Archive for February, 2007
PLA Wiki
February 28th, 2007Kalthleen Hughes announced on the PLA Blog that they are building a wiki and that Andrea Merado will be running at the Spring Symposium!
Yay! Go PLA Blog.
Michael Golrick on Google Reader
February 28th, 2007Michael Golrick took a run at Google Reader:
"Here is where my problem is, and it seems to be the way that Google, and many other web services work, that it assumes that I always want to see the newest item first. Well, maybe I am too concrete-sequential, or anal-retentive, or obsessive-compulsive, but, here is a [...]
Grease
February 28th, 2007Great post from Happyville library. I almost snorted my coffee:
Patron: Do you have Grease?
Me (cocking an eyebrow): The movie? The CD?
Patron (smiling playfully): No, some lubricant. Crisco? Wesson oil?
No Cell Phones….
February 28th, 2007This column caught my eye this AM
"The Salem Public Library needs a new sign.
The shush sign need only be about 2 feet wide with oversized type in a half-dozen commonly spoken languages. It should have pictographs, just in case some patrons can’t read.
The city needn’t get hung up on specific wording. Just something along the [...]
Directory of New Zealand Libraries
February 27th, 2007Via Scoop, I learned about a new directory of New Zealand libraries. Lots of mashup goodies, including data from Google Maps. Also, RSS loveliness.
COPPA Protects Children But Challenges Lie Ahead
February 27th, 2007This is pretty important. The FTC has just issued a report entitled , "Implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act: A Federal Trade Commission Report to Congress". From the press release:
"The report also states that “there is concern that younger children are migrating to more general audience websites, such as social networking sites, that are [...]
Newsday Takes on “Scrotum” Debate
February 27th, 2007I was wondering how LI libraries were dealing with "The Word". Newsday has some thoughts from LI librarians:
"On Long Island, librarians at public libraries have stocked "Lucky," according to youth services directors for the Nassau and Suffolk library systems. But school libraries are another story. Some local school librarians may not be ordering it, and [...]
Sharing is Good
February 27th, 2007Jill Stover brings up a good point regarding the sharing feature on Google Reader:
"I’m glad to do this because I often read so much that I want to discuss with all of you but I can’t always find the time. This way, at least you know I’m thinking about it!"
The Reader makes it so easy [...]
Open Congress
February 26th, 2007Oh, this is so very cool.
"OpenCongress brings together, for the first time in one place, all the best data on what’s really happening in Congress:
Official Congressional information from Thomas, made available by GovTrack.us: bills, votes, committee reports, and more.
News articles about bills and Members of Congress from Google News.
Blog posts about bills and Members of [...]
Life-Long Computer Skills
February 26th, 2007Great piece by Jakob Nielsen:
"Today’s search engine market leader might be gone in 20 years, and the search page layouts that currently dominate all search engines will almost certainly change. So, we shouldn’t teach the kids Google hacks.
That said, the general search concept will only become more important in the future, as we get [...]
Libraries are Key to Building Local Economic Base
February 25th, 2007I wonder how I missed this. I’ll have to do a big ‘ol file–>print on this study by the Urban Libraries Council. From the press release.
"Making Cities Stronger: Public Library Contributions to Local Economic Development shows the specific ways local governments, agencies, and libraries are working together to achieve benefits for individuals, agencies and the [...]
Big Brother…
February 25th, 2007From the article
"We, the employees of the Tompkins County Public Library, wish to write an open letter to the Library Board and the County Legislature concerning the recent actions by the Library Director to secretly install a spy camera in our building. We feel that trust, respect and privacy is important at our workplace. We [...]
Sharing Your Items? Tell Us
February 25th, 2007Hey, if you are using Google Reader and are using their shared items feature, leave the URL in the comments…
Wireless Internet Access
February 25th, 2007Just released from Pew
"Some 34% of internet users have logged onto the internet using a wireless connection either around the house, at their workplace, or some place else."
