LibWorm: Technology

A happy hello...

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100

I am very excited to be joining the faculty of Huntingtown High School as a library media specialist. While I am new to HHS, I feel right at home working in this community. My teaching career started in 1993 at Plum Point Middle School. I taught seventh and eighth grade social studies there for nine years before taking a leave of absence for another rewarding job, motherhood!During my time at Plum Point, I grew to love technology and all the ways it can enhance classroom learning. My students benefited from informational technologies to develop award-winning history fair projects. I loved guiding students through the research process, and decided to obtain a post-Master’s degree in a school library media program while staying at home with my two children.I am looking forward to continuing my professional journey here at Huntingtown High. It would be my pleasure to help you with any research question, large or small. Please stop by to say hello!Proud to be a Hurricane,Rachael Younkers (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center)

Business intelligence: technology and outcomes

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 12:00:00 +0100

(Source: JISC CETIS News)

Southern maryland youth in technology summit

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Consider this opportunity: According to their website, you can "learn first hand about careers from professionals in Defense Technologies, Information Technologies, Health Technologies, Energy Technologies, and Trade Technologies." Lunch will be provided and there will be afternoon sessions for students and parents.When: October 31, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Where: CSM, LaPlata Campus, PE Building (Source: Huntingtown High School Library Media Center)

Dean of library & distance education (mchenry county college, crystal lake, illinois)

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:20:02 +0100

Dean of Library & Distance Education (McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, Illinois) Responsible for providing leadership, development and implementation of services and programs for the Library, Distance Education, and Academic Computer Labs. ...

Using technology in library training

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:04:04 +0100

Here’s a class that looks interesting: “Using Technology in Library Training” taught by Paul Signorelli and offered through the American Library Association. It’s online, hands-on and will help you incorporate YouTube, GoogleDocs, LinkedIn and other tools in your instructional design. The class is divided into two sessions. There’s a discount, if you take both. The sessions are on Thursdays 12:30 MT, 1:30 CT. The first session is on September 16 and the second is on September 23. Check out the web site to see what is covered when, how to register, and how to pay. http://link.ixs1.net/s/ve?eli=s904734&si=i191468986&cfc=3html /ch (Source: Midcontinental Region News)

A piece of thursday photography

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:46:20 +0100

The State Library of Ohio's Mobile Computing Lab outside Conneaut Public Library in Conneaut, Ohio. The lab will be providing service at Kingsville Public Library next week. Click on the picture to view a larger version at Flickr. (Source: LISNews.org)

A piece of thursday photography

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:46:20 +0100

Qr code on car

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:31:18 +0100

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } 8.31.2010 [15], originally uploaded by Cara Jo Miller. Cara Jo Miller writes: QR code on the back of my car that links to a page on my site that tells you the random fact of the day. It also captures all the information about your phone’s screen size, browser type and OS so that I can use it for building better mobile sites. (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

Directory of open access journals - recently added titles

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:48:40 +0100

International Journal of u- and e- Service, Science and Technology B Sides Telos : Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinarios en Ciencias Sociales Azerbaijan Focus : Journal of International Affairs BANTAO Journal e-International Journal of Educational Research Revista Latinoamericana en Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y Juventud Journal of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Majlesi Journal of Electrical Engineering Diálogos DISEGNARECON Electronic Communications of the EASST 452º F : Revista de Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada Diabetic Foot & Ankle Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine Journal of Craniovertebral Junction and Spine Signos Filosóficos Trypillian Civilization Journal AAUP Journal of Academic Freedom Journal of Mid-Life Health Journal of Social Inclusion Buletinul Institutului Politehnic din Ias,i. Sect,ia IV, Automatica( s,i Calculatoare Comunicações Geológicas Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College Nursing Research and Practice Pharma Science Monitor : An International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Source: Peter Scott's Library Blog)

Ebrary’s academic complete e-book database tops 50k titles

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:33:44 +0100

From the press release: ebrary®, a leading provider of digital content products and technologies, today announced that its flagship subscription e-book database, Academic Complete™, now exceeds 50,000 titles from the world’s leading publishers. Academic Complete continues to be the largest multidisciplinary e-book database licensed to libraries throughout the world, under a simultaneous, multi-user access model with continual growth. Furthermore, ebrary’s Academic Complete, Government Complete™, Public Library Complete™, and College Complete™ are the only e-book products that enables libraries to upload and integrate their own digital materials such as theses and dissertations, yearbooks, and newspapers with DASH!™ (Data Sharing, Fast). Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

Kobo brings ereading to samsung galaxy tab

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:38:05 +0100

As I mentioned below, we will be at the US release of the Tab, and now here is some great news for Kobo. From the Samsung press release: As a new category of device, the Samsung GALAXY Tab brings a wealth of mobile experiences. Its striking 7” TFT-LCD display delivers exciting mobile experience for watching films, viewing pictures, e-reading or sharing documents. In design, its light (380g) build provides perfect portability, with its svelte dimensions making it easy to grip and use. Supporting the latest Adobe Flash Player 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab fully supports swift, seamless viewing of every single page of the web. The ‘Readers Hub,’ Samsung’s unique e-reading application, provides easy access to a vast digital library – from classical literature to the latest bestsellers and reference materials. At the same time, Samsung unveils ‘Media Hub,’ a gateway to a world of films and videos, and ‘Music Hub,’ an application giving access to a wide range of music tunes. The Samsung GALAXY Tab has made rich communication truly mobile; it presents a level of converged technology that moves beyond mobile or PC to an entirely new category. Users have new powers to consume, create and communicate from wherever they are. Powerful, always-on communication With 3G HSPA connectivity, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth® 3.0, the Samsung GALAXY Tab enhances users’ mobile communication on a whole new level. Video conferencing and push email on the large 7-inch display make communication more smooth and efficient. For voice telephony, the Samsung GALAXY Tab turns out to be a perfect speakerphone on the desk, or a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth® headset. Powered by a Cortex A8 1.0GHz application processor, the Samsung GALAXY Tab is designed to deliver high performance whenever and wherever you are. At the same time, HD video contents are supported by a wide range of multimedia formats (DivX, XviD, MPEG4, H.263, H. ...

En zo ziet je scherm er morgen misschien uit

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:38:00 +0100

Als mensen vrij mogen denken over 'het computerscherm van de toekomst' zijn de resultaten soms te mooi om waar te zijn. Maar vergis je niet. Wat je nu nog als fantasierijk zou kunnen omschrijven wordt volgend jaar misschien wel op de markt gebracht. Een paar voorbeelden van dat flinterdunne onderscheid: Sixth Sense Een display op CES 2010 Skinput Augmented Reality in ontwikkeling Nu ja, bepaal zelf maar in hoeverre het filmpje van TAT Open Innovation fantasie is of niet. @ Via Emerce (Source: Digitaal Inlichtingenwerk Zeeuwse Bibliotheek)

Does apple price for success?

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:15:00 +0100

Ben Kunz at Bloomberg Businessweek has an interesting post on Apple’s pricing practices. Kunz posits that Apple uses psychological pricing tricks such as reference prices and price “decoys” to boost sales of more expensive items. I can’t say I agree with all of his points, but he brings up some interesting things to consider. Kunz first discusses price decoys, items that don’t really look like very good deals in order to make slightly better items look much better. He suggests that the rumored 7” iPad is such a price decoy, to make a 10”, more featureful version look like a bargain and defend against the impending tidal wave of lower-priced tablets from competitors. Decoys explain why Apple often sells each gadget in a pricing series, such as the new iPod Touch’s $229, $299, and $399 price points for different storage capacities. You may gladly spend $229 to get a hot media player, thinking it’s a deal vs. the highest-priced version … and not blink that you could instead buy an iPhone 4 at the lower price of $199 with more features. The $399 "decoy" has clouded your judgment. Apple wins the best of both worlds—stoking demand for products that look like bargains and for all the decoys it sells at much higher prices. Yes, some people will spend $399 for a music player with slightly better technology—and Apple makes even fatter margins. Here Kunz brings up a point he will hammer on a couple more times over the course of the article: that the iPod Touch is more expensive than the more-capable iPhone, therefore Apple must employ eeeevil pricing tricks to sell it. I’ll come back to that in a bit. A couple of Kunz’s other points have to do with setting a reference price—introducing something at a high price, then discounting it quickly so that it looks like a bargain compared to its original asking price (as Apple did with the originally $599 iPhone). ...

Not your average search box

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

So, by now you're completely used to seeing a search box on pretty much every page you visit. Put in your words, hit go, get some stuff back. No big deal. So why on earth would we bother writing an article about our search box? Because it's better than the other ones. Why? Two reasons. Reason #1 - Librarians mess with the search results, and we understand more about finding information quickly than anyone you'll ever meet. Reason #2 - It's powered by this: That swiss-cheesey looking thing is a Google Search Appliance. It’s a way of taking all the power and functions of the Google you know and love, and smashing it into the basement of Hale Library to serve our very specific needs. Because it sits with us, and not at some Google farm in California, we’re allowed to do stuff to it. And because we’re librarians, we do. We tell it things, like “people who search for art usually want this page" and “when people use the word where, it’s a good idea to show them the stacks guide”. That way, you don’t have to wade through pages of results to find what you need – it’s probably in a nice, tidy, highlighted box at the top of the first page. Give it a try next time you need something from the libraries’ website. We’re pretty sure you’ll agree – it’s not your average search box.Also, we're happy to take your suggestions about pages that need highlighting. Just hit the "Contact us" link at the bottom of any libraries web page. Just a note, though - the search box only searches our website, not our databases or catalog. To do that, we'd need a box that hasn't quite been invented yet. P.S. By the way, you (or your predecessors) bought the Google Search Appliance for us. We're still grateful, every single day. ...

What happened in vegas should also happen in aall's annual meetings

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

3 Geeks' guest blogger, Ayelette Robinson, reports on her assessment of the International Legal Technology Association recent meeting at What Happened in Vegas Shouldn't Stay in Vegas: "With hundreds of truly high-quality sessions, and networking opportunities live and virtual galore,... (Source: Law Librarian Blog)

Law school launches pilot program using ipads

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Monterey College of Law has launched a pilot program with BAR BRI that provides iPads to student who enroll in the BAR BRI supplemental curriculum program. Students use the iPads while attending school and in preparation for the California Bar... (Source: Law Librarian Blog)

Back to the future: two years of google chrome

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

(Cross-posted from the Google Chrome Blog)Watching the 1985 classic Back to the Future last night, I was struck by how much things can change with time. The main character Marty McFly travels 30 years back in time, only to find that his house hadn’t been built yet, skateboards hadn’t been invented and nobody had ever heard rock ‘n roll.Looking back today on Chrome’s second anniversary, it’s amazing to see how much has changed in just a short time. In August 2008, JavaScript was 10 times slower, HTML5 support wasn’t yet an essential feature in modern browsers, and the idea of a sandboxed, multi-process browser was only a research project. All browsers have come a long way in the last two years and the web has become much more fun and useful.Happy 2nd birthday, Google Chrome!(Illustration: Mike Lemanski, click image to expand)Since Chrome’s first beta launch for Windows, we’ve brought our Mac and Linux versions up to speed, and continued to make the browser faster, simpler, and safer across all three platforms. We’ve also introduced a boatload of features, including a more customizable New Tab page, browser themes, side-by-side view, password manager, better privacy controls, built-in Adobe Flash Player, Autofill, automatic translation, HTML5 capabilities and synchronization of various settings such as bookmarks, themes, extensions and browser preferences—just to name a few. Finally, there are now more than 6,000 extensions in our gallery to enhance your browsing experience.Behind the scenes, we continue to extend the security features that help you browse the web more safely. ...

