July 2012
25 posts
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Digital Shift: Ebooks Choices and the Soul of... →
Here’s my conclusion: ebook models make us choose. And I don’t mean choosing which catalog, or interface, or set of contract terms we want — though we do make those choices, and they matter. I mean that we choose which values to advance, and which to sacrifice. We’re making those values choices every time we sign a contract, whether we talk about it or not.
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Letters to a Young Librarian: Taking Care of... →
This is so, so important! I’d argue that this is vital for everyone, service-based profession or no.
Librarianship has always been a service profession. People attracted to service (nursing, teaching, etc.) want to help others, which is great. On the other hand, those who are “helpers” can sometimes suffer mental, physical and/or emotional burnout. Hopefully some of the tips below will...
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Quality Digest: Why Good People Can't Get Jobs →
Excellent article, and somewhat reassuring for those currently hunting for jobs, especially this part:
I think the first thing is to remember that if you’re looking for a job, to a large extent it’s not your fault that you don’t have one. There just aren’t enough jobs for the number of people looking for them now; the shortfall is enormous. So, don’t take it personally if you can’t find a job.
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INFOdocket: Reference: Media Guide: 182 Pages of... →
Awesome source of info about the Olympics.
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Internet Archive Blogs: More Music on the Archive →
I knew they had video content, but not music. Awesome. :)
Some think of the Internet Archive as just the Wayback Machine, but we have other great collections. Our music collection is worth listening to and made some jumps recently:
Our live music collection now has over 100,000 concerts from over 5,000 bands (including an almost complete collection of Grateful Dead concerts)
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And the...
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Kristen Lamb: An Industry on the Brink—Five... →
Some of these points are applicable to libraries, as well.
Mistake #1—Fear Mistake #2—Paper is Married to Petroleum DOOM Mistake #3—Reliance on Outdated Gimmicky Marketing Tactics Mistake #4—Over-Fixation on Tools Mistake #5—Expecting Commerce Before Community
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Shatzkin Files: Subscription models seem to me to... →
There’s a pretty strong pattern here to the subscription offers we see.
They’re usually done by publishers. (Safari isn’t a publisher anymore, but it was started by publishers.) That means they’re working with the publishers’ margins (bigger than an aggregator’s margins). Controlling the product flow means they can make good use of intereaction with their audience, learning through data and...
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ACRL Tech Connect: A Brief Trip into Technology... →
If meebo was any indication, even established, long running technology services can go away without much advanced notice. What is a library to do with incorporating third party applications, then? There is no way to ensure that all the services and applications that you use at your library will still be in existence for any length of time. Change is about the only constant in technology and it...
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Krafty Librarian: My Loser Boyfriend: eBooks →
As much as I love ebooks and technology, they are like a crummy loser boyfriend. Full of ups and downs that take you on a roller coaster of emotions only leaving you to love them one minute and hating them the next. Just like that loser boyfriend they have money issues.
[…]
Eliminate the artificial barriers for access. We do a VERY good job of maintaining proper access to our online...
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NYT: Two Guys Made a Web Site, and This Is What... →
By putting tasty headlines on nutritious subjects — chocolate sauce on brussels sprouts, as it were — Upworthy can make the sharing impulse work on topics beyond LOLCats and fashion disasters.
Mr. Pariser and Mr. Koechley thought there might be some traction in their approach in November 2011 when the gay marriage debate was raging. There was a remarkable piece of video in which an earnest...
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INFOdocket: Project Gutenberg Hits Major... →
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USA.gov: Four Reasons to Visit Your Local Library... →
You don’t have to be outdoors to have a fun summer. In fact, some of the most gratifying and enriching activities might happen within the four walls of one of our country’s 123,000 public libraries.
The range of info posted by USA.gov is always fascinating, and this particular post is just awesome. ;)
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GradHacker: Dressing for Battle: Academic... →
There are some great tips here for anyone who needs to look presentable without having lots of money to spend (e.g. new librarians). :)
Here are some quick and simple upgrades from an undergraduate to a graduate work wardrobe:
Cleanliness is key: No more “off the floor, out the door.”
If you sleep in it or wear it to the gym, it doesn’t go to work. No sweats, baggy tees, yoga pants, amorphous...
