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HUD Launches Website to Gather Public Comment on First-Ever LGBT Housing Discrimination Study

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

HUD Launches Website to Gather Public Comment on First-Ever LGBT Housing Discrimination Study

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today launched a new website to allow citizens to offer comment on the design of an unprecedented national study that will examine housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. While there have been no national assessments of housing discrimination targeting the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community, there is a body of evidence suggesting this sort of bias exists.

HUD recently hosted town hall meetings in Chicago, San Francisco and New York City to solicit feedback on how it might approach such ground-breaking research. This ‘online suggestion box‘ is intended to offer the public throughout the U.S. an opportunity to comment on HUD’s study.
…
HUD’s new LGBT website will seek suggestions on how best to execute the study. For example, how would a ‘tester’ signal in a conversation with a landlord that an individual or couple was LGBT? The website is not designed for users to lodge complaints about a particular incident. However, if you believe you have been a victim of housing discrimination, you may file an online complaint, or call HUD’s Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-800-669-9777.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Posted in Government Documents and Political Information, Legal, New Websites and Resources, Search News, Source File, Technology and Internet | No Comments »

Initiative to Provide Free Online Access to Scholarly Monographs Discussed at SPARC-ACRL Sponsored Forum

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Video of the three presentations is online.

Three ambitious initiatives to deliver free online access to scholarly monographs were featured at the next installment of the SPARC-ACRL forum, “The ebook transition: Collaborations and innovations behind open-access monographs.” The market-based business model for scholarly monographs, long under pressure due to decreased library purchasing, must now accommodate a transition to ebooks. Many non-profit publishers, including university presses, are actively exploring new publishing models to support scholarly monographs, including open-access distribution and collaborative initiatives with university libraries.
Forum Speakers

First Speaker: Maria Bonn, Director of the Scholarly Publishing Office, University of Michigan Libraries.

Second Speaker: Michael Jensen, Director of Strategic Web Communications, National Academies Press (NAP)

Third Speaker: Patrick Alexander, Director University Press and co-director of Penn State University Libraries’ Office of Digital Publishing, Penn State

These presentations took place at the SPARC-ACRL Forum, (January 16th, 2010). and runs 90 minutes was part of the ALA 2010 Midwinter Conference in Boston. This news release includes very brief bio (a sentence or two) about each presenter.

Source: SPARC-ACRL

Posted in E-books, Scholarly Publishing | No Comments »

PREPRINT (Free Access): “Use of Web Resources in the Journal Literature 2001 and 2007″

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Title: A Cross-Disciplinary Study of Journal Literature, 2001 and 2007

34 Pages; PDF.

Author: Li Zhang (Mississippi State University Libraries

Abstract:

This article examines Web resources in research articles from 30 scholarly journals in disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The purpose of the study is to report the degree to which scholars make use of Web-based resources in the journal literature and to identify Web citation characteristics within different subject areas. The study also explores whether any changes emerged between 2001 and 2007. The examination confirms the finding of previous studies that, even though Web resources are not heavily utilized in journal articles, the number of such resources is increasing. Publicly accessible database repositories and open source software prevail over other Web resources in research communication. The implications for academic libraries are discussed. The study suggests that new strategies need to be developed to manage Web-based information resources.

Accepted: March 18, 2010
Anticipated Publication Date: January 2011

Source: C&RL

Posted in Arts and Humanities, Scholarly Publishing, Science | No Comments »

State Library Agency Service Trends: 1999–2008 (New IMLS Research Brief)

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Access the Complete Summary (1 Page)

Access the Complete Research Brief (10 Pages; PDF)
The brief contains 15 charts and graphs.

Research Brief, Released 3/18/2009.

