Archives
Thursday, April 27, 2006
On getting staff members to buy into a new technology
On getting staff members to buy into a new technology | TechEssence.Info
I broke every one of these rules in the same project. Needless to say, it failed miserably.
Library Links — laura
Know Enough to be Dangerous:
HigherEd BlogCon 2006: Know Enough to Be Dangerous by Steve Lawson
Know Enough to be Dangerous: Tools for taking control of HTML and CSS
A presentation for HigherEd BlogCon 2006 in the Websites & Web Development track by Steve Lawson, Humanities Librarian, Colorado College
Website Design — laura
Free-eBooks.net
Paradise Publishers Inc, a web based publishing firm acquired the website www.Free-eBooks.net earlier this month….The site currently generates over 26 million hits monthly and Paradise Publishers Inc. plans to increase traffic tremendously by creating the world’s largest free e-book online database. “We want to be people’s source of information” says Nicolas Gremion, Paradise Publishers Inc. President. “Similar to the Google model, we’re giving our users instant access to free info on any topic under the sun” he continues. “By providing great benefits to our visitors we shall continue to increase our traffic flow and elevate Free-eBook.net among the ranks of the most popular sites on the net, period”.
The website www.Free-eBooks.net is currently a top resource on the internet for free e-books and offers selections from a wide variety of authors on a vast array of topics. Currently the website offers thousands of e-books downloadable instantly without cost or membership. Large renovations are ongoing to enhance user experience, expand the library and offer additional free products to all visitors….Free-eBooks.net will also soon permit users to submit their own e-books to the site….
Open Access — laura
Consumer Electronics Association ad campaign slams RIAA
Boing Boing: Consumer Electronics Association ad campaign slams RIAA
The Consumer Electronics Association is taking a brave stand against the entertainment companies’ attacks on the public’s right to record from digital radio. This is brilliant — and maybe it signals that the CEA’s members will stop manufacturing technnoloogy that controls their customers instead of empowering them.
You have to click through to the ad.
Copyright — laura
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Major Canadian artists reject suing fans and crippling CDs
Boing Boing: Major Canadian artists reject suing fans and crippling CDs
Remember when all of those Canadian record labels walked out on CRIA, the Canadian equivalent of the RIAA? Well, a bunch of them just launched a new coalition for Canadian musicians called the “Canadian Music Creators Coaltion,” and their founding principles are pretty rad:
- Suing Our Fans is Destructive and Hypocritical
- Digital Locks are Risky and Counterproductive
- Cultural Policy Should Support Actual Canadian Artists
This remarkably reasonable and consumer-friendly stance is backed by some big artists, too.
And the temptation to move to Canada grows.
Copyright — laura
SirsiDynix Institute podcast feed!
Now introducing the official SirsiDynix Institute podcast feed!
I’ve really been enjoying the SirsiDynix Institute Web seminars that have been going on this year. They have timely subjects and draw their speakers from the library bloggers.
Education — laura
Stats Canada
OA Librarian: Stats Canada electronic docs at no charge!
Effective April 24, all electronic publications on Statistics Canada’s Web site will be available free of charge.
Open Access — laura
drupalib
Drupal is an open-source content management system for managing websites. It is also the basis for the most advanced library websites being published these days (Picture users only logging once and having access to their account and all of the library’s services.). drupalib is a site for the community of those lucky enough to have that option. (Yes, I am very jealous.)
Web Tools, Website Design — laura
Story time for Grown-Ups
LISNews.org | Story time for Grown-Ups
As an adult with no children, I don’t find much at the public libraries to interest me. Adult-oriented programs may be increasingly important as life-spans lengthen and others also put off starting families. Children are the voters of the future but we’re missing out on a broad spectrum of the voters of now.
Library Links — laura
Web Standards
librarian.net » standards compliant library websites has some good links. I’ve put off posting this until I could put some real thought into it but that doesn’t look like it’ll be happening soon.
I can add that I converted our library web manager to standards when it took me 15 minutes to skin the library’s blogs to look exactly like the rest of the website. Using tables, it would have taken her a lot longer.
Website Design — laura
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Save the Internet
Congress is pushing a law that would abandon the Internet’s First Amendment — a principle called “Network neutrality” that prevents companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from deciding which Web sites work best for you — based on what site pays them the most. Your local library shouldn’t have to outbid Barnes & Noble for the right to have its Web site open quickly on your computer.
