Early reader wrap-up

Tomorrow is the 2010 ALAO conference in Columbus! I am unsure if wireless will be available, but will take my netbook and hope to have the opportunity, patience, and ability to do quick conference blog posts. In addition to anticipating the keynote address from featured speaker Stephen Abram, I am looking forward to a wide variety of presentations ... and lunch. As a result, this week's wrap-up is a day early.

• Understanding Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons
  "I assume that when instructors want to know what they can or cannot do with copyrighted materials, they may often have a hard time figuring it out. I really wanted to understand the topic and provide resources to help others do the same." -- K. Walsh, Emerging EdTech, 10/24/10


• An Amazon Digital Book Rental Plan?
  "How much would you pay for a monthly subscription to Amazon's digital book content?" -- Joshua Kim, Technology and Learning, 10/24/10


• Over it Yet? Privacy, That Is
  "Earlier this semester a media law professor asked me to prepare a lecture on privacy to present to his class while he was out of town on business. Subbing, for me, is an opportunity to delve into topics that might have changed since the last time I taught a particular class. So was the case concerning the four types of privacy invasion."-- Michael Bugeja, Views: Inside Higher Ed, 10/25/10


• VT Students 'Pay it Forward' to Stop Bullying
  "Monday morning 500 students in an introductory to psychology class at Virginia Tech will receive PayDay candy bars in wrappers that read, "Pay It Forward." And instead of the routine lecture of the day, professor E. Scott Geller will urge the students to perform "intentional acts of kindness" -- and hand over their candy bar to a stranger, who hopefully will do the same." -- Jenna Johnson, Campus Overload, 10/25/10


• History of Online Video
  "The Internet has changed massively over the last years and the days of a life without www seem to have become long forgotten for most people already. Many youngsters could not imagine a life without ‘technology’ or Internet anymore. The biggest change online has been the emergence of video streaming though." -- Franky Branckaute, Blog Herald, 10/27/2010


• High Stakes in Ohio
  "As many states face billion-dollar deficits and struggle to maintain their quality of education with increasingly stingy budgets, few have remade their higher education systems as aggressively as Ohio has. Under Gov. Ted Strickland, the structure and financing of higher education have undergone dramatic changes, not least of which is a performance-based funding system that awards institutions government money based on retention and educational attainment." -- Allie Grasgreen , Inside Higher Ed News, 10/27/10


• What Facebook Tells Researchers About Friendship and Race
  "College freshmen are more likely to make friends with peers they share a dorm room or major with than they are to befriend those from similar racial backgrounds, a study on the Facebook profiles of first-year students found." -- Travis Kaya, The Wired Campus, 10/28/10

Break in the clouds

Tuesday afternoon was the grand opening for the AU Columbus Center IRC. Open for business since mid- September, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was an opportunity to meet and greet the center staff and see students are beginning to take advantage of this new resource - and the newly renovated book store next door. It was fun to see a student using the new roll-top laminating machine ...

It was also a blustery weather day; forced to pull off the road and wait out a downpour on the way to Columbus, I was relieved when only rain persisted during my return trip. Exiting the interstate I noticed the clouds, sunshine, and a phenobright light reflecting in my side-view mirror. I pulled off the highway and saw a beautiful double rainbow breaking through the clouds.

Weekly reader wrap-up

The sheer number of posts in my reader this week was astounding. After several days break from all things computer (with the exception of my online classes) I logged in Tuesday morning and was greeted with 1200+ unread feeds. Quantity does not equal quality; I admit to ruthlessly weeding and deleting posts to reach a manageable number. Then came the web equivalent of making copies of articles I wanted to read later and passing along the journal, I added posts to my delicious account and selected a few to post here. The result is this short, technology related group of posts:

• Search Engine History
  "We looked at the history of the crawlers and if you thought there was only Google, Yahoo and Bing this infographic will show you how wrong you are. For the Internet nerds among us, let this infographic take you on a trip down memory lane." -- Franky Branckaute, Performancing, 10/20/10.


