On August 17th, 2006 this blog moved to http://liblog-usa.blogspot.com/.

Classes start in a week. Here are four multimedia instructional websites that are both useful and interesting. The first three are for students in Algebra, Physics, and Anatomy/Physiology classes. The last one is great for instructors. It claims to be for community college instructors, but seems to me would work well for any level college student. They all come from Scout Report weekly website current list.js(comments)

1. WebAnatomy.net
http://webanatomy.net/
2. Algebasics
http://www.algebasics.com/
3. Physics Flash Animations [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/Flash/

4. Getting Results [pdf, ppt]
http://www.league.org/gettingresults/web/
"Educators have argued politely (and not so politely) about the most effective pedagogical methods for decades, and at times, they have even been able to agree on certain approaches. One recently created resource designed specifically for community college educators is the Getting Results website. Created as part of partnership between the National Science Foundation and WGBH, this self-contained professional development course is designed to "challenge previous thinking about teaching and learning and give you the basic tools for effective classroom practices." Users of this fine resource can work independently, or also elect to team up with groups of colleagues. Enhanced with online videos and worksheets, the course contains six modules, including "Moving Beyond the Classroom" and "Teaching with Technology". With an easy-to-use interface and non-intrusive graphics, this site is a most welcome addition to currently available online resources for community college educators. [KMG]"

http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/

Here a couple of websites that I've "del.icio.us"ed this week. (If you haven't started using del.icio.us I highly recommend it as a place to keep bookmarks that you can retrieve from any computer on the web.)

MetaGlossary A really nice looking dictionary.
http://www.metaglossary.com/

The Visual Dictionary Create your own ransom notes using pictures of words. http://thevisualdictionary.net/

And if you really have hours to burn, download Google Sketchup--a free 3D drawing program from Google. "Google SketchUp (free) is an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program that enables you to explore the world in 3D. With just a few simple tools, you can create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects - even space ships. And once you've built your models, you can place them in Google Earth, post them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies." http://sketchup.google.com/
js comments

WorldCat Goes Public!

Worldcat is the combined catalog of most of the libraries of the Western world. Just last month it bought RLIN, its long time competitor, which contains catalog records for many Eastern world publications. (Google and Yahoo's Open WorldCat have had a subset of the data in this catalog, but not the whole thing.) It is one humongous catalog. And it is now on the public Internet. Look up a book or video, enter your zipcode, and get a list of libraries closest to you that own the book. Click on the name of the library and it takes you directly to that library's catalog record where you can usually tell whether it is on the shelf or checked out.

Of course, librarians will have to take extra lessons in diplomacy, because many users will not having borrowing privileges at the library closest to them. A librarian's life is always interesting! js comments

http://worldcat.org/

From Marylaine Block:

Ourmedia

"Like Youtube, Ourmedia allows users to post and store their print or media creations; but unlike Youtube under its new rules, "Ourmedia claims no intellectual property rights over the material you provide to our service." It also contains a Learning Center to teach techniques for video, audio, digital photography, and writing for the web. Explore other people's works as well."
http://www.ourmedia.org/

The Toymaker

Your weekend creative activity! http://www.thetoymaker.com/
js

Tues, July 25th

Historical Film Clips

Vicki Tate, Head of Gov. Docs & Serials

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) of the U.S. Government has recently started making film clips from various federal agencies available through http://video.google.com. These film clips are mainly news or public relations clips from the 1930/1940's to the 1960's. Topics range from military operations from World War II to NASA highlights. To access these clips, go to the USA's Libraries Catalog (http://library.southalabama.edu/) and do a SUDOC Class Number search on "AE 1.130/2:" to find the catalog records to over fifty titles that have been added, so far, to SOUTHcat. Just click on the PURL in the catalog record, or cut and paste the PURL of your desired title into your web browser, to see these glimpses into history. Most clips are anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes long. For starters, check out ALABAMA HIGHLANDS, 1937.

