With a tip to my non-librarian friend Woody, I got this in a note:
Library Support Through License Plates
So here is a link with a shout out to my friends at Louisville Public, Craig Buthod and Greg Schwartz. Craig and I go back to a Public Library Association committee on tax forms and the IRS and Greg and I share an alma mater (undergrad), and have communicated online in the days of his live conversations/podcasts [Uncontrolled Vocabularyh] on library topics.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Spring has sprung
At least in Southern Louisiana, spring is here.
Temperatures are now getting close to 70 every day. We "Northerners" have turned off the heat -- a sure sign of spring.
I have also noticed on my drive to and from work, that the trees are beginning to "leaf out." There are some trees with "redbuds" on them, and this morning, in particular, I noticed many trees with green leaves starting to show.
We have not had to go through the idiotic practice of changing clocks (I'll suppress that rant for now), but in this part of the world, it is spring and I am glad!
Temperatures are now getting close to 70 every day. We "Northerners" have turned off the heat -- a sure sign of spring.
I have also noticed on my drive to and from work, that the trees are beginning to "leaf out." There are some trees with "redbuds" on them, and this morning, in particular, I noticed many trees with green leaves starting to show.
We have not had to go through the idiotic practice of changing clocks (I'll suppress that rant for now), but in this part of the world, it is spring and I am glad!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Links - Mid February
Here is the scariest news story I have seen lately: FBI wants records kept of Web sites visited
Almost as scary is this one about copyright of photographs in Britain. It is a long article, and I admit to not having either completely read it, or to understanding all the implications.
A friend of mine in Boston sent this link to an article praising librarians as "pioneers" in the digital age. (It even mentions HenrietteHarriet Avram!) [Thanks to Sue Kamm for the first name correction! 2/26]
I found this brief article on assessment in academic libraries interesting.
This post from a doctoral student in language and literacy at the University of Georgia talks about the current rage for testing in schools and for tying the results of testing to teacher performance judgments. His/her name does not appear on the blog (even though there is a list of publications).
And now a series of "clipped" notes from my blog reader....
Michael Stephens noted in ALA TechSource that he has found a new "tribe" at Educause. I think it is important to have several different circles of friends. Talking only to the same people all the time creates the opportunity for groupthink, which will not lead to real progress.
The indomintable Dorothea Salvo has written a long-ish post about "pre-prints" and open access. (When I need to learn more about open access, it is to Dorothy to whom I turn.)
Current ALA Executive Board (EB) member Courtney Young posted some EB documents about the potential new ways of communicating within ALA.
Chad Haefele (Hidden Peanuts) has an interesting post about e-books, digital rights managment, and electronic publishing.
Sarah Houghton-Jan has a great post on using technology in your library to save money on technology.
A few years ago, I picked up on a blog dealing with technology and innovation for associations Principled Innovation. There is a great post on their blog with five important thoughts/trends for 2010.
There is a new blog in the library world, Quid est veritas? [I know who the author is, but have temporarily forgotten. However, it is in my blog reader now.] There is a great post on "Inputs and Outputs." The concepts of inputs and outputs, which is what we have traditionally measured, is very important as many organizations (like the Institute of Museum of Library Services [IMLS]) start to request outcomes as the measurement for grant services.
Amanda McNeil is a library school student in Boston. She writes a blog called Opinions of a Wolf which is a mix of thoughts on library school and the profession and book reviews. She wrote an interesting post "What public libraries should be."
Kim Leeder, of In the Library with a Lead Pipe, posted a year starting discussion of Learning Commons activities and rumination about the role of the library (in general). It is long but worth reading.
My final set of links is from Stephen Abram. With his recent change in employment, his blog Stephen's Lighthouse has moved. However there are seven posts to which I wish to point:
Almost as scary is this one about copyright of photographs in Britain. It is a long article, and I admit to not having either completely read it, or to understanding all the implications.
