Libraries/Info Sci

Thoughts and selected news updates on the Library Science/Information Science field(s)

There are 262 posts filed in Libraries/Info Sci (this is page 25 of 27).

Are cheat codes included?

Kotaku links to a story today about video games in libraries.

The article in question makes for really interesting reading. Librarian and gaming writer John Scalzo walks through the process of developing a collection for a whole new type of media holdings. I admit that while some of the qualifications given to him for selection seem reasonable (no M-rated games), but others (A ban on Simpsons games) seem rather random.

The process for ordering the games seems to have been a larger problem than ‘selling’ the idea to adminstrative types in the first place. Sounds like some streamlining should be in order.

I would be very interested in seeing how the collection fares a few months from now. In my library experience, DVDs go mere weeks before having skip-causing scratches. PS2 games, theoretically handled by more children, will no doubt be worse. Does the library have any process for monitoring disc condition in effect?

ALA vs. “Blog People” ?

Found via Library Stuff:

Michael Gorman, president elect of the ALA, wrote a column in Library Journal titled “Revenge of the Blog People”.

In said column, he manages to be both dismissive of and insulting to librarian bloggers.

I don’t pretend to be anywhere near the top of the pile when it comes to librarian bloggers. Heck, I don’t even focus solely on the topic. I don’t pretend to be the most literate person in the world, or the best writer. But still, I feel personally insulted by the column. In part:

Given the quality of the writing in the blogs I have seen, I doubt that many of the Blog People are in the habit of sustained reading of complex texts. It is entirely possible that their intellectual needs are met by an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs.

I’m not aware of the content of Mr. Gorman’s L.A. Times op-ed regarding Google’s book digitization project that kicked off this controversy. So I won’t comment on it. If anyone has a copy, I’d appreciate a chance to read it.

I just think it unwise for a president of such a prestigious and influential organization to dismiss and insult a growing portion of his constituency out of hand.

Stats

Roughly 25% of my Digital Libraries class (10 people or so) think that there is “too much computer stuff” in the class, according to the informal poll tonight. I’m honestly very curious as to what else they expected.

I’m also finally noticing just how large my classes are, particularly for grad level. Out of my eight classes since I arrived, just one has had less than 15 people. The largest was around 150. Average is probably closer to 35. It doesn’t bother me too much or I would have noticed before now. But in retrospect, aren’t grad classes generally supposed to be small?

Lost royalties

Robert J. Sawyer mentions in his entry from yesterday (Dated 4/16/05 on his site, no direct link) that the Canadian government reimburses writers such as him for an interesting amount: royalties lost to library circulation.

I’ve never heard of this before, anybody know if the U.S. has a similar program? I’d also be interested in how this number is calculated. It is a flat rate fee, or dynamically based on circulation statistics?

API, OS, ETC

The Shifted Librarian mentioned the idea of a standardized API for library catalog/circulation systems.

Don’t know why I never thought of it before, but the idea is brilliant. Only problem could be getting vendors to go along with it.

While I’m on the topic, are there any good open source catalog/circulation systems? Libraries seem like a natural fit for the OS development model.

Registration Day

Well I’m all registered for the summer, my final semester in Library School.

  • LIS 2405 – Descriptive Cataloging
  • LIS 2970 – Library Instruction
  • LIS 2772 – Public Library Management
  • LIS 2546 – Business and Economics Resources and Services


Unfortunately there just aren’t any tech related offerings this summer. My advisor even apologized for that fact, blaming it on changes in the way contracts for professors work. Oh well.

On the bright side, it does give me a chance to cover more of the “library basics” and branch out a bit. I’m a bit disappointed that I can’t get the Digital Libraries specialization on my degree, but nothing I can’t live with. In order to get the specialization I’d have to stay another semester, which would be prohibitively expensive.

The schedule itself is going to be somewhat unusual. From May 9 until early June, I’ll have just one class that meets regularly. The other one that kicks in that early is apparently taught mostly online.

In early June, I add a third course. Library Instruction meets on four weekends – Friday nights and all day Saturday. Sort of a pain but it sounds like a great course.

Later in June I pick up the last class as a twice weekly offering. So summer’s gonna start out easy and build from there. I’d prefer the other way around, but it doesn’t sound like anything undoable.

Computers in Libraries 2k5 (again)

CIL 2005 has a 50% student discount! Still expensive (~$200), but suddenly in the splurge realm of expensive rather than the impossible realm.

My brain’s wheels are spinning…

I got my first ever chain letter in the mail today, to my address but labeled for ‘Ashley’. I’m on the strangest mailing lists.

It’s 58 degrees out and I’m having a most excellent day!

Computers in Libraries 2k5 redux

I mentioned before my interest in going to the Computers in Libraries conference next month in DC. Funding the journey was the issue. Well now my parents have generously offered to pay the travel expenses, which brings the trip into the realm of possibility!

Next step: figuring out if any sort of student discount exists, and making sure I wouldn’t miss anything too important in classes. Unfortunately it misses spring break by a week.

Crossing my fingers! The events/speakers sound right up my alley.