Alabama Highlands [electronic resource], 1937

Vicki Tate, the Head of Gov. Documents at the library, sent me this link to a 10 minute movie from 1937 about the construction of Alabama state parks by the Civilian Conservation Corp. The music seems to prove that everything was hunky-dory in Alabama in 1937--don't you think? js comments

http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS70116

Try this new tool to find similar "articles" to ones you like on the public web:http://similicio.us/

And just for fun, this site again:
http://thebubbleproject.com/index.php

July 14,
Bastille Day

Paris Webcams

In celebration of Bastille Day, here's a page of webcams focused on the Eiffel Tower. Click one to get constantly updated images. The left side menu gives you a choice of other sights. The major celebration may have been last night, but watch for fireworks sometime this afternoon. Paris is 7 hours ahead of us--so try it about 2 or 3 or even later this afternoon.
http://www.abcparislive.com/paris_webcam/eiffel_tower.htm

And for even more excitement, try out the new Library Tour linked on the Library homepage or click here. js

http://www.usouthal.edu/univlib/sauer/tour/index.html
(comments to js)

The whole web is becoming a collaborative space. Blogs, Facebook & MySpace, De.li.ci.ous, Google spreadsheets, wikis. Here's another one. Find out what the establishment thinks is the BEST and/or you can put your personal mark on the social Web by listing your own favorites.

"Lists of Bests is a place where you can…
Create a list of your favorite products, places, people, goals, food, etc
Mark off your progress on an existing list
Compare your progress on a list with someone else"

http://www.listsofbests.com/

(comments to js)

How Do They Do That???

http://www.milaadesign.com/wizardy.html

Dennis Guion just made my day with this recommendation for a website. Drag and click! js

http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

July 7th

1st anniversary
of the London
Bombings

Gliffy

So many cool things going on on the web! Want to create a flow chart and share it with co-workers or student project comrades? Or maybe a room layout and share editing ability with your family and friends. Try Gliffy. Just drag geometric shapes, type words, and drag a navigation bar to the template. Save and share. Free registration and confirmation are required. It's a wonder that Google didn't invent this first. js

July 6th, 2006

The Library will be closed for the 4th of July.

Do you know how exhausting Library conventions are? I didn't either, but I didn't have the energy to do much of anything upon my return on Tuesday--hence the lack of blog entries. Excuses, excuses, excuses. It was an excellent convention for me as I got lots of new ideas from librarians at other institutions and even from non-librarians who offered a broader perspective on what we do and how we do it. js

ESL Cyber Listening Lab [Windows Media Player, Real Player]This website I got from the Scout Project. It is for all the ESL and international students who want to take the TOEFL exam or just improve their English before classes start. http://www.esl-lab.com/

Another ESL site provided by the Scout Project is the Reading Matrix. For both ESL teachers and students there are lots of resources here. Check out the archive section also. http://www.readingmatrix.com/archivedir/

I'm off to the American Library Association Convention tomorrow. Just imagine--20,000 librarians take overThe Big Easy! I so am happy that they didn't back out of their commitment to New Orleans as did the MLA, language and literature convention, for their convention this coming Dec. The ALA has also allowed librarians in Katrina and Rita affected areas to attend for free this year. How wonderful--it makes me extra proud of my profession. Librarians are daring! Librarians know service! Librarians Rule! js

Webbie Awards

The 10th Annual Webbie nominations are out, so here's the best of the year's best web pages.

http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=10

Wed. June 21

The day after Midsummer Night's Eve

Survey of Geographic Literacy from the National Geographic magazine

I'm a sucker for quizzes, surveys, any kind of knowledge test, especially online ones that don't threaten my self-esteem too much. Just finished this one and got a few wrong, but hey, how they think that the city setting for the original CSI TV show is a geography question, I don't know. Try it and see how your answers to each question compare to the 18-24 year olds who originally took it. js

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/?fs=www9.nationalgeographic.com