Now through october 15, 2010: free access to sage journals online (560+ titles, 1999-current)

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:46:33 +0100

Last week we mentioned that SAGE had completed migrating all 560+ journals to their next generation platform for SAGE Journals Online (SJO). The new platform is supported by HighWire Press’ “2.0” technology (H2O). In the post we pointed out that at the beginning of September, SAGE would offer free access to their entire catalog of [...] (Source: ResourceShelf)

Information literacy and web 2.0 a paradox

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:25:54 +0100

Day 1: ALIA Access Conference (Brisbane) Information literacy with Christine Bruce: Shift of focus from libraries to a much more global scale How do we make it relevant? How can we bring transformative power of information use to peoples lives? (Pat Breivik) Empowering! Experts on information literacy: Dr Lana W Jackman www.infolit.org – paradox don’t assume that all learners have access. What about the digital divide? Patricia Senn Breivik – peoples need for abilities that empower them Diljiit Singh – no paradox we need information literacy and web 2.0 to be effective in this world Lin Ching Chen (Jean Chen) – how can we harness Web 2.0. We have a responsibility. Shelia Webber (Uni of Sheffield) – Web 2.0 information literacy skills important. Andrew Whitworth - knowledge never static; text is dynamic in Web 2.0 Sharon Weiner (Purdue Uni) – not a paradox. Need Web 2.0 to teach and learn about information literacy. David Loertscher (SLIS) - power of Web 2.0 to build collective knowledge. Tools and power. Mandy Lupton – Web 2.0 making it possible to learn through the process of content creation. Work collaboratively through using/creating info Mary M Somerville - Web 2.0 makes it possible to work with and transform understanding of different cultures Dr Hilary Hughes – novel info sources & learning opportunities; provocation to explore, experiment, evaluate and evolve with developing technologies Ross Todd – focus on user and content creation Clarence Maybee – a future with a different understanding of knowledge and making Susie Andretta – transliteracy across different platforms; transliteracy – transport abilities across different media; what a librarians doing; how do we create the spaces/places that allow people to develop transliteracy skills Annemaree Lloyd – Web2. ...

Library and ict expert reviewers (u.s. civilian research & development foundation, arlington, virginia)

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:20:01 +0100

Library and ICT Expert Reviewers (U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation, Arlington, Virginia) CRDF seeks experts with a background in Library Science and Information and Communications Technology to provide evaluation support to the Access to Learning Award (ATLA) program. Reviewers will be responsible for providing technical comments for 100-120 applications and participating in a teleconference to recommend a list of 20-30 finalists. Applications should be submitted by September 26, 2010. Please refer to the full posting on our website for additional information on qualifications, selection criteria, and application procedures. Link: http://www.crdf.org/focusdocs/focusdocs_show.htm?doc_id=1344134 (Source: Latest ALA Job Listings)

Jatropha genome sequenced

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:15:36 +0100

Read the full story in Biodiesel Magazine. SG Biofuels Inc., a bioenergy crop developer, has partnered with Life Technologies Corp., a biotech tool provider, and the two have successfully sequenced the jatropha curcas genome. Using Life Technologies’ genome tracker, the Solid 4.0 system, the two were able to sequence the genome and the results will allow SG Biofuels to accelerate the identification of key traits including enhanced fruit yield, pest resistance, soil adaptation, improved flowering capabilities, uniformity, and improved harvesting. Already using more than 6,000 jatropha genotypes from its germplasm library, the San Diego-based company will use the new findings to generate a high quality reference genome, according to a statement by SG Biofuels. (Source: Environmental News Bits)

Dell's diversification strategy: 'a day late and a dollar short?'

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:07:02 +0100

It has been a battle of the balance sheets as rivals Dell and Hewlett-Packard continue to wrangle over who will win the right to acquire 3PAR, a little known data storage company. While the 3PAR bidding war, which HP is expected to win, is part of Dell's ongoing ambition to get a bigger foothold in high-margin enterprise technology services, the $53 billion company has also been chasing consumers with lackluster products. As one expert asks: "Dell sees the need for diversification, but does it see the need for transformation?" (Source: Knowledge@Wharton)

Is network neutrality permanently stalled at the finish line?

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:07:02 +0100

The long-running network neutrality debate is once again front and center after another flare-up, this one stoked by a recent policy proposal jointly developed by Google and Verizon. The seven-point plan was panned by net neutrality advocates but cheered by industry players, making it unclear whether regulators, legislators and private industry can forge a deal. Among the stickiest issues is that advocacy groups continue to demand 100% network neutrality, while wireless broadband providers want the ability to manage their networks and generate enough cash flow to continue to invest in infrastructure. (Source: Knowledge@Wharton)

Computer compatriots: taiwan and china draw economically closer

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:07:02 +0100

Despite the diplomatic and military twists and turns between China and the island of Taiwan, the two countries are fast becoming virtually one in the vital field of information technology. The extent of this collaboration is stunning: Taiwanese factories on the mainland make more than 85% of the monitors for the world's desktop computers, for example, and more than 90% of all laptop computers. Knowledge@Wharton looks at the pace -- and the challenges -- of this rapidly evolving economic integration. (Source: Knowledge@Wharton)

User studies, information science, and communication – article commentary

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:45:49 +0100

Katzer, Jeffrey. 1987. User studies, information science, and communication. Canadian Journal of Information Science 12, no. 3: 15-30. Argues that changes in technology, the economics of info systems, and previous research into information behavior is pushing information science to more complexity and predicts that it will become more like the field of communication. “What has been recommended is to add, as central to our endeavor, a more comprehensive consideration of meaning, intention, cognitive components of personality, and many other topics which have previously been viewed as more a part of the social-behavioral sciences than as integral to information science. The suggestion is that information science can add these topics and incorporate them into our field as add-ons—much like the extra features we’ve jury-rigged onto our systems over the years to overcome acknowledged deficiencies. I disagree. Any explicit and significant increase in our consideration of meaning, intention, and cognition will affect our field fundamentally. It will bring into question the basic paradigm which has guided our research activities, our educational programs, and our service philosophies. It will ultimately change the very nature of who we are. Conceptually, if not practically, all of information science, but especially information behaviors and information retrieval, will be more profitably seen and understood in the context of human communication” (16). Various critiques of user studies along the axes of population studied, central focus, information channel, major variables, research methods, and applicability are presented. Argues that the “often implicit assumptions which underlie how we approach the design of our systems and the provision of information services” no longer serves us and are untenable as they present “an overly simplistic model of human behavior …” (18). ...

Improvements made to babson over the summer

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:30:28 +0100

Over the summer Babson staff were busy adding some improvements to the library facility. We have rearranged furniture to create comfortable spaces and have purchased plants that you’ll see throughout the building. We have also had an upgrade to the wireless infrastructure which should improve access throughout Babson. The Main Floor of Babson has a new addition of the Technology Solutions Center. This redesigned ITS help desk is intended to assist all students, faculty, and staff and is conveniently located directly across from the Information Desk. The Second Floor continues to be our “group study” floor. We have purchased additional comfortable seatings and rearranged tables to create study areas. You’ll notice our “Collaboration Station” allows for up to 4 students to share a laptop image on a large wall screen. On one end of the second floor we have established a “teaching area” to be used for classes and larger study groups who wish to visit the library. A long table seats up to 24 people. Markers for the white board in this area can be checked out at the Information Desk. The Academic Success Center “Locus” is also located on the second floor. Students can meet with their content tutors here or confer in any area of the building. The Third Floor continues to be the “quiet floor”. We have added a few areas of comfortable seating but continue to provide mostly tables and study carrels for students who want a quiet and structured space. We’ve purchased new lights for the study carrell rooms for more effective illumination. Please mute your cell phones and take calls downstairs so that all can enjoy the one really quiet study space on campus. We are open 106.5 hours a week to assist students and faculty. ...

The business case for enterprise social bookmarking: $4.6 million a year in cost savings!

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:24:51 +0100

A couple of weeks ago, the amazingly talented Dion Hinchcliffe put together a blog post under the title of “The 2010 Social Business Landscape” that would probably classify as one of the most insightful, resourceful and essential articles published during the course of this year that everyone in the industry should be reading. Yes, in case you may not have seen it, it is that good! Worth while your time, for sure!, specially, if you are into some amazing graphicware like this one. But, there is something missing from that article, don’t you think? Something that, in my opinion, is one of the fundamental pillars from Enterprise 2.0. Have you spotted it yourself already? Indeed, social bookmarking / tagging! Not sure what you would think, but I strongly believe that social bookmarking and social tagging are still an important and rather critical part of a successful Enterprise 2.0 adoption strategy. I would even go one step further and state that social bookmarking / tagging are probably essential key elements behind the social computing philosophy altogether. Yet, it’s interesting to see how they both keep getting neglected time and time again, when they are just so critical. I mean, can you imagine … having your business put together and create a massive index of must-have links with annotations and tags across the board that would help you re-find content much much easier than through just the traditional taxonomies? No, neither could I. My good friend, Harold Jarche, talked about this very same thing as well not long ago on a virtual IBM event for the community of social software evangelists that I co-lead with one other colleague and which I blogged about over at Personal Knowledge Management by Harold Jarche (BlueIQ Ambassadors). ...

#jobs : systems librarian, university of la verne (california) -- wilson library

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:44:00 +0100

#3041 – Systems Librarian, University of La Verne -- Wilson Library The University of La Verne invites applicants for a Systems Librarian (Assistant Professor), a non-tenure track 12-month faculty appointment. Reporting directly to the University Librarian, the Systems Librarian will use a high level of technical, instructional, and interpersonal skills. The responsibilities of this position include administering and providing technical support for all aspects of library technology including the Innovative Interfaces Millennium integrated library system, hardware and software installations and maintenance, library wireless, opac, proxy server, online resources and services such as LINK+, ILLIAD, ERM, OCLC, link resolver, research databases, e-journals, e-books, etc.; assisting the University Librarian with technology planning and project implementation; serving as primary liaison with the university’s Office of Information Technology to coordinate all library systems’ installation, upgrade and maintenance; supervise one full-time staff member (Electronic Services Technician); serving as liaison to database and online service providers; providing technology training to library staff; providing research consultation services to library users in a multi-disciplinary environment using multiple formats (in-person, e-mail, phone, and chat); developing, promoting, and delivering effective library research skills/information literacy instructional sessions, seminars and workshops for both on-campus and off-campus programs; developing the library collection by selecting materials for acquisition in all formats; serving as liaison with selected academic departments; maintaining a program of professional development. ...

