The Age: Media Blog - News in the age of the web Archives
Bharat, a Principal Scientist at Google, is the person who wrote the code that brings us Google News. In this talk (listen to the podcast via The Age) he discusses the social as well as technical implications of Google News. His talk is all encompassing--technological innovations from ideograms to block printing to telegraph and telex to DIALOG and what each step has meant for the dissemination of news. Looking at the news through Google rankings. He doesn't discuss some of the implications of how news is spidered that concern me, but it is still very interesting. His take is somewhat that of an outsider--he does not have a background in journalism or political science, as far as I can tell.
I have to mention that WWW2005 looks like it was a fabulous conference. Not just because it was in Chiba, though that it important for a William Gibson fan. Wonder if any librarians got to go?
Sunday, May 29, 2005
a pinky and the brain meme
via Dorothea and the LJ CavLec
Don't bother going to LJ lislemck--there is no there there. And bakashoujiki is my only hope...you figure which one of us is the Brain. But 30 countries! World domination, here we come.
logan circle in Spring
This was my view as I ate lunch on sunny days last week--definitely on the top ten list about MPOW.
Friday, May 27, 2005
wOOOOt! Those Os are zeds--ce n'est pas de ma faute--grumble
Dorothea got the job offer for the job she wanted! Even though it is unofficial, I had to share the joy. Caveat Lector is just about my favorite library blog. Dorothea makes me think and laugh and explore. Seeing if there's a new CavLec post comes right after Doonesbury and Boondocks as a good reason to open Bloglines. I blush to call CavLec the inspiration for this blog.
Oh, another w00t: It's Friday and I am free. WXPN has announced some of the line-up for their All About the Music Festival (in the top ten best things about living in Philly). Patti Smith! I have no words. $5 a ticket.
Well, actually, I have some words :). Patti has played such a role in my life. I have been a fan since 1975. Most of you probably have no idea of the pain of being a teenager in 1975. I know, you weren't born yet. As far as I can see, it's not that different from the pain of being a teenager in 2005. But the first time I heard Land, my life changed. And kept changing. I read Rimbaud. I looked at art. I went to Sam Shepard plays. I read Sam Shepard plays. I wrote papers on Rimbaud and Shepard and women in rock 'n' roll. (So much for my vaunted intellectual endeavors in college.) I went to CBGBs and smoked opium in the ladies room. Patti's re-emergence in after Fred's death in 1994 coincided with my emergence from a bad marriage. Seeing her read poetry in Central Park after Fred's death gave me such hope--she led the way into the future for me again.
So the idea that I can go spend a day listening to music along the Delaware River surrounded by XPN fans (my peeps) and wind it up with Patti--it boggles. Did I mention it's $5 for members? Eeeeeeee.
My cup almost overfloweth.
Oh, another w00t: It's Friday and I am free. WXPN has announced some of the line-up for their All About the Music Festival (in the top ten best things about living in Philly). Patti Smith! I have no words. $5 a ticket.
Well, actually, I have some words :). Patti has played such a role in my life. I have been a fan since 1975. Most of you probably have no idea of the pain of being a teenager in 1975. I know, you weren't born yet. As far as I can see, it's not that different from the pain of being a teenager in 2005. But the first time I heard Land, my life changed. And kept changing. I read Rimbaud. I looked at art. I went to Sam Shepard plays. I read Sam Shepard plays. I wrote papers on Rimbaud and Shepard and women in rock 'n' roll. (So much for my vaunted intellectual endeavors in college.) I went to CBGBs and smoked opium in the ladies room. Patti's re-emergence in after Fred's death in 1994 coincided with my emergence from a bad marriage. Seeing her read poetry in Central Park after Fred's death gave me such hope--she led the way into the future for me again.
So the idea that I can go spend a day listening to music along the Delaware River surrounded by XPN fans (my peeps) and wind it up with Patti--it boggles. Did I mention it's $5 for members? Eeeeeeee.
My cup almost overfloweth.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
They think they're people...that makes us?
Dilettante's Ball: Vendors are people too... ...or so we're told
I greatly admire Ross and WAG the Dog. But as interesting and incredible a tool it is (catalog + federated search + Google Scholar + Link Resolver=jealousy), the point of his posting is a little closer to my heart.
I spend a lot of money on electronic resources. I also spend really substantial amounts on microfilm, and readers and reader-printers. I have a fairly large staff to care for the databases and microforms and machines, and their users.
I had a call from one of our vendors last week asking if we would be interested in digitized historical Philadelphia newspapers, like the ProQuest Historical New York Times. I said YES in less than a heartbeat. We would love to be able to search the Philadelphia Bulletin (1834?-1983? does not come up when I do a title search in our catalog :( and I am at home and cannot check our well-loved binders which exist because newspapers are not suited to our catalog records!) or the Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-present). But it has kind of been bothering me all week.
There are vendors that I love. Reps who are good friends. Reps for products I bought 10+ years ago who still call to say hello though I will not be giving them any business in the foreseeable future. People who always give me the really good swag at ALA. People with whom I really enjoy talking, who help me do my job, and teach me things, and who I think are looking out for me. We know it is a two-way street, and if I waste my budget, it will effect both of us negatively.
OK, it wasn't my favorite vendor. Money-grubbing slime is how I think of this group. I try to be open-minded. But the prices they charge us for a product we basically have to buy, on which they have a monopoly--obscene. So I'm thinking, here we've been the local public-access archive for this microfilm for how many years? Truly, the Inky doesn't keep their own microfilm--their library staff actually comes in to use ours--and we actually let them borrow it (returning it later that day).
So now the robber baron of newspaper electronic resources is going to scan the same microfilm that we own, webbify it, and sell it to us at a very nice price indeed? I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know how newspaper copyrights work. Pre-1922 is public domain? Would post-1922 renew every year? The Bulletin is defunct, but the family that owned it is still around. In fact, I want to tap them for some money. I mentioned it to our development people; now I am sure they are going to hit them up for the library expansion. Well, I haven't gotten very far in my thoughts about this...more to ponder anon. And where is that promised screencast/tutorial you ask?
I greatly admire Ross and WAG the Dog. But as interesting and incredible a tool it is (catalog + federated search + Google Scholar + Link Resolver=jealousy), the point of his posting is a little closer to my heart.
I spend a lot of money on electronic resources. I also spend really substantial amounts on microfilm, and readers and reader-printers. I have a fairly large staff to care for the databases and microforms and machines, and their users.
I had a call from one of our vendors last week asking if we would be interested in digitized historical Philadelphia newspapers, like the ProQuest Historical New York Times. I said YES in less than a heartbeat. We would love to be able to search the Philadelphia Bulletin (1834?-1983? does not come up when I do a title search in our catalog :( and I am at home and cannot check our well-loved binders which exist because newspapers are not suited to our catalog records!) or the Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-present). But it has kind of been bothering me all week.
There are vendors that I love. Reps who are good friends. Reps for products I bought 10+ years ago who still call to say hello though I will not be giving them any business in the foreseeable future. People who always give me the really good swag at ALA. People with whom I really enjoy talking, who help me do my job, and teach me things, and who I think are looking out for me. We know it is a two-way street, and if I waste my budget, it will effect both of us negatively.
OK, it wasn't my favorite vendor. Money-grubbing slime is how I think of this group. I try to be open-minded. But the prices they charge us for a product we basically have to buy, on which they have a monopoly--obscene. So I'm thinking, here we've been the local public-access archive for this microfilm for how many years? Truly, the Inky doesn't keep their own microfilm--their library staff actually comes in to use ours--and we actually let them borrow it (returning it later that day).
