February 2011
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Month February 2011

Entries 9 Total

Report on Library eBooks from The Digital Solution

Feb 23, ’11 5:00 AM

Before you go hunting for your library card, there are a few factors to consider. While there are positives to borrowing eBooks from a library, the process has significant limitations that can be frustrating.

New Way to Check Out eBooks gives a fair assessment of all of the issues surrounding, and actually using the OverDrive Media Console. The only plus she mentions? Library eBooks are free. But related to that, the author writes:

The idea of waiting for a book with many people lined up to borrow it is enough to inspire even some of the most frugal readers to cough up the dough to buy digital books.

Comments (1)

Conversation Request: Non-Traditional Reference Service

Feb 23, ’11 4:00 AM

Hey, I need some help.

I’d like to talk with a few folks that have experimented with and/or have implemented non-traditional reference scenarios for a LJ column I’m writing.

Let me know if you have experience with doing away with reference desks, roving reference, or merged service points. Or let me know if you know of libraries doing this stuff well.

Leave a comment or mail me at [email protected]
Thanks!

Comments (1)

Unlimited Streaming for Amazon Prime Members

Feb 22, ’11 12:52 PM

The trend of electronic content becoming more available and less expensive continues. Amazon Prime members can now stream 5000 movies and TV shows for free. Going up against Netflix takes guts but surely they have some confidence from their success with electronic book content.

More from Ars Technica.

Comments (0)

New Kafka Covers

Feb 18, ’11 10:08 AM

Amazing covers by Peter Mendelsund for the forthcoming Alfred A. Knopf series of Kafka’s works.

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Content, Creation and Convenience

Feb 9, ’11 11:44 AM

…Middax offers a service whereby it delivers five dinner recipes each week plus corresponding ingredients, right to the customer’s door.

Part of me find this ridiculous, especially because I love going to the grocery store. Another part of me finds this model – providing actual stuff to create with along with creation resources – compelling.

More at Springwise.

Comments (1)

Take to the Ship!

Feb 3, ’11 5:19 PM

The Independent Printing Resource Center in Portland is hosting a 24 hour reading of Moby Dick starting at 17:00 on 11 Feb 2011. I like the explanation of why they’re doing it:

When first published, Moby Dick was a near flop. It remains a totem to the importance of small, independent publishing for keeping alive great works ahead of their time.

It starts at Powell’s and moves to a mystery location from there.

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Futura the Play

Feb 2, ’11 4:53 PM

Last night I saw an early production of “Futura,” at Portland Center Stage. It’s a dystopian tale about electronic content, privacy, writing, authorship and the ownership of information wrapped up in a bunch of typography goodness. So if you’re into information issues (and if you’re reading this I bet you are) and in the area you should go see it. If you can’t see the play, pick some copies up for your library book. It would be perfect to read in an LIS class too.

The Oregon Humanities Council and PCS arranged a conversation between the play’s author, Jordan Harrison, and me this afternoon. Talking with the author was a real treat and nerding out about library issues with a bunch of non-librarians was pretty great!

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All the World’s a Page

Feb 2, ’11 8:57 AM

These folks have put the entire text of Faust, The Illiad, Das Kapital, and Macbeth on posters. Type size is between 2 and 3pts so bring your magnifying glass.

Like a few posts ago, this is another example of print books as decoration. They cost €20 and you can by them at All the World’s a Page.

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Lou Rosenfeld on Librarian Jobs and Skills

Feb 1, ’11 11:00 AM

Twenty years ago, when we were young professionals, libraries and newspapers were places you’d go to work. They really aren’t any longer.

That’s probably news to a lot of us.

The skills themselves have more relevance than ever. They’re just not stand-alone positions that you do in particular kinds of buildings. Instead, they’ve become things you need to know to at least some degree wherever you are. They’ve moved from vertical to horizontal.

I’d agree with his statement more if he wrote “They’re not just stand-alone positions” instead of the other way around.

The full post: The problem in going from vertical to horizontal.

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