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Get That Book Deal: Three Books Tell You How : NPR

Get That Book Deal: Three Books Tell You How : NPR.

Get That Book Deal: Three Books Tell You How
All Things Considered, April 15, 2009

Listen Now [3 min 47 sec] [listen link on NPR Web site]

I needed advice before I tried to write a novel. The usual axiom — write what you know — wasn't helpful. I spend my days driving my older children to school and changing my younger one's diaper — not exactly best-seller material.

EBSCOhost Debuting Discovery Service, Aims at One-Stop Search Interface - 4/10/2009 - Library Journal

EBSCOhost Debuting Discovery Service, Aims at One-Stop Search Interface - 4/10/2009 - Library Journal.

EBSCOhost Debuting Discovery Service, Aims at One-Stop Search Interface
Josh Hadro -- Library Journal, 4/10/2009

* Service will rely on indexed content
* Three tiers of service based on the EBSCOhost 2.0 plaftorm
* Content partnership includes access to OCLC WorldCat records

As many in the industry predicted, it was only a matter of time until EBSCOhost got in on the discovery game: today, the company announced the EBSCOhost Discovery Service, to be made available by the end of 2009 as a component of its Integrated Search platform.

This buttresses the recent announcement of a federated search option available to libraries that subscribe to EBSCOhost databases. However, unlike federated search that relies on limited access to remote resources via connectors, the Discovery Service product will rely on pre-indexed content and metadata. At a basic level what this means is that users, through a single interface, will be able to search through all of the preindexed materials—potentially including catalog records, subscription databases, and web content—more quickly than with existing metasearch tools and with many more possiblities for the refinement of search results.

ALA | State of America's Libraries Report - April 2009

ALA | State of America's Libraries Report - April 2009.

(screenshot above)

The State of America's Libraries Report 2009

Contact Information
Macey Morales/Jennifer Petersen
ALA Media Relations
ALA Public Information
Office (312) 280-4393/5043 mmorales@ala.org / jpetersen@ala.org

Released April 13, 2009

"Library use increases dramatically as economy sags; funding declines"

Table of Contents | Download Print Version (PDF)

NYPL Digital Gallery | Dust Jackets from American and European Books, 1926-1947

NYPL Digital Gallery | Dust Jackets from American and European Books, 1926-1947.

Dust Jackets from American and European Books, 1926-1947
More than 2,000 original specimens of book jackets from trade books acquired routinely by the Research Libraries.

Above is a sample dust cover image, from the Collection...

Collection Contents | Related Subjects

Collection History
Despite the fact that dust jackets often include useful information about a book and its author, including biographical notes and often a portrait, it has long been Research Libraries practice to remove the jackets from new books during processing for their permanent place in the stacks. However, from 1926 to 1947, anonymous librarians selected and saved interesting jackets from books of all sorts. Arranged roughly by date published/acquired, these paper covers eventually filled the 22 large scrapbooks presented here. This digital collection offers, first, a view of each jacket's front, spine, and inside flap; jacket backs and flaps may be viewed by clicking the "View Verso" button on the "image details" pages.

The jackets in the collection are from books published in the United States and Europe during two turbulent decades. Throughout, the illustrations and titles mirror the era's changing political concerns and desires. The dominant Art Deco design trends of the early years are evident. Many of the most powerful designs come from the Weimar Republic. The economies of scarce resources during the war years, 1942-45, are not evident in the continuity of graphic design, though the paper is low-grade.

Thanks to the Librarians' Internet Index, for the pointer to this item...

Library plan scrutinized

Library plan scrutinized.

Library plan scrutinized
Questions raised on cost, charter status for attached school
By Maureen Magee (Contact) Union-Tribune Staff Writer, Jeanette Steele (Contact) Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. April 11, 2009

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO — Civic activists who have long dreamed of building a new central library in downtown San Diego, lately with a school attached, are facing a growing number of questions.