So now the robber baron of newspaper electronic resources is going to scan the same microfilm that we own, webbify it, and sell it to us at a very nice price indeed? I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know how newspaper copyrights work. Pre-1922 is public domain? Would post-1922 renew every year? The Bulletin is defunct, but the family that owned it is still around. In fact, I want to tap them for some money. I mentioned it to our development people; now I am sure they are going to hit them up for the library expansion. Well, I haven't gotten very far in my thoughts about this...more to ponder anon. And where is that promised screencast/tutorial you ask?
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Caveat Lector: W-O-R-S-T romance read in years
I wouldn't even mention it, but just in case anything I've ever written could be construed as a recommendation, avoid at all costs For My Lady's Heart. I can barely believe I got through it.
I hesitated to even give the WorldCat address. Do not borrow it. In the notes, Kinsale, my former love, said she had done all the dialogue between the main characters in Middle English. Then she dumbed it down for us lectors. I'm wondering if it would have been better if she had left it in Middle English? It explains the rather disjointed "voices" of the characters. I couldn't resist looking at reviews on Am-zon. There are no reader reviews, but Publisher's Weekly had this to say: Kinsale's tale is light on vitality and heavy on Middle English, plot twists and tedium." And I have said a PW review is just a puff piece paid advertisement. Did they not pay? Or does PW have a sense of shame? I am terribly ashamed.
I hesitated to even give the WorldCat address. Do not borrow it. In the notes, Kinsale, my former love, said she had done all the dialogue between the main characters in Middle English. Then she dumbed it down for us lectors. I'm wondering if it would have been better if she had left it in Middle English? It explains the rather disjointed "voices" of the characters. I couldn't resist looking at reviews on Am-zon. There are no reader reviews, but Publisher's Weekly had this to say: Kinsale's tale is light on vitality and heavy on Middle English, plot twists and tedium." And I have said a PW review is just a puff piece paid advertisement. Did they not pay? Or does PW have a sense of shame? I am terribly ashamed.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Meredith on The Simpsons on libraries
Information Wants To Be Free � The Simpsons on libraries
I can't believe I haven't seen this episode--me with an in-house Simpsons connoisseur? Please read the dialog as provided by Meredith.
I often think there should be a study on the raising of the children in the Simpsons era. The Simpsons run is roughly contiguous with Monster's (affectionate nickname for offspring)life. I believe we watched the early toons on the Tracey Ulllman show when she was a toddler. It went to its own show when she was three. Yes, she was awake. She has had a clear preference for animation over live action her entire life. I can only partly blame Disney. I took her to Miyazaki--Princess Mononoke--when she wanted to see the Pokemon movie. Started a mania.
Monster has watched more hours of The Simpsons than I have watched of M*A*S*H, Star Trek, Gilligan's Island, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons, etc., combined.
But the Simpsons! Satire and irony and small children. Are they describing the library of the future? Or is it the library of the current? I have had middle-class patrons come in from the suburbs and express shock at the number of gentlemen of leisure reading the newspapers in my department. I thank god for them. They are not necessarily bums, or homeless. Some are fragrant. They come in and use our resources. Ocassionally, one is drunk, or under- or over-medicated. Even then, they follow the rules pretty well. They like to read the newspapers. I have staff members (not from my department) that have greater difficulty following the rules. Oh, those missing issues, where do they go? (I keep meaning to do a post on "the big weed" as my administration is calling it. Currently on hold due to a lack of boxes--HA! HA!) I am happy the Simpsons are enshrining some of our issues. It means someone is noticing.
(Maybe one day they'll notice that even if I am a middle-aged white lady, no one has ever described me as matronly.)
I can't believe I haven't seen this episode--me with an in-house Simpsons connoisseur? Please read the dialog as provided by Meredith.
I often think there should be a study on the raising of the children in the Simpsons era. The Simpsons run is roughly contiguous with Monster's (affectionate nickname for offspring)life. I believe we watched the early toons on the Tracey Ulllman show when she was a toddler. It went to its own show when she was three. Yes, she was awake. She has had a clear preference for animation over live action her entire life. I can only partly blame Disney. I took her to Miyazaki--Princess Mononoke--when she wanted to see the Pokemon movie. Started a mania.
Monster has watched more hours of The Simpsons than I have watched of M*A*S*H, Star Trek, Gilligan's Island, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons, etc., combined.
But the Simpsons! Satire and irony and small children. Are they describing the library of the future? Or is it the library of the current? I have had middle-class patrons come in from the suburbs and express shock at the number of gentlemen of leisure reading the newspapers in my department. I thank god for them. They are not necessarily bums, or homeless. Some are fragrant. They come in and use our resources. Ocassionally, one is drunk, or under- or over-medicated. Even then, they follow the rules pretty well. They like to read the newspapers. I have staff members (not from my department) that have greater difficulty following the rules. Oh, those missing issues, where do they go? (I keep meaning to do a post on "the big weed" as my administration is calling it. Currently on hold due to a lack of boxes--HA! HA!) I am happy the Simpsons are enshrining some of our issues. It means someone is noticing.
(Maybe one day they'll notice that even if I am a middle-aged white lady, no one has ever described me as matronly.)
Monday, May 23, 2005
'CraigsNews'--an answer to the vanishing newspaper?
Is 'CraigsNews' Coming Soon? from Technology Review.
Publishers reactions to Google Print library digitization project
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sloan, Bernie <bernies@uillinois.edu>
Date: May 23, 2005 6:07 PM
Subject: [Web4lib] Publishers reactions to Google Print library digitization project
To: web4lib@webjunction.org
Just wanted to point out an entry from today in Gary Price's
SearchEngineWatch blog. It reports on a letter to Google from Peter
Givler Executive Director of the Association of American University
Presses, in which Givler contends that Google Print "appears to be built
on a fundamental violation of the copyright act."
In addition to Gary Price's summary of the issue, he offers links to new
articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education and Business Week that
discuss the matter.
Bernie Sloan
Senior Library Information Systems Consultant, ILCSO
University of Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
616 E. Green Street, Suite 213
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 333-4895
Fax: (217) 265-0454
E-mail: bernies@uillinois.edu
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4lib@webjunction.org
http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
From: Sloan, Bernie <bernies@uillinois.edu>
Date: May 23, 2005 6:07 PM
Subject: [Web4lib] Publishers reactions to Google Print library digitization project
To: web4lib@webjunction.org
Just wanted to point out an entry from today in Gary Price's
SearchEngineWatch blog. It reports on a letter to Google from Peter
Givler Executive Director of the Association of American University
Presses, in which Givler contends that Google Print "appears to be built
on a fundamental violation of the copyright act."
In addition to Gary Price's summary of the issue, he offers links to new
articles in the Chronicle of Higher Education and Business Week that
discuss the matter.
Bernie Sloan
Senior Library Information Systems Consultant, ILCSO
University of Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
616 E. Green Street, Suite 213
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 333-4895
Fax: (217) 265-0454
E-mail: bernies@uillinois.edu
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4lib@webjunction.org
http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
Eat our dust, Amazon
librariesstackup.pdf (application/pdf Object)
I do not know why anyone would care that there are about as many librarians in this world as there are people living in Bahrain (and I thought some baseball stats were weird). However, I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled, I tell you, thrilled that libraries have 5 times as many cardholders as Amazon has customers. Every single day, we circulate almost four times as many items as Amazon ships! Ha! It seems like forever since I started hearing people say that Amazon/Borders/Barnes & Ignoble/the internet was/is/will soon be putting libraries out of business. Sometimes, the refrain grows very loud, and I start thinking I and my vocation are just anachronism.
