There are Terms of Service and Terms of Service, If You Know What I Mean
There’s a rather fascinating discussion happening these days around licensed content. I mean, it’s technically about using Netflix to extend the library’s collection, but it’s actually about licensing...
View ArticleI interrupt this program…
… to bring you news about the Thematic WordPress Theme (which I use as my theme base, and which I know is pretty popular). Something’s wonky with the update they just released a few days ago. Not being...
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Come Be My Boss
Our director here at the Carleton library has announced his retirement, which means that we’re going to need a new director. I’m not sugar-coating this at all when I say that I’ve never worked with...
View ArticleOne Class on Research Methods in Literary Criticism
tl;dr version: I had fun teaching yesterday, and I didn’t want to forget what happened and what I think helped make it work well, so I wrote it down. Prep: The course is Critical Methods (in the...
View ArticleHeads they win, tails we lose: Discovery tools will never deliver on their...
A couple of years ago, discovery tools landed on the scene promising technological and pedagogical advances beyond federated search’s wildest dreams. Libraries naturally thought the evolution of these...
View ArticleWell no wonder it’s felt like a marathon!
We’re in our last week of classes for the term (I know, I know, our academic calendar is weird), and whenever people on campus ask how things are going at the library I always say something like “Oh,...
View ArticleSome 100-level information literacy concepts in lesson plan form
Several people have asked for examples of my lesson plans lately, which is both flattering and terrifying. Flattering for all the obvious reasons, and terrifying because I can always see the flaws in...
View ArticleLibraries, IT departments, and complex relationships
We have what I consider to be a really good working relationship with our IT department. When I talk to other people on campus I come away thinking of it as shockingly good, but most of the time I...
View ArticleWhat do I teach, anyway?
This morning I got an email from a librarian wondering what kinds of concepts I teach, particularly in 300-level courses, beyond how to search. As it turns out, that’s something I think about a lot!...
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Holy paper reams, Batman
The care and feeding of the library’s public printers takes a lot of our time, both in the library and in ITS. We have a special load-balancing set-up designed to keep individual printers from melting...
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Morning of Nerddom: appointment schedulers and feedback forms
First of all, I’m back! I’ve been devoting any writing energy to some article revisions, but now those are all submitted and I don’t have to feel guilty about cheating on my article with my blog. What...
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The day Anonymous took down … FriendFeed?
Apparently, Anonymous has mistaken FriendFeed for “One of the biggest social networks” and is therefore venting spleen in the form of a DDoS attack. Why? Because hashtag searching for something...
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FriendFeed Resurrected: the Afterstory
As with most stories involving hacktivism, major corporations, insanity, and backwater social media platforms, we will probably never know exactly what happened this past weekend when FriendFeed went...
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ArtStudio for iPad: or, PhotoShop for 5 Bucks
Over the Christmas break, someone in my Facebook feed shared a YouTube video of artist Seikou Yamaoka recreating “The Girl With A Pearl Earring” using an iPad. Before I go on, you should watch it too,...
View ArticleResponding to the ACRL draft Information Literacy Framework
As you are no doubt aware, ACRL is drafting a replacement for the Information Literacy Standards. They’re hoping for feedback on their draft of the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher...
View ArticleACRL Information Literacy Framework Feedback Deadline Extended
In case you haven’t heard (as I hadn’t) the deadline for submitting feedback on the ACRL Draft Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (part 1 and part 2) has been extended. Submit...
View ArticleACRL Framework for Information Literacy: 3rd draft released
This is planned to be the last draft for comment on this Framework before it gets presented to the Powers That Be at ALA Midwinter, and the committee really has been good about listening to feedback...
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RIP FriendFeed, 2007-2015
You’d think I’d have a lot to say about the shuttering of FriendFeed, my online community, the place where I lived day in and day out for nearly 8 years (which matches the longest span of time I’ve...
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Calling All LSW Members: It’s time to reunite
Back in the ancient days of social networking, all the way back in 2007, my friend and former classmate Josh Neff posted a tweet that rocked the library world, we just didn’t know it yet. He declared...
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The Library Society of the World: Origin Story
Eleven years ago, in a browser far, far away, a dedicated and creative public librarian named Josh Neff opened his ALA membership renewal notice and sighed as he looked at the dues he would owe....
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