Hack Library School | {Series} Emerging Careers in Librarianship: Digital Humanities Librarian
Quotable: “As library students, we’re all aware of how deeply digital tools have transformed out field, but sometimes we forget that those same tools are impacting other fields as well, fields with which our own work may eventually intersect.”
The Five Worst UX Mistakes Websites Make | UX Magazine
“Miami Ad School students Max Pilwat, Keri Tan and Ferdi Rodriguez have come up with a concept video about how public libraries could share book samples via subway ads – via the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology embedded in many cell phones.”
via Can NFC Technology Save Libraries, Provide Book Samples? (VIDEO) | Huff Post Books.
Libraries can leverage SEO as another avenue to investigate in confirming their importance to communities and increasing visibility of their services. Here are some useful links.
“Two industry groups argue that the retailer’s plan to control several generic top-level domains, including .book, .author, and .read, would be anti-competitive.”
via Book publishers blast Amazon’s plan to control domain names | Internet & Media – CNET News.
Precedent setting and a good case study in the limitations of privacy in employee emails.
In fact, the statement continued, “no ones emails were opened and the contents of no one’s emails were searched by human or machine,” and the search was limited to “a partial log of the metadata – the name of the sender and the time the emails were sent.”
via Harvard Secretly Searched Campus Emails in Internal Investigation | Mashable
“News of the incident could nonetheless anger Harvard faculty members, whose privacy in electronic records is protected under a Faculty of Arts and Sciences policy.
“Resident deans are not professors, but they teach. At issue is how much privacy they should expect.”
It further said that Smith – a computer scientist with expertise on privacy issues — “would agree entirely with taking steps that found the right balance between our needs to respect the privacy of our employees and to protect the privacy of our students.”
Although the article is short, the comments generate good discussion arguing the value of libraries.
What Role Should Libraries Have in an Electronic World? | Nathan Bransford, Author
I have to say reading…and even re-reading some of my favourite novels (many thanks Georgette Heyer)…got me through one of the most difficult periods in my life. I think this is a great program for a library to pilot. I do not hold the opinion that books replace medication though – for some people, in some situations, its necessary. As always, talk to your doctor first!
“Using books as therapy or bibliotherapy as it is known, is not a new idea. Sigmund Freud used literature during psychoanalysis sessions with his patients and books were used to help soldiers recovering from physical and emotional trauma following the First and Second World Wars. Now reading as therapy is set to enjoy a resurgence. In May, a new pilot program, Books on Prescription, will launch in libraries across the Central West area of New South Wales.”
“To be a functioning member of today’s digital society, one must not only be able to use social networking and online publishing tools, but must also be able to think critically about all forms of media. Social media allows the instant amplification of both fact and fiction, and without a strong foundation in media literacy, it can be difficult to determine which sources to trust.”
via Is Teaching Media Literacy Important? | Mashable.
infophile 