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The Role of the Library in Your Community
When is the last time you went to the public library? So it shouldn’t surprise you that there has been a significant decrease in the number of adults who engage with public libraries across all demographic groups. The Bookseller brought this news to us in their article, “Adult library usage falls ‘significantly’ across all groups.” A…
Read MoreGrey Areas in Plagiarism
Throughout college, I would get anxious when I submitted papers to a professor who used plagiarism software. I always cited my sources, following the correct style format of the professor’s choosing, but there was always that shadow of a doubt whether the words I wrote were in fact my words, or if I had read…
Read MoreMonographs in the Digital World
A daughter’s interest in monographs spurred her mother to learn more than she ever thought she needed to about this declining literary form. This interesting information came to us from Against the Grain in their article, “Reading and Writing Monographs: the Dual Role of Researchers and the Demand for Dual Formats.” The long-form scholarly monograph is…
Read MoreDealing in the Dark
We have all heard about the darknet, the Web content that exists on overlay networks which use the public Internet but which require specific software, configurations or authorization to access. A similar version of libraries – called pirate or shadow libraries – have been created. All around the world these libraries are filled with banned…
Read MoreOpen is Not Free
The proponents of open access argue that the taxpayers have paid the invoice and therefore deserve the product. They are referring to the scientific research supported by the federal government and the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research (FASTR) Act, which would make all federally funded research articles freely available to anyone who wants to read them. This information…
Read MoreNew Words Added to the Oxford
The Oxford English Dictionary recently released their list of added words as part of their June update to the more than 150-year old publication. This interesting information came to us from ABC out of Australia in their article, “Budgie smugglers: Australian slang term officially added to Oxford English Dictionary.” Among the 1,000+ word list were budgie…
Read MoreIndexing History One Record at a Time
Genealogy projects have long been a great example of proper indexing against a solid database that produces great findability. One such project that was recently brought to our attention came from the Kansas African American Museum. The Wichita Eagle brought this interesting information to us in their article, “Genealogy researcher helping African-American families fill in the blanks.”…
Read MoreThe Fair is Coming
There are many reasons to visit the Frankfurt Book Fair – the most important international trading place for content, from novels and children’s books to academic databases. Nowhere else does the publishing industry show itself in a more multifaceted, innovative and international light. One of the reasons would be the speaker lineup. For starters, Karina…
Read MoreIn Your Permanent Record
The words that brought chills to every student’s bones has a new meaning in these days of technology. This interesting information came to us from the American Libraries Magazine in their article, “Privacy and School Data.” What we traditionally think of in a student record – grades, transcripts, teacher notes, attendance, conduct – has changed.…
Read MoreFacebook Patents Slang Dictionary
Facebook recently received a patent that is getting a little attention. It is a piece of software that scans the social media site for emerging terms and stores them in a “social glossary.” TECHSPOT brought this interesting information to us in their article, “Facebook patents new software that creates a slang dictionary.” Urban Dictionary step aside. The patented system…
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