Read the full report (PDF)
My Shared Items
February 25th, 2007Since Google Reader is making my RSS reading so very easy these days (I really love this thing), I’ve been able to keep up with my shared items as well. It’s so easy to add a post to it, just hit "Shift-S" while I’m reading from the aggregator. Suweeeeeet!.
If you’re a Google Reader addict and [...]
Library Ninja
February 24th, 2007Steven Reed, a Library Media Specialist from Wilmington High School, sent in this video that his students made. Cute.
Poledancing Parties…@ Your Library?
February 24th, 2007Now this just made my day:
"Now the pole — think ballet barre turned vertical — is the new star at racier versions of Tupperware parties in well-heeled (if high-heeled) areas like this one in the northwest hills of Morris County, about 33 miles from Manhattan. Billed as “femme empowerment,” such at-home pole dancing lessons are [...]
Bloglines Image Wall Redux
February 23rd, 2007Somehow I missed the news of Bloglines Image Wall. Well, apparently, they got a few complaints. So, they fixed it:
"[W]e now realize we didn’t take into proper consideration how the Image Wall might impact educators, librarians and other people who have a responsibility for limiting access to adult material. Many of these good folks are [...]
Picnik
February 23rd, 2007Photojojo has a post on Picnik, a new online photoeditor tool. I tried it today. Whoa!!
More RSS Reader Comparisons
February 23rd, 2007These types of posts seem to be popular these days. Pandia has the latest one: (via)
"Like many news junkies I read a lot of blog posts every day. But I only occasionally visit a blog’s web site. Most of the time I read the most recent posts in their RSS stream. I catch up on [...]
Webjunction Launches New Site
February 23rd, 2007Congrats to Chrystie, et al.
Looking good Mr. Kotter.
ResearchBuzz Turns 400….Kinda
February 23rd, 2007Happy 400th Issue Tara!!!
Americans and Social Trust
February 23rd, 2007A new study from Pew that I can’t wait to wrap my brain around. Thanks Sabrina.
"Social trust is a belief in the honesty, integrity and reliability of others - a "faith in people." It’s a simple enough concept to describe. But it’s never been easy to figure out who trusts, or why. A new Pew [...]
La La La La, La La La La, Librarian’s World
February 23rd, 200710 points for first to guess the reference above,
Librariansworld.com was sent to me by Amol, who tells me that it is a popular site in India, Pakistan, and the Far East. It’s the only site that I know of (please let me know if I’m wrong) that offers a social networking tool for [...]
Hallie Elizabeth 4 1/4
February 22nd, 2007
img080.jpg
Originally uploaded by stevenmcohen.
You’ve seen Ari. Here’s an updated picture of Hallie in her PJs. I caught her in the middle of a “fashion pose”. This, my friends, is why I work. For my family.
Library Ergonomics Pictures
February 22nd, 2007Here’s an interesting Flickr account. Pictures of furniture and other goodies that help define "Library Ergonomics" I think that it’s from the King County Library System, but I could be wrong.
Anyone? Bueller?
Engineering Village Does Tagging
February 22nd, 2007Paul R. Pival on the cool new tagging feature at Engineering Village, screenshots and all. More from the press release.
III Backlash and TMZ.com
February 22nd, 2007This has been kind of fun to read, kind of like a train wreck. You just have to keep reading. I feel like I’m reading TMZ.com! Yay!
I used to work for a library system which had Innovate as their cataloguing system. And, I used to "bash" them a bit on my blog and in presentations [...]
Social Exclusion Framework for Service
February 22nd, 2007I love Kathleen de la Pena McCook. I always have, since reading her brilliant book called A Librarian at Every Table.
Today, I’ll try to wrap my brain around this post. Whoa.
Update: I just read about this book on her other blog. See? Great stuff. Dear local library, please order it.
"From the Atlantic to [...]
The State of the Web-based RSS Reader Market - Feedburner, Pheedo Release Stats
February 22nd, 2007Read/WriteWeb has a great post on some new stats on RSS Readers. Notice how quickly the Google Reader jumped into the frey and is leading, according to one study. I guess it’s all WWFY (as Walt Crawford would say), but it’s still important to read these stats, if you are at all interested in how [...]