(My tiny stab at Blaise Cronin--isn't there some word game we can come up with that yields anachronism from his name?)
I worked yesterday (Sunday) and I was duty officer, which usually double sucks because every problem and complaint comes your way, and no out-of-class pay on Sundays. (A measly $15 per Saturday when one is in lieu of an administrative librarian. But is money.)
One of the things a duty officer does is to sit in a chair near the security checkpoint at the main exit. Yesterday, we had a lot of people taking out a lot of stuff. A family with four kids, each kid with fifteen books. Plus the adult had an armful of hardcover mysteries. A female senior citizen (aka little old lady) with 5 audio books, plus 5 videocassettes. Art students with myriad large, lush art books. One after another. Everybody loading up for a week or three. It was like watching a parade.
The guards prefer me to sit on high. I don't know who would be intimidated by moi, but it is the guards who direct this show. I was happy to have the ringside seat. I wished some politician or reporter or any one of those people who say public libraries are irrelevant had been there. I wanted to say "see! see!"
So, finding this link this morning (via LISnews, I think), seemed to vindicate my thoughts and feelings from yesterday. I would say we are relevant, and I intend to revel in it.
Correction: link was found via the most excellent Dave's Blog.
I do not know why anyone would care that there are about as many librarians in this world as there are people living in Bahrain (and I thought some baseball stats were weird). However, I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled, I tell you, thrilled that libraries have 5 times as many cardholders as Amazon has customers. Every single day, we circulate almost four times as many items as Amazon ships! Ha! It seems like forever since I started hearing people say that Amazon/Borders/Barnes & Ignoble/the internet was/is/will soon be putting libraries out of business. Sometimes, the refrain grows very loud, and I start thinking I and my vocation are just anachronism.
(My tiny stab at Blaise Cronin--isn't there some word game we can come up with that yields anachronism from his name?)
I worked yesterday (Sunday) and I was duty officer, which usually double sucks because every problem and complaint comes your way, and no out-of-class pay on Sundays. (A measly $15 per Saturday when one is in lieu of an administrative librarian. But is money.)
One of the things a duty officer does is to sit in a chair near the security checkpoint at the main exit. Yesterday, we had a lot of people taking out a lot of stuff. A family with four kids, each kid with fifteen books. Plus the adult had an armful of hardcover mysteries. A female senior citizen (aka little old lady) with 5 audio books, plus 5 videocassettes. Art students with myriad large, lush art books. One after another. Everybody loading up for a week or three. It was like watching a parade.
The guards prefer me to sit on high. I don't know who would be intimidated by moi, but it is the guards who direct this show. I was happy to have the ringside seat. I wished some politician or reporter or any one of those people who say public libraries are irrelevant had been there. I wanted to say "see! see!"
So, finding this link this morning (via LISnews, I think), seemed to vindicate my thoughts and feelings from yesterday. I would say we are relevant, and I intend to revel in it.
Correction: link was found via the most excellent Dave's Blog.
The Times, they are a chargin'
NYTimes.com Unveils Subscription Plan
OK, no need to panic, yet! Is there a market waiting to subscribe to twenty-two NYT columnists? Dunno--I'm not in it. But I do want my headlines. BTB (by the by), Google has soft unveiled a portal that allows NYT and BBC heads, among other things. Misseli has a nice post. If any of ya'll (sp?) need a Gmail invite, kindly let me know.
OK, no need to panic, yet! Is there a market waiting to subscribe to twenty-two NYT columnists? Dunno--I'm not in it. But I do want my headlines. BTB (by the by), Google has soft unveiled a portal that allows NYT and BBC heads, among other things. Misseli has a nice post. If any of ya'll (sp?) need a Gmail invite, kindly let me know.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Fwd: [Web4lib] Web4Lib Transition
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Roy Tennant <roy.tennant@ucop.edu>
Date: May 22, 2005 1:31 AM
Subject: [Web4lib] Web4Lib Transition
To: web4lib@webjunction.org
It may have not been the best idea to do a major mailing list
switchover right before being on the road for two days. But being
stupid, I did it anyway. So for those who have been inconvenienced by
this transition, I apologize.
I have been slowly putting things to right, with help from the
OCLC/Webjunction staff, but at this point if you still have a problem
please email me directly at roy.tennant@ucop.edu.
I admit that I could have done a better job to inform both myself and
others on the differences between ListProc (our former software home)
and Mailman (our current one) prior to the migration. But the day job
seems to intervene in the most annoying ways.
In any case, I appreciate the patience and good humor that Web4Lib
subscribers have exhibited in this transition, and I hope that no one
has been too inconvenienced or annoyed. If, by any chance, you find
yourself suddenly without Web4Lib mail when you want it, or suddenly
getting it when you don't want it, please let me know. Meanwhile, I'll
try to beef up the Web4Lib web pages with more information on exactly
how to interact with Mailman, as well as edit the Mailman-produced
pages to be more informative and work better with the non-Mailman web
pages.
Finally, I beg your forgiveness for the lack of archive searching,
which unfortunately may not be recovered for another two weeks due to
travel obligations. I promise to get it back in operation as soon as I
have the time.
Thanks again for your patience as we complete this transition to our
new home.
Roy
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4lib@webjunction.org
http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Writing a blog is good for your brain--good thing!
Brain of a Blogger
via Dave's blog via Darlene Fichter's link blog
To quote Dave:
"In this article, two MD types argue that writing a blog is good for your brain. Why?
1. Blogs can promote critical and analytical thinking.
2. Blogging can be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking.
3. Blogs promote analogical thinking.
4. Blogging is a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information.
5. Blogging combines the best of solitary reflection and social interaction.
So. since I blog AND email (since email lowers IQ), it'll all even out in the end, right?
PS - for a fun discussion of the silliness of the whole "email lowers IQ" study, check this out."
Guess we'll see if it works.
via Dave's blog via Darlene Fichter's link blog
To quote Dave:
"In this article, two MD types argue that writing a blog is good for your brain. Why?
1. Blogs can promote critical and analytical thinking.
2. Blogging can be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking.
3. Blogs promote analogical thinking.
4. Blogging is a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information.
5. Blogging combines the best of solitary reflection and social interaction.
So. since I blog AND email (since email lowers IQ), it'll all even out in the end, right?
PS - for a fun discussion of the silliness of the whole "email lowers IQ" study, check this out."
Guess we'll see if it works.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Alane Wilson and umbrellas--rock me
It's all good: Umbrellas
It's all good was one of the very first library blogs I stumbled on/over. It's from OCLC, but covers such a wide range. It's even on blogspot! It's where I heard about The Cluetrain Manifesto, which so far is my most meaningful non-fic read of the year--I'm going to buy it--my highest accolade.
In any case, I read some of the articles Alane suggests, Change or Die and Mass Media Meltdown, through the double lens of librarian and newspaper librarian. (I will read the rest!) The times (and The Times) they are a changing. As Karen Schneider says, "you bet your sweet brink-of-extinction bippy."
It's all good was one of the very first library blogs I stumbled on/over. It's from OCLC, but covers such a wide range. It's even on blogspot! It's where I heard about The Cluetrain Manifesto, which so far is my most meaningful non-fic read of the year--I'm going to buy it--my highest accolade.
