Saturday, June 30, 2007
CLA Digest - June 29, 2007
CLA Digest, from The Canadian Library Association - June 29, 2007 issue now available
Journal Info from Lund University
"The purpose of Journal Info is to provide an aid for the researcher in the selection of journal for publication. The publication market has continuously grown more and more complex. It is important to weigh in facts like scope and quality, but more recently also information about reader availability and library cost. The Lund University Libraries have made an attempt to merge all there items into one tool, giving the researcher the power to make informed choices"
Google funds Columbia's Digital Knowledge Ventures
Google has awarded Columbia University Digital Knowledge Ventures a $50,450 grant to support preparation and submission of video content from Columbia for the Google Video site. DKV will prepare up to 54 hours of new content, as well as convert 38 hours of MPEG2 content for the Google Video site. Lectures, interviews, and course content covering such diverse areas of science, economy, history and world affairs will be featured
Friday, June 29, 2007
The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference
The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference - this week: 1997. Answers here.
1. In 1997, who became the youngest British prime minister since William Pitt the younger?
2. Which actor received an Academy Award and a Golden Globe as best actor for his appearance in the 1997 film "As Good As It Gets"?
3. Which Australian pop singer released the album "Impossible Princess" in 1997?
4. Name the popular but controversial educational television programme for pre-nursery children which was first transmitted in England in 1997.
6. Which Ghanaian diplomat became secretary-general of the UN in 1997?
7. The son of the owner of the Ritz Hotel in Paris and Harrods in London died in a car accident in Paris in 1997. What was the son's first name?
8. Which former member of Talking Heads released the solo album "Feelings" in 1997?
9. What was the name given to the large and exceptionally active comet which in March 1997 made its closest fly-by to Earth since 2000 BC?
10. Which famous Yugoslavian-born Indian nun died in 1997?
1. In 1997, who became the youngest British prime minister since William Pitt the younger?
2. Which actor received an Academy Award and a Golden Globe as best actor for his appearance in the 1997 film "As Good As It Gets"?
3. Which Australian pop singer released the album "Impossible Princess" in 1997?
4. Name the popular but controversial educational television programme for pre-nursery children which was first transmitted in England in 1997.
6. Which Ghanaian diplomat became secretary-general of the UN in 1997?
7. The son of the owner of the Ritz Hotel in Paris and Harrods in London died in a car accident in Paris in 1997. What was the son's first name?
8. Which former member of Talking Heads released the solo album "Feelings" in 1997?
9. What was the name given to the large and exceptionally active comet which in March 1997 made its closest fly-by to Earth since 2000 BC?
10. Which famous Yugoslavian-born Indian nun died in 1997?
Computers in Libraries 2008 Facebook group
Computers in Libraries 2008 Facebook group is for anyone who uses technology in libraries or information services; loves to create innovative products & services for information discovery, or who wants to see what's happening in this space & track trends; has attended or wants to attend a Computers in Libraries conference; has spoken at or wants to speak at a Computers in Libraries conference
Computers in Libraries 2008
The 23rd Annual Computers in Libraries conference and exhibition will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, VA, April 7-9, 2008
First Monday Podcasts
"Starting in August 2007, First Monday Podcasts will bring you the people and events behind the interesting and novel ideas related to the history, current use, and future of the Internet"
Project Gutenberg Canada
"Most Project Gutenberg of Canada eBooks are in the Canadian public domain. In some other cases, Project Gutenberg of Canada has received permission to redistribute books which are under copyright. The headers of copyrighted ebooks describe their conditions of use. You are permitted and encouraged to redistribute Project Gutenberg of Canada books free of charge on an unlimited basis. But if you live outside Canada, check your country's laws before downloading or redistributing a Project Gutenberg of Canada ebook"
WorldWideScience.org
"WorldWideScience.org is the prototype for a global science gateway connecting you to national and international scientific databases. WorldWideScience.org accelerates scientific discovery and progress by providing one-stop searching (see advanced search) of global science sources. Subsequent versions of WorldWideScience.org will make additional science information resources from many nations accessible via this portal. WorldWideScience.org was developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information in partnership with the British Library and other sources"
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The 3rd International Conference on the Universal Digital Library
The 3rd International Conference on the Universal Digital Library - November 2-4, 2007 - Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Specifying library and archive storage
The National Preservation Office (UK) has announced the publication of Specifying library and archive storage, the latest title in its Preservation in practice series of guidance leaflets. Written by Jonathan Rhys-Lewis, consultant in preservation and collection management, the leaflet provides guidance for the design and procurement of storage furniture for library and archive material
Emerald acquires four journals from Troubador Publishing
Emerald Group Publishing Limited has announced the acquisition of four new journals to complement its existing information and knowledge management portfolio and education titles. The four new journals are: Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society; Interactive Technology and Smart Education; International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications; and International Journal of Web Information Systems
The Grey Journal - Summer 2007
The Grey Journal - An International Journal on Grey Literature - Summer 2007 now available
The Big Read becomes the largest U.S. federal literature program
"The National Endowment for the Arts has more than doubled the number of communities taking part in its nationwide reading program, the Big Read. One hundred seventeen cities were awarded grants to produce celebrations of American literature from September through December 2007. The Big Read, launched nationally in October 2006 by the NEA, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest, encourages literary reading by asking communities to come together to read and discuss one book"
Cambridge University Press and MyiLibrary announce partnership
Cambridge University Press and MyiLibrary have announced an exclusive partnership to offer hundreds of titles in five digital collections: Humanities, Social Sciences, Medicine, Law, and Science and Technology
London Lit Plus
"London Lit Plus (LL+) is an open festival, which means anyone can participate, and anyone can hold an event. All you have to do to be included is to submit your event, and we'll add it to the list on this website. We want to showcase all the wonderful literary goings-on in London that we can in a two-week period. The only conditions for entry are that it must be literary, it must be within the M25, and it must be taking place between the 29 June and 13 July 2007. We'd particularly like independent publishers and booksellers and schools to get involved, but everyone is invited"
Canadian ISBN Agency is changing August 1, 2007
"As of August 1, 2007, the Canadian ISBN Service System will replace the current ISBN procedure with a single, seamless application. This new system will overcome many of the present challenges for staff in serving a high volume of clients. It will increase staff time for client service and decrease operational time for title-by-title assignment"
The Mildred Wirt Benson Collection
The Mildred Wirt Benson Collection - featuring digitized artifacts about University of Iowa alumna Mildred Wirt Benson, journalist, pilot, amateur archaeologist, ghostwriter, and the original author of the best-selling Nancy Drew mystery series
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
A portrait of Robert E. Lee through his private letters
"Robert E. Lee was a more complex and contradictory man than his iconic image suggests. In her new biography, historian Elizabeth Brown Pryor presents dozens of previously unpublished letters to draw a new portrait of Lee's beliefs, his military ability and the times he lived in. Pryor discussed and signed "Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters," in a program sponsored by the Center for the Book" 60 minute webcast
datalibre.ca
"datalibre.ca is a group blog, inspired by civicaccess.ca, which believes all levels of Canadian governments should make civic information and data accessible at no cost in open formats to their citizens. The data is collected using Canadian tax-payer funds, and we believe use of the data should not be restricted to those who can afford the exorbitant fees"
The John Murray Archive
The John Murray Archive at the National Library of Scotland contains over 150,000 items, representing a 'Who's Who' of people and women writing in the fields of literature, science, politics, travel and exploration. Many of their ideas, inventions, discoveries and actions during the period covered by the Archive (1768-1920) were to have an enormous impact on the modern world
Internet Resources Newsletter - Issue 152
Internet Resources Newsletter - Issue 152 - July 2007 - edited by Roddy MacLeod, Heriot-Watt University, is now available
Public Library Authorities Conference 2007
PLA Conference 2007
Conference Themes:
Governance and service delivery - who is responsible?
Quality and standards - how do we monitor?
Competitors or partners?