Despite the lack of real growth in their budgets in recent years, state library agencies are working strategically to assist library professionals and local libraries to meet patrons’ needs, according to State Library Agency Service Trends: 1999–2008, a new research brief by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Limited resources are being shifted as libraries services are being redefined. Over the past 10 years, for example, real dollar expenditures on statewide database licensing more than doubled, reaching a total of $65.8 million in 2008. These databases provide all library users access to a wide range of online resources, such as reference sources for homework, job search and training tools, and specialized magazines and newspapers. This finding indicates one way that state library agencies are making the most of limited resources.

Library services for hard-to-reach populations, such as services for people in nursing homes, individuals with physical or learning disabilities, assistive technologies and devices, and non-English speakers and migrant workers, declined from a high of $57 million in 2004 to $31.6 million in 2008, according to the study.

[Snip]

An upcoming study, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, demonstrates that vulnerable populations rely on libraries for Internet access. Among young adults (14-24 years of age) living in households below the federal poverty line, 61 percent used public library computers and Internet for educational purposes. Among seniors (65 and over) living in poverty, 54 percent used public library computers for health or wellness needs. The study, scheduled for release on March 25, was conducted by the University of Washington with support from IMLS and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Access the Complete Summary (1 Page)

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services

Access the Complete Research Brief (10 Pages; PDF)
The brief contains 15 charts and graphs.

Posted in Libraries and Librarianship, Statistics, Technology and Internet | No Comments »

New General Editor for Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals Named

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

From the Announcement:

Marci Hoffman, associate director and international and foreign law librarian at University of California Berkeley, has been appointed general editor for AALL’s Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals

Hoffman replaces Thomas H. Reynolds who will retire as general editor on December 31.

Hoffman received her MLIS from the University of California, Berkeley in 1989. She worked as assistant librarian for Farella, Braun + Martel in San Francisco until 1991, when she became an assistant librarian at Boalt Hall and ran Boalt Express.

She served as the foreign, comparative, and international law librarian at the University of Minnesota Law Library from 1993 to 1999 and was the international and foreign law librarian at Georgetown University Law Library until 2003 when she returned to Boalt as the international and foreign law librarian. In 2006, she was appointed associate director of the law library.

In her current position, Hoffman teaches an international and foreign legal research seminar. She has done extensive work with the American Society of International Law and the University of Minnesota Human Rights Library, and is an expert on international and foreign legal research. She has written a number of articles on legal research and teaching, and in 2003 she developed an international law web portal called Electronic Information System for International Law (www.eisil.org).

Hoffman is also the co-author of two books, Hoffman & Rumsey, International and Foreign Legal Research: A Coursebook (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2008) and Hoffman & Berring, International Legal Research in a Nutshell (Thomson/West, 2008).

Source: AALL

Posted in Libraries and Librarianship | No Comments »

Google Magazine Archive Expands: Complete Run of “Spin” Now Available

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

The Google Magazine Archive (part of Google Books) continues to expand with complete runs (aka all of the issues) of a publication.

About 10 days ago we posted that 40 years of content from IDG computer publications had been digitized and was now searchable.

Today, via BB we learned that the complete run of Spin, a music and lifestyle magazine, that was published from July, 1985-October, 2009.

You can access the magazine here.

Of course, the content is searchable (search box, top of page) with an advanced interface link to the right of the search button. If you want to limit your search to only “Spin,” place “Spin” in the “Publisher”
box on the advanced interface. Using the basic search box (without the proper syntax) will search the entire Google Books database.

If you were around during Spin’s time and feel like reminiscing or want to read what musicians were saying then (some, who are still around today) you’ll have some fun here.

Source: BB, Google Search

Posted in Archives and Special Collections, Arts and Humanities, Media, Search News | No Comments »

OCLC FirstSearch and EBSCO: The Databases Involved

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

In our first post today, we did not mention the databases (or where to find the info) that were a part of today’s OCLC, EBSCO, H.W. Wilson. news.

This post offers questions from an OCLC FAQ that link to info on a web page providing several lists of databases depending on the situation.

The questions are in the same order here as they are on the FAQ blog post.

From the FAQ:

EBSCO has acquired the rights to license a select number of databases that are now available on FirstSearch. These databases are listed below.

