Home » Articles posted by James A Jacobs (Page 147)
Author Archives: James A Jacobs
What is a Library anyway?
Barbara Fister is one of my personal must-read favorite thinkers-about-libraries. Her new article in LJ cuts to the point:
- What Is a Library? An Attempt at Common Sense, by Barbara Fister, Library Journal, (Mar 31, 2011).
But that name, it means something-doesn't it? When you get right down to it, what is a library? Is it a room with a fireplace? Study tables? A collection of books? A service that provides people with the information they want? There are warehouses full of books. Some of them belong to Ingram and Amazon. Those are not libraries. There are lots of rooms with fireplaces and study tables. You often find them at hotels. You'll also find people there whose job is to provide information, but you don't call concierges librarians. There is something beyond books, buildings, and people that defines what a library is, whether it's a small public library, a research institution's multi-branch system, or a digital library for distance learners. I think it comes down to something so common we forget how important it is. A library is a social institution that establishes a common space (physical or virtual, but usually both) for the use of commonly-held knowledge resources. Such institutions require three things: a community, people hired to help the community share knowledge, and commonly-owned information resources.See also: FDLP: Services and Collections. Continue reading
Future of CRS Panel Meeting, April 11 UPDATE: postponed
UPDATE: The "Future of CRS" panel discussion originally set for this Monday, April 11th, is postponed because of the possible government shutdown. Check http://transparencycaucus.org/ for the latest news. This is an open meeting in D.C. "Future Of CRS" Panel Discussion Set For 4-11
Congressional Research Service director Dan Mulhollan's retirement on April 2 -- after running Congress' think tank for 17 years -- raises questions about the agency's policies and future. Is CRS meeting the needs of Congress? Has its analytical expertise eroded? Are CRS Reports as relevant, accurate, and understandable as they need to be, and should they be available to the general public? What does a 21st century research service look like? The Advisory Committee on Transparency will host a panel of experts to discuss the future of CRS on April 11th at 2pm in Rayburn 2203.Continue reading
Update on cuts to open government web sites
Have we saved the data? Maybe, by Daniel Schuman, Sunlight Foundation, (April 5, 2011).
Online transparency programs will enjoy a reprieve from the chopping block if the short term budget resolution posted late last night by House Republicans were to become law. The latest proposal appears to continue funding the sites at the same level as last year instead of cutting them to virtually nothing as was originally proposed.... But we're not out the woods yet.... This short term continuing resolution would keep the government’s lights on through April 15 and fund the Department of Defense to the end of the year, but contains a number of provisions that many political leaders will be reluctant or unwilling to accept....More on the proposed legislation: G.O.P. Budget Proposal Cuts $5.8 Trillion in Spending, By CARL HULSE, New York Times (April 5, 2011). Continue reading
Using Wikipedia to promote digital collections
Wielding Wikipedia, by Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed. (April 5, 2011).
With its magnetic pull on students who might have otherwise burrowed into the stacks, Wikipedia might seem like a library's natural enemy. But to librarians at the University of Houston the popular online encyclopedia has become a valuable ally, helping to draw more eyes to their digital collections than ever before. At the annual meeting of the Association of College and Research Libraries here on Friday, the Houston librarians explained how they had recently enlisted a student, Danielle Elder, to evangelize the content of their Digital Library on Wikipedia, the eighth most popular website in the world, to see if it would improve exposure for their artifacts. Wikipedia quickly became the No. 1 driver of web traffic to Houston's online collections, surpassing both Google and the university's home page.Continue reading
GSA Turns To GPO’s Partnership With Google To Offer Free Government Publications Online
Press Release from GPO: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 5, 2011 No. 11-17 GSA TURNS TO GPO'S PARTNERSHIP WITH GOOGLE TO OFFER FREE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS ONLINE WASHINGTON-The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is working with the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and GPO's relationship with the Google Book Partner Program to make popular Government publications available for free electronic download through Google. The program is making available 100 consumer-related Federal Government publications distributed through GSA's Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) on Google Books. The public can view and download PDF copies of these publications on desktops, laptops, and various e-readers. The FCIC plans to add more consumer publications to the program. The public can also order hard copies of the publications on Google Books and through the GPO's Online Bookstore. The FCIC will coordinate delivery through GPO's Public Documents Distribution Center in Pueblo, Colorado. "GPO and GSA have been partners in distributing federal government publications to the American people for 40 years," said GPO's Business Products & Services Managing Director Herb Jackson. "GPO looks forward to expanding that partnership with Google in providing the public with free electronic access to popular consumer publications." ... Continue reading
Latest Comments