Category: pr, hype & bs

So, Gale is going to offer a “feature” of allowing Google Images searching directly from their database search interface. I have mixed feelings about this. Google Images already accounts for a huge amount of the traffic coming to and from my site [cached images on Google being lifted independently from the pages they were on]. These images then tend to wind up on other people’s web pages, even further removed from context. To avoid the Google Images link from turning up anything raunchy, the “Safe Search” setting will be used. This, of course, blocks non-mature content inadvertently as well. There is no alternative, it’s “Safe Search” or no Google Images search at all.

LLRX has a good analysis of the OCLC vs Library Hotel debate and issues involved. It seems that having the Library Hotel use a different classification scheme [many of which have been mentioned in these pages over the past few weeks] is not really addressing the 800-pound-gorilla issue w/r/t/ OCLC but might be a great way to highlight other such schemes. [thanks jen]

If you’re one of those DVD lovers, you’ll be happy to know that Bookwars is available on DVD. I saw this movie about NYC street booksellers a few years back and loved it.

Have you ever seen so many uses of the word “probably” in a press-release type article before? Scientists think they have a new way of drying out waterlogged books… but they dont seem quite sure yet. [thanks john]