With Modern Makeovers, America’s Libraries Are Branching Out | NPR.
Quotable: When you say the words “libraries” and “future” together, the first question a lot of people have is: Will there still be books? According to most librarians interviewed for this story, the answer is a firm “yes.” But they also say that housing books will be less of a priority.
Excerpt of article content specific to libraries:
Tools in a digital library context often provide similar benefits, although they tend to be different in nature. I would say that a basic tool for any digital librarian is likely a computer running a LAMP stack:
L = Linux
A = Apache web server
M = MySQL
P = A “P” programming language such as Perl or Python
With that, there is very little you can’t do. Well, that is, once you install the dependencies of whatever else you’re wanting to run. But you get the idea. It’s a basic platform from which much else is made possible. It’s an essential tool set.
Some of the other digital library tools in my repertoire include:
Swish-e – I’ve used this indexing software since the mid-90s, and haven’t seen a reason to change. With it, I’ve set up and maintained a variety of web sites that function as if they are database-supported but in fact are simply flat XML files that are indexed using Swish-e (see, for example, FreeLargePhotos.com).
XSLTProc – Sure, there are many options for XML processing out there and I won’t attempt to defend this particular decision except to say that it is easy to use and does what I need it to do (process XSLT stylesheets against specified XML files). Again, it underpins a number of my web sites.
Nano – You can stop laughing now. Seriously. Stop laughing. I mean it. Nano is a simple text editor (before it was Pico, which was what the PINE linemode email system used for message editing). I use it to do simple editing tasks in text files and programs on the server. I know it isn’t nearly as cool emacs, or even vi, but hey, it’s what I’m used to.
Tools are power. They give you capabilities you would not have without them.
So, You Want to be a Law Librarian?, by Janelle Beitz and Mari Cheney | Letters to a Young Librarian
An interview with two academic law librarians.
If you thought the Beastie Boys’ music video for “Sabotage” was already funny, you’ll laugh your fake wigs and mustaches off watching these librarians’ take on the famous clip.
The librarians are on a hunt for their kind of criminals — people who talk too loud, forget to return borrowed items and spill their open coffee on books. Beware because these ladies take pride in serving sweet, sweet justice.
Equipped with suspenders, sunglasses and donuts in hand, the librarians are a force of hilarity to be reckoned with. Complete with projectile-paperbacks and high-speed book cart pursuits, this version of “Sabotage” will remind you that having a library card is one of the most badass things ever.
via Badass Librarians Imitate Beastie Boys’ for ‘Sabotage’ Remake [VIDEO] | Mashable.
The University of Iowa library has more than 4,000 miniature books in its collection. The smallest one of all, though, manages to stand out from the rest by measuring in at an itty-bitty 0.138 inches square and 0.04 inches thick. And as The Atlantic uncovered, researchers have only just found out what text this tiny tome is holding, thanks to a new microscope.
via How a Librarian Figured Out What Was Written in This Microscopic Book | Gizmodo.
This presentation was given at the School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA) conference in 2013. It focusses on what gamification is and how to use game elements to bring fun into the library.
infophile 