Karen Schneider of Free Range Librarian has written a thought-provoking piece about blogging ethics. She says that librarian bloggers need a code of ethics because “too many of us want to be considered serious citizen-journalists, when it suits us, but fall back on ‘hey, it’s only a blog’ when we’d rather post first and fact-check …
I know we always hear about how superior Linux is to Windows in terms of security, but most things I read primarily talk about what is wrong with Microsoft and never admit to any possible vulnerabilities with Linux. This Newsforge article is the first I’ve seen that actually tries to gauge how vulnerable Linux may …
Are you using Firefox yet? Well, why not? It is has so many advantages over Mozilla. Newsforge has an article about many of Firefox’s features including, improved speed, improved security features (including password-protected passwords), and tons of cool extensions you can add onto your browser. And if you’re still browsing with Internet Explorer (Dad!), I …
Wow! I can hardly keep up with all of Google’s betas and latest acquisitions! Google Suggest seems to be their newest beta (though don’t quote me on that). It’s looks just like the usual Google search box, but as you are typing in your query, a box drops down with suggestions of what you might …
Here is an interesting article on the year in review for search engines. 2004 saw many major players (Yahoo, Google, and MSN in particular) kick their competition up a notch by trying to differentiate themselves from the pack. Will more of the same happen in 2005? Tara Calishain at Research Buzz thinks 2005 will be …
The New York Times has an article on how libraries are reaching out online and about the resurgence of e-books. It’s not exactly earth-shattering, but so nice to see the New York Times recognizing what’s going on in libraries today.
I’ve been applying for jobs now, primarily in academic and public libraries, since late September. I had professors and students alike tell me that if I’m geographically flexible and have a second masters degree I should have no problem getting a job. So why is it that the only institutions that have been interested in …
I remember years ago, when I would travel and wanted to keep in touch with my friends and family, I would just pop into the local library and use the Internet. Sometimes I’d have to sign up for a specific time to use it and wait, but I certainly never minded waiting and exploring libraries …
LexisNexis is now offering its articles ala carte, which allows regular folks who are not affiliated with an institution of higher learning to search LexisNexis and buy the full-text if they so choose. You have to register to search (though the search itself is free), and then any article you wish to read costs only …
Steven Cohen has written a concise explanation of why he blogs, which perfectly describes what I hope to get out of blogging: When people ask me why I put so much effort into my weblog, I mention that I want to be well-informed about the technology that has an effect on my profession, and by …
Wow! File this under amazingly cool tools for digitization. Some computer science folks from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have come up with a took that can search handwritten manuscripts without requiring human intervention (rekeying). Here is an article about how it works. You can even try it out. This is a promising step …
Can’t think of what to get for the geek on your list? Take a look at some of the holiday product guides and 2004 best of guides from Wired, Ars Technica, PC Mag, Forever Geek, Extreme Tech, and Think Geek. And if those weren’t enough, Gizmodo has a huge list of holiday gift guides for …
I think our ALA president-elect, Michael Gorman, has the right idea on what the ALA should be focusing on. Education. According to the Library Journal, in a meeting entitled “The Future of Library Information Education”, Gorman expressed serious concerns about the state of library education and accreditation. Although I’ve only gone through one MLIS program, …
Wow, that was a bad movie. Every cheesy action movie and librarian cliche were stunningly in evidence, and I really feel that I should strongly caution Noah Wylie not to quit his day job at ER after this season (BIG mistake) . Cheesy can oftentimes be funny, but, in my opinion, this really wasn’t funny. …
Yesterday, at my job interview, I was asked to talk about the 21st century library and what I would bring to it. I wish I had read this article by Robert S. Martin of IMLS (in College and Research Libraries News) before I went to the interview. While I did talk about libraries changing their …
I don’t have anything to say about the case that hasn’t been said before, but I am really saddened by the fact that this case, challenging the Sony Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, has been dismissed. To me, this is a clear sign (among many) that our government has moved completely away from any consideration …
Rory Litwin has an excellent editorial in Library Juice this month. Undone by Flattery is about what librarians give up because we are so susceptible to flattery. After suffering daily with ungrateful and difficult patrons, we often feel like no one appreciates the service we offer to society. We love to hear people talk about …
This year, my husband and I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time and it was a rousing success. Here is a picture of the table before the guests arrived. And here’s me (or part of me) setting the table. My mother-in-law is quite the gourmet, and my father is quite picky, so any praise from …
I’m surprised I hadn’t heard more about this news before I found this encouraging CNET article via Librarian’s Happen. Apparently, Adobe is moving into open source software development and marketing. They won’t specify exactly what their plans are, but the fact that they are hiring a Director of Linux Market Development and a computer scientist …
Tame the Web this week has a great little guide on Teaching RSS to Reference Librarians. He’s got great links to other resources that will educate and inspire librarians to get excited about RSS. The Kansas City Public Library System and the Minneapolis Public Library are good examples of public libraries that have embraced RSS, …