Information, education, entertainment - can we do it all?
October 10-12, 2007 - Glasgow, Scotland
Conference Themes:
Governance and service delivery - who is responsible?
Quality and standards - how do we monitor?
Competitors or partners?
Information, education, entertainment - can we do it all?
October 10-12, 2007 - Glasgow, Scotland
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Copyright Clearance Center announces Annual Copyright License for academia
"Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. has announced the launch of the Annual Copyright License for academic institutions, a single license that provides faculty and staff with convenient, pre-approved permissions to use content in course management systems, paper and electronic coursepacks, electronic library reserves, research collaboration and more"
Elsevier announces partnership with FAST to deliver Topic Pages for scientific communication on the web
Elsevier has announced a partnership with Fast Search & Transfer to create a new free online resource for the scientific community. Hosted on Scirus, Elsevier's free search engine for scientific information, Topic Pages will pull together a variety of highly relevant academic information on a particular scientific topic of interest to researchers on a single web page. The Topic Pages will utilize intelligent search capabilities from the FAST Enterprise Search Platform
University of California Libraries collaborate with OCLC on next generation Melvyl Catalog
The University of California Libraries are working in collaboration with OCLC to pilot a next generation Melvyl Catalog supported by the OCLC WorldCat Local system. Working with OCLC gives UC the opportunity to provide users a single search and request service that begins with materials held in the University of California Libraries and expands to collections in libraries around the world in the WorldCat system, as well as a selection of article citations, all through one online catalog
Full-text Springer journals added to Wilson Select Plus on FirstSearch
About 120 new full-text journals from Springer, which includes more than 16,000 records, have been added to the Wilson Select Plus database on the OCLC FirstSearch service. The full-text is available in PDF format. Coverage is from 2004 through April 2006 and eventually will extend back to 1997
Netskills workshops
Netskills has announced its programme of workshops for July 2007 to November 2007
LLRX.com June 25, 2007 update
LLRX.com June 25, 2007 update is now online. LLRX.com is a unique, free Web journal dedicated to providing legal, library, IT/IS, marketing and administrative professionals with the most up-to-date information on a wide range of Internet research and technology-related issues, applications, resources and tools, since 1996
The CIA's Family Jewels
"The Central Intelligence Agency violated its charter for 25 years until revelations of illegal wiretapping, domestic surveillance, assassination plots, and human experimentation led to official investigations and reforms in the 1970s, according to declassified documents posted on the Web by the National Security Archive at George Washington University"
Carnival of the Infosciences #74
Carnival of the Infosciences #74 hosted by InfoSciPhi. Previous Carnivals can be found here
PLA receives Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant
Susan Hildreth, president of the Public Library Association has announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded PLA a $7.7 million grant to develop and provide a national advocacy training program for public librarians over the next three years
Monday, June 25, 2007
Chart-topping music titles to be available for download from libraries
"Music lovers will soon be able to download and fill their MP3 players with chart-topping tunes, using their library cards. Depending upon the territory within which the OverDrive partner library lies, titles from artists including Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, and Delerium will be available to lend from their websites as a result of an agreement between OverDrive, a digital media provider for libraries, and Nettwerk Music Group. More than 5,000 libraries in OverDrive's network now provide download audio books, eBooks, music, and video that library patrons can browse on the Internet, check out, and download to portable devices. Titles are automatically returned when the lending period is over, eliminating overdue fines"
James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction shortlist
The shortlist for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction has been announced - from The Scotsman
R.R. Bowker acquires Medialab Solutions, developer of AquaBrowser Library
"R.R. Bowker has announced that it has acquired Medialab Solutions, creators of the highly regarded AquaBrowser Library search and discovery platform that is used by more than 60 million patrons in public libraries throughout the U.S. and Europe. The acquisition represents the alignment of the richest collection of bibliographic data with the most popular and user-friendly visual faceted search technology in the library industry, improving Bowker's ability to deliver new products that enhance the user experience in libraries"
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Finding and understanding company information
Finding and understanding company information - delegates attending this course will gain an understanding of just what types of company information are available and how and where to access them - 12 September 2007 - London, UK
Elsevier Foundation news
The Board of The Elsevier Foundation has approved two new grant programs that may be of interest to the academic and library communities: The Innovative Libraries in Developing Countries program, and The New Scholars program
Emerald Journals RSS feeds
Emerald - publisher of over 180 journals, has a page of RSS feeds for each title
New-look libraries in pensioners' bad books
From Portsmouth Today, UK: "The future of the library revolution across Hampshire is in doubt after the revelation that older people are being driven out by the younger generation. Fears of baseball-cap wearing youths and 'hoodies' have sparked a huge drop in the number of pensioners visiting the new-style Discovery Centres, even as overall visitor numbers rise"
ebrary to replace its reader plug-in, seeks beta testers
"ebrary has announced that it will begin testing its new Java-based Reader in August and is currently seeking beta testers. The new ebrary Reader will replace its current proprietary plug-in and will provide better functionality and ease-of-use. Libraries, publishers, and other organizations that participate in the program will receive institution-wide access to a select collection of ebrary's eBooks and other titles for one year, subsidized by ebrary"
BookSurge and Kirtas collaborate to preserve and distribute historic archival books
BookSurge and Kirtas Technologies have announced a collaboration with universities and public libraries to preserve thousands of rare and inaccessible books from their collections and distribute them via BookSurge's Print-on-Demand service
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Xrefer changes its name to Credo Reference
Xrefer has announced that it has changed its name to Credo Reference. "The new name reflects the deepening commitment of the company to delivering high quality reference content that users can rely on with confidence, and that librarians can be proud to offer to their patrons"
Wellcome Images - Two thousand years of human culture
"Wellcome Images is one of the world's richest and most unique collections, with themes ranging from medical and social history to contemporary healthcare and biomedical science. All our images are available on demand in digital form. Search online or use the expertise of our professional scientific and historical researchers. Whether it's medicine or magic, the sacred or the profane, science or satire - you'll find more than you expect. This unrivalled collection contains historical images from the Wellcome Library collections, Tibetan Buddhist paintings, ancient Sanskrit manuscripts written on palm leaves, beautifully illuminated Persian books and much more"
Chicago Journals partners with American Historical Association to publish American Historical Review
"The University of Chicago Press and the American Historical Association have announced a new cooperative agreement to publish the American Historical Review. Since its inception in 1895, the American Historical Review has been the journal of record for the historical profession, maintaining and expanding its original breadth of coverage to include all fields of history"
PubMed Central hits one million article mark
"PubMed Central, NLM's free digital archive of full-text journal articles, reached the one million-article mark the week of June 18. The millionth article reportedly came from the American Journal of Pathology. Now in its seventh year, PMC is enhanced each week with articles from over 350 important life sciences journals whose publishers have agreed to deposit current issues. All of the content submitted to PMC is converted to a normalized electronic format for long-term storage and display on the web"
IMLS requests proposals to study free access to computers, the Internet, and related services
"The Institute of Museum and Library Services, U.S.A. invites proposals for a cooperative agreement to examine the social value of free access to computers, the Internet, and related services at the nation’s public libraries. Since the 1990s, public libraries have provided free access to the Internet and computers with support from government and private foundations. But, so far, little research has studied the impact of this access. IMLS' cooperator will examine the impact of free access to the Internet and computers on the social, economic, personal, professional well-being for individuals, families, and communities. The IMLS project will be carried out with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation"
e-Leo
The Leonardian Library in Vinci, Tuscany, is making the Madrid Codices and the Codex Atlanticus, two collections of scientific and technical drawings, available as a free digital archive called e-Leo. The EU-financed project will also digitize the Windsor folios and 12 notebooks from the Institut de France for a total of 12,000 pages, creating the most extensive public online archive of Leonardo's codes
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer - this week: Foreign Words and Phrases. Answers here.
1. Which French phrase, literally meaning "black film", is used for a style of film-making with a plot involving suspense, mystery, crime and corruption, and a bleak, often shadowy, setting?
