unlibrarian

Christian Zabriskie: Confronting The Biggest Threat to the Public Library

Sun, 27 May 2012 11:54:18 +0100

Christian Zabriskie: Confronting The Biggest Threat to the Public Library:

Urban Librarians Unite and the Save NYC Libraries Campaign are seeding more than 1600 books all over the city in response to massive cuts proposed to the budgets of New York City Libraries.

Building a Digital Map of Scholarly Archival Materials - Technology - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:50:07 +0100

Building a Digital Map of Scholarly Archival Materials - Technology - The Chronicle of Higher Education:

A great idea with an impressive scope. I’ll be watching this closely. (h/t @FunkyPlaid)

"A reader can trace a foot-noted lead with lightning-fast speed and determine whether the citation..."

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:39:37 +0100

“A reader can trace a foot-noted lead with lightning-fast speed and determine whether the citation they’re following is something that requires their attention or not within a minute of seeing a footnote. Previously, this crucial step in the research process (following the breadcrumbs) was the most labor intensive, but with enhanced catalogs, digital surrogates, linked databases, and, most importantly, the hardware to bring all of these things to the fingertips of a library user, a library user becomes a walking catalog.”

- Daryl Green, rare books librarian at the University of St Andrews, quoted in Future U: Library 3.0 has more resources, greater challenges | Ars Technica

LibraryThing’s Edible Books contest winner. The rest are...

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:08:38 +0100

LibraryThing’s Edible Books contest winner. The rest are wonderful, too. (h/t @FunkyPlaid)

Digital archivists: technological custodians of human history

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:43:29 +0100

Digital archivists: technological custodians of human history:

Digital archivists should read this Ars Technica article, via infoneer-pulse:

Game creator Jordan Mechner wanted to teach the next generation. So the man behind the groundbreaking 1989 Apple II game Prince of Persia recently posted his original 6052 assembly source code to Github. But getting the code from decades-old floppy disks “covered with dust” was no simple task. Mechner employed the services of vintage computer expert Tony Diaz and digital archivist Jason Scott to extract the bits from the floppies and assemble it into a readable code file.

Without Diaz and Scott, Mechner’s code could’ve been lost forever. The exact methods he used to create this landmark game would have become as obsolete as the 1976 technology it was played on.

But old source code isn’t the only cultural artifact that requires specialized knowledge to preserve. As paper and dyes deteriorate, acetate degenerates, and the minute magnetic flux recorded in analog tape fades with the ages, how do we preserve cultural artifacts like photographs, music, and film? And what of more modern digitally created media? Images and video are shot directly in digital formats and stored on flash media. Music is recorded in 24-bit, 192kHz digital resolution onto massive hard drives. All these files exist in various codecs, formats, and file systems; on spinning magnetic platters or in solid state NAND flash. How do we preserve these files for future reference, study, and appreciation?

» via ars technica

Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Tree of Codes was created by...

Sun, 20 May 2012 09:20:34 +0100

Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Tree of Codes was created by cutting out and rearranging text from his favourite novel, Bruno Schulz’s The Street of Crocodiles. The photos are intriguing. (via Tree of Codes, a Literary Remix | Brain Pickings)

Library Lovers' LiveJournal

Sat, 19 May 2012 16:02:21 +0100

Library Lovers' LiveJournal:

Shameless plug time: I started the Library Lovers’ LiveJournal community in early 2001 and it’s still going strong! You don’t have to have a library degree or job to participate, just a love of libraries. Join us!

That's Not Online!

Sat, 19 May 2012 08:40:59 +0100

That's Not Online!:

My new favourite blog is dedicated to library resources that aren’t online and how to find them.

ebooks for libraries - A petition to keep ebooks in libraries

Sat, 19 May 2012 08:30:12 +0100

ebooks for libraries - A petition to keep ebooks in libraries:

The premise behind this petition is very simple: libraries are the best way for people to learn about new books. So why are publishers preventing libraries from providing these new books in whichever format the patron desires? Please sign and share.

"Right now, libraries are part of the solution when a community is struggling economically. Libraries..."

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:06:48 +0100

“Right now, libraries are part of the solution when a community is struggling economically. Libraries continue to design and offer programs customized for their local communities’ needs, providing residents with guidance, including sessions with career advisers, workshops in resume writing and interviewing, job-search resources and connections with outside agencies that offer training and job placement. Each day an estimated 300,000 people receive job-seeking help at public libraries. More than 74% of libraries offer software and other resources to help patrons create resumes and employment materials, and 72% of libraries report that staff helped patrons complete online job applications.”

- My View: Why libraries matter more than ever – Schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs

Via yourathenaeum: Augusta Braxton Baker, librarian with The...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:42:16 +0100

Via yourathenaeum:

Augusta Braxton Baker, librarian with The New York Public Library from 1937 to 1974, blowing out the story hour candle. Baker was a devoted storyteller who developed a groundbreaking list of stories that portrayed African Americans positively and established a collection of African American children’s literature at the New York Public Library. She became the first African American coordinator of Children’s Services at the NYPL in 1961, in charge of youth programming at all eighty-three branches. Her influence touched New York libraries, schools, community groups, the American Library Association, Sesame Street, and the works of authors like Madeleine L’Engle and Maurice Sendak. World-renowned novelist James Baldwin was one of the young men who sat in the children’s room at her first library job at the 135th St Branch.

She was born on this day, April 1st, in 1911. You can read more about her life and legacy from the New York Public Library, Wikipedia, and the University of South Carolina. Hear her interviewed and see more photographs of her at work at Speaking of History.

Does the library have a role to play in the Digital Humanities? : Digital Infrastructure Team

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:53:30 +0000

Does the library have a role to play in the Digital Humanities? : Digital Infrastructure Team

Libraries will get you through times of no money better than...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:57:05 +0000

Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.

Hiring Librarians | An inside look at library hiring

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:45:02 +0000

Hiring Librarians | An inside look at library hiring:

This site contains surveys and interviews of current hiring managers. It is an excellent resource for job-hunting librarians. (via library school listserv)

Hey, girl. I know tax season is a stressful time for you at the...

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:33:44 +0000

Hey, girl. I know tax season is a stressful time for you at the library.

Zotero

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:41:20 +0000

Zotero:

I am working on two very different research projects for professors right now, and Zotero is saving my life.

Do you use Zotero to organise your research bibliographies and notes?

Library Girl, an original song and video by ReinaDelCid. Very...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:21:06 +0000

Library Girl, an original song and video by ReinaDelCid. Very sweet and totally catchy. (h/t Hermionish)

"We’re dying. I’m currently on the side of “no” that we can pull out of this tail spin...."

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:02:22 +0000

“We’re dying. I’m currently on the side of “no” that we can pull out of this tail spin. I’m not saying that you’ll turn around tomorrow and every public library will be aflame, with neo-conservative Gauls stepping out of the ashes with a copy of “A People’s History” between their teeth, and librarian blood on their axe. Instead it will be a slow death by a thousand cuts, as shown in this article.”

- California Dreamin’ | MetaFilter

Read the rest of this comment. It is astounding.

(via Insane art formed by carving books with surgical tools -...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:39:53 +0000

(via Insane art formed by carving books with surgical tools - Karan Arora’s Posterous)

"I think the hackathon model could provide a very positive way to remake our libraries into..."

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:07:54 +0000

“I think the hackathon model could provide a very positive way to remake our libraries into innovation centers within our communities, turning anyone into a potential hacker and mentor in the subject area they are most skilled and passionate about.”

- Let’s Remake Libraries as Hacker Spaces and Community Innovation Centers @ API Evangelist