random musings from a serialist
This is my first attempt at refgrunting. I only work 2 hours per week at the reference desk, so it will be brief.
This is my first attempt at refgrunting. I only work 2 hours per week at the reference desk, so it will be brief.
Looking for Oedipus Rex – the play, not the score
Can’t open Word document in Blackboard from home
Where is interlibrary loan?
Borrow scissors
Borrow stapler
Where are the atlases?
Need help setting up Yahoo account
Where are the world atlases?
Where are bound journals? Can I check them out?
Where is interlibrary loan?
Librarians are among those least likely to speed?
Jessamyn posted a link today to a CNN report on bad drivers. Apparently, librarians are ranked among the top five professions that are least likely to get a speeding ticket. I guess this is another example of how I’m not your typical librarian, since I’ve gotten three speeding tickets in the past three years. Ironically, the first one occurred when I was moving to Kentucky to attend grad school for my MLS. After the last one, though, I have been more careful about my driving habits, and I’m proud to say that it has been eight months since my last speeding ticket.
If you are developing (or plan to develop) your own OpenURL link resolver, there is a listserv for you.
If you are developing (or plan to develop) your own OpenURL link resolver, John Weible of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has created a listserv for you.
A small but growing number of libraries have already or are now developing non commercial link resolving solutions with OpenURL at the core. These libraries need a peer support group for the exchange of ideas and solutions. Specific information about how to construct deep linking URLs for a particular target site is likely to be a frequent topic. I expect that the exchange of open source software tools related to link resolution will also be a frequent topic.
So, if you are involved in the development or maintenance of an open source or “homegrown” OpenURL link resolver at your library or institution or interested in doing so, this list is available for you.
To subscribe, send a message to listserv@listserv.uiuc.edu The body of the message should be:
subscribe lib-openurl-dev-l Your Name
Now that I’ve joined the ranks of PDA-toting librarians, I want to learn more about how to make use of this tool in the library (besides the obvious schedule organization uses). Since my job is shifting from serials & database cataloger to serials & electronic resources librarian, I thought it would be good to become … Continue reading “handheld librarian”
Now that I’ve joined the ranks of PDA-toting librarians, I want to learn more about how to make use of this tool in the library (besides the obvious schedule organization uses). Since my job is shifting from serials & database cataloger to serials & electronic resources librarian, I thought it would be good to become more aware of emerging end-user technologies. I went searching around to see if I could find a relevant weblog or other online source, and I imediately came upon the Handheld Librarian! I was thrilled until I noticed the blog had not been updated since the end of July, and it appears that the editor has become too busy to maintain it and is looking for someone else to take over. The Shifted Librarian has a PDA category, as well as a related eBook category, but neither look like they are frequently updated. After a bit of digging around in Google, I discovered a YahooGroup for handheld librarians, which might offer some information, if not leads to other sources. If anyone has any suggestions of other places to look for information and dialog, please let me know.
Go figure! Greg Schwartz of Open Stacks and Steven M. Cohen of LibraryStuff are collaborating on a blog that is all about librarian & library created blogs. Schwartz already maintains the librarian weblog category of dmoz, so it makes sense that he would be involved a blog of this nature. Now I have another blog … Continue reading “librarians blogging about librarian blogs”
Go figure! Greg Schwartz of Open Stacks and Steven M. Cohen of LibraryStuff are collaborating on a blog that is all about librarian & library created blogs. Schwartz already maintains the librarian weblog category of dmoz, so it makes sense that he would be involved a blog of this nature. Now I have another blog to add to my RSS agregator!
I wrote a short note to the company making the librarian action figure referenced on July 10th, and today I received a response. Here is my original message to them: I have a sense of humor. When I saw your design for the librarian action figure in the Seattle Times article today, I didn’t laugh. … Continue reading “generic response”
I wrote a short note to the company making the librarian action figure referenced on July 10th, and today I received a response. Here is my original message to them:
I have a sense of humor. When I saw your design for the librarian action figure in the Seattle Times article today, I didn’t laugh. That stereotypical image of shushing librarians is so tired and worn out that it has ceased to be funny. If we are superheroes because we “make sense of the world of information,” then why not make an action figure that represents that?
Here is the response I received from Jan at Accoutrements:
Greetings,
Thank you for your interest in the Librarian Action Figure. She should be available in Mid to Late September. For retail purchasing info and availability updates please stay tuned to mcphee.com. For wholesale info please go on our website at accoutrements.com.
Cheers
It is so heartening to know they read email comments and respond with thoughtful and appropriate replies. Here is my response:
I am curious – what part of my message to your company gave any indication that I would want to purchase this item? Your response definitely puts me off any thought of it.
If I receive a response on this, I’ll be sure to post it here.
One of my big projects at work has been getting our SFX database set up. For those unfamiliar with the name, SFX is an OpenURL link resolver that connects (among other things) citations with content. My department head sent me a press release a couple of weeks ago about NISO releasing a trial standard for … Continue reading “OpenURL”
One of my big projects at work has been getting our SFX database set up. For those unfamiliar with the name, SFX is an OpenURL link resolver that connects (among other things) citations with content. My department head sent me a press release a couple of weeks ago about NISO releasing a trial standard for OpenURL. I have not attempted to understand all of the technical verbage used in the documents, but I am excited that the world of electronic resources is moving towards creating standards that will allow different resources to talk to each other.
I meant to write more than I did last week, since there are so many things going on with libraries right now. However, I had a full week at work which included a day-long symposium and a several day-long conference. Oh, and I was quoted in a recent article in the Lexington Herald-Leader. ACRL has … Continue reading “national library week revisited”
I meant to write more than I did last week, since there are so many things going on with libraries right now. However, I had a full week at work which included a day-long symposium and a several day-long conference. Oh, and I was quoted in a recent article in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
My favorite panel at ACRL was on developing home-grown systems to keep track of the library’s electronic resources. One of the presenters, Adam Chandler, has co-created a web hub for “developing administrative metadata for electronic resource management”. In other words, it’s a collaboration of library techies from all over trying to create a standard for electronic resource management. What’s even more cool is that Norm Medeiros of Haverford College has offered to make their Electronic Resources Tracking System (ERTS) database structure available for free to anyone who wants it. The catch is that there is absolutely no tech support.
It is disheartening to have been in the midst of all this fabulous library technology while at the same time Iraq’s National Library and National Museum were looted and burned.
ALA changed the design of their website last week and has really ticked off quite a number of folks. Jessamyn West has commented on it frequently over the past week, and Karen G. Schneider sent a well-articulated complaint to the ALA Council. No word on whether ALA will modify the site. It looks to me like they are leaning heavily on FrontPage and ColdFusion.
Great Moments in the History of Technical Services!
An oldie but a goodie… Great Moments in the History of Technical Services. It’s only funny if you’re a librarian and know anything about technical services, which I do.
My sister came to my house last night for dinner. It was fun. Aparently she has started her own weblog of sorts, and called me a “rockin’ girl” for cooking her dinner. Barbie® needs a new career, and you can help decide what it will be. Currently, librarian is at the top of the rankings, … Continue reading “Barbie® the Librarian”
My sister came to my house last night for dinner. It was fun. Aparently she has started her own weblog of sorts, and called me a “rockin’ girl” for cooking her dinner.
