The guy driving the airport shuttle van couldn’t get over it. I had arrived at the Philadelphia airport and was to be driven to a speaking engagement at a library conference in New Jersey. I had called the driver from home before I left to give him the details of my flight arrival. Nonchalantly, he … Continue reading My Favorite Medium
“I am not going to rule today,” stated Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. District Court in New York City February 18 before hearing testimony at the long-awaited fairness hearing about settlement of the five-year-old lawsuit against Google over its massive book-digitization project. Judge Chin went on to explain, “Voluminous materials have been submitted [with] … Continue reading Thorny Fairness Issues Delay Decision on Google Books Settlement
Even non-techies can offer cutting-edge services right away, says Ellyssa Kroski in her cover story for the March issue of American Libraries. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter make it easier for all of us to communicate and collaborate, she says, and her main point is that you no longer have to be an … Continue reading Is Technology Catching Up?
You’ve got to feel a bit for Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales. Here’s a guy with a fairly simple but incredibly powerful idea: Create a way for people to share what they know with the wider world and in the process build a resource that can be of great benefit to everyone. As he said in … Continue reading Whither Wikipedia?
The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest February 4 saying that despite "substantial progress" it still had objections to the proposed settlement of lawsuits challenging Google’s Book Search project, noting that the agreement continued to raise copyright, antitrust, and class certification issues. While the filing said the amended settlement “is more circumscribed in … Continue reading Justice Department Objects to Revised Google Books Settlement
I recently started teaching another great group of future librarians at San José State University about Web 2.0 technologies. I’m always in awe of their enthusiasm for the subject matter and for their chosen field. This year, I also feel a little sad, knowing that some of them will likely struggle to find work after … Continue reading Your Virtual Brand
I find it fascinating that so many people try to put a sad face on retirement. Just think of the common terms we use for retirement: "over the hill," "being sent to the glue factory," "hanging up the spikes," "riding into the sunset," "being put on the shelf" (presumably intended for librarians), and "being put … Continue reading I Blog, Therefore I Matter
The Software and Information Industry Association, the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, announced the winners of the CODiE Awards for products and services January 27. Among the winners were a number of prominent library vendors, including ProQuest and Thomson Reuters. Presented at a special event held in conjunction with the 2010 … Continue reading ProQuest, Thomson Reuters, among Software Industry Award Winners
Read the updated version of this article. Reading, said the great English essayist Matthew Arnold, “is culture.” Given the condition of reading test scores among school children nationwide, it isn’t surprising to find both our nation and our culture in trouble. Further, the rush to internetize all schools, particularly K–12, adds to our downward spiral. … Continue reading 10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library
A month before the February 18 final fairness hearing for the proposed settlement of lawsuits challenging Google’s Book Search project, the Open Book Alliance called on Congress to instead help establish a digital book database operated by a neutral, nonprofit organization. In a January 19 letter sent to members of Congress and digitization advocates, OBA … Continue reading Google Settlement Opponents Ask Congress for Nonprofit Alternative
“We need a New Deal about privacy,” said Hal Niedzviecki, author of The Peep Diaries, at the Office for Intellectual Freedom's kickoff for Choose Privacy Week, which will be first observed May 2–8, 2010. Niedzviecki discussed his flirtation with what he called “Peep Culture”—the willingness of people to share and consume the details of each … Continue reading A New Deal for Privacy?
As anyone who knows me well will testify, I am not by inclination the outdoorsy type. I mean, it’s fine for those who like that sort of thing, but I’ve always maintained that civilization is here for a reason, and I see no reason to go back to a time before grocery stores and flush … Continue reading Info the Woods
