Blake

The dark side of big data

For now, assume that all your digital data is accessible by a single instance, say your government. In this case you provide your government with incredible control over yourself and also your relatives. A mere measurement of how defiant you are could be dangerous for you, depending on where you live. Furthermore, someone gazing at your data is not required to remain inactive. One might try to manipulate your opinion by placing solely the content on (social) media platforms that you are supposed to see.

From The dark side of big data

For now, assume that all your digital data is accessible by a single instance, say your government. In this case you provide your government with incredible control over yourself and also your relatives. A mere measurement of how defiant you are could be dangerous for you, depending on where you live. Furthermore, someone gazing at your data is not required to remain inactive. One might try to manipulate your opinion by placing solely the content on (social) media platforms that you are supposed to see.

From The dark side of big data

February 15, 2016 by Blake Privacy

Justice Scalia’s copyright legacy-and what his loss means for e-book cases

It’s perhaps a little surprising, but it seems that Scalia was often on the same side as copyright reformers—helping to define fair use, insisting trademark not be permitted to trump the public domain, and feeling Aereo should have been permitted to continue. Of course, the cases where he wasn’t were some of the more important ones—most notably Eldred v. Ashcroft and Golan v. Holder.

From Justice Scalia’s copyright legacy—and what his loss means for e-book cases – TeleRead News: E-books, publishing, tech and beyond

It’s perhaps a little surprising, but it seems that Scalia was often on the same side as copyright reformers—helping to define fair use, insisting trademark not be permitted to trump the public domain, and feeling Aereo should have been permitted to continue. Of course, the cases where he wasn’t were some of the more important ones—most notably Eldred v. Ashcroft and Golan v. Holder.

From Justice Scalia’s copyright legacy—and what his loss means for e-book cases – TeleRead News: E-books, publishing, tech and beyond

The Footpath libraries of Mumbai

On October 21, 2013, in a post titled Of old books and dying telegrams, I wrote about the famed secondhand bookstalls of south Mumbai, located about 2 km (1.25 miles) from my office and 20 km (12.40 miles) from where I live. The following pictures are of more of these bookstalls situated outside American Express Bank at Flora Fountain, or Hutatma Chowk (Martyrs’ Square). So far the municipal corporation has left them alone. Dozens of others on opposite footpaths were not so lucky; they were evicted a few years ago.

From Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Footpath libraries

On October 21, 2013, in a post titled Of old books and dying telegrams, I wrote about the famed secondhand bookstalls of south Mumbai, located about 2 km (1.25 miles) from my office and 20 km (12.40 miles) from where I live. The following pictures are of more of these bookstalls situated outside American Express Bank at Flora Fountain, or Hutatma Chowk (Martyrs’ Square). So far the municipal corporation has left them alone. Dozens of others on opposite footpaths were not so lucky; they were evicted a few years ago.

From Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Footpath libraries

February 14, 2016 by Blake Libraries Music

Let the Librarians Lead

I Lead from the Library

Join our #ileadfromthelibrary campaign and share with us what you are doing to re-envision leadership in the library! Email ([email protected]) or Tweet (@librarianslead) us your leadership quote and we will beautify it and share it out with the world!

Welcome aboard, library friends!!

From Let the Librarians Lead – Home

I Lead from the Library

Join our #ileadfromthelibrary campaign and share with us what you are doing to re-envision leadership in the library! Email ([email protected]) or Tweet (@librarianslead) us your leadership quote and we will beautify it and share it out with the world!

Welcome aboard, library friends!!

From Let the Librarians Lead – Home

February 14, 2016 by Blake Librarians Libraries

Library boards need independence

The ability of a library board to act free of political influence is imperative in maintaining the local public library as a trusted community institution, one that provides information without discrimination. Libraries and their independent boards work diligently to protect the rights of confidentiality, privacy and the freedom to read.

From Midlands Voices: Library boards need independence – Omaha.com: Opinion

The ability of a library board to act free of political influence is imperative in maintaining the local public library as a trusted community institution, one that provides information without discrimination. Libraries and their independent boards work diligently to protect the rights of confidentiality, privacy and the freedom to read.

From Midlands Voices: Library boards need independence – Omaha.com: Opinion

February 14, 2016 by Blake Librarians Libraries Privacy

Check out seeds @ Your Library

Take a seed, give a seed.

In a twist on penny cups at cash registers, folks at the Little Turtle branch of the Allen County Public Library are hoping to encourage urban gardening with a new feature – a seed library.

From Check out seeds at library | Home and Garden | www.journalgazette.net

Take a seed, give a seed.

In a twist on penny cups at cash registers, folks at the Little Turtle branch of the Allen County Public Library are hoping to encourage urban gardening with a new feature – a seed library.

From Check out seeds at library | Home and Garden | www.journalgazette.net

February 14, 2016 by Blake Librarians Libraries

Simplifying Legalese For The Internet Age

The current User Agreement is too complicated, which allows large companies to take advantage of user ignorance. What can be done to change it?

The hard answer to this question is – there is no panacea for this issue.
That being said, we can always attempt to minimize the issues arising out of such complexities by trying to make it more succinct and understanding of users’ hopes and expectations. For that, one solution I have in mind is what I would call a Terms of Service Commons, or TOS Commons for short. The main aim of ToS Commons would be to create a middle ground between organisations and users, by attempting the following:

From Offprint

February 13, 2016 by Blake Internet Legal Issues

Three Ways Publishers and Libraries Can Work Better Together

Librarians: Stop the Book Shaming

Today, librarians who are passionate about books are increasingly like the smokers you see outside office buildings: apart, a little embarrassed, and slightly defensive. It’s hardly a surprise. Book collections? A vestige of our past, like the appendix. At conference after conference, keynote speakers argue that public libraries should be community centers, agents of innovation, knowledge creators, and makerspaces. It’s a trend made worse when LIS faculty (who really should know better) lead the charge.

From Three Ways Publishers and Libraries Can Work Better Together

February 13, 2016 by Blake Libraries Publishing

Wikimedia Foundation removes The Diary of Anne Frank due to copyright law requirements

Today, in an unfortunate example of the overreach of the United States’ current copyright law, the Wikimedia Foundation removed the Dutch-language text of The Diary of a Young Girl—more commonly known in English as the Diary of Anne Frank—from Wikisource.[1]
We took this action to comply with the United States’ Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), as we believe the diary is still under US copyright protection under the law as it is currently written. Nevertheless, our removal serves as an excellent example of why the law should be changed to prevent repeated extensions of copyright terms, an issue that has plagued our communities for years.

From Wikimedia Foundation removes The Diary of Anne Frank due to copyright law requirements « Wikimedia blog

February 13, 2016 by Blake Legal Issues

“The Future of Libraries” John Palfrey Radio Interview

John Palfrey, founding president of the Digital Public Library of America and a director of Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society, recently told the Deseret News that he has “been struck by the number of times people tell [him] that they think libraries are less important than they were before, now that we have the Internet and Google. He says he thinks “just the opposite: Libraries are more important, not less important, and both as physical and virtual entities, than they’ve been in the past.” John Palfrey, author of the new book “BiblioTECH: Why Libraries Matter More Than Ever in the Age of Google,” joins Tom Williams to discuss the future of the library on Thursday’s Access Utah.

From “The Future of Libraries” On Thursday’s Access Utah | UPR Utah Public Radio

February 12, 2016 by Blake Google Internet Libraries