OCLC will continue to provide access to these databases on the FirstSearch platform through your current subscription period. At the end of your subscription period, OCLC will no longer provide access on FirstSearch to these databases:

A List of Databases Follows on the OCLC Web Page

Q. Will some of the FirstSearch databases not be continued on the EBSCOhost service after the conclusion of the current subscription period?

All current subscriptions will be honored through their subscription end dates. The following databases will not be supported on EBSCOhost after current subscriptions expire:

A List of Databases Follows on the OCLC Web Page

Is the OCLC FirstSearch service continuing?

Yes, OCLC will continue to offer the FirstSearch platform and service. All databases on the FirstSearch platform to which a library currently subscribes will be available through the end of the subscription period. Going forward, OCLC will continue to offer access to many databases, including WorldCat, the FirstSearch Base Package and several other databases including OAIster, the suite of RLG databases contained in the OCLC Research Collection package, and many other important databases. OCLC plans to discontinue access to databases as noted below. OCLC will continue to offer the H.W. Wilson databases through June 2011. More in the FAQ. The following databases will continue to be available on the FirstSearch platform:

A List of Databases Follows on the OCLC Web Page

The following databases are currently available on the FirstSearch platform. Libraries can renew subscriptions for these databases with OCLC and we will continue to support them through the subscription period. We will update libraries about the timeline for transition of these databases over the next few months.

A List of Databases Follows on the OCLC Web Page

Will the H.W. Wilson databases continue to be offered on the FirstSearch platform?Yes, for subscriptions through June 30, 2011.

A List of Databases Follows on the OCLC Web Page

OCLC will continue to provide access to all FirstSearch H.W. Wilson subscriptions through users’ current subscription periods. Additionally, Wilson will set up library accounts and provide access to the H.W. Wilson databases on the WilsonWeb platform for current FirstSearch subscribers. This dual access on both FirstSearch and WilsonWeb will begin over the next couple of months at no charge. Libraries can renew their H.W. Wilson databases on the FirstSearch database for 2010–2011 for subscriptions that will renew before June 30, 2010. For subscriptions that run through June 30, 2011, the H.W. Wilson databases will be available on both the FirstSearch platform and the WilsonWeb platform. These H.W. Wilson databases will migrate off the FirstSearch service to the WilsonWeb platform in 2011:

A List of Databases Follows on the OCLC Web Page

Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Information Industry | No Comments »

Internet Archive: Redesigned Open Library Goes Live

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

The Open Library is the work of George Oates and members of the Internet Archive engineering team and staff.

It’s a project of the non-profit Internet Archive and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation.

From a Blog Post:

1. This is v. 1 of the Reconstructed Site (aka soft launch). Right now, the URL is: http://upstream.openlibrary.org/

2. Works

The previous version of Open Library was only aware of editions of books, or “manifestations” in FRBR-speak. We’re excited to release Works, which helps catch all editions of the same book and collect them all under this one umbrella. Each work also has its own URI too – we’re hoping these propagate.

Note that our representations of Works is imperfect. We’re the first to acknowledge that there are lots of duplicate edition records in Open Library, and these dupes clog up our ability to derive or create works from editions.

3. Subject pages

We wanted to find a way to help people browse the catalog rather than having to know what they’re looking for before they start. So, we’ve gone through a process of breaking down and reconstructing the subject headings on our records, giving each heading a URL, and displaying a whole bunch of data about each heading: works about that subject, publishing history, related subjects, authors who write about it, and publishers who publish in that subject area.

4. Revamped search

We’ve rewritten search from scratch and upgraded to SOLR 1.4. Our ranking is very basic for now, so “relevance” doesn’t mean a lot yet. We can’t wait to improve on it, and in the meantime, you can also sort your searches by the number of editions, when things were published, or filter using facets.

We also noticed directly below the search box is box to limit your search to only e-books.

