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Follow a Library Day at ALA TechSource

http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2010/09/follow-a-library.html Excerpt: What I appreciate the most about this project is their main goal is educating people about the benefits of following a library on Twitter. The group is aiming beyond our little online world of librarians and library folk and I think we should help them. What better way to do your own promotion for YOUR library’s Twitter feed than to play up this internationally organized day. Some off the cuff ideas whilst I continue to recuperate after that unfortunate dog-related injury: Embed the overview video in your library’s blog or Web site and write a little blurb about […]

LiB on Music in Libraries – “we’re doing it wrong”

http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/09/music-in-libraries-were-doing-it-wrong.html I’ve been meaning to post a link to this incredible post by the Librarian in Black. I’ll be using it in my classes from now on as a perfect overview of what’s happening with downloadable music in libraries. If you haven’t read it, be sure to do so and don’t miss the comments. For example: Overdrive & Alexander Street Music are very similar.  Overdrive users download a music file in a DRM-protected format that will self-encrypt and be unreadable after the designated circulation period (e.g. 3 weeks). Update: Alexander Street Music offers -streaming- access to classical, jazz, and folk. […]

Libraries Will Survive

From Central Rappahannock Regional Library comes this outstanding example of library video production that contains a serious, heartfelt message about libraries and the dedication of library workers in troubled times. Wired writes: For the record, we love libraries as much as the technological advances which now put libraries in your pocket. They are havens, sanctuaries, community centers and places where helpful people who are almost certainly smarter than you hang out just to help you. : No batteries are required for books need. They don’t need connectivity or special equipment to operate them. Read More http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/09/librarians-rock-well-anyway-they-disco/#ixzz0zn503oN5 It’s incredibly witty, contains […]

No Exceptions

Shared with me via email is the response from a university library who would not make an exception for an online student who needed an article and who was without access from home and at work due to unforeseen circumstances: The Library policy states that the Library will not send an article if the article can be accessed online. As you may be aware of that many of our patrons have no access to computer or internet from home, so we are unable to make exceptions to anyone for such kind of requests. I’m trying to understand what this means […]

Social Media Experiment – Harrisburg Pulls Plug

Please read: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/09/09/harrisburg Just posted this comment: I use social tools extensively in my teaching and interaction with students. From Facebook office hours to a WordPress/BuddyPress course site developed with an outstanding grad student, I would virtually have my hands tied during this “experiment.” I agree with commenters above: how about a week without phone service so faculty would have to walk across campus to chat with a colleague or ask a question. Or shut down access to library databases for a week and rely on the library’s print collection for resources. I’m much more interested in the connected campus […]

Study: Comparing Tools of Social Media

Please consider participating! http://www.unc.edu/~jvelasco/sm-survey2010/ A study by Javier Velasco-Martin The Study I’m interested in how we are incorporating Social Media into our communication toolset; this research study will compare different computer-based interpersonal communication media. I’m particularly interested in whom we relate with through different tools, what types of information we share on these, and how we feel about different types of information. Your participation involves responding to an online survey. This process should take you about 15 to 20 minutes, and should involve no risk or harm to yourself. With your help, we’ll be extending our knowledge in this field, […]

Using Netflix at an Academic Library – a TTW Guest Post by Rebecca Fitzgerald

Our academic library in New York started a Netflix subscription last Fall. We started out with one account allowing for the maximum number of DVDs, 8 at a time. By the middle of Spring semester, we had two accounts. The New Media professor took over the prior, and we made the new one for all other courses. New Media requires many movies for students to watch. Our library has a very limited budget when it comes to film purchasing, especially popular titles. Netflix has saved us an enormous amount of money (around $3,000) by allowing the physical rentals as well […]