1906 chicago manual of style: free, but not drm-free

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:47:03 +0100

This month’s free e-book from the University of Chicago Press is a replica of the very first, 1906 edition of the Chicago Manual of Style to commemorate the 16th edition of that work. Of course, as with all University of Chicago Press free e-books, this book comes wrapped in Adobe Digital Editions DRM—even though, since it was originally published in 1906, this book is well within the public domain by now. (Oddly, I can’t seem to find any public domain version of it on-line, at least not in Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks, or Manybooks. There is a somewhat rough scan of a 1911 edition on Wikimedia Commons, however.) It’s a pity that this press—an academic press, yet, and thus part of an organization supposedly dedicated to advancing the spread of knowledge—should choose to impose technological restrictions upon a document that should legally be free to all. Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

1906 chicago manual of style: free, but not drm-free

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:47:03 +0100

The music event: why apple is streaming it, and how to watch without apple

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:59:23 +0100

A couple of further notes about Apple’s event, due to start in just over an hour. Leander Kahney at Cult of Mac has an exclusive tip from an insider who explains that the streaming process is going to serve as a stress test for Apple’s new server farm, which will later be used to stream a version of iTunes for iOS devices. Kahney notes: Some have speculated that Apple is streaming the show to thwart livebloggers, who may have sabotaged Jobs’ iPhone 4 keynote at Apple’s WWDC event in June. Problems with the venue’s WiFi network ruined Jobs’ FaceTime demo and forced him to ask bloggers in the audience to shut their laptops to reduce the strain on the wireless network. He dismisses the suggestion of some that Jobs wants greater control over the delivery of the news, but notes that if Apple livestreams future events it could mean an end to the considerable traffic that the events bring sites that liveblog them. Meanwhile, MacRumors explains the limitation of Apple’s livestream to iOS devices only, and suggests a possible workaround for viewing it without Apple products. Apple is using its new HTTP Live Streaming technology, which has been proposed as a standard but largely implemented only by Apple so far. Among its advantages include that it avoids router/firewall issues since the stream goes out over standard http. Non-Apple-owning viewers might be able to watch the event anyway, to some extent, as long as they keep manually refreshing the stream’s playlist file. And that should be the last I’ll say on the subject until after the event! I may livetweet it under the #teleread hashtag, however. Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

The music event: why apple is streaming it, and how to watch without apple

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:59:23 +0100

Information literacy as a sociotechnical practice

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:24:11 +0100

Tuominen, Kimmo, Reijo Savolainen, and Sanna Talja. 2005. Information Literacy as a Sociotechnical Practice. The Library Quarterly 75, no. 3 (July 1): 329-345. doi:10.1086/497311. I found this article on the main page of Library Quarterly‘s website as one of the most cited when I went looking for Archie Dick’s 1988 article on epistemologies in LIS [to be discussed soon]. I quite enjoyed this article as for me the upshot, in essence, is that they align information literacy with a domain-centric viewpoint. The authors, whom I have read several papers by, whether together or with other authors, are social constructionists. I am not quite sure how this theory and its close “rivals” fit in with my work. They all have distinct advantages to their way of looking at the world, but none of them focus on all that is relevant. As of now, I am a pluralist as far as these theories go. I feel that slavish adherence to one and only one would cause one to miss other relevant and important ways of viewing the world, or the slice of the world one is trying to analyze. [See my upcoming comments on A. Dick's holistic perspectivism.] As it stands, social constructionism seems only slightly orthogonal to Hjørland’s domain analytic view. Let me state up front that information literacy (hereafter IL or info lit) is not my arena. Also, this paper is 5 years old so some of the critiques that it makes of our professional organizations’ formal statements on IL may have been addressed. Then again, as fast as our professional organizations move I would not count on that either. ...

Call for abstracts — international conference on sustainable remediation 2011: state of the practice

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:16:31 +0100

International Conference on Sustainable Remediation 2011: State of the Practice, Amherst, MA, June 1-3, 2011. The Environmental Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the U.S. EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation are pleased to announce the International Conference on Sustainable Remediation 2011: State of the Practice to be held in Amherst, Massachusetts June 1-3, 2011. The conference will bring together researchers and practitioners from around the globe to address the state of the practice and future needs in sustainable remediation across the themes of green chemistry, human health, and environmental response. Session presentations by scientists, practitioners, and regulators will feature new research, field applications, and lessons learned. Abstracts are encouraged in all areas of green and sustainable remediation as related to hazardous waste cleanup, from basic to applied research, from case studies to demonstration projects. The deadline for platform presentations is November 1, 2010. For more information and to submit an abstract, see http://www.umass.edu/tei/conferences/SustainableRemediation/callforabstracts.html . (Source: Environmental News Bits)

Green remediation best management practices: clean fuel & emission technologies for site cleanup (epa 542-f-10-008).

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:10:19 +0100

Cleanup of hazardous waste sites can involve significant consumption of gasoline, diesel, or other fuels by mobile and stationary sources. Minimizing emission of air pollutants such as greenhouse gases (GHGs) and particulate matter (PM) resulting from cleanup activities, including those needing fossil or alternative fuel, is a core element of green remediation strategies. Efforts to reduce these emissions during site investigation, remedial or corrective actions, and long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) must meet regulatory requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and state air quality standards as well as federal and state cleanup programs. Deployment of green remediation BMPs can help reduce negative impacts of cleanup activities on public health and the environment (August 2010, 10 pages). View or download at http://clu-in.org/download/techdrct/Clean-Fuel-Emis-GR-fact-sheet.pdf . (Source: Environmental News Bits)

Scott pilgrim vs the world fr xbox 360 and ps3 | game review

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:36:56 +0100

Xbox 360/PS3; £10; cert 12+; UbisoftAnyone familiar with Edgar Wright's oeuvre (and especially Spaced) can't have failed to notice the director of Scott Pilgrim vs The World is a major-league video game obsessive, and the film itself rams that point home.Happily, this is not the usual game-as-merchandising tat – indeed, it takes an approach that should be made compulsory for all games publishers looking to cash in on Hollywood's enduring mass appeal. Instead of seeking to extract more cash from you than it would take to see the film, Scott Pilgrim vs The World joins the burgeoning ranks of the retro homages found on the Xbox Live arcade and PlayStation Network, and completely nails the ethos of those download services.Its mission alone deserves applause – to introduce a young, Twitter-fed audience to the joys of the 8-bit arcade era. Thus, it looks like Paper Boy and plays like Double Dragon (even supporting co-operative play by up to four people). In keeping with that era, its gameplay is gloriously unforgiving, eschewing checkpoints in favour of three lives which must be sustained for the duration of each of the seven levels, corresponding to Scott's inamorata Ramona's ex-boyfriends. Each level is long, relentless and utterly devoid of breathing space. Which gives you a commensurate sense of satisfaction when you progress.The gameplay couldn't be simpler, consisting of classic side-scrolling beat-em-up action in which Scott takes on hordes of aggressive Toronto locals. He can pick up objects strewn around the streets, such as baseball bats, bottles and even snowballs, to use as weapons, punch, kick, jump and counter. At first, it seems laughably simple, but subtleties soon manifest themselves. As Scott levels up, he acquires special moves, such as shoulder-charges and low kicks. ...

New sony readers announced; iphone and android apps on the way

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:18:37 +0100

I’m in NYC waiting to get a hands-on with the new devices. However I just received this press release which I’m reprinting in full. Pictures at the end of the release: SONY BRINGS DIGITAL READING EXPERIENCE TO LIFE WITH THE LAUNCH OF ITS NEW LINE OF READERS New Readers Feature Sony’s Unique Touch Screens with Anti-Glare Technology for the Optimal Digital Book Reading Experience SAN DIEGO, September 1, 2010 – Continuing to provide book lovers with the most natural, immersive digital reading experience, Sony today announced the launch of its beautifully-designed new line of Reader digital books, including the new Reader Pocket Edition™, Reader Touch Edition™ and, in the US, the wireless Reader Daily Edition™. The new line of Readers features a host of new design and technology enhancements that make them the perfect device for any reader’s lifestyle. “Today, we’re excited to announce not just the availability of the Reader Touch Edition and Pocket Edition in the countries we already serve but also plans to expand the Reader line to previously untapped markets,” said Steve Haber, president of Sony’s Digital Reading Business Division. “We take a thoughtful approach to country expansion, including Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan and China, working with local bookstores to ensure content is compatible, relevant and in the appropriate language for each market.” The new Reader models bring a fresh level of flare to e-reading with colorful, elegant aluminum designs and all new, highly responsive touch screens. In addition to the new devices in the US, Sony announced development of a set of applications for iPhone and the Android Marketplace to extend the Reader experience across multiple portable devices. ...

New sony readers announced; iphone and android apps on the way

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:18:37 +0100

How-to for determining if ibooks are drmed misses copyright point

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:15:00 +0100

Katie Gatto at our sister blog Appletell has made a post explaining how to determine which e-books in your iTunes listing are DRM-protected and which are DRM-free. It is a useful little tutorial for those who are not sure (or, for that matter, bother to purchase iBooks titles in the first place). However, annoyingly, Gatto repeatedly conflates DRM with copyright. She begins the article with “If you want to know which of your ebooks are DRM free and which have been protected by copyright,” then mentions that this process “will let you know if a book has DRM protections or if you’re free to share it with others,” and says that if a book is listed as protected, “it has a copyright attached.” She then concludes, “Use accordingly to avoid lawsuits.” Of course, if you use according to her advice, you probably won’t be avoiding lawsuits. It should be needless to say that plenty of non-DRM-protected e-books (such as those sold by Baen, or posted online by Cory Doctorow) are fully copyright-protected—meaning that while you might be able to share them with friends, you are not necessarily legally free to unless the holder of the copyright allows it. Might a decreased understanding of copyright be one of the casualties of the media industry’s reliance on DRM? I didn’t think the fact that everything is copyrighted under current copyright law (including books, e-books, Internet posts, and even scribblings on the backs of napkins) was that hard to understand, let alone that foregoing DRM does not mean you are foregoing your right to protection under the law. Or perhaps peer-to-peer is to blame for this “anything not strictly forbidden must be permitted” attitude. ...

