February 2003

“According to Norma Blake, state librarian, “New Jersey is facing a critical shortage in librarians. It’s a great job both for women starting out, and also for women making a mid-life career change.”

“In the next 15 years, it is anticipated that 68 percent of librarians will retire and many public and school library jobs may go unfilled. There is already a shortage of children’s librarians in the state, and we are beginning to see shortages in reference, administration and other specialties as well. In addition, academic and special libraries, such as corporate libraries, are looking for librarians, particularly those who are very familiar with the Internet and information technology.” (from The TriTown News)

“The illustrator who presented the world with the face of Harry Potter is to leave Britain because he cannot afford to buy a house here.”

“Thomas Taylor was a fresh-faced art graduate when he was paid a flat fee of less than £300 to illustrate the cover of J K Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, seven years ago.” (from The Telegraph)

“Random House Children’s Books, in partnership with First Book and the National Education Association (NEA), announced today the launch of a national literacy campaign dedicated to providing children from low-income families with their first, new books. The campaign is taking place in conjunction with the NEA’s Read Across America celebration, an annual reading initiative designed to motivate every child in every community to celebrate reading on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2nd” (from PR Newswire)

“Homer and his family meet up with the Harry Potter author in a special episode set in London.”

“Lisa Simpson turns out to be a Potter fan and questions the millionaire.”

“Sir Ian McKellen also appears in the episode – and is first hit by falling scaffolding, then struck by lightning.” (from Ananova via Waterboro Lib Blog)

Lee Hadden writes: “There is an article in today’s (Feb 26, 2003) issue of the Wall
Street Journal concerning Google.com, and mentions how the term “Google” is
often used as a verb. The article says: “…”Googling” has become a synonym
for searching online. In a recent New Yorker cartoon, a man in a bar says-
“I can’t explain it- it’s just a funny feeling that I’m being googled.”

They say While Google approves of optimizers that help a site improve its content or design, it recently revised its Webmaster guidelines to warn against firms that, among other things, promise to guarantee a top Google ranking.

A search for Google Page Rankings Returns 3 Ads for link promotion on google by third party companies.

David Goldman writes “Kfsource.com recently talked with with Mark Webbink, General Counsel for Red Hat Inc. Red Hat is the largest and arguably the most recognized provider of open source technology in the United States. We asked Mr. Webbink about why open source software is important to librarians and legal professionals, wheter the GPL (GNU Public License) is truly anti-competitive as some have maintained as well as the issues surrounding the controversial DMCA. Mr. Webbink also responds critics who claim, open source software is by nature “viral”…”

The Washington Monthly’s Brandon Koerner investigates:

It’s a political tale as old as Capitol Hill: A lumbering industry selects a certain corporate-friendly party to be its Beltway patsy. In exchange for the requisite campaign donations and other perks, members of said party use their clout to push through the industry’s legislative agenda–an agenda that would rip off consumers and harm the overall economy but enrich the corporate string-pullers immensely. Pundits and public-interest types grumble over the bald-faced cronyism, but as long as the money keeps flowing, the beneficiaries don’t seem to care a whit.

Complete story, with thanks to FOS News.

A character in the comic strip User Friendly calls the decision by Bear Pond Books of Montpelier, Vermont to purge their records lest they fall under the auspices of the Patriot Act heroic.

Today’s strip also has a good idea about how to protect the customers of Amazon from a similar problem. (Not that there’s much chance Amazon hasn’t already been patrioted, right?)

SomeOne writes “The Supreme Court posted its latest hearing list yesterday, which states that Solicitor General Theodore Olson and Jenner and Block’s Paul Smith will argue CIPA next week:

Wednesday,March 5,2003

No.02 –361.United States,et al.v.American Library
Association,Inc.,et al.
Appeal from the U.S.D.C.for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania.

For appellants:Theodore B.Olson,Solicitor General,
Department of Justice,Washington,D.C.
For appellees:Paul M.Smith,Washington,D.C.
(1 hour for argument.) “

“About a month ago, I started writing “website” instead of “Web site” in personal notes and correspondence. After six years of obediently engaging the shift key, the former suddenly seemed acceptable and the latter seemed antiquated and, well, not worth the effort.”

“When lingo becomes familiar, new terms lose their starch and slide into a more casual style. Trademarks are forgotten, words merge and hyphens fall away. That’s happening now to the language of the Internet–too swiftly or not swiftly enough, depending on whom you ask.”

“Along with The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style, most newspapers and online news sites still agree on the big three: Web site, Internet, e-mail. In the mainstream press, the gradient begins with terms such as online (or on-line, if you prefer) and various Web- and e-derivatives. AJR moved from Web log to Weblog not long ago, when the term came into common use.” (from American Journalism Review)