Monthly Archives: November 2017

A Day in the Life of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Librarian | Atlas Obscura #speciallibraries #archives  #music #careers #librarianship #skills #MLIS

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THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME, in Cleveland, Ohio, is best known for its raucous and dramatic induction ceremonies. But it also has a quieter side: a library and archive, full of research materials, artifacts and memorabilia, and shelves and shelves of old records. Earlier this year, the Rock Hall advertised that they were looking for a new librarian, a position that, judging from the response to Atlas Obscura’s story about it, is up there on many people’s list of dream jobs.

So who got it? After a long and rigorous interview process, 34-year-old Laura Maidens started as the Rock Hall’s librarian in early September. We caught up with her about playlist inspiration, Ramones-themed prayer cards, finding secret notes from Keith Richards, and other highlights of the gig. READ MORE:  A Day in the Life of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Librarian | Atlas Obscura

Steven Soderbergh’s New App [Mosaic] Will Change How You Watch TV | WIRED #storytelling #interactive #film #TV #miniseries #tech #mobile #apps

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STEVEN Soderbergh’s latest project—an interactive smartphone app called Mosaic…contains a 7-plus-hour miniseries about a mysterious death, but…viewers have some agency over what order they watch it in and which characters’ stories they follow. READ MORE: Steven Soderbergh’s New App Will Change How You Watch TV | WIRED

Website uses neural networks to enlarge small images, and the results are pretty magical | Mashable #images #digital #archives #machinelearning #AI #digitallibraries #libraries

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Images archived in digital libraries are either born digital or scans/photos of hard copy originals. This technology may be useful in enhancing images of historical photos and documents that are of low quality.

You know how in CSI, the cops always try to “enhance” a shot to zoom in and read (non-existent) details in photos? It’s amusing to the rest of us, but perhaps one day won’t be all that impossible, with artificial intelligence.

Researchers have been adopting neural networks and machine learning technologies to help computers fill in missing detail in photos.

Some consumer-ready websites are already making some of this magic accessible to you and me.

READ MORE: Website uses neural networks to enlarge small images, and the results are pretty magical | Mashable

Audible’s new romance audiobooks service uses machine learning to jump to the sex scenes | TechCrunch #audiobooks #reading #tech #UX @audible_com

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Beyond the buzz worthy headline, this is a cool move by Audible (owned by Amazon) because they listened to reader feedback and used machine learning to improve the UX.

Let’s admit it: you probably aren’t reading that romance novel for the plot. Or its literary value. Audible knows this, and is today launching a new collection of romance-themed audiobooks that come with a handy feature that lets you skip right to the action. Called “Take Me To The Good Part,” the feature will fast-forward you to the steamy sections of the audiobook, says Audible. READ MORE: Audible’s new romance audiobooks service uses machine learning to jump to the sex scenes | TechCrunch