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 Schools interest group. http://www.libworm.com/rss/librarianqueries.php Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:07:06 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/10/are-you-ready-for-twilight.html We are all anxiously awaiting the movie! If you haven't read the book yet, you still have time to finish it before the movie comes out. Check it out from our media center. Make sure to take our poll! Have you read Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer? ( surveys) (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100 673133 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/11/speak-up.html peak UP "Speak Up, a national online research project facilitated by Project TomorrowSM, gives individuals the opportunity to share their viewpoints about key educational issues. Each year, findings are summarized and shared with national and state policy makers."Please take a little time to make your voice heard... your input may ultimately help our school obtain more technology for you to use.Take the Speak Up Survey! The secret word is ccps. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100 671244 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/11/historic-election.html _Picture courtesy: AP Photo ArchiveSupporters gather in Grant Park for the election night party for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in Chicago, Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100 669680 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/10/teen-read-week.html October 12-18 is Teen Read Week!This year's theme is Books with Bite@ Your Library!!"A national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association that is aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. The continuing message of the Teen Read Week initiative is to encourage 12-18 year olds to 'Read For The Fun Of It'. Each year an annual theme allows YALSA to focus on timely topics and teen interests. Teen Read Week is celebrated the third full week in October every year." Visit Teen Read Week for more information. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100 658418 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2007/09/banned-books-week-september-23-30-2006.html Why Banned Books Week?"Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, the annual event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted."**American Library Association D0 you know??Do you know which book was challenged the most in 2007? Find out why books are challenged, and the most challenged books of 2007 by clicking here.For more information on intellectual freedom click here:http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=oif (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100 645769 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-are-you-reading.html What have you read so far this summer? I have read Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, by Alan Alda and My Sister's Keeper: A Novel, by Jodi Picoult. Both of these titles are on the 11th Grade Summer Reading List. I have just started reading Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (a 12th Grade Summer Reading title). In addition, I am listening to Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. Of these, my favorite has been My Sister's Keeper. If you have read any of these, leave a comment below. If you have read another really good summer reading book, let us all know!If you ordered an AP Government book from the book fair, your book is waiting for you at Educate & Celebrate. They have your names... go and pick it up! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100 623728 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/06/summer-and-ap-reading-book-fair.html Looking for the summer reading lists? Use the links to right/bottom of this page. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 606005 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/04/national-library-week.html April is School Library Media Month... and the week of April 13-19, 2008 is National Library Week! Got a library card? (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 581857 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/03/womens-history-month.html HHS March is Women's History Month!The public celebration of women's history in this country began only 30 years ago in 1978 as "Women's History Week" in Sonoma County, California. The week including March 8, International Women's Day, was selected. In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) co-sponsored a joint Congressional resolution proclaiming a national Women's History Week. In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month, and March was declared Women's History Month."International Women's Day." Infoplease.© 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.24 Mar. 2008 .HHSHow well do you know about plagiarism?Take the You Quote It, You Note It quiz. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 574724 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2009/02/win-free-ipod.html We use SIRS to research for our persuasive and informative papers all of the time. Why not turn something you have done into a podcast and win an iPod for your efforts?! Click on the picture above or see Ms. Voelker in the Media Center for more information. Good luck! (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 551294 http://hhsmedia.blogspot.com/2008/12/pay-it-forward.html As one of the innovative students here at Huntingtown High School, you may be interested in this contest:According to the Make Your Difference website: Make Your Difference is a contest to empower youth to impact the world through creating a new possibility in their school, community, city and beyond into positively impacting the world.Open to youth, aged 6 to 24, Make Your Difference is the world’s greatest Pay It Forward contest where you could win $10,000 or more to help you make your difference. There are no limitations to your idea, concept, innovation, business model or invention. Whatever you can dream, you can create. For more information about how to enter, click here.Don't forget:We need friends: http://www.myspace.com/hhsmediaHistory Fair Research dates: Dec. 5, 10, and Jan. 2 from 2:30-4:30 in the Media Center. (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center) Mon, 08 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 525029 http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23334 U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Releases Reading First Impact Study Final Report Source: U.S. Department of Education U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced the release of the Institute of Education Sciences’ report: Reading First Impact Study: Final Report. This report presents an additional year of data from 2006-2007 on student reading comprehension and classroom instruction. In addition, the report includes information on the impact of the program on first-grade students’ decoding skills. The study was conducted in 248 schools (125 Reading First schools, 123 non-Reading First schools) in 18 sites (17 districts and 1 statewide program) in 13 states. It measured Reading First schools against other schools in Reading First districts—schools that may have implemented the same reforms. + Report: Reading First Impacts Instruction of Struggling Readers (Source: Docuticker) Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:42:01 +0100 675033 http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/madreads/index.php/2008/11/20/the-grass-is-always-taller/ I’m short (5′3″ on a good day) and like many of the vertically challenged I’ve often wished I were taller.  Perhaps that can explain why I’m drawn to books with tall women protagonists (and my strange obsession with America’s Next Top Model).  The latest reads in my quest to live vicariously through the tall are Everything Nice by Ellen Shanman and Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker. Michaela “Mike” Edwards is tall, gorgeous and could care less.  She’s never been interested in the types of things other women in her office find so fascinating.  She looks the way she looks and obsessing about it won’t make a bit of difference.  Far more important to her is her job as an up-and-coming copy editor at her advertising firm.  In fact just about her entire identity is wrapped up in that job.  So when she is fired and realizes that her take-no-prisoners, blunt ways have made her persona non grata everywhere else, Mike is lost.  After six months of unemployment and an eviction notice, Mike is forced to move back in with her father and take any job she can.  The job she ends up with is teaching a life skills class to a group of twelve-year-old girls at a charter school.  This being chick lit, there is the requisite guy that Mike has overlooked - and a very good guy he is.  But what made this such a good read are Mike’s struggles.  She is funny and often genuinely confused about people in general which makes it all the more interesting as she reclaims her life. Equally awkward, if for very different reasons, is Violet Greenfield.  Violet is seventeen and over six feet tall and about as unhappy about it as anyone who’s been called Jolly Green Giant for years can be.  Until now.  Now she’s confused.  While working her job at the Palace Theater in Chapel Hill, NC, Violet meets New York modeling agent Angela Blythe. ... Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:41:53 +0100 675034 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TameTheWeb/~3/460099953/ I’ve posted about this blog already but I have to come back to it. A Dominican University Journalism class is using a Blogspot blog to report news and more to the campus and beyond. Our Dean of Rosary College, Jeff Carlson, shared the URL with me and I subscribed immediately. I was rather excited so I emailed the GSLIS Faculty and the Academic IT Committee: It’s a journalism class - and the content just keeps coming! The voices are human, honest and engaging. I have learned so much about Dominican and student life from this blog - I’ve added it to my news portal. Created simply with Blogger, it seems to be generating many comments and feedback. I have pointed to it once on my blog but will be writing about it again and sharing it with my social tools colleagues.  Good stuff. I truly believe this is the future of marketing and engagement - a perfect example of social media done right: sometimes messy, sometimes silly, sometimes thought-provoking…but very real. I checked in today and found that the posts and comments continue, so here are five reasons I think this is a good thing for the University. This venue seems to be a useful way for students to learn and more: They are learning journalism skills but also media and promotional skills. Check out the video embedded in this post about the blog’s promotion around campus. Images augment posts as well. They are finding their voice. “Ya know what really grinds my gears?,” asked one poster. “Mandatory attendance at extracurricular academic activities.” Entering the conversation openly and honestly is important. Learning how to state one’s case fairly and evenly is even more important. A “grind my gears” post is a good way to express frustration and call for solutions. The act of writing it down helps the thinking process. They are getting invaluable experience in new media. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:53:53 +0100 674978 http://146.74.224.231/archives/2008/11/frugal_fun_your.html A lot of people are pinching pennies and cutting costs because of the current economic downturn. Visiting your local library and making use of our resources to cut down on cost is one way to become more frugal. Frugal does not mean depriving yourself but rather finding creative means of enriching your life without spending a lot of money. Sign up for a library card today and discover a world of entertainment and fun. * The library offers free Internet and wi-fi service as well as computer access to check your email, to do your homework or to play an online game. * Take advantage of our free online homework help and skills building through our online service Brainfuse. * Download and enjoy free audio books and videos in digital format. * The library also offers a variety of fun programs and events free of charge. * Make new acquaintances by attending our book discussion groups and to discuss what you’ve read. * Spend quality time with your children by attending one of our storytimes, music and movement classes, as well as our after school activities for older children. * You can check out a variety of materials at the library. Scare yourself with a mystery. * Pick up a book on cassette or CD and listen to it in your car as you drive home, check out your favorite workout DVD. * Take home Bach, Beethoven and Brahms or get that home repair manual for your leaky faucet you’ve been wanting to fix. * Make use of our online databases for research or to stay informed. * Look in Morningstar to see what stock did well today. * Read the local newspaper online. * Get some Bay Area demographic information for business reports. * Get tax forms and tax filing information. * Prepare yourself for your job interview or for an upcoming academic or professional exam, including SAT, ACT, GED, GRE, GMAT, PRAZIS, ASVAB, Cosmetology, Civil Service, Postal Worker, Law Enforcement, Fire, and more. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:38:58 +0100 674911 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TameTheWeb/~3/459993819/ It’s in my stack of books for winter reading and wil be included in my classes next semester. In the meantime, I’m enjoying Jenny Levine’s report of author John Palfrey’s talk in Chicago:   5 characteristics 1. “I blog therefore I am” express their identity online and offline - they don’t distinguish between the two avatars as another version of identity one difference is “subscribe to *me*” 2. multitaskers a lot of debate over multitasking and what it is, but they’re doing multiple things at once example of game in which boys tried to maintain as many IM conversations with as many girls as they could at once 3. consumers to creators interact with digital format - seems self-evident, but presumption is immediate access because digital (eg, digital camera vs a disposable one); movie theater vs YouTube, print vs searchable text presumption of media in digital form and that it’s social and shared held a contest to design the logo for “Digital Natives” project at Harvard Law School - got 136 entries (32 from the kid who won), just for the glory (no prize) 4. mash up different media, putting different forms of media together comes down to a series of technologies - RSS, Google Docs, lightweight collaborative tools 5. an international perspective “couchsurfing” Google Maps mashup - 89,000 friendships created And this post from Lindsay, one of my St. Kate’s LIS768 students:   The way Digital Natives are interacting with information is changing rapidly. Librarians need to stay educated—be aware of the technology so the conversations/education seminars are relevant to Digital Natives. “This participatory digital environment requires all of us to become more media literate” (128). “We ignore the social norms of Digital Natives at our peril” (148). ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:48:37 +0100 674979 http://blogs.ala.org/oif.php?title=nominees_sought_for_the_pla_gordon_m_con&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 Note: This is being posted as a courtesy to the Public Library Association. The PLA Gordon M. Conable Award is NOT to be confused with the Freedom to Read Foundation's Gordon Conable Conference Scholarship, which provides funding for a library school student or new professional to attend an Annual Conference, with a focus on intellectual freedom programs and meetings. The application process for the 2009 FTRF Conable Scholarship will open in early 2009 - stay tuned! Nominees are being sought for the PLA Gordon M. Conable Award. The Conable Award honors a public library staff member, a library trustee, or a public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights. This award is sponsored by LSSI. The recipient of the Gordon M. Conable Award must have demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights in various ways, including, but not limited to, the following: developed and promoted collections that include diverse points of view; provided programs that promote community dialog on controversial issues; created and nurtured an organizational climate that fosters an understanding of the Library Bill of Rights amongst the library staff, library board, and elected and appointed officials; initiated activities at the local, state, or national level that promote, support, or defend intellectual freedom, the Library Bill of Rights, or the First Amendment; guaranteed open access to library materials and services for children and young adults; guaranteed open access to electronic information; defended library materials, programs, or services when confronted with a censorship challenge. The award consists of a $1,500 check and a commemorative plaque that will be presented at the ALA Annual Conference. For information about the award, please go to http://www.pla.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plaawards/gordonmconableaward/index. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:28:01 +0100 674903 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TameTheWeb/~3/459970178/ We just opened an amazing room for early literacy at the Waukegan Public Library. The impetuous for the room was a survey conducted by the United Way on Kindergarten Readiness in Spanish and English. Cut to the chase—the children of Waukegan are entering school unprepared, children are not doing well in school and several schools in Waukegan are on the No Child Left Behind watch list. Within 6 months we had architectural plans to put in a stimulating, engaging, room for preschoolers featuring multiple places to explore with hands-on learning. There is a pretend play theatre, arts and crafts center, science and math lab, nature center, music hall and a “crawl space” for infants. We’ve gotten some good online press about it at I Love Libraries, School Library Journal, and the Suburban Chicago News. Here is a some info on the planning. The concept for the center sprang from a 2006 United Way survey that showed only 43% of Waukegan kindergartners ever attend preschool, and 77% speak Spanish as their primary language. Over half the kids surveyed had little or no exposure to books before entering public school. The study also showed that in this largely Hispanic community, eight out of ten new kindergartners can’t recognize the letters in the alphabet. The library had previously set aside 2,200 square feet to build a space dedicated to preschoolers, but prior to this study coming out the room’s primary function would have been to hold the preschool book collection. “I was astounded by the percentages,” says Richard Lee, Executive Director of the library. “Looking at those deficiencies, we decided to set some measurable goals.” With guidance from Waukegan School District 60, the library began planning an Early Learning Center (ELC) dedicated to developing four pre-literacy skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:23:34 +0100 674982 http://lisnews.org/pimp_my_bookcart_2008_pimp_my_bookcart It's Over: "This year's Pimp my Bookcart contest had nearly a hundred submissions from all around the world. They came from schools, libraries, a book store, and a jail. There were carts made by kids, teenagers, and adults. They were higher-quality than ever, which made judging extremely difficult. We're not exaggerating when we say that our shortlist was in the dozens. We finally hunkered down in an undisclosed location in Indianapolis and argued well into the night. In the end we followed our hearts." (Source: LISNews.org) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:16:18 +0100 674861 http://librarychronicles.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html#800691965074105687 The problem is that we are now in year 4 after the flood and all we talk about is demolishing or selling what remains of the affordable housing stock, or closing and demolishing churches, or coming up with rules for future demolitions Right now we're pretending to get ready to build some schools but only after we spend most of the money knocking the old ones down.Apart from a few vague and largely unfulfilled hints, we're still not in the process of building anything. When do the cranes that build stuff get here? (Source: Library Chronicles) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:22:00 +0100 675021 http://lisnews.org/las_vegas_school_librarians_may_face_axe Las Vegas area CBS affiliate KLAS reports that the association of school librarians in the Clark County School District was present in recent meetings. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported yesterday that the district is holding meetings to gauge parent views on what should be cut due to financial shortfalls. The librarians went to gauge the risk to their jobs as local television reports have noted that parents are strongly considering already terminating art and music education in schools. The district has posted a chart with cuts under consideration. It is noted there that cutting out middle school and high school librarians would save the district USD$9,510,215. The argument present in favor of cutting such librarians is that teachers or support staff could maintain libraries. Clark County School District's boundaries are coterminous with the boundaries of Clark County in Nevada. The district serves Nevada's population center. According to the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, as of the 2005-2006 school year the district had 314 schools and served over two hundred and ten thousand students. (Source: LISNews.org) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:09:47 +0100 674853 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arlisnap/~3/459728985/ from UT School of Information Jobweb: <!– –> Location: United States, California, San Luis Obispo Job Types: Professional Categories: Academic... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: [ArLiSNAP]) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:21:56 +0100 675052 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/nov/19/seamus-heaney-poetry-blackbird Int én bec     ro léic feit    do rind guip    glanbuidi     fo-ceird faíd    os Loch Laíg    lon do craíb    charnbuidi This weird little scrap of Irish syllabic verse, probably from the 9th century, consists of just 24 syllables, broken up into eight short lines, which have somehow continued to echo in modern Irish verse: the little lyric seems to have stuck; it has proved itself, in Seamus Heaney's words, to have "staying power". First used in a metrical tract of the 11th century to illustrate a metre called snám súad, the lyric might be translated, literally, as: "The little bird which has whistled from the end of a bright-yellow bill: it utters a note above Belfast Lough – a blackbird from a yellow-heaped branch" (in a translation by Gerard Murphy). Or perhaps: "The little bird has whistled from the tip of his bright yellow beak; the blackbird from a bough laden with yellow blossom has tossed a cry over Belfast Lough" (translation by David Greene & Frank O'Connor).Perhaps the poem's recent appeal has something to do with the character of the plucky little bird singing out over Belfast – the site of so much tragedy during the past three decades. Blackbird = poet? That, at least, is one way of looking at it.Poetic versions, and rewrites, and reinterpretations of the poem abound, by John Montague, and John Hewitt, and Seamus Heaney, and Thomas Kinsella (in The New Oxford Book of Irish Verse), and Tomás Ó Floinn (in modern Irish), and by the current director of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry, Ciaran Carson. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:22:51 +0100 674767 http://careercenter.sla.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=3034710 - MLS or equivalent degree from an ALA accredited school, or comparable library experience with other related advanced subject degree - BA/BS in a field in the humanities or social sciences - Demo (Source: SLA Career Center Search Results []) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:37:00 +0100 674928 http://lane.stanford.edu/tobacco/index.html This intention of this exhibit "is to tell ... the story of how, between the late 1920s and the early 1950s, tobacco companies used deceptive and often patently false claims in an effort to reassure the public of the safety of their products." View dozens of advertising images by brand or by theme (such as doctors smoking, brides smoking, inhaling, digestion, and calming nerves), and read slogans. From the Lane Library, Stanford School of Medicine. (Source: Librarians' Internet Index: New This Week) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:36:01 +0100 674699 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=Libraries_Say_Families_are_Responsible_for_Regulating_What_Kids_--- There's an exhibit at the McIntyre Library on the UW Eau Claire campus right now, called Censorship in Schools and Libraries. The exhibit illustrates (Source: pligg - all) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:33 +0100 674657 http://poeticeconomics.blogspot.com/2008/11/who-benefits-from-university-of-calgary.html Who benefits from the University of Calgary open access authors' fund? This was a good question, raised by an audience participant at a talk this Monday by Andrew Waller. Obviously, the U of C's OA Authors' Fund at $100,000 is not meant to cover a full switch to open access publishing-by-article-processing-fees at the U of C.My thoughts are that there are two main groups of beneficiaries. First, U of C faculty and students who wish to publish in an open access journal that charges article processing fees at least have a place to submit a request for assistance. Contrast this with a recent message from a librarian friend of mine, who had a grad student come to the library wishing such help, but the library had no procedures in place at all to help. It is quite possible that no other department on campus had a means to assist the student, either.Second, we all benefit from this pilot project. I was very glad to hear that U of C has figured out that it makes sense to support fully open access journals, such as Public Library of Science, BioMedCentral, and Hindawi, and also hybrid journals that recognize the revenue from author fees and lower subscription fees for libraries accordingly, such as Oxford and the American Institute of Physics. This is a great model for other libraries. If others develop open access funds with similar criteria, then the odds that other publishers will develop responsible policies lowering subscription fees to reflect OA revenue are that much greater. If subscription fees go down, libraries will have more money to pay open access article processing fees; a potential positive cycle to replace the vicious cycle of the serials crisis.Another useful question was whether researchers would offload traditional page charges onto the library. Andrew pointed out that such charges would not fit the criteria for the program, so would be rejected. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:28:00 +0100 675111 http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/archives/2008/11/new_macarthur_f.html The MacArthur Foundation has released an important new study titled “Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project” (58 page PDF): To quote: "New media allow for a degree of freedom and autonomy for youth that is less apparent in classroom setting. Youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults. Their efforts are also largely self-directed, and the outcome emerges through exploration, in contrast to classroom learning that is oriented toward set, predefined goals." Executive Summary "Social network sites, online games, video-sharing sites, and gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones are now fixtures of youth culture. They have so permeated young lives that it is hard to believe that less than a decade ago these technologies barely existed. Today’s youth may be coming of age and struggling for autonomy and identity as did their predecessors, but they are doing so amid new worlds for communication, friendship, play, and self-expression. This white paper summarizes the results of a three-year ethnographic study, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, examining young people’s participation in the new media ecology. It represents a condensed version of a longer treatment of the project findings. The study was motivated by two primary research questions: How are new media being integrated into youth practices and agendas? How do these practices change the dynamics of youth-adult negotiations over literacy, learning, and authoritative knowledge? Extending Friendships and Interests Online spaces enable youth to connect with peers in new ways. Most youth use online networks to extend the friendships that they navigate in the familiar contexts of school, religious organizations, sports, and other local activities. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674986 http://outofthejungle.blogspot.com/2008/11/aba-bricks-and-bytes-conference.html Rayman L. Solomon and Christopher Simoni, co-chairs of the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, Law School Facilities Committee, have announced that the biennial Bricks, Bytes, and Continuous Renovation Conference, originally scheduled for March 14-19, 2009, has been rescheduled for 2010, due to the current economic downturn.   Given the economic downturn, we strongly believe (Source: Out of the Jungle) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674789 http://www.travelinlibrarian.info/2008/11/reflections-on-library-camp-nebraska.html Library Camp Nebraska was the first full event that I suggested, organized and implemented. It's now the next day and I'm still exhausted. From the original idea after attending Library Camp Kansas back in March, through our event yesterday, there was a lot of planning and preparation to have yesterday go off as well as it did. Before I talk specifics I want to specifically thank Christa Burns, Diane Wells, Karin Dalziel, and Scott Childers for all their help throughout the process. I couldn't have done it without you. So, what happened at Library Camp? In a word, conversation. 51 librarians arrived about 9am for registration and refreshments. At 9:30 we all gathered in the main room to decide the day's topics. These topics ranged from Using Web 2.0 for Marketing, Distance Education, Youth Services, Going Green, Social Bookmarking, OCLC, Privacy, Recruitment, Advocacy, Web Design, High Tech vs. High Touch, Cheap and Free Tools, and my personal favorite Wildly Impractical Expensive Ideas for your Library. We ended up with three one-our sessions along with the impractical topic being the lunch-time topic. In each session the person who suggested the topic was assigned to be the conversation facilitator and asked that one person in each room also put their notes directly into the wiki. (Some rooms ended up having no one with a laptop so those notes should appear on the wiki in the next few days.) All of those notes can be read, and contributed to on the Notes from the day page. As the event organizer I didn't hide myself in any one room during each session. I wandered from room to room taking photos (check out the Flickr pool) and listening. I did contribute to a few topics but I didn't want anyone to think I was in charge of anything. The point was to let the conversations go wherever they ended up going. As one person commented at the end of the day, that's exactly what happened. ... Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674762 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2008/11/program-is-designed-to-help-atrisk-students-before-they-enroll.html Northeastern University will establish a special one-year program for Boston public high school graduates who are not ready for college, as part of a city initiative to boost the low rate of local students who (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674739 http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6615764.html?rssid=190 Some 200 student reporters from the New York City area yesterday grilled five of this year’s National Book Award finalists at the 11th annual Teen Press Conference . (Source: School Library Journal Breaking News) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:12:44 +0100 674574 http://mblc.state.ma.us/jobs/find_jobs/rss.php?job_id=5603 Research Librarian Reporting to the Research Services Manager, the Research Librarian is responsible for providing expert legal and non- legal research and reference services to attorneys and other staff members. The Research Librarian participates in collection development, interlibrary loan, document delivery and the orientation and training of new employees in the use of library resources. Qualifications MLS from an ALA-accredited library school Three to five years of experience conducting reference and research in a special, public, or law firm library Extensive knowledge of legal, business and scientific research tools in all formats and the ability to assist others with their use Excellent interpersonal and communication skills Ability to perform well in a fast-paced environment as part of a team and independently Ability to prioritize and consistently meet deadlines Proficiency in Windows applications and MS Office products Knowledge of HTML editors and bibliographic management software is desirable. Physical Requirements Must have the physical ability and dexterity to operate equipment such as a computer, copy machine, telephone and fax. Must have the physical ability to reach varying heights of shelving in order to retrieve and shelve library materials, push loaded book carts, and lift and carry heavy boxes and library materials. (Source: MBLC Job Listings) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:54:04 +0100 674449 http://mblc.state.ma.us/jobs/find_jobs/rss.php?job_id=5604 Research Librarian Reporting to the Research Services Manager, the Research Librarian is responsible for providing expert legal and non- legal research and reference services to attorneys and other staff members. The Research Librarian participates in collection development, interlibrary loan, document delivery and the orientation and training of new employees in the use of library resources. Qualifications MLS from an ALA-accredited library school Three to five years of experience conducting reference and research in a special, public, or law firm library Extensive knowledge of legal, business and scientific research tools in all formats and the ability to assist others with their use Excellent interpersonal and communication skills Ability to perform well in a fast-paced environment as part of a team and independently Ability to prioritize and consistently meet deadlines Proficiency in Windows applications and MS Office products Knowledge of HTML editors and bibliographic management software is desirable. Physical Requirements Must have the physical ability and dexterity to operate equipment such as a computer, copy machine, telephone and fax. Must have the physical ability to reach varying heights of shelving in order to retrieve and shelve library materials, push loaded book carts, and lift and carry heavy boxes and library materials. (Source: MBLC Job Listings) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:54:02 +0100 674450 http://www.grpl.org/yourlibrary/blog/2008/11/post_20.html “The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!” ~Henry Ward