Registration now open!
"Bringing it Home: Highlights from the ASIS&T National Meeting"
WHEN: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 (Light supper and snacks provided 6pm, the program will run 6:15 - 8:30pm.)
WHERE: May Gallery, John K. Mullen Library, Catholic University of America
THE PROGRAM:
"Bringing it Home: Highlights from the ASIS&T National Meeting"
Come and hear area presenters from the National Meeting discuss their research and contributions to information science! ASIST National President Nancy Roderer will discuss her goals for the upcoming year. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions and
mingle with our presenters and President.
The presentations…
Nancy Roderer - 2007-08 ASIS&T National President, will speak about her goals and vision for the upcoming year. She is currently the Director of the Welch Medical Library and the Division of Health Sciences Informatics, Johns Hopkins University
Youngok Choi - "Searching for Books and Images in OPAC: Effects of LCSH, TOC and Subject Domains"
Ken Fleischman - "Digital Libraries and Human Values: Human-Computer Interaction Meets Social Informatics"
Trudi Bellardo Hahn - "Patterns and Outcomes of Federal Agency Funding for Libraries and Information Science"
Paul Jaeger - "Social Capital and Information Science Research" (SIGS IFP, SI, CRIT, HFIS)
Miriam Matteson - "The Impact of Group Interaction on Shared Cognition: An Analysis of Small Group Communication"
Tiffany Smith - Highlights from the Classification Special Interest Group
Stay tuned, more speakers may be announced
LOCATION: May Gallery, John K. Mullen Library, Catholic University of America
METRO: Brookland/CUA station, red line. (From the metro, walk up the road past the guard station. The Mullen Library is the large white building. Go around the building to front entrance. Tell the attendant you are here for the ASIS&T Event. The May Gallery is directly to the right after passing the attendant. We advise attendees to take the Metro. Limited parking is available in front of the library.)
The Catholic University of America: Getting to Campus
CUA Campus Map Directory (See sectors 14-15)
COST: $ 15 Members, $ 20 Non-Members, Students free with registration
FOOD: Light supper with vegetarian options
THREE WAYS TO REGISTER:
1) Online
2) Fax Registration Form
3) Mail Registration Form
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
YouTube Tuesday
iBook or iRead?
Is this just another iPod accessory or is this YouTuber actually onto something big?
Dewey Decimal = Laser Vision
I thought there was a rule about there being no capes...
Is this just another iPod accessory or is this YouTuber actually onto something big?
Dewey Decimal = Laser Vision
I thought there was a rule about there being no capes...
Friday, October 12, 2007
Impress Your Professor: The Fascinating, but Perilous Road to Web 3.0
Considering the medium for this discussion, it’s hardly necessary to point out that many of us are acolytes of the Web 2.0 phenomenon. We’re fascinated by the democratization of the internet and our increasing ability to create, exchange, and most importantly shape online content. One doesn’t have to go far in library-land to hear discussions on social-networking sites, wikis, folksonomies, podcasts, RSS feeds, virtual worlds and blogs. And, the trend is not limited to libraries. The growing participatory nature of the web is creating an explosion of new communities worldwide. People are coming together as never before.
And yet, Web 2.0 is also a divisive force because it encourages social fragmentation by increasing competition in the information market. Given greater choice, people naturally select those information sources that best reflect their own views and interests. In other words, people start separating from larger groups and merging into smaller ones they find more attractive. The problem is that many of these smaller groups are actually quite large. Facebook, for example, has around 34 million active users. Over time, this separation leads to polarization. Through continuous interaction, members of these groups begin to develop their own sets of beliefs, norms, and values. They start to view the world and its problems differently. Falling back on the strength of their groups, people feel less inclined to compromise. Finding a middle ground becomes much harder for society.
This development is part of a larger trend that has serious implications for how human societies function. Moisés Naim, the editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy, emphasizes the growing ability of the “little guys” to take on megaplayers: Wikipedia can compete with Britannica, and Google (formerly a “little guy”) can threaten Microsoft’s dominance. Ambitious and talented people will appreciate this new reality, but Naim warns us that it comes at a price – stability. Central banks have to contend with hedge funds for control of currency markets, and the US has to struggle with ragtag militias for control of Iraq. Some like John Rapley suggest we are entering a new medieval age. Globalization, of which Web 2.0 is one aspect, is allowing for the emergence of multiple, overlapping sovereignties and identities. Knowing who we are and where our ultimate loyalties lie becomes exceedingly complicated.
I bring up these issues because I think we as librarians have a stake in promoting a common discourse. As things stand, the information market is devolving into an information dump. Without the efficient free exchange of ideas human progress will slow or worse retreat. How do we do promote a common discourse? I’m not sure. But I do think this is something we need to be figuring out, especially considering that our world is about to get far more complex.
