August 2010

The Internet is calling into question one of academia’s sacred rites: the peer- reviewed journal article.

Full article

Andrew Orlowski at The Register discusses the Wikileaks situation. A key point made is that data alone is useless without contextualization. A key quote from the piece:

The nature of news and journalism hasn’t really changed. We want the world explained, the dots joined, and factoids are a poor substitute, no matter how sensational the trappings. We know that information isn’t knowledge, and sometimes barely causes a ripple.

Jodi Lampert who writes for the Huffington Post is seriously pissed that the LA Library is closing on Mondays. And here’s her blog to prove it:

“For something to reach out and grab me, it has to have the effect of Changing My Life, and right away. Just say:

The Public Library is closing on Mondays.

Let’s begin by introducing you to my first boyfriend. We began our courtship when I was three. His name was ‘Rockville Centre Public Library’. “Three,” you might say? How could a child really read at three? I’d learned to read at my grandmother’s proverbial knee, backwards.

I used to ride my bike to the library in Long Island, NY, every Thursday. It was safe. I would check out the maximum. Six. I would put them into my bike basket, ride home, and then line them up in my drawer, BACKWARDS. This was the exact opposite order in which I wanted to read them. There was no deviation. Years of therapy clearly awaited me, but it was a beautiful love affair.”

Read more at at Huffington Post.

In the Seattle Times, columnist Neal Peirce writes that many of the nation’s libraries are able to maintain the bulk of their services and adapt to growing needs during a recession, even in the face of snowballing funding cuts by their local governments.

From the article: Andrew Carnegie’s original idea in founding his string of free public libraries, McNulty notes, was that they’d be gathering places for young people — that once drawn there, they’d learn to read. So Carnegie built a boxing gymnasium into one of his Pittsburgh libraries, a swimming pool into another.

But right now, it’s computer access that leads the library parade. “Beginning computer skills are especially important for dislocated workers,” says Brian Clark of the Nashville, Tenn., Career Advancement Center. “Having computer skills,” he suggests, “won’t necessarily get a person a job. But it means the door won’t be slammed in their face” — in other words, before they can even state their case.

Opening doors? It’s true that funds saved or restored to libraries may mean deeper, sometimes very painful cuts in other parts of city and county budgets.

But what’s more American than open doors? Seen this way, libraries have been enablers of generations of Americans’ dreams. And with a little luck, they’ll help pull us out of our current economic morass too.

This post was a link to http://blip.tv/play/AdufKQI but that’s now gone

More than 100 people gathered to see James Patterson make an appearance at the Ossining Public Library.

The prolific and renowned author did two question and answer sessions Saturday: the first for members of the press, and the second for the general public. Questions at the general session were asked by a local boy named Alex Carrazzone, 9, and Bob Minzesheimer, a former library board trustee who writes about books for USA Today.

In both his public appearance and in a private Q&A held with members of the press, Patterson hit on several recurring themes. He talked about the need to get kids interested in reading, saying that people who read will do better in life and have better imaginations.

Piece on NPR about the book Common as Air: Revolution, Art, and Ownership.

Excerpt: Some people believe that not only are current copyright laws too stringent, but that the assumptions the current laws are based on are artificial, illogical and outdated.

Among them is Lewis Hyde, a professor of art and politics who has studied these issues for years. In his new book Common As Air, Hyde says he’s suspicious of the concept of “intellectual property” to begin with, calling it “historically strange.” Hyde backs it up with an impressive amount of research; he spends a significant amount of time reflecting on the Founding Fathers, who came up with America’s initial copyright laws.

Hyde is a contrarian, but he’s not a scorched-earth opponent of all copyright laws.

Full story here

Louis and Sue Ainsworth bought the house next door to tear it down and expand their own. Instead, they kept both houses, joined the two structures and turned an entire house into a library.

UPDATE According to the Houston Observer, the scheduled festival has BEEN CANCELLED in its entirely, due to the number of participants who have chosen not to attend.
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The Teen Lit Fest in Humble is a huge deal for renowned writers of young adult fiction and the kids they’re writing for. Which is why it’s a huge deal that half of the authors have dropped out of the January 2011 festival.

It all started when an Humble ISD librarian complained to some influential parents about New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins, who was scheduled to appear at the festival. (Hopkins writes about cheery subjects like drug addiction, suicide, and religious intolerance.) Houston Press reports.

Those parents then allegedly bent the ear of Superintendent Guy Sconzo, who ordered another librarian to uninvite Hopkins — even though she had already appeared at two of the festivals Humble-area high schools, without causing any of the teenagers to slit their wrists, become pregnant, or turn to prostitution to subsidize chronic substance-abuse problems.

When fellow writer and invitee Pete Hautman heard about it, he decided to drop out of the festival, and, according to his blog three more writers have dropped out — Melissa de la Cruz, Tara Lynn Childs and Matt de la Pena.

UPDATE According to the Houston Observer, the scheduled festival has BEEN CANCELLED in its entirely, due to the number of participants who have chosen not to attend.
—————————————————————————————-
The Teen Lit Fest in Humble is a huge deal for renowned writers of young adult fiction and the kids they’re writing for. Which is why it’s a huge deal that half of the authors have dropped out of the January 2011 festival.

It all started when an Humble ISD librarian complained to some influential parents about New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins, who was scheduled to appear at the festival. (Hopkins writes about cheery subjects like drug addiction, suicide, and religious intolerance.) Houston Press reports.

Those parents then allegedly bent the ear of Superintendent Guy Sconzo, who ordered another librarian to uninvite Hopkins — even though she had already appeared at two of the festivals Humble-area high schools, without causing any of the teenagers to slit their wrists, become pregnant, or turn to prostitution to subsidize chronic substance-abuse problems.

When fellow writer and invitee Pete Hautman heard about it, he decided to drop out of the festival, and, according to his blog three more writers have dropped out — Melissa de la Cruz, Tara Lynn Childs and Matt de la Pena.

More on this story from Galley Cat and entries from author Ellen Hopkins Live Journal. The Lit Festival’s Facebook page appears to have been pulled.

Seattle PI: Seattle’s libraries will close for a week beginning late this month, leaving patrons without many normal services while the city continues to ponder how the system will operate on less money next year. It will be the second budget-driven closure in a year.

The system will close Aug. 30 through Sept. 6, including Labor Day, with regular operations to resume Sept. 7. During the closure patrons will be able to download e-books from the system and will have access to databases for encyclopedias, consumer information and investment but won’t be able to reserve, pick up or drop off books or talk with librarians. The closure will mean salary reductions for nearly 650 employees who will not be paid during that week.

The library shutdown, part of the city’s effort to deal with a $67-million city budget shortfall, was planned for a time when library use is lower than at other times in the year, when school is not in session and fewer programs are scheduled, staffers said.

Mayor Mike McGinn has asked the library and other city agencies to trim budgets to deal with the revenue shortfall. He’ll submit a proposed 2011 budget on Sept. 27.