Beecher Thanksgiving is a holiday that celebrates our connections to immediate and extended friends and family, and all other earthly associations. One is not expected to shop much (thank goodness!) and the worst competition might be about whose pie or stuffing was the best. There are many interesting books, videos and websites on the history and philosophy of the Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. Its true origins are not quite like the one I had imagined back in grade school; the happy Pilgrim and Indian plays of my childhood left out many tragic details. Also, the date of the "4th Thursday of November” was not permanently established until 1941, when President Roosevelt signed it into law. The combination of an older harvest holiday with religious ethic and secular consumer frenzy is an interesting one, and it's still my favorite holiday. For more info on Thanksgiving's origins check out Wikipedia's article here. Our new Evergreen catalog has a nice feature called "browse." Once you performed a search and chosen to look at one particular item, you can see the materials that are shelved near the one that you have chosen. It's as if you were standing right in the aisle looking at the books. Just click on the “browse” link at the individual item record page (to the right of the Call #). Some items will also have a “reviews” tab, but not all will have this feature. So if you want to see what other holiday cookery books are available at the library, click “browse” from a holiday cookbook record and page through as many cookbooks as you want. Ah perfect -- maybe this has one of those Tofu Turkey recipes -- Happy Holidays! (Source: The Atrium) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:03:49 +0100 674554 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FreakonomicsBlog/~3/4xLKcysT688/ Here are the stats and algorithms that explain why Kevin Garnett is an MVP. (HT: Phil Notick) (Earlier) Justin Wolfers's alumni magazine dubs him "The Seeker." (Earlier) Who's making the fat jokes? Stanley Druckenmiller is happy he didn't buy the Steelers. Chicago's schools have third-world math scores. (Earlier) (Source: Freakonomics Blog) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:27:36 +0100 674504 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/11/19/new-rule-will-improve-environmental-performance-of-academic-labs/ EPA has finalized the Academic Laboratory rule to help improve the environmental performance of teaching and research laboratories owned by eligible academic entities.  This rule provides increased regulatory flexibility, while enhancing safe management of hazardous waste.  Eligible academic entities include colleges and universities, and teaching hospitals and nonprofit research institutes that are either owned by or formally affiliated with a college or university. Eligible academic entities will be able to decide where (at the laboratory, at an on-site central accumulation area, or at an on-site treatment, storage or disposal facility) the hazardous waste determination is made.  They also must ensure that certain conditions are met to protect human health and the environment. This flexibility not only allows eligible academic entities to determine the most effective and environmentally protective method of compliance, but it also ensures that a RCRA-trained professional will be making the hazardous waste determination. The rule requires the development of a laboratory management plan, which is expected to result in safer laboratory practices and increased awareness of hazardous waste management.  In addition, the rule provides incentives for eligible academic entities to dispose of old and expired chemicals that may pose unnecessary risk. For more information on the Academic Laboratory Rule, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/generation/labwaste/ (Source: Environmental News Bits) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:51:57 +0100 674381 http://www.cilip.org.uk/policyadvocacy/learning/designingschoollibrariesdvd.htm Designing school libraries DVD and resources (Source: CILIP – Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:51:55 +0100 674839 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Wisblawg-FromTheUwLawLibrary/~3/458585277/state_offers_free_sat_act_gre.html From Channel 3000:Wisconsin students can study for their SAT and ACT exams for free on a new state Web site. KnowHow2GoWisconsin announced Friday that its Web site now has tutorials and interactive practice sessions for the two college entrance exams as well as the graduate school exam known as the GRE. Milwaukee and Madison-area public library patrons can also use LearningExpressLibrary which features test prep for the SAT, ACT, GRE and many other exams, including the LSAT. (Source: WisBlawg - From the UW Law Library) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:28:10 +0100 674563 http://epist.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/kindle-vs-iphone-touch/ A brain dump of recent posts I’m seeing about e-reader devices.  Full disclosure:  I totally lean toward the iPod Touch.  It’s small.  It serves many, many other functions.  And it doesn’t seem nearly as clumsy as a Kindle.   But I also like the Sony Reader.  In fact, it’s the Sony Reader that I’ve seen a couple times on my city bus.  I have yet to see a Kindle *anywhere*.  But don’t listen to me, see what other folks are saying … Roy Tennant  http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/1090000309/post/740036474.html?nid=3565 Sony Reader http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/12/sonys-new-reader-close-to-greatness-but-a-bit-too-dim/ iPhone / Touch app Instapaper: http://www.tuaw.com/2008/10/31/friday-favorite-instapaper-for-iphone-ipod-touch/ iPhone as eReader: http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/10/iphone-the-inci.html        (Source: Librarienne) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:42 +0100 674643 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://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SellersLibraryTeens/~5/458467316/contest.pdf If you are a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney, enter the Do-It-Yourself comics contest! It's really simple. Just use one piece of paper to make an original comic on any topic you like. Anyone ages 6 to 16 can enter, and entries are being accepted until January 31, 2009. And, you don't have to be a great artist...remember, Wimpy Kid is essentially illustrated with stick figures! If you win, Jeff Kinney will come to your school and make you an original comic. If you are one of the 30 runners up, you will get a signed copy of the new Diary of Wimpy Kid DIY Book. Not a bad deal! (Source: Sellers Library Teens) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:53:08 +0100 674549 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/11/19/many-groups-spied-upon-in-md-were-nonviolent/ Read the full story in the Washington Post. Maryland State Police labeled members of a Montgomery County environmental group as terrorists and extremists days after they held a nonviolent protest at an appearance by then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. at a Bethesda high school. Police files released to the activists reveal that the governor’s security detail alerted the state police’s Homeland Security and Intelligence Division to what troopers guarding Ehrlich described as “aggressive protesting” by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in 2005. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:48:09 +0100 674389 http://careercenter.sla.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=3033978 QUALIFICATIONS MLS from an ALA-accredited library school. Strong oral and written communication and computer skills. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with cultural (Source: SLA Career Center Search Results []) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:45:00 +0100 674482 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=Law_Librarian_Blog_Opening_Associate_Dean_for_Library_and_--- The Charleston School of Law seeks an experienced, creative, and innovative law librarian to provide leadership directing the Sol Blatt Jr. Library, (Source: pligg - all) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:27 +0100 674294 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=Northern_Victoria_Region_Activities_PUBLIC_LIBRARIES_AWARDED_1_--- "The Premier's Reading Challenge has resulted in an increase in reading among school students and this additional $1 million for local libraries from (Source: pligg - all) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:21 +0100 674303 http://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=UNC_Remembered_in_Librarians_Will The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Information and Library Science will receive more than $1.1 million for student scholarsh (Source: pligg - all) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:09 +0100 674307 http://ulo.tricho.us/?p=122 Today, I split the group up into 4 teams with the intent of them staying in those teams for the rest of the class. In the open school way, each group covered the age gamut of the class, although I was sorely tempted to make a team out of the 3 Andrews and 2 Patricks and call it Full House. Teams can earn points for good guesses or right answers during the discussion, plus points from their team’s turns in the battle arena. I had put down Physics and math as the topic, but I really started with “What is a videogame made out of?” Which was initially answered with “uh, chips?” and with some prodding and discussion was ultimately getting shouts of “ones and zeroes” and even, to my delight, “information!” We talked about the difference between hardware and software (and even firmware), what the game needs to be able to calculate, and what kinds of forces are in play during the game. We also talked about the difference between properties and state in relation to the ball, which even led to the difference between linear and angular momentum. It was pretty great. Still a lot of answers from the 8 or so geekier guys (and no guesses from either Sophie), but I gave out about 80 points for lots of good guesses over about 30 minutes of talking, leaving 45 minutes to play. On the first day, there were few goals because even the easy bots get right after the ball and control the match. So today, we tried 4 vs 4 with no bots and all the kids on the same team; I also added the red and the blue scores so they could get it into either goal. This gave them time to look at the ball and their starting places and see if they could make something happen. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:23:27 +0100 674904 http://bclyaknow.blogspot.com/2008/11/poison-pen-short-story-contest-winners.html The winners of our 2008 Poison Pen short scary story contest have been announced! You can get spooked by the winning entries on our contest winners site. There were 164 individual entries, which made picking the top three in each division incredibly hard! Thanks to everyone who submitted - we really enjoyed reading your creative stories!Senior Division (Grades 9-12):1st Place - Fear by Elizabeth Shew, 9th Grade, Valley Catholic High School2nd Place - The Light by Blake Cullen, 9th Grade, Beaverton High School3rd Place - The Monster of the North by Emma Deloughery, 9th Grade, International School of BeavertonJunior Division (Grades 6-8):1st Place - Hands, Teeth, and Wood by Elise Stoner, 8th Grade, Whitford Middle School2nd Place - That Wonderfully Horrible Field Trip by Jennifer Fandel, 7th Grade, Whitford Middle School3rd Place - Dreams, Dolls, and the Sands of Dee by Lauren Ninkovich, 6th Grade, Oregon Episcopal School (Source: YA KNOW @ BCL) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674855 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/458656208/a-catalyst-for.html Will the University of California's Irvine School of Law be a catalyst for reform in legal education? That's the objective according to National Jurist's review of the school's plans and interview of Dean Chemerinsky in the magazine's November issue (at... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674796 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/458816884/the-joys-of-aba.html Dean Neil Cogan reflects on Whittier Law School's experience with the ABA accreditation process. Hat tip to Brian Lieter (Chicago), Law School Reports. [JH] (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674795 http://missolibrary.blogspot.com/2008/11/our-own-special-salad-and-dressing-with.html Our Days of Taste Team Two celebrated the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday with a special multicultural feast. Each child made an ethnic dish for the feast. Here is a close up look.Our Days of Taste Team Two continued the program today with Chef Mina . We first made a special salad dressing and then we made a salad with onions, cheese and rasberries. On Friday, we will visit Chef Mina's restaurant Christo's.Salad Making! (Source: MISS O's SCHOOL LIBRARY) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674754 http://www.hcpl.net/ebranch/news/archives/000682.html The Christy Awards are given annually for the best in Christian Fiction. Contemporary (Stand Alone) Charles Martin. Chasing Fireflies: A Novel of Discovery When paramedics find a malnourished six-year-old boy near a burning car that holds a dead woman, they wonder who he is and why he won't talk. Chase, a small-town journalist, is assigned to cover the story and investigate the boy's identity. But will his search unearth long-buried emotions about his own history? Contemporary (Series, Sequels and Novellas) Jan Karon. Home to Holly Springs Lured by a mysterious note, recently retired Father Tim heads for his boyhood home of Holly Springs, Mississippi. But as memories flood his mind, he soon encounters a life-altering truth and receives a gift that could cost him everything. Historical Lynn Austin. A Proper Pursuit When Violet Hayes ventures to Chicago during the time of the World's Fair, her one goal is to find her mother, who has been missing from her life since she was nine. Naive, impressionable, and highly imaginative (having secretly ingested a diet of romance novels and true crime stories at school), Violet stays in Chicago under the care of her grandmother and her three great aunts. As Violet contemplates what course her life will take, she will discover the missing parts of her family's past--and, ultimately, Violet will discover herself. Romance Tamera Alexander. Remembered Veronique Girard arrives in Colorado to search for her father, a fur-trapper-turned-miner near Willow Springs. She plans to visit every mining town in the area until she finds him. Jack Brennan isn't keen on the idea of driving a beautiful young woman up to the rough-and-tumble camps, but "Vernie" isn't about to take no for an answer. Suspense Athol Dickson. The Cure When a small town in Maine becomes a mecca for miracles, Riley Keep journeys north to find out for himself--returning to a place and people he had left long ago. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674734 http://kidslit.menashalibrary.org/2008/11/skinned.html Skinned by Robin Wasserman Lia had the perfect life, beautiful, popular and rich, she and her friends ruled the school, dictating fashion and status.  When Lia is in a horrible accident, she awakens to find that her memory has been downloaded to a new body, a robotic one.  Lia still looks completely human, but she has to relearn how to do everything.  When she re-enters society, she discovers that her boyfriend is distant and unable to even force himself to do more than touch her, her little sister has taken her place in Lia's group of friends, and society as a whole is questioning whether she is human or not.  Lia has to learn to live in her new body and new life which is entirely different than the one she lost.  Wasserman's writing is enticing and a great deal of fun to read.  She perfectly captures the angst of being a teen and couples it beautifully with the dystopian science fiction setting.  Lia is a great protagonist: complex, often self-absorbed, and completely "human."  It is a treat to find such a complicated character at the center of a teen novel. Highly recommended for fans of Scott Westerfeld, this book has a fabulous cover that will get it flying off library shelves.  The book is obviously the start to a series, and I look forward to reading more about Lia.  Appropriate for ages 14-16. (Source: Kids Lit) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674717 http://bhplnjbookgroup.blogspot.com/2008/11/are-librarians-obsolete-yet.html If you type the word "obsolete" into the "search this blog" field at the top of the page, you will find several posts that address the topic of library obsolescence. Fairly frequently pronouncements that libraries might be obsolete due to the internet are investigated by a trusty reporter on a slow news day. Then they go out and interview a librarian to see if it's true. And then some wag with an MLS says, "no, reports of our death are greatly exaggerated."Case in point: just yesterday a librarian forwarded to a librarian listserv an article from a Duke University publication which ponders the question of our alleged demise and ponders it for three long pages. Click here to read the article.The article specifically posits that reference librarians and their reference desks might be on the way out. The article meanders through the usual laundry list of reasons why libraries might be an endangered institutional species and then careens into the, no, but wait, we can change how we do things, mode. The article ends on an upbeat note about how those wiley librarians are not luddites but early adapters vis-a-vis technology and have found new ways of storing, finding and disseminating information.If you are reading this library blog, you probably know that library catalogs are online. Libraries provide reference service by email or instant message or FAX or phone or smoke signals or whatever is your preferred mode of communication. BHPL offers dozens of electronic databases and hundreds of electronic books and thousands of online journals. So the library exists as 80,000 physical items (books, cd's, dvd's) sitting on the shelves but also as thousands of other materials available at the click of a mouse. Students coming up through the school systems will know this and their parents will learn along with them. ... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674685 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2008/11/before-writing-off-the-sat-look-at-graduation-rates.html For some years now, many elite American colleges have been downgrading the role of standardized tests like the SAT. While some institutions justify this move primarily as a way to enroll a more diverse group of students, an increasing number claim that the SAT is a poor predictor of academic success in college, especially compared with high school grade-point averages. Are they correct? We find that among a group of SUNY campuses with very different missions and admissions standards only those campuses whose incoming students’ SAT scores improved substantially saw gains in graduation rates. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/opinion/18salins.html?_r=1&oref=slogin (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674340 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://www.semiconscious.org/2008/11/18/watermark-of-the-beast/ I must say, I’ve been in a much happier mood since November 4th, when the American voters came to their senses and voted to put the adults back in charge. A great wave of sanity and normalcy has swept the nation; people are thinking concretely and logically again about the challenges facing us and how to combat them. Hell, even the media is starting to act sane again and— Hello, what’s this? Mat Staver, dean of Liberty University’s law school, says he does not believe Obama is the Antichrist, but he can see how others might. Obama’s own use of religious rhetoric belies his liberal positions on abortion and traditional marriage, Staver says, positions that “religious conservatives believe will threaten their freedom.” The people who believe Obama is the Antichrist are perhaps jumping to conclusions, but they’re not nuts: “They are expressing a concern and a fear that is widely shared,” Staver says. (link via Sadly, No!) Yes, you read that right: people who think Barack Obama is the Beast from Revelations, sent to Earth to bring on Armageddon, are not nuts. Now, an article like this wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if it appeared in the National Review or the Weekly Standard or WorldNet Daily or some other wingnut fishwrap. But this is Newsweek. You know, the dreaded Democrat-coddling, objectively pro-terrorist, America-hating Liberal Media personified. Good luck, Mr. Obama. You’re going to need it with “friends” like this. (Source: Heavy Metal Librarian) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:56:30 +0100 674917 http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23298 Nontraded REITS: Considerations for Hotel Investors Source: Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Center for Hospitality Research Nontraded REITs are an attractive buy-and-hold investment for income-oriented investors. Sold through broker-dealers, shares in these real estate investment trusts do not trade on public exchanges, promise relatively high returns, and contain specific triggers for liquidating the trust. In the first such study of nontraded REITs, an examination of the comparative effects of a long holding period and a short holding period shows that investors who purchase hospitality REITs early in the cycle see a diminished return as a result of subsequent sales. In effect, the early investors subsidize the commissions paid to the dealers who sell to late-term investors. This effect is an unintended consequence of the fact that the REITs’ share prices are fixed, regardless of the value of the underlying assets. The REITs’ high dividend structure somewhat mitigates the effect, but those high dividends mean that some REITs’ payout exceeded the amount cash they took in (as measured by funds from operations). While these characteristics do not mean that investors should exclude nontraded REITs from their portfolios, would-be investors should apply due diligence. This report offers recommendations to help guide that process. + Full Report (PDF; 612 KB) Free registration required. (Source: Docuticker) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:39:29 +0100 674139 http://www.lisnews.org/unc_remembered_librarians_will The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science will receive more than $1.1 million for student scholarships. Jane Iris Crutchfield, who died at the age of 92 on Dec. 10, 2006, was a lifelong teacher and school librarian. She taught at public schools in Virginia before returning to UNC in the 1950s to earn a bachelor’s degree in library science. Crutchfield’s gift will go to the library science school’s Susan Grey Akers Scholarship Fund, named after a former dean at the school. That endowment fund gives aid to students who are admitted to the school’s master’s program. It’s the largest gift ever given to the library science school. Bizjournals. (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:53:25 +0100 674823 http://lisnews.org/unc_remembered_librarians_will The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science will receive more than $1.1 million for student scholarships. Jane Iris Crutchfield, who died at the age of 92 on Dec. 10, 2006, was a lifelong teacher and school librarian. She taught at public schools in Virginia before returning to UNC in the 1950s to earn a bachelor’s degree in library science. Crutchfield’s gift will go to the library science school’s Susan Grey Akers Scholarship Fund, named after a former dean at the school. That