In any case, I read some of the articles Alane suggests, Change or Die and Mass Media Meltdown, through the double lens of librarian and newspaper librarian. (I will read the rest!) The times (and The Times) they are a changing. As Karen Schneider says, "you bet your sweet brink-of-extinction bippy."
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Sweet compromise!
Philadelphia Daily News | 05/19/2005 | Street's approach: Compromise may mean an increase in funding by $4 million. It would allow for full service at all branches, Saturday hours and enough staff to avoid unscheduled closings. w00t! No, we'd better wait for the Fat Lady (City Council) to sing. And the Fire Department...
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Lookee lookee--a librarian wikipedia project oh joy
Wikipedia:WikiProject Librarians - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I am not even going to log on before I get some other stuff done! Actually, I wonder if my old Wikipedia username and password still exist? But I will not even look until the Wink tutorial is done, the del.icio.us tags are in place, and a couple of other projects are underway. But go, expand, edit, assist. You don't have to be an expert to work on Wikipedia. You just have to care.
I am not even going to log on before I get some other stuff done! Actually, I wonder if my old Wikipedia username and password still exist? But I will not even look until the Wink tutorial is done, the del.icio.us tags are in place, and a couple of other projects are underway. But go, expand, edit, assist. You don't have to be an expert to work on Wikipedia. You just have to care.
Library catalog blame game
Library Journal - "Lipstick on a Pig"
Roy Tennant cuts to the heart of the matter again. Though if pigs want to wear lipstick, it's ok by me. But OPACs should not be pigs in a poke, or pigs to poke, or pigs that poke. There should be no poking! Or pokiness.
Now I'm feeling that there must be an antidote to this. I have one shining OPAC example: the North Carolina State University Library. All I can say is wow about this entire site. But check out the OPAC. I didn't need to figure out anything to use it. It was EASY. It made me happy as a pig in shit, which I think is a much happier pig than any of those others.
Roy Tennant cuts to the heart of the matter again. Though if pigs want to wear lipstick, it's ok by me. But OPACs should not be pigs in a poke, or pigs to poke, or pigs that poke. There should be no poking! Or pokiness.
Now I'm feeling that there must be an antidote to this. I have one shining OPAC example: the North Carolina State University Library. All I can say is wow about this entire site. But check out the OPAC. I didn't need to figure out anything to use it. It was EASY. It made me happy as a pig in shit, which I think is a much happier pig than any of those others.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Sunday, May 15, 2005
If Could Read My Mind, Babe
If Search Engines Could Read Your Mind
I don't like Chris Sherman's tone in this article--more of the "stupid user" view. Which ended up being an incredibly rich thread on Web4Lib. The long-awaited move to a WebJunction server is this week. I will post the new address when I get it. Even though I'm not a library web developer, Web4Lib is my absolute favorite library list.
Well, I beat 20Q. I think it thinks I cheated. I thought of a dallah, a brass Arabian coffeepot.
You may say not a common object, but common as sand some places. Google Image had no difficulty with it at all. Well, after 30 questions, 20Q gave up. I guess my neural network is still good. That, or 20Q is geared for folk who have never left this hemisphere. But I'm not sure. Please give it a try and let me know how you fare.
I'm going to try using del.icio.us tags to index this blog, following in the footsteps of Catalogablog. This may be painful and time-consuming. While working on my Wink tutorial on "when the paper isn't paper". Well, they keep me off the streets.
I don't like Chris Sherman's tone in this article--more of the "stupid user" view. Which ended up being an incredibly rich thread on Web4Lib. The long-awaited move to a WebJunction server is this week. I will post the new address when I get it. Even though I'm not a library web developer, Web4Lib is my absolute favorite library list.
Well, I beat 20Q. I think it thinks I cheated. I thought of a dallah, a brass Arabian coffeepot.
You may say not a common object, but common as sand some places. Google Image had no difficulty with it at all. Well, after 30 questions, 20Q gave up. I guess my neural network is still good. That, or 20Q is geared for folk who have never left this hemisphere. But I'm not sure. Please give it a try and let me know how you fare.I'm going to try using del.icio.us tags to index this blog, following in the footsteps of Catalogablog. This may be painful and time-consuming. While working on my Wink tutorial on "when the paper isn't paper". Well, they keep me off the streets.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Grudges (fishes)
ML Vol 12.2 - Newsflash! Subject Headings not boring!:
These are hilarious. I have never had a grudge against a fish, personally, but I have had bad relationships with cats, a hamster, and I believe a certain turtle had a grudge against me. So I do understand that some poor cataloguer felt the need for this heading. LCSH are always good for a laugh!
These are hilarious. I have never had a grudge against a fish, personally, but I have had bad relationships with cats, a hamster, and I believe a certain turtle had a grudge against me. So I do understand that some poor cataloguer felt the need for this heading. LCSH are always good for a laugh!
Dogs (well a dog) every day!
If you read this via an aggregator (no shame attached!), you won't know that I've loaded my "middle-aged librarian with dog" avatar onto my Blogger profile, so now it shows up 24/7/365, at least until I change it. I have to note that there is quite a bit of artistic license in this rendering. Basically, the choice of dogs was appallingly small. Many many cats.
If you want to play, do. Mind you, if you waste serious time, it's not all my fault!
If you want to play, do. Mind you, if you waste serious time, it's not all my fault!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
I asked, I received
This deserves an image link, but Blogger wouldn't let me do it in the comments. Makes sense, I guess. Wouldn't want nasty pix in the comments!
A Ladies Walking Dress of white cambric muslin with a sarcenet pelisse dated 1815
Thank you, Babylon Sister.
A Ladies Walking Dress of white cambric muslin with a sarcenet pelisse dated 1815
Thank you, Babylon Sister.
Can you grok this?
Grokker - A New Way to Look at Search
Now class, try your own search...BBB (short for this blog) is just there as an example. Weird to see its universe. I really like the concept of graphical search. But I don't know what Heinlein would think.
Now class, try your own search...BBB (short for this blog) is just there as an example. Weird to see its universe. I really like the concept of graphical search. But I don't know what Heinlein would think.
Worldcat Love
I already sent Corey Murata a thank-you note, but I had to spread the love. This excellent tool lets you search for titles in OCLC's OpenWorldCat using either Google or Yahoo. If that isn't good enough for you, and you use Mozilla or Firefox (yeah!), you can save a script and have it appear in your drop-down searchbar. Some may complain that my posts are already too full of links (WTF?), but I am happy. Way way back when I learned hypertext (pre-http), the ability to play what I not-so-privately named "the linky-linky game" was just transforming. Like how cross references create 3 entities from 2. Eeeeeeeeee! I do so love being a librarian.
Worldcat Lookup: "Corey Murata"
Worldcat Lookup: "Corey Murata"
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Sarcenet pelisse, please
I'm attempting, truly, to keep this blog apace with my reading.
I wasted a lot of the weekend reading The Dream Hunter. Well, not wasted, rested? (Interesting, because OpenWorldcat doesn't find a record for the one I borrowed from MPOW's Andorra branch. That's because it has one of those "on the fly" records I mentioned earlier. For shame. The paperback I borrowed is a bit distressed, so it will probably be weeded soon enough.)
Amazingly enough, this one is largely set in el-arabia sa'udite,
which my mother likes to refer to a "the big sandbox". It's not a Regency, but it wasn't a bad read. Just not at the level of Flowers of the Storm.
