Your Database Is Probably Terrible | TechCrunch

Posted on February 18, 2013 by infophile

Your Database Is Probably Terrible | TechCrunch.

Quoteable: “So the database(s) you’re using at your workplace? They’re probably not the best available; in fact, they’re probably pretty bad, relatively speaking; and that’s probably not going to change anytime soon. It’s food for thought the next time you expect some new technology to thoroughly revolutionize the world just because it’s better than all its competition. Most of the world doesn’t want to be revolutionized. Most of the world likes its databases just fine. You can’t convince them to change; you have to drive them to it.”

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Best Databases 2012 – Library Journal

Software That Can Piece Together Lost Languages | Co.Design: business + innovation + design

Posted on February 18, 2013 by infophile

Another example of how big data is being leveraged in research and education.

Software That Can Piece Together Lost Languages | FastCompany Co.Design: business + innovation + design.

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Big Data: A Rose by Any Other Name? – Information Space
ENCODE: Big Data, the Human Genome, and Non-Profit Global Enterprise – Information Space

Collection of Links: Tools for Librarians | iLibrarian, Information Space

Posted on February 18, 2013 by infophile

Analytics
4 Analytics Tools Librarians Should Know About

Applications
7 Free Technologies Your Library Should be Using

Programming/Web Design
The Librarian’s Arsenal: Git & GitHub
What is Responsive Web Design and Why Librarians Need to Know About it

Online Privacy
10 Online Privacy Tips for Librarians

Conference Presentations
10 Tips for Conference Presentations That Rock
A Library Conference Survival Guide: 20 Tips

Huffington Post | Da Vinci Notebook: British Library Publishes Full Collection And More Arts News

Posted on February 13, 2013 by infophile

Another amazing digital library…

Da Vinci Notebook: British Library Publishes Full Collection And More Arts News via Huffington Post.

Used Ebooks, the Ridiculous Idea that Could Also Destroy the Publishing Industry | Motherboard

Posted on February 11, 2013 by infophile

Great opinion article. Calling Amazon’s used ebook patent filing for what it is…another manoeuvre in the goal to make the traditional publishing industry obsolete.

Used Ebooks, the Ridiculous Idea that Could Also Destroy the Publishing Industry | Motherboard.

Why You Should Give Yourself Permission to Screw Up :: Tips :: 99U

Posted on February 7, 2013 by infophile

“When we think about what we are doing in terms of learning and mastering, accepting that we may make some mistakes along the way, we stay motivated despite the setbacks that might occur.”

via Why You Should Give Yourself Permission to Screw Up :: Tips :: 99U.

Mashable | Free Database of the Entire Web May Spawn the Next Google

Posted on January 29, 2013 by infophile

Common Crawl, and subsequent spin off projects, is an organization I believe librarians should be following closely. It would be great for library and information service professionals to be involved with some of these projects. I could also see the government and educational institutions providing funding for research proposals analyzing some of the data.

“A nonprofit called Common Crawl is now using its own web crawler and making a giant copy of the web that it makes accessible to anyone. The organization offers up more than 5 billion web pages, available for free so that researchers and entrepreneurs can try things otherwise possible only for those with access to resources on the scale of Google’s.”

via Mashable | Free Database of the Entire Web May Spawn the Next Google.

UPDATED: Mali rebels fleeing Timbuktu burn library full of ancient manuscripts | World news | guardian.co.uk

Posted on January 28, 2013 by infophile

UPDATED: See this story by Alex Crawford with Sky News for more details and video.

“Islamist insurgents retreating from the ancient Saharan city of Timbuktu have set fire to a library containing thousands of priceless ancient manuscripts, some dating back to the 13th century, in what the town’s mayor described as a “devastating blow” to world heritage.”

via Mali rebels fleeing Timbuktu burn library full of ancient manuscripts | World news | guardian.co.uk.

How to pick a career you’ll like | Penelope Trunk Blog

Posted on January 24, 2013 by infophile

“Most career problems stem from the fact that we are terrible at picking jobs. We think we are picking a good job and then it turns out to be a bad job. It’s almost impossible to pick a good job on the first try, actually. So don’t think you’ll be the exception.”

via How to pick a career you’ll like | Penelope Trunk Blog.