A friend of mine in Boston sent this link to an article praising librarians as "pioneers" in the digital age. (It even mentions Henriette
I found this brief article on assessment in academic libraries interesting.
This post from a doctoral student in language and literacy at the University of Georgia talks about the current rage for testing in schools and for tying the results of testing to teacher performance judgments. His/her name does not appear on the blog (even though there is a list of publications).
And now a series of "clipped" notes from my blog reader....
Michael Stephens noted in ALA TechSource that he has found a new "tribe" at Educause. I think it is important to have several different circles of friends. Talking only to the same people all the time creates the opportunity for groupthink, which will not lead to real progress.
The indomintable Dorothea Salvo has written a long-ish post about "pre-prints" and open access. (When I need to learn more about open access, it is to Dorothy to whom I turn.)
Current ALA Executive Board (EB) member Courtney Young posted some EB documents about the potential new ways of communicating within ALA.
Chad Haefele (Hidden Peanuts) has an interesting post about e-books, digital rights managment, and electronic publishing.
Sarah Houghton-Jan has a great post on using technology in your library to save money on technology.
A few years ago, I picked up on a blog dealing with technology and innovation for associations Principled Innovation. There is a great post on their blog with five important thoughts/trends for 2010.
There is a new blog in the library world, Quid est veritas? [I know who the author is, but have temporarily forgotten. However, it is in my blog reader now.] There is a great post on "Inputs and Outputs." The concepts of inputs and outputs, which is what we have traditionally measured, is very important as many organizations (like the Institute of Museum of Library Services [IMLS]) start to request outcomes as the measurement for grant services.
Amanda McNeil is a library school student in Boston. She writes a blog called Opinions of a Wolf which is a mix of thoughts on library school and the profession and book reviews. She wrote an interesting post "What public libraries should be."
Kim Leeder, of In the Library with a Lead Pipe, posted a year starting discussion of Learning Commons activities and rumination about the role of the library (in general). It is long but worth reading.
My final set of links is from Stephen Abram. With his recent change in employment, his blog Stephen's Lighthouse has moved. However there are seven posts to which I wish to point:
- Social Media for Employees -- Rules? which indirectly follows up on some posts of mine. It consolidates some additional suggestions.
- How many ways are there to visualize data? Visualization of data is something that Stephen pays attention to. I often get some great ideas thanks to his consolidation and re-posting.
- Web searching skills recommendation is a longer article with comments from Stephen.
- Florida Libraries Rock talks about the update to the Florida State Library's update of its ROI (Return on Investment) study. The new study shows that investment in libraries (i.e. tax support) returns $8.32 for every dollar invested.
- 10 Fool-Proof Predictions for the Internet in 2020 reminds us some of the obvious trends.
- Social Technology and Libraries includes a great chart showing the technologies, Sescription, stage of development, and impact.
- 8 Things You Need to Know about Collaboration recaps a post on collaboration.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tax Form Season
From a post on PUBLIB, I picked up this blog posting in Closed Stacks (a group blog and this post in unsigned).
First of all, the title is great! Tax Season: Who Needs It?
The leading paragraph drives home a critical and growing issue: government agencies unilaterally deciding to end provision of paper forms without considering the impact on either the end user or the library.
We have a huge collection of tax forms. We are seeing large numbers of people also come in for state tax forms. State forms are being made available in paper, almost exclusively, through public libraries.
In Louisiana only 42.9% of households have Internet access, compared to 50.8% at the national level. Where do various government and business entities think that the unconnected are going to get the forms, or submit the data asked for (e.g. job applications)? They are going to come to the public library.
First of all, the title is great! Tax Season: Who Needs It?
The leading paragraph drives home a critical and growing issue: government agencies unilaterally deciding to end provision of paper forms without considering the impact on either the end user or the library.