How-to for determining if ibooks are drmed misses copyright point

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:15:00 +0100

Author meredith greene talks about ebooks

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:50:36 +0100

From her article in the Sacramento Book Review: As I read through the month, I snuck looks at the various eBook blogs and industry news pages that I frequent, adding comments where incited to and re-tweeting when especially impressed. A particular piece by J. A. Konrath caught my eye on Monday, titled The Changing Face of Publishing; in it, Konrath voices fears that the paper book industry may be spiraling downward. “I’m sensing a shift.” he writes, “And this shift will likely prove fatal for many of the parties involved. If, as I suspect, publishers are going to print fewer books, that will result in a death spiral. Fewer books printed means fewer sold in bookstores, which will no longer be able to stay open. Without bookstore orders, publishers will print even fewer books. And so on.” After reading the above, I glanced over at the sizable stack of advance copies on my backyard table and realized that if Konrath’s prediction played out, my lengthy season of receiving free paper books to review might also be waning. Advancing technology takes its toll – remember metal typewriters with hand-turned rollers? I saw one the other day on display in an antique store window; it was selling for $300. As long as paper books are around I’ll read, review and display them on my shelves, encouraging my children to take down a volume when bored, or curl up with them by the fire on a windy winter night, reading from tangible pages in the flickering firelight, yet I will also continue to write eBooks and self-publish online, for that’s where the money is. No one buys the paper versions of our books anymore – they are simply too expensive. The air surrounding my stack of books has a melancholy feel to it all of the sudden, as if an end to an era looms, while under it another gathers strength. Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

Author meredith greene talks about ebooks

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:50:36 +0100

Aptara offering free webinar on ebooks, apps and print

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:46:20 +0100

From the Aptara site: You’ve committed to an eBook strategy for growth. Now what? One of the most perplexing problems facing publishers is how to master the technology, workflow and format variables required to optimize eBook production, while still producing print and piloting Apps in parallel. The solution lies in modifying your publishing processes to enable cost-effective, multi-channel output. In this webinar, eBook and industry experts from Gilbane Group and Aptara describe an approachable single content strategy for achieving production flexibility and monetizing content assets in an explosive, mobile-centric market. Event Date: 09/28/2010 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

Aptara offering free webinar on ebooks, apps and print

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:46:20 +0100

Online conference: “ebooks: libraries at the tipping point,” sepetember 29, 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:21:45 +0100

From the August Issue (Published 8/31/2009) of the Book Industry Study Group Bulletin (BISG): BISG is a supporting organization for several industry conferences each year, including ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point presented by Library Journal & School Library Journal. Sponsored By: OverDrive (Platinum) Gold sponsors: Baker & Taylor; Capstone Digital; Gale Cengage; and Springer Keynote Speakers Ray Kurzweil, National best?selling author Kevin Kelly, Founder, Wired magazine R. David Lankes, Director of the Information Institute, Syracuse U. URL: www.ebook?summit.com ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point is an online conference that functions just like an in?person conference, with keynote speeches, special tracks and an exhibit area. The day?long event will bring together librarians, technology experts, publishers and vendors in a virtual setting to explore how the book is changing in the digital world. Date: September 29, 2010 Time: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. EDT Location: Online event Cost: Early bird pricing extended through August 13, 2010 with registration as low as $19.95 (Source: ResourceShelf)

After you’ve printed a book, what do you do with it? gutenberg’s problem

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:20:21 +0100

Boston.com’s Tom Sococca has an absolutely fascinating interview with Andrew Pettegree, author of The Book in the Renaissance. The parallels between printers’ problems at the time and the publishing industry today are legion. Inventing the printing press was not the same thing as inventing the publishing business. Technologically, craftsmen were ready to follow Gutenberg’s example, opening presses across Europe. But they could only guess at what to print, and the public saw no particular need to buy books. The books they knew, manuscript texts, were valuable items and were copied to order. The habit of spending money to read something a printer had decided to publish was an alien one. Nor was print clearly destined to replace manuscript, from the point of view of the book owners of the day. A few fussy color-printing experiments aside, the new books were monochrome, dull in comparison to illuminated manuscripts. Many books left blank spaces for adding hand decoration, and collectors frequently bound printed pages together with manuscript ones. “It’s a great mistake to think of an absolute disjunction between a manuscript world of the Middle Ages and a print world of the 16th century,” Pettegree said. As in our own Internet era, culture and commerce went through upheaval as Europe tried to figure out what to make of the new medium and its possibilities. Should it serve to spread familiar Latin texts, or to promote new ideas, written in the vernacular? Was print a vessel for great and serious works, or for quick and sloppy ones? As with the iPad (or the Newton before it), who would want to buy a printed book, and why? Pettegree’s book is available from Amazon for $26.40 but not in an ebook version yet. I guess I’ll have to wait to read it. Thanks to a tweet from johnmiedema1 Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

After you’ve printed a book, what do you do with it? gutenberg’s problem

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:20:21 +0100

Scholarly publishing: "'liquid journals' use the web to upend peer review" & additional materials

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:11:31 +0100

Can community-minded Web developers fix scientific publishing? From Technology Review: Just as news, books and all other forms of printed material are undergoing their own revolutionary transformation from dead-tree media to the infinitely more malleable formats made possible by computers and the Internet, so too have scientific journals begun their slow, painful transition away from old, [...] (Source: ResourceShelf)

Newsweek: closing the books? (public library funding) « resourceshelf

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:00:23 +0100

…libraries have expanded available technology resources and public demand has climbed, budget declines are leading libraries to close their doors mor (Source: pligg - all)

New: highlights only: law library benchmarks, 2010-11 edition

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:35:24 +0100

From the Primary Research Group Announcement: The report looks closely at law library budgets, staffing, content/materials spending, cost containment efforts, use of new technology, the changing and expanding role of the law librarian and many other issues. The 140-page report presents more than 200 tables of data, broken out by size and type of law [...] (Source: ResourceShelf)

Students think electronic attendance system treats them like children

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

When classes begin on Monday, some students at Northern Arizona University will have a little extra incentive to roll out of bed for that 8 a.m. calculus class.The school is installing electronic scanners outside some large lecture halls to track attendance. NAU may be the first American educational institution to try the technology. About 3 in every 10 students drop out after the first year. And if something as simple as going to class could help turn that around, Pugliesi thinks it's appropriate to make it a priority. Read more at: (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian)

Key words and their role in information retrieval.

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Key words and their role in information retrieval.

Health Info Libr J. 2010 Sep;27(3):173-5

Authors: Grant MJ

As any good library or information worker knows the accurate and consistent application of keywords can serve to enhance the content representation and retrieval of literature. Research has demonstrated that this aspect of the library and information science evidence base is particularly well represented. Drawing on the thesauri of the Library & Science Abstracts, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts and medline databases, the Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) has recently updated and expanded the HILJ keyword list. Based on the content of reviews and original articles published in HILJ over the past 4 years, the keyword list will be used by submitting authors to represent the content of the manuscripts and enable more accurate matching of manuscript to HILJ referees.

PMID: 20712711 [PubMed - in process]

(Source: PubMed: "Health information ...)

Integrating the hospital library with patient care, teaching and research: model and web 2.0 tools to create a social and collaborative community of clinical research in a hospital setting.

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Integrating the hospital library with patient care, teaching and research: model and Web 2.0 tools to create a social and collaborative community of clinical research in a hospital setting.

Health Info Libr J. 2010 Sep 1;27(3):217-26

Authors: San JosÃ© Montano B, Garcia Carretero R, Varela Entrecanales M, Pozuelo PM

Background: Research in hospital settings faces several difficulties. Information technologies and certain Web 2.0 tools may provide new models to tackle these problems, allowing for a collaborative approach and bridging the gap between clinical practice, teaching and research. Objectives: We aim to gather a community of researchers involved in the development of a network of learning and investigation resources in a hospital setting. Methods: A multi-disciplinary work group analysed the needs of the research community. We studied the opportunities provided by Web 2.0 tools and finally we defined the spaces that would be developed, describing their elements, members and different access levels. Model description: WIKINVESTIGACION is a collaborative web space with the aim of integrating the management of all the hospital's teaching and research resources. It is composed of five spaces, with different access privileges. The spaces are: Research Group Space 'wiki for each individual research group', Learning Resources Centre devoted to the Library, News Space, Forum and Repositories. Conclusions: The Internet, and most notably the Web 2. ...

Public libraries daring to be different

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:17:54 +0100

The current issue of Public Management has a feature story about public libraries that are partnering with city governments on strategic community-wide initiatives. Two of those featured in the story are of particular interest to ENB readers. The first is Fayetteville, Arkansas’ Solar Test Bed Project. In June 2010, Fayetteville Public Library’s Solar Test Bed Project installed 60 solar panels on the library roof, testing new technology in an effort to support emerging local business. The solar energy system is generating electricity and reducing the library’s carbon footprint. A kiosk in the library displays real-time energy production data and provides educational information on solar power. The solar array will initially provide power to the library using a commercially available inverter. After six months of collecting production data, the library will test a highly efficient state-of-the-art silicon carbide inverter developed by Arkansas Power Electronics International. The second is Iowa City, Iowa’s Eco Iowa City project. After suffering a devastating tornado in 2006 and historic flooding in 2008, Iowa City was looking to rebuild greener, with a focus on environmental stewardship. In response, the Iowa City public library partnered with the public works department and others to develop ECO Iowa City, an educational program providing residents with demonstration projects and up-to-date information on sustainability, particularly stormwater management, local foods and compost, smart waste disposal, and energy efficiency. I find this article inspiring because it shows how profoundly libraries can make a difference in their communities, not just by providing access to information and materials, but by working with other agencies and community organizations. Go us! (Source: Environmental News Bits)

Guest post: so you want to be a librarian/archivist?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:12:00 +0100

The following is a guest post from Lisa Rabey. It was originally posted on LITA-L on August 31, 2010. I started my MLIS in the fall of 2008 and before I started school, I spent a lot of time researching information on the career field and also looking for blogs/journals/etc about the process of researching schools, to what kind of classes would benefit me coupled with my own background (10 years in technology, plus a BA and a MA), and anything really from those who were in the current throes of school. There was, at least then, very little. While I did find a load of stuff about librarianship from those in the field, but I also found that many of the blogs/journals/books were also outdated or getting close to being outdated. Secondly, I found that most online communities/networking sites tended to be filled with the same type of questions: What schools are the best? Should I take the GRE? I have a background in X, would this be applicable to becoming a librarian? To me at the time, that wasn't quite what I was looking for. I decided to put together series of blog posts on what I thought would be helpful to others considering going to lib school ranging from determining what type of school one should choose, lecture delivery, job placement, programs available, how to determine your career path, what other professions/career paths a MLIS can be used for and on to job hunting and more: http://shesgotplans.net/so-you-want-to-be-a-librarianarchivist/ *It should be noted that ALA has the above bookmarked in their delicious account to pass on to others seeking the same answers. I've gotten loads of emails from people over the last two years telling me how invaluable the information is to them and that it helped clarify or solidify their decisions to not only attend lib school, but also helped them sort out what type of librarian or archivist they wanted to be. ...

Information literacy and outreach librarian (regent university, virginia beach, virginia)

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:20:01 +0100

Information Literacy and Outreach Librarian (Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia) Job Description: Library faculty member to plan, implement, and assess library instruction, information literacy training, and educational programming. Duties: Develop and implement information literacy training and educational programming on campus and online. Oversee Information Research and Resources course. Reference and research assistance, along with other professional librarian duties, as assigned. For a complete job description see www.regent.edu/admin/hr/jobfaculty.cfm. Required: ALA-accredited degree. Experience and/or training in information literacy instruction in an academic setting. Proficiency with instructional technologies, social media, and library assessment tools related to instruction. ...

Head of library technology and systems (coastal carolina university, conway, south carolina)

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:20:01 +0100

Head of Library Technology and Systems (Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina) Coastal Carolina University’s Kimbel Library is expanding its services to meet the needs of a rapidly growing campus. It seeks an enthusiastic colleague to provide vision and leadership that reflects current needs and anticipates future trends in the evolving library and information environment. The successful candidate will have experience in the management of library systems that support the essential functions of the library, including the library’s integrated system and resource sharing software and systems. ...