Brainteaser

Every Friday I get this quiz from xReferPlus, a subscription Reference service, to which I do NOT subscribe. They still send me the quiz though. It comes from England so sometimes I can legitimately claim ignorance--not often. I find that I used to know a lot more than I do now, but of course with age has comes wisdom. Right! Love that cliché. Try the Brainteaser. js

http://www.xrefer.com/news/index.jsp?m=23

Wed. June 14th

FLAG DAY

Literary Reference Center

Database competition is occasionally fun to watch especially when students are the ultimate winners. AVL [Alabama Virtual Library] has added a new database to the EBSCO stable called the Literary Reference Center. It is trying to compete with the Gale/InfoTrac's Literature Resource Center. Hmmmm. As far as I can tell the new EBSCO one, the LRC, as opposed to the Infotrac one, the LRC, has more entries from reference books and less from journal articles. This was just a cursory exam, but even MaGill's Masterplots shows up. Whatever the case, the addition of this database gives literature students--especially high school and lower level undergraduate students additional sources for literary criticism. Try it under the EBSCO, in Articles, Indexes, Databases on the homepage. js

Friday, June 9th

I'm back from one glorious month in New York City. It is most appropriate to give you a virtual experience of one of the central icons of both The City and of librarianship--The New York Public Library. Here's a link to the Digital Gallery of the New York Public Library.

http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm

But the secret treasure that we've been using for many years is the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT) at the Performing Arts Library, Lincoln Center, NYPL. Videotaped performances of most major Broadway plays are available for viewing. One has to be doing academic or research work on theatre or dance, get an NYPL Access card, and make an appointment to see a specific play. The video is streamed to viewing screens in a special room with about 12 consoles with headphones. No cellphones, no photos. An amazing resource for anyone seriously interested in researching performance, choreography, set design, and/or costume. js

http://www.nypl.org/research/services/special.html

Thursday
June 1st

May 5th, Fri.

The original missions assigned to each site in the NWC, a nationwide group of government-owned and contractor-operated laboratories and production plants administered by the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the major changes that were made thereafter is the focus of this publication.

Two more days till my vacation. Don't expect anything new till June 7th or so -- unless I find an Internet cafe with a fast wireless and have something incredible to blog. js

IdeaFlow: Discussion about innovation and creativity
http://ideaflow.corante.com/
". . . links here to 21 of "the best and
brightest blogging minds writing about innovation and creativity from many
different perspectives." From Marylaine Block

Julian Beever
Dennis Guion forwarded these pictures by the master of pavement trompe-l'œil. http://www.rense.com/general67/street.htm

May 1, Monday

I'm sorry I was otherwise engaged last week. I'm back for a week, then off till about June 7th. js

Wikipedia

Yesterday's New York Times reported the inevitable: the political operatives have been playing fast and loose with "the truth" on Wikipedia. Shame, shame! Don't they know that many a student relies on Wikipedia for facts and background for their papers----and even reference librarians occasionally dip in, albeit with a bit more skepticism than the uninitiated. Take warning.

"The pranks included bumping up the age of the Senate's oldest member, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, to 180 from 88, and giving crude names to other lawmakers.
The entry for Representative Jim Marshall, Democrat of Georgia, labeled him "too liberal" for his state, in part because of a contribution he received from a political action committee run by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. The man who doctored Mr. Marshall's biography now works for his Republican challenger."

Friday, April 21st

Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare--April 23rd, 1564

A video of the 2003 celebration: http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/video/birthday.html

Take some 360º tours of Shakespeare's haunts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/webcams/stories/2003/07/shakespeare-s-finest-properties.shtml

Complete texts: http://ise.uvic.ca/Library/Texts/

Compare different quarto editions of 21 works of Shakespeare side-by-side http://prodigi.bl.uk/treasures/shakespeare/search.asp

I've provided a link to these resources about once a semester since this blog began because I think it is one of the best OBJECTIVE sources of information on current political topics one can find. The fact that these reports are part of the function of the Library of Congress gives me confidence, knowing that when librarians do something they do it well. Marylaine Block offered it this week on her listserv.

Congressional Research Service Reports Archive [Federation of American
Scientists]
" Because the Congressional Research Service does not publish its reports online, FAS obtains reports addressing national security, foreign policy and related topics, digitizes them, and archives them. It also links to other sources for CRS reports."

We should ask our government why these reports aren't available directly from the source. js

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/index.html

Thurs. April 13th

Annual link to The Adventure of Peeps doing library research

A whole week--I owe you a lot!