2. Which Japanese word meaning "empty orchestra" is used for amateur singing in public to prerecorded backing tapes?
3. Which German word is used for traditional leather shorts that often have H-shaped braces and are worn by men in Austria, Bavaria, etc.?
4. Which Latin phrase, meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered", was used by Julius Caesar after a swift victory in 47 BC?
5. What is the meaning of the Italian word "alfresco"?
6. What is the meaning of the Latin phrase "caveat emptor"?
7. Is a "chateaubriand" the owner of a chateau, a kind of torch, or a large thick fillet steak?
8. Does the Latin word "lustrum" mean a bright light, a century, or a period of five years?
9. What is the slang meaning of the French word "poilu"?
10. What is the meaning of the Latin phrase "felo-de-se"?
1. Which French phrase, literally meaning "black film", is used for a style of film-making with a plot involving suspense, mystery, crime and corruption, and a bleak, often shadowy, setting?
2. Which Japanese word meaning "empty orchestra" is used for amateur singing in public to prerecorded backing tapes?
3. Which German word is used for traditional leather shorts that often have H-shaped braces and are worn by men in Austria, Bavaria, etc.?
4. Which Latin phrase, meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered", was used by Julius Caesar after a swift victory in 47 BC?
5. What is the meaning of the Italian word "alfresco"?
6. What is the meaning of the Latin phrase "caveat emptor"?
7. Is a "chateaubriand" the owner of a chateau, a kind of torch, or a large thick fillet steak?
8. Does the Latin word "lustrum" mean a bright light, a century, or a period of five years?
9. What is the slang meaning of the French word "poilu"?
10. What is the meaning of the Latin phrase "felo-de-se"?
Uncontrolled Vocabulary
The future home of Uncontrolled Vocabulary - a live discussion of news, trends and topics in librarianship by Greg Schwartz
WebJunction awarded grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
"WebJunction, the online community for library staff to meet to share ideas, solve problems and do online coursework, has been awarded a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to replace software, enhance site functionality and provide for long-term sustainability of services to benefit the library community. The grant, for $12.6 million over four years, will allow OCLC to replace and add software—including a new learning management system, content management system and portal software—that will provide added functionality and flexibility for WebJunction members and community partner"
Podcast: Sources for First World War army ancestry
Podcast: Mark Dunton focuses on the prime sources at The National Archives for documenting First World War army service, covering both the officers and other ranks of the British Army
2007 ILIG International Award winner
Mrs Jan Lewis, a British resident of Barbados since 1998, has won a prestigious International Award for her voluntary work at Her Majesty's Prison Harrison Point. This award has been given by the International Library and Information Group of CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Librarian and Professionals in the United Kingdom
CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards winners
The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards have been announced
Ex Libris #299
Ex Libris - an E-Zine for Librarians and Information Junkies by Marylaine Block - issue #299, June 22, 2007, now available
Thursday, June 21, 2007
SLA 2007 Conference contributed papers
Contributed papers from the SLA 2007 conference are now available
SciTalks
SciTalks is "a focused, searchable repository of video recordings of science lectures from all over the world. The site launches today with over 1,000 lectures online, and more are being added daily. Access is free and users can set up a free username and password to create their own collection of favorite videos, which can be shared with students, friends and colleagues"
Dealing with Data
"The data deluge is upon us, and now is the right time to be taking action to ensure that we are not overwhelmed. A new report Dealing with Data charts a practical path forward and will help all stakeholders plan the next steps in data curation. The report, by Dr Liz Lyon, Director, UKOLN and Associate Director, DCC, is strategically positioned to provide a bridge between the Research Information Network's high-level Framework of Principles and Guidelines for the stewardship of research data, and practitioner-focussed technical development work"
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography Version 68
Version 68 of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography is now available from Digital Scholarship. This selective bibliography presents over 3,040 articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet. Compiled by Charles W. Bailey, Jr.
The Yorkshire Book of the Year shortlist
The shortlist for The Yorkshire Book of the Year has been announced. The winner in each category will be announced on Yorkshire Day, August 1. Then on 21 September, the opening night of the Richmond Book Festival, writer, walker and Yorkshireman the Rt Hon William Hague MP will announce the overall winner
Institute of Museum and Library Services awards $28 million
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, U.S.A., has announced grants of almost $28 million under the 2007 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The multifaceted grant program supports tuition assistance, curriculum development, service expectations, job placement, recruitment of non-traditional library students, and support for doctoral candidates to teach library science and research
Sage journals no longer hosted on IngentaConnect
Sage Publications journals will no longer be available via IngentaConnect from 28 June 2007
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary free search
You can now search Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary freely online. It contains 59,000 fully searchable entries
TEI@20
TEI@20: 20 Years of Supporting the Digital Humanities - The 20th Anniversary Text Encoding Initiative Consortium Members' Meeting - 31 October-November 3 2007 - University of Maryland Libraries, University of Maryland, College Park
Global Legal Monitor - May 2007
Global Legal Monitor - May 2007 now available online from The Law Library of Congress
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
New titles added to Xreferplus
The following new titles have recently been added to Xreferplus:
The American Heritage Medical Dictionary
The American Heritage Science Dictionary
How We Talk: American Regional English Today, Houghton Mifflin
Word Histories and Mysteries From Abracadabra to Zeus, Houghton Mifflin
The American Heritage Medical Dictionary
The American Heritage Science Dictionary
How We Talk: American Regional English Today, Houghton Mifflin
Word Histories and Mysteries From Abracadabra to Zeus, Houghton Mifflin
Issues and Trends in Digital Repositories of Non-Textual Information: Support for Research and Teaching
"Libraries have long been invaluable for preserving and organizing literature produced from scientific research. Librarians and researchers alike are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of also preserving the scientific community's prodigious output of data, which are often difficult, if not impossible, to find in published literature. This engaging and informative program will address the issues and trends of storing and providing access to the vast amount of non-textual information produced by scientific research" - June 25, 2007 - Washington, D.C.
