There’s a very interesting discussion about the nature of librarianship at mamamusings: libraries and standards. Be sure to read the beginning first. If you read the comments at mamamusings, you’ll see my response. I do disagree with Dorothea but she makes some good points. Moreover, she writes well so even her rants are a pleasure [...]

Real sues Microsoft, alleges monopoly abuse
I’m shocked, shocked I say.

Bush signs bill aimed at controlling spam
Critics of the bill, however, argue that its effects will be mostly ceremonial. Bulk e-mail operators outside the U.S. will be beyond the law’s jurisdiction, and the act overrides state antispam laws that are in some areas stronger than the new federal regulations.
The critics are most likely right [...]

NewsForge | Getting open source into public libraries
I have been spending the last six months working to get the first open source or free software CDs available in libraries as lending CDs. I have now succeeded; 415 public libraries out of a possible 507 have accepted them in Scotland.
After working on this project, I have [...]

Combined Library Job Postings – Lisjobs.com and Library Job Postings on the Internet
Lisjobs.com and Library Job Postings on the Internet have combined their job postings! This will save you time and effort sorting through duplicate listings, and brings you the most library-related postings in one location.
Searchable and has a RSS feed.

LIScareer.com — The Librarian & Information Professional’s Career
Development Center
LIScareer.com offers career development resources for new librarians and information professionals, MLS students and those considering a library-related career.��The site features practical articles contributed by information professionals, along with links to online and print resources.

Patents and Open Standards is a white paper by Priscilla Caplan that clarifies the meaning of those 2 terms and the possible intersection of them.

Web Design References, University of Minnesota Duluth
This site is dedicated to providing knowledge of web design and development. It advocates accessibility, usability, web standards and many related topics by:

Imparting news and information on making web sites obtainable and functional to largest possible audience.

Providing topical news and information for designing web sites that are effective, efficient, [...]

Avoid Santa Claus approach to content management: December 15, 2003 issue
of New Thinking by Gerry McGovern
Peter Drucker has written about how we have spent the last fifty years focusing on the ‘T’ in information technology (IT). Drucker believes that we will spend the next fifty years focusing on the ‘I.’
Which is where Information Professionals need [...]

Price, Gary WEBMASTRY SEARCHER Vol. 11 No. 10 Nov/Dec 2003

optimal web design
Designing a website that takes into account the human element requires both an understanding of our nature as well as our physiological limitations. Usable websites incorporate human tendencies and limitation into its overall design. The questions below are meant to address some of the more important human factors concerns in the design and [...]

EMTEL European Media, Technology and Everyday Life
All sorts of fun(?) papers using the EMTEL research.
EMTEL is a research and training network of European social scientists investigating the social dimensions of the Information Society in Europe. It includes 7 partners in 6 different countries (Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Norway, the UK). It involves more than [...]

Drawing clear lines between information systems
In many organisations, the intranet competes with e-mail, file shares, the document management system and records management. Information is scattered between these systems, making it difficult for users to know where to look.
What is needed is a clear [...]

WaSP : Learn : Reference: Web Standards for Business
This article highlights the benefits of using Web standards for business sites (Internet, intranet and extranet sites). It is aimed at stakeholders from the marketing, communication and IT departments.

Usability and open-source software development
Proceedings of the Symposium on Computer Human Interaction, (eds.) Kemp, E., Phillips, C., Kinshuk & Haynes, J., 6 July 2001, Palmerston North, New Zealand. ACM SIGCHI New Zealand. 49-54. ISBN: 0-473-07559-8.
Open-source is becoming an increasingly popular software development method. This paper reports a usability study of the open-source [...]

The Internet and the right to communicate
The Internet and the right to communicate by William J. McIver, Jr., William F. Birdsall, and Merrilee Rasmussen
First Monday, volume 8, number 12 (December 2003),
URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_12/mciver/index.html
The “Right to Communicate” is an interesting balance to the controversy over information ownership.

The Linux managing model
The Linux managing model by Federico Iannacci
First Monday, volume 8, number 12 (December 2003), URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_12/iannacci/index.html
The pros and cons of open-source versus commercial or proprietary development have been argued as part of the open vs. closed debate but this article actually examines the process of development in the Linux operating system, one [...]

Licence fees and GDP per capita
Licence fees and GDP per capita: The case for open source in developing countries by Rishab Aiyer Ghosh First Monday, volume 8, number 12 (December 2003), URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_12/ghosh/index.html
this note argues that the controversy over total costs of ownership (TCO) of free vs. proprietary software is not applicable to developing [...]

On the Web, Research Work Proves Ephemeral (washingtonpost.com)
Essentially, web URLs are becoming often used as references in scholarly works. However, the rate at which these resources as a whole move around, change and disappear, defeats the purpose of references in the first place.
At first it seems like an obvious observation but when you think [...]

How to Misunderstand Open Source Software Development
A very well-written and credible essay on open-source software from a professional developer.

OneWorld South Asia – Humanity will survive information deluge %u2013 Sir Arthur C Clarke
An interesting interview about the progression of communications media.

‘We’re on the right path’ / Latest news / Root folder – p2pnet.net
The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) tells anyone who’ll listen – and that means most of the establisment media – that its sue ‘em all subpoena campaign against alleged copyright violators is a roaring success.
That is, of course, about as accurate [...]

The Digital Librarian: Better Old Services for Digital Libraries

How To Conduct An Online Survey and Engage Customers In A Dialogue | ReachCustomersOnline.com
Because our websites are becoming increasingly important in interacting with patrons. They need to be as usable as possible.

Beyond the Job
Professional tips for librarians: Articles, job-hunting advice, professional development opportunities, and other news and ideas on how to further your library career. Compiled by the Library Job People, Sarah Johnson and Rachel Singer Gordon.