[LISNews] The LISNews For February 24th 2010
The LISNews Librarian News By Email
lisnews at lishost.net
Wed Feb 24 11:15:35 CST 2010
It's Wednesday and time to highlight the most popular LISNews user blog posts from the past week.
Everyone gets a blog @LISNews.org!
-[1] - Five signs you're part of an internet fad
http://lisnews.org/node/35979/
-[2] - Library User Privacy in the Age of Social Networking Fanaticism
http://lisnews.org/node/35978/
-[3] - Kindle Arrives Free on BlackBerry
http://lisnews.org/node/35999/
-[4] - The Internet in 2020-What the Experts Predict
http://lisnews.org/node/36017/
-[5] - Fifth Grade Girl Donates Books to Library
http://lisnews.org/node/36000/
And here's the latest from LISNews:
--Thousands of authors opt out of Google book settlement
- http://lisnews.org/node/36053/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Wednesday February 24th at 11:43 AM
-Read 47 times - 0 Comments
Thousands of authors opt out of Google book settlement Some 6,500 writers, from Thomas Pynchon to Jeffrey Archer, have
opted out of Google's controversial plan to digitise millions of books
--University Park council members want Bush library parking changes
- http://lisnews.org/node/36052/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Wednesday February 24th at 11:41 AM
-Read 32 times - 0 Comments
University Park council members want Bush library parking changes With a little more than a week until they are scheduled
to vote, city officials made it clear Monday that they do not intend to rubber-stamp SMU's proposal to rezone land for the
George W. Bush Presidential Library.
--Dynamiting Safe Harbors
- http://lisnews.org/node/36051/
-Front Page Story by StephenK Posted Wednesday February 24th at 9:04 AM
-Read 107 times - 0 Comments
One of the Deputy General Counsels at Google posted about the case of three of their employees being found criminally
liable by an Italian court for what a third party posted to Google-owned YouTube. British tech publication The Register
posted more in the matter. Who is liable for what goes online? Google fears that this would kill the participatory web as
it would put platform providers in the unwanted role of censor. The implications for public access computing at libraries
is not touched upon yet but the realm of imagination leads to scary destinations.
--Social Workers @ Your Library
- http://lisnews.org/node/36050/
-Front Page Story by birdie Posted Wednesday February 24th at 8:51 AM
-Read 137 times - 0 Comments
Important story from the Associated Press about the San Francisco Public Library hiring a social worker to help homeless
library patrons. Every day, when the main library opens, John Banks is waiting to get inside. He finds a spot and stays
until closing time. Then his wheelchair takes him back to the bus terminal where he spends his nights. Like many homeless
public library patrons, all Banks wants is a clean, safe place to sit in peace. He does not want to talk to anyone. He does
not want anyone to talk to him. The day he decides he wants help, he knows what to do: ask for the library's social worker.
The main branch of the San Francisco Public Library, where hundreds of homeless people spend every day, is the first in the
country to keep a full-time social worker on hand, according to the American Library Association. Cities across the country
are trying different approaches to deal with patrons who use bathroom sinks as showers or toilet stalls as drug dens. In
Philadelphia and San Francisco, libraries have hired homeless patrons to work as bathroom attendants who guide others to
drop-in centers or churches where they can bathe.
--Colleges test Amazon's Kindle e-book reader as study tool
- http://lisnews.org/node/36049/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Wednesday February 24th at 7:20 AM
-Read 193 times - 0 Comments
Colleges test Amazon's Kindle e-book reader as study tool Now, as several major universities finish analyzing data from
pilot programs involving the latest version of the Amazon Kindle, officials are learning more about what students want out
of their e-reader tablets. Generally, the colleges found that students missed some of the old-fashioned note-taking tools
they enjoyed before. But they also noted that the shift had some key environmental benefits. Further, a minority of students
embraced the Kindle fairly quickly as highly desirable for curricular use.
--Save the county, close the libraries
- http://lisnews.org/node/36048/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Wednesday February 24th at 7:17 AM
-Read 243 times - 2 Comments
Save the county, close the libraries If Mendocino County is strapped for money, and I believe it is, the most logical thing
it could do is close down all the libraries. Lock the doors, shut off the lights, sell the books. Rent out the buildings to
Domino Pizza outlets and Verizon franchises. Turn the bookmobile into a taco truck. Libraries are the blacksmith shops of
the 21st century, obsolete relics of another era.