BBC Four Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction
"Imperial Life in the Emerald City, a startling account of life in Baghdad's Green Zone, is the winner of the BBC Four Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction for 2007. Its author, Rajiv Chandrasekaran, receives a cheque for GBP30,000"
Nature Precedings
"Nature Precedings is a place for researchers to share pre-publication research, unpublished manuscripts, presentations, posters, white papers, technical papers, supplementary findings, and other scientific documents. Submissions are screened by our professional curation team for relevance and quality, but are not subjected to peer review. We welcome high-quality contributions from biology, medicine (except clinical trials), chemistry and the earth sciences"
Zambia Prisons Library Project launch
"The objective of the African Prison Project is the promotion of education and health in African Prisons, through the construction of libraries and renovation of medical facilities within the prison environment". Come and find out more from the APP's funder and 2006 UK Charity Volunteer of the Year, Alexander McLean, at the launch of the Zambia Prisons Library Project - 4 July 2007 - London, UK
5th IFLA Meeting of Experts for an International Cataloguing Code
5th IFLA Meeting of Experts for an International Cataloguing Code is co-sponsored by IFLA, OCLC, and the Library of Congress together with the National Library of South Africa - August 14-15, 2007, Pretoria, South Africa
Carnival of the Infosciences #73
Carnival of the Infosciences #73 hosted by Libraryola. Previous Carnivals can be found here
LOUIS - the Library Of Unified Information Sources
"The Sunlight Foundation has launched a new search engine called LOUIS - the Library Of Unified Information Sources - to improve public access to federal documents through an all-inclusive, catalogued and cross-referenced collection of official documents from the executive and legislative branches of government"
Monday, June 18, 2007
Library and Archives Canada is redesigning its website
"Library and Archives Canada is redesigning its website. The new website design will be launched the week of June 18, 2007. LAC houses Canada's national collection of books, historical documents, government records, photos, films, maps, music and much more. The LAC website is one of the most popular federal government websites, with over one million visits per month. The goal of the new design is to provide Canadians with better access to LAC's rich and varied holdings. It has been created with the specific aim of making it easier for the public to find the information they need quickly and efficiently. At the same time, the design will allow LAC's many regular clients - such as librarians, archivists and genealogical researchers - to continue to use the collection effectively"
RFID in Libraries Conference 2007
RFID in Libraries Conference - Conference theme this year is "Putting RFID to work – are you getting value for money?" It will move the focus from RFID as a new concept to that of a maturing technology and identify how you can benefit from it - November 12 2007 - London, UK
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Readex enhances access to 50,000 historical maps within the U.S. Congressional Serial Set
"Readex has announced that it will provide customers with superior access to the more than 50,000 maps within its definitive digital edition of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980. Readex is adding authoritative cartographic records monthly and will continue until every Serial Set map carries a comprehensive record"
New journals from Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press has announced the following new journals:
The International Journal of Transitional Justice
Review of Environmental Economics and Policy
The International Journal of Transitional Justice
Review of Environmental Economics and Policy
New journals from SAGE Publications
SAGE Publications has announced that the following titles are now available online:
Chronic Illness
Journal of Endotoxin Research
Research Studies in Music Education
Chronic Illness
Journal of Endotoxin Research
Research Studies in Music Education
BIOSIS archive now extends to 1926, Zoological Record to 1864
Thomson Scientific has added more than 40 years of archived life sciences research to its BIOSIS Previews database on the Dialog and DataStar platforms, and more than 100 years of data to its Zoological Record database on Dialog
EBSCO acquires two renowned databases from ABC-CLIO
"ABC-CLIO and EBSCO Publishing have announced a new alliance that will benefit history scholars, teachers, and students around the world. This move marks an unprecedented partnership between EBSCO, the leading online research database provider, and ABC-CLIO, the leading provider of history resources. As part of the undertaking, EBSCO has acquired two of ABC-CLIO's renowned databases: Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life, and will distribute eight additional award-winning history databases in addition to ABC-CLIO's online history eBook collection, History Reference Online"
Cancer Reviews Online
The American Association for Cancer Research has announced that its new virtual review journal, Cancer Reviews Online, is now available
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Bloomsday 2007
"Bloomsday is a commemoration observed annually on 16 June in Dublin and elsewhere to celebrate the life of Irish writer James Joyce and relive the events in his novel Ulysses, all of which took place on the same day in Dublin in 1904. The day is a secular holiday in Ireland. The name derives from Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of Ulysses, and 16 June was the date of Joyce's first outing with his wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle, when they walked to the Dublin village of Ringsend"
Man Booker International Prize 2007 winner announced
Chinua Achebe is the winner of the second Man Booker International Prize. The prize is worth GBP60,000 to the winner and is awarded once every two years to a living author for a body of work that has contributed to an achievement in fiction on the world stage. It was first awarded to Ismail Kadare in 2005. Achebe is probably best known for his first novel, Things Fall Apart, written in 1958 and Anthills of the Savannah, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 1987
Three Hard Things by Roy Tennant
Three Hard Things by Roy Tennant - "A few years ago, I wrote a column called "Five Easy Pieces" (LJ 11/15/04, p. 25) to help answer the question, "Are you focused on the right tasks, solving the right problems?" I suggested the following strategies: 1) be a first-time user; 2) search like you hate it; 3) do what has impact; and 4) fight for your users. Yes, it seems that there were only four, and now you know why I didn't become a rocket scientist. I won't try to count to five again, so here are three things that may not be easy but are nonetheless important to your professional development..." - From Library Journal
Jodi Awards 2007 - winners announced
The winners of the Jodi Awards 2007 have been announced. The awards previously recognised excellence in museum, library and archive website accessibility - but this year, for the first time, the awards include any project that uses technology to provide access to collections for disabled people
Friday, June 15, 2007
BookVideos.tv
"BookVideos.tv offers compelling video stories that give readers insights into some of the world's best authors. The social media video site offers the back story about the lives, personalities and the inspirations of these engaging writers. We created Bookvideos.tv to give readers the real story behind the story. It is the place where your favorite books and authors come to life, and it's also where you can engage with the literary community on a whole new level. Using the site's variety of social media tools, you can embed an author video on your own Web site or blog, email it to a friend, or share with your book club. You can also subscribe to the videos using RSS, add them to del.icio.us, or Digg your favorite new title. Readers are encouraged to come back often as new videos are added on a regular basis"
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer - this week: Cassell's Peoples. One of the reference sources recently added to Xrefer's rich collection of material is "Cassell's Peoples, Nations and Cultures". All these questions can be answered from this source. Answers here.
