10 libraries to close in Belfast

As mentioned previously the 15 Libraries that were proposed to be cut, has been reduced to 10 (story here). Maybe one day I'll bring some good news on this blog.

Library Mashup book reviewed

Having mentioned previously a book review of Nicole Engard's Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Databook, I noted that there's a further review here on the book.

How to make stuff

Wikiman's blog has an interest post entitled Just Do It (yourself)… free tools to empower. So for those who want to know how to make a poster, podcast or video, check it.

James Murdoch.....a chip off the old block

As mentioned previously the British Library is to digitise newspapers from the early 1700's and put them online. Seems James Murdoch attacks British Library for digitising newspapers. Lovely, nice to see them taking our history for a profit.

BL to digitalise old newspapers for the Internet

(Found via here). The British Library is to digitise newspapers from the early 1700's and put them online. Brightsolid the British Library online publishing wing is in charge of the project (see here).

Library humour falls flat

I was looking at my twitter feeds last night when this one came up from Michael Stephens tweet saying :-

Not pleased at all with Jay Leno's remark about library cuts in LA

This morning I found this was his comment (found via here):-

"People here in Los Angeles are upset that the mayor's proposed plan to cut the budget of libraries. This could affect as many as nine people."

The great great thing about Leno's humour is its of a generation. Not this generation.

Job tips for Librarians

Meredith Farkas has a great article entitled Tips for library job applicants in a tight market. Most of its pretty obvious, but in these days of struggling for jobs or considering a change of career its worth a read.

Give way to digital format? Not yet, we're British......

Seems us Brits do not want to get rid of our physical objects like CD's,DVDs and books in an article entitled 'The majority of Britons are still 'wedded to Cd's, DVDs and books'. I use both, but I do enjoy the physicality of the object. How long that lasts is another matter.

Job cuts in Hampshire

The axe is being wielded in hampshire public libraries it seems. The BBC reports Sixty Hampshire library service jobs to be cut.
The article says:-

The authority needs to save more than £1m but has promised not to reduce opening hours or close any libraries.

The plans could see more self-service facilities at branches while a further review will also look into the mobile library service.

Affected staff, which include managers and workers in support roles, have been told of the plans.

The importance of phones......130 years on

Radio 3 last night had a programme entitled The Pleasure Telephone (available to UK users here) which discussed how the love of telephones is nothing new, and how in the 1880's people could have a telephone fairly cheaply. Sounded quite similar to Tom Standage's book The Victorian Internet.

My new t-shirt

Maybe I won't wear this to work.

A blog post I can relate to

(Found via here). Here's a great blog post entitled 10 Easy Ways To Make Your Day Worse. Here's Josh Hanagarne list of 10:-

1. Hold onto that grudge

2. Blame someone else for your own shortcomings

3. Wonder why anyone wastes their time on you

4. Think of yourself as a lost cause

5. Tell a lie

6. Just kill some time

7. Think about how much you hate your job while you’re at work

8. Belittle someone

9. Tell yourself that you can’t make a difference

10. Slouch in every chair you sit in

I defy anyone not to have at least one of these during a day.

Liver and Mash today

The fourth installmet of Library mash up starts today in Liverpool. Like many i'll be unable to attnd but following it by twitter with the following hashtag #mashliv. More information on todays proceeding can be found here. All those there (physically and digitally), enjoy.

A shiny forager survey

Shiny forager blog has a post entitled have you worked for free?
In the post she says:-

I am presenting a paper at the conference. It is called: Would You Work For Free? Unpaid Work in the Information Profession and How to Make it Count.

In the article she also says:-

Dear reader, can you help? - either by participating in my survey or passing it on to anyone in your network to whom it applies? You can find the survey here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VCV6RHN

So, if you have time, please do the questionaire, it only take a couple minutes.

Irony in the digital world

Having mentioned I was going to Cilip to hear David Nicholas discuss The Google Generation: implications for libraries and librarians , I went last night. I was fully armed with my blackberry and new twitter application. I briefly listened to the tales of woo in being under employed or looming job losses.
The evening started with a meet an greet and food an drink. Tom Roper created a hashtag here for the event and it was nice to see other tweeters there (1, 2, 3 & 4).
After the AGM meeting which was very strange lets say (although Stephen Cook and the chair were good), we had another break (and a glass of wine).
Here is where it got interesting. I had wanted to hear David Nicholas talk and it was fascinating and a great slideshare on the subject can be found here. As the talk proceeded it seemed us twitters were getting told off for tweeting. I was personally told by a gentleman, who's consumption of food was only surpassed by his consumption of wine, that the screen was annoying him. Others also commented as follows:-

WoodsieGirl: Just got told off for tweeting at #ggcilip! Apparently light was reflecting off my "blackberry" so ppl behind me couldn't see the speaker :s .

There really felt a me and them attitude from some there. Us tweeters perhaps see ourselves as Information professionals
rather than librarians. This was an event on the social web to a degree but we are told to be quite an behave by our elders. As Nicholas pointed out, that world no longer exist (though I doubt they heard that or could hear it unless their hearing aids were higher I suppose?)
It seems that many of the people there hadn't considered Cilip 2.0 or its consequences. It felt that the meeting should have a digital apartheid, where the digital natives sit at the back and the 'professionals' can sit in the front and pontificate. I'm sorry to say that's not the modern world.
Its a real travesty as the committee of the meeting wanted new blood and help there, but if the young are treated like that why bother?
By the way, I wasn't the only one to feel uncomfortable there.

Guardian article on free labour

And not the one that lost. Seems that The Guardian has an article entitled Council services in our hands, which looks at public services going to volunteers. This has been mentioned previously. What a great idea. After the initial euphoria of volunteering it all slows down. Anyhow, why do I pay taxes for experts to do jobs and get volunteers instead. Ridicolous idea.

Web 3.0......the video

There's an interesting video here called Web 3.0 by Kate Ray A story about the Semantic Web interviews with:-
Tim Berners-Lee
Clay Shirky
Chris Dixon
David Weinberger
Nova Spivack
Jason Shellen
Lee Feigenbaum
John Hebeler
Alon Halevy
David Karger
Abraham Bernstein .

Catch it now.

The return of CIPA

CIPA or the Children's Internet Protection Act which was a bills that the United States Congress proposed to limit children's exposure to pornography and explicit content online. Seems Jessamyn West found out someone has challenge the ruling. An interesting legal case seems likely.

Musical Darwinism: the evolutionary implications of indeterminate notation and its intersection with a Library 2.0 world paper

A colleague of mine has just written an interesting paper entitled Musical Darwinism: the evolutionary implications of indeterminate notation and its intersection with a Library 2.0 world. Very worthwhile if interested in musical libraries a web 2.0.

4 years on

It seems the 02.05.06 was my first blog post on this site. So its happy anniversary to me.

To quote a sex pistols song

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? Good night. Well it does to me now Google to launch ebook store. And I thought Google books was just so they could organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful?

Cilip event with Professor David Nicholas

Professor David Nicholas who wrote The Google Generation: implications for libraries and librarians is giving a talk on the subject at Cilip's offices on 12.05.10. I've booked early, and for those interested I suggest you do it now.