I've also been reading the The Private World of Georgette Heyer. A friend who is completely unfamiliar with romance had picked it up, but was lost. It is a detailed biography of Heyer (pronounced hare), and covers all 62 (by my count) titles in depth. To me, the best thing about the book is the illustrations. Heyer kept voluminous scrapbooks and files. Here's one example:
Not the best scan, but you get the idea. There is a fabulous two-page spread of bonnets. I am no closer to understanding a sarcenet pelisse, but maybe I just need to pronounce the words in my head. And to re-read a Heyer. Anyone want to recommend a particular favorite?
I wasted a lot of the weekend reading The Dream Hunter. Well, not wasted, rested? (Interesting, because OpenWorldcat doesn't find a record for the one I borrowed from MPOW's Andorra branch. That's because it has one of those "on the fly" records I mentioned earlier. For shame. The paperback I borrowed is a bit distressed, so it will probably be weeded soon enough.)
Amazingly enough, this one is largely set in el-arabia sa'udite,
which my mother likes to refer to a "the big sandbox". It's not a Regency, but it wasn't a bad read. Just not at the level of Flowers of the Storm.
I've also been reading the The Private World of Georgette Heyer. A friend who is completely unfamiliar with romance had picked it up, but was lost. It is a detailed biography of Heyer (pronounced hare), and covers all 62 (by my count) titles in depth. To me, the best thing about the book is the illustrations. Heyer kept voluminous scrapbooks and files. Here's one example:
Not the best scan, but you get the idea. There is a fabulous two-page spread of bonnets. I am no closer to understanding a sarcenet pelisse, but maybe I just need to pronounce the words in my head. And to re-read a Heyer. Anyone want to recommend a particular favorite?
Monday, May 09, 2005
Statistically Improbable Phrases
Wired News: Judging a Book by Its Contents
Google Print is just going to be wild on this stuff. The study of literature is going to turn inside out, jump through a flaming hoop, and go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Have you ever considered the work that goes into a concordance? And now it will be "click here". Improbable, but not impossible.
Google Print is just going to be wild on this stuff. The study of literature is going to turn inside out, jump through a flaming hoop, and go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Have you ever considered the work that goes into a concordance? And now it will be "click here". Improbable, but not impossible.
"newspapers are engaged in self-assisted suicide"
Philadelphia Daily News | 05/09/2005 | John Baer | Circulation drop? We can blame ourselves
In all I've read/seen/heard about the vanishing newspaper, this is
the first time I have heard a reporter linking it to dumb-dumb content: "a public better acquainted with the decisions of TV talent judge Simon Cowell than with those of William Rehnquist." Fabulous. Let's hear it for the tabloid!
Since the link above is only good for 7 days and may require registration, and the Inky owes me, and I think this may be fair use, here's the text:
John Baer | Circulation drop? We can blame ourselves
I'M READING, with interest and sorrow, about circulation declines at major newspapers, the steepest drop in nearly a decade.
Oh, USA Today is up. And the New York Times. But elsewhere? Washington Post, L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe? All down. Philly's no exception. Both dailies dropped.
Experts blame the Internet, cable TV, scandals involving artificially inflated circulation numbers, and federal do-not-call regs cutting into telemarketers' selling subscriptions.
I, on the other hand, blame newspapers.
And, understand, I love newspapers, always have (my late father was a journalist before me). I love their power and timeliness and, on good days, their clarity.
But it feels to me newspapers are engaged in self-assisted suicide.
Here's why.
Round-the-clock media pay full attention to stories such as Georgia's runaway bride and Paula Abdul's alleged fling with a would-be "American Idol."
Newspapers shouldn't. Those stories and others as soft and inconsequential eat up space and resources - which is a shame.
By following ever-falling standards set by radio loudmouths and TV talkers with minimal if any journalistic background, newspapers squander their strength and risk their relevance.
Worse, they help create a public better acquainted with the decisions of TV talent judge Simon Cowell than with those of William Rehnquist.
Newspapers have the ability (and, I think, duty) to fully report issues directly impacting their readers and their regions. They should do so - with a focus far greater than on other "news."
And before you say, wait, the Daily News puts moms getting makeovers and sports stories on its front page, I know - we aren't always right. But we also do more than our share of at-your-doorstep stuff on schools, crime, mass transit and City Hall.
To that end, I'd like to speak at a J-school graduation. A top one.
The University of Missouri at Columbia, for example, graduates Friday. But photojournalist Bill Eppridge (National Geographic, Life, Sports Illustrated; best- known for his photo of a busboy cradling the head of Robert Kennedy moments after RFK was shot in 1968) is speaking. He graduated there in 1960, so I understand.
Columbia University in New York graduates next Wednesday. David Halberstam (author, journalist, Harvard grad) is speaking. He won a Pulitzer when he was 30. He's now in his 70s. Guess I'll have to wait.
And at the famed Medill School at Northwestern University, which graduates June 17, the speaker is Jack Fuller, president of Tribune Publishing. He's also a Yale lawyer. And he too won a Pulitzer. So I'm out of luck.
But if I were speaking to a J-class, I'd say something like this:
You are so lucky. You are entering the only profession protected by the Constitution. You are entering the only profession that regardless of your wealth, looks or personality, grants you a front- row seat to history. You, in fact, get to write the first draft of history.
You get to talk face-to-face with those shaping the world.
And for this you need no license, certificate, badge or continuing education. You don't even need to be particularly smart.
All you need do is ask questions. Show up and ask questions. And when important things happen, things that matter to people, you get to be right in the middle of them.
This is a privilege you cannot begin to appreciate today. Just know it comes with responsibility. The profession is at risk. You have to save it. You have to grab it and make sure no matter what else it does, it first does what it's supposed to: be an arbiter of justice, a watchdog of government, an honest broker of thoughtful dissent.
You've been trained to listen to all sides of a story, to do research, to check and double-check "facts," to get as close to the truth as possible.
Use your training every day. Don't be drawn to those you cover. Don't write for them. Write for your readers. Explain issues. Expose frauds. Guard against abuse of power, yours included.
And if you do these things, you will be valuable and necessary. And even if circulation drops, you will serve your profession and your readers in ways that can't be counted.
Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com
© 2005 Philadelphia Daily News and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.philly.com
In all I've read/seen/heard about the vanishing newspaper, this is
the first time I have heard a reporter linking it to dumb-dumb content: "a public better acquainted with the decisions of TV talent judge Simon Cowell than with those of William Rehnquist." Fabulous. Let's hear it for the tabloid!
Since the link above is only good for 7 days and may require registration, and the Inky owes me, and I think this may be fair use, here's the text:
John Baer | Circulation drop? We can blame ourselves
I'M READING, with interest and sorrow, about circulation declines at major newspapers, the steepest drop in nearly a decade.
Oh, USA Today is up. And the New York Times. But elsewhere? Washington Post, L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe? All down. Philly's no exception. Both dailies dropped.
Experts blame the Internet, cable TV, scandals involving artificially inflated circulation numbers, and federal do-not-call regs cutting into telemarketers' selling subscriptions.
I, on the other hand, blame newspapers.
And, understand, I love newspapers, always have (my late father was a journalist before me). I love their power and timeliness and, on good days, their clarity.
But it feels to me newspapers are engaged in self-assisted suicide.
Here's why.
Round-the-clock media pay full attention to stories such as Georgia's runaway bride and Paula Abdul's alleged fling with a would-be "American Idol."
Newspapers shouldn't. Those stories and others as soft and inconsequential eat up space and resources - which is a shame.