WIKIs

How about the wiki world. Have you set one up yet? Perfect for collaborating on a paper or project. No software needed, thanks to the open-source content management systems and a bunch of energetic geek entrepeneurs. Try http://www.pbwiki.com/ or http://www.seedwiki.com/. They are free, at least for the modest user. You will have to sign up to be able to login and create your pages. But then you can give your login to others on your project and you can all add, edit, change and work on documents or media projects together without ever meeting. Try it. You need to read some instructions, but it is fairly easy. I've only done the pb, peanut butter, wiki and I'm still learning how to think about a truly collaborative environment. Just as with learning the digital library and all its quirks, learning how to use these tools can only be done by really doing it. Theorize later. If you're a teacher, tell your students. Invite a librarian to help with your group-project wiki--but not me, at least not this weekend, as I'm off to Chicago for a Mamet-filled weekend. js

Thursday
Apr. 6th

Official guide to the development of its role as a national library, with descriptions of its buildings, a timeline of acquisitions and a list of Librarians

The Library of Congress : it's more than a library. Library of Congress,  [2000]  LC 1.2: L 61/19  Also available online: http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/nov04/more.html

The Library of Congress, the world's largest repository of creativity, is a symbol of democracy and the principles on which this nation was founded. This guide explores the holdings of the library including the largest rare book collection in North America and the world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings.

Tues. April 4th

1.2.3.4.5.6

March 31st
Friday, Yeah!

Waves

Everyone know the Japanese painting commonly called The Wave. This interactive Flash exhibition from the Freer Gallery on Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) is exquisite. When you enter, click on the white box "Mad about Painting" then click around to learn about his techniques. [from Scout Report] http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/current/Hokusai.htm

Perfect Disaster [Macromedia Flash Player]
From the Discovery Channel Series. Check out the storm surge video and the typhoon video for more "waves." js

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/perfectdisaster/videogallery/videogallery.html

Wikipedia vs Britannica

On Jan. 3rd I noted that Nature [the science journal] did a study which disputed the idea that the Wikipedia was less reliable than the Encyclopedia Britannica. Guess what? EB didn't like that article and has come up with their own study and we now have the encyclopedia wars. "Almost everything about the journal’s investigation, from the criteria for identifying inaccuracies to the discrepancy between the article text and its headline, was wrong and misleading."

Such excitement in the library and information world--oh my!
http://corporate.britannica.com/britannica_nature_response.pdf

March 29th, Wed.

[ how to be a carpetbagger]

Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920

I've been doing a little research for an Art class I have to do about advertising and found this great site from the Library of Congress American Memory Project. Great historical advertisements; super for a historical/cultural study. js

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/ncdhtml/eaahome.html

Yikes! I missed a whole week. js

Big Mac Index--Currency values based on the cost of a Big Mac around the world.
http://www.economist.com/markets/bigmac/displayStory.cfm?story_id=5389856

AmphibiaWeb - For gecko lovers, of whom I'm one. Especially the photos.
http://amphibiaweb.org/

You Be the Surgeon--You get to perform a heart operation! If you're a fan of Grey's Anatomy this will be the perfect Sunday night practice. Needs Flash plug-in.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/partners/breakthroughs/b_surgeon.html

Folk Songs for the Five Points

Requires Macromedia Flash Player 7
and a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768

Erin Go Bragh, Guinness, and shamrocks all around. But let's add a tribute to contemporary immigrants living on the lower East Side of NYC, much as the Irish did before the turn of the 20th C. This multimedia presentation "was created in response to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum’s invitation for a project [to]. . . explore contemporary immigrant experiences in New York City. The Museum has dedicated the Digital Artist in Residence Project (DARP) as a medium where digital artists can raise questions and suggest various perspectives, ideas and interpretations. In keeping with its mission, the Museum takes no position on the issues raised by its exhibits, but rather it encourages the expression of multiple perspectives."