• Student Dog Helps Students Get Organized
  "Student Dog is a freeware application that will help students stay organized. It will help students manage and organize their tasks in a more efficient manner. Managing and organizing your tasks will lead to better planning and actions. To put it in simple terms, this application will make your student life more simple." --Debaditya Chakravorty , Lost in Technology, 10/20/10
  


• OJC Technologies chosen to oversee ALA website migration to Drupal
  “Moving the ALA website to Drupal aligns us with libraries’ community-focused ideals. ALA will be able to engage with its almost 7 million website visitors in a lively way. Of key importance, member-volunteers who assist with the creation and maintenance of content will find it much easier to work in Drupal,” said Aaron Dobbs, the chair of the ALA Website Advisory Committee (WAC). -- ALA News, 10/19/2010


• Media, Rapid Authoring, Teaching, and 'Where Good Ideas Come From'
  "The other thought I had after watching the video is that this is the sort of work I want our students to be able to accomplish. Shouldn't our students learn to communicate visually and to tell stories with video, in the same way they learn with text? No 5 minute review or synthesis of Johnson's book can ever be as compelling as the video below - sometimes video is the most persuasive way to communicate." -- Joshua Kim, Technology and Learning, BlogU, Inside Higher Ed, 10/21/10

I've been working with Google Docs this week and hope to share my new favorite option, forms, next week.

More about QR Codes

The October issue of School Library Journal has two short articles about QR Codes and libraries.

• QR Codes in the Library: Use 2-D Barcodes to Offer the Coolest Service Ever
  "Libraries can use QR codes to deliver a higher level of support and interactivity to patrons. Even better, the technology’s a snap to implement at little or no cost." -- SLJ, Christopher Harris, 10/1/2010


• QR Codes Connect Students to Books
  "QR codes captured Schumacher's attention because of what students could create and link to in a school library setting. One library he found on YouTube, he says, created QR codes for students and showed how they could link to reviews, videos and even podcasts about the books." -- SLJ, Lauren Barack, 9/14/10

I've not had much feedback on my QR code literature rack, but have hopes it is catching students attention as they retrieve print-outs, staple, punch holes, and make copies at the print station.

(QR Code pictured, Library Cloud)

ACRL: Cyber Zed Shed Proposals

Cyber Zed Shed
Proposal Deadline!
Nov 1. http://j.mp/acrlczs


Are you a tech savvy librarian using new technologies in innovative ways? Adapting existing technologies to reach user needs? Here is an opportunity to share your innovations with your colleagues, library administrators, and others at ACRL 2011. The ACRL 2011 Cyber Zed Shed Committee is looking for proposals that document technology-related innovations in every area of the library.

Whether you are teaching in a classroom; answering questions from patrons; acquiring, cataloging, processing or preserving materials; or providing other services, we're interested. We invite you to submit your most innovative proposals to help us make Philadelphia the site of a truly groundbreaking conference.

Cyber Zed Shed presentations are 20 minutes, with 15 minutes to present a demonstration, and five additional minutes for audience Q&A. Presentations should document technology-related innovations in academic and research libraries. A computer, data projector, screen, microphone, and stage will be provided in the Cyber Zed Shed theater. You will be responsible for bringing all other equipment required for your demonstration, except as agreed to in advance.

The deadline for submission is November 1, 2010.

Questions about Cyber Zed Shed submissions should be directed to:

Kenley Neufeld, Santa Barbara City College, kenleyneufeld@gmail.com
Emily Rimland, Pennsylvania State University, erimland@psu.edu

Outside my reader

Keeping up with my feed list is easy; doing the same with journals that find their way to my office, not so much. I have developed the (bad) habit of copying articles I want to read, placing them in a folder labeled 'to read,' and forwarding the journal to the librarian next on the list. Here are a few articles that caught my attention this evening:

• Nurturing Innovation,
  "We can’t be held hostage by decisions made years ago. Our patron population has changed; we must as well." -- Meredith Farkas, American Libraries, October 2010
  
  
• Showing Our Strengths
  “Any questions?” library director Sasha asked her department heads, sitting back. A real Political Animal, Sasha nodded as the debate opened around the table. Within seconds, Fly-off-the-Handle Sue had protested the new administrative proposal. Slowpoke Richard geared up his predictable “let’s-wait-and-see” response. Touchy-Feely Candace tried to smooth some ruffled feathers. Meanwhile, Snake-in-the-Grass Sondra sketched out a plan on the flip chart. Smiling, Sasha and Just-the-Facts deputy director Bill enjoyed the interaction." -- Teresa L. (Terry) Jacobson, Library Journal, September 15, 2010
  
  
• LJ Back Talk: Go "Title Rogue"
  "What is it with the library profession and our obsession with individual titles? Is it insecurity? Fear? Elitism? Maybe the focus on titles is not entirely our fault. Perhaps the variety and inherent inconsistency found in this era of ever more creative job descriptions cause us to view titles as the most crucial part of the position." -- Sami Lange, Library Journal, September 15, 2010
  
  
• Something Old, Something New
  "In Aesop's The Ass, the Ape, and the Mole, a jackass complains he has no horns, while an ape laments he has not tail. A mole tells them both to pipe down, 'For poor moles are blind and in worse shape than either of you.' The upshot, be grateful for what you have." -- Lane Smith, Booklist Online, September 15, 2010.