By following ever-falling standards set by radio loudmouths and TV talkers with minimal if any journalistic background, newspapers squander their strength and risk their relevance.
Worse, they help create a public better acquainted with the decisions of TV talent judge Simon Cowell than with those of William Rehnquist.
Newspapers have the ability (and, I think, duty) to fully report issues directly impacting their readers and their regions. They should do so - with a focus far greater than on other "news."
And before you say, wait, the Daily News puts moms getting makeovers and sports stories on its front page, I know - we aren't always right. But we also do more than our share of at-your-doorstep stuff on schools, crime, mass transit and City Hall.
To that end, I'd like to speak at a J-school graduation. A top one.
The University of Missouri at Columbia, for example, graduates Friday. But photojournalist Bill Eppridge (National Geographic, Life, Sports Illustrated; best- known for his photo of a busboy cradling the head of Robert Kennedy moments after RFK was shot in 1968) is speaking. He graduated there in 1960, so I understand.
Columbia University in New York graduates next Wednesday. David Halberstam (author, journalist, Harvard grad) is speaking. He won a Pulitzer when he was 30. He's now in his 70s. Guess I'll have to wait.
And at the famed Medill School at Northwestern University, which graduates June 17, the speaker is Jack Fuller, president of Tribune Publishing. He's also a Yale lawyer. And he too won a Pulitzer. So I'm out of luck.
But if I were speaking to a J-class, I'd say something like this:
You are so lucky. You are entering the only profession protected by the Constitution. You are entering the only profession that regardless of your wealth, looks or personality, grants you a front- row seat to history. You, in fact, get to write the first draft of history.
You get to talk face-to-face with those shaping the world.
And for this you need no license, certificate, badge or continuing education. You don't even need to be particularly smart.
All you need do is ask questions. Show up and ask questions. And when important things happen, things that matter to people, you get to be right in the middle of them.
This is a privilege you cannot begin to appreciate today. Just know it comes with responsibility. The profession is at risk. You have to save it. You have to grab it and make sure no matter what else it does, it first does what it's supposed to: be an arbiter of justice, a watchdog of government, an honest broker of thoughtful dissent.
You've been trained to listen to all sides of a story, to do research, to check and double-check "facts," to get as close to the truth as possible.
Use your training every day. Don't be drawn to those you cover. Don't write for them. Write for your readers. Explain issues. Expose frauds. Guard against abuse of power, yours included.
And if you do these things, you will be valuable and necessary. And even if circulation drops, you will serve your profession and your readers in ways that can't be counted.
Send e-mail to baerj@phillynews.com
© 2005 Philadelphia Daily News and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.philly.com
Sunday, May 08, 2005
"But we’re redefining the table itself"
The Infinite Library
What does "redefining the table" mean for us? Gary Strong is talking about bringing different skills to some table as in "the deal". (I have to think a little about Plato. The concept of a table versus a table. And then onto art history, with the "representations" of a table. OK, end of philosophical tangential tangent.)
I'm all in favor of an infinite library--the concept makes my heart sing. But I don't think Google Print will be it. Someone somewhere commented on the selection function. We have these university libraries who pride themselves on never discarding anything ever. I've seen how that can play out--stacks filled with volume after volume of outdated scientific tomes. Maybe interesting to a few scholars, but not exactly opening the breadth of human knowledge to all. I mean, obscure for a reason. Twelve editions of a literary work now completely out of favor. Have you ever read much early Twentieth Century American poetry? Some of it demeans the use of the word drivel.
Then I think of my beloved Paris Salon catalogues. I want them digitized. Will they get them all, all the different imprints, the illustrated ones, the ones that list every work? Wow, that would be great. Whose catalogue records, while we're at it? I mean, who is going to go looking for what's missing?
The descriptions I've seen so far do not do much to describe how Google is going to select which books they digitize. Will there be infinite librarians involved? Can I be involved? Or will we be seated at some other table?
What does "redefining the table" mean for us? Gary Strong is talking about bringing different skills to some table as in "the deal". (I have to think a little about Plato. The concept of a table versus a table. And then onto art history, with the "representations" of a table. OK, end of philosophical tangential tangent.)
I'm all in favor of an infinite library--the concept makes my heart sing. But I don't think Google Print will be it. Someone somewhere commented on the selection function. We have these university libraries who pride themselves on never discarding anything ever. I've seen how that can play out--stacks filled with volume after volume of outdated scientific tomes. Maybe interesting to a few scholars, but not exactly opening the breadth of human knowledge to all. I mean, obscure for a reason. Twelve editions of a literary work now completely out of favor. Have you ever read much early Twentieth Century American poetry? Some of it demeans the use of the word drivel.
Then I think of my beloved Paris Salon catalogues. I want them digitized. Will they get them all, all the different imprints, the illustrated ones, the ones that list every work? Wow, that would be great. Whose catalogue records, while we're at it? I mean, who is going to go looking for what's missing?
The descriptions I've seen so far do not do much to describe how Google is going to select which books they digitize. Will there be infinite librarians involved? Can I be involved? Or will we be seated at some other table?
Friday, May 06, 2005
Gennifer Choldenko rocks my world
Last weekend, I read Al Capone Does My Shirts. It is a Newberry Honor Book this year, and it is excellent.
I enjoy reading what MPOW's Collection Development Office calls "problem books." I was a reviewer for them for two years. I sort of miss it. One of the best books I read as a reviewer was Notes from a Liar and her Dog, also by Gennifer Choldenko. They are both great reads that I would recommend to anyone.
Problem books I have loved: A Wrinkle in Time (they made a TV movie?), The Secret Garden, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack, The Planet of Junior Brown, Shoeshine Girl, The Secret Life of Bees, the list goes on and on. Trying to figure out why I like "problem books" is a little like figuring out why I like romance. Yes, mostly happy endings. Yes, I was a lonely loser kid. (Go ahead and leave a comment if you were, too. I'm starting to believe everyone was.)
Wow, I'm doing much better with Open Worldcat and these YA titles. YA is the older library abbreivation for library jargon "young adult" which has been widely replaced by teen. I don't think the Choldenko titles are really teen. Can I say pre-teen? I can't say tween. It's too twee.
I enjoy reading what MPOW's Collection Development Office calls "problem books." I was a reviewer for them for two years. I sort of miss it. One of the best books I read as a reviewer was Notes from a Liar and her Dog, also by Gennifer Choldenko. They are both great reads that I would recommend to anyone.
Problem books I have loved: A Wrinkle in Time (they made a TV movie?), The Secret Garden, Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack, The Planet of Junior Brown, Shoeshine Girl, The Secret Life of Bees, the list goes on and on. Trying to figure out why I like "problem books" is a little like figuring out why I like romance. Yes, mostly happy endings. Yes, I was a lonely loser kid. (Go ahead and leave a comment if you were, too. I'm starting to believe everyone was.)
Wow, I'm doing much better with Open Worldcat and these YA titles. YA is the older library abbreivation for library jargon "young adult" which has been widely replaced by teen. I don't think the Choldenko titles are really teen. Can I say pre-teen? I can't say tween. It's too twee.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
what a doll
Do not waste your time at doll sites. This looks nothing like a middle-aged librarian, dog-lover or not.
how old were you when you figured out what "Corporate Author" meant?
MLA NewsLine: Libraries Through the Looking Glass: "and where were you?"