5. Cavets to be Aware Of:
The API, The Data, The Data

Odds & Ends

+ Of course, you can search the catalog but they also suggest browsing by subjects.
+ You can add books by completing a simple form.

+ Follow the Open Web Team on Twitter and/or an e-mail discussion focusing on librarianship.

Stats

+ 20 Million Records So Far
+ Goal: “A Web Page for Every Book Published”

That’s it for now. We’re going to take it for a spin and report back.

Posted in Books, Databases, Directories, and Guides, Digitization Projects, E-books | No Comments »

OCLC Sells NetLibrary to EBSCO, Will No Longer Sell Vendor-Owned Databases On FirstSearch & Relationship with H.W.Wilson Also Changing
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Another acquisition in the library world and this one will see EBSCO becomes an audiobook and eBook provider with acquisition of NetLibrary.

From an Announcement:

OCLC and EBSCO Publishing have announced that EBSCO has acquired the NetLibrary Division. The purchase includes the NetLibrary eBook and eAudiobook platform as well as operations and infrastructure in Boulder, Colorado. As eBooks become mainstream components of a library’s eContent collections, there is increasing value to libraries to be able to integrate eBook acquisitions and delivery with other electronic databases and eJournals. EBSCO will maintain and enhance the NetLibrary platform and will also work to integrate NetLibrary eBooks into the EBSCOhost platform. There will be no interruption in service to libraries.

The other news concerns FirstSearch. OCLC no longer wants to be a reseller of vendor-owned databases.

Therefore we will transfer or discontinue sale of the vendor-owned databases on FirstSearch when subscriptions have ended. We will instead increase our focus for both FirstSearch and WorldCat.org on providing libraries with access to a rich set of library-owned content and increasing visibility and access to the full scope of a library’s collection. We will work with libraries, publishers and other information providers to expand WorldCat.org as a comprehensive platform for eContent.

So, what about the vendor-owned databases?

As a part of this migration, EBSCO has acquired the rights to license a select number of vendor-owned databases that we currently offer on FirstSearch. Our long-term relationship with H.W. Wilson is also changing as we will work together to transition from reselling Wilson databases on FirstSearch to indexing Wilson databases in WorldCat Local over the coming months. There will be no interruption in service to libraries.

More Resources:

+ Letter to OCLC Members, Signed by CEO Jay Jordan

More detail on what was discussed above including:

Securing libraries’ investments in NetLibrary eBook collections is a critical element of the agreement. All NetLibrary eBooks purchased by libraries will be placed in a dark archive, the OCLC eBook Archive. EBSCO will continue to place all new NetLibrary eBooks purchased by libraries into the OCLC archive at least through March 2013.

Discoverability of your eBook collections through WorldCat.org will continue with your future NetLibrary eBook purchases. Today, records for more than 2.2 million eBooks are available through WorldCat.org and EBSCO will continue to offer OCLC MARC records free of charge to libraries for NetLibrary eBooks.

…proceeds from the sale of the NetLibrary assets will be invested both in advancing future member services and in current operations so that we can hold the line on prices. OCLC will hold prices flat in the U.S. on all WorldCat and WorldCat platform services for a second consecutive year—through June 2011.

+ All the Details: More on EBSCO and NetLibrary

+ All the Details More About from OCLC and H.W. Wilson

Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, E-books, Information Industry, Libraries and Librarianship | No Comments »

Legal Queens, NY: Court Records Go Digital
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

From the Article:

Back in 2000, the Queens County Clerk’s office began a project to make digital images of selected records. When the enormous advantages over microfiche or microfilm became apparent, the office began imaging all of its records, not just judicial Orders and Judgments.

“At first I resisted the idea,” [Queens County Clerk Gloria] D’Amico admitted at the meeting, “but I’m glad you talked me into it,” she added, nodding in the direction of her staff.

It turns out that Queens is within striking distance of “digitizing” the last of its archived paper records before the existing contract expires, which will leave the other four counties to get help with their archives.