endowment fund gives aid to students who are admitted to the school’s master’s program. It’s the largest gift ever given to the library science school. Bizjournals. (Source: LISNews.org) Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:53:25 +0100 674133 http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/11/licensed-filipino-librarians-2008.html News on the Librarian Licensure Examination is circulating online and in e-groups. Here is a press release lifted from The Manila Bulletin and forwarded to the e-group, Filipino Librarians, by the very visible Roderick Ramos of PNU.The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) yesterday announced that 237 out of 1,003 examinees passed the Librarian Licensure Examination given by the Board for Librarians in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Legazpi this November, 2008. The successful examinees who garnered the 10 highest places are the following: (1) Elijah John Fernando Dar Juan, University of the Philippines-Diliman, 87.75; (2) Bernadette Dava Sueño, University of the Philippines-Diliman, 86.50; (3) Ruel Romarate Yu, University of San Jose-Recoletos, 86..45; (4) Kristine Yap Martinez, University of San Carlos, 85.70; (5) Nomer Albarando Alcazar, University of the Philippines-Diliman, 85.60; (6) Marion Jude Maristela Gorospe, Roosevelt College-Cainta, 84.55; (7) Jacquelyn Joy Latina Llave, Centro Escolar University - Manila, 84.30; (8) Lorraine Dawn Gamel Honrade, University of the Philippines — Diliman, 84.15 (9) Czarina Paola Pareja dela Llarte, University of the Philippines — Diliman, 84.00; and (10) Edward Hilado Puzon - University of Santo Tomas, 83.80.On the Board for Librarians which gave the licensure examination are Corazon M. Nera, chairwoman and Elizabeth R. Peralejo and Elnora L. Conti, members.The results were released in three days after the last day of examination. Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will start on Monday, Nov. 24 and end on Dec. 10.The oathtaking ceremony of the successful examinees in the examination as well as the previous ones who have not yet taken their Oath of Professional will be held before the Board on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 1:30 in the afternoon at the Manila Pavilion Hotel, U.N. Avenue, Manila. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:20:00 +0100 674999 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/teleread/KHnj/~3/457654922/ Mac owners at last can enjoy audiobooks from libraries via the OverDrive Media Console. A slightly condensed news release follows. - D.R. OverDrive Media Console for Mac, the free software for playing and organizing digital audiobooks from public libraries, is now available for download. With this free software, Mac users can download audiobooks in the MP3 format from an OverDrive partner library’s download website and transfer titles to Apple® devices including iPod® Classic, iPod Touch, iPod Nano and iPhone™. OverDrive Media Console for Mac also provides the same superior listening features of the popular Windows version, which is installed on millions of computers worldwide. A national directory lists libraries offering iPod-compatible audiobook downloads. Mac users can also purchase MP3 audiobook downloads from online stores such as Borders.com  and WHSmith Online. “Millions of audiobook listeners around the globe are taking advantage of the great selection and ease of use provided through OverDrive’s audiobook download services,” said David Burleigh, Director of Marketing for OverDrive. “We’re proud to be the leading library download service that supports both PC and Mac users, and will continue to expand features and services for our partners and their customers.” “Denver Public Library has had great success offering digital audiobooks, eBooks, and other media thanks to our partnership with OverDrive, and now our Mac customers can enjoy the many benefits of using our service,” said Michelle Jeske, Manager of Web Information Services and Community Technology Center at Denver Public Library. “Customers with Macs have requested access to our growing digital catalog since we launched the service, and now they too have anytime, anywhere access to audiobook downloads. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:34:46 +0100 674095 http://lawlib.lclark.edu/boleyblogs/?p=1232 Truth on the Market, the blog started and co-authored by Lewis & Clark Law School Lecturer in Law Geoffrey Manne, has been named a Top 10 *Really* Best Economics Blog by economics professor Craig M. Newmark. A nice bit of recognition for TOTM, which has continued to provide daily and insightful “academic commentary on law, business, [...] (Source: BoleyBlogs!) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:03:38 +0100 674363 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TameTheWeb/~3/457463507/ A School Librarian writes: Dear Michael -  I sat down with a bunch of my middle school students as they came into the library today and we talked about how we could transform our little public school library into a fabulous space for them. They had great ideas, and I shared some of YOUR ideas with them. I think we will begin changing things next week (I’ll ask permission from the boss after it’s done!). Do you or your readers know of any “safe” photo sharing sites like FlickR that we might be able to access in schools. My District still blocks FLickR, Google images, iTunes, any social networking sites, etc. I have only been successful so far in getting edublogs.org unblocked… working on podcasting next… Again - one step at a time. …and I’d love to help create such a site if there is a way to do it! Readers? (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:30:03 +0100 674092 http://www.lisnews.org/high_school_knitters_librarian_help_infants_developing_world Some students at Lower Cape May Regional High School (LCMR) are picking up a new hobby and saving lives. The NJ school’s knitting club kicked off this fall when Art Teacher Susan Wolfe and Librarian Tish Carpinelli invited skilled and novice knitters to the library to learn about and improve their knitting skills while making caps that can help save the lives of babies in the developing world. Simple health measure are the key to saving many of these children: antibiotics to fight infections, training for skilled birth attendants, immunizations, on education on breastfeeding and basic care such as drying a newborn baby and keeping it warm. (That’s where the hats come in.) The program is Save the Children's Knit One Save One. The program has attracted knitters from around the world, including high profile knitters like actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Debra Messing and about two dozens LCMR students. Just a few students showed up for the first meeting, but the excitement spread (fueled by Wolfe’s homemade cookies), and more students are participating every week. Story from Cape May County Herald. Sounds like a great activity! (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:48:22 +0100 674828 http://lisnews.org/high_school_knitters_librarian_help_infants_developing_world Some students at Lower Cape May Regional High School (LCMR) are picking up a new hobby and saving lives. The NJ school’s knitting club kicked off this fall when Art Teacher Susan Wolfe and Librarian Tish Carpinelli invited skilled and novice knitters to the library to learn about and improve their knitting skills while making caps that can help save the lives of babies in the developing world. Simple health measure are the key to saving many of these children: antibiotics to fight infections, training for skilled birth attendants, immunizations, on education on breastfeeding and basic care such as drying a newborn baby and keeping it warm. (That’s where the hats come in.) The program has attracted knitters from around the world, including high profile knitters like actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Debra Messing and about two dozens LCMR students. Just a few students showed up for the first meeting, but the excitement spread (fueled by Wolfe’s homemade cookies), and more students are participating every week. Story from Cape May County Herald. Sounds like a great activity! (Source: LISNews.org) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:48:22 +0100 673928 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/nov/18/morris-minor-biography The last thing you expect to have on your tail these days is a Morris Minor. But that looks like being my lot for years to come. Earlier this year, I couldn't get enough of the little rounded cars, famously damned by their reluctant maker Viscount Nuffield as "poached eggs". Everyone I met was quizzed: did they have one? Had their parents? What about their grannies, sisters, cousins, aunts? I met people who'd raced them, scraped fungus off them for primary school nature tables, turned one into a mechanical lobster and applied to be buried with theirs when they (the person, not the engine) died. It was lovely and I learned that the two words "Morris" and "Minor" were a sure way of getting almost anyone to go all soft and say: "Aahhhh."It was necessary, too, because my task at the time was write the car's biography to celebrate its 60th birthday, a worthy occupation because the Minor is a case study in sociology as well as a classic piece of design. It was the first British car to sell a million and in the process achieved an exceptional lovability, or more precisely, a knack of making people extraordinarily fond of it. Anyone in need of this – a politician, a suitor, a parent or a child – should study Morris Minorism from A-Z and see how it can be done.A is for Alec Issigonis, the car's inspirational Levantine creator (assisted by Reg Job and Vic Oak who were as village-blacksmithy Brit as their names). Z is for…, well, Z is difficult actually, unless you nerdishly include the Series Z Post Office van which the bright red Minor version replaced in 1953.In between is everything else; but that's all in the book. My purpose here is to warn other nascent biographers, who don't already know, that a baby like this seems to be for life. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:30:01 +0100 673916 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Wisblawg-FromTheUwLawLibrary/~3/457269411/uw_law_prof_alta_charo_named_t.html University of Wisconsin Law School Professor Alta Charo has been selected for President Elect Obama's HHS agency review team. How exciting! Professor Charo is the Warren P. Knowles Professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where she is on the faculty of the Law School and the Medical School's Department of Medical History and Bioethics. See her extremely impressive bio for more. See also Nan Hunter's (Professor at Georgetown Law) list of other law professors named to the transition team. (Source: WisBlawg - From the UW Law Library) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:40:15 +0100 674565 http://www.selco.info/blogs/selco-librarian/archive/2008/11/18/music-library-association-midwest-chapter-meeting-oct-23-25-2008 Abbey Thompson, LSTA Project Cataloging LibrarianOn October 23rd, I drove down to Kansas City, Missouri for the Midwest chapter meeting of the Music Library Association. While we all know that the library world is a little too full of organizations with the acronym of “MLA” (the Modern Languages Association, Medical Library Association, Minnesota Library Association, just to name a few), this particular MLA is near and dear to my own heart. I’ve been attending various MLA functions since starting library school, and every conference has been nothing less than stellar. This meeting was no different, full of useful information and learning opportunities blended with copious prospects for networking and social interaction with fellow music librarians. The session on providing access to sheet music collections was particularly enlightening, considering my work with the Chatfield Brass Band collection. Though new to this particular chapter (previously I attended chapter meetings in the Southeast region), I felt immediately welcomed and encouraged by my new peers.I have now been working with SELCO for just over three months, on the Chatfield Brass Band Music Lending Library project. My excitement for the project has only grown in this time, and I particularly wanted to take the opportunity at this conference to spread awareness of this amazing collection and the work that SELCO is doing to make it more accessible. By the end of the weekend, the question that I had answered the most was, without a doubt, “What is SELCO?” The majority of music librarians work in academic library settings, so to be confronted with a name-badge bearing our unfamiliar acronym, rather than a university or college, was initially baffling to some. Once explanations were made, however, I received nothing but praise and excitement about the project. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:16:16 +0100 674228 http://www.lisnews.org/librarians_widow_wins_damages Lakewood NJ: The Board of Education has agreed to pay $32,500 to settle a lawsuit brought by the widow of a former librarian whom she said died partly because of harassment from his co-workers and superiors. Cheryl A. Watson, in her complaint filed with the state Superior Court in April 2007, claimed Assistant Superintendent Joseph C. Attardi, Assistant Principal Anne D. Luick, teacher and librarian Roz Renner, and other school officials discriminated against her late husband, George Watson Jr., because of his race and disabilities. Here is his 2005 obituary. (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:11:58 +0100 673875 http://lisnews.org/librarians_widow_wins_damages Lakewood NJ: The Board of Education has agreed to pay $32,500 to settle a lawsuit brought by the widow of a former librarian whom she said died partly because of harassment from his co-workers and superiors. Cheryl A. Watson, in her complaint filed with the state Superior Court in April 2007, claimed Assistant Superintendent Joseph C. Attardi, Assistant Principal Anne D. Luick, teacher and librarian Roz Renner, and other school officials discriminated against her late husband, George Watson Jr., because of his race and disabilities. Here is his 2005 obituary. (Source: LISNews.org) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:11:58 +0100 673872 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/teleread/KHnj/~3/457179389/ Sure though, comp-sci professor Christos H. Papadimitriou, author of Turing (A Novel about Computation), wants the MIT Press to publish an e-book version. That’s the professor in the photo below. He wrote me: "Obviously I’d love to see this. Let’s see how they react to the idea." Currently, the only versions of his book online are pirated—scanned from the p-edition and mocking those who think DRM can protect books. For book people who don’t know, mathematician Alan Turing is regarded by some as the father of modern computer science. Talk about the ironies of there being no e-book, even five years after publication of the Papadimitriou novel! On top of that, the Press and ASIS&T published Scholarly Publishing: The Electronic Frontier, the last chapter of which contains a 1990s incarnation of my TeleRead proposal for well-stocked national digital libraries integrated with local and academic libraries and schools. Technorati Tags: Turing,Alan Turing,MIT Press,Christos Papadimitriou (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:35:01 +0100 674100 http://librarywriting.blogspot.com/2008/11/aalllexisnexis-call-for-papers.html AALL/LexisNexis Call for Papershttp://www.aallnet.org/about/award_call_for_papers.aspThe AALL/LexisNexis Call for Papers Committee is soliciting articles in three categories:Open Division: For active and retired AALL members and law librarians with five or more years of professional experience. Papers are due by March 2, 2009;New Members Division: For recent graduates and AALL members who have been in the profession for less than five years. Papers are due by March 2, 2009Student Division: For students in library, information management or law school. Participants in this division need not be members of AALL. To submit in this category, you must have been enrolled in law school, or in a library school, information management, or an equivalent program, either in the Fall 2008 or Spring 2009 semester. Papers in the Student Division are due by April 15, 2009.The winner in each division receives $750 donated by LexisNexis, plus the opportunity to present the winning paper at a program at the 2009 AALL Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Winning papers are also considered for publication in Law Library Journal.For more information, a list of previous winners, an application and instructions on how to submit your article, visit the AALL website:http://www.aallnet.org/about/award_call_for_papers.asp (Source: A Library Writer's Blog) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:17:00 +0100 674010 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://liszen.com/trends/story.php?title=3_positions_Virginia_Commonwealth_University_School_of_the_Arts_--- Substantial reference and instruction experience in an academic library. * Knowledge of research methods and tools in design or related field. MATERI (Source: pligg - all) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:00:26 +0100 673799 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LibraryClips/~3/456820304/johnt Phase I Knowledge and Innovation Network at Warwick Business School Building Web 2.0 Enterprise: McKinsey Global Survey Results - The McKinsey Quarterly - web 2.0 enterprise survey - Information Technology - Management On narrative capture and drought « Brad Hinton - plain speaking The personal stories are what gives meaning to the problems the report is supposed to identify and inform policy about. On communities of practice - an example « Brad Hinton - plain speaking "Tapping Communities of Practice," Feature Article, October 2008 Green Chameleon » Justification by Faith or Works? Kerrie Anne's Fridge Magnets: Of KM Metrics, Whales, Hermit Crabs and other things ChiefTech: Tips on collecting data for social network analysis (SNA) ChiefTech: Book Review: Enterprise 2.0 Implementation Enterprise 2.0 as a corporate culture catalyst | Enterprise Web 2.0 | ZDNet.com If you build it will they come? « Matt’s Musings Delta Knowledge: Enterprise 2.0 & it's effect on Organisational Culture On culture, group dynamics, and adoption of Web 2.0 tools « Matt’s Musings Implementing enterprise 2.0 in the real world » Column Two acidlabs » Enterprise 2.0 - Identify problem. Determine solution. Then tools. (Source: Library clips) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:00:00 +0100 674203 http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6615389.html?rssid=190 While librarians love to promote literacy, there’s one kind we don’t hear much about: Braille literacy. That’s why the National Federation for the Blind has recently named former NFL quarterback and Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw and blind professor, evolutionary biologist, and paleontologist Geerat Vermeij as National Ambassadors for Braille Literacy. (Source: School Library Journal Breaking News) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:58:06 +0100 673906 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/456932172/opening-associa.html The Charleston School of Law seeks an experienced, creative, and innovative law librarian to provide leadership directing the Sol Blatt Jr. Library, a premier academic law library and a leader of the new generation of academic libraries, located in Charleston,... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674807 http://missolibrary.blogspot.com/2008/11/httpwww.html In May I posted about the closing of the Donnell Central Children's Room. Today, I got this suprise. Check out the new and improved Central Children's Room.It's what they call in the business a "soft" opening. Not a lot of hullaballoo at first. You just open the doors and wait for people to wander in.http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/170036617.html?nid=3713 (Source: MISS O's SCHOOL LIBRARY) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674755 http://lis.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/40/4/239?rss=1 This article reports on selected results of a comprehensive survey of children's reading in England, carried out online in 2005 by the National Centre for Research in Children's Literature at Roehampton University. With 4182 responses from children living in England aged from 4 to 16 years, the survey is a follow-up to a similar study completed in 1996. The article concentrates on those issues included in the survey which are of particular interest to children's librarians, specifically questions relating to borrowing books, choosing books, reading recommendations, book reviews, school libraries and classroom book corners. (Source: Journal of Librarianship and Information Science current issue) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674375 http://scanblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/cheerleaders-and-librarians.html I attended the California Library Association conference in San Jose this past weekend. Sharing the convention center was a competition of cheer squads. These are cheerleaders who don't cheer for a specific team, school, or sport, but rather compete on the basis of their own athleticism, coordination, and style.It occurred to me that libraries should both have cheerleaders (because of the importance and the necessity of the work done) and be cheerleaders (to show the rest of the world how excited we are about what we do).One of the findings of the recent OCLC report From Awareness to Funding was the importance of passionate librarians in making the case for libraries. What could be more passionate than a champion cheerleader? (Source: It's all good) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674112 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://micheladrien.blogspot.com/2008/11/new-parliamentary-budget-officer.html Today's Ottawa Citizen provides a detailed account of the growing controversy surrounding the degree of independence of Canada's newest government watchdog, the Parliamentary Budget Officer.Officer Kevin Page intends to release a report this week on the state of federal finances. He argues that he is independent and can provide parliamentarians with any studies he darn well pleases.No so fast, clamour the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament and the Library of Parliament. By law, Page reports to the Librarian of Parliament who must approve the release of any reports.Which makes Page less than a truly independent guardian.As The Citizen reports:"Mr. Page interprets his mandate more broadly than the Speakers and believes he should operate with full transparency. He has insisted his office will have no credibility and risks being drawn into politics unless his reports are publicly released. The library, where his office is housed, considers much of its research and analysis 'privileged,' which means it can't be publicly released without the authority of the MPs or committees who asked for it (...)" ' This is not a personality conflict ... This is a huge structural problem,' said Ian Lee, who heads the MBA program at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business." ' You can't be independent inside the library because the library sees itself as subservient to MPs, providing them private and individualized services. That's a contradiction of what the budget office should be' ."The position of Parliamentary Budget Officer was created through amendments to the Parliament of Canada Act contained in the Federal Accountability Act.More on the issue:Speakers move to handcuff budget officer (Ottawa Citizen, November 4, 2008): "Parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page says the office can't operate under the Library of Parliament with the independence and openness it needs (...) Mr. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 674037 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2008/11/how-badly-will-poor-economy-hurt-college-sports.html The economic downturn couldn't have come at a worse time for big-time athletic programs, which are just getting started on their fundraising and ticket-selling drives for next season. Whether their school is big or small, winning or losing, administrators across the country are nervous about getting deserted by boosters as the downturn becomes increasingly severe. They're hoping fans' devotion -- some would call it obsession -- will bail colleges out. Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 673868 http://www.docuticker.com/?p=23294 International graduate enrollment increased only 3% in 2008 Source: Council of Graduate Schools The latest in CGS’s survey series on international graduate admissions trends found that both first-time and total enrollment of international graduate students increased 3% this fall, compared to 4% and 7% growth last year, respectively. + Full Report (PDF; 146 KB) (Source: Docuticker) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:53:07 +0100 673686 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://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TechsourceBlog/~3/456101316/a-commons-experience.html In "The Comedy of the Commons," Dr. Carol M. Rose describes the commons as a place where each person adds more value. In our LIS701 course here at Dominican, we use Rose to illustrate the potential and usefulness of common spaces in relation to different types of libraries and what they might mean to their users. According to Rose,  "The more who join and use the commons, the greater the enjoyment of each participant."This was entirely evident in the series of field trips I made this year to visit library spaces that had integrated the idea of the commons. Reflecting on those visits, I see the common threads that connect them: space, technology,  and a culture of collaboration and innovation. I also see the benefits, especially after visiting the spaces and viewing photos of them in use.I just blogged about "Seven Ways to Think About Information Literacy" at TTW this week. Liz Wilkinson's points from her presentation include:1. Literacy beyond text2. Student centered, not library centered3. Outside experts4. Involve students5. Use students’ environments6. Learning by doing7. Make students feel at homeThese ideas also apply to understanding importance of the Commons space. Reflecting further and with inspiration from Wilkinson, I'd offer these five benefits of creating such a space in your academic library:The Commons puts students at the center. The idea of student-centered innovation was a theme woven throughout the commons field trips. The commons did not make it any easier for the librarians or to enforce library policies. In fact, Stacey Greenwell of the University was happy to tell me that they made it easier for students to use their cell phones in "the Hub." "Yes, that’s right—at the Hub we actually installed infrastructure to make it easier for students to use cell phones. We actually encourage cell phone use. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:33:46 +0100 674225 http://www.resourceshelf.com/2008/11/17/social-media-leads-the-future-of-technology/ Social Media Leads the Future of Technology From Facebook to smartphones, advances in technology are changing the way we work and communicate. Professor David Yoffie led three experts in a recent panel discussion on “The Technology Revolution and its Implications for the Future” at the HBS Centennial Business Summit. Key concepts include: A lot of growth potential remains worldwide. The sticking point for business is spanning the gap between the physical and digital worlds. For example, it remains difficult to figure out consumers’ specific intent on the Web. What people want most of all is technology that is simple to use, said one panelist. Source: Harvard Business School (Source: ResourceShelf) Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:52:52 +0100 673648 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/nov/18/digested-read-john-crace-outliers Out-li-er, noun1: a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from others in the sample.2: yet another attempt to cash in by presenting a whole load of seemingly counterintuitive facts to tell you something you basically already knew.One spring day in 2007 the two finest teams in the Canadian Hockey League met in the final of the Memorial Cup. These were the future stars of the sport, the 18-year-olds who had risen to the top of the sporting meritocracy on sheer talent and determination. Or had they?This is a book about outliers, the people who do things above the ordinary. By looking at them I will get you to rethink your ideas of success. The question we always ask about the successful is, what are they like? But the real question is, where did they come from? Men such as Bill Gates didn't rise from nothing. They were once children with mothers and fathers. Amazing, but true.Take the Canadian hockey players. Look through this team list and see if you can spot the anomaly. David Kveton, born Jan 1, 1988; Jiri Suchy, born Jan 1, 1988; Leonard Cohen, born Jan 1 1988.You probably missed it. So let me help you. They were all born on January 1. This is because January 1 is the start date for each year's registration, so those born on that day have a huge developmental advantage. Only myself and pushy Canadian hockey parents who shag like rabbits in late March have noticed this. Perhaps one day someone might bother to research the educational effects of being a late baby in the academic school year. Oh. They already have.Bill Joy co-founded Sun Microsystems and has become one of the richest men in the world. Most people have attributed his success to his being a complete neek. But this is only half the story. Joy also worked very hard. Research shows that those people who have worked for 10,000 hours are the ones who become successful - though I'm obviously hoping to be an exception to the rule. ... Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:08:32 +0100 673591 http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=4725&BlogID=41&BlogPostID=3742 Being the butt of everyone’s jokes is not funny but is reality if you are a fat kid. Seventeen year-old Troy billings, at nearly 300 pounds, finds high school miserable. Not his academics, but the social isolation he feels from always being laughed at by the others. Troy is contemplating killing himself by jumping in front of the subway train when he is “rescued” by a filthy homeless teen that is a legend at his high school. Curt makes Troy buy him food at a local diner for “saving” him and the two discover they both love punk rock. Curt is a gifted guitarist and Troy played drums in seventh grade, so when Troy’s strict retired Marine turned security guard dad questions what the teens have been up to, Curt tells him they are forming a band. What little Troy knows of Curt is not encouraging; besides being homeless and filthy he is constantly popping pills, is often sick, and his family lives locally but does not want him. Yet it is great to finally have a friend. Troy goes along with the band idea but panics when Curt schedules both drum lessons for Troy and a gig. The night of their band’s debut Curt is awesome but Troy humiliates himself by vomiting all over the stage in front of the audience. Troy goes home in disgrace and vows to give up all fantasies of being a musician, yet despite the disaster, Curt still wants Troy to be in a band with him. Troy discovers Curt is abusing over the counter and prescription which causes a huge moral dilemma; should Troy let Curt continue to self destruct or get help for him at the risk of their friendship. This novel was named a Michael L. Printz Honor book, an award for outstanding Young Adult literature. Fat Kid Rules the World is most appropriate for older teens because of the mature themes and profanity. (Source: Teen Scene from Wright Memorial Public Library) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:45:02 +0100 673532 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/11/17/the-greening-of-stony-brook-southampton/ Read the full story at 27East. Down at the bottom of a hill near the business center on Stony Brook Southampton’s 82-acre campus, a dozen students spent this spring and summer tilling a 1,600-square-foot plot of land and watering vegetables that will one day will play a major role in the menu of the campus dining hall. The Garden Club, which tends the vegetable garden, is led by Dr. Jim Hoffmann, an ecology professor at the university. It’s one of the most homegrown aspects of the college, which Stony Brook University has begun to rebuild based on the concept of sustainability. The school introduced three new ecology-related majors this fall, the campus’ second year, and, according to Interim Dean Martin Schoonen, is expected to announce plans for a new green dorm. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:20:17 +0100 673544 http://lib.wmrc.uiuc.edu/enb/2008/11/17/greening-a-rural-campus-sustainability-at-butte-community-college/ Read the full story in Epoch Times. Butte Community College sits perched amidst rolling hills and streams on a thousand-acre wildlife refuge near Oroville, Chico and, quite literally, Paradise, California. Mike Miller is director of Facilities Planning and Management for the Butte campuses, which serve some 20,000 students a year. On the main campus, the buildings, roads and service areas occupy about 250 acres. Another 80 acres are used for farming, and the rest is wilderness, some of which is used for grazing. The woods, streams, farmed fields and trails are learning tools for students who are studying a range of agriculture and science-related topics. They are also enjoyed by the communities surrounding the college. Miller describes Butte College as its own self-contained city, the fourth largest in Butte County. It has a fire department, sewage system and water treatment plant. And like other rural campuses, it is challenged by a unique set of environmental and sustainability issues. Among these is a decision to use part of the riparian wilderness for grazing, which is something Miller says helped stave off the devastating effects of an enormous wildfire that blasted through the area recently. (Source: Environmental News Bits) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:18:41 +0100 673545 http://thecorporatelibrarian.com/2008/11/17/more-on-prospective-corporate-librarians/ I sent a bunch of advice, links to past posts, ruminations and PDF files to the prospective student (and thanks to Lisa for commenting!) Two issues raised by his latest email I wanted to toss out there: How did library school prepare you for a corporate librarian position? Have you had issues in the workplace with non-librarian supervisors who did not understand your work? Yes, of course you can answer the second question anonymously. Posted in Career       (Source: The Corporate Librarian) Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:03:25 +0100 673829 http://blogs.ala.org/oif.php?title=oif_seeks_reports_of_book_challenges_in_2008&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 With the end of the year approaching, the Office for Intellectual Freedom will be compiling our yearly list of most frequently challenged books. We collect information for our challenge database from newspapers and reports submitted by individuals and, while we know that many challenges are never reported, we strive to be as comprehensive as possible in our records. We would greatly appreciate if you could send us any information on challenges in your library or school from 2008. Challenges reported to ALA by individuals are kept confidential. When requests come from the media or othe