Computers in Libraries articles from March 2009

Computers in Libraries archives from March 2009

Libraries as labs.(Editorial)
March 1, 2009... Libraries have always existed at the juncture between knowledge consumption and knowledge creation. In the past, many book and article readers were also researchers and authors themselves. But the world has never before seen so many people able...

Imagine>invent>program>share: a library-hosted computer club promotes 21st-century literacy skills: bridging the literacy gap will require that we re-evaluate our perspectives and reinvent our practices to better prepare our youth for fully participatory lives in the years ahead.(Cover story)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During at least one afternoon each month, Wilmette (Ill.) Public Library (WPL)--where I serve as web manager and teen librarian--hosts a local group of computer programmers, designers, and...

Loosening up and letting go: circulating technology in support of a merged organization: we needed to provide a solution to circulating more than 100 pieces of equipment of varying sizes and complexity--and by letting go and not trying to be experts, we've been successful at providing a service that is highly valued by our campus.
March 1, 2009... In the beginning was the word. And the word was printed on paper and bound into books. And the books circulated from the library. Then came the other stuff--lots of other stuff. Lafayette College is an undergraduate, private liberal arts...

Give your technology program a little class!
March 1, 2009... Are traditional libraries being forced to change due to the demand for modern technology? What if I say to you that in today's society, technology is the key to the success and growth of traditional libraries? That is true for the Orange County...

How to rewrite software--and when not to.(libraries in computers)
March 1, 2009... Nobody ever accused me of being a great coder. I've picked up some skills over the years and have seen little decisions lead to big problems, so I've learned a lot of what an experienced programmer should know about the fundamentals. Do comment...

Library automation in a difficult economy.(the systems librarian)
March 1, 2009... The downturn in the economy has taken its toll on libraries. Even in the best of times, most libraries have to work with budgets that are barely adequate to support their essential activities. In these recent months, the recession has...

Embrace the chaos.(building digital libraries)(Column)
March 1, 2009... As anyone who follows my column knows, I work at a very large and famous university. And I like to comment on what happens here. Although the library I manage is not a large one, working at the University of California--Berkeley places me in...

Computer labs in libraries.(SITES: online treasures)
March 1, 2009... Librarians are all too aware of the changes that technology has brought to libraries and library services. Many traditional library services that used to require a visit to the library have either moved online or require, at most, a quick stop...

BCR.(noted & quoted: people: libraries: awards: promotions)(appointment of Steve Wrede)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BCR announced that Steve Wrede has joined the company in the newly created position of imaging operations manager in the Digital and Preservation Services department. In this role, he will design, implement, and...

City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.(noted & quoted: people: libraries: awards: promotions)(Cedar Rapids Public Library)(2009 Librarian of the Year award)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, announced that 11 staff members from the Cedar Rapids Public Library (CRPL) have been awarded the 2009 Librarian of the Year award from Library Journal. According to the release, they were recognized for their...

Judith F. Krug.(noted & quoted: people: libraries: awards: promotions)(William J. Brennan Jr. Award)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... ALA announced that Judith F. Krug, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), will receive the William J. Brennan Jr. Award from the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression. Krug...

Rachel Kolsky.(noted & quoted: people: libraries: awards: promotions)(2008 Special Libraries Association Member Achievement Award)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The Special Libraries Association (SLA) announced that Rachel Kolsky, of SLA Europe, is the recipient of the 2008 Special Libraries Association Member Achievement Award. The award, sponsored by Thomson Reuters with a cash prize of $1,000, is...

Columbia University Libraries.(noted & quoted: people: libraries: awards: promotions)(appointment of Patricia Renfro)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Columbia University Libraries announced that Patricia Renfro was elected to the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition's (SPARC) steering committee. She will serve a 3-year term. Currently, Renfro is deputy university...

Simple library lab lists.(tech tips for every librarian)
March 1, 2009... As part of my job at a vocational high school, I sometimes teach troubleshooting classes during in-service days. Most of the people I teach are administrators and teachers who use technology every day but who get very little instruction on how...

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation targets library internet speeds.(news desk)
March 1, 2009... The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is helping libraries in seven states bring their internet connections up-to-speed with a new pilot program that ensures low-income individuals have access to online job applications and other opportunities....