1. Gibraltar is on the southern coast of which country?
2. What is the usual name for the native people of New Zealand?
3. The Flemish inhabit the Dutch-speaking northern province of which country?
4. After World War I, the Rhineland was occupied by which country?
5. The government of independent Cyprus has always been dominated by which group: Turkish Cypriots or Greek Cypriots?
6. Which country gets its name from the "North Way" - the sheltered sea route through the Skerry Guard?
7. Gascony is a historic region of which country?
8. In which country is the state of Rajasthan?
9. Who was the last communist leader of Soviet Russia?
10. What is the capital of the Republic of Mongolia?
1. Gibraltar is on the southern coast of which country?
2. What is the usual name for the native people of New Zealand?
3. The Flemish inhabit the Dutch-speaking northern province of which country?
4. After World War I, the Rhineland was occupied by which country?
5. The government of independent Cyprus has always been dominated by which group: Turkish Cypriots or Greek Cypriots?
6. Which country gets its name from the "North Way" - the sheltered sea route through the Skerry Guard?
7. Gascony is a historic region of which country?
8. In which country is the state of Rajasthan?
9. Who was the last communist leader of Soviet Russia?
10. What is the capital of the Republic of Mongolia?
IWR readers/contributors on Facebook
IWR readers/contributors - an unofficial backchannel for Information World Review readers and contributors
Third Digital Preservation Award 2007 shortlist
The shortlist for the Third Digital Preservation Award 2007 has been announced. "The Digital Preservation Award of GBP5,000 is sponsored by the Digital Preservation Coalition. This prestigious Award recognises achievement and encourages innovation in the new and challenging field of digital preservation - simply put, preserving things whose very existence depends on computers"
Innovative Reading Grant winner
Nancy Baumann, a school library media specialist at Barnett Shoals Elementary School in Athens, Ga., is the 2007 recipient of the American Association of School Librarians' inaugural Innovative Reading Grant. The $2,500 grant is intended to support the planning and implementation of a unique and innovative program that encourages reading for children, especially those who struggle with literacy
Thursday, June 14, 2007
British Library's first "Inventor in Residence"
The British Library has appointed Mark Sheahan to be its first ever Inventor in Residence. For the next 12 months Mark will be the face of the Library's intellectual property collections and services, starting with a round of free one-to-one advice sessions to be held at the British Library Business & IP Centre at St Pancras
Cardiovascular Research: New to Oxford Journals in 2008
The European Society for Cardiology has announced that its journal Cardiovascular Research will be published by Oxford Journals from January 2008. This will be the third of the ESC's prestigious titles to join Oxford Journals, following The European Heart Journal (EHJ) in 2005 and Europace in 2006
Love Libraries Competition: Top Ten New Librarians 2007
The Top Ten New Librarians competition is looking for ten innovative and inspiring individuals who are reinventing England's public library service with their fresh ideas, creativity and enthusiasm
Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright
"The Copyright Office of The Library of Congress has launched an interactive website aimed at middle-school children. The goal of Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright is to explain U.S. copyright law. The colorful and animated website includes a set of learning activities and employs a character named Detective Cop E. Wright, together with other original characters, to help bring a greater understanding of how U.S. copyright law operates"
FLICC announces awards for federal librarianship
The Federal Library and Information Center Committee has announced the winners of its national awards for federal librarianship, which recognize the many innovative ways that federal libraries, librarians and library technicians fulfill the information demands of government, business and scholarly communities and the American public
Up-to-date journal lists available on the ScienceDirect Info site
"The up-to-date title information lists for journals on the ScienceDirect Info site have been corrected and fully updated. The title list can be downloaded in Excel, CSV, and HTML formats. This will allow users more choice and flexibility"
Digital Curation Blog
Digital Curation Blog - a blog inspired by the Digital Curation Centre to discuss issues relating to the curation and long term preservation of digital science and research data
"Picturing America" pilot project grant recipients
The American Library Association Public Programs Office, in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Humanities, has announced that more than 1,500 schools have been selected to receive Picturing America, a new grant opportunity for schools and school libraries
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
DRIVER Wiki
The purpose of this DRIVER Wiki is to provide a home for community contributions from across Europe, to create a dynamic and updatable picture of open access activity in the European Union
Nominet Best Practice Challenge 2007
"We are proud to launch The Nominet Best Practice Challenge in the drive to ensure that the Internet offers a secure, open, accessible and diverse experience for all. These are the four key themes identified by the Internet Governance Forum last year. The developing Internet has created an abundance of choices, opportunities and a number of challenges. The Best Practice Challenge aims to recognise and celebrate those organisations, groups or individuals who have not only embraced these challenges, but worked to overcome them to deliver a better, more accessible, diverse or safer Internet experience. It is aimed at UK companies and other organisations, whether for-profit, or not-for-profit, and may include entrants from the charitable or academic sectors"
Native American Library Services receive $1.3 million in federal grants
"The U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded Native American tribes across the country $1.3 million in grants to improve library services. In all, 229 grants will strengthen library service for 237 Native American tribal communities and Alaska Native villages"
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice - Vol 2, No 2 (2007) is now available
reCAPTCHA from Carnegie Mellon University
"Carnegie Mellon researchers have launched a new service that will not only protect e-mail addresses on the web from spambots, but also help digitize a backlog of old books, magazines, and newspapers so that they can eventually be computer searchable. The service, called reCAPTCHA, hopes to use the eyeballs of millions of Internet users to identify thousands of words for the Internet Archive"
AL Focus
"American Libraries, the membership magazine of the American Library Association, has launched American Libraries Focus, a video component of American Libraries Online, the magazine's popular website. Created in conjunction with A.L.'s 100th anniversary this year, AL Focus is designed to add audiovisual coverage to American Libraries print and American Libraries Direct, the weekly membership e-newsletter"
2007 winner of the AASL Distinguished School Administrators Award named
Nathan S. Greenberg has been named the American Association of School Librarians' 2007 Distinguished School Administrators Award winner. The $2,000 award, which is sponsored by ProQuest Company, goes to a school administrator who has made worthy contributions to the operations of an exemplary school library media center and to advancing the role of the school library media center in the educational program
Reading the World 2007
Reading the World 2007 - Celebration of international literature, combining efforts of publishers and booksellers to help promote great writing from around the globe
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Roger K. Summit Scholarship 2007 for North America
Thomson Scientific has awarded the 2007 Roger K. Summit Scholarship for North America to Kim MacInnis, a graduate student from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. The US$5,000 award will help MacInnis to continue to pursue a joint master's degree in Library and Information Studies and Business Administration
Chicago Journals to provide access to healthcare journals through SIMID S.M.I.L.E.
"The University of Chicago Press has announced that it has partnered with SIMID to provide metadata and full-text articles from its portfolio of medical journals. Through involvement with the Scientific Medical Information Library Europe (S.M.I.L.E.) database, the University of Chicago Press aims to increase European readership and international exposure to vital medical research
BookFlix from Scholastic Inc
"BookFlix is a new online literacy resource that pairs interactive fictional video storybooks from Weston Woods with related nonfiction content from Scholastic to engage students; reinforce reading skills; introduce young readers to a world of knowledge and exploration. BookFlix is perfect for use as an independent learning resource in the library, in small-group classroom rotations, and for adding excitement to story hours or group reading activities"
Michael Rosen is the new Children's Laureate
Michael Rosen has been appointed the Children’s Laureate for the next two years
3rd International Digital Curation Conference
3rd International Digital Curation Conference: Curating our Digital Scientific Heritage: a Global Collaborative Challenge - 12-13 December 2007 - Washington, DC, USA
New Author Choice for Open Access from AGU journals
AGU journals now offer authors the opportunity to make their articles open for others to read for free. Authors choosing this option pay a fee based on article length and number of figures; these charges are designed to offset the potential loss of subscription income. This new option, called Author Choice, provides unlimited access to the article for all readers from the moment of publication; permission to deposit the PDF version in institutional repositories so long as the repository accepts AGU copyright permissions, and continued copyright protection to prevent unauthorized uses of the author's work
National Library of Australia to add records to WorldCat
"The National Library of Australia has agreed to add some 12 million bibliographic records to WorldCat, the world's largest database of cataloged items held in libraries, making these records visible to Web searchers worldwide. Australian libraries will use WorldCat to catalog, find and share library materials"
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
What Women Want 2007
"A welcome return of What Women Want, an exhibition showcasing the range of material in the collections at The Women's Library, and telling fascinating stories about the things women have campaigned for, longed for and achieved. Featuring new work made in partnership with the Blackfriars Settlement and Stitches in Time as well as historic photographs, documents, posters and ephemera, What Women Want is a celebration of women’s history and a visual treat. Finishes September 15 2007"
6th European NKOS Workshop
"The 6th European NKOS Workshop will take place on September 21, 2007, as part of ECDL 2007 in Budapest. It builds on the previous NKOS Workshops at ECDL 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Proposals are invited for presentations (typically 20 minutes plus discussion time, potentially longer if the substance and importance warrant it) on work or projects related to the themes of the workshop or to NKOS more generally"
Crossroads - June 2007
Crossroads: the newsletter of WebJuntion.org - June 2007 issue is now available
10 million pages of CIA declassified records available
"The CIA recently delivered more than 420,000 additional pages of redacted declassified electronic records to the National Archives and Records Administration facility in College Park, Maryland. The declassified CIA records are hosted on the CIA Records Search Tool (CREST), which is an electronic search and retrieval system. CREST now includes more than 10 million pages of records declassified under Executive Order 12958"
NPG launches Nature Reports - "The science behind the news, the news behind the science"
"Nature Publishing Group has announced the launch of two new websites - Nature Reports Climate Change and Nature Reports Stem Cells. The Nature Reports sites highlight topical science issues by providing thorough investigative reporting based on peer-reviewed, primary research. The sites will report "the science behind the news, the news behind the science" and explore the social, political and economic implications of the highlighted topic"
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Oxford Online Library Champion Awards 2007
"The Oxford Online Library Champion Awards, launched by Oxford University Press and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, will celebrate and reward the achievements of public library authorities in promoting access to the five prestigious Oxford Online resources available to public libraries across England following the landmark national licence agreement between OUP and the MLA in March 2006. The closing date for entries is 30 October 2007"
Library of Congress announces National and State winners in Letters About Literature Program
"The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and Target Stores have announced the national and state winners in the 2006-2007 Letters About Literature reading and writing program. More than 56,000 young and adolescent readers in grades four through 12 participated in this year's program, which encourages young people to read, be inspired and write back to an author - past or present - who has changed their view of the world or of themselves. Students compete in one of three levels: elementary school, grades four through six; middle school, grades seven through eight; and high school, grades nine through 12"
Penguin launches UK's first online book community for teenagers
"Penguin UK has announced the launch of a pioneering online book community for teenagers. Spinebreakers.co.uk will be a stimulating and entertaining portal into the world of books, run by teenagers themselves. Editorial control of the site will be in the hands of a core editorial team of nine teenagers aged between 13 and 18 years, supported by a large network of contributing teen editors from across the UK". Spinebreakers.co.uk launches September 2007
The World Almanac E-Newsletter - June 2007
The World Almanac E-Newsletter - Volume 07, Number 6 - June 2007 is now available
Online Northwest 2008
Online Northwest 2008 - A one-day conference focusing on the use of technology within libraries, attracting librarians from the Pacific Northwest and around the USA. It is sponsored by the Oregon University System Library Council - February 22, 2008
DC-2007 Dublin Core and Metadata Applications preliminary programme
The preliminary programme for DC-2007 Dublin Core and Metadata Applications, 27-31 August 2007 in Singapore, is now available
Add a WorldCat search box to your personalized Google page
"Now you can customize your Google home page with one of the newest Google gadgets available: the WorldCat Search box. The search box lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world from your iGoogle page. Google offers the ability to create a personalized iGoogle page that gives you at-a-glance access to key information from Google and across the Web"
2007 Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor Award recipient
Lucille C. Thomas, immediate past president of the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library's Board of Trustees and former assistant director of the New York City Board of Education, Office of Library, Media & Telecommunications, is the recipient of the 2007 Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor Award
Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries: A LITA Guide
Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries: A LITA Guide by Kathlene Hanson and H. Frank Cervone - "Integrating new technologies into existing library services is the key to meeting user needs. Newest in the renowned series from the Library and Information Technology Association, this cutting-edge guide provides practical advice, detailed examples, implementation ideas, and helpful forecasts for the future roles of four major interactive technologies" - June 2007 from Neal-Schuman Publishers
Friday, June 08, 2007
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer - this week: Weddings. Answers here
1. Which 1994 comedy film starred Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell and is about several weddings and one death?
