Category Archives: Libraries

ALA In Focus

Posted on 4 June 2007 by Rick Mason

The first segment of “ALA In Focus”, an online video detailing the inner workings of various areas of the American Library Association, features Gwendolyn Prellwitz, Program Officer for the ALA Office of Diversity & Spectrum. The video is fantastic to … Continue reading →

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Google’s Algorithms and the Library Quest

Posted on 3 June 2007 by Rick Mason

Jonathan Rochkind has an interesting commentary on this New York Times article about Google’s Algorithm titled Google Keeps Tweaking Its Search Engine. I really don’t have much to add, except for the thought that we are too mired in the … Continue reading →

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Border Patrol, Library Style

Posted on 31 May 2007 by Rick Mason

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House has a somewhat unique situation:  it straddles the U.S.-Canadian border. Now, according to this article in the Washington Times, the U.S. Border Patrol is cracking down on those who cross the border to … Continue reading →

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Advice to a slightly less experienced geek librarian

Posted on 25 May 2007 by Rick Mason

Advice to a slightly less experienced geek librarian is written by Daniel Chudnov at One Big Library, and is an excellent essay with good advice for anyone exploring new ways to do things in libraries.  I can vouch for a … Continue reading →

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Libraries and Zombies

Posted on 21 May 2007 by Rick Mason

The folks at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana bring you this public service announcement: Video Contest Submission-Allen County Public Libraryfrom blyberg.net

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LibraryThing for Libraries

Posted on 14 May 2007 by Rick Mason

LibraryThing for Libraries has launched!  Without needing to alter your existing ILS software beyond a few lines of javascript in your OPAC’s page footer, you can add the following functionality to your book catalog: Links to other editions and translations. Links to “similar books”. … Continue reading →

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Bibliographic news

Posted on 7 May 2007 by Rick Mason

A couple things of note are happening in the realm of bibliographic information: The Library of Congress will be holding their second regional meeting of the Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control on Wednesday, May 9th.  This one … Continue reading →

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Lighthouse Library

Posted on 7 May 2007 by Rick Mason

Last summer I visited Daytona Beach in Florida. One of the many interesting places I visited was the Ponce de Leon Light Station at Mosquito Inlet. They had an example of one of the “libraries” that were used by those … Continue reading →

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Library of Congress Blog

Posted on 24 April 2007 by Rick Mason

It seems odd that it hasn’t happened before now, but the Library of Congress has just started a blog. from One Big Library

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Open Medicine

Posted on 19 April 2007 by Rick Mason

Open Medicine is a new journal from Canada which is striving to be an online, open access alternative to the likes of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).  There have been many … Continue reading →

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WorldCat Local

Posted on 12 April 2007 by Rick Mason

OCLC is announcing a new pilot project called WorldCat Local, intended to provide tools to help find materials close to the user. These tools will likely include circulation information, full-text capabilities for available resources, and eventually social networking features. The … Continue reading →

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CBS News and Plagarism

Posted on 11 April 2007 by Rick Mason

A CBS News producer has been fired for plagarizing a Wall Street Journal column by Jeffrey Zaslow about how children and adults view libraries in different ways.  The CBS report by Katie Couric has been removed from their website. The article is interesting, … Continue reading →

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Wikipedia of Public Libraries – Presentation

Posted on 10 April 2007 by Rick Mason

The Wikipedia of Public Libraries : A quickie wiki primer, the PLWiki project, and You (pdf) is a presentation by Andrea Mercado, PLA Blog Manager, on wikis and how they can benefit libraries.   It contains a link to a request … Continue reading →

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libSite.org

Posted on 10 April 2007 by Rick Mason

libSite.org is a brand new, as well as fantastic, site for us library folk to visit, contribute to, and benefit from. It is a wiki that is used to let others know of library-related web sites, blogs, and other resources … Continue reading →

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Open Data

Posted on 10 April 2007 by Rick Mason

Open Data : What Would Kilgour Think? is a post by Jay Datema about the recent settlement between the New York Public Library and iBiblio regarding the latter’s harvesting of records from the NYPL catalog. I am increasingly uncomfortable with … Continue reading →

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Copyright Discussion

Posted on 9 April 2007 by Rick Mason

On Coyle’s InFormation, a blog written by the ever-interesting Karen Coyle, there is a discussion about the transcripts of a Section 108 Study Group meeting hosted by the Library of Congress on the topic of copyright, libraries and digitization.  These meetings are happening … Continue reading →

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ALA Library Salary Database

Posted on 7 April 2007 by Rick Mason

The Library Salary Database (press release) from the American Library Association is an online database where you can find out what people earn in various library positions at various places in the country. It seems like a good resource, but … Continue reading →

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Two Library Videos

Posted on 5 April 2007 by Rick Mason

The first, Finding Time in the Penn State Libraries, is an example of what can be very wrong with how our patrons must use our online resources. The second, Mr. Bean: The Library, is an example of what can be very right … Continue reading →

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eAudiobook Subject Sets

Posted on 4 April 2007 by Rick Mason

NetLibrary has launched what it is calling eAudiobook Subject Sets, which are bundles of downloadable audio books grouped by subject, so that libraries can tailor their purchases to their particular needs. from ResourceShelf

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Transparent Libraries

Posted on 3 April 2007 by Rick Mason

Introducing the Michaels is a column by Michael Casey and Michael Stephens in the current issue of Library Journal. Read it. Print it out. Leave copies in your break area for co-workers to read. Michael and Michael’s “tenets of the … Continue reading →

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