Currently, the county staffs are handling the new paperwork as it comes in – a mind boggling 20 million images a year in Queens alone.

Source: Queens Courier

See Also: Queens Public Library Currently Digitizing Some of Its Oldest Holdings, Collection Will Go Online in Spring
Source: YourNabe.com

Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Digitization Projects, Legal | No Comments »

The Internet Public Library With a Useful Guide to Photo Sharing Services
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Happy 15th Birthday to the IPL Today!!! Congratulations!!!

Although the focus is on Flickr (as it’s “the best known” photo service) this new Internet Public Library Guide (#15) contains info about:

+ About Image Sharing (Including Several Flickr Alternatives)

+ How Flickr Works & Best Practices

+ Best Practices from ALA, Stony Brook University Health Services Library, Smithsonian Libraries, and the National Library of Scotland

+ Internet Public Library Fickr Examples

+ Hands On Activities

+ Webliography of Materials re: Flickr

+ Option to Participate in a Conference

Overall, another informative, easy to use guide from the IPL.

Source: Internet Public Library

Posted in Databases, Directories, and Guides, Libraries and Librarianship | No Comments »

EFF Posts Documents Detailing Law Enforcement Collection of Data From Social Media Sites
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Highlights From an Electronic Frontier Foundation Post:

EFF has posted documents shedding light on how law enforcement agencies use social networking sites to gather information in investigations. The records, obtained from the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Justice Criminal Division, are the first in a series of documents that will be released through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case that EFF filed with the help of the UC Berkeley Samuelson Clinic.

One of the most interesting files is a 2009 training course (PDF) that describes how IRS employees may use various Internet tools — including social networking sites and Google Street View — to investigate taxpayers.

The IRS should be commended for its detailed training that clearly prohibits employees from using deception or fake social networking accounts to obtain information…

Also included in this EFF post are slides about a U.S. Dept. of Justice presentation re: social media.

The Justice Department released a presentation entitled “Obtaining and Using Evidence from Social Networking Sites.” (PDF) The slides, which were prepared by two lawyers from the agency’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, detail several social media companies’ data retention practices and responses to law enforcement requests. The presentation notes that Facebook was “often cooperative with emergency requests” while complaining about Twitter’s short data retention policies and refusal to preserve data without legal process. The presentation also touches on use of social media for undercover operations.

The EFF plans to gain access to more materials and will post them on this page.

Access the Complete Post

Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation

Posted in Legal, Privacy, Social Media | No Comments »

ALA Outlines Positions on Various National Broadband Plan Issues
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Yesterday, ALA President Camila Alire shared a few comments about the ALA’s position on the National Brodband Plan via the District Dispatch. Earlier in the day, ResourceShelf put together direct links to several key documents.

Today, the District Dispatch (ALA’s Washington blog) published an extended post with ALA positions on various Broadband Plan issues.

These are just a few passages we thought were noteworthy. So, make sure to read the entire post.

After conducting its initial analysis of the Federal Communications Commission’s(FCC) National Broadband Plan, the American Library Association (ALA) supports several initiatives suggested in the plan, such as the National Digital Literacy Program and the modernization of the E-rate Program.

“Other proposals, including the Connect America Fund, Civic Engagement, and Training Teachers in Digital Literacy, are good concepts but call for additional measures to ensure the needs of all Americans – including vulnerable populations – are met,” said Dr. Alan S. Inouye, director of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP).

National Digital Literacy Program

ALA enthusiastically supports the launch of this Program. Providing individuals with the guidance and training necessary to search, locate, obtain, and use all forms of information resources is central to the mission of libraries.

Access the Remainder of this Post After a Click
(more…)

Posted in Libraries and Librarianship, Technology and Internet | No Comments »

New Items from the Nature Publishing Group: Content, Regional Portals, and 2011 Pricing
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

1) Nature Middle East Launches

The new website from Nature Publishing Group (NPG) showcases scientific and medical research from the Arabic-speaking Middle East region and is continuously updated with articles in English and Arabic. The King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Saudi Arabia, is sponsoring Nature Middle East.