2. Is a golden wedding the fortieth, fiftieth or sixtieth anniversary of a wedding?
3. Which New Zealand singer performed Handel's "Let the Bright Seraphim" in 1981 at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer?
4. What was the title of the 1997 film about a wedding which starred Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz and Rupert Everett?
5. Which Russian composer married a pupil, Antonina Ivanovna Milyukova, but left her a month after the wedding in a state of nervous collapse?
6. In the 1951 film "Royal Wedding", which dancer appeared to dance on the walls and ceiling of a room?
7. Which American author wrote the 1946 novel "The Member of the Wedding"?
8. Who wrote incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1842 which included the celebrated "Wedding March" - was it Mendelssohn, Beethoven or Brahms?
9. Although she had already won several awards, which British fashion designer failed to win the commission to make Princess Diana's wedding dress in 1981? This designer suggested that the Queen may have been put off by her pink hair.
10. Who wrote the piano piece "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen", Troldhaugen being the name of the composer's own house in Norway?
1. Which 1994 comedy film starred Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell and is about several weddings and one death?
2. Is a golden wedding the fortieth, fiftieth or sixtieth anniversary of a wedding?
3. Which New Zealand singer performed Handel's "Let the Bright Seraphim" in 1981 at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer?
4. What was the title of the 1997 film about a wedding which starred Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz and Rupert Everett?
5. Which Russian composer married a pupil, Antonina Ivanovna Milyukova, but left her a month after the wedding in a state of nervous collapse?
6. In the 1951 film "Royal Wedding", which dancer appeared to dance on the walls and ceiling of a room?
7. Which American author wrote the 1946 novel "The Member of the Wedding"?
8. Who wrote incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1842 which included the celebrated "Wedding March" - was it Mendelssohn, Beethoven or Brahms?
9. Although she had already won several awards, which British fashion designer failed to win the commission to make Princess Diana's wedding dress in 1981? This designer suggested that the Queen may have been put off by her pink hair.
10. Who wrote the piano piece "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen", Troldhaugen being the name of the composer's own house in Norway?
BIGWIG Social Software Showcase
"The Social Software Showcase is an online unconference ocurring around and during the time of ALA Annual 2007. On this wiki, you will find eleven wonderful presentations on cutting edge technology and social software by librarians and leaders in the field. Regardless of where you are in the world, you will have the opportunity to discuss the presentations here in this space. We will also be having a face to face roundtable discussion with some of our presenters at ALA Annual in Washington D.C. on Saturday, June 23, from 1:30-2:30 in the Renaissance Mayflower Cabinet Room"
Innovating e-Learning online conference 2007
Innovating e-Learning online conference 2007 - This conference will bring together a selection of key innovators in e-learning to present and discuss the current and future impact of e-learning. The two themes are designed to look at the impact of e-learning from an internal institutional perspective and from the more personalised view of the lifelong learner - 11-14 June 2007
Urban Institute to investigate public funding mechanisms for museums
"In a new cooperative agreement with the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Urban Institute, a non-partisan economic and social policy research organization based in Washington, D.C., will study the mechanisms of public support for museums in the United States and possible alternative funding methods"
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland updated
"A further 5000 images from the Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland are now available online via AHDS Visual Arts. This latest addition brings the total number of digital images available from the CRSBI to almost 19,000 images. The CRSBI project aims to photograph and record all surviving British and Irish Romanesque sculpture, making this important part of our heritage available over the Internet. A team of skilled and dedicated volunteer fieldworkers locates and visits sites where Romanesque sculpture survives, describing, measuring and taking photographs. This latest collection include images from the magnificent Ely Cathedral, Chester Cathdral, St Albans Cathedral and Peterborough Cathedral, as well as churches and buildings throughout the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Huntington, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire and Sussex"
LibGuides
"LibGuides is a system for publishing information and creating social networks centered around the library resources. Librarians create Guides (we use the word loosely - it can be any content, on any topic, for any purpose) and then publish them online. The Guides contain documents, links, podcasts, rss feeds, videos, etc. Users can participate in interactive polls and rate the links and resources"
Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007 winner
"Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the winner of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007
Celebrating the completion of The New History of Western Philosophy
From the OUPblog: "This year has seen the completion of Sir Anthony Kenny's acclaimed four-volume series A New History of Western Philosophy. To celebrate the occasion we recently held a wonderful party at The Oxford and Cambridge Club in London. Sir Anthony gave a speech, and has kindly let us reproduce an extract from it. Here he talks about the challenges, questions, and goals he encountered as he wrote the series"
Codices Electronici Sangallenses (CESG) – Virtual Library
"The purpose of the Codices Electronici Sangallenses (Digital Abbey Library of St. Gallen) is to provide access to the medieval codices in the Abbey Library of St. Gallen by creating a virtual library. The project will begin with a two-year pilot to digitally reproduce a selection of the finest illuminated codices at such a high resolution that researchers cannot only work with the manuscripts but also perform detailed (art historical or otherwise) analyses of the miniatures in the codices"
DOE gray literature now registered with CrossRef
The U.S. Department of Energy and CrossRef have announced that the Office of Scientific and Technical Information has completed DOI registrations for more than 86,000 DOE technical reports with CrossRef, the earliest report dating from 1933
Expanded Books and OverDrive agreement
"Expanded Books LLC has announced that it has entered into an agreement with OverDrive, a distributor of downloadable digital media to libraries throughout the world. Expanded Books content will be available through OverDrive's Community Reserve, a collection of free materials for its library partners"
In, out, shake it all about: ethical weeding and disposal of printed library resources
"Increased demands on space within higher education and research libraries present formidable challenges for the management of print collections, bringing consideration of weeding and disposing of stock to the fore. This event will examine national and local institutional responses to such challenges, providing an opportunity to exchange and develop practice in this difficult ethical area. Speakers include Nicola Wright (UK Research Reserve), Linda Norbury (University of Birmingham), Heather Whitehouse (Aston University) and Mary Punch (University of Warwick)" - 11 July 2007 - Aston University, Birmingham, UK
Carnival of the Infosciences #72
Carnival of the Infosciences #72 hosted by Connecting Librarian. Previous Carnivals can be found here
The REALIST Archive Project
The REALIST Archive Project - a complete republishing of all 146 issues of Paul Krassner's classic THE REALIST Magazine. Every page from the Realist that was ever printed will be included within this archive
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
CIC and Google Partnership
The CIC is a national consortium of 12 research universities, including University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Google will work with the CIC to digitize select collections across all its libraries, up to 10 million volumes. Readers will have access to many distinctive and unique collections held by the consortium. Users will be able to explore collections that are global in scope, like Northwestern's Africana collection or dive deep into the universities' unique Midwest heritage, including the
University of Minnesota's Scandinavian and forestry collections, Michigan State's extensive holding in agriculture, Indiana University's folklore collection, and the history and culture ofChicago collection at the University of Illinois-Chicago
University of Minnesota's Scandinavian and forestry collections, Michigan State's extensive holding in agriculture, Indiana University's folklore collection, and the history and culture ofChicago collection at the University of Illinois-Chicago
SPARC Innovators: Ted Bergstrom and Carl Bergstrom
Ted Bergstrom and Carl Bergstrom have been named as SPARC Innovators for 2007
Four German libraries to lend digital media online