San Diego school board members are now debating whether to seek an exemption from California's expensive earthquake safety standards for public schools or to pursue a charter campus to get around them.

City officials are awaiting the school district's next move on its plan to spend $20 million in Proposition S bond money for a high school on two floors of the proposed library.

More of the tale of the downtown's proposed New Main Library.. the comments are revealing about the citizens of San Diego, what they value, what they think of how this proposal and the financing and design have been done.. it's not the money now so much as the citizens' views, political will, and desire for building a library for the future of San Diego, and its future citizens and users...

The Associated Press: Tar Heels return home to celebrate 5th title

The Associated Press: Tar Heels return home to celebrate 5th title.

Tar Heels return home to celebrate 5th title
By JOEDY McCREARY – 2 hours ago

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina saved the last dance for Danny Green.

The Carolina blue-clad crowd prodded him, and "Jump Around" blared from the speakers in his honor. So, just as he did before four seasons' worth of tip-offs at the Smith Center, the senior shook his hips, dangled his arms and cut loose one last time.

Whoop it up, Tar Heels, you brought another NCAA championship trophy back to campus.

Coach Roy Williams' team returned home Tuesday to celebrate the proud program's fifth national title and first since 2005 with about 13,000 revved-up fans less than 24 hours after beating Michigan State 89-72 in Detroit.

Virtual Reference Bibliography at Rutgers School of Communication and Information

Virtual Reference Bibliography at Rutgers School of Communication and Information.

Virtual Reference Bibliography
Welcome

Project Director: Dr. Marie Radford

This bibliography is designed to be used by virtual reference (VR) practitioners, researchers, students, and others. The Rutgers' team has verified all of the bibliographic citations so we are striving for a reliable resource for those interested in the print and electronic literature on VR services (aka Digital Reference or Electronic Reference). Entries include citations to journal articles, websites, and other works on all aspects of VR (live chat, e-mail, IM, and other electronic reference modes). Links to full-text articles are provided if available on the open web. This search interface enables you to search by author, title, or keyword. Authors of VR related works are invited to submit new entries and to offer corrections for any mistakes.

We welcome your comments!

You can click here to begin using the bibliography, or you can start searching by typing a keyword in the search box to the left.

Tar Heels too much for Michigan State - Los Angeles Times

Tar Heels too much for Michigan State - Los Angeles Times.

NORTH CAROLINA 89, MICHIGAN STATE 72

[Article online screenshot]
Tar Heels too much for Michigan State
Associated Press

[Image] Streeter Lecka / Getty Images North Carolina Coach Roy Williams celebrates after the Tar Heels defeated Michigan State, 89-72, in the NCAA championship game.

DETROIT -- There was a team of destiny out there, all right. It's the North Carolina Tar Heels, and the final chapter of their story was about as heartwarming as a demolition derby.

Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and North Carolina won a national championship a season or more in the making, stomping out Michigan State's inspirational run Monday night with a 89-72 blowout that wasn't even that close.

LC Issues Report on Use of Unpublished Sound Recordings in Libraries

LC Issues Report on Use of Unpublished Sound Recordings in Libraries.

LC Issues Report on Use of Unpublished Sound Recordings in Libraries
by George H. Pike, Posted On April 6, 2009

The Library of Congress has released a report outlining the legal status of early sound recordings held by libraries and archives. The 85-page report outlines the overlapping state and federal laws governing sound recordings made prior to 1972 and the steps that libraries and archives should consider in attempting to preserve and disseminate these recordings. The legal issues are so complex that librarians would be judicious to give attention to this helpful report.

Many libraries, archives, and museums have in their possession one-of-a-kind, unpublished sound recordings made throughout the 20th century. These recordings often include audiotapes of radio broadcasts, oral history recordings made by scholars, or recordings of live and local events. These recordings represent a significant part of history that, just like other media, need to be preserved.
...
The report, along with an earlier report covering the use of commercial sound recordings (record albums, etc.), is available from the Council on Library and Information Resources at www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub144abst.html.

