions. 5. Perform special project assignments & other related duties as assigned. ... Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:21:01 +0100 671865 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4795 State: New York The Electronic Resources Librarian plays a key role in the library's commitment to user-centered service development, reporting to the Electronic & Technical Services Librarian and supervising one staff position. The Electronic Resources Librarian coordinates and supports the acquisition, licensing and maintenance of electronic resources, including the assurance of continuous access to these resources. The incumbent is responsible for the management and tracking of the electronic resources budget, and serves as a liaison between the technical services and public services aspects of electronic resources, including marketing and outreach; and participates in collection development activities for electronic databases, e-journals, e-books and emerging technologies, including public domain electronic resources. Duties also include some information services desk service and serving on departmental and library-wide teams as appropriate. Ithaca College is a selective medium-sized comprehensive College in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of Central New York. The City of Ithaca and surrounding environs offer diverse cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities in a small college town setting. Founded as a school of music, the College has long recognized the value of combining theory and performance, providing a rigorous education that blends liberal arts and professional programs. Required qualifications: MLS or MLIS from an ALA-accredited school received by date of hire; two or more years of relevant library experience; familiarity with standards for access and use of electronic resources and emerging technologies; excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to prioritize work to ensure Library goals are realized; ability and willingness to work independently within a team environment and a changing library and college environment. ... Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:21:01 +0100 671864 http://www.slis.indiana.edu/careers/view_job_specific.php?job_id=4799 State: Indiana Description: Jennings County Public Library seeks an energetic, flexible, and innovative professional with a strong commitment to public service to fill the newly created position of Adult Services Librarian. The selected candidate will provide in-depth reference assistance to customers researching local history and genealogy as well as reader’s advisory. Additional duties include planning, coordinating, implementing and evaluating adult library programs. Qualifications: Requirements for this position include an ALA/MLS degree, excellent computer expertise, strong interpersonal skills, knowledge of programming, knowledge of local history and/or genealogical research methods. This full-time position requires some evening and weekend hours. Salary: Compensation based on qualifications and experience. Contact: A resume, cover letter and 3 professional references should be sent to Mary Hougland, Director, Jennings County Public Library 2375 N State Hwy 3, North Vernon, IN 47265. Email: mary.hougland@jenningslib.org Submitted on 2008-11-12 (Source: SLIS Careers Feed) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:21:01 +0100 671863 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConversationalReading/~3/451959614/toussaint-at-sp.html Quarterly Conversation contributor John Lingan writes on Jean-Philippe Toussaint at Splice Today.This is the philosophical thrust of Toussaint’s early work. The books’ aloof protagonists and unadorned language recall The Stranger, but Toussaint makes his larger points stylistically where Camus made his narratively; Meursault’s actions lead him to prison where his best coping mechanism is the resigned existentialism that Camus espoused. The Bathroom, Monsieur, and Camera more closely resemble The Crying of Lot 49’s shaggy, ultimately directionless structure, but without Pynchon’s mock-epic ambitions and paranoia. Rather, Toussaint’s everymen are trapped in their author’s own purposeful form. Their desire to fully catalogue a day’s action, to bring a day’s contents to light, turns out to be as ineffectual as their own professional and personal lives. The books’ plots are likewise about everything and nothing all at once; so much happens, yet so little is of actual consequence.Also see our interview with Toussaint. (Source: Conversational Reading) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 672927 http://www.stcharleslibrary.org/blog/jobs/2008/11/applying_for_a_position.html For all of these positions, applications are available online or at the main circulation desk. Please apply in person or send resume to: Bryan A. Wood, Assistant Director, St. Charles Public Library District One South 6th Avenue, St. Charles, IL 60174. Electronic cover letters and resumes may be sent to: bwood@stcharleslibrary.org VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT www.stcharleslibrary.org (Source: Positions Available) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 672845 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConversationalReading/~3/bbfp6EZZeuU/toussaint-at-sp.html