YouTube Partnership Program

This morning I had the following email from the YouTube team:

Your video Google Docs - Creating Shared Link for Your Spreadsheet might be eligible for the YouTube Partnership Program, which allows you to make money from playbacks of your video.

If your video is approved, we'll start placing ads next to the video and pay you a share of the revenue as long as you meet the program requirements.

We look forward to adding your video to the YouTube Partnership Program.

Thanks and good luck!
The YouTube Team

Generally I would view this type of message spam, so I was hesitant, also known as highly suspicious, regarding its validity. The video in question is a 43 second clip created for my technology class; it illustrates how to create a shared link in Google Docs Spreadsheets. General stats reveal it has been viewed over 300 times, but considering four classes of 18 students each had access to the resource, if each of them watched an average of four times it would account for all the 'hits.' Oddly enough, YouTube Insight statistics ranks it as popular with 13-17 year old boys.

Mildly tempting, I am going to hold off on the opportunity at this time. The video is for educational purposes and while the bulk of my videos are embedded in Angel, I am not sure I want ads next to the content, especially when I do not know what type of ad may be optioned.

Weekly reader wrap-up

As an academic librarian in Ohio, one of the more interesting and important announcement / article links in my reader this week was from the OhioLINK What's New Blog:

• New Executive Director for OhioLINK Announced
  "Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut announced Thursday, September 30th that Jeffrey G. Trzeciak has been selected as the next Director of OhioLINK. He was nominated by the OhioLINK executive director search committee, which was formed on March 17, 2010, and co-chaired by Lev Gonick of Case Western Reserve University and Dr. Victoria Montavan of the University of Cincinnati" -- OhioLINK What's New, Zoe Stewart-Marshall (9/30/10)

More information about this announcement:

• Chancellor Fingerhut Announces Jeffrey G. Trzeciak as Director of OhioLINK
• Moving On, Mcmaster University Library, University Librarian

I need to stretch the term "weekly" a bit this week, the first entry is an article from last Friday (9/24) afternoon. It caught my attention because we discussed the idea of having a few Kindles in the library briefly in a staff meeting a few weeks ago after an update on OhioLINK's digital text book initiative. The remaining blog posts caught my attention for one reason or another (weeding and bad hair) throughout the week.

• Why There's No "Kindle" Freedom in Libraries
  "We're shifting to a publishing economy that makes sharing illegal. If you can afford it, a Kindle delivers books to you faster than any library has, and much more simply. Libraries are working with companies like Overdrive to license and share music and books, but the most popular platforms won't play with libraries, and these alternate systems cost a lot - before you even pay for content - and frustrate those who would rather use their own devices and think their libraries are being stupid and backward by not using the popular platforms." -- Inside Higher Ed,Library Babel Fish, Barbara Fisher (9/24/10)
• Half the Books are Checking Out Permanently
  "The average book in an academic research library is only checked out once every 50 years. That is why Library Dean James Bracken is looking to reduce the library’s in-house collection by 50 percent." -- Kentwired.com, Frank Yonkof (9/22/10)
• Can't Get Out of Your Own Way, Me Neither
  "It's one of those days: I can't believe how trapped I feel, how overwhelming every task appears, and how lousy my hair looks. It's all tangled together, of course, this sense of being unequal to the task of making it through the day." -- Brainstorm, Gina Barreca (9/28/10)
• Libraries Make it Personal
  "At a time when technology is said to be creating a gulf between librarians and students, a handful of libraries are trying to make their relationships with undergraduates a bit more personal." -- Inside Higher Ed, Steve Kolowich (9/28/10)
• Sudden Thoughts and Second Thoughts
  What's the Biggest Mistake You've Made as a Leader
  "It’s a long road and hard work becoming an effective leader, whether you are responsible for the vision and direction of a library, a single unit or program within the library that needs leadership for it to survive, or leading your colleagues in an association effort." -- ACRLog, StevenB (9/29/10)
• The Biggest Mistake a Leader Can Make (Video)
  Imagining the Future of Leadership (Series)
  "Through Imagining the Future of Leadership, a symposium at the Harvard Business School and accompanying blog series, expert thinkers gathered to investigate what is necessary today to develop the leaders we need for tomorrow. "-- Harvard Buisness Review Blogs (8/31/10)

This last one isn't a blog feed, it's a Facebook link and definitely fun ...

• Portland's Heathman Hotel Library is One of a Kind
  "Guests who wander up to the Heathman Hotel's mezzanine discover one of the most exclusive libraries in the country: 4,000 volumes, all signed by the author and most of them first editions." -- The Oregoinan, Tom Hallman Jr. (9/21/10)