Phil Bradley's weblog: Using Twitter in libraries

Phil Bradley's weblog: Using Twitter in libraries.

January 29, 2009
Using Twitter in libraries

As part of an ongoing discussion on the LIS-LINK JISC mailing list I posted some ideas on using Twitter, both on an individual and library basis. One or two people kindly suggested that I should blog my response as well, hence this post.

I have to say that I found it very depressing to see the report that Twitter is blocked (even on one site, though I suspect a lot more) and I would be fascinated to know what, if any, justification is used. My prediction is that any such justification is going to be based on media hype (which is seldom accurate) and without any actual experience. A lot of the people who I follow do actually work in legal settings - for some reason this particular niche of users has really started to run with it.
...

It may be useful to provide some justifications for the use of the service by libraries or librarians. Speaking from my own experience I use Twitter for a variety of different things:

Database Licensing - How Much is Too Much? - 4/1/2009 - School Library Journal

Database Licensing - How Much is Too Much? - 4/1/2009 - School Library Journal.

Database Licensing - How Much is Too Much?
Jen Maney -- School Library Journal, 4/1/2009

Libraries are asking tough budget questions about subscription databases.

Michael Stephens of Tame the Web and Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois was invited by the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records in March to speak to librarians around the state. The following day, the State Library held a database workshop, facilitated by Stephens, to discuss the value of databases, specifically, are they worth the price we pay for them? 

Thanks to Stephens’s ability to create a relaxed, open, and frank atmosphere, the workshop led to some great discussion and a lot of questions. Since libraries all over the country are reevaluating budgets, and electronic resources comprise a large chunk of those, I thought I’d follow up with him to explore the topic more.

Downturn Puts New Stresses on Libraries - NYTimes.com

Downturn Puts New Stresses on Libraries - NYTimes.com.

Downturn Puts New Stresses on Libraries
By SUSAN SAULNY and KAREN ANN CULLOTTA, Published: April 1, 2009

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The public library here had just closed its doors one evening in December when two homeless men who had been using the stacks as shelter from the cold got into a fight on the outside steps.

What began as bickering took a violent turn when one of the men pulled out a knife and stabbed the other six times, leaving him bleeding beside the book drop.

Like libraries across the country, Arlington Heights Memorial had strived to keep pace with the changing times, ensuring its relevance in the digital age by becoming something of an indoor town square, and emphasizing that its money-saving services catered to the community’s needs.

These days, however, community need reaches far beyond reference help — and in many libraries, it is turning a normally tranquil place into an emotional and stressful hotbed.

UNESCO, Library of Congress and partners launch World Digital Library: UNESCO-CI

UNESCO, Library of Congress and partners launch World Digital Library: UNESCO-CI.

UNESCO, Library of Congress and partners launch World Digital Library
01-04-2009 (Paris)

UNESCO and 32 partner institutions will launch the World Digital Library, a web site that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world, at UNESCO Headquarters on 21 April. The site will include manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, and prints and photographs. It will provide unrestricted public access, free of charge, to this material.
...
World Digital Library Prototype

Thanks to ResourceShelf for the tip on this item...

Google Killer Killed - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

Google Killer Killed - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com.

March 31, 2009, 2:31 pm
Google Killer Killed
By Miguel Helft

When Jimmy Wales, the driving force behind the hugely successful Wikipedia, rolled out Wikia Search, a community-built search engine, 15 months ago, he said that his goal was to build a “Google-quality search engine” over time.

On Tuesday, Mr. Wales announced on his blog that he was pulling the plug on Wikia Search.

The end of Wikia Search is only the latest reminder that building a search engine, let alone a Google killer, is far from easy. Dozens of companies have tried to offer alternatives to the big search engines but none has managed to attract a large audience. Indeed, over the years Google has increased the size of its user base, sometimes at the expense of the other large search engines like Yahoo, Microsoft and Ask.com, by a far larger amount than the total audience amassed by any search start-up.