Businesses, seeing a potential for profit in the merger of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) information and the internet, are spending billions of dollars investing in digital maps and GPS technologies. According to Peter Morville, they believe “people will want to share their whereabouts and profiles with family, friends, co-workers, friends of friends, and potential friends, so they can stop in and say hello.” In fact, some businesses have already put their models into practice (e.g. Meetro). More importantly, consider what will happen when this emerging geoweb begins interacting with the growing presence of RFIDs, the semantic web, and the internet of objects. Generating and browsing internet content will no longer require conscious effort. The simple act of existing will be sufficient (see Socialight).
Will this world-wired web lead to further social fragmentation? Will it lead to a mounting expectations gap between what states can offer and what citizens demand? Who would fill this gap and what impact would it have on our societies? Most importantly for us, what can librarians do to promote a common discourse so as to confront emerging fundamentalist movements that threaten the continued free exchange of ideas and the existence of the democratic process as we know it?
If you’re interested in life beyond Web 2.0, consider registering for Peter Morville’s seminar on Information Architecture 3.0. Among other things, he will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities presented by ambient findability and the emerging internet of objects.
And yet, Web 2.0 is also a divisive force because it encourages social fragmentation by increasing competition in the information market. Given greater choice, people naturally select those information sources that best reflect their own views and interests. In other words, people start separating from larger groups and merging into smaller ones they find more attractive. The problem is that many of these smaller groups are actually quite large. Facebook, for example, has around 34 million active users. Over time, this separation leads to polarization. Through continuous interaction, members of these groups begin to develop their own sets of beliefs, norms, and values. They start to view the world and its problems differently. Falling back on the strength of their groups, people feel less inclined to compromise. Finding a middle ground becomes much harder for society.
This development is part of a larger trend that has serious implications for how human societies function. Moisés Naim, the editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy, emphasizes the growing ability of the “little guys” to take on megaplayers: Wikipedia can compete with Britannica, and Google (formerly a “little guy”) can threaten Microsoft’s dominance. Ambitious and talented people will appreciate this new reality, but Naim warns us that it comes at a price – stability. Central banks have to contend with hedge funds for control of currency markets, and the US has to struggle with ragtag militias for control of Iraq. Some like John Rapley suggest we are entering a new medieval age. Globalization, of which Web 2.0 is one aspect, is allowing for the emergence of multiple, overlapping sovereignties and identities. Knowing who we are and where our ultimate loyalties lie becomes exceedingly complicated.
I bring up these issues because I think we as librarians have a stake in promoting a common discourse. As things stand, the information market is devolving into an information dump. Without the efficient free exchange of ideas human progress will slow or worse retreat. How do we do promote a common discourse? I’m not sure. But I do think this is something we need to be figuring out, especially considering that our world is about to get far more complex.
Businesses, seeing a potential for profit in the merger of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) information and the internet, are spending billions of dollars investing in digital maps and GPS technologies. According to Peter Morville, they believe “people will want to share their whereabouts and profiles with family, friends, co-workers, friends of friends, and potential friends, so they can stop in and say hello.” In fact, some businesses have already put their models into practice (e.g. Meetro). More importantly, consider what will happen when this emerging geoweb begins interacting with the growing presence of RFIDs, the semantic web, and the internet of objects. Generating and browsing internet content will no longer require conscious effort. The simple act of existing will be sufficient (see Socialight).
Will this world-wired web lead to further social fragmentation? Will it lead to a mounting expectations gap between what states can offer and what citizens demand? Who would fill this gap and what impact would it have on our societies? Most importantly for us, what can librarians do to promote a common discourse so as to confront emerging fundamentalist movements that threaten the continued free exchange of ideas and the existence of the democratic process as we know it?
If you’re interested in life beyond Web 2.0, consider registering for Peter Morville’s seminar on Information Architecture 3.0. Among other things, he will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities presented by ambient findability and the emerging internet of objects.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Save the Date! CUA and PVC ASIS&T join forces for a terrific program!
Please join the Potomac Valley and Catholic University of America Chapters of ASIS&T for our next exciting program!Bringing it Home: Highlights from the ASIS&T National Meeting
WHEN: Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Light supper and snacks provided 6pm, the program will run 6:15 - 8:30pm.