Nature Middle East features news, features, and short ‘Research Highlights’. Written by the Nature Middle East editorial team, ‘Research Highlights’ are summaries of interesting, recently-published papers, authored by researchers based in the Middle East region, from across the scientific and medical literature. Local job listings are provided by NatureJobs, and event listings by Nature Events. A blog, House of Wisdom, and a forum on Nature Network enable the community to connect, network and exchange information and ideas.

2) Introducing Nature.com Regions

Regional pages are now available on nature.com. Nature Publishing Group (NPG) today introduces nature.com regions (www.nature.com/regions). Nature.com regions pages provide a regularly updated portal for researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and investors who are interested in a specific country or region.

Nature.com regions launches with pages for: Europe, France, Germany, Iran, Israel and Italy. Additional nature.com regions pages are planned, and may range from a single city to a multinational area.

Each page brings together relevant high-quality research, news, opinion, and business content from the Nature family of journals, Scientific American, and other NPG resources. Local job listings from NatureJobs, event listings by Nature Events, and local service provider information are all available. Site visitors may also find content in French, German, and Italian provided by local Scientific American partners in respective countries.

3) Nature Publishing Group Details 2011 Open Access Pricing Policy

Source: NPG
Plenty of the details and numbers.

Posted in Information Industry, Scholarly Publishing | No Comments »

Two New Themes Launch Today on IMLS UpNext Wiki + Calendar of Future Topics
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites you to help invent the future of museums and libraries through your participation in UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki http://imlsupnext.wikispaces.com/.

…individuals inside and outside of museums, libraries, and related fields can discuss, dissect, expand, and inform the issues outlined in the Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide http://www.imls.gov/pdf/DiscussionGuide.pdf. IMLS will use the knowledge shared in the wiki to help shape the agency’s strategic plan, research directions, publications, convenings, and grant making.

Two new themes launch today on the wiki and will be featured for wiki discussion from March 17th- March 30th.

Theme #3, Museums and Libraries as the “Third Place” will be led by Discussion Leader Susan Hildreth, City Librarian, Seattle Public Library. This theme discusses museums and libraries as gathering spaces for social interaction and engagement and invites wiki members to imagine what the “third place” will look like in the future and how museums and libraries can enhance their positions as forces for civic engagement and social cohesion.

Theme #4, Technology & Policy Development, will be led by Discussion Leader, John Wilkin, Associate University Librarian for Library Information Technology (LIT), University of Michigan, Executive Director of HathiTrust. This theme discusses how rapid advances in technology have a profound effect on the ways in which people access and use information. It invites wiki members to identify the role of museums and libraries in policy developments for intellectual property, digitization, preservation, and content access.

The Complete Schedule of Wiki Themes and Eiscussion Leaders Is Below:

The First Two Discussions (March 3-16)
1. Changing Definitions & Roles of Museums and Libraries
Martín Gómez, City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library
2. Shifts in Power & Authority
Cassie Chinn, Deputy Executive Director, Wing Luke Asian Museum

March 31-April 13
5. 21st Century Learning & Information Use
Tom Scheinfeldt, Managing Director for Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, OMEKA Project Director
6. New Models & Structures for Collaboration
Mark Wright, Director of Partnerships, National Children’s Museum

The Remainder of the Listings After a Click (more…)

Posted in Info Management and Retrieval, Libraries and Librarianship, Museums & Online Exhibits, Technology and Internet | No Comments »

Underway: Overdrive’s Program for Visually Impaired Readers, LEAP (Library eBook Accessibility Program)
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

From the Announcement:

Overdrive has created a program named LEAP (Library eBook Accessibility Program) and it’s now up and running at the Cleveland Public Library. OverDrive is fully funding this program and offering LEAP to your qualifying patrons at no cost to the library and at no cost to your patrons

If a patron of your library has a print or visual disability, they will be eligible for a LEAP account at Bookshare.org. Bookshare has established this program solely for qualified patrons of U.S. public libraries that offer eBooks from OverDrive. LEAP account patrons will be able to download and read up to 20 accessible eBooks each month. The Bookshare national catalog of titles is growing each month with thousands of popular titles available, though it should be noted that it is not the identical collection of eBooks that OverDrive provides to your library.