--Beyond "Harry Potter": 5 interesting tales of plagiarism
- http://lisnews.org/node/36047/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Wednesday February 24th at 7:15 AM
-Read 176 times - 0 Comments
Beyond "Harry Potter": 5 interesting tales of plagiarism Rowling is hardly the first well-known writer to face plagiarism
charges. The results of such charges tend to vary widely. Some end up dismissed as without merit, others ruin careers, and
yet others seem simply to disappear.
--Tuesday Night Deep Thought: Information Future?
- http://lisnews.org/node/36046/
-Blog Entry by AndyW Posted Wednesday February 24th at 1:55 AM
-Read 96 times - 1 Comments
Today I found myself pondering the following question: “Where will information content be in five years? Ten years?” And
after a long bout of deliberation this evening, I couldn’t really come up with an answer. I think that’s part of our
professional problem, really. I can’t think of one person who has more than the most speculative of an educated guess. I’m
sure there are some who might read this and take umbrage at this statement, thinking that they are or know someone who could
provide an answer. But my guess is that if we were to take the answers, seal them in an envelope, place them in a time
capsule, and open them in five or ten years, they would be mostly (if not completely) wrong. (There could be a wager in
this, I reckon.) In thinking about the future, I did a survey of the past. I took a look at some of the sites I use now
(and some related ones) to acquire a proverbial snapshot at what existed, what just started, and what was yet to be five
years ago. Here are the results: Established five or more years ago: Amazon, Blogger, Livejournal, Delicious,
StumbleUpon, Google Picasa, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, Wordpress, LISNews, TinyURL. Infancy/just started five years ago:
Gmail, Facebook, Bebo, Flickr, Yelp, Netvibes, Ning, Reddit, Library Thing, Digg, Kayak, Vimeo, Newsvine, Renren (formerly
Xiaonei; it’s the world’s largest social network based in China). Didn’t exist five years ago: Google Calendar, Reader,
& Maps; YouTube, Twitter, Friendfeed, Tumblr, Diigo, Foursquare, Jaiku, Plurk, Good Reads, Brightkite, Scribd, Hulu,
Fancast. This doesn’t mention the leaps in technologies like mobile phones (iPhone, 2008) or e-readers (Kindle, 2007)
within this time period, nevermind the announcements of the last few months (the iPad and the Nook). Nor does it include the
general decline in printed newspaper and periodical readership that has trended during this time period. And, to toss
something else into the mix, it doesn’t account for the change in design of library spaces that make them more community
oriented (this would be more of something of the last ten to fifteen years, give or take). There is simply a lot of things
going on; too much, I believe, for anyone to grasp in terms of the big picture. And I think it’s time that the librarian
community admits that we really don’t know where exactly information content is going to end up in that time. Sure, we can’t
say where it will be in the short short scale of maybe a year, perhaps two, but beyond that is lost to us. Am I wrong?
AndyW
--F.C.C. Takes a Close Look at the Unwired
- http://lisnews.org/node/36045/
-Front Page Story by Bibliofuture Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 6:45 PM
-Read 324 times - 5 Comments
A new study shows that nearly one-third of Americans do not have high-speed access to the Internet, and cost is one of the
biggest obstacles. Full article in the NYT
--In Defense of the (Graphic) Novel
- http://lisnews.org/node/36044/
-Blog Entry by Anonymous Patron Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 5:18 PM
-Read 188 times - 1 Comments
In Defense of The (Graphic) Novel Many conversations I've had have spurred the idea for this discourse in my mind, but as
I think on the topic now, two really stick out. The first was between my boyfriend and me. Me: "I'm reading this Graphic
Novel for my GLBTQ YA Lit class and - " Boyfriend: "Wait... Graphic Novel? You mean comic?" Me: "No, I mean Graphic Novel."
Boyfriend: "Comic." Me: "Graphic Novel." Boyfriend: "Comic! Comics - books with frames and pictures and not many words!
Comics!" Me: "..." And the second, between a young patron in the public library where I worked at the time and me. Young
patron: "Where can I find the Bone books please?" Me: "Sure, they're over in the Graphic Novels section in the Teen Area."
