Category Archives: Software

healthcare.gov likes Opera

Posted on 20 October 2013 by Rick Mason

Even though I am not currently working in the library field (and am not following library-related news as closely), I have been following the implementation and rollout of the Affordable Care Act somewhat closely. I think libraries have an important … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Libraries, Medical, News, Online Services, Software, Web Design | Comments Off on healthcare.gov likes Opera

Dyslexia Typeface

Posted on 3 May 2013 by Rick Mason

I stumbled upon this typeface nearly eight months ago, and thought that I had written about it, but after recommending it for the 3rd or 4th time, I realized that I had failed to actually create the post. OpenDyslexic is … Continue reading →

Posted in Copyright, Education, Licensing, Open Source | Comments Off on Dyslexia Typeface

Register to Vote on Libology

Posted on 2 September 2012 by Rick Mason

The Democratic National Committee recently released code that allows websites to offer streamlined voter registration pages through a Ruby on Rails interface.  The Obama campaign quickly modified that code to make it even easier to embed in nearly any website. … Continue reading →

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Wikipedia Redefined

Posted on 8 August 2012 by Rick Mason

Wikipedia Redefined is a proposal by a creative agency called NEW! which presents changes that would make Wikipedia more usable, both as a user and as an editor. Having used MediaWiki (the software that runs Wikipedia) extensively, I can vouch that … Continue reading →

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“None of this works off-the-shelf…”

Posted on 12 February 2012 by Rick Mason

You may remember Michael Wesch.  He has done quite a bit of note since that project (here and here). He is, however, re-evaluating the role of technology in the classroom after receiving reliable reports that his methods don’t always work … Continue reading →

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New Hybrid ILS Front End

Posted on 14 August 2010 by Rick Mason

A regional group of public libraries in Antwerp, Belgium have announced a new hybrid OPAC for their library software. They have merged WordPress with AquaBrowser to create a web presence with the capabilities they felt were most important for their … Continue reading →

Posted in ILS, Libraries, Library 2.0, OPAC, Open Source, Software, Web Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Hybrid ILS Front End

Library Staff Using Online Tools

Posted on 11 August 2010 by Rick Mason

WebJunction has posted the survey results for online tool usage by library staff, and a few of the results might surprise: The online tool that has had at least some use by the highest percentage of staff is Online Courses, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Education, Libraries, News, Online Services, Software, Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One Possible OCLC Solution

Posted on 2 August 2010 by Rick Mason

I am going to be very presumptuous and put forth a possible solution to the OCLC situation. Ready? Divide OCLC in two. One entity, which we will call OCLC.org (just to keep from having to make up some name for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cataloging, Ethics, ILS, Libraries, Licensing, News, OCLC, Online Databases, Online Services, OPAC, Open Access, Open Source, Search, Software | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

InfoToday Article on Lawsuit

Posted on 2 August 2010 by Rick Mason

InfoToday has posted a very good overview of the SkyRiver/III/OCLC suit on their website, written by Edward M. Corrado, who also blogs at http://blog.ecorrado.us (I have quoted him on this blog several times, and follow his posts closely). My post … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Cataloging, Ethics, ILS, Libraries, Library 2.0, Licensing, News, OCLC, Online Databases, Online Services, Software | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on InfoToday Article on Lawsuit

Practical Open Source for Libraries

Posted on 1 August 2010 by Rick Mason

Nicole Engard has posted the slides for one of her presentations: Practical Open Source Software for Libraries (Part 2)

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OpenWith.org

Posted on 22 July 2010 by Rick Mason

You know the frustration:  you have a file, but either don’t know what program you need to open it, or you don’t have the program available where you need it. OpenWith.org can help locate a free program for most any … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on Names

Posted on 29 June 2010 by Rick Mason

A blog post by Patrick McKenzie titled Falsehoods Programmers Believe about Names is a great reminder of the increasing complexity surrounding computer software and personal names. It is presented as a list, and most likely will contain some thought-provoking “rules” … Continue reading →

Posted in Classification, Definitions, ILS, Libraries, Online Databases, Software, Translation, Web Design | Comments Off on Thoughts on Names

Thinking about the Free Range Librarian Thinking about Open Source

Posted on 24 June 2010 by Rick Mason

Karen Schneider has been Thinking about Open Source.  This is a good thing, as she tends to do a great job exploring the interrelationships between people, organizations, and technology. I want to highlight one portion of her post in order … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Groups, Language, Libraries, Library 2.0, Open Source, Software | 1 Comment

Open Source ILS Glossary

Posted on 23 June 2010 by Rick Mason

Earlier this month, Equinox Software‘s Bob Molyneux posted an Open Source ILS Glossary in Pdf format.  It is a great overview of the concepts and environment of the current open source library software environment. Today Bob posted an updated version … Continue reading →

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Upgrade

Posted on 17 June 2010 by Rick Mason

Libology has upgraded to WordPress 3.0, which is a significant jump ahead in standards and features.  One of the most interesting, for me, will be support for HTML 5. I have also switched to the Twenty-Ten theme, as it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Books, Libraries, Library 2.0, News, Open Source, Software, Web Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Upgrade

Academic Library Bubble

Posted on 8 May 2010 by Rick Mason

An interesting column in Library Journal by Stephen Bell: The Bursting of the Academic Library Bubble That is bubble as in housing bubble or stock market bubble. It is not the academic library that is possibly in a bubble, but … Continue reading →

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Practical Open Source Software Website

Posted on 27 April 2010 by Rick Mason

Nicole Engard’s forthcoming book, Practical Open Source Software for Libraries, has a page on the accompanying website consisting of links mentioned in the book.  Not only is this a tantalizing glimpse of the book, but it is a source of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Libraries, Library 2.0, Online Services, Open Source, Publishing, Software | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Personality Spectrum

Posted on 14 April 2010 by Rick Mason

There is an interesting “personality type” post on Dougal Campbell’s Geek Ramblings titled Open Source Personality Spectrum. In and of itself, it is interesting and basically true.  Giving it some thought, I suspect that this range of personality traits can … Continue reading →

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DIY Book Scanner for less than $20

Posted on 10 April 2010 by Rick Mason

If you have reading material that you would like to digitize, but not enough budget to make it happen, this might be your recipe for a Saturday afternoon do-it-yourself (DIY) project: New & Improved Portable, Paperless, Digital Copy Machine The … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival, Books, Libraries, Photography, Software, Tutorials | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

iPad Peek

Posted on 7 April 2010 by Rick Mason

A good service for web designers who want to see how their website will work on the iPad: iPad Peek found via WeblogToolsCollection

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