32 and in a classroom at the New School for Social Research with Arno Kastner. Mind you, I hate corporate author. Thank god main entry doesn't matter so much any more. I was manager of bibliographic services at a special library for a while. We had lots of annual reports and proceedings and the like, hence my hatred of corporate author. I do wonder why UC Berkeley has it as a search function on their catalog. I can just barely come up with scenarios where it might be useful, but then I think, why not use keyword so I don't have to be so exact?
Roy Tennant is one of my faves from Web4Lib. He's so sensible and thoughtful. I have to guess that Arno Kastner would disagree, since I know Roy feels "MARC must die." I wonder what Arno thinks about FRBR.
Roy also points out, "Only librarians like to search, everyone else likes to find." I think that's something to which librarians don't pay enough attention at times. I'm glad I learned what "corporate author" means. I'm glad Arno Kastner made me do a paper on the history of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, even though I never use them. At least I can argue with the cataloguers semi-intelligently, and consider long-range implications of new technology. (Which makes me remember LC changing from "moving pictures" to "motion pictures" in 1989, I think, tee hee.) I think librarians need to consider the information architecture around us. The rigor of cataloguing, classification, and controlled vocabulary are important, and can stand behind the next iteration...longhand bibliography, card catalog, fiche catalog, OPAC, ?
32 and in a classroom at the New School for Social Research with Arno Kastner. Mind you, I hate corporate author. Thank god main entry doesn't matter so much any more. I was manager of bibliographic services at a special library for a while. We had lots of annual reports and proceedings and the like, hence my hatred of corporate author. I do wonder why UC Berkeley has it as a search function on their catalog. I can just barely come up with scenarios where it might be useful, but then I think, why not use keyword so I don't have to be so exact?
Roy Tennant is one of my faves from Web4Lib. He's so sensible and thoughtful. I have to guess that Arno Kastner would disagree, since I know Roy feels "MARC must die." I wonder what Arno thinks about FRBR.
Roy also points out, "Only librarians like to search, everyone else likes to find." I think that's something to which librarians don't pay enough attention at times. I'm glad I learned what "corporate author" means. I'm glad Arno Kastner made me do a paper on the history of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, even though I never use them. At least I can argue with the cataloguers semi-intelligently, and consider long-range implications of new technology. (Which makes me remember LC changing from "moving pictures" to "motion pictures" in 1989, I think, tee hee.) I think librarians need to consider the information architecture around us. The rigor of cataloguing, classification, and controlled vocabulary are important, and can stand behind the next iteration...longhand bibliography, card catalog, fiche catalog, OPAC, ?
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
You need keyword anchors--no more "home", "click here"--think content
Google patent application reveals ranking secrets - Ecademy
Lots of implications for library web sites!
Lots of implications for library web sites!
Where is my flashlight? I love going undercover!
Going Under Cover with Book Search Tools
Gary gives lots of great tips, and some analysis. We should care about this--this is the future and it is here.
Gary gives lots of great tips, and some analysis. We should care about this--this is the future and it is here.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
All hail Blake :) and LISnews
The Days & Nights of the Lipstick Librarian!: Why You Should Fall to You Knees and Worship Blake Carver
I've posted three stories about MPOW on LISnews in the past few months, and become an addict in the process. If you belong or join, be sure to add me to your friends, and let me know to reciprocate.
I've posted three stories about MPOW on LISnews in the past few months, and become an addict in the process. If you belong or join, be sure to add me to your friends, and let me know to reciprocate.
Captcha this!
Baby Boomer Librarian: Google Accessibility Issue
"Captchas -- completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart" -- maybe my favorite acronym yet. Google's application is quite wrong for people with visual disabilities. Please follow the steps to contact Google, especially Blogger users!
"Captchas -- completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart" -- maybe my favorite acronym yet. Google's application is quite wrong for people with visual disabilities. Please follow the steps to contact Google, especially Blogger users!
Monday, May 02, 2005
Replies to recent comments
I was trying to reply via the comments function, but my comments were too long (no, I can't take a hint). Plus, I wanted to give links, which Blogger seemed opposed to in comments. There probably is a better way (yes, I know about LiveJournal and next time I horse around with the BBB i.e., this blog, template, I will add a link to library_grrls on the sidebar), but for now, I'm hoping this will do.
1st comment:
"The treatment of romance novels by most libraries and some librarians annoys me so much. I like romance novels. I will have my MLS in two weeks. I can hold an intelligent conversation. Clearly, paperback romances have not turned my brain to mush.
Re: Flowers from the Storm. I haven't read it, but the description sounds great. I might have to pick it up."
Amanda:
My brain is mush, but I cannot blame romance novels. I often think they've saved my life. Someone should do a study on romance novels as treatment for depression, really! Mind you, I stole the idea from Jennifer Crusie--probably my all time fave romance writer after Georgette Heyer.
If you ever have a chance, go to librarians' day at the Romance Writer's Association conference. It's incredibly fun and you will be surrounded by intelligent librarians who respect romance novels. Plus you get to meet incredible authors--I met Jayne Anne Krentz and Jennifer Crusie when I went a few years ago. $25, lunch, and lots of giveaways! Hmm, Reno this year--no way I can go...but I keep an eye on those conference cities.
Congrats on getting your MLS--may it stand you in good stead, and may you have fun with it!
Lisle
2nd Comment:
"I have a feeling that you may insist there are no stupid questions. So, should I know what MPOW is? I scanned earlier entries but could not find the answer. I'm intrigued. Please enlighten me.
Thank You"
Anonymous:
Sometime in library school, I was told that the only stupid question is the unasked one. Even though that's glib to the point of nauseating, the concept has worked for me. I was taught as a child that it wasn't "nice" to ask questions. I still stumble a bit in reference interviews around "niceness". I feel a "not nice" post coming, so I'll shut up about it for now.
MPOW seems kind of blatantly obvious to me. I used to but a hyperlink every time, but I got tired of doing it. Plus I'm a little nervous because I am critical. I criticize everything, all the time. Definitely my nature. But some people do not handle criticism well. I did a long post re: anon vs. non-anon blogging a little while ago. It's here if you're interested.
Lisle
3rd comment:
"The Googleprint link seems broken.
I haven't read romance novels - I think I'll add this to my summer reading list. It might add a splash of color to my life.
Thanks!
Not Found
The requested URL /print?id=1e9YbERtuCsC&lpg=120&prev=http://print.google.com/print%3Fq%3D%2522flowers%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Bstorm%2522%26oi%3Dprint&pg=119&sig=hMhGo916PLmTU8ULitHkbX_7Yb4 was not found on this server"
Babylon Sister:
GRRRR. They took it away. I double checked it last night, because I wanted the page with the dahlia excerpt, even though it does have kittens. Who can resist kittens? Not-quite-a-spoiler alert: Dogs play a large role in the story, too, as does a CVA. I'm not giving much away, really. As you know me, you know why these things matter to me. The rest of the world should read it anyway.
If you Google the title, first hit still comes up Google Print, but the link is BAAAAD. Is it me? Do I have such power? OK. I'm giving up. Here's a link to used copies. It's definitely worth 50 cents, though I remain opposed to buying books! I will now double check all links. If the Amazon one changes in less than 24 hours, I will feel an all powerful biblioblogger! Maybe there's a superhero in waiting here?
1st comment:
"The treatment of romance novels by most libraries and some librarians annoys me so much. I like romance novels. I will have my MLS in two weeks. I can hold an intelligent conversation. Clearly, paperback romances have not turned my brain to mush.
Re: Flowers from the Storm. I haven't read it, but the description sounds great. I might have to pick it up."
