The article begins “From now on, whatever you check out of the Seattle Central Library will play in color-coded streams across six big plasma screens on the library’s fifth floor.” but don’t freak out, that’s actually not what happens. Read more about the new art installation in the Seattle Public Library’s main branch. Of the three other major artworks in the library, two aren’t working currently, they need new projectors. [thanks matthew]
Category: ‘puters
what are YOU doing on September 11th?
Libraries are getting started on their September Projects [blog, article]. Do you have plans on 9/11? Is your library closed? If you’re home and online consider participating in the Rambling Librarian’s IM chat between Singaporean and US libraries on the theme of “How much do we understand each other” For East Coasters it’s a bit late at night, but West Coasters can check in before they go to bed and meet some of their colleagues overseas.
make sure you know the gazingus protocol!
Every now and then I’m asked if I know how to do something I don’t know how to do. Most recently this came about when the staff at the school I work at wanted to learn Macromedia Contribute, for messing with their web site. Did I know how to use Contribute? No I did not. Could I learn it before I had to do a training on it for novice computer users in a few weeks? Sure I could. And, unlike those questionairres you had to fill out when you signed up with a temp agency, I didn’t even have to fib, I just said “I’ll start learning it today.”
Everyone’s lists — like this recent one on LISNews — are great. However, the world changes and what is right for today’s librarian might not be right for tomorrow’s. So, I’d add to this list and to these lists generally, the ability to learn as you go and teach yourself new things. If someone tells me that the job I want requires intimate knowledge of the gazingus protocol, then I guess I’d better learn it, and fast. Since I have a good working knowledge of computers generally, learning something specific about them is usually not too difficult. This is helpful at my job and I bet it would be helpful at yours.
other side of the digital divide
The Filipino Librarian talks about how the capacity to experiment with technology, or not, creates the real digital divide.
Lease Morgan: systems librarianship is within your grasp
Eric Lease Morgan answers the question “What should I know to be a good systems librarian?” and ends with this caveat
Please do not be overwhelmed. All of these things can be learned and practiced on your desktop or home computer. They lend themselves better to server-class operating systems such a Unix/Linux, but learning about these operating systems is challenging in itself and not readily applicable to librarianship. All you need is the ability to read books, the desire to learn, and the time to do it.