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“Tomorrow never knows"1: the end of cataloguing?

Alan Danskin Manager Data

Abstract

This paper reviews the perceived threats to the future of cataloguing posed by the increasing volume of publications in media, coupled with a resource base which is declining in real terms. It argues that cataloguing is more rather than less important in such an environment and considers some of the in which cataloguing will have to change in order to survive. Read the whole paper

cataloguing, library

The future: What's out there?

4th Australian Library & Information Association Top End Symposium

13-14 October 2006

Charles Darwin UniversityPalmerston Campus, NT

Participants will have the opportunity:-

* to expand their knowledge about current activities

* explore new ideas

* gain insight into future options

contact Peter Walton: p.d.walton at bigpond dot com

library

The social life of books

An interview with Ben Vershbow at the Library journal blog

You write about the "social life" of books, and I know you don't mean where books go to hang out and cross-reference. What do you mean?

Well, to a certain extent, I do mean that books will be able to go hang out and cross-reference. I think digital libraries will be in constant communication with each other, sharing patterns of use, exchanging user-created metadata, building maps of meaning out of the recorded behaviors and interests of readers. Parts of books will reference parts of other books. Books will be woven together out of components in remote databases and servers.

So, in some ways books will have a life of their own. But you're right, what I'm getting at primarily is the social life of readers and authors that will exist around and inside of books.

Read the whole post

books, library

Schools ban dictionary of slang

The author of what has been described as the definitive dictionary of slang is gobsmacked, gutted, throwing up bunches, honked, hipped, and jacked like a cock-maggot in a sink-hole. A North Carolina school district has banned the dictionary under pressure from one of a growing number of conservative Christian groups using the internet to encourage school book bans across the US.
Read on ...

MSN Search offers free full text access to Encarta Encyclopedia

via resourceshelf

Researchers might be interested to learn that MSN Search is offering a free access to the full text (not just blurbs) of Microsoft's

This page offers details about how to get a free pass. No, registration is required.

Read on ...

search, msn, ENCARTA, library

Growing Wikipedia revises it 'anyone can edit" policy

While these measures may appear to undermine the site's democratic principles, Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia's founder, notes that protection is usually temporary and affects a tiny fraction of the 1.2 million entries on the English-language site.

"Protection is a tool for quality control, but it hardly defines Wikipedia," Mr. Wales said. "What does define Wikipedia is the volunteer community and the open participation." Read the whole article

Tags: wikipedia, library

Storytime online

"Storyline Online is an innovative website featuring well-known actors reading quality children's picture books aloud.

Offered free of charge, these imaginatively produced videos fully capture the intricate illustrations, colors and textures of each book.

Storyline Online also includes a supplemental activities section developed by an Early Literacy curriculum specialist.

The videos and related activities strengthen comprehension, verbal and written skills of English language learners worldwide."

visit Storyline online

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