amazing, and probably cost-effective, Georgia public goes open source

Georgia Public Library System decided to go with a homegrown open-source system for their library automation needs. I’m going to be really interested to see how much this solution costs the library over time, compared to a more traditional OPAC. My guess is it will cost less, both in vendor costs and also less lost staff time installing and fighting with new upgrades, featuritis and bad support. [teknobib]

phone vs Google apples vs oranges

If this is the only website you read, maybe you haven’t seen this yet. Phone vs. Google vs. Library, who is fastest? Of course, any librarian knows that the best thing to do is to call your librarian [who is at the library already] and then have her [or him] find the answer which might involve using Google but might not. What I want to see is a bunch of librarian superstars In the library, with IM and cel phones and Google and three cups of coffee and see which one of them is fastest given the same short list of tough questions. Now that’s a spectator sport. [thanks all]