Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Best Newsread Lately
As usual, Stephen Abram gives us tons of good things to think about, ponder, try out, and, most importantly, apply to our vision of libraries present and future.
I'm already completely won over by #11 - ebooks (especially audio) and #15 - RSS. I am getting anxious to try new ways of #4 tagging records in the catalog. For my library I'd love to see efficient ways of using #14 Cloud Software.
20 Things to Watch
via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 3/7/08
So, what’s on my list of things to pay extra special attention to? When we’re deluged, swamped and overwhelmed by news and blog postings and other media, what do I use as my filter to trap just the important stuff that will matter to libraries? I am not going to purport that this column lists everything I pay attention to but it is a basic list of the things that I think will have a big impact on enterprises, libraries, information and librarians in the next five years. This article lists, in no particular order, 20 of the ones I think are worth watching. In the messy world of environmental and technology scanning nothing comes neatly packaged or sorted.
Information Outlook, Mar. 2008 Issue20 Things to Watch
I'm already completely won over by #11 - ebooks (especially audio) and #15 - RSS. I am getting anxious to try new ways of #4 tagging records in the catalog. For my library I'd love to see efficient ways of using #14 Cloud Software.
20 Things to Watch
via Stephen's Lighthouse by stephen on 3/7/08
So, what’s on my list of things to pay extra special attention to? When we’re deluged, swamped and overwhelmed by news and blog postings and other media, what do I use as my filter to trap just the important stuff that will matter to libraries? I am not going to purport that this column lists everything I pay attention to but it is a basic list of the things that I think will have a big impact on enterprises, libraries, information and librarians in the next five years. This article lists, in no particular order, 20 of the ones I think are worth watching. In the messy world of environmental and technology scanning nothing comes neatly packaged or sorted.
Information Outlook, Mar. 2008 Issue20 Things to Watch
Organizations I'd Like to Join!
Man Travels Country to Fixe Typo’s
via Library Stuff by Steven on 3/11/08
NPR - “Jeff Deck of Boston had seen a lot of misspellings on signs around his city, and one day he decided he just couldn’t take it anymore.” (via)
I find this to be a completely worthy and admirable occupation. I myself wish to eradicate the misuse of apostrophes.
via Library Stuff by Steven on 3/11/08
NPR - “Jeff Deck of Boston had seen a lot of misspellings on signs around his city, and one day he decided he just couldn’t take it anymore.” (via)
I find this to be a completely worthy and admirable occupation. I myself wish to eradicate the misuse of apostrophes.
Online Word Processing
Online word processing options talks about a lot of different items out there including Open Source. I've been using Google Documents now and then.
I wonder how this will affect the use of public library terminals? Will our users be ready to, say, make their own igoogle account to use google documents? Can one save their email attachments to google documents or other options?
When will libraries be ready to reap the potential saving by offering this in place of Word?
I wonder how this will affect the use of public library terminals? Will our users be ready to, say, make their own igoogle account to use google documents? Can one save their email attachments to google documents or other options?
When will libraries be ready to reap the potential saving by offering this in place of Word?
What is Librarianship in 2.0?
Student Use of Library Computers
Jenica at Attempting Elegance ponders what constitutes “real” work by students on library computers in her thought-provoking What is real library work, anyway?
“Because what the hell is library work, anymore? If it’s restricted to using databases, searching the local catalog, photocopying articles, and checking out books, we’re dead in the water as a profession.”
Student Use of Library Computers
Jenica at Attempting Elegance ponders what constitutes “real” work by students on library computers in her thought-provoking What is real library work, anyway?
“Because what the hell is library work, anymore? If it’s restricted to using databases, searching the local catalog, photocopying articles, and checking out books, we’re dead in the water as a profession.”
Student Use of Library Computers
Links To Cool Tools
From iLibrarian:
80 Online Resources for Book Lovers
Ten Sites for Finding Wonderful Things
many of these we already know about. Think about trying a new one today!
80 Online Resources for Book Lovers
Ten Sites for Finding Wonderful Things
many of these we already know about. Think about trying a new one today!