Turn on and off the channels at the bottom to separate out the sounds. Drag the big circles to different smaller circle on the map to hear what's happening at those locations. Create your own mix of sounds of the city and save your mix to remind you of the music of life in one of the biggest mixed neighborhoods of them all! js

This website was recommended from the Internet Scout Project.

http://www.tenement.org/folksongs/client/

A handy way to find more books to feed your craving for a certain favorite character -- from the Los Angeles Public Library by way of Kathy Jones.

Series and Sequels

"A listing of fiction books for adults which are part of a series, or are sequels to earlier novels. Can be searched by author[last name first please], title and series name or characters.
- Type a word or phrase in one or more of the search boxes.
- Use an asterisk (*) to truncate your search term(s).
- Use quotes ("") around words for an exact phrase match."

http://www.lapl.org/resources/indexes/sequels.html

3.14

Pi Day

π

3.141592653589793238462. . .

Down Mobile Way [1935 video]

If you could objectify the racism and get past azaleas in black and white, this would be an interesting project for a cultural/historical study--Mobile and the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. Even the music--what were they thinking! Heart of the Confederacy, about Montgomery, also looks like a grabber.

From Sue Medina of NAAL (Network of Alabama Academic Libraries) "Google and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration launched a pilot program February 24 to make NARA's video holdings available free through Google Video."

Among other Google Videos, not from the NARA, are Rocky and Bullwinkle episodes for $1.99. You do get intros free to fuel your nostalgia on the cheap, if you are like me, and these are your more prized memories. js

Information Bridge

Spent much of the weekend thinking about rebuilding our house in Waveland. One neighbor already has rebuilt a garage apartment, though no one else within a mile has really begun in earnest. Here's one website I ran across that will be useful when we reach the real planning stages. The Information Bridge is a Dept. of Energy website with a database of the technical reports of the DOE. There's a pdf Building America series with information about constructing energy efficient homes in different parts of the country.

Sometimes students believe that "library research" is just a hoop to jump through to get a good grade. What students sometimes fail to see is that there are very few moments in our lives when good information from people who know more that we do wouldn't help us make better decisions. Our housing, our food, our choice of career--you don't have to write a research paper to need good information from reliable sources. Where you get that information is the issue. Fast, easy and cheap defines the Internet. Good info takes time to find, is often complicated, and can cost a bundle: hence libraries/ians. js

Thurs. 3/09/06

Writing Outreach -- Research Strategies

Lost in the Library?

Today, 3:30, Library Auditorium

If you don't know the difference between the Library and Google, come to this.
If you don't know the difference between the Catalog and InfoTrac, come to this.
If you don't know your Boolean and from your Boolean or, come to this.
If you don't know when to use the ? and the * and the !, come to this.
If you can't come to this, try some online video tutorials.
If you can't come to this, try the web page designed for this session.

See you at 3:30! js

Wed. March 8th

This guide provides suggestions on how to carry out studies of gender issues and where to find relevant resources so the federal circuits can study various aspects of gender bias in their courts.

Women in the labor force : a databook / Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dept. of Labor.  [2004]
L 2.71: 973  Also available online: http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS49609

This report presents historical and current labor force and earnings data for women and men from the Current Population Survey (a national monthly survey of approximately 60,000 households).

Tues, March 7

Sorry, this one is just for me!

Matisse and the Fauves

My one main requisite for "Art" [painting] is that it have color--not just color like the Impressionists, but COLOR as done by these "wild beasts" of the early 20th C. Subtlety is not my metier as you may have noticed, therefore, when I found the recommendation for this website on the Librarian's Internet Index, I clicked immediately. Matisse's Open Window, a poster I have had and loved for years, is the opening screen and the main focus of the website from the National Gallery of Art. Try it. You'll like it! js

http://www.nga.gov/feature/artnation/fauve/

Freecycle

"Everyone in the U.S throws away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet."

I'm back from N. O. with a Zulu coconut and LOTS of beads. It was a fabulous treat to be in New Orleans this year.

OK, here's your weekend homework. Find something you no longer want, but that someone else might, and put it on Freecycle, the recycling network. It is the digital equivalent of that section of the paper where people offer free monkeygrass to anyone who will come dig it up. Or the person who is looking for a Johnson Bros. china pattern soup bowl last made in 1962.

