The American Historical Association has an intersting story, How Revolutionary Was the Print Revolution? that looks at the the impact of print.
They say most professional historians have devoted relatively little attention to printing and the social and cultural changes it wrought.
You need to buy access to the entire article, but everyone can read a nice intro.
May 2002
FacetMap
Ever wonder how to combine faceted classification, regarded as a \”bottom-up\” metadata system, with the hierarchical navigation that\’s typically considered a \”top-down\” structure — thereby giving (unsuspecting) users much more power over their browsing?
Well, now there is FacetMap, a solution so simple that we can take any metadata you\’ve got, and turn it into a browsing system right there on the servers. Every page is generated when you request it, in order to display the efficiency of our unique technology.
Americans in Paris battle over literary treasure
Charles Davis Sent along
This Independent Story on The American Library in Paris, which they say is one of the city\’s more obscure cultural jewels – undeservedly obscure.
The library has the
biggest collection of English-language books in Europe, outside
Britain. Now a heated dispute between the library\’s
trustees and a group of its members over stealthy plans to
merge the library with the ambitious and expansive American
University next door has caused a ruckous.
Virtual Sci-Fi Library
Roy Balleste writes \”A virtual library has been designed for: Gene Roddenberry\’s Andromeda, from the creator of Star Trek. This show is the #1 weekly hour in syndication for the second year in a row in the U.S. The All Systems University was created to serve the people of the Systems Commonwealth.Here is the site For the show.
And,
For the Library
\”
Microchips in Books Speed Check-Out
Wired has a nice little story on RFID technology. Although originally designed for security, these \”tags\” which are a combination of microchip and radio antenna, have a number of benefits within the library. Self-checkout is quicker and a shelf can be easily scanned to check its contents. Also check-out(ouch!) UK Bookstores\’ plans for RFID
Cuneiform Document Library Hits Web
Michael points us to This AP Story on historians using the modern language of computers are assembling a virtual library of the earliest known written documents: clay tablets inscribed more than 4,000 years ago.
Begun in 1998, the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative has taken on new urgency. Experts fear if the texts aren\’t cataloged electronically, they could be lost forever.
Screen Language Literacy
Here\’s A Fun One from News.com on teenager\’s natural affinity for instant messaging, video games, movies, open source, and eBay and how those abilities be understood and applied to lifelong learning.
According to Seely Brown, there is a new kind of digital divide now, and it is the divide between faculty and students.
\”The real catch for me is not that this is an end in itself. I\’m not arguing that we should never have text qua print text. I\’m suggesting that this may be a powerful way in for kids in terms of appreciating more their vernacular, in order then to be able to open up experiences, get a more expressive medium…and then build on that.\”
DesMoinesRegister.com reports: “25% of [Iowa] school seniors read poorly.”
Despite exceeding \”national norms,\” the DesMoinesRegister.com reports that
\”25%
of [Iowa] school seniors read poorly.\” The newspaper\’s
analysis of data collected by the state on student achievement also concluded
that:
- 32% of Iowa\’s fourth-graders \”were struggling readers.\”
- 32% of Iowa\’s eighth-graders \”were below their grade level.\”
-
30-38% of 11th-graders \”from Iowa\’s largest districts – Des Moines, Davenport,
Sioux City, Dubuque, Waterloo and Council Bluffs…. struggled with reading.\”
The article notes a \”connection between dropout rates and reading skills,\”
and explains that in reponse to student\’s low test scores, high school
teachers in Des Moines \”attended classes on how to incorporate reading
instruction into their teaching.\”
Free Books released in the wild!
Bill Drew writes \”I found this cool site for book lovers…
BookCrossing.com
…and thought you would appreciate it. The website encourages people to Read, Register, and then Release their books \”into the wild\” and then track where they go and the lives they touch. Great concept… share your books and follow their progress forever. Best of all, it\’s FREE.
Personal message from Bill Drew: I heard about this underground book movement on NPR Saturday moring, May 18, 2002. I released my first book the same day.
I signed up for this on Saturday. It is legitimate and very pro reading.\”
Terrorist’s Use of Planes as Missiles Predicted by Library of Congress Analyst.
A September 1999 report, \”The
Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why?\”
written for the National Intelligence Council (CIA.gov/nic)
by Library of Congress\’ Federal Research Division (FRD)
analyst Rex A. Hudson, predicted that \”suicide bomber(s) belonging to al-Qaida\’s
Martyrdom Battalion could crash-land an aircraft packed with high explosives
(C-4 and semtex) into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA), or the White House,\” and pointed out that \”Ramzi Yousef had
planned to do this against the CIA headquarters.\”
While only two sentences in a 100+ page graylit report trying to second
guess terrorist\’s methods, it sharply contradicted National Security Adviser
Condoleezza Rice\’s statement Thursday that, \”I don\’t think anybody could
have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into
the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon,
that they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane
as a missile.\”
updated: 20020920
The report\’s link has changed at least twice, try both if one doesn\’t
work:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology%20of%20Terrorism.htm
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology%20of%20Terrorism.htm
or:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology_of_Terrorism.htm
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology_of_Terrorism.htm
If neither work, check:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/terrorism.htm
A September 1999 report, \”The
Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why?\”
written for the National Intelligence Council (CIA.gov/nic)
by Library of Congress\’ Federal Research Division (FRD)
analyst Rex A. Hudson, predicted that \”suicide bomber(s) belonging to al-Qaida\’s
Martyrdom Battalion could crash-land an aircraft packed with high explosives
(C-4 and semtex) into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA), or the White House,\” and pointed out that \”Ramzi Yousef had
planned to do this against the CIA headquarters.\”
While only two sentences in a 100+ page graylit report trying to second
guess terrorist\’s methods, it sharply contradicted National Security Adviser
Condoleezza Rice\’s statement Thursday that, \”I don\’t think anybody could
have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into
the World Trade Center, take another one and slam it into the Pentagon,
that they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane
as a missile.\”
updated: 20020920
The report\’s link has changed at least twice, try both if one doesn\’t
work:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology%20of%20Terrorism.htm
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology%20of%20Terrorism.htm
or:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology_of_Terrorism.htm
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Sociology-Psychology_of_Terrorism.htm
If neither work, check:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/terrorism.htm
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