Young patron: "Oh, they're not that graphic..." What went wrong in these interactions? Where is the disconnect between the
item we're describing when we say "Graphic Novel" and the term we chose, and what's the difference between this and the
"comics" we grew up with? Perhaps the issue truly lies with the terminology rather then the concept. In my mind, the term
Graphic Novel allows for the fact that, yes, these titles are not the traditional "book." The tell their story through both
pictures and words, and often rely more on the visual aspects then the text. But to me they're more then that. Many classic
titles have been re-imagined into the Graphic Novel format, and this makes them more readily accessible to readers that may
not have ever been exposed to these books before. From the mindset of a book lover and someone who'd love to impart that
love on all the patrons I meet, I'm thrilled by the response Graphic Novels have received and their wide readership. The
public library where I used to work held copies of everything from Shakespeare to recounts of Civil War battles in "Graphic
Novel" format, and the circulation of these items was fantastic. According to Robin Brenner, writing for The Horn Book
Magazine, the difference between a comic and a graphic novel is "most simply, length. A comic and a graphic novel are told
via the same format, officially called sequential art: the combination of text, panels, and images. Comic strips, comic
books, and graphic novels are in this sense all the same thing, but comic books stretch a story out to about thirty pages,
whereas graphic novels can be as long as six hundred pages." Brenner goes on to detail some common misconceptions about
Graphic Novels and the one I'd like to highlight relates to the second conversation which began this discourse. Brenner
notes that many people may believe that "Graphic Novels" are termed as such because of their focus on violence or explicit
sex. Brenner counters that "Like many previous formats, graphic novels are painted with the extremes of what’s available.
There are comics with R- or X-rated content, but they are not the bulk of what’s available, nor are those titles intended
for younger audiences." This apparently common misconception of the meaning we indented for the concept of a "Graphic Novel"
indicates to me that the term "graphic" was a really bad choice. It seems to me, while the terms we've chosen for these
concepts make perfect sense to the librarians, they do not always make sense to the patron. And, since we're here to serve
the patron - who cares what the librarian thinks? We should do a better job of explaining terms we use to describe the
materials we offer, and try to break down the misconceptions we've created by using the terms we have used, thereby making
one more step towards giving the patron the best experience in the library that we can. Referenced:
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/articles/2006/mar06_brenner.asp
--LJ: Allison Sloan Paralibrarian the Year
- http://lisnews.org/node/36042/
-Front Page Story by birdie Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 3:50 PM
-Read 197 times - 0 Comments
>From Library Journal: They call them “paralibrarians” in Massachusetts now. The main reason for that is Allison Sloan, the
2010 winner of LJ's Paraprofessional of the Year Award, sponsored by DEMCO, Inc. Her outstanding service and her
championship of the term paralibrarian illustrates her passionately held and most fundamental belief: “This is not just a
nice job, this is a career.” Each year at the MLA conference, Sloan is instrumental in developing new and exciting programs
to bring librarians and paralibrarians together in a partnership to grow library services, open communication, and
demonstrate the strength of teamwork. The 2005 program, “Extreme Customer Service: Springfield College Builds a New Desk,”
recounted an innovative project to combine the reference and circulation desks—and cross-train paralibrarians to answer
reference questions and librarians to provide circulation tasks. Sloan's enthusiasm connected a dedicated group of library
staffers who rejuvenated the MLA Paralibrarian Section.