Amanda:
My brain is mush, but I cannot blame romance novels. I often think they've saved my life. Someone should do a study on romance novels as treatment for depression, really! Mind you, I stole the idea from Jennifer Crusie--probably my all time fave romance writer after Georgette Heyer.
If you ever have a chance, go to librarians' day at the Romance Writer's Association conference. It's incredibly fun and you will be surrounded by intelligent librarians who respect romance novels. Plus you get to meet incredible authors--I met Jayne Anne Krentz and Jennifer Crusie when I went a few years ago. $25, lunch, and lots of giveaways! Hmm, Reno this year--no way I can go...but I keep an eye on those conference cities.
Congrats on getting your MLS--may it stand you in good stead, and may you have fun with it!
Lisle
2nd Comment:
"I have a feeling that you may insist there are no stupid questions. So, should I know what MPOW is? I scanned earlier entries but could not find the answer. I'm intrigued. Please enlighten me.
Thank You"
Anonymous:
Sometime in library school, I was told that the only stupid question is the unasked one. Even though that's glib to the point of nauseating, the concept has worked for me. I was taught as a child that it wasn't "nice" to ask questions. I still stumble a bit in reference interviews around "niceness". I feel a "not nice" post coming, so I'll shut up about it for now.
MPOW seems kind of blatantly obvious to me. I used to but a hyperlink every time, but I got tired of doing it. Plus I'm a little nervous because I am critical. I criticize everything, all the time. Definitely my nature. But some people do not handle criticism well. I did a long post re: anon vs. non-anon blogging a little while ago. It's here if you're interested.
Lisle
3rd comment:
"The Googleprint link seems broken.
I haven't read romance novels - I think I'll add this to my summer reading list. It might add a splash of color to my life.
Thanks!
Not Found
The requested URL /print?id=1e9YbERtuCsC&lpg=120&prev=http://print.google.com/print%3Fq%3D%2522flowers%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2Bstorm%2522%26oi%3Dprint&pg=119&sig=hMhGo916PLmTU8ULitHkbX_7Yb4 was not found on this server"
Babylon Sister:
GRRRR. They took it away. I double checked it last night, because I wanted the page with the dahlia excerpt, even though it does have kittens. Who can resist kittens? Not-quite-a-spoiler alert: Dogs play a large role in the story, too, as does a CVA. I'm not giving much away, really. As you know me, you know why these things matter to me. The rest of the world should read it anyway.
If you Google the title, first hit still comes up Google Print, but the link is BAAAAD. Is it me? Do I have such power? OK. I'm giving up. Here's a link to used copies. It's definitely worth 50 cents, though I remain opposed to buying books! I will now double check all links. If the Amazon one changes in less than 24 hours, I will feel an all powerful biblioblogger! Maybe there's a superhero in waiting here?
Sunday, May 01, 2005
The space between the dahlias made her think of when she'd been a child
Google Print Search: Flowers from the Storm
When I went looking for an Open Worldcat record for this title, I found a Google Print record instead.
I saw that Susan Elizabeth Phillips listed Flowers from the Storm on the Gardiner Public Library 2005 Who Reads What list. Since I quite enjoyed Breathing Room by Phillips, and I am a big historical romance reader (though good ones are too few and far between), I had to try what Phillips called, "One of the best historical romances ever."
So I put in a request for the one copy available from MPOW. I took it for the plane ride to Florida. Wow. Whew. OMG. All that. I wept, for chrissakes. You can find all kinds of over-the-top reviews practically anywhere you look. I cannot believe I had never heard of it. It is so well-written. I didn't notice a grammatical error in the entire book--very unusual. The dahlias were even in bloom in the fall! No botanical impossibilities. Of course, I put in requests for more Laura Kinsale titles, because I just do not have enough to read. I'm buying it. Actually, I am buying two copies, because I know I will be lending it out.
Speaking of which, anyone out there know where my copy of Pattern Recognition is? By the way, William Gibson doesn't update his blog nearly enough. But when it does turn up in my aggregator, it often makes my day.
I store many things in my aggregator by marking them "keep new". This is particularly useful in the blogosphere, I find. I keep trying different methods to impose order. Most recently, I have begun using del.icio.us. It's a way to bookmark pages, and then access your bookmarks from anywhere. It's also social, since you can share bookmarks, and see what someone else has bookmarked. It's very interesting. There are all kinds of people examining how del.icio.us tags create folksonomies. Here's my del.icio.us page. Already, I think my tags need work, and the links on my page are barely the tip of the iceberg.
Then I think, what tags would I put on this post? OK, romances, gibson, folksonomies...wait! I meant to talk a little in this post about how poorly libraries treat romance readers. When I first started at MPOW, paperback romances were not catalogued at all. So I could not have requested Flowers from the Storm at all. Now we have "quick entry"--a minimal improvement--not what anyone who has taken cataloguing in a Masters program would call cataloguing. I am sure that many copies of Flowers from the Storm have been weeded. Because paperback romances have no value. I was thinking that was why it didn't turn up in Open Worldcat, but neither did the Gibson. Speculative fiction discrimination?
I ostensibly started this blog as a way of keeping better track of my reading. Maybe I need a better way to keep track of my mind! Go read something.
When I went looking for an Open Worldcat record for this title, I found a Google Print record instead.
I saw that Susan Elizabeth Phillips listed Flowers from the Storm on the Gardiner Public Library 2005 Who Reads What list. Since I quite enjoyed Breathing Room by Phillips, and I am a big historical romance reader (though good ones are too few and far between), I had to try what Phillips called, "One of the best historical romances ever."
So I put in a request for the one copy available from MPOW. I took it for the plane ride to Florida. Wow. Whew. OMG. All that. I wept, for chrissakes. You can find all kinds of over-the-top reviews practically anywhere you look. I cannot believe I had never heard of it. It is so well-written. I didn't notice a grammatical error in the entire book--very unusual. The dahlias were even in bloom in the fall! No botanical impossibilities. Of course, I put in requests for more Laura Kinsale titles, because I just do not have enough to read. I'm buying it. Actually, I am buying two copies, because I know I will be lending it out.
Speaking of which, anyone out there know where my copy of Pattern Recognition is? By the way, William Gibson doesn't update his blog nearly enough. But when it does turn up in my aggregator, it often makes my day.
I store many things in my aggregator by marking them "keep new". This is particularly useful in the blogosphere, I find. I keep trying different methods to impose order. Most recently, I have begun using del.icio.us. It's a way to bookmark pages, and then access your bookmarks from anywhere. It's also social, since you can share bookmarks, and see what someone else has bookmarked. It's very interesting. There are all kinds of people examining how del.icio.us tags create folksonomies. Here's my del.icio.us page. Already, I think my tags need work, and the links on my page are barely the tip of the iceberg.
Then I think, what tags would I put on this post? OK, romances, gibson, folksonomies...wait! I meant to talk a little in this post about how poorly libraries treat romance readers. When I first started at MPOW, paperback romances were not catalogued at all. So I could not have requested Flowers from the Storm at all. Now we have "quick entry"--a minimal improvement--not what anyone who has taken cataloguing in a Masters program would call cataloguing. I am sure that many copies of Flowers from the Storm have been weeded. Because paperback romances have no value. I was thinking that was why it didn't turn up in Open Worldcat, but neither did the Gibson. Speculative fiction discrimination?
I ostensibly started this blog as a way of keeping better track of my reading. Maybe I need a better way to keep track of my mind! Go read something.
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