On the way back from Michigan last week I listened to the New Yorker’s James Surowiecki’s book The Wisdom of Crowds which Steven mentioned a few weeks ago. It was incredibly interesting and the four hour drive flew by. Surowiecki gathers research from various disciplines concerning the idea that the wisdom of many is usually spot on — better in fact than the wisdom of say one or two geniuses. Take a look at this for more: http://reason.com/links/links062804.shtml An example: folks try plank roads in the 1800s… they seem ok and EVERYONE starts praising plank roads. “Plank roads will change […]
Contributors Michael Stephens
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I got to thinking today as I go through my piles of mail about all the renewals for products I handle…which made me think how cool it is that Indiana has INSPIRE — the statewide intiative through the state library to give all citizens access to databases. I know Michigan does it as well… Tell me this then folks that read my blog… does every state have such a cool thing? What’s its address? Email me! mstephens7(at)mac.com!
I’m back after over 10 weeks of leave! In that time I started school at UNT, visited Orlando for ALA and spent 5+ weeks in Traverse City! Now I’m going through the piles of mail, returning messages and getting back into the groove. For the next two years I will be a part time manager, still heading up the Networked Resources Development and Training department at SJCPL. The other time will be devoted to school, speaking and writing. I’ll post again soon!
We were assigned a wonderful article for SLIS 6000 by Marcia Bates called “Mining the Substrate of Information Science,” in which she discusses the underlying functions of the discipline. here are my thoughts, as posted to our class board: ?Currently,? Bates writes, ?the wheel is being reinvented everyday on the information superhighway? because of digital information and the leaps and bounds of IT. Bates states that IS folks have been bypassed and we have all the expertise. When you want something done right pertaining to information, get a librarian to do it! I appreciated that sentiment. When Bates mentions we […]
CJ let me know about The September Project and he asked me about Indiana Libraries participating. I believe they do not have a representative library yet from Indiana… Check out the Weeb site for more info!
Well done Franklin!!! Our SJCPL staffer from Local History has published Southern St. Joseph County (Images of America)! Amazon Link!
(That’s a line from an obscure Fleetwood Mac song from 1987) Are you a blogger working in a library? Do write about the comings and goings of library users? Do you blog your interactions with other staff? If so, please take a minute or two and answer some questions for Aaron and I. We’ll thank you for it! Click Here!
My friend David just sent this as I finish up my first semester: I think this is very fitting for you: ‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.’ -Henry David Thoreau
On Saturday, we had a FRONT PAGE article on WiFi! Link good for only seven days or by paying! Offering ‘Wi-Fi’ Wireless Internet can be accessed for free at local libraries and businesses By MARGARET FOSMOE Tribune Staff Writer ON SCREEN: Stephen Taig, of Elkhart, works on his laptop computer last week at Panera Bread in Mishawaka. The restaurant offers free high-speed wireless Internet access to customers and loans out wireless cards. SOUTH BEND — Free high-speed wireless Internet access is spreading among area public libraries and businesses. Known as Wi-Fi — short for Wireless Fidelity — it provides computer […]
Aaron and I are writing and article AND presenting at Internet Librarian — so yeaterday we met for almost an hour via iChat on our Macs! Face to face and with audio…nice!