May 2011
15 posts
4 tags
Metadata Monday: Linked Open Data
Did you know that people will be talking about Linked Open Data in San Francisco this week at the International Linked Open Data in Libraries, Archives, and Museums Summit (“LOD-LAM”)? This looks like a fascinating event with leaders in multidisciplinary metadata hashing out policies and pondering answers to questions like whether 25-50% adoption of OAI-MPH by member agencies is really enough...
4 tags
Object Stories: Portland Art Museum
Museums and libraries continue to explore new methods of engaging patrons. The Portland Art Museum’s Object Stories project is a fine example. “The Portland Art Museum offers a unique opportunity to share your story about an object that is meaningful to you. Do you have something you would never give up? Like a favorite childhood toy, a military medal, or a memento? Something that...
4 tags
The Popular Library
Like many librarians, I like to visit exotic libraries when I am travelling to different cities. I am in Portland, Oregon for Memorial Day weekend and happy to report that the Central location of the Multnomah County Library is right around the corner from my hotel. This library is a stately old structure, well kept, and fittingly restored. The layout incorporates modern elements like the...
6 tags
5 Things Thursday: Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Here is a list of five things, four of which have nothing to do with Seth Godin’s ideas on the future of libraries: Want to read a fantastic article on institutional repositories and digital preservation? Should robots be lending library books at BART stations in the Bay Area? Do you need a mentor in book form? Read this. Would a wheelbarrow full of cash stop non-librarians from...
5 tags
Metadata Monday: Simple Library = Custom Metadata
I just researched and implemented a new circulation system for fifteen cruise ship libraries. The collections consist of approximately 2500-3K books and a couple hundred board games on each ship. After vetting many programs and finding that most were too complex for our minimalist cataloging needs, I found one that offered great ease in importing Excel files to populate library records and more...
8 tags
Veer Wins: Clarity on Controlled Vocabulary
I just ran across one of the most succinct and helpful explanations of keywords for stock photography ever written on the Veer site. These guidelines or FAQ’s designed for contributing artists, explain in plain English why keywords are important, how a controlled vocabulary is utilized to map terms, and how ambiguity is the enemy (entering the term chick on an image of a hot babe will map...
randummzzz: I'M THAT LIBRARIAN, SETH! →
micahvandegrift:
For the right librarian, this is the chance of a lifetime.
- Seth Godin
I’m that librarian, Seth! And, unfortunately, there are no jobs for me because the state and federal government don’t yet share your vision for the library as the information/data hub of the local community. Please,…
8 tags
5 Things Thursday: Easier, Cooler, Better
Here are 5 things to inspire your inner LIS enthusiast: Have you heard of the company littleBits? Would you like simpler file upload in Google docs? What happens in a world transcending 26 checkouts? Would your ears like to hear the LOC National Jukebox? What are employers looking for these days? SLA has some insight.
2 tags
Metadata Monday: Two for One Special
I read a really insightful post about the “minimum viable record” recently on The Open Library Blog. In it, George Oates discusses amongst other things the rational order of library metadata and how much description is enough to enable optimal retrieval. George posts an amazing presentation he gave in February as well as the exciting results of a survey conducted during that...
5 tags
Proven Versatility and Spell Check
Lately I have been reviewing some resumes of library professionals and conducting some phone interviews as part of my job. I have been pondering several things about librarian job search techniques as well as job hunting in general. Here are some observations followed by two really relevant blog posts on the subject. When you customize a resume, make sure you attach the right one when applying...
7 tags
5 Things Thursday: Variety Show
Here are five amazing topics for discourse: Would you like to track social media referrals in Google Analytics? Here’s how. Is cursive writing dead? Are you ready to explore any library’s digital collection reality? Are you an MLIS student in need of a great future ready toolkit? Ready to ponder this statistic-filled Infographic: Anatomy of a Librarian? Bonus: 16 drinks named...
5 tags
Metadata Monday: Smithsonian Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing may seem like a divergence from metadata, however, I recently read an interesting article about the mobile efforts of the Smithsonian and it made me think about how to organize information aggregated from various contributors. The article contrasts the Smithsonian’s historical information collection methods from telegraph to mobile device. “Today, the Smithsonian has...
3 tags
Happy Mother's Day from the Duke Digital...
The clever curators at the Duke Digital Collections have compiled a humorous look at mothers. Culling from the archives filled with advertising images, Rich Murray fills his blog post with commentary on the somewhat unusual nature of mom imagery used in ads. My favorite is an ad for Postum, a coffee-free beverage designed to prevent anxious ladies from being nervous and irritable. Perhaps I...
4 tags
5 Things Thursday: Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Grab some guacamole and check out cinco LIS things to nibble. Did you know that designers like books? Here is a site that tells you which books designers covet. Would you like to see some awesomely bad school portraits? Want to read some interesting thoughts on the concept of a universal library? Are you interested in deploying a preservation-compliant media asset system? Do you like...
3 tags
Metadata Monday: Decibel is Like Magic for Music
Remember liner notes? I really did like reading all about the songs I was listening to and finding out about all the cool musicians on every David Bowie album inspiring me to buy an Adrian Belew album and ultimately learning more about King Crimson. Nowadays, music is so cold and digital. Then, along comes Decibel who claims to be the answer to music metadata lending context and depth to your...
