Arnoldy, Ben. Will Google search favor Google content? The search giant’s new online encyclopedia raises concerns about conflict of interest. Christian Science Monitor, August 6, 2008.
An excerpt:
"'This is a step too far,' says Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of Search Engine Land. 'Google’s job started out being a service that points people to other information, and that remains their primary job – not to be providing the information themselves.'...'They really didn’t need to do Knol,' says Sullivan. 'What you really want sometimes is for Google to say no to itself.'"
As readers’ advisory has grown, so has the number of resources providing advice to the advisors. While many of them, such as the landmark Genreflecting (first published in 1982), serve as practical tools for librarians who are helping patrons find something to read, others concentrate more on theory and method. Libraries that provide RA services need to have both kinds of guides on hand. For this core collection, we’ve included two must-have classics, plus a representative selection of other current titles, several of which focus on a major genre or a specific audience. For electronic RA resources, see Jessica Moyer’s “Core Collection: Electronic Readers’-Advisory Tools.” >>read more
-From Booklist Online, July 9, 2008 by Mary Ellen Quinn
or slow, concentrated thought. It’s in their economic interest to drive us to distraction.”
- Posted to the ili-l listserv by David Kent, Instruction Librarian,
Meghan Lafferty, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Librarian, at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities wrote and intriguing article about smaller academic institutions and companies that often cannot afford the big-time chemistry databases, and how ELM assists in filling that void. You can read her article "Does Chemistry Content in a State Electronic Library Meet the Needs of Smaller Academic Institutions and Companies?" in the publication Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, Winter 2008, available at: http://www.istl.org/08-winter/refereed4.html
The first in a new series of podcasts and webinars from Programs and Research staff is now available on the OCLC Web site.
The podcasts are recorded impromptu interviews in which Programs and Research staff ask industry thought leaders “What’s keeping you awake at night?”
For more information, visit: http://www.oclc.org/programsandresearch/parcasts/default.htm
To tamp down the noise level in their libraries, some colleges are considering installing a warning system that looks like a traffic signal. Called the Deluxe Yacker Tracker, the device flashes a yellow light to indicate when the noise exceeds a certain level. When it exceeds the level by at least 15 decibels, the red light illuminates and a siren can go off, too.
What ever happened to just approaching students and telling them to keep it down?---Andrea L. Foster
School Library Journal just intereviewed Adela Peskorz, Faculty Librarian and Associate Professor of Adolescent Literature and Information Studies, Metropolitan State University (MN). Peskorz "becomes den mother to anywhere between 20 to 45 teens, all clamoring to get their hands on new galleys from teen and young adult publishers. The self-titled Teens Know "Best" YA Galley Group is part of YALSA's Young Adult (YA) Galley/Teen's Top Ten Project which uses 15 public libraries and school library media centers from across the country to provide feedback to publishers of young adult books. "
To read the full article, visit: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6551777.html?nid=4302&rid=1529597745&source=link
Tom Zillner, Research Coordinator, at Wisconsin Library Services wrote a wonderful summary on the semantic web and its importance for library staff and our patrons.
Zillner states, Takeaways From This Article
• The potential of the semantic web will soon translate into reality.
• Yahoo! Search’s adoption of semantic web searching will provide a richer return of information to its users.
• RDF (Resource Description Framework) is a format for representing semantic information.
• Microformats can also represent semantics.
• Watch for other search engines to weigh in with their own version of semantic search.
You can read the full article at: http://www.wils.wisc.edu/technotes/semanticWeb.pdf
The entire nelson’s excerpt, visit: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6535098.html For a complete list of all awardees, visit: http://www.libraryjournal.com/toc-archive/2008/20080315.html?section=Movers+%26%+Shakers
Another article highlighted by Library Journal's Academic Newswire shows that a "recent job satisfaction survey suggested there was one overarching reason why the MLS was important to them: advancement. But, while you can’t afford not to have the degree if you expect to advance professionally, paying for the degree is another matter. For more on this click here. Remember that Library Journal can be veiwed via the Professional Collection, MasterFILE Premier, and Academic Search Premier- all part of ELM!