Quarterly Conversation contributor John Lingan writes on Jean-Philippe Toussaint at Splice Today.This is the philosophical thrust of Toussaint’s early work. The books’ aloof protagonists and unadorned language recall The Stranger, but Toussaint makes his larger points stylistically where Camus made his narratively; Meursault’s actions lead him to prison where his best coping mechanism is the resigned existentialism that Camus espoused. The Bathroom, Monsieur, and Camera more closely resemble The Crying of Lot 49’s shaggy, ultimately directionless structure, but without Pynchon’s mock-epic ambitions and paranoia. Rather, Toussaint’s everymen are trapped in their author’s own purposeful form. Their desire to fully catalogue a day’s action, to bring a day’s contents to light, turns out to be as ineffectual as their own professional and personal lives. The books’ plots are likewise about everything and nothing all at once; so much happens, yet so little is of actual consequence.Also see our interview with Toussaint. (Source: Conversational Reading) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 672718 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2008/11/ihes-struggle-to-preserve-financial-aid.html For years, as the stock market roared, educational endowments swelled, helping private secondary schools and colleges provide more financial aid, expand and attract better faculty. But with the financial markets in crisis, those days are over. Today educational institutions are cutting spending, delaying projects and holding off on hiring. While many schools and colleges say their commitment to helping families pay the costs of education will not waver, some experts maintain that as investments shrink and donations fall, some institutions will be forced to cut back on financial aid. Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 672086 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/13/prostitution-belle-de-jour-novel Belle de Jour, the "real life" prostitute, who wrote the "real life" blog that was turned into a "real life" book, that became the "real life" (kind of) TV drama with Billie Piper, has written a novel. In a piece entitled The twilight world of tart-lit, the Independent reported that De Jour (I've decided it's a surname) told Mark Lawson, in an email interview, that the putatively fictional work was "about 75% ... true". The piece goes on to accuse her of "having it all ways", but it strikes me that 75% is a relatively low truth:fiction ratio for a first novel. Anyway, back to the sex industry: this, I believe, is the most contentious "woman's" issue left. Considering it's the oldest profession in the world, you'd have thought we would have arranged ourselves along an axis by now, but no. Is it acceptable to coin "tart-lit" in this easy, accepting way, as though it's as legitimate a branch of middlebrow culture as sci-fi? Is it humourless to object?I'm divided. When I wrote about lapdancing clubs and the planning legislation that had refashioned them from sex shops to coffee shops with extra nudity, I got emails whose vehemence amazed me. Some were from nutters, granted. (One railed against me for citing a Lilith magazine survey on rapes, and called it "statistically insignificant" that there were 76 rapes in the London borough of Camden in one year. Statistically insignificant! 76 rapes in one year! In one borough! From a Guardian reader!) But many apparently reasonable people said in effect that if we accept sex has no stigma, if we insist sex is not exploitation, what's wrong with selling it. And broadly, I agree with that. I agreed with that when I interviewed Billie Piper, and we talked for longer about the free knickers she'd got than about the ethics surrounding the industry. ... Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:07:58 +0100 671669 http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/nov/13/blurb-internet-publishing Your typical Silicon Valley startup is run by a rarely washed teenager with borderline Asperger's Syndrome, who's never heard of profit but wants to sell for billions, right? That makes Blurb very atypical. Eileen Gittins, its chief executive, is female, for a start; and stylish.She's also been through the whole web 1.0 boom and bust, where she first ran Personify, an e-commerce marketing and analytics company that grew to 120 people but wasn't profitable. She was then was on the board of Verb, which did contextual search. Gittins is evidence of the saying in American business: you don't get really smart until you've gone bust twice.With Blurb, she's doing something smart: disintermediating a section of publishing (specifically, though she doesn't use the phrase, "coffee-table" - high-quality photographic - books) and making a physical product on which the company is certain to make a profit. It's a publishing company with nobody from mainstream publishing: "We're from Kodak, Apple, Google, Yahoo," Gittins says. The idea for Blurb came in her time after Verb, when Gittins, a former Kodak executive, returned to her love of photography: she compiled a photographic essay about people in and around Silicon Valley. In 2003, she wanted to produce 40 copies as gifts. The quotes for publishing it were horrendous; not only that, but there was the huge delay in getting the printing scheduled. Which got her thinking. What if you created a company that would handle the printing using a print-on-demand model? You'd generate the book on your computer with some software, upload a file with all the relevant data, and it would be passed to the printing company, which could do a run of one, or 10, or 10,000. Later that year, Apple launched iPhoto, its photo organisation program - which also included a "design a photo book, get it printed by Kodak" element. Validated, Gittins saw a potential business. ... Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:07:13 +0100 671671 http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23219 Best Practices: Mentoring (PDF: 295 KB) Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management Because a mentoring program, either for career or interpersonal enhancement, is built on mutual trust and respect of the individuals involved, much care should be given to its development and implementation. While organizational mentoring programs may take on different shapes and structures, there are certain critical steps that must be considered by any group embarking on establishing a mentoring program. Below are elements of effective practice that have proven effective in a wide range of existing mentoring programs throughout the Federal government. [Note: These activities are taken from best practices of current mentoring programs from Federal agencies, private sector, and from secondary research.] (Source: Docuticker) Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:55:48 +0100 671732 http://www.dowling.edu/library/new/fisherkurt.mp3 Dr. Kurt Fisher began teaching at Dowling in the fall of 1968 just as the College assumed its new identity. Drawn from an oral history interview, these segments recount how Dr. Fisher found his way from the Bronx to the south shore of Long Island. He also relates some of the challenges of teaching physics and how he met his future wife, visual arts instructor Sarah Chin. All part of Born in the Sixties, a year-long look at the first year of Dowling College in 1968-69, available at http://dowling1968.wordpress.com (Source: Dowling College Library Podcasts) Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:00:00 +0100 671869 http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&id=2090 A panel of successful women acknowledged that striking a perfect balance between work and personal life is rarely possible for a first-year associate on Wall Street, but they also agreed that balance is achievable over time if the right priorities are established. Executives from Wachovia Securities, JP Morgan, Goldenridge Capital, Morgan Stanley and UBS offered anecdotes and advice at a recent Wharton Women in Business Conference. (Source: Knowledge@Wharton) Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:45:28 +0100 672133 http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm?fa=viewfeature&id=2085 Change is the new status-quo, and success at work will require agility, talent and the ability to learn from -- rather than fear -- failure, according to Gregory Shea, adjunct professor of management at Wharton, and business writer Robert Gunther. The two recently co-authored a book titled, Your Job Survival Guide, a Manual for Thriving in Change. (Source: Knowledge@Wharton) Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:45:28 +0100 672132 http://news-libraries.mit.edu/blog/authorsmit-presents-3/1219/ Please join authors@mit and the Humanities Library in celebrating the publication of Digital Apollo, the newest book by MIT’s David Mindell. “Digital Apollo” tells the story of how human pilots and automated systems worked together to achieve the ultimate in flight—the lunar landings of NASA’s Apollo program. “Digital Apollo is an excellent and unique historical account of the lengthy and often pitched struggle of designers, engineers, and pilots to successfully integrate man and complex computer systems for the Apollo lunar landings. It brings back fond memories.” —Edgar Mitchell, Sc.D.; Captain, USN (retired) Lunar Module Pilot, Apollo 14 About the book: As Apollo 11’s Lunar Module descended toward the moon under automatic control, a program alarm in the guidance computer’s software nearly caused a mission abort. Neil Armstrong responded by switching off the automatic mode and taking direct control. He stopped monitoring the computer and began flying the spacecraft, relying on skill to land it and earning praise for a triumph of human over machine. In “Digital Apollo”, engineer-historian David Mindell takes this famous moment as a starting point for an exploration of the relationship between humans and computers in the Apollo program. In each of the six Apollo landings, the astronaut in command seized control from the computer and landed with his hand on the stick. Mindell recounts the story of astronauts’ desire to control their spacecraft in parallel with the history of the Apollo Guidance Computer. From the early days of aviation through the birth of spaceflight, test pilots and astronauts sought to be more than “spam in a can” despite the automatic controls, digital computers, and software developed by engineers. ... Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:33:05 +0100 671572 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/11/12/spammers-mine-new-ground-eco