Won’t Get Fooled Again: Day 33
We have a number of community action items to get people engaged in Civic discussions this week. Today, it's a summit meeting at the White House about fiscal responsibility; tomorrow it is Obama's first State of the Union address, and Thursday/Friday it is the release of the federal budget. On another note, interesting article on a university choosing to go without textbooks. An event that has some deeper meaning for libraries I think. See you on Day 34. Continue reading
Won’t Get Fooled Again: Day 32
All right, all right. Readers won't let me get away with the single comment in the last blog entry I had about the article in the New York Review of Books -- and I think this feeds into the long-standing conversation I have been having with J A Jacobs. Simply put: I do not think libraries, as institutions, have any role in claiming a "public use" provision within the infrastructure of copyright. In other words, print and paper technology gave libraries a "gap" between those who owned the information and those who want to use it. While library circulation did not threaten the sale of the same material through the private market, information producers were quite comfortable in letting the libraries enjoy the "free ride" of offering their information products without any compensation for the free use. It was good public relations and a "feel good" partnership. The mass digitization of the information changed that relationship. I really think what the google technology does, and what the research libraries agreed to when they chose to work with google four years ago to find an "economical" way to digitize their collections, is create a private market version of "public lending right." See you on Day 33. Continue reading
FDLP: Services and Collections
Against the Grain has kindly permitted me to post this preprint of my new article.
- FDLP: Services and Collections [preprint] by James A. Jacobs, Against the Grain, 21(2) April/May 2009.
In the age of digital information, libraries and librarians are struggling to define their proper roles. In a time of financial uncertainty and economic crisis, many libraries are facing decisions that will have long-term implications and consequences. At a time like this it is particularly important that we have a clear vision of a sustainable role for libraries.And, don't forget Distributed Globally, Collected Locally: LOCKSS for Digital Government Information by Daniel Cornwall and James R. Jacobs. Against the Grain, 21(1) February, 2009. Continue reading
Wont’ Get Fooled Again: Day 31
An interesting editorial item from the New York Review of Books by Robert Darnton, Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor at Harvard He has actually been tilling these intellectual fields for awhile for NYRB -- here is a list of submissions. Goes without saying that I disagree with some of his observations. But with more than 100 days left on the current time clock, I will address those concerns another time.... See you on Day 32. Continue reading
Guide of the Week: Afghanistan
With President Obama's recent decision to send as many as 17,000 additional US soldiers to Afghanistan, it is a good time to highlight one of the excellent country guides posted by the UC Boulder Government Publications Library to the ALA GODORT Handout Exchange Wiki: Afghanistan: Country Guide (University of Colorado at Boulder Government Publications Library, 2008) This guide starts off with official Afghanistan Government websites, which includes English language links to a number of ministries, including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and the Prime Minister's office. The guide moves on to a number of third party overviews of Afghanistan. These include profiles written by members of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, as well as those from non-combatant countries such as India. Looks at Afghanistan from international organizations are also provided. After the general country profile section, the guide links to a number of databases that contain reports and other documents on Afghanistan, including declassified documents from the CIA. Then the guide links to specific resources in diplomacy, health, and military operations. It concludes with tips on searching for Afghanistan related materials in the UCB catalog. This would be an excellent resource for the team the President has appointed to review conditions and policy in Afghanistan. And good for the rest of us to review as well. Please have a look. If you find it interesting or helpful, tell at least two friends. And if you're a docs librarian with a guide to Afghanistan or other other topic, please link it to the Handout Exchange. Continue reading