In an increasingly paperless world, it seems as though people have decided tax forms, along with birth certificates, death certificates, and wills, are better off in paper form. Unfortunately, the government does not share the same sentiment. For the past few years, they have cut the amount of forms and information they send to libraries, and tell us, “It’s all on our website!”.The library I currently work in serves all state agency employees, supports the state's public libraries, as well as any one who calls, contacts us, or walks in.
We have a huge collection of tax forms. We are seeing large numbers of people also come in for state tax forms. State forms are being made available in paper, almost exclusively, through public libraries.
In Louisiana only 42.9% of households have Internet access, compared to 50.8% at the national level. Where do various government and business entities think that the unconnected are going to get the forms, or submit the data asked for (e.g. job applications)? They are going to come to the public library.
January links - part 2
LibLime purchase what does it mean? Go to Hellman has an interesting take.
EBSCO exclusive contract comments the great Open Access advocate Dorothea Salvo has a great set of thoughts about the implications of the EBSCO contract
Getting older? An interesting post
A great post on Twitter and ALA is Everything I Needed to Know about Twitter I Learned at Midwinter on the YALSA blog
Heidi Blanton has an interesting post on managing conference information.
The Learning Commons is one of the hot topics in academia. I have a close personal friend who "coordinates" the Learning Commons for a Louisiana private university, so I hear a lot about it. Kim Leeder has an early January post on In the Library with the Lead Pipe (a great blog title, I think) with a very broad vision of what LC is all about. Read it here.
The New York Times is back-sliding! In the beginning of the web, their web site was free. Then they went to a pay site. Folks stopped reading it, and did not pay, so they went free. Now, they are going back to pay or at least "partial pay." Ars Technica has a good overview.
Facebook's privacy changes caught attention. Here is some of what I picked up:
Violating contract with users
Facebook developer says privacy is over
And then a comment about why the new policy is wrong
What the Internet and filters can do. A respected Canadian magazine has to change its name. Here is the story.
Will Manley is blogging at a new location. Here is his new blog. Even though we worked in Arizona at the same time, I never met him until he spoke at the Connecticut Library Association back in the late 80s or early 90s.
One of my nieces is working at the Olympics as part of an internship. She is blogging, and it should be interesting to read her experiences.
Agnostic, Maybe [Andy, in New Jersey]has a couple of interesting posts, the first is on the future of libraries, and the second is a reaction to another author's post called "Nothing is the future."
EBSCO exclusive contract comments the great Open Access advocate Dorothea Salvo has a great set of thoughts about the implications of the EBSCO contract
Getting older? An interesting post
A great post on Twitter and ALA is Everything I Needed to Know about Twitter I Learned at Midwinter on the YALSA blog
Heidi Blanton has an interesting post on managing conference information.
The Learning Commons is one of the hot topics in academia. I have a close personal friend who "coordinates" the Learning Commons for a Louisiana private university, so I hear a lot about it. Kim Leeder has an early January post on In the Library with the Lead Pipe (a great blog title, I think) with a very broad vision of what LC is all about. Read it here.
The New York Times is back-sliding! In the beginning of the web, their web site was free. Then they went to a pay site. Folks stopped reading it, and did not pay, so they went free. Now, they are going back to pay or at least "partial pay." Ars Technica has a good overview.
Facebook's privacy changes caught attention. Here is some of what I picked up:
Violating contract with users
Facebook developer says privacy is over
And then a comment about why the new policy is wrong
What the Internet and filters can do. A respected Canadian magazine has to change its name. Here is the story.
Will Manley is blogging at a new location. Here is his new blog. Even though we worked in Arizona at the same time, I never met him until he spoke at the Connecticut Library Association back in the late 80s or early 90s.
One of my nieces is working at the Olympics as part of an internship. She is blogging, and it should be interesting to read her experiences.
Agnostic, Maybe [Andy, in New Jersey]has a couple of interesting posts, the first is on the future of libraries, and the second is a reaction to another author's post called "Nothing is the future."
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