Librarian's Rant

Sorry for the Xmas time silence. To explain: My Xmas = pain, Xmas Eve in ER, Xmas Day on drugs, Boxing Day having emergency oral surgery. Bright side: I got a Kindle! Total surprise gift from Dad. It wasn't even on my list!

I also got a cool colander and butter dish from my SIL, which were on my list. Once I can eat solid foods again, they'll be very handy...

For that librarian on your gift list:

2nd Draft Recycled Microfilm Accessories
Yes, that's right, Microfilm Bling!

From Molly at LU.

Jenna Freedman just sent this to the LU list, and I couldn't stop laughing.

This has been making the rounds via email:

More than half of the systems responsible for managing the nearly 17 million titles in the Library of Congress catalog have tested positive for prohibited "performance enhancing" content, according to an Inspector General's report expected to be published next month.

In a public statement issued by the IG, he stated that "The use of taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, and other performance enhancing content often referred to under the catchall term 'metadata' has long been suspected by Library fans. For much too long, Library owners have simply turned a blind eye, choosing not to question how their high-priced key assets had been able to break one long-standing performance record after another. As long as they were seeing the performance, nobody wanted to question or acknowledge how it was being achieved."

The investigation was triggered by anonymous tips and overheard conversations between certain unnamed staff members alluding to "a card catalog on steroids."

continued...

[From Jenna] I thought it needed a home on the web, and so posted it, with permission http://jenna.openflows.com/loc/steroidscandal

John, a Grinnell classmate of mine, recently received this online holiday card from a public relations firm in his area. It reflects much of what has been on my mind this current season of Peace.

http://www.goodforbusiness.com/ftp/holiday/gfb.html

Happy Holidays and a Safe, Healthy New Year to you all.

My friend Erica sent this along:

From PW ShelfAwareness 12.14:

Sadly Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's, as he stated online yesterday. He added: "We are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism. For now work is continuing on the completion of Nation and the basic notes are already being laid down for Unseen Academicals. All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers. Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet :o)"

The Hennepin County and Minneapolis Library System will now merge. This should solve a host of problems for the Mpls system, which was in major need. I know my friends in the Twin Cities are looking forward to branches reopening or restoring cut hours.

Well, sorta. I got mention in this month's American Libraries (p.29 if you're interested) for some work I'm doing over at MaintainIT.org. Of course, the one bit they chose to pull out as the teaser isn't actually what I said...

At the Polk County Dems Central Committee meeting last night, my friend Mary and I (both precinct reps) got to meet Sen. Joseph Biden and former VP Walter Mondale. His assistant (in the background) asked if he could sit with us, and we were delighted. I had a nice conversation with "Fritz" as we listened to Sen. Biden, who then Senator Mondale had sworn into office many years ago. Mr. Mondale is stumping for Hillary. We used my phone camera, which Mary wasn't familiar with, hence the blurriness.

My political stalking campaign continues!


UPDATE: Turns out I'm inspiring envy with my stalking. Chris Z. on the Library Underground list recently posted the following:

It's that time of year when I am jealous of Iowans. Specifically Louise Alcorn [link to this post]

Bwahahahaha! Don't worry folks - we're a strong people, we Iowans. We'll toughen these politicians up for you.

Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal has weighed in on Amazon's Kindle:

Amazon's Kindle Makes Buying E-Books Easy, Reading Them Hard

I've been testing the Kindle for about a week, and I love the shopping and downloading experience. But the Kindle device itself is just mediocre. While it has good readability, battery life and storage capacity, both its hardware design and its software user interface are marred by annoying flaws. It is bigger and clunkier to use than the Sony Reader, whose second version has just come out at $300.

Like the Sony, the Amazon reader uses a high-contrast, but low-power, screen technology. The Kindle's six-inch screen can display only monochrome text and gray images, and there's lag time and a flash of black every time you turn a page. But I did find that the screen was good enough to make me forget I wasn't reading the book on paper.

The software interface also is clumsy. There is no way to organize titles into groups or categories, so you have to keep turning pages in the Home area to find a particular item to read. And doing many tasks requires you to scroll a barely visible silver cursor along a narrow side panel.

...Amazon has nailed the electronic-book shopping experience. But it has a lot to learn about designing electronic devices.

Because you get to hear gems like this one. Caveat: this did not happen to me, but instead happened to our newest reference assistant, Katie, who regaled me with it this morning.

This is roughly paraphrased, but you'll get the flow of the conversation:

Katie: Reference desk, may I help you?
Patron on Phone: I need you to find something for me.
K: Of course, what can I help you with?
P: Can you search for "God-given stretch marks"
(small pause)
K: Is this the name of a book or an article you want to find?
P: No, I just want to see what there is on this.
K: (trying to do a proper reference interview) Do you need medical information on the causes of stretch marks, or information on faith healing?
P: No, I had stretch marks, but then they just disappeared, and it must have been God's work! I want to find out about this.
K: (faithfully doing Google and OPAC searches like mad throughout conversation) I'm not really finding any information specifically on this. Again, we have books and articles on stretch marks and their causes and treatments. We also have items on faith healing or divine healing. Would these interest you?
P: No. Can you go to Google? Try that!
K: Well, I have been...
P: Try "God-given stretch marks" (she's clearly indicating that this is a single phrase)
K: I did try that...
P: Then try "stretch marks Jesus gave me".
K: ...I'm sorry, I don't seem to be finding anything on that specific topic...would you like to come in and do a search yourself?
P: No! Just give me the phone numbers to the Chicago Public Library and the Orange County Library. (why these two, we don't know)
K: (doing lookup) There are a number of branches for both of these library systems. Do you know which you want?
P: I've heard these are good libraries. (a-ha. sure, why not, let them try to find something)
K: I found a general phone tree number for Chicago, but not for Orange County. Do you know which library you want?
P: No, you pick one for me.

It occurred to Katie later that perhaps she should have asked if the stretch marks were in the shape of the Virgin Mary...

Well, for bibliophiles anyways:

100 Notable Books of 2007

My latest book recommendation: Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon (his Yiddish Policemen's Union is on the Notable list). He takes a time and place - approx. 950 CE in the Caucasus Mountains - with which I'm not very familiar and weaves a heck of a yarn. Great characters and a beautifully produced book which feels much like one of those late Victorian adventure dramas.

NYTimes Travel section did a great article on Des Moines:

In the Spotlight, Ready for Its Close-Up