Net Neutrality allows everyone to compete on a level playing field and is the reason that the Internet is a force for economic innovation, civic participation and free speech. If the public doesn’t speak up now, Congress will cave to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by telephone and cable companies that want to decide what you do, where you go, and what you watch online.
This isn’t just speculation — we’ve already seen what happens elsewhere when the Internet’s gatekeepers get too much control. Last year, Canada’s version of AT&T — Telus — blocked their Internet customers from visiting a Web site sympathetic to workers with whom Telus was negotiating. And Shaw, a major Canadian cable company, charges an extra $10 a month to subscribers who dare to use a competing Internet telephone service.
Library Links — laura
Payitforward
WebHome < Payitforward < TWiki
So what I am proposing is that if you want to try this experiment put your name in the ring with the area you would like to cover. I really like the philosphy that there is always someone that knows more than you. I am hoping that the reverse is true and that there is someone that knows less than me and I could help them.
I’ve signed up.
Library Links — laura
Blogging Libraries Wiki
Welcome to the Blogging Libraries Wiki - Blogging Libraries
Some of you may remember the links page I maintained for libraries with blogs. Well, that page was becoming a bit difficult to maintain and I thought it would be nice if people could simply add their own links to library blogs, so this wiki was born!
Soon I will be able to add my own library to the list.
Library Links — laura
Free Online Programming Books
345 Free Online Programming Books
Website Design — laura
Building Best Practice Websites: 101 Must Have Checklists
… a new book on essentials for Web sites, including planning, creating, designing, and long-term management. Now in production with the publisher, SitePoint Books, this new foundational book packed with helpful checklists and resources for Web sites will be available for purchase this Spring (currently estimated for June 2006).
Website Design — laura
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Making a Sandbox
Sandboxes are invaluable for trying out new technology. I miss mine *sigh*.
Library Links — laura
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Windows Live Academic Search
Windows Live Academic Search - LJ Tech Blog - Blog on LibraryJournal.com - 670000067
Microsoft launched their Windows Live Academic Search. A competitor to Google Scholar, the site searches academic journal articles.
Have to explore this later.
Web Tools — laura
Second public library system in the US switches to Koha
West Liberty Public Library Migrates to Koha | oss4lib
… the West Liberty Public Library located in Iowa, USA has migrated to Koha, the first open-source Integrated Library System. This makes West Liberty the second public library system in the US to switch to Koha.
Tim McMahon, Technical Services librarian at West Liberty Public, said “We started looking for a new system when we tried to get our old one online and not only did the project fail, but it caused serious damage to our records. We chose Koha because with open source there is always the possibility someone will add a feature you need or if you have the knowledge, you can add it yourself.”
The Koha system is installed on a Linux server and provides West Liberty with web-based access to cataloging, authority control, circulation, acquisitions, and serials control. Patron images are displayed on the circulation page so that circulation staff can easily identify patrons. Online access to the catalog as well as online member services (such as online reserves and renewals) are available through Koha’s OPAC module. Enriched catalog records, provided by Amazon.com allow users to view–along with record information–jacket images, book reviews, descriptions, tables of contents and more. The OPAC can be found online at: http://opac.wlpl.org.
I was really disappointed to find out that Tech had chosen Innovative as the new ILS (they were deciding when I interviewed.), there are many things that we could have done with an OS system.
Open-Source Software — laura
7 Years Under the DMCA
Boing Boing: EFF publishes “7 Years Under the DMCA” paper
- DMCA Delays Disclosure of Sony-BMG “Rootkit” Vulnerability
- Cyber-Security Czar Notes Chill on Research
- Censorware Research Obstructed
- Scientists and Programmers Withhold Research
- Foreign Scientists Avoid U.S.
- IEEE Wrestles with DMCA
Open Access — laura
Monday, April 10, 2006
Wiki Wiki
Wikis are the ideal tool for harnessing the collective intelligence [of your staff]. Wiki is Web-based, easy to set up, and allows people with little tech-savvy to add information. If you have a group of people who would benefit from sharing knowledge and ideas online, you may wish to consider a wiki for the project.
When she says little tech-savy, she means go to the page and click an edit button. This is so much more intuitive for non-web people that they can immediately start editting without training. A wiki would be ideal for the staff intranet at my library if we could find one based on asp and access :-(.
Web Tools — laura
Sunday, April 2, 2006
The Dramatic Growth of Open Access
The Imaginary Journal of Poetic Economics: The Dramatic Growth of Open Access: March 31, 2006 Update
With statistics!
Open Access — laura
