Zotero. Is it here to stay?

I have not really been keeping up to date lately with the blogosphere. but have heard a fair bit about Zotero (1, 2 & 3. Which is described as :-

Even though it is still in its toddler-hood, Zotero’s idea of being a bibliographic manager that runs in your browser and grabs citations on your command from lists of books or journals is still appealing. Plus, the ability to make folders for your citations from particular topics is something that EndNote (via EndNoteWeb) is finally giving in to.

Unfortunately the might of Thomsons Reuters is suing them(via Panlibus as:-

Thomson Reuters demands $10 million and an injunction to stop George Mason University from distributing its new Web browser application, Zotero software, an open-source format that allows users to convert Reuters’ EndNote Software. Reuters claims George Mason is violating its license agreement and destroying the EndNote customer base.

I better get a move on and use it then.

Sue Hill and Hollywood librarian

I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff at Sue Hill who were so supportive in the recent months. They've been top to me.

I was sad I couldn't make there viewing last week of the Hollywood librarian. Loving the Blog to.

My sisters wedding

My sister yesterday was married in Scotland. t was a lovely day and I was supported by my lovely girlfriend. It was hard to be happy with my recent loss but I'm glad I went.

Senate House Library opens up to facebook

Senate House Library (where I work) has started a facebook page. Please join us, join us.......

Why no comments article via ttw

Taming the web has linked to an interesting article entitled 'why no comments' (via here). In it, TTW says (sorry this is poor practice but still):-

One of the stumbling blocks for libraries when we talk about blogging is the fact that so many library blogs never get comments. This article - focused on associations - might be very useful for strategic planning for the library blog.

I especially like this one:

2. Open and easy. If you really want to build comments, you have to be open and make commenting easy. Limiting your blog content or commenting features to members also limits what you can achieve with your blog. A members-only strategy may be appropriate in some cases, but not if your goal is to engage a vocal audience. In fact, to truly be open, try setting up a blog with

No login;
Easy to find comment links;
No captchas—those annoying things that make people spell out letters to prove they are human;
No moderation. (You can always be notified of new posts and moderate after the comments are posted.) The instant gratification a new commenter feels when they see their name and content post to your site is not to be underestimated.


I totally agree. So many times i've spoken to libraries and ease of access is such a stumbling block. It could be I don't sell it well enough, but I think any blogger feels content when they recieve comments.

Please feel free to comment ;)

Public library survey for masters degree

Sarah Hammond has a questionaire for any public librarians. If you got the time to assist this Masters student please do.

The funeral

On friday we buried my brother. In a moving ceremony we celebrated my brothers short life. I keep strong for my family, but the void he leaves is irreplacable. I'll always miss you Jody and thankful for the time you gave me and promise to stay strong for you and mum and Pete. You would have done so for me.

A question

I am interested in doing a Phd in librarianship. Does anyone know what universities would cover this area in the uk?

New blog release

For those short story writers a new has been released called small stories. The blurb on the front says of the site:-

Read. Write. Share.
Small Stories - social storytelling.

Share stories with other people
Read and comment on other peoples’ stories
Guidelines:

Stories must be submitted by the author.
Stories have to be 300 words or less.

Sounds an interesting format and not covered in adverts. Sweet

Funeral

As you may know, my brother was murdered. This friday we will finally lay him to rest. I miss him terribly, but i'd like to say thanks to some lovely comments left behind and the support I have had, especially Phil Bradley's. I will always remember the good times. But always hoped for more......

Innocent blood

My step dad left this poem as a tribute to my brother. For those who feel my actions are wrong for this site, then I apologise, but am using this as I can't make sense of much at the moment.

INNOCENT BLOOD

Innocent blood, poured out on the sand,
innocent blood from an innocent man,
Life taken, lives ruined, by mindless attack,
life taken, lives ruined, AND NO TURNING BACK.

No smile, no joy, no memory now,
no smile, no joy, no crease of the brow,
no laugh, no shout, no jokes \in the night,
no laugh, no shout, ``Dad, mum, you alright ? "

No future together, no son to hold,
no friend through the years as I grow old,
How much you have taken, you may never have known,
The love of a father, for his son that has gone.

DAD

Jody the Junglist

This is for my brother, who passed away. Here are 2 links. One from the BBC and video a great friend made of him. Thanks for everyones thoughts. Its appreciated.

Bad day

Had the worst news when I was told my brother was murdered. Still numb.

The Google storm rages on........

