The Depth of Middle Schoolers

Enjoyable clip, about 18 minutes.
I thoroughly enjoy Robert Ballard's enthusiasm for Middle School students. They are capable, curious, and willing to be engaged.

Questions about the future of the internet & the web

May 15, 2008.
Berkman Center at Harvard, celebrates it's 10th anniversary and looks ahead to the next decade.

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/4320

About 40 minutes. Skip first few minutes if you're short on time.

Out of the Basement...taped onto my page

I was innocently doing my work, reading Basement Tapes.
I clicked something interesting...and you know the story.
Lost in cyberspace...trying to find my way back w/ the help of Steven Colbert and String Theory!
World Science Festival 2008, NYC.

The Right to Know

LIS 2600 podcasts launch surfing trip.

Subjectively:

I liked Berner-Lee’s website for kids. I can understand it!

http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/Kids#Where

I appreciate the joyful enthusiasm & obvious engagement of Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Dr. David Clark. I’m light years away from understanding them. I understood David Weinberger better and was disappointed Ted Nelson’s talk didn’t follow. (Perhaps it will). I understood Weinberger’s trees, leaves, silverware, and laundry analogies as he related it to changing models of knowledge. Fascinating, engaging! He does a great job making his topic accessible, not surprising, as that’s his focus w/ information. I particularly enjoyed the dialogue w/ audience questions in the Berners-Lee and Weinberger groups. Judging from the 3 of them, I’m inclined to think that studying physics, computer science and philosophy is the fountain of youth. While it’s clear from some gray hairs or their sheer amount of education and experience that they are more than 20 years old, their vitality belies that.

Objectively:

The internet/web future is challenged by growing pains: a tension between free access and open sharing versus regulation, profits, and profiteering. It’s clear the aforementioned are working to ensure that it’s a resource that not only remains open to all, but grows in access for all.

I listened to the podcasts, took notes, googled & wikipedia-ed speakers, cruised the internet (something I’ve never spent any appreciable time doing), and discovered the following links. GREAT stuff! Made from great minds, who willingly share, clearly believing that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts…something to be preserved and protected for the benefit of the world.

"Reflecting an Internet Decade with John Perry Barlow." 16 minutes. Barlow, lyricist for Grateful Dead and author of “Economy of Ideas” Wired, 1994.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu3efDQwULc

Some interesting quotes from his from the interview.

“Old paradigm still rules.”

It is a “Fundamental human right to know. To have access to knowledge. Society needs to be organized in a way that will maximize access for all human beings. I have a dream, that anybody, anywhere on this planet who wants to know something will be able to find it and learn it from the best possible sources.”

“When you spread information, you create demand for it.”

Another link of interest:

The History of the Internet – about 9 minutes by Ethan Zuckerman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7O4uMRADB8

Focus

Librarians as the gatekeepers? OK, I can see that in an environment of scarce resources, as noted in LIS 2000, 2^nd lecture. Admittedly, we’ve all grown up in a time of abundant and ever-expanding resources. Yet, some of today’s libraries seem to cling to the old gatekeeper model. Michael Sullivan, author of “Connecting Boys w/ Books,” noted, when you insist on fines, you’re penalizing your best customers. He found a guilt jar on the circ desk produced more revenue than fines. (August 17, 2006 lecture, Harrisburg, PA), It probably produced good-will as well. Let’s go w/ that! Ah, ...THE RULES!

When our daughter was in high school, I was appalled that I had to argue w/ a library that she needed a rather obscure book that was in disrepair, one that upon its return would need to be taken out of circulation for mending. They would not renew it as it had been renewed once…and no, no one was waiting for the book. If I returned it, they’d take it out of circulation. She needed it! So I kept it and paid late fees. I pay taxes for this kind of stick-to-the-rules, citizen-be-damned nonsense. I didn’t grow up envisioning I’d be a librarian. Due dates, date due cards, fines, and the aforementioned kind of experience didn't lead me to believe it'd be fun job. Then there was that “shush” thing. I didn’t see the thrill. That left me thrown when my high school interest test suggested I should be one.

Technology has changed the library world. It's freed us up from many of the old functions. Furthermore, we have lots of competition in the world of reading, information, DVDs, CDs, downloadables, etc. How many of us have heard the comment “why do we need libraries, we have the internet?” And how many of PA’s citizens know of or even use POWER Library? The acronym stands for PA Online World of Electronic Resources. I was told that 10% of the PA population knows about it. It’s a state treasure! I wonder if libraries don’t spend more time on turf & protection issues than they do on aggressively advertising their information currency. In my experience on the front desk, I noticed our most active library users did not know about Access PA, ILL or POWER Library. In fact some of them didn’t realize they could return books to ANY of our branches, not just the one from which they checked out the book. Libraries see these people regularly; every few weeks! They willingly come through our doors! What business wouldn’t salivate for that kind of traffic, and the opportunity to get out their product and product information?

Today's library world allows us to focus on service, facilitating the success of our customers in pursuit of just the right materials. All those varied questions! All those searches and instruction! Now that's a fun job!

So let's focus on the people who walk through our doors. Let's adapt Staples' "Yes, we've got that." Our customers read, they're articulate, and not incidentally, they're good people to have on our side when it comes to being funded by both our state and our communities.