--Library 2.0 on ning going away
- http://lisnews.org/node/36041/
-Blog Entry by Bill Drew Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 11:23 AM
-Read 282 times - 0 Comments
Effective Thursday evening, Feb. 25, 2010, I will be closing down Library 2.0 on Ning, http://library20.ning.com . The
network has not seen much traffic the last few months and most people requesting to join are posting profiles full of link
spam. The return is no longer worth the work. I am not transferring it to anyone else. I want to freeze and archive the
contents in some way. Thursday I will be suspending all members of the network. The content will remain but no one will be
able to post to it. I am not passing it along to someone else because my name is attached to it and I do not want it to
turn into something I would not want to be associated with. If members of the network feel a need for it, they can start
another one on Ning. Library 2.0 on Ning has been a big success but it is now time to move on. Networks that require you
to go to them to use them are a thing of the past. I have no regrets about what started as a place for me to experiment
with Ning and Web 2.0. It grew far beyond my wildest hopes. At one point it got over 50 posts a day but is now getting
less than 4 posts a month. I have learned much from it and made many new friends. See you in Cyberspace on Twitter,
Facebook, and other places. ----------------------------------------- Wilfred (Bill) Drew, M.S., B.S., A.S. Assistant
Professor Librarian, Systems and Tech Services/Electronic Resources/Serials Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3)
Library: http://www.tc3.edu/library/ Dryden, N.Y. 13053-0139 Follow the library: http://twitter.com/TC3Library E-mail:
dreww at tc3.edu Phone: 607-844-8222 ext.4406 Twitter:BillDrew4 Online Identity: http://claimID.com/billdrew Strengths:
Ideation, Input, Learner, Command, Analytical http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill_Drew/
--Wal-Mart Adds Its Clout to Movie Streaming
- http://lisnews.org/node/36040/
-Blog Entry by Bibliofuture Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 10:47 AM
-Read 91 times - 0 Comments
Wal-Mart’s purchase of the startup Vudu represents a major move into selling movies over the Internet. Full article in the
New York Times
--How Googles Algorithm Rules the Web
- http://lisnews.org/node/36039/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 9:37 AM
-Read 312 times - 0 Comments
How Google’s Algorithm Rules the Web It possesses the seemingly magical ability to interpret searchers’ requests — no
matter how awkward or misspelled. Google refers to that ability as search quality, and for years the company has closely
guarded the process by which it delivers such accurate results.
--In 2009 I read $1,239.27 worth of books from the library.
- http://lisnews.org/node/36038/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 9:20 AM
-Read 444 times - 1 Comments
How much money the library saved me in 2009 The truth is, I’d use the library even if it didn’t save me a bundle of money
each year, if it hadn’t given me wonderful gifts like friends and an online community. I love libraries. I think they are a
truly invaluable part of our community. So if you haven’t visited yours in awhile maybe you could give it another try?
--The Non-Sedentary Librarian
- http://lisnews.org/node/36037/
-Front Page Story by birdie Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 8:22 AM
-Read 439 times - 3 Comments
Nice profile of University of San Francisco librarian Vicki Rosen, who wears her workout gear under her work clothes, just
like Superman. Three times a week, Rosen, 60, goes directly to Fitness for Women Over 45. Her mantra? "Showing up is half
the battle." More from the SF Gate.
--IDE Bookmarks New life for old cables
- http://lisnews.org/node/36036/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 7:41 AM
-Read 226 times - 0 Comments
If you're like me (and you know you want to be), you only use In My Book® Bookmark/Cards for all your bookmarking needs.
Maybe, just maybe, there are other things that we could use, like old computer parts... IDE Bookmarks! New life for old
cables! . All over our great nation, thousands of discarded cables sit idle and unloved in garages, junk drawers, shoe
boxes, and safe deposit boxes, wondering if they'll ever see the light of day and the thrill of usefulness again. This is
their story, and this is the beginning of their new chapter of life. They'll rise again, not to stream music or to archive
XKCD, but to mark our places in beloved works of literature, Firefly fanfic, or possibly programming command references.
--Nazi spoons, robots vie for oddest title
- http://lisnews.org/node/36035/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 7:00 AM
-Read 228 times - 0 Comments
Nazi spoons, robots vie for oddest title Books about Nazi spoons, ethical considerations for lethal robots and how-to
crochet geometric models are in the running for this year's Diagram Prize, the quirky annual literary honour celebrating odd
book titles. U.K. trade magazine The Bookseller has announced a shortlist of six peculiar titles from the past year.
--School librarian, man charged with running pot farm
- http://lisnews.org/node/36034/
-Front Page Story by Blake Posted Tuesday February 23rd at 6:59 AM
-Read 252 times - 0 Comments
School librarian, man charged with running pot farm A Chicago public school librarian and another person were charged with
running a marijuana growing operation out of a home they owned in the South Deering neighborhood, officials said today.
-------------------------
If you need to take yourself off the LISNews email you can hit this page:
http://lishost.net/mailman/listinfo/lisnews
Or, just send an email to lisnews-request at lishost.net and make the subject unsubscribe.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LISNews is powered by LISHost.org, the librarian web services company
http://lishost.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------
More information about the Lisnews
mailing list