November 2010
31 posts
6 tags
Why is DAM so DAM Confusing?
Why is DAM so DAM Confusing? Another great resource for you - this time on Digital Asset Management. This is something that many businesses want and need, but have no idea where to start and how to prioritize the implementation, education and use of systems. This article specifically is about why it is such a confusing subject for multi-disciplinary organizations. This blog by Henrik de Gyor...
Nov 30th
4 tags
LAPD Stolen Art Database
LAPD Stolen Art Database Did you know that the LAPD maintains a database of stolen art? I didn’t either until my friend Jeff Friederichsen pointed it out. Anyway, it includes everything from animation cels to Oscar statues, paintings and sculptures. I was curious about the level of detail provided in the metadata. Beyond the title and artist if available, there are measurements and medium...
Nov 29th
4 notes
4 tags
Buchstabenmuseum: The Museum of Letters
Buchstabenmuseum: The Museum of Letters Here is a beautifully designed website for an interesting collection in Berlin, Germany. The Museum of Letters “is devoted to preserving and documenting letterforms.” This appeals to typography and letterpress buffs, museum folks and librarians and lovers of letters alike. The site has a nice clean aesthetic, copy in German and English and my...
Nov 28th
7 tags
VRA Core, Luna Insights and Cornell University
VRA Core, Luna Insights and Cornell University Are you contemplating the VRA Core 4.0 metadata standard for processing a collection? In performing research for the Century 21 Exposition collection at The Seattle Public Library, I ran across some useful and informative resources by Margaret Webster of Cornell University on that very subject. In 2007, Webster wrote an article and presented on...
Nov 27th
7 tags
Social Media Friday
Social Media Friday Do you care about your Klout score? Touted as the “standard for influence,” Klout offers a measurement of your online influence. So if you are an avid blogger and Tweeter, you may want to employ this measure in addition to using analytics tools like Google Analytics to explore and track the impact of your posts. My Klout score has risen dramatically in the past...
Nov 26th
3 tags
Nov 25th
2 tags
Yoo Hoo, eBooks, Where Are You?
Yoo Hoo, eBooks, Where Are You? While librarians are immersed in the importance of quality metadata, publishers are beginning to realize the significance of metadata for eBooks. According to a post by Eric Rumsey, “with eBooks, the process of discovery is more difficult, since browsing of physical books on the shelf is not possible.” Seems we have heard that one before in the...
Nov 24th
4 tags
Make Yourself Findable
Make Yourself Findable In the information profession, we talk a lot about findability (thanks Peter Morville!). Creating metadata and cataloging items so that users can easily locate relevant information is the central core of library and information science. Take a moment and think instead about making yourself findable. If you are undertaking a job search, especially for your first post MLIS...
Nov 23rd
2 tags
Nov 22nd
5 tags
Fashion is Always in Style
Fashion is Always in Style Naturally, FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) is at the forefront when it comes to featuring fashion collections and resources online. From the FIT Museum online galleries with such diverse offerings as the “1980’s Gallery” to one titled “She’s Like a Rainbow,” FIT collections are well organized and interesting. The FIT Library...
Nov 21st
1 note
5 tags
I'll Never be an Action Figure
I’ll Never be an Action Figure While library and information people probably don’t think a lot about fame and most will never be immortalized in molded plastic like Nancy Pearl of librarian action figure notoriety, a little bit of self promotion never hurt. I read an interesting article recently by Roy Tennant on LibraryJournal.com about becoming famous in the library world....
Nov 20th
1 note
3 tags
Pulp Fiction Collection
Pulp Fiction Collection This is the way to display a collection! The George Kelley Paperback and Pulp Fiction Collection at the University at Buffalo: The State University of New York is not only aesthetically pleasing, but well organized and easy to navigate. Somehow, an incredibly dense amount of information is presented in a graceful design that successfully enables user discovery for...
Nov 19th
5 tags
Digital Images: JISC Resources
Digital Images: JISC Resources Where has JISC Digital Media been all my life? This link alone allows access to more information on best practices for creating and organizing digital images than I can shake a stick at. These resources include amazing amounts of information on metadata and DAMS. There is even advice on managing your images on Flickr. Let’s just say that I now have a sensible...
Nov 18th
2 tags
LibGuides are Fun!
LibGuides are Fun! I had an opportunity to create my first LibGuide recently. For those not in the know, LibGuides are essentially subject guides - ideally a well designed, curated and organized group of electronic resources on a subject. Anyway, I used Springshare (Springy Library) to create this guide to personal branding using social media. Try it out! I also saw a great example of a Tumblr...
Nov 16th
Ask a Curator to become a website! →
museummuse: I can’t wait for February 2011. This will be such a wonderful repository for people interested in curating, or museums in general! More information: http://www.museummarketing.co.uk/2010/11/10/ask-a-curator-3/
Nov 15th
1 note
4 tags
Hey, I can do that...