THEY NEED US! THEY NEED US!
Revenge of the Experts - our wandering googlephites make come back home.
A Belated Welcome to iLibrarian!
iLibrarian is a feed that brings us links to lots of good tools and ideas for our work whether in 2.0 or not. Feel free to browse the links and learn!
The appeal of Street Lit
The post written before did not include the link to the previous article in the series. This does a great job of outlining the appeal of street lit!
The Word on Street Lit No. 1
By Rollie Welch, Collection Manager, Cleveland P.L. -- Library Journal, 2/7/2008 9:10:00 AM
Street lit, ghetto books, or urban fiction: no matter what you call this hot genre, its many incarnations seldom remain on library shelves and rack up lengthy reserve lists. For our purposes, we’ll dub it street lit, but what is it about, and why does it appeal especially to younger African American readers? Typical elements include a rags-to-riches theme, references to the hip-hop music industry, profanity, urban slang, erotic sex scenes, criminal activity, or violence that escalates to murder.
But that’s just part of it. Often the story line is circular so that plot points from the novel’s opening pages come into play at the climax. Loyalty to one’s friends and neighborhood is also given high value in street lit, and the characters often forge bonding relationships during their adolescence that become key to survival.
But most important, the story must connect to the "hood," or the streets. The action may move among various lifestyles, but the core value always reverts back to harsh lessons learned in the ghetto.
Most likely, black teen readers relish how many street-lit stories begin with lessons learned during adolescence. They can see themselves in characters who look like them or undergo similar experiences.
Don’t confuse the steamy African American romances published by Kensington’s Dafina line and contemporary "gossip lit" fiction like Tonya Lewis Lee’s Gotham Diaries that revolve around wealthy upper-class black characters for street lit.
The Word on Street Lit No. 1
By Rollie Welch, Collection Manager, Cleveland P.L. -- Library Journal, 2/7/2008 9:10:00 AM
Street lit, ghetto books, or urban fiction: no matter what you call this hot genre, its many incarnations seldom remain on library shelves and rack up lengthy reserve lists. For our purposes, we’ll dub it street lit, but what is it about, and why does it appeal especially to younger African American readers? Typical elements include a rags-to-riches theme, references to the hip-hop music industry, profanity, urban slang, erotic sex scenes, criminal activity, or violence that escalates to murder.
But that’s just part of it. Often the story line is circular so that plot points from the novel’s opening pages come into play at the climax. Loyalty to one’s friends and neighborhood is also given high value in street lit, and the characters often forge bonding relationships during their adolescence that become key to survival.
But most important, the story must connect to the "hood," or the streets. The action may move among various lifestyles, but the core value always reverts back to harsh lessons learned in the ghetto.
Most likely, black teen readers relish how many street-lit stories begin with lessons learned during adolescence. They can see themselves in characters who look like them or undergo similar experiences.
Don’t confuse the steamy African American romances published by Kensington’s Dafina line and contemporary "gossip lit" fiction like Tonya Lewis Lee’s Gotham Diaries that revolve around wealthy upper-class black characters for street lit.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Keeping up to date: Street Lit!
Thanks to Library Journal Xpress Reviews! A monthly column on Street Lit is available via their feeds. Check it out at:
The Word on Street Lit No. 2
via Library Journal - Xpress Reviews on 3/12/08
The Word on Street Lit No. 2
via Library Journal - Xpress Reviews on 3/12/08
Newest Trend: Faux Memoirs!!!!
This past week or so it has all been about writing Fake Memoirs. It’s so trendy that someone at Slate put up a great list of “Don’ts” for the genre. When I Write a Fabricated Memoir, I Will.... and the NYT has created a A Family Tree of Literary Fakers.
Congratualtions to James Frey for beginning the most recent spate of fakes. Double-thumbs up to Margaret B. Jones. I had Ms. Jones’ book on my reading list!
Congratualtions to James Frey for beginning the most recent spate of fakes. Double-thumbs up to Margaret B. Jones. I had Ms. Jones’ book on my reading list!
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