Source: OverDrive.

Posted in E-books, Information Industry | No Comments »

A Couple of Items from The Library of Congress to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

he Colleen Here are a few couple of digitized historic documents from the LC collection you might want to visit. Happt St Pat’s dday@@@

1. Rinnce na h-Éireann: a Simplified work on the performance of the dances of Ireland
CLICK the BOOK COVER to ACCESS THE FULL TEXT
New York: The Gaelic League of the State of New York, c1907.
First published in 1902, the work was suggested by a member of the New York Philo-Celtic Society. The discusion includes music, steps, and instructions for reels, “High Caul Cap,” four-hand jig, and “Rinnce Fada.

2. The Girl I Left in Killarney [sheet music]
by Willian Walters and JA Tupper
Date Issued 1896
To View the Sheet Music, the “Sheet Music Views Box” On the Left Side of the Page Offers Several Options

The Irish Americans [sheet music]
by George M. Cohan
Date Issued: 1905
To View the Sheet Music, the “Sheet Music Views Box” On the Left Side of the Page Offers Several Options
See Also: The LC Photstream on Flickr is collecting and posting images of Ireland today and yesterday. You can review the entire collection or take a look at some of the images organized into five categories. This project comes from the Prints and Photographs Division and blogged by Matt Raymond.

Source: In the Music: Performing Arts Blog (Library of Congress)

Posted in Arts and Humanities, History, Preservation/Conservation | No Comments »

Baltimore: Public Libraries
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

From the Article:

The number of visitors to the Enoch Pratt Free Library increased by 20 percent in a six-month period, prompting library officials to suggest that the Internet is helping boost usage at an institution known for its printed word and paper collections.

“It’s been a steady increase, across the boards,” said Carla D. Hayden, the library’s chief executive. “People are using our Web site to find the treasures we have in here. New digital technologies have opened up the collections to so many more people.”

[Snip]

There was also a 9 percent rise in visits to the Pratt’s Web site, www.prattlibrary.org, and the majority of these users, 78 percent, were from outside the library.

[Snip]

There was also a 28 percent increase in the number of visits to the Pratt’s online catalog.

Access the Complete Article

Source: Baltimore Sun
Hat Tip: AL Direct

Posted in Libraries and Librarianship, Statistics | No Comments »

ALA President Comments on National Broadband Plan
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

From the Announcement:

American Library Association (ALA) President Camila Alire today released the following statement regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Plan (NBP):

“There are great opportunities proposed in the National Broadband Plan and still much important public debate facing the American public on these critical broadband issues. As the plan moves forward, it must lead to digital inclusion – not exclusion. Since libraries serve a critical role in today’s information society, ALA will be active in this important policy-making.

The plan captures the need for universal affordable broadband access to individuals at home through libraries and other anchor institutions as well as for local governments and all levels of education institutions. We thank the FCC for taking on the tremendous challenge of developing a national broadband plan and outlining how the discussion should move forward.

Libraries may be affected by many areas of the plan including the following:

+ The plan’s proposals to sustain and improve the E-rate funding and to simplify the application process for libraries and schools

+ The critical need for digital literacy recognizing that public libraries in all communities as well as the libraries in schools, higher education and health care institutions, are primary providers of digital literacy education

+ The need for broadband to make government at all levels more effective and efficient and to provide interactive e-government services and more online government information

+ The plan’s recognition of how broadband technologies can be used to foster civic engagement – another arena supported by our libraries

Source: District Dispatch, American Library Association

Posted in Information Policy, Libraries and Librarianship | No Comments »

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