Hey, I can do that… Apparently the new world of library and information sciences needs project management skills. Well, finally the sensible nexus of my years in advertising and my library education coalesces into a valuable skill set. Here is a excerpt from an interesting article/interview with Brian Matthews in ALA Editions: “I really want to see project management skills. That’s...
Nov 15th
Nov 14th
3 tags
Perpetual Reinvention
Perpetual Reinvention There is yet another article about libraries and the perpetual pursuit of reinvention. While this LA Times piece features one of my faves, the Anythink libraries (Rangeview) in Colorado, it makes me wonder why there are not more articles about banks reinventing themselves. Or universities. Or grocery stores. Or bookstores, department stores, and insurance companies. Nearly...
Nov 14th
6 tags
I am a Screencasting Star
I am a Screencasting Star I’m ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille. This week I discovered screencasting. Yes, I know I am a little late to the party, but let me take a moment to revel in the simplicity and grace of this fine educational tool. Here are five things I love about screencasts/screencasting and a link to a fabulous article if you’d like to try it yourself. *Excellent for...
Nov 13th
5 tags
AdViews Collection: Classic Honeycombs
AdViews Collection: Classic Honeycombs Courtesy of the digital collections available through Duke University - introducing AdViews - thousands of television commercials created or collected by the D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B) advertising agency, dated 1950s - 1980s. Check out these classic Honeycombs cereal TV commercials that might even make Don Draper jealous. Play...
Nov 12th
4 tags
The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room Anyone pursuing an MLIS or working in a library setting currently knows that the search for that first library related job is rumored to be long and arduous. Luckily, there are many fine resources available online to help you through the process. Sometimes I get paranoid about my lack of recent public facing library experience. Although I have staffed circulation and in...
Nov 11th
3 tags
Metadata, Baby!
Metadata, Baby! Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I am glad I have such an interest in exploring the metadata schemes that work best for digital collections and visual resources. In a recent survey of special collections by OCLC Research, this comment rose to the top for me: “Half of respondents reported a need for education or training in cataloging and...
Nov 10th
5 tags
Hollywood Librarian Review
Hollywood Librarian Review Remember I mentioned the documentary Hollywood Librarian? While it did feature all the best snippets of librarians in the movies (Desk Set, Party Girl, Music Man) and a lot of great stuff about why people become librarians, there was a strong focus on the current budget crises facing almost every library, type of library, and, frankly every other business or...
Nov 9th
4 tags
Not Conjunction Junction - WebJunction!
Not Conjunction Junction - WebJunction! Library and information careers attract people who actively engage in lifelong learning. Technological changes coupled with the evolving face of information related professions require new skills all the time. Do you know about WebJunction? WebJunction is an online community dedicated to providing access to courses and information for developing LIS skills...
Nov 8th
1 note
8 tags
Best Image Database Ever!
Best Image Database Ever! This image is by Roy Lichtenstein and can be found in the best image database ever, the Collection Database of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This database is well organized and easy to search and careful attention has been paid to the information that accompanies each piece. To top it off, there are explanations of how to search, use keywords and interpret captions. ...
Nov 7th
4 notes
7 tags
Librarians Like Conferences
Librarians Like Conferences Hot on the heels of Internet Librarian, the Charleston Conference was held in South Carolina from November 3rd through today. This conference is billed as more of an informal gathering of librarians, publishers and vendors meeting to discuss timely topics mostly pertaining to acquisition and information delivery. After reading all the Tweets and some other posts from...
Nov 6th
3 tags
Holy Smokes! Instant Search...
Holy Smokes! Instant Search… Imagine a world with Google-like search for library catalogs. Wait a second - it’s already arrived in the form of Summon(TM). Another product from Serials Solutions, the company that brings us the engaging yet polarizing AquaBrowser interface. Well, I was admittedly skeptical when reading the testimonials on the Summon site. I decided to read the case...
Nov 5th
4 tags
Fashion at the Library
Fashion at the Library Well, the creative folks at the Denver Public Library have done it again with an event evocative of Project Runway. The Frock Out Exhibit and Independent Designers Challenge incorporates a dress display at the central library, online voting for each of the twelve designers, and a splashy event with music, lighting and performers happening at the library. No one will SHHHH...
Nov 4th
4 tags
What Would Keith Richards Do?
What Would Keith Richards Do? Being a librarian is so cool, even Keith Richards wanted to do it, according to The Times. Although this is old news by now, I think it speaks volumes (no pun intended) about the esteemed position of libraries and librarians in providing positive influence to many people at any stage of life and income level. Sadly, when organizing his own book collection, Keith...
Nov 3rd
1 note
3 tags
Metadata is Fun!
Metadata is Fun! Just another example of the fun that can be had with metadata schemes. Get a load of this giant crosswalk chart on the Getty site. This helpful tool makes creating crosswalks and mapping like a walk in the park. If your park is filled with element sets with some controlled values and differing semantics… Personally, I find it fascinating that there are so many metadata...
Nov 2nd
7 tags
Nov 1st