Accept no substitutes

Category: Information Commons (Page 8 of 26)

Information Commons, Copyright, Censorship and/or withdrawal of public information, Libraries: Digital and other

Mr Sugar on State of Things (WUNC)

The ever active Anton Zuiker aka Mister Sugar writes:

I’ve posted the details of tomorrow’s State of Things show on WUNC. Listen in on 91.5 FM at noon to hear a discussion about diaries, journals and blogging. I’ll be on in the third part of the show to explain how blogging is similar to and different from written diaries.

It’s a call-in show so call in with smart questions.

You can listen on the net, thanks to ibiblio, at WUNC.org and even pick up the show as a podcast or from the archives (also on ibiblio), but you can only call in if you listen whilst it’s happenin’.

Lyceum in Reference Services Review

Fred and Jeff, Stutzman and Pomerantz, have a new article “Collaborative reference work in the blogosphere.” Reference Services Review 34, No. 2 (2006): 200-212.

Abstract: Purpose This paper explores the use of blogs as a platform forproviding reference service, and discusses Lyceum, an open source software project from ibiblio.org, for this purpose.

Design/methodology/approach The following topics are explored: the evolution of libraries’ uses of blogs, the advantages of conducting the reference transaction as a collaborative effort, and the use of blogs as an environment that fosters collaboration. The argument is made that blogs may be used to good effect in reference services

Findings It is argued that blogs may be used to good effect in reference services. Lyceum, an open source blogosphere application, is discussed as an environment for blog-based reference service.

New Books on My Shelf

I’ve been reading good literary novels up til lately. Now I’ve picked up the first two “Read Or Die” manga and Vernor Vinge‘s new “Rainbows End.” Any manga that has as its hero, a librarian with special powers over paper is fine by me. And Vinge’s new book, dedicated to Wikipedia, Google and eBay is described, in part, this way on the flap:

As Robert becomes more deeply involved in the conspiracy, he is shocked to learn if a radical change planned for the UCSD Geisel Library; all the books there, and worldwide, would cease to physically exist.

Digital Curation Grant for SILS, ibiblio, UNC Libraries

The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced the recipients of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grants. A UNC team that includes ibiblio.org will receive over $500k in support of our project, Preserving Access to Our Digital Future: Building an International Digital Curation Curriculum and the Carolina Digital Curation Fellowship Program.

Members in the project include:

Helen Tibbo, Principle Investigator (PI) (for School of Information and Library Science)
Cal Lee, Co-PI (for School of Information and Library Science)
Charlie Green (for ITS)
Paul Jones (for ibiblio.org and School of Information and Library Science)
Sarah Michalak (for UNC Academic Libraries)
Natasha Smith (for UNC Academic Libraries)

Isolation update in Washington Post

We were alerted by Barry Wellman that Sebastian Mallaby would be publishing an Opinion section of the Washington Post on the Social Isolation story. It’s up now (and likely in print too), but Barry and I are both disappointed. Mallaby misses the findings of Barry’s research even though he mentions them. Twenty minutes on the phone with Barry, the top guy on friendship networks living, and Mallaby can’t tell that 15 is greater than 2 or 3 without changing what that means.

No, no! We are not lonely and we do have broader social networks than ever before according to Wellman.

But that doesn’t satisfy Mallaby; once he’s told that we actually have more extensive networks, he switches his stance to tell us that having a more extensive network means that we don’t have connections that are as deep as in the networks-formerly-known-as-lonely-but-now-known-as-deep.

Mallaby’s suggestion form carpools is clever but only slightly extends your social network, only slightly deepens a couple of relationships.

Here’s a more clever suggestion: People should join bike-to-work groups. People who experience more physical exercise and who experience that exercise together are more social and more physicially healthy too. And they use no gas at all!

Or to borrow from a scandalous talk by James Watson, people are happier when they are overweight and well tanned. We all need to get to the beach and participate in that most isolationist of pleasurable activities — reading an engrossing book!

McGuinn on GuitarPlayerTV

McGuinn
ibiblio contributor and world’s greatest 12 and 7 string guitar player Roger McGuinn is subject of a multipart video interview on GuitarPlayerTV. Roger explains his various roots, describes/shows how he records, he plays 6 string, 7 string, 12 string, 12 string Ric, and banjo, and you get a peek at his transistor radio collection too. A bunch of asides that give insight to the music business are also included. Great stuff. Begin here.
Thanks to Mike Conway for the alert.

The First Century of the First State University

Documenting the Amercian South lead Natasha Smith writes to say that the 10-year old DocSouth launched its 10th collection – “The First Century of the First State University”:


Documenting the American South
is pleased to announce the launch of our newest collection, “The First Century of the First State University” (http://docsouth.unc.edu/unc/) on June 19, 2006. This collection presents a wealth of sources documenting the creation and growth of the University of North Carolina during the period from 1776 to 1875. These primary sources include letters, books, maps, receipts, bills, subscription lists, trustee and faculty meeting minutes, architectural drawings, and catalogs. The collection is grouped into the following topics: the creation and governance of the university, the campus, the university buildings, the curriculum, the faculty, student life, town and gown, the university in the life of the state of North Carolina, and the university during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Read more at http://docsouth.unc.edu/highlights/

[hosted at ibiblio.org]

Net Neutrality proposal from IP Geeks

Is there a place for fresh thinking and new recommendations in the infamous “network neutrality” debate?

Seth Johnson, David P Reed, Siva Vaidhyanathan, Pamela Samuelson, David Weinberger, Andy Oram and others [including me] have issued a new proposal on designed to “Preserve the Internet Standards for Net Neutrality.”

The authors point out that “IP-layer neutrality is not a property of the Internet. It _is_the Internet.” Then go on to say that “Providers certainly should be allowed to develop services within their own networks, treating data any way they want. But that’s not the Internet.”

Explanations are provided for CongressCriters, lawyers and lawmakers and human folks.

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