Four city libraries - in Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Würzburg - have arranged in cooperation with the Wiesbaden-based company DiViBib GmbH to create the option for users of borrowing digital media online. At some of these libraries online burrowing is already possible, at others it will be in the near future. Thus the Bucherhallen Hamburg [City Library of Hamburg] and the Stadtbücherei Wurzburg [City Library of Wurzburg] have already forged ahead; while Cologne and Munich will follow in June and July respectively. Before the year is out other libraries are likely to join the system; the talk is of libraries in Düsseldorf, Berlin, Bremen and Frankfurt-on-the-Oder
Library 2.0 in Word and Deed
ACURIL Conference Presentation: Library 2.0 in Word and Deed by Jessamyn West - 5 June 2007 - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Ordnance Survey customers move ahead on OS MasterMap journey
"With increasing numbers of customers seeing benefits from the intelligent database product OS MasterMap, the trend away from the previous Land-Line mapping has intensified. As a result, Ordnance Survey is announcing to customers and technology partners the withdrawal of Land-Line on 30 September, 2008 - exactly 16 months from now"
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
10 new journals from Inderscience Publishers
International Journal of Abrasive Technology
International Journal of Applied Systemic Studies
International Journal of Business and Globalisation
International Journal of Computational Materials Science and Surface Engineering
International Journal of Computing Science and Mathematics
International Journal of Dynamical Systems and Differential Equations
International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise
International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity
International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management
International Journal of Tourism Policy
International Journal of Applied Systemic Studies
International Journal of Business and Globalisation
International Journal of Computational Materials Science and Surface Engineering
International Journal of Computing Science and Mathematics
International Journal of Dynamical Systems and Differential Equations
International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise
International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity
International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management
International Journal of Tourism Policy
London Book Project
"Sick and tired of the freesheets? Numbed by rubbish reporting? So are we. The London Book Project is a free book exchange on a massive scale. Using the London Underground as a high speed distribution network, we aim to bring real literature to London's commuters. Scrap the freesheets - read a free book instead! Over the next two weeks we'll be distributing thousands of second hand books across the tube and we want YOU to get involved. If you see one of our books, please pick it up! Then read it and replace with any book of your choice. Let's make the tube a giant, free library and put the freesheets out of business once and for all. Meanwhile, log on to our website to find out more about the London Book Project and some REAL reporting about the world's most diverse capital city"
Library of Congress seeks nominations for the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt Poetry Prize
The Library of Congress is seeking nominations from publishers for the $10,000 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, which will be presented in the fall of 2007. Applications must be submitted no later than July 9. A large mailing of announcements, along with rules and application forms, will go out to publishers from the Library's Poetry and Literature Center. The prize, which is given biennially, is for the 2006 award. Since the last award in 2004, the eligibility criteria have been amended. The 2006 prize will be given to an American poet for the best book published during the previous two years, 2004-2005, or for lifetime achievement in poetry
A&C Black to put Who's Who online
"A&C Black has signed a licensing deal with Oxford University Press to launch its biographical chronicles, Who's Who and Who Was Who, online. OUP will build a new website for the titles ready to go live in December 2007, including all the information from the 2008 edition of Who's Who and the series' historical archive"
SirsiDynix Institute - What's New in Podcasting?
What's New in Podcasting? - "This presentation builds on the previous SDI podcasting series by examining developments in the library podcasting landscape over the past year, including a look at (and listen to) new podcasts created by and for the library community. Tips for considering, planning, creating, evaluating and sustaining a podcasting program at your library are also included. Learn how to create quality podcasts that will engage your audience from one of the first library podcasters". Presenter: David Free, Public Services Librarian, Decatur Campus Library of Georgia Perimeter College - Jun 5, 2007
Journal of Electronic Publishing - Spring 2007
Journal of Electronic Publishing: a forum for research and discussion about contemporary publishing practices, and the impact of those practices upon users - volume 10 issue 2 - Spring 2007 is now available
Lewis & Clark and the Indian Country traveling exhibition sites
"The ALA Public Programs Office, in partnership with The Newberry Library of Chicago and the National Endowment for the Humanities have named 23 public and academic libraries across the United States as sites for the Lewis & Clark and the Indian Country traveling exhibit tour. This new exhibit will bring public audiences a new set of ideas about the encounters of Native Americans with the United States Corps of Discovery between 1804 and 1806, and will trace the dramatic impact of those encounters during the subsequent two centuries"
Monday, June 04, 2007
BMJ Journals launch of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases archive
The full archive of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (ARD): The EULAR Journal, starting from volume 1, issue 1 (1939) is now available online - provided by BMJ Journals, part of the BMJ Group, and hosted by Stanford University's HighWire Press. All content older than 12 months is freely available as fully searchable PDF files
Engaging Teenagers in Library Developments - Presentations
Presentations given at Engaging Teenagers in Library Developments: A one day conference for public, school, college or SLS library staff involved in, or planning consultation or engagement activities with young people - 22 May - Stafford, UK - are now available
Say It Right: Speaking Confidently and Effectively
Say It Right: Speaking Confidently and Effectively with Cheryl Stenstrom - "This fast-paced course focuses on verbal communication. More than any other form, verbal communication is used to get your message across. Everyday, we convey hundreds of messages to patrons, the board and management team, vendors and partners, and co-workers. Learn how to clearly express your ideas, proposals and opinions to avoid misinterpretation and ensure your goals are met. This course is designed for both paraprofessionals and professional librarians who are first-time supervisors, or who are looking to move into a supervisory position, especially in rural or small libraries" - On-line Course, July 23-August 17, 2007
World eBook Fair 2007
"The World eBook Fair welcomes you to access a variety of eBooks unparalleled by any other source. 400,000+ eBooks await you, all free of charge for the month of July 2007. During the rest of the year you are invited to continue access to the eBooks by joining the World Public Library"
LexisNexis releases survey on information professionals use of Web 2.0 and Knowledge Management
LexisNexis has announced the results of a nationwide survey to provide insights into how Information Professionals are adding value to their organizations through technology and knowledge management. The survey also explores where IPs see the future of technology
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Electronic Resource Management: A Solution with Its Own Challenges
"The IFLA Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section and the University of Western Cape invite you to participate in an exciting experience hearing and discussing about Electronic Resource Management systems. The Satellite Conference will take place August 16-17, 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa, in conjunction with the Durban World Library & Information Congress. The program will cover how ERMs are driving organization change, what they may be evolving into, the challenges they present to the libraries using them, and whether they can be at all useful to libraries who are just developing their online presence"
Communications in Information Literacy
Communications in Information Literacy is an independent, professional, refereed electronic journal dedicated to advancing knowledge, theory, and research in the area of information literacy - Vol 1, No 1 (2007) is now available online
Archives Hub Collections of the Month, June 2007
Archives Hub Collections of the Month, June 2007: Pick 'n' Mix - Each week this month 'Digital Artist in Residence' Aileen Collis will be creating designs inspired by images of archival materials
Wiley InterScience Library Newsletter May 2007
Wiley InterScience Library Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2007 is now available
HeinOnline updated
HeinOnline: The Modern Link to Legal History has a newly-designed interface with added functionality
Open Collections: Exploring Online Cultural Resources Symposium
Open Collections: Exploring Online Cultural Resources Symposium - Presented with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the New York State Council on the Arts - June 18, 2007 - New York