Special offer: ala techscource online-only subscription, $199

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:00:34 +0100

Subscribe to ALA TechSource Online now and save 46 percent off the full subscription price. Hosted on Metapress, an online subscription gives you access to a growing nine-year archive of Library Technology Reports and Smart Libraries Newsletter. Read full issues online or a downloadable PDFs. Share unlimited access across your institution Personalize with RSS alerts, saved items, and emailed favorites Offer is available only to new ALA TechSource online subscribers and must be purchased using the subscription form at http://www.alatechsource.org/subscribeonly199. Offer is good through September 30, 2010. (Source: ALA TechSource Blog)

On containerless content & libraries’ shifting services

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:09:16 +0100

Aaron Schmidt writes: Taking A Pass On Passivity We need to stop focusing on giving away free content and do something different—something no other institution, civic or commercial, is doing. This is where user experience and design thinking come into play. We spend a fair amount of time idly discussing what the future will hold. But this is a fool’s errand. It is this passivity that got us squeezed out of the containerless content game in the first place. Our time would be better spent observing the core needs of our communities and thinking of exciting ways to meet them. And here’s the kicker: while access to information seems likely to be a core need for some time to come, checking materials in and out of a library may not. There’s not necessarily a single way forward as libraries transition to being less reliant on circulating content. But we can learn from how successful libraries are transitioning and, to the extent that our communities are similar, experiment with mimicking their efforts. Read the whole column here: http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/ljinprint/currentissue/885299-403/the_user_experience_services_before.html.csp#mce_temp_url# (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

El bibliotecario en su encrucijada

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:00:00 +0100

Hace ya un tiempo, escribimos un texto en el que reflexionábamos sobre la dicotomía que se da en Biblioteconomía y Documentación, donde una buena cantidad de personas de “letras” se refugia entre libros impresos buscando una salida profesional donde cada vez es más importante el peso de las nuevas tecnologías en su desarrollo. Es posible que las reticencias iniciales que se dieron en la adopción de nuevas tendencias en la Web, se vean relajadas en un futuro no tan lejano cuando nuevas generaciones más habituadas a los ordenadores suplanten a las más timoratas por si el ordenador (sic) pudiese llegar a romperse. En cualquier caso, parece cada vez más cierto que la resaca del movimiento dospuntocero debe servirnos de punto de reflexión para encarar un futuro crítico para los intermediarios de la información. En un artículo que se publicará muy pronto en la revista Library & Information Science Research, un estudio recoge las impresiones de un grupo de profesionales australianos sobre las competencias y conocimientos que los bibliotecarios deberán poseer en un futuro no muy lejano. Para los escépticos, en las conclusiones se evita el adorno 2.0, considerando que las etiquetas son perfectas para generar cambios en las actitudes de los profesionales pero se tornan peligrosas si se persiste en ellas en el tiempo. De este modo, se considera que la biblioteca 2.0 ofrece una nueva vía de reflexión sobre la Biblioteconomía y representa un cambio de actitud de los bibliotecarios. Sin embargo, las etiquetas y sus modas se agotan tan pronto como aparecen, siendo sustituidas por otras, por lo que pueden significar un impedimento para el crecimiento futuro. Y es que la biblioteca/bibliotecario 2.0 no puede centrarse en la utilización de herramientas de la Web 2.0, excluyendo los principios y la filosofía propia de lo que verdaderamente representó, que es la participación. ...

Staples to sell kindles

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:25:45 +0100

From the Staples press release: [Staples] announced today plans to offer customers Kindle, Amazon’s #1 best-selling, most-wished-for and most-gifted product for two years running. Staples is the only office superstore to carry the wireless reading device in all of its stores nationwide beginning this fall. … Staples will also carry a full assortment of Kindle accessories. Kindle is part of several new exciting technology products available from Staples in time for the 2010 holiday season. Staples will announce their full line-up of top tech products and other great savings for the season later this fall. Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

Report finds investments in innovation are paying off

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:11:07 +0100

Report Finds Investments in Innovation are Paying Off Source: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a new report, “The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation,” which finds that the Recovery Act’s investments in science, technology and innovation are creating new jobs and strengthening advances in science that will create cost cuts for consumers. + Full Report (PDF) (Source: Docuticker)

Citizen media law project & center for sustainable journalism conference on media law in the digital age

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:30:00 +0100

Citizen Media Law Project and Center for Sustainable Journalism Announce Conference Focused on Media Law in the Digital Age Cambridge, MA – August 31, 2010 – The Citizen Media Law Project at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University are co‐hosting a conference on September 25, 2010 entitled Media Law in the Digital Age: The Rules Have Changed, Have You? in Atlanta, Georgia. Designed for journalists, bloggers, and lawyers who work with media clients, the conference will be an opportunity to learn first‐hand the latest legal developments and to get your questions answered by experts in the field. The program will bring together legal practitioners, journalists, and academics to discuss the latest legal issues facing online media ventures. Topics will include: libel law, copyright law, newsgathering law, and advertising law, as well as the legal issues arising from news aggregation, managing online communities, and business law considerations for start‐up online media organizations. Small‐group workshops will focus on strategies for accessing government information and understanding legal terms in content licenses, freelancer contracts, and website terms of service and privacy policies. If you need personalized legal assistance before or after the conference, contact the Online Media Legal Network, a legal referral network for independent online media administered by the Citizen Media Law Project at the Berkman Center. For more information about the network, please visit its website: http://www.omln.org. Funding for the conference is being provided by the Harnisch Foundation, which has been a long‐time sponsor of the Center for Sustainable Journalism and recently provided a grant to the Berkman Center to support media law education. Visit the conference website for more information on the conference agenda, registration and logistics: http://csjconferences. ...

Practice support specialist | hogan lovells us llp

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:19:00 +0100

US - DC - Washington, REQUIRED SKILLS: Excellent communication skills (oral and written) with both technical staff and attorneys. Basic understanding of general technology and/or law firm applications. Basic HTML ski (Source: SLA Career Center Search Results [])

Library blog search

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:53:35 +0100

Sometimes when I am working on a post, I wonder if another library blogger has already covered it - an am afraid I’ll look kind of dumb rehashing something. So I thought, wouldn’t it be great to set up a Google custom search engine to search all library-related blogs? Before I did, I checked if anyone already created one, and it turned out Library Zen had - four years ago (I’m even further behind than I thought). LISZEN Search searches over 500 library blogs, and has an accompanying wiki to keep track. If you write about the library world, add yourself. Something related that would also be nice is a custom search of just library websites - so it would be easy to quickly see what other library’s policies are regarding ebooks, or circulating laptops, or how much they charge for printing, etc. But considering the breadth of libraries and the complexity of maintaining it, just using regular Google might be more realistic. (Source: herzogbr.net blog)

Interoperability in a crisis 2: human factors and organisational processes

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:30:18 +0100

Interoperability in a Crisis 2: Human Factors and Organisational Processes Source: Royal United Services Institute (UK) Efforts to improve interoperability have tended to focus on the compatibility of the technology and equipment used by such responders, and primarily on the development of secure, resilient and interoperable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems. However, technological solutions will not significantly improve interoperability if the human factors that drive the use of that technology are not well understood. Communication is more than just the ‘C’ of ICT. This report sets out why a better understanding is needed of the relationship between the different responder agencies, how these differences affect the way they are able to work together, and how the barriers to interoperability that have been allowed to develop in the past can be avoided and removed. It sets out the case for creating a single responsible owner for emergency response within central government to ensure that the needs of the emergency response community can be considered holistically, and considers the factors that will determine the success or failure of such an initiative. + Direct link to document (PDF; 1.2 MB) (Source: Docuticker)

Legal ebooks and the institutional buyer: an llb poll on use, acquisition interest and market penetration

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Since the advent of full-text search in the late 1970s-early 1980s, law libraries have tended to be at the forefront of technological innovation in the provision of resources to its users. When one reads what general public libraries are doing... (Source: Law Librarian Blog)

Ontario chief justice calls for more judicial mediation in civil cases

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

The most recent edition of The Lawyers Weekly reports that Chief Justice Warren Winkler of Ontario wants judges of the province to conduct more mediations in civil cases as a routine matter:"Chief Justice Warren Winkler argues the time is ripe to 'plan seriously' to make judicial mediation more routinely available to civil litigants (not just on an ad hoc basis) by integrating it into Ontario’s regular court services and renovating court facilities to provide the necessary meeting rooms and access to technology." "If civil courts don’t offer more judicial mediation — a quicker and cheaper way of resolving disputes than trials — the justice system will become less accessible and less relevant to most Canadians, he predicts." "However the chief justice stresses also that court-based mediation should 'supplement, not diminish,' judges’ core purpose of deciding cases." (Source: Library Boy)

Online publishers: growing the display advertising pie

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

This is the latest post in our series on the future of display advertising. Today, director of product management Jonathan Bellack looks at our efforts to help online publishers generate more advertising revenue - Ed.For millions of online publishers—from the smallest blogger to the largest entertainment, news, e-commerce and information sites—online advertising revenue is vital. When publishers can maximize their returns, everyone benefits from more vibrant online content and websites. But the pace of change in the industry can be intimidating—how can a publisher keep up with what’s new, let alone grow their business?We believe that the new technology we’re developing to make display advertising work better will help to grow the display advertising pie for all publishers, by orders of magnitude. We shouldn’t be asking how publishers can eke another 5 or 10 percent out of display advertising in the next few years. We should be looking at how the industry can double or triple in size.We’ve previously described our three core display ad products for publishers:AdSense, which places the most valuable, relevant ads on our partners’ websites, without the publishers having to sell the ad space themselves;DoubleClick for Publishers, our ad serving platform, which maximizes the value of ad space that publishers have directly sold themselves; DoubleClick Ad Exchange, a real-time auction marketplace, which maximizes large publishers’ overall returns, by "dynamically allocating" the highest value ad, whether directly sold, or indirectly sold through an ad network.I wanted to highlight the key principles guiding our future product innovations in this area, as we work to help all publishers maximize their online ad revenues.1. Making life more efficientFor most large publishers, directly sold ads (ads sold by their own sales force) comprise the vast majority of their ad revenues. ...

Are we live?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:57:19 +0100

Today is the scheduled Go Live date for the first implementation of the OCLC Web Scale Management services, and we are so close that we can almost touch it. We spent the day doing massive testing of the various pieces of WMS: Circulation, Acquisitions, Cataloging, and our WMS-driven Worldcat Local, with the OCLC team working with us to tackle anything that popped up. As you might expect, being the first to implement this radically new a system brings things to light that neither we nor OCLC entirely knew about or understood…the infrastructure for this is only now really being tested with live data from a working library. I know that a lot of eyes are on this to see how it works (or doesn’t work), so here’s a quick rundown of where we are today. Circulation could, as far as the system is concerned, go live now…it’s a functional system at this point, with all of our policies in place and working for all of our patron types. However, we now have a backlog of circ data to catch up on (the delta between the last massive data load and now), and we’re proceeding with it, and with further data-verification testing at the same time. Acquisitions/Cataloging is so, so close. We successfully received and cataloged books today from scratch for the very first time, and walked them all the way through the process of preparing them to circulate. As a part of this process we discovered that we are going to have to re-evaluate our workflows even more…even we, who have been preparing for this for 6 weeks now, didn’t really grok the degree to which this alters our traditional workflow. So over the next few days, we’re going to be taking a closer look at those, and see how we take advantage of the massively streamlined workflows that are possible with WMS. ...