I recently discussed the fall out from Google Librarian central, which Steven Cohen had pointed out, had not been written in for 1 year. Well, they have finally responded, and told us there back. But only as a newsletter.
As one critic said:-

They've been thinking about how best to communicate with us, and this apparently is best done by closing the weblog and reverting to a newsletter. Is this one of the first examples of a company dumping Web 2.0 technology in favour of 1.0?

Meredith Farkas has been defending the Google line, saying:-

Some people are up in arms because they feel that Google has some obligation to libraries beyond the contractual obligations to those they’re working with. Some people feel like librarians have been used. I must be missing something, because I don’t feel anything of the kind. Marketing is designed to make you like a company or product. Their marketing worked.

Fair point Meredith, but as a company there making a profit of everyone's culture, there not doing this so we can access information. Google have said that:-

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

ut I'd agree with another view point, that :-

Google's real mission is to organize the world around advertising.

If there doing it on the back of being the only company making books available online, they have a monopoly to decide what goes up and what gets hits. But hell, Marketing is designed to make you like a company.

Interview on my other blog

As you may or may not know, I've recently started a new blog called SAVE SENATE HOUSE. Anyhow, two students have started a successful facebook campaign. I have just interview one and put it up on the site, so please check it out.

New book I have been enjoying

I've always been a big computer fan, since my first one back in 1982. I have also often thought about writing a book on the ZX Spectrum. Seems someone has got there before me, when I picked up Jack Railton's book 'The A to Z of Cool Computer Games'. Though not totally based fully on the Speccy, many games are discussed.

I'd still like to see a book or article on the 80's Politics of Spectrum and its games (for example Monty on the Run was a game about the coal miners strike and how the mole was trying to escape miners, flying pickets, or the game Morris Meets the Bikers', which was a game which was made by automata, who tried to make the games 'non confrontational', how 80's pc is that?_

An indepth look at Google library blog, or what happened

As many bloggers (1, 2, 3) and especially Steven Cohen deliberate the impact of Google Librarian Central blog and its disappearance, it seems little has been said why? Expecially from Google, but other sources. Perhaps google never got around to reading.

Firstly, Steven was not the first one to point out the demise of the blog, as it was discussed way back in January.

Secondly, Google now no longer has any competition from Microsoft in this area any longer. Therefore, the competition has disappeared in May of this year. But this does not still explain why they went 10 months without mentioning it?

In my opinion, Google was always a company and companies there are to make profits, and not to help society live a fruitful existance (unlike librarians). As Charles Arthur had pointed out :-

Google gets the book contents free, gets to sell adverts against them, and the publishers get ... what? The promise that they might sell some more books. It certainly sounds like something for nothing. And once again, it's Google that gets the something, and everyone else who is left scrabbling for the scraps.

Google should at least address this error. If they make a blog for librarians and then dump it, you'll really annoy people (as Steven has shown).

Also, it might make us look less uncritically at Google, and agree with one critic who says google is White bread for young minds

Encyclopaedia Britannica Debate - Do schoolchildren and students know how to research?

The RSA in London has an interesting talk called 'Encyclopaedia Britannica Debate - Do schoolchildren and students know how to research?' Sounds like an interesting panel especially with Stephen Heppell. As its free i'll have to go, even though I fly out the next day.

Who needs a library when Tesco's is just as good?

I read with interest Pete Smith's blogs discussing how one councillor in Doncaster, the Director of Customer Services (sic), Stuart Hall, has had this to say about cutbacks that will materially damage the library service[whoops, Pete pointed out it was an officer not councillor]:-

“What is the point in buying new books? Tescos sell them cheaply and everything you need to know is on the Internet.”


Ummmmm. Now i'm not sure if I'd really like to see Stuart Hall's book collection, but is this guy for real? So, whats he saying? That libraries are dead? That a dumb terminal will give us the answers? That Jackie Collins new novel will show us the meaning of life?

How Google Used Librarians…and Got Away With It

A few blogs have been discussing Steven Cohen's blog on How Google Used Librarians…and Got Away With It (1,2).Steven, David Rothman and Siva Vaidhyanathan, gicve a good platform why this has occured. I was astonished when they pointed out Google hadn't even enter a blog entry for a year.

Phil Bradley (the english voice of reason) has some salient points also on the matter. Phil, like Steven Cohen has argued we should not just use (or is it BE USED) by Google. But to use other sources.

Anyway, all too sad and all to predictable.