WHERE: May Gallery, John K. Mullen Library, Catholic University of America
SPEAKERS:
Nancy Roderer, 2007-08 ASIS&T National President,
Director of the Welch Medical Library and the Division
of Health Sciences Informatics, Johns Hopkins University
Trudi Bellardo Hahn, University of Maryland
Ken Fleischmann, University of Maryland
Miriam Matteson, University of Maryland
Paul Jaeger, University of Maryland
Tiffany Smith, Catholic University Alumni
THE PROGRAM: Bringing it Home: Highlights from the ASIS&T National Meeting
Come and hear area presenters from the National Meeting discuss their research and contributions to information science! ASIS&T National President Nancy Roderer will discuss her goals for the upcoming year. Attendees will have a chance to ask questions and mingle with our presenters and President.
The Presentations:
Ken Fleischman - Digital Libraries and Human Values: Human-Computer Interaction Meets Social Informatics
Trudi Bellardo Hahn - Patterns and Outcomes of Federal Agency Funding for Libraries and Information Science
Miriam Matteson - The Impact of Group Interaction on Shared Cognition: An Analysis of Small Group Communication
Paul Jaeger - Social Capital and Information Science Research (SIGs IFP, SI, CRIT, HFIS)
Tiffany Smith - Highlights from the Classification Special Interest Group
Stay tuned! More speakers may be announced.
LOCATION: May Gallery, John K. Mullen Library, Catholic University of America
METRO: Brookland-CUA station, Red Line.
From the metro, walk up the road past the guard station. The Mullen Library is large white building. Go around the building to front entrance. Tell the attendant you are here for the ASIS&T Event. The May Gallery is directly to the right after passing the attendant. We advise attendees to take the Metro. Limited parking is available in front of the library.
The Catholic University of America: Getting to Campus
CUA Campus Map Directory (See sectors 14-15)
COST: $ 15 Members, $ 20 Non-Members, Students FREE with registration
FOOD: Light supper with vegetarian options
THREE WAYS TO REGISTER: 1) Online, 2) Fax Registration Form, 3) Mail Registration Form. Check back soon for registration information!
For more information, map, and the registration form, please visit the PVC ASIS&T Website.
See you on Nov 7th!
Jeffrey R. Prater
Potomac Valley Chapter of ASIS&T
and
Nora Daly
Chair - Catholic University of America Chapter of ASIS&T
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
YouTube Tuesday
Librarians Online
The first video in a two part series following librarians in Second Life.
Talk About Harsher Overdue Policies
If you had a viking walking around the library, fewer books might disappear.
The first video in a two part series following librarians in Second Life.
Talk About Harsher Overdue Policies
If you had a viking walking around the library, fewer books might disappear.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Impress Your Professor: More About Social Computing
Hello Everyone,
Because, well, I am boring I am going to piggyback on Meghan's lovely post last week. I too am obsessed with Facebook [yes, its sad - but I am ok with that] and blogs [this blog has become a started drug - I am now up to 3 blogs].
But Facebook, blogs, and multi-user visual environments (such as Second Life) can become important tools in communicating with patrons.
In a very interesting article in the current issue of the Bulletin there is an article about Second Life, Serious Leisure, and LIS - if you are having problems go to page 38.
Another interesting blog that is relevant is this: Library Crunch. The author of the blog came up with a concept called Library 2.0. While I cannot find a good succinct definition of Library 2.0 on the blog I am going to break a reference rule and link you to Wikipedia. Library 2.0 is derived from the ideas of Web 2.0 and Business 2.0.
This is going to be a very short entry, but I want to hear your opinions. Are we moving way to quickly toward technology and integration in our libraries and will this alienate some patrons who will not want to deal with blogs ect. ?
Because, well, I am boring I am going to piggyback on Meghan's lovely post last week. I too am obsessed with Facebook [yes, its sad - but I am ok with that] and blogs [this blog has become a started drug - I am now up to 3 blogs].
But Facebook, blogs, and multi-user visual environments (such as Second Life) can become important tools in communicating with patrons.
In a very interesting article in the current issue of the Bulletin there is an article about Second Life, Serious Leisure, and LIS - if you are having problems go to page 38.
Another interesting blog that is relevant is this: Library Crunch. The author of the blog came up with a concept called Library 2.0. While I cannot find a good succinct definition of Library 2.0 on the blog I am going to break a reference rule and link you to Wikipedia. Library 2.0 is derived from the ideas of Web 2.0 and Business 2.0.
This is going to be a very short entry, but I want to hear your opinions. Are we moving way to quickly toward technology and integration in our libraries and will this alienate some patrons who will not want to deal with blogs ect. ?
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
YouTube Tuesday
Efficient Procrastination
If you visit a lot of websites on a daily basis, you may benefit from RSS feeds.
Cookies and Books - The Perfect Combination
If only the Cookie Monster's Library had a Starbucks...
If you visit a lot of websites on a daily basis, you may benefit from RSS feeds.
Cookies and Books - The Perfect Combination
If only the Cookie Monster's Library had a Starbucks...
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