Shifting Perspective

Portable technology, notably a Smartphone, is beginning to look like a great option. Staying inside on such a gorgeous day may cause this writer to shift more than 2 dimes into new technology. I was never excited by cell phones. They are a major annoyance, particularly when people drive and talk! Also, some comedian remarked on people using their cell phones in public. He suggested that the surrounding community inflicted w/ the conversation, lean in. When the cell phone user remarks, ” May I have my privacy,” he advised the innocent public to respond “May I have my public?!”

I got my first cell phone 12 years ago. It was a bag phone. My husband thought I should have one for traveling. I used it 3-4 times tops! After it got converted to a cell phone, I gave it to our daughter. This Christmas she added me to her plan and presented me w/ a cell phone. What goes 'round, comes 'round! I understand the logic, but it feels like a tether; frankly, one that lacks good reception. I prefer the house phone.

BUT a smartphone... might be worth considering! Today the PC was the tether that kept me indoors! Freedom, I want my freedom…to study LIS wherever I want! It's in the constitution isn't it?

Friday Fun

It’s Friday….time for a break from all this studying.

I notice we have cat lovers in our cohort. If you haven’t seen You Tube’s “An Engineer’s Guide to Cats,” it's too much fun to miss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXBL6bzAR4

These clips go on the "List of Things I Like About Technology."

Taking laughing seriously;) I did some research: Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqQk4pCzBtY Titled “Extreme Funny.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYokLWfqbaU&NR=1 “Bought It on Ebay, ” a fun song.

Have a great weekend!

Carol

Information Magnet?

How I came across this article, “Corporate Librarian 2.0: New Core Competencies, ” I’m not sure. I can’t find it on either syllabus, 2000 or 2600. Seems it just came to me? What, we’re information magnets too? If we’re not seeking it, it seeks us! That said, I enjoyed the article. The author, Alexander Feng, referenced “information evangelists!.” I agree with his perspective :)

His main points: the core role of librarians is changing from information gatekeeper (is that what the profession WAS…really???)…to information guru (I like that). Feng went on to say librarians are “knowledge enablers ” (yes, it can be an addiction, one we encourage others to join) and also that we’re “knowledge creators,” in that we “customize alerts, make available competitive intelligence and improve knowledge sharing methods.” Right. “Ultimately,” he concludes, “the core competency is the ability to use current technologies to improve information communication.” I’d like to think that was ALWAYS the case with librarians.

I've always seen libraries as a service "industry." I confess, I'm confused and disappointed by those who don't understand that. In fact the joy of being a librarian is that we get to be of service AND we get to learn new things every day! What better job description is there? Dare to be curious!

Info Addiction

Too many books, too little time! I ordered from the library “Physics of the Impossible” by Michio Kaku (c. 2008) long before this semester started. Apparently, I was on a wait list; a good thing, the company of readers. But it just arrived; Murphy ’s Law!

Will phasers, force fields, time travel and teleportation (BEAMING around :) be possible? Are the “impossible” dreams of sci-fi possible? Kuhn anyone? Per Kaku, yes, as we grow in our understanding of the laws of physics and science.

Here are some links great links RE Kaku:

You Tube: Absolutely fascinating! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW8rgKLPHMg Kaku’s website, http://mkaku.org/ (As I grow in tech skills, I’ll do the hyperlinks – looking forward to that.)

Have YOU ever wondered if all of life is connected? Explainable w/ one theory, one grand set of connections? I once postulated that question to a friend. She didn’t respond, and might well have thought me loopy. Per Kaku (p. x.), Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life working on a grand, unifying “theory of everything.” Trust me, I’m absolutely, positively NO Einstein! But none of us has a lock on curiousity.

WHAT makes people question things and ENGAGE in pursuing answers? Did you ever wonder what provoked scientists like Einstein, Newton, and Galileo to pursue what they did? What questions do you have? What questions do our PK-12- PHD students and community-at-large have? What can we all contribute to those answers? Have you ever looked at plumbing fixtures? Those “guys” are geniuses! Theoretical and practical do mix. As we read through the materials from LIS 2000 and 2600, it’s clear many are discussing issues and trying to organize, and collaboratively utilize information in pursuit of answers to a myriad of concerns. … OR Maybe it’s all the same question? :)

I see librarians as connectors, facilitators of success.

1st Tech hurdle jumped! My audio is now back! Lost it w/ the reinstallation of XP. Thankfully our daughter married a techie!

2nd hurdle(s) - I'm signed up for everything on the syllabus and am downloading Firefox as I type.

3rd - May 15th chat session...fast & furious. I created a word document today to filter out what I need to know & do. Good group, good questions, very helpful!

4th - Tech diary. Reflecting on change - Thoughts from the LIS 2600 Starting Block:

Transportation: I have often joked that I should be able to beam around before I die. After all, my grandparents lives started in the time of the horse and buggy and ended during an age that saw "routine" space shuttle flights. SO maybe, I should be able to go from Sputnik to beaming? Hmmm. It should be interesting to see what the next few decades bring.

Communication: After my in-laws died, I read through their 1945-48 correspondence. Fascinating! She was in Shanghai & England, he was in the States. Mail was SO unreliable, they numbered their letters to one-another AND often cabled one another when they'd sent a letter. I could see what sparked the "miscommunication" comedies of 1940's cinema. Today we have so many fast, reliable options for communication that we take for granted...until they don't work.

Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
Thanks,
Carol