Weekly Reader

Supremely Confusing: Kirtsaeng vs Wiley
"The Supremes have agreed to hear a case that has some troubling implications for libraries. Kirtsaeng v. Wiley is not just about textbooks. It’s about whether any work that is copyrighted and produced outside the United States can be legally loaned or resold in the U.S. without the copyright owner’s permission. We’re talking about the First Sale Doctrine, which is how libraries get away with our profligate sharing. Once we have purchased something, we can loan it. (Since digital books are typically licensed, not sold, libraries only can loan them if the publisher says they can.) It’s also how used books enter the market and how you pass along a book you read and enjoyed to a friend without getting in trouble. But it may be a right that only applies to books manufactured within the borders of the United States. And a lot of books aren’t, even books from U.S. publishers."-- Barbara Fister, Library Babel Fish, 4/19/12

Five Apps for Building Online Polls & Surveys
"Why do we love polls so much? It just feels really good to share your opinion about something — whether you’re weighing in on your favorite videos, choosing a new design, making a political comment, or voting for the best vacation spot. And polls and surveys offer a good way to engage your visitors and gather crucial feedback. The following tools make it easy to create polls that elicit the information you need." -- Katherine Murray, Five Apps, Tech Republic, 4/20/12

App of the Week: WordFoto
"Too often innovative ideas are quashed by questions like “How will we fund that?” or “How will staff have enough time?” Inevitably, change requires a bit of sacrifice–if you are going to fund a new idea, you either have to generate more resources or take a little bit from somewhere else.  Even with shifting dollars, there still might be only a small available budget.  This is why I love apps! Apps often help you produce something new and interesting with only a small cost.  The app I tested this week falls into the “cheap with big results” category. For only $1.99 and some patience, you can use WordFoto to generate colorful, eye-catching publicity materials." -- Rebekah Kamp, YALSA Blog, 4/18/12

The Future of Apps and Web
"The Web Is Dead? No. Experts expect apps and the Web to converge in the cloud; but many worry that simplicity for users will come at a price. Tech experts generally believe the mobile revolution, the popularity of targeted apps, the monetization of online products and services, and innovations in cloud computing will drive Web evolution. Some survey respondents say while much may be gained, perhaps even more may be lost if the “appification” of the Web comes to pass." -- Jenna Anderson and Lee Rainie, Pew Internet Report, 3/23/12

Fleeting Attention Shortchanges the Art of Patience
"Here is an interesting study that came out a few days ago.  Using “biometric belts” and glasses with cameras inside, it followed 30 people, some of them digital natives and some digital immigrants, for 300 nonworking hours and counted their media habits.  The natives, it turned out, switch media platforms 27 times per hour.  (The rate was 35 percent higher than immigrants’ rate.)" -- Mark Bauerline, Brainstorm, 4/16/12

Will Facebook Always be Free? Probably Not for Everyone!
"Recently, I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at the Terms of Use pages created by various social media platforms. After the recent controversy surrounding the Pinterest Terms of Use, I thought it might be a good idea to dig deeper into some of these mind-numbingly boring legal documents to see what other nuggets might be hiding amongst the legalese. One of the more interesting ones that I uncovered was in the Facebook Terms of Use." -- Sean Nicholson, Social Media Today, 4/16/12