"How they came to their careers is as varied as the people themselves, but despite some clear challenges for college and university librarians in the digital age, academic librarianship is good work, according to Library Journal's recent Job Satisfaction Survey (examined in Take This Job and Love It ). The overwhelming majority of the 1,209 academic respondents—some 70 percent across all age groups and institution size—reported being either “very satisfied” (32.1 percent) or “satisfied” (37.9 percent) with their jobs. Just under a quarter reported they were “somewhat satisfied” (23.4 percent). Only 6.7 percent admitted they were dissatisfied with their career choice." This is from Library Journal Academic Newswire, which can be viewed here.
This little-known website is an extraordinary online resource." stated the blurb on ELM in the most recent issue (Jan 2008) of the MPLS/ St. Paul magazine! The Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) was the only reference website listed in the article "Guide to Weird, Wacky Wonderful Local Websites" (p 186). Let's make ELM more than just a "little-known website" this year! For training or promotional materials contact the MINITEX Reference Services department at 1-800-462-5348.
The ALA's Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) currently solicited feedback on the definition of reference, and possible changes to that definition with the idea of presenting a new definition—or reaffirming the current one—to the RUSA board at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in January.
The current and suggested changed can be read and commented on at: http://www.rusablog.org/blog/_archives/2007/11/14/3352903.html
Take a look at the below article on Learning Communities. Try to think how your institution and MINITEX is fostering learning communities amongst library staff.
http://www.edutopia.org/professional-development-through-learning-communities
Wondering how to apply the Google Customized Search Engine field to the library world, or to assist your patrons? Read the latest issue of the Google Librarian Newsletter. the article "Google Custom Search Engine: A Powerful Tool for Knowledge Experts" by Dan Appleman, provides a wonderful and powerful look as to how this feature enables software developers accomplish desired tasks more quickly and efficiently. To read the article, visit: http://www.google.com/librariancenter/newsletter/0705.html
A library specific Customized Search Engine that has already been created is the Librarian's E-Library, at: http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=015271347771663724636%3Acmwvisovdsg
Another interesting website I found perusing the Internet is on Search Engine Showdown. They compare six customized search engines with the topic of State Libraries. See what you think of each search engine, visit: http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/cse/search-state-libraries/
As posted before, MINITEX has created tutorials on how to create a Google Customized Homepage and a Google Custom Search Engine. To view these tutorials, visit: http://www.minitex.umn.edu/train-conf/webinars/archived.asp#149
This article from the “Careers” section of the 5/23/07 “Chronicle of Higher Education” is worth a read. To view the article, visit:
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/05/2007052301c/careers.html
Young Adult Library Services; Winter2007, Vol. 5 Issue 2, p40-43, 4p
By: Bolan, Kimberly; Canada, Meg (Hennepin County Librarian); Cullin, Rob
The article provides information about three online information services for teenagers which include Web 2.0. Library 2.0 and Teen Services 2.0 in the U.S. Web 2.0 is the next generation of Internet-based services, such as networking sites, wikis, folksonomies, tagging and interactive web services, that allow online collaboration and sharing of information. Library 2.0 was developed through the inspiration of Michael Casey and its elements are customer service, podcasting and its latest services gaming. Teen Services 2.0 focuses on the participation of teenagers by listening to the different needs, wants and ideas to design a program that fits their needs.
MINITEX’s new CPERS librarian, Rita Baladad, along with Karen Bronshteyn, published the article “Librarians as Writing Instructors: Using Paraphrasing Exercises to Teach Beginning Information Literacy Students” in The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume, 32, Number 5, pages 533-536.
“This article promotes the use of paraphrasing exercises and add-ons to information literacy instruction in order for students to gain proficiency in thinking critically about a source and expressing their own voice with the convention of parenthetical citation. Examples are provided for development and assessment of a paraphrasing excise to promote the effective utilization of information.”
"The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition has as its mission to support and advance efforts to improve student learning and transitions into and through higher education. We achieve this mission by providing opportunities for the exchange of practical, theory-based information and ideas through the convening of conferences, teleconferences, institutes, and workshops; publishing monographs, a peer-reviewed journal, a newsletter, guides, and books; generating and supporting research and scholarship; hosting visiting scholars; and administering a web site and electronic listservs."
For a guide to our profession's literature on the First Year Experience and Students in Tranisition see the annotated FYE Bibliography.
Here is an article written by Melissa Aho, a career college librarian at the Minnesota School of Business.
Career College Libraries: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly in LIScareer for Novemeber 2006
http://www.liscareer.com/aho_career.htm