Mobile web: two ways to access the multnomah county public library on mobile devices

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:38:06 +0100

Both use AirPac technology from Innovative Interfaces. The Multnomah County Public Library (MCPL) mobile version for smartphones launched in June, 2010. 1) For Smartphones Like the iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, and Palm Pre https://m.multcolib.org/ Point your browser to m.multcolib.org to search for books, CDs, DVDs and more; view your library account; and renew and place holds from your smart phone. When on a smart phone, clicking on the catalog link on the library’s website will redirect you to the mobile-optimized site. You can also limit your search to a specific branch library. 2) Other Mobile Devices http://catalog.multcolib.org/airpac/ See Also: Depending on the Time of the Day and the Info Need, MCPL offers four ways to get help and answers from a librarian. Source: MCPL, Twitter (Source: ResourceShelf)

Education: podcasting for advocacy online class

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:30:10 +0100

Join us for the online class, “Podcasting for Advocacy.” The class will be taught in two parts: a 1.5 hour session on Thursday, September 16 from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time (2 – 3:30 p.m. Central Time) and then a half hour session on Tuesday, September 28 from 1 – 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time (2 – 2:30 p.m. Central Time). “Podcasting for Advocacy” was originally developed by Maryanne Blake and Alison Aldrich from the Pacific Northwest Region. It’s a hands-on class designed to provide a fun yet informative introduction to podcasting. The class will be taught online using Adobe Connect; you will need an Internet connection and a telephone. To complete the exercises in the class, you will need to download and install some free software and have access to a microphone for your computer. In the class, you will learn how libraries, community-based organizations, hospitals, journal publishers, and other groups are using podcasts. You will learn how to find and recommend podcasts your users will appreciate and find useful. We will also discuss how to craft messages that work well in the podcast medium. You will also learn how to record, edit, upload, and promote a podcast using freely available software. If you attend both of the webcast sessions, create a podcast, and share the link with the class, you will be eligible for three hours of MLA continuing education credit. To register for the class, visit http://www.tinyurl/mcrclasses. Class registration is limited, so register soon! [SD] (Source: Midcontinental Region News)

Generation "born into web 2.0" characteristics

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:15:31 +0100

I'd thought I'd throw out some characteristics of my son's generation rather than wait for ten years or so to see how they represent themselves in a Pew and American Life study. He's almost eleven years old. His is the generation that was born into Web 2.0 and other advanced digital technology. I know this isn't true for all kids his age (and it may be more true for boys--I don't know), but it's fun to imagine: Many of them would rather take videos than still pictures. They either have themselves, or have a friend close in age, who has put up a video on YouTube. They either have themselves, or have a friend close in age, who has been in a YouTube video. They have their own computer, or at least one that is shared with siblings and not the adults in the family. They share websites and videos they find on the Internet. They have email accounts and send and receive email on occassion. They have played an MMORPG designed for kids along with other kids in their school. My son and friends at school, boys and girls alike, play Wizard 101. They have mobile phones and have sent and/or received text messages. Some are used to watching television and/or movies without commerical interruptions, and they will prefer the use of a DVD, Blueray, DVR, Tivo, or Netflix on demand to avoid commercials. They have more than one game system, at least a DS and a console unit. Cable television is not their sole, primary form of digital entertainment. Video games and the Internet have a strong, competing role for their attrention. Mp3 players are the primary music listening device that they own. Radio is something they listen to in the car when there are no CDs, the DS is not with them, and they forgot the mp3 player. It's the electronic media of last resort. ...

Intellectual property search/info site ip.com upgrades search functionality & adds ibm redbooks as non-patent literature collection

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:51:26 +0100

From the Website: …a significant upgrade to our patent search engine technology. The new engine provides faster results and supports an advanced syntax mode. For casual users, it provides improved results without using any special syntax. [Clip] We’re also pleased to announce the addition of the IBM Redbooks as a Non-Patent Literature collection. The Redbooks represent a unique source of technical art; we’re excited to bring the Library’s advanced searching and more-like-this capabilities to this material. IP.com Searching Overview + Text Search Overview + Text Search Advanced Syntax Details + Text Search Advanced Examples + More-Like-This Search Overview (Semantic Search) ++ Powered by Textwise From the About Page: The Intellectual Property Library, launched in December 2009, is a free international database of patent and patent-related publications. It’s goal is to encourage worldwide access to resources where innovators can easily locate and explore Intellectual Property (IP) including patents, technologies, and related art. The Library’s collections contain an ever increasing number of international patent databases as well as carefully selected non-patent literature (including our own Prior Art Database). The Library introduces some unique concepts in free online patent searching: + It is the first free access website to actively combine patent and non-patent prior art searching into a single resource. + In addition to a classic full text search engine, it also offers access to a sophisticated semantic search engine, creating unique abilities to rapidly locate related art. + It is one of the first websites outside of of the People’s Republic of China to enable free access to SIPO patent data. (Source: ResourceShelf)

My top 10 reasons why i bought an ipad

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:29:36 +0100

Late last week you would remember how I put together a blog post where I started collecting a number of the Daily #iPad Apps that I keep sharing across over in Twitter, for those folks who may be potentially interested. Also as a good reference for myself, i.e. as part of my own personal knowledge sharing experience, so that I can keep going back and forth over time and see what I may have shared and what not, just in case I may need it for a future reference. Then, my good friend Barry Leiba mentioned, in the comments, how he would be “interested in reading more about specifically HOW the iPad fundamentally changes your online interactions and experience“. Thus I thought I would go ahead today and put together a blog entry where I could share with folks my top 10 reasons why the iPad has changed my computing habits and overall Internet experience for good with no looking back! It’s going to be a rather interesting experiment, where I am sure I’m going to fall short on words on what it actually means for me, specially when not paying much attention to the tools and applications themselves, but more how I interact with the device. I know that some of those reasons will also surprise a bunch of folks out there who may have a perceived different persona of me than who I actually am, but I think that overall, it will help set the stage as to why I have finally fallen for the iPad as perhaps one of my last mobile devices I will own for a good while. A long one, actually. Thus without much ado, here are My Top 10 Reasons Why I Bought a 3G 64GB iPad, back while I was in Boston, in June, attending the Enterprise 2.0 conference event (Yes, I couldn’t buy one over here in Spain after having visited 18 shops!). ...

Bjørn lomborg: the dissenting climate change voice who changed his tune

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:19:48 +0100

With his new book, Danish scientist Bjørn Lomborg has become an unlikely advocate for huge investment in fighting global warming. But his answers are unlikely to satisfy all climate change campaignersFew statisticians can have inspired more passion than Bjørn Lomborg, the Danish academic who became famous as the author of the controversial (some would say contrarian) Skeptical Environmentalist, which set him up as perhaps the world's best-known critic of the dominant scientific view of global warming and the ensuing climate change.Lomborg's prolific output has been almost matched by books rubbishing his work: critics have described him as selective, unprofessional and confused. Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN's climate change panel, has compared him to Adolf Hitler – for the statistical crime of treating human beings too much like numbers.Meanwhile, Time Magazine declared Lomborg one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004. The respected Cambridge University Press (CUP) has published many of his books in the UK and the US, and the award-winning documentary maker Ondi Timoner and X-Men films producer, Ralph Winter, are about to release a film of his 2007 book Cool It (which carries the subtitle: the first optimistic film about global warming).The Danish Committee on Scientific Dishonesty once declared Lomborg guilty of exactly that, but a government review later cleared him.Lomborg's latest book, published by CUP next month, is likely to reignite these passions, because it appears to contradict so much of what he has said before and because he is straying into newly controversial territory. He is advocating that much more attention and money be lavished on climate engineering methods, such as whitening clouds so that they reflect back more of the sun's heat.Heat is something he is resigned to. When he gives talks, he says, he often meets "people who come up and say: 'I thought I'd hate you. ...

"educating" parents about books

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:03:19 +0100

A friend to whom I will refer as Jules Léotard recently pointed me towards this lengthy video which is the product of Focus on the Family's "True Tolerance" program.Direct URL / Video in accessible playerThe video points parents towards the stealthy methods those "sneaky" homosexual activists are using to get into the schools, such as devious, wicked anti-bullying campaigns. (The fact that 23.2% of students who have been bullied at school because someone perceived them to be queer attempt suicide is apparently irrelevant to these people, who provide a [PDF] "model anti-bullying policy" which is not intended to prohibit expression of religious, philosophical, or political views. Presumably including "you're going to hell for being gay.")Anyway, their list of [PDF] devious homosexual agenda books you might find in your school makes me sad, because the only thing in there that counts as fantasy or science fiction is Uncle Bobby's Wedding. Is that really the state of homosexual agenda children's and YA books in F&SF? Hero, Cycler, and some albeit adorable queer guinea pigs? (I'm exaggerating. Somewhat.)It doesn't work that way in my mind, where I forget that Tally Youngblood never hooked up with Shay; that it was just subtext in King of Shadows; that none of those gay best friends in paranormal romances are the main characters. This is a good time of year to remind myself that for all I am used to seeing the intense social conservativism in fantasy, I mustn't discount the strong strain of it in science fiction.Also a good time of year to make the time to read Ash. *goes to request from interlibrary loan*(This is mirrored from an original post at Dreamwidth where there are comments. You can leave a comment here or over there. (Source: Ramblings on Librarianship, Technology, and Academia)

Energy 101 videos: learn more about the basics!

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:01:50 +0100

Via EERE’s Energy Savers blog. Okay, so we already pointed out the Energy Basics Web site last week. Because I’m going to talk about something on the site, I wanted to remind you all of what it is: a brand new Web site on EERE that talks about the basics of how energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies work. A little place to find out the “What is it, and how does it work?” nuggets of information, basically. But I wanted to point out something in particular: the Energy 101 series of videos! There are two so far, although more will be posted in the future. The two that are there now,Wind Turbines Basicsand Concentrating Solar Power Basics, provide extremely easy-to-understand, entry-level introductions to the two technologies they cover. So if you need to learn the gist of how something works in just a couple of minutes, be sure to give them a look! The site in general has a ton of information that introduces you to everything from renewable energy to buildings to industry to vehicles, but since we told you about that last week, you hopefully already gave it a glance! (Source: Environmental News Bits)

#jobs :: technical services librarian (full time) albright-knox art gallery

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:00:00 +0100

Technical Services Librarian (Full Time) http://www.albrightknox.org/employment/Technical_Services_Librarian.html Technical Services Librarian (Full Time) The Technical Services Librarian will report directly to the Head of Research Resources. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Responsible for the development and implementation of the Gallery Librarys technical services program to include cataloging, classification, authority file maintenance, serials management, library systems and database administration, interlibrary loan and document delivery services, and basic preservation activities. Provides leadership in ensuring integrated access to scholarly resources in all formats according to professional standards and in a service-oriented manner in support of the research needs of the museum community. * Establishes and assesses technical services goals, priorities, policies, and procedures. ...

