LISNews Librarian And Information Science News

(Yes, the air staff knows the episode is earlier than usual. We have our reasons...)

This week's episode is the first one for 2010. In this episode we discuss why LISTen will not be at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yet again and also get into a miscellany of briefs from allied fields. Unusually enough a musical number performed by a member of the board of directors of the Guitar Society of Las Vegas, Erie Looking Productions western engineer Mike Kellat, is also included in this episode.

Related links:
Discussion of the TWiT Network presence at CES 2010
ALA Mid-Winter 2010
Matt Asay talking about Canonical & focus
Alan Pope on an Ubuntu sighting on Doctor Who
Virginia Postrel on media company exploitation of workers
Radio New Zealand National on French anti-piracy efforts relative to the Internet
The Register discussing the French agency known as HADOPI
The Digital Economy Bill before the United Kingdom Parliament presently
Section 44 of the Digital Economy Bill relative to UK public lending right and how library loans of books will be codified as not being copyright infringments
The Register on UK ISP rage over the Digital Economy Bill
Breitbart.tv relaying Agence France-Press about electricity rationing in Venezuela
Information about the Guitar Society of Las Vegas

As part of an IMLS funded Early Career Research Grant, Dr. Vandana Singh (Assistant Professor, School of Information Sciences at University of Tennessee-Knoxville) is working on a 3 year research project that will compare the technical support for Open Source Integrated Library Systems with proprietary Integrated Library Systems.

In phase 1 of this research project, we are collecting data regarding the expectations of librarians for technical support and the available channels of technical support. We will identify the expectations of librarians about technical support for ILS (both open source software and proprietary software. And, we will assess the effectiveness of the current channels and processes for technical support in satisfying the expectations of the librarians.

At this stage, we are looking for participants interested in contributing to this study. If you would be willing to participate in the study or can make some recommendations for potential participants that would be greatly appreciated. At this time, the only information we are soliciting is:

Are you currently using an ILS?
Are you using an open source or proprietary ILS?
What type of library are you working in? (School, Public, Academic, Special, etc.)
Is your library in rural area or urban?
Would you be willing to participate in this study? (Participation entails responding to survey questions administered electronically and/or participating in interviews).
If you are interested in the general description and progress of the project, you can find more information at

When I first conceived the idea for Hyperlinked History and the whole Faceless Historian thing, I wanted it to be an online television show. At the very least I wanted to make an online documentary series with video, music, and the whole bit. So I shot a couple of test things and edited them together. Then I deleted that crap because it was terrible.

A year later, I have skills and equipment I didn't originally possess. So I'm excited to announce that Hyperlinked History will be moving into the realm of online video!

The opening of the show is available online as a sort of teaser/trailer and you'll be able to keep up with the programme both here on LISNews and on the Hyperlinked History site. Episodes should start going online around the end of August, so stay tuned!

If you are a parent or a teacher or a writer or a child, if you've had the gift of an extraordinary educator, if you've ever felt small, if you're prepared to have your heart swell with hope or you'd just enjoy a good laugh, get your hands on a copy of this unpredictable, heart-warming super-hero tale -- and then rise to its challenges to live life, exercise your strengths and recognize greatness in yourself and others.

You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.

Author: Troy Wilson (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Dean Griffiths (on JOMB)
Published: 2004 Orca Book Publishers (on JOMB)
ISBN: 1551434350

Looking for more inspiring teachers in children's books? Check out 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature on A Year of Reading (thanks to Franki, Mary Lee -- and to Tricia for the reminder).

People often picture librarians as the stiff, grey-haired stereotype wearing horned-rimmed glasses and a bun -- and shushing people. Many librarians, however, are on the cutting edge of the coolest of media tools. Today's librarians have embraced some incredible new technologies to spread a love of reading and to promote their craft.

Elizabeth Bird, or Betsy Bird, is one of a new generation of librarians. She has achieved a lot very early in her career including sitting on the Newbery award committee in 2006 and, following the success of Fuse #8, her own blog about children’s books, has become a blogger for the web edition of the popular print magazine School Library Journal. Betsy’s also been known to produce episodes of her Fuse#8 podcast.

Listen in as Mark Blevis of JustOneMoreBook.com chats with New York Central Children's ultra hip Librarian, Betsy Bird.

Icfai University Press (India) is a leader in academic and research publishing wishes to launch the Icfai University Journal of Library & Information Studies as a platform for the academia, information practitioners, and others concerned with the growth of the Library & Information Studies discipline.
In this peer-reviewed Journal, we wish to publish original scientific papers, literature reviews and professional papers, as well as short reviews of the new books and e-resources and forthcoming meetings and workshops and training programs.

We, therefore invite you to contribute an article on any issue under the discipline Library and Information Studies and allied areas to make our endeavor a success.

Your articles may be mailed to ijlibinfstd@iupindia.org

We look forward to your contributions.

With regards,

Research Associate
The Icfai University Journal of Library & Information Studies
E-mail: ijlibinfstd@iupindia.org
Website: http://iupindia.org/

This popped up in the past couple hours on PNLA-L relative to ALA Midwinter in Denver later this month:

What Do Library Staff Want President Obama to Know: Special Membership
Town Hall Meeting
Saturday, Jan. 24, 3 PM to 4:30 PM

What library issues are most important to ALA members to share with
President Obama? The ALA Town Hall Meeting will discuss this topic on
Saturday, Jan. 24, 3 PM to 4:30 PM, in the Four Seasons Ballroom at the
Colorado Convention Center. Share your views at the Town Hall Discussion
wiki

corrected link:
http://wikis.ala.org/midwinter2009/index.php/Town_Hall_Discussion

What: Special Membership Town Hall Meeting
When: Saturday, 3 PM to 4:30 PM
Where: Four Seasons Ballroom at the Colorado Convention Center

Any Mid-Winter attendees planning on participating?

As reported in the most recent regular edition of LISTen, podcast hosting provider Podango collapsed on New Year's Day. All that remained was a parking page. LISHost announced its response that same day.

Click It To Buy It Filled with over 300 pages of effing goodness, the blog you love to read for free is now available in the dead tree format for $15.95.

$15.95? Is that all? For something I can get totally free otherwise? Wow, that's a bargain.

Edited very poorly by me, and quite possibly violating the copyrights of dozens of individuals and corporations, the.effing.librarian book is now ready for human consumption in a handy 5.25" x 8" format. Hold the.effing.librarian in your hands. Take the.effing.librarian to bed. Burn the.effing.librarian in a festive fire and get those chestnuts roasting.
Click the link below to read a sample of what you get:

OK, you've determined you're going to try to buy books from your local independent booksellers...but now the question is...what are you going to buy?

The New York Times has a list of Notable Books from 2008 , and a list of list of Notable Books for Children from 2008.

You've got the list, you've bought the book(s), what now? Maybe some greeting cards that recycle into bookmarks to go along with it? Ah, the perfect combo. Mention birdie sent you, and you'll get free shipping on your order through the month of December.