nestor Newsletter 11
The english version of issue no. 11 of the nestor (Network of Expertise in Long-Term Storage of Digital Resources) newsletter is now available
FOB (Firms Out of Business)
The University of Texas at Austin's Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center and the Reading University Library have created FOB (Firms Out of Business), an online database containing the names and addresses of copyright holders or contact persons for out-of-business printing and publishing firms, magazines, literary agencies and similar organizations that have archives housed in libraries and archives in North America and
the United Kingdom
the United Kingdom
SPARC Open Access Newsletter, issue #110
SPARC Open Access Newsletter, issue #110 - June 2 2007 is now available
The Dalhousie Journal of Information and Management
The Dalhousie Journal of Information and Management is a student-led initiative aimed at publishing Dalhousie graduate student papers of the highest quality and significance in all areas of information and management with an emphasis on interdisciplinary communication
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Senior Friendly Libraries
Senior Friendly Libraries: Resources and discussion about library services to older adults - "The purpose of this blog is to provide resources for librarians including: research on aging as it influences library services, library research on "older adults", incorporating Library 2.0 features for "older adults", and examples of successful "older adult" library services and programs. In addition, I hope to make librarians aware of the need to market services to older adults in their community"
Hidden Treasures Brought to Life: National Competition for UK public libraries
The British Library, in partnership with the Society of Chief Librarians, has launched a competition to put local treasures online. The BL is challenging public libraries in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to uncover the items in their collections that most deserve to be converted into Turning the Pages 2.0 'virtual texts' and shared with the world via the British Library website
U.S. Copyright Office invites participation in beta testing
In July 2007, the U.S. Copyright Office will initiate a beta testing phase in the development of its automated registration system, electronic Copyright Office (eCO). Requests to participate in eCO beta testing are being accepted from the public at this time. Participants will be selected in the order that requests are received. In addition, selection will be based on an array of submission criteria. Basic registration claims will be accepted at a reduced rate established for electronic filings. Requests to participate are being accepted through the Copyright Office website
National Library of Australia to digitise newspapers
The National Library of Australia, in collaboration with each Australian state and territory library, has embarked on a plan to digitise out of copyright newspapers. The aim is to build a service that will provide free online access from the first Australian newspaper published in 1803 through to 1954 newspapers. The newspaper digitisation project will vastly improve access for all Australians to one of the most valuable research resources on Australian history and culture. The total cost, funded by the National Library, is expected to be more than $8 million. It is part of a collaborative plan of Australia's state and territory libraries to locate, collect and preserve every newspaper ever published in Australia, with the intention of guaranteeing public access to these important historical records
Library Philosophy and Practice - Special Issue
A special issue of Library Philosophy and Practice entitled: "Shape Shifters: Librarians Evolve Yet Again in the Age of Google" has now been published, and is guest edited by Jill Cirasella and Mariana Regalado of Brooklyn College, City University of New York
Reed Elsevier to exit the defence exhibitions sector
Reed Elsevier has announced that it is to exit the defence exhibitions sector. This portfolio of five shows is part of Reed Elsevier's global Business division and represents around 0.5% of group annual turnover
Calling librarians who teach, train, coach...
Netskills is conducting a survey of library staff, investigating their opinions about the skills required for a teaching or training role. The results will be presented at CILIP's upcoming Umbrella 2007 conference and will be disseminated to the library community
Friday, June 01, 2007
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer
The Friday Brain-teaser from Xrefer - this week: General Knowledge. Answers here
1. Champagne gets its name from a district in which country?
2. Elvis Presley made his first record as a present for which person?
3. In which gulf does the Gulf Stream originate?
4. The musical instrument called the bouzouki originated in which country?
5. Which city is known as "The home of lost causes"?
6. Is Managua the capital of Nicaragua, Chile or Peru?
7. Which 1951 musical play was based on the experiences of Anna Leonowens?
8. Which French mime artist created the white-faced character called "Bip"?
9. Which state became the 49th state of the USA in 1959?
10. A verse which starts "The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins" is designed to jog your memory about what?
1. Champagne gets its name from a district in which country?
2. Elvis Presley made his first record as a present for which person?
3. In which gulf does the Gulf Stream originate?
4. The musical instrument called the bouzouki originated in which country?
5. Which city is known as "The home of lost causes"?
6. Is Managua the capital of Nicaragua, Chile or Peru?
7. Which 1951 musical play was based on the experiences of Anna Leonowens?
8. Which French mime artist created the white-faced character called "Bip"?
9. Which state became the 49th state of the USA in 1959?
10. A verse which starts "The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins" is designed to jog your memory about what?
Ex Libris introduces major enhancements to SFX A-Z list capabilities
"Ex Libris Group has announced the release of significant enhancements to the SFX link resolver A-Z list. Used in libraries to present patrons with a single, browsable, alphabetical listing of electronic journal products, the enhanced SFX A-Z functionality offers improved search and navigation of results--enabling users to obtain valuable scholarly information more efficiently"
Silk Sound Books
"In the next few weeks Silk Sound Books will go live, bringing you downloads of classic British literature, read by the very best of British and American acting talent and recorded to the highest of standards. From Beowulf to Bronte, from Chaucer to Conan-Doyle, great words brought to life by great voices such as Edward Fox, Richard E Grant, Jane Horrocks, Terry Jones, Natascha McElhone, Virginia McKenna, Bill Nighy, Rufus Sewell, Fiona Shaw, Sir Ian Richardson, and many others. These recordings are unique to silksoundbooks. The use of the finest studios and directors has ensured some extraordinary audio books, available for you to download for just £7.95"
Microsoft to offer improved tools to search books
From Reuters: "Microsoft Corporation said it would offer improved capacity to search copyrighted books on the Internet as the company battles Google Inc. for advertising dollars from Web-based services. Microsoft said it had received permission from dozens of publishers including Cambridge University Press, McGraw-Hill Cos Inc. and Simon & Schuster, a CBS Corp. unit, to use their copyrighted titles"
Electronic Resources Australia
"Electronic Resources Australia heralds the start of a new era for Australian library e-resource subscriptions. A national approach, managed by and for all Australian libraries for their users"
Virtual Communities and Libraries petition
Virtual Communities and Libraries is a proposed ALA Member Initiative Group currently soliciting signatures from ALA members interested in seeing a formal group within the Association formed around the role and visibility of libraries and library workers in virtual communities. These signatures will be presented on June 26, 2007 to the ALA Committee On Organizations at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC
CONSER standard record implementation will begin June 1, 2007
"CONSER has agreed that CONSER standard record implementation will begin June 1, 2007, with the understanding that not all institutions will be able to implement it locally on exactly that date. Members have agreed to monitor use of the standard throughout the coming year and make changes and adjustments as needed. The new CONSER documentation available from this site supports the CONSER standard record. The new and revised LCRIs support the policy decisions that differ from AACR2 rules"
Images from the Clark Art Institute now available in CAMIO
Nearly 5,000 art images representing the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute's collection are now available via CAMIO-Catalog of Art Museum Images Online. The Clarks' collection includes 19th-century French art, with more than 30 paintings by Renoir and works by Monet, Degas and Pissarro. It also contains exceptional examples of European and American paintings and sculpture, collections of master prints and drawings, English silver and early photography
E-LIS update
E-LIS, the open archive for Library and Information Science, now has 5788 documents in its archive
OCLC Western Digital Forum
OCLC Western Digital Forum: This year's national Forum will focus on Maximizing Metadata, Data Curation and Applications - August 9-10, 2007 - San Diego, California
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