#jobs posting> systems & emerging technologies librarian

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:45:00 +0100

SYSTEMS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES LIBRARIAN Murphy Library at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is seeking a dynamic, student-centered librarian to work in a team- oriented library environment. Responsibilities include: provide leadership, vision, and expertise related to library systems and technologies that increase and enhance access to academic resources at UW - La Crosse; identify, evaluate, implement, and teach the use of new technologies that facilitate information access and that contribute to the development of library-related learning materials; participate in reference, information literacy instruction, collection development, collegial governance, and library committees as well as campus and professional activities. The library recognizes and values diversity in its faculty, staff, and students. We seek a colleague who shares the library's commitment to diversity and who will be a dedicated librarian and mentor for students with diverse backgrounds, preparation, and career goals. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS ALA accredited MLS; experience with integrated library systems and web development applications; ability to manage EZProxy and server technology and to develop and manage tools for extracting evaluative statistics; demonstrated knowledge of desktop, laptop, and handheld computing devices and their related technologies; demonstrated ability to work collegially and communicate effectively. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Professional academic library experience. ENVIRONMENT UW-La Crosse is known for its highly ranked academic programs. La Crosse is famous for its exceptional natural beauty. The city (metropolitan population 100,000) is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River below towering bluffs. Abundant water and woodlands provide year-round recreation sites for skiing, hunting, camping, and other outdoor activities. ...

California state university to license content from major college publishers

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:00:45 +0100

From the press release: The Digital Marketplace, an initiative of the California State University Office of the Chancellor, announced plans today to launch a pilot to license digital course content from Bedford/Freeman/Worth, Cengage Learning, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson, and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Starting in the fall 2010 semester, pilot courses are scheduled at five CSU campuses: Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Long Beach, San Bernardino and San Francisco State. Each participating instructor volunteered for the program that promises students will pay the lowest price available for the licensed, digital version of their course materials that are interactive and engaging. Students will purchase their personal-use subscriptions for the digital content through their local campus bookstore. “Offering faculty the choice of a licensing model gives them the option of finding the highest quality content at the lowest cost,” said Gerard L. Hanley, PhD., Senior Director of Academic Technology Services for the CSU. “The purpose of the Digital Marketplace is to provide everyone access to quality, affordable educational content. This is a wonderful example of an academic institution and publishers working together for the benefit of our students.” Digg us. Slashdot us. Facebook us. Twitter us. Share the news. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home)

Epa, dot propose new fuel economy labels

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:13:51 +0100

As a new generation of cars and light trucks start appearing on the market, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are jointly proposing changes to the fuel economy labels consumers see on the window of every new vehicle in dealer showrooms. The proposed rule seeks public comment on label design options and related issues. The public can view the proposed rule and labels at: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/ and submit comments as part of the rulemaking process via email to: newlabels@epa.gov. They can also review the proposed rule at http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy. “We are asking the American people to tell us what they need to make the best economic and environmental decisions when buying a new car,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “New fuel economy labels will keep pace with the new generation of fuel efficient cars and trucks rolling off the line, and provide simple, straightforward updates to inform consumers about their choices in a rapidly changing market. We want to help buyers find vehicles that meet their needs, keep the air clean and save them money at the pump.” “New technologies such as battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are entering the American market in greater numbers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We need to provide consumers with labels that include fuel economy and environmental information so that buyers can make better informed decisions when purchasing new vehicles.” The goal of the new fuel economy labels is to provide consumers with simple, straightforward energy and environmental comparisons across all types of vehicles, including electric vehicles (EV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. ...

The 10 least green government subsidies

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:52:46 +0100

Read the full post at EcoSalon. Urban sprawl, pollution, over-consumption, deforestation…like it or not, U.S. taxpayers are still paying for all of these things to occur in America and beyond. Despite recent investments in green jobs and technology, an array of government subsidies pay big dirty industries like oil, coal and factory farms to destroy the environment in every way possible while greener, healthier industries like solar power and vegetable farms get a pittance. (Source: Environmental News Bits)

A progress report on electronic health records in u.s. hospitals

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:36:15 +0100

New study published in the August, 2010 issue of Health Affairs reports on the adoption of the electronic health records by U.S. hospitals. To view the abstract, go to http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.2010.0502 (bbj) (Source: Midcontinental Region News)

The digital revolution i didn’t notice

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:15:00 +0100

This Saturday, I drove about 30 miles west of Springfield to visit the Gay Parita Sinclair, a restored period filling station in Paris Springs, just west of Halltown, Missouri on old Route 66. Several huge photo blow-ups of the place hang on the wall in the breakroom at TeleTech where I work, in keeping with the building’s “Route 66” decor theme. It was only last week when I googled it that I realized I had actually driven right past it without even noticing it twice while on my way to Carthage. I guess I’d mentally filed it as “just another gas station” without realizing. So as penance, this time I drove out there specifically to see the place. While I was there I happened to notice, amid the shelves of period and Route 66 memorabilia, a couple of old Brownie cameras. “I used to have that camera,” I said, pointing to the one on the right. “You don’t look that old!” the lady who was showing me around (the daughter of the Sinclair’s owner) said. And it’s true, I wasn’t that old. But the camera was. My first childhood camera, when I was very young, was a Kodak that shot on 127 film. I wish I remembered the exact name of the camera so I could google it; I’ve tried to find images of 127 film cameras online but none of them looked familiar. I think it must have been twenty years or so old even then, or ten at the least—it had that kind of late fifties, early sixties design sensibility to it. I didn’t have a flash so I could only take pictures outdoors, and my parents only bought me black and white film because color was more expensive. But I took a number of pictures, and had a number of pictures taken of me. (Yes, that’s a very little me at right. That’s how old I was when I first had that camera.) My second was that Brownie Hawkeye, the same model as in the photo above. I no longer remember where it came from, whether it had belonged to my Dad when he was a kid or if he just found it in a second-hand store. ...

Reference librarians, they're out there

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:40:18 +0100

Freed from their desks, reference librarians at the Orland Park IL Public Library have taken to the aisles to help patrons find the answers they need. "We're out there looking for them," said Diane Srebro, assistant head of adult services. She asks a patron if he needs help as she makes the rounds with a HP Tablet as part of the new 'Ask Me' campaign. The program began in the spring to enhance customer service for library patrons. Armed with laptop computers and sporting "Ask Me" buttons, the librarians are fielding about 200 questions a month from the floor, Srebro said. All told, the reference desk averages about 3,000 reference questions a month. "Technology has freed us from the reference desk," Srebro said. "It's part of our strategic plan for the adult services area." Southtown Star. (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News)

Reference librarians, they're out there

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:40:18 +0100

Harvard’s library lab issues an open call for proposals from students, faculty, and staff

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:22:28 +0100

Harvard News – “In a move designed to inspire a new generation of library services, the University’s newly created Library Lab is inviting students, faculty, and staff to collaborate with the Harvard Libraries and serve as co-creators of the information society of the future. In announcing the Lab, Robert Darnton, Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor and Director of the University Library, states that the Lab “will develop a wide variety of digital innovations that will ensure Harvard’s leadership in the burgeoning and increasingly collaborative world of information technology. Thanks to support from the Arcadia Fund, Harvard’s Library Lab will enhance knowledge and library services through a striking balance of innovation, cooperation, and entrepreneurship.” (Source: Library Stuff)

Glowing praise for digital books

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:13:12 +0100

The newest technology has revived old habits of reading. Just switch the lights off late at night and turn the virtual pages of a spooky gothic tale for an illuminating experienceThe experience of reading books on an iPad is disconcertingly beautiful. It has rapidly become the favourite use of this dazzling gadget in our house. We are entering a new age of the book, and it may turn out to be a bright one. Every book on the iBooks reader becomes, literally, illuminated. In the history of the book, illumination refers to the decoration of hand-copied manuscripts by medieval monks. No angels or devils appear, no gothic letters sprout curls of foliage, when you open an iBook: the illumination rather consists of a backlit white screen on which type looks singularly seductive. You want to turn the page and see more – so you do just that, physically flicking over a virtual sheet of paper with the tactile technology that makes the iPad so easy to use. Fans of the rival digital book reader, Amazon's Kindle, which is controlled with buttons, deny that Apple's touch-sensitive science makes a difference.But for me it makes all the difference in the world. Reading a book in this way feels right.I am naturally suspicious of the coming of the digital book. It sounds like the apocalypse: the final irony, to be a professional writer in the last days of publishing ... but the thrill of reading books – and buying books, which is the critical thing – on this gadget changes the look and feel of the age. The future suddenly seems more literate. It's not just that you can read a book on this machine: it is that you want to. Old, innocent, childish memories of reading are awakened by its glowing screen for it has one very obvious advantage: you can read in the dark. That's what I've been doing, late at night, and the first books I bought for the iPad were therefore spooky Victorian tales. ...

Ttw mailbox: do you use delicious? please take survey

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:42:23 +0100

From an email: I am a graduate student in the Dept. of Library & Information Science, National Taiwan University. I am writing to you because I read your article and thus understand that you had researched Delicious.com before. I’m currently doing my thesis research on Delicious users’ social relations and tagging behaviors. I am now on the stage of collecting data from Delicious user. Would you please fill out my questionnaire if you are currently using Delicious? It may take you approximately 20-30 minutes to complete the questionnaire. I would highly appreciate if you could also forward this questionnaire to anyone you know who also use Delicious. Thank you very much for your help. Here is the link: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/344453/Delicious-User-Survey Sincerely, Yi-Fan Chen, Graduate Student Dept. of Library & Information Science National Taiwan University Chi-Shiou Lin, Assistant Professor (Thesis Advisor) Dept. of Library & Information Science National Taiwan University (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

A stream of digital consciousness

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:27:07 +0100

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } A stream of digital consciousness, originally uploaded by Paul Hagon. My research co-investigator Warren Cheetham shares a link to this photo by Paul Hagon and writes: “Another photo (also by Paul Hagon) from that same conference presentation by Mal, has a line that I try to always keep in mind when planning and thinking about digital library services – “Don’t try to replicate analogue processes”" (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

Easiest 3 ways to self-publish an epub ebook

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:07:53 +0100

1. Smashwords Smashwords continues to kick goals in self-publishing. In an increasingly crowded market, I just don’t think you can beat Smashwords for ease of use, price (you can’t do better than free), and distribution. Fling your words to Smashwords, and you’ll quickly end up with an ebook in multiple formats, playable on all devices, and distributed to iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store. Soon they’ll be adding Amazon to the already impressive list. The website could use prettying up, but this offering is the best one-stop-shop free solution out there. Other services include Lulu, Scribd, iUniverse and Amazon Digital Text Platform, but none of these has the reach, ease of use, low price, and cross-platform openness of Smashwords. NB: As an experiment, soon I’ll be self-publishing something I have up my sleeve, and monitoring both what distribution channel sells how much, and whether ebook beats pbook. More on that soon. 2. Pages ePub export via iWork Last week, Apple updated its popular iWork suite of applications, allowing self-publishers to export their words in ePUB format from its Pages word processor. It was a small update – iWork 9.0.4 to be precise – but potentially an important one for publishing. There’s even a Pages template for use in creating an ePub document that you can get here. Given that Pages can now give you ePUB and PDF, this means you can spread your work everywhere, including Amazon’s Kindle Store (via their Digital Text Platform, above). Liza Daly, of digital publishing consulting firm Threepress Consulting, has a very thorough review on her blog. In it she delves all the way down into the CSS it creates and the OPF file. ...

