Librarian's Rant

Need Monkeys.

Your patrons may ask, so:

AnnualCreditReport.com is a centralized service for consumers to request annual credit reports. It was created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

AnnualCreditReport.com processes requests for free credit file disclosures (commonly called credit reports). Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) consumers can request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. AnnualCreditReport.com provides consumers with the secure means to do so.

Phone and mail requests are also listed on the site. Western states are now available. Midwest states are available March 1st, Southern states June 1st, Eastern states and US territories, September 1st.

On the lighter side of today...looks like Battlestar Galactica will start its second season as early as this summer. That's just fracking great!

A fascinating vision of the near future (movie).

Thanks, Beth.

Interesting article in the Detroit Times about the changing nature of public libraries and how they're dealing with 'those darn kids'. I joke, but it is a serious problem.

By now, you've heard that Michael Gorman, ALA president-elect wrote an article in Library Journal bashing bloggers. Specifically the bloggers that disagreed with an editorial he wrote discussing some of his concerns about Google Print and the Google phenomenon. I happen to agree with some of Gorman's concerns about users over-dependence on Google and the Web as a whole. However, he chose to paint all bloggers, or "Blog People", with the same brush. He claimed later that his comments were satirical, which I find a little odd. He states that bloggers can't get published, so blog instead. Well, I've been published, thanks, but I also have opinions on issues of the day, which don't fit into the narrow field of 'juried' library journals.

There was much talk on the ALA site in response. In the library blog world, Jessamyn and Karen have already discussed it, so I'll leave it in their far more capable hands.

What I find interesting is that non-library sites have picked this up, as well, like Slashdot and Metafilter. In particular look at Jessamyn's comments on Metafilter. Like her, I support Gorman for ALA president, but I think this is one more example of our 'professional' association being entirely unclear on the activities and interests of a huge number of its members.