Words of Wisdom.(news desk)(Quotation)
March 1, 2009... 'COMPUTERS ARE INCREDIBLY FAST, ACCURATE, AND STUPID; HUMANS ARE INCREDIBLY SLOW, INACCURATE, AND BRILLIANT; TOGETHER THEY ARE POWERFUL BEYOND IMAGINATION.' --Albert Einstein

LeapFish launches online search aggregator.(news desk)(leapfish.com)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... LeapFish launched its beta online search engine, LeapFish.com, which combines results from Google, Yahoo!, and MSN and includes blogs, news, Q&As, videos, images, and more in its searches. According to LeapFish, the site features search widgets...

PALINET acquires library leadership network.(news desk)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... PALINET acquired the Library Leadership Network (LLN) and has integrated its content, including Leader's Digest and the LLN Peer Panel, into the PALINET Leadership Network (PLN). Leslie Dillon, current editor of Leader's Digest, stayed with the...

Serials Solutions adds data export to overlap analysis, new reporting to 360 resource manager.(news desk)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Users of Serials Solutions' 360 Core can now access a data export feature for Overlap Analysis. The feature enables libraries to carry out all of the normal functions of the Overlap Analysis tool--including identifying duplicate resources and...

DocuWare reveals upgraded web client.(news desk)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... DocuWare announced the new version of its DocuWare Web Client, a web-based product that helps businesses automate their document workflow processes. The new version adds the ability to write annotations and highlights directly into a document...

Ask a Librarian.(Interview)
March 1, 2009... Ask a Librarian is a monthly feature where librarians have a chance to comment on Computers in Libraries' topic of the month. In this installment, Stacey Greenwell, head of the Information Commons (the Hub) at the University of Kentucky, talks...

World Book Student hits the web.(news desk)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... World Book, Inc. unveiled World Book Student, an upgrade to the World Book Online Reference Center that includes new research tools, interactive features, and multimedia. According to World Book, the new online reference product contains every...

LIFE Photo Archive now available on Google.(news desk)(http://images.google.com/hosted/life)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... More than 10 million images from the LIFE Photo Archive, 97% of which were previously unreleased to the public, are coming to Google. The company launched a new hosted image service at http://images.google.com/ hosted/life that enables visitors...

GSA to publish new earth-science journal.(news desk)(Geological Society of America)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The Geological Society of America (GSA) is launching its new earth-science journal, Lithosphere, in early 2009. The publication focuses on the tectonic processes that affect the earth's crust and upper mantle, and content will include research...

Survey: SLA members see salary increase for second straight year.(news desk)(Special Libraries Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The average salary for members of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) increased for the second straight year, according to the "2008 SLA Annual Salary Survey & Workplace Study." As of April 2008, U.S. respondents' salaries were up 5.3% from...

Atypon launches content delivery site for ACS, acquires eMeta.(news desk)(Atypon Systems, Inc.)(American Chemical Society)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Atypon Systems, Inc. teamed up with the American Chemical Society (ACS) to launch a new online publishing and content delivery site for the society's online journals. With the new site, the ACS has access to all of the existing capabilities of...

Inmagic launches DB/Text Library Suite.(news desk)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Inmagic is packaging three of its library and special-collections-management technologies together to create Inmagic DB/Text Library Suite. Consisting of Inmagic Genie, DB/Text Works, and Web Publisher Pro, the suite enables librarians and...

Using video games to teach games design: a gaming collection for libraries: games are now able to draw players in and deliver rich stories that evoke real emotions comparable to those evoked by any book or movie.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a forecast value of $10.3 billion by 2011, video gaming has moved from the perspective of a pastime toy to a driving economic force. The interest in video games has led to an explosion of video-game employees,...

Two new books from Facet.(books to check out)(Better by Design: An Introduction to Planning and Designing a New Library Building)(The Public Library)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Facet Publishing recently released Better by Design: An Introduction to Planning and Designing a New Library Building (ISBN: 978-1-85604-650-3, 224 pp., 35.96 [pounds sterling] [about $53.72] for CILIP members, 44.95...

ALA conjures search tips.(books to check out)(American Library Association)(Magic Search: Getting the Best Results From Your Catalog and Beyond)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... New from ALA Editions is Magic Search: Getting the Best Results From Your Catalog and Beyond (ISBN: 978-0-8389-0990-4, 112 pp., $40.50 for ALA members, $45 for nonmembers) by Rebecca S. Kornegay, Heidi E. Buchanan, and Hildegard B. Morgan. This...

A new guide to reference from Neal-Schuman.(books to check out)(Reference and Information Service in the 21st Century, 2d ed.)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2009... Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. now offers Reference and Information Service in the 21st Century, 2nd Ed. (ISBN: 978-1-55570672-2, 367 pp., $69.95) edited by Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath. Among the topics covered in this book are major...