Science and engineering librarian

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100

State: International The University of Texas at Arlington Job Title Librarian Posting number 10-07-21-01-0100 Job status Open Information: http://utdirect.utexas.edu/pnjobs/index.WBX?comp=1 Check "Professional/Non-faculty" ___ Basic Information Date available 09/01/2010 Position duration Funding expected to continue Position open to all applicants Monthly salary $3333 negotiable depending on qualifications. Hours per week 40.00 Standard from 900AM to 600PM Location Arlington, TX Hiring department Library http://library.uta.edu General notes This is an entry level Science and Engineering Librarian position. Reference desk duty includes one week night, Sunday rotations and occasional holidays. Some instruction includes nights and weekends. Instructions about additional materials to be submitted by all applicants will be provided once you apply. Finalist(s) will be required to give a formal presentation on a library-related topic. Required Application Materials A Resume is required in order to apply. A Letter of Interest is required in order to apply. A List of 3 References is required in order to apply. Additional Information Purpose of position The Science/Engineering Librarian serves as liaison to assigned departments within the Colleges of Science and Engineering; contribute to and supports the Library's mission to foster and promote quality learning, teaching, and research. Essential functions Serves as subject liaison to assigned academic units for promotion and outreach of library services and resources for Science and Engineering disciplines, cultivates partnerships and relationships with faculty, staff and students. Provides general reference while maintaining a service desk area, also provides complex and/or consultative reference and research assistance in assigned subject areas including virtual reference. ...

Library director

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100

State: Oklahoma Grow with Us in Beautiful Green Country! The Tulsa City-County Library Commission seeks a new Chief Executive Officer to build on a solid foundation of excellent library service. Work with the Library Commission to determine the strategic direction and policies for the library; serve as the face of the library in the community; develop and implement plans for new library facilities, services, and programs; advise Tulsa Library Trust Board and Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries; raise funds, develop and maintain donor relations to enrich library services. The challenges are exciting and the opportunities are endless! See http://www.gossagesager.com/TulsaJD.doc for the complete job description. The Tulsa City-County Library System is an independent library district with a permanent tax rate exclusively dedicated to public library services. Governed by an 11-member, appointed Board of Commissioners, the system is a dynamic library system serving the 585,068 residents of Tulsa County in Northeastern Oklahoma. Library staff (269.5 FTEs) utilize a budget of $25.8 million to operate 25 public locations, one service center and an active bookmobile serving an increasingly diverse area. Named a Five-Star Library by Library Journal in 2008, this year the system celebrated a record 5.7 million circulation and increases in foot-traffic. TCCL also benefits from a supportive Tulsa Library Trust and active Friends groups. Tulsa boasts a widely diversified business base. It is one of "America's Most Livable Communities" and recently Relocate America ranked it the "No. 1 Place to Live." Known as a Mecca for arts in Oklahoma, the city enjoys a rich cultural legacy with its ballet, opera, symphony and museums. Art deco masterpieces abound in many downtown buildings. Outstanding higher education facilities and recreational amenities help it earn these accolades and greatly enhance the area's quality of life. ...

Library director

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100

State: New York Rye Free Reading Room – 125 years (and counting) of distinguished service to the community! The Board of Trustees of Rye Free Reading Room (founded in 1884) seeks an energetic, enthusiastic and experienced leader to continue its commitment to quality public library service for the Rye community. The Director will work closely with the 18-member Board of Directors, a 45-member Auxiliary Board, staff and local stakeholders to develop and articulate its vision for library service, design and implement strategic initiatives, and administer the service program, facility and space planning, and fundraising and resource development. See http://www.gossagesager.com/Jobdesc2010.doc for the complete job description. As an association library, the Rye Free Reading Room is funded by the City of Rye and private donations, with the Board actively investigating options for sustainable funding. Rye Free Reading Room has a collection of 90,000 items housed in the main library and a small branch and circulates over 225,000 items annually. With a staff of 17 FTE and a budget of $1.5 million, the library provides exceptional customer service and its programs are consistently among the most heavily attended in Westchester County—attendance last year pushed over 36,000 with best-selling authors and a wide-selection of children’s programs. A recent expansion of the landmark building on Rye’s Village Green and ongoing capital projects, including a renovated technology center, help ensure the facilities are well-positioned for continued growth. Rye, a suburban community in Westchester County, is home to 15,000 residents. Located on Long Island Sound, Rye enjoys a strong sense of community, with close proximity to New York City and regional attractions in the Tri-State area. For additional information on the Library, the City and the area see http://www.gossagesager.com/Ryelinks.htm. ...

Library web developer

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100

State: New Jersey Library Web Developer/Designer Princeton University Library Princeton, New Jersey Requisition #1000633 The Princeton University Library comprises a large central library and nine specialized libraries that are heavily used by an academic community of 6,400 students, 1,100 faculty members, and many visiting scholars. To support the diverse needs of its users, the Library holds some six million printed volumes, ranging from incunabula to current imprints, and provides access to many other records of human knowledge, such as ancient papyri and cylinder seals, modern literary manuscripts, and recently produced electronic databases and journals. The Library employs more than 300 professional and support personnel, complemented by a large student and hourly workforce. Please consult the Library Web site at http://library.princeton.edu/ for more information. Available: Immediately Description and Responsibilities: The Web Developer position will help the Library Web Development Manager on specific projects to deliver more library content and services to our users from our web sites. Specific projects may include designing new sites, or using new web services technologies to improve the user experience in discovering, searching, finding, or acquiring library materials and content. Additionally, the position will assist in implementing the Drupal CMS, customizing the interface for the latest version of the OPAC, and creating mobile ready versions of the library web site and catalog. Customization tasks for the new NextGen Discovery system will be a large component of the work. Projects will also likely include implementation of open source code created in other libraries, using various API's made available by Google, OCLC, or Code4Lib members, as well as various library vendors. This position will also be assigned other digital library projects as the need arises. ...

Technology specialist

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100

State: Ohio OHIONET, a nonprofit multi-type library cooperative, seeks an experienced, yet progressive Technology Specialist to assist in the administration of OPAL (Ohio Private Academic Libraries) consortium's and other OHIONET-supported library servers and applications. As part of our member support team, this individual will also provide technical support to member libraries and will participate in after-hours and weekend support rotation. This individual will conduct training sessions both online and in-person to support the effective use of these systems and will prepare complete and accurate documentation to support these projects. Qualifications: - ALA-accredited MLS or equivalent experience required; - Minimum of two years of experience in library system administration or support required (experience with Innovative Interfaces system administration preferred); - Experience with Linux system administration required; - Knowledge of networks and networking principles required; - Familiarity with at least one programming/scripting language required; - Must have a strong public/customer service background and possess the ability to provide front-line troubleshooting in complex environments; - Must be capable of managing technical projects; - Must possess strong written and verbal communication skills; - Should possess excellent leadership, analytic and problem-solving skills and capability of exercising sound judgment; - Travel to libraries required. Compensation: Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Generous package of benefits includes 20 vacation days, 11 holidays, 12 days sick leave, TIAA-CREF retirement plan, and medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance. Interested applicants should send a letter of application, resume, and three references with addresses and phone numbers. Applications can be sent electronically via email to jennifert@ohionet. ...

Librarian, career resource centers

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100

State: Illinois The Librarian, Career Resource Centers (CRC) responds to thousands of requests for information from students and alumni. This position is responsible for research, development, and delivery of career research materials and instruction for 3,200 students enrolled in the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Chicago Booth) full-time and part-time MBA programs in Chicago, London, and Singapore and more than 40,000 alumni worldwide. The Librarian plays a key role in the transfer of knowledge and ideas by providing students and alumni with access to a wide range of information to facilitate their career advancement efforts including frequent instructional programs on the relevant research tools. This individual manages all aspects of both the Harper and Fisher CRC’s, supervises CRC staff, and works with departmental colleagues to develop complementary and collaborative programming to enhance the overall success of Career Services. The Librarian determines the overall vision and strategy for the CRC’s, including physical space, staff, new resources, and new programs. This person develops and continually monitors best practices. In addition, the Librarian is expected to acquire, maintain, and apply expert knowledge of resources and disseminate that knowledge to relevent constituencies via one-on-one consultations, presentations, and the web (or other forms of media). Lastly, this individual coordinates resources and relationships amongst the Harper CRC, Fisher CRC, Regenstein Library, Computing Services, Faculty, other Booth departments/centers, and Career Services team. PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. As the librarian, determine overall vision and strategy for the CRC’s including physical space, staff, new resources and new programs. Develop and continually monitor best practices. ...

Library web developer/designer

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:20:04 +0100

State: New Jersey Library Web Developer/Designer Princeton University Library Princeton, New Jersey Requisition #1000633 The Princeton University Library comprises a large central library and nine specialized libraries that are heavily used by an academic community of 6,400 students, 1,100 faculty members, and many visiting scholars. To support the diverse needs of its users, the Library holds some six million printed volumes, ranging from incunabula to current imprints, and provides access to many other records of human knowledge, such as ancient papyri and cylinder seals, modern literary manuscripts, and recently produced electronic databases and journals. The Library employs more than 300 professional and support personnel, complemented by a large student and hourly workforce. Please consult the Library Web site at http://library.princeton.edu/ for more information. Available: Immediately Search Committee: (Princeton access only) Description and Responsibilities: The Web Developer position will help the Library Web Development Manager on specific projects to deliver more library content and services to our users from our web sites. Specific projects may include designing new sites, or using new web services technologies to improve the user experience in discovering, searching, finding, or acquiring library materials and content. Additionally, the position will assist in implementing the Drupal CMS, customizing the interface for the latest version of the OPAC, and creating mobile ready versions of the library web site and catalog. Customization tasks for the new NextGen Discovery system will be a large component of the work. Projects will also likely include implementation of open source code created in other libraries, using various API’s made available by Google, OCLC, or Code4Lib members, as well as various library vendors. This position will also be assigned other digital library projects as the need arises. ...

Call for submissions: the ncr fall im days

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:00:00 +0100

The ARMA NCR Fall conference creates an opportunity for all of the private and public IM functional community to gather, share and learn from each other. This conference will provide the NCR with a chance to discuss “Information Culture.”Information Culture deals with methods, approaches, techniques and contemporary technologies that can be used to influence the way people work. Information Culture: Managing for Today, Preparing for tomorrow will be the place to meet and discuss new ways of ensuring that IM not only remains relevant to clients but that it is also a strong, vibrant domain within the work culture.Submission deadline: Friday September 3rd, 2010. For information on the submission process visit: Call for Submissions: The NCR Fall IM Days For more information, please visit www.imdays.ca*Please note the PDF indicates an incorrect submission deadline at the bottom; the correct deadline is the one stated at the beginning - September 3rd* (Source: Special Info)