Monthly Archives: January 2009

ICOLC Issues Statement on the Global Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Consortial Licenses

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On Monday, January 19th, the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) issued a statement on the impact of the global economic crisis on libraries, with a particular focus on library consortia.

Written on behalf of the many library consortia across the world that participate in the ICOLC, this statement has two purposes. It is intended to help publishers and other content providers from whom we license electronic information resources (hereafter simply referred to as publishers) understand better how the current unique financial crisis affects the worldwide information community. Its second purpose is to suggest a range of approaches that we believe are in the mutual best interest of libraries and the providers of information services.

This is a preview of ICOLC Issues Statement on the Global Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Consortial Licenses. Read the full post (423 words, 1:42 minutes estimated reading time)

Correction Added to Guardian Story on OCLC Record Use Policy

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Last week, the Guardian newspaper in the U.K. published a story on the proposed OCLC record use policy and the controversy surrounding the proposal. As the first story on the controversy to reach the mainstream press, it spawned a flurry of discussion in the blogosphere.

This is a preview of Correction Added to Guardian Story on OCLC Record Use Policy. Read the full post (232 words, 56 seconds estimated reading time)

Further Consideration of OCLC Records Use Policy

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At ALA Midwinter, ALCTS sponsored a panel discussion about sharing library-created data inside and outside the library community, with a particular focus on cataloging data. I was honored to be ask to speak on the topic from the perspective of a consortial office. This is the second and final post in a series that represents an approximation of what I said on the panel.

The first part examined the nature of surrogate records that we create as a means to get users to content. The post looked at where we get records, how humans and machines can create them, and the rights associated with component data that makes up the records.

This is a preview of Further Consideration of OCLC Records Use Policy. Read the full post (1007 words, 4:02 minutes estimated reading time)

Consideration of OCLC Records Use Policy

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At ALA Midwinter, ALCTS sponsored a panel discussion about sharing library-created data inside and outside the library community, with a particular focus on cataloging data. I was honored to be ask to speak on the topic from the perspective of a consortial office. This is the first in a series of posts that represents an approximation of what I said on the panel. (Also be sure to read the summary of the session by Norman Oder in Library Journal.)

This is a preview of Consideration of OCLC Records Use Policy. Read the full post (1449 words, 5:48 minutes estimated reading time)

Consolidating Travel Details with TripIt

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I’m sitting in the Denver airport (and quite pleased to have remembered my note to myself about tunneling through ad-laden interception proxy) with lots to think and blog about after this year’s Midwinter meeting. It was a very productive meeting, but I am still in “travel mode” so I thought I’d mention a new service called TripIt that has made this travel notably easier.

This is a preview of Consolidating Travel Details with TripIt. Read the full post (269 words, 1:05 minutes estimated reading time)

Midwinter Travel Tip: Flying United? Checking Luggage? Save $3!

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United Airlines, along with many other carriers, has instituted a policy of charging for checked luggage. For United, the first bag is $15 and subsequent bags are $25 each. If you check-in for your flight online between now and January 31st, however, you can save $3 on each the first bag. The online check-in process asks for your credit card to complete the transaction. You can also print your boarding pass during the check-in process. When you get to the airport, use the self-service kiosks to start your check-in process again. The baggage tag will then automatically print behind the counter and you’ll soon be on your way.

This is a preview of Midwinter Travel Tip: Flying United? Checking Luggage? Save $3!. Read the full post (292 words, 1:10 minutes estimated reading time)

ALCTS Forum on Creating and Sustaining Communities Around Shared Library Data

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Community-shared metadata has certainly been a hot topic of late. It is timely, then that ALCTS is sponsoring a panel discussion about sharing library-created data inside and outside the library community at the upcoming ALA Midwinter meeting in Denver. From the panel description:
Panelists will share a variety of perspectives on community norms, policies, and best practices for accessing, using, and sharing the data that supports the discovery and delivery of library collections. What can libraries and the organizations that serve them learn from the open data movement and sites like Wikipedia? What principles and practices for shared data creation and maintenance will most help and strengthen libraries in the future? Panelists will also be addressing the changes in the OCLC Record Use Policy, particularly in light of the recent announcement from OCLC on the establishment of the Review Board of Shared Data Creation and Stewardship.

The panel is called the ALCTS Forum: Creating and Sustaining Communities Around Shared Library Data, and it will be on January 26th from 8:00am to 10:00am at the Colorado Convention Center, Korbel Ballroom 3C. Yours truly has been asked to speak on shared catalog data from the perspective of a library membership organization (OhioLINK) that provides consortial access to a large union catalog, licensed content, dissertations, and digital media. Also on the panel are:

This is a preview of ALCTS Forum on Creating and Sustaining Communities Around Shared Library Data. Read the full post (345 words, 1 image, 1:23 minutes estimated reading time)

Dr. Michael Wesch to Give Keynote at LLT 2009

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Dr. Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropologist dubbed “the explainer” by Wired magazine, will give the keynote address “Mediated Culture: Tales from New Guinea, New Media and New Experiments in Learning” on Monday, March 2, at the University System of Ohio’s Learning, Libraries & Technology Conference 2009.

Using examples from fieldwork in Papua New Guinea, YouTube and “the future,” this presentation will demonstrate the profound ways in which media are pervasive in our lives, mediating our relationships in ways we often do not recognize. Dr. Wesch will showcase and discuss his own attempts to leverage new media to create new forms of community and conversation to enhance learning and create a rich virtual learning environment. Visit the conference web site for more information about Dr. Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Digital Ethnography at Kansas State University, and his presentation.

This is a preview of Dr. Michael Wesch to Give Keynote at LLT 2009. Read the full post (330 words, 1 image, 1:19 minutes estimated reading time)

For the heart and soul of librarianship — human description versus fulltext analytics

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A non-librarian colleague forwarded a link to an essay by Mark Pesce called The Alexandrine Dilemma. From the context of one of the comments, I think it might have been the text of a keynote given at New Librarians Symposium in Australia last month. It is a thought-provoking piece that, well, provoked some thoughts.

This is a preview of For the heart and soul of librarianship — human description versus fulltext analytics. Read the full post (1302 words, 5:12 minutes estimated reading time)

Central Ohio E-Waste Drop-off Locations

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As part of our winter holiday activities, our family has been busily clearing out the basement to set up a play area for the kids. In doing so, we created a stack of old electronics — monitors, printers, stereo receivers, and such — that are of questionable working condition and worth. In looking around the web, I found the list of e-waste disposal locations on the SWACO website. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell which one was the closest because it was in a static list. So with a little spare time I put them on a map to help me find the nearest location; hopefully it will help you find the nearest location as well.

This is a preview of Central Ohio E-Waste Drop-off Locations. Read the full post (225 words, 54 seconds estimated reading time)