Mobile is one of the communities listed. Need a desk or a rusty dog cage, here's the place. Want to get rid of a Refridgerator [sic], here's the place. Don't expect perfect spelling and grammar (actually someone wants an old grammar book) but Hey, it's free!! js

http://www.freecycle.org/ From Marylaine Block

Thurs. Feb. 23rd

Mardi Gras Webcams

I'm off tomorrow, so here's your weekend website. Watch for me--I'll be there Monday and Tuesday. js

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/

Wed. Feb. 22nd

How has the library changed your life? Contest

Your chance to get published--and make librarians love you! What could be better? js

http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/campaign/sponsorship/wdchangelives.htm

Tues. Feb 21st

CQ Researcher

I'm almost finished with all the EH 102 Intro. to Library Research sessions--two weeks of them. For those who haven't been to one, there's one resource I make a point to show the freshmen. CQ Researcher is a publication, a magazine I guess, which provides background information on specific current controversies--great for all kinds of classes. Since the final freshman papers are usually persuasive papers, CQ Research is a way to give the students quick, but good, information that they would have a hard time finding and putting together from other sources. Once in control of a subject, they then feel much more confident exploring other books and articles. [Note, we only have five simultaneous log-ons]js

http://www.usouthal.edu/univlib/other.html#c

Friday, 17th

Marylaine Block alerted me to Feb. 17 to the 20th as being the ninth annual:

Great Backyard Bird Count

"The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology encourage everyone to COUNT BIRDS WITH A BUDDY! . . . . Every pair of eyes is needed and every birdy counts, whether in a backyard, on a high-rise balcony, in a park, or on any of the 730 million acres of public lands.
In 2005, participants sent in more than 52,000 checklists, with a record-breaking 613 species and more than 6 million birds counted."
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for great photos and bird calls which will help you identify your backyard birds. The birdfeeder right outside of my home office has rush hour traffic on cold days, but I don't know a tufted titmouse from a black-capped chickadee--another project for my retirement list! js
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/

Thurs. Feb. 16

A Failure of Initiative: The Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina

[A 364 page main document, but it has pictures too. js]. "Communications aren't a problem when you're only talking to yourself" (360).

Want to go to London this summer? Take class/classes? Get credit? Financial aid is possible. Scholarship money is possible.

Check out the CCSA webpage at: http://www.ccsa.cc/londonsummer.html

And go see Dr. Hannum in Alpha Hall East.

Busy week! No time! Off tomorrow!

So here's my favorite website for this week. The Superbowl Commercials . Is it a legitimate information issue for this blog? Yep. Media and visual literacy are all part of information literacy. Right? js

http://www.ifilm.com/superbowl?htv=12

For the weekend:

Music from the BBC Collection call the "Echoes of Africa." Divided by region and then often by preferred instrument. You need audio capability. js

And one other funny, littlesite

Thurs. Feb.2nd

Groundhog Day

Did you know that Google just agreed to censor their search results in China. Yahoo and MSN actually beat them to it months ago. Forget pornography; here are the really dangerous terms they disallow: democratic reform, Taiwanese independence, Falun Gong, freedom, democracy , demonstration, human rights. js

Try this "tianamen" Image Search as if you were in China
And now as it looks from a U.S. domain

Friday, 27th

AAARRRGGHH!

I spend my life telling students to verify information. Don't just assume something is correct from one source. But I didn't--and got caught. The notice below[Jan. 19th] is a hoax that has been circling the web for quite some time. One needs a lesson in humility every once in a while--this one is for me! Sorry! js

See http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp

Got this email and I immediately registered on the net. It was easy. You might want to do the same. js

"Stating February 1, 2006 Tele-Marketers will have access to our cell phone numbers. Please call this number 888-382-1222 and add your cell number to the National No Call List. To enter multiple numbers, including home and office numbers, it is easier to go to the government website (donotcall.gov) and register three numbers at a time. "

Friday's are for fun:

I want to:
Have a laugh - some funny and odd things to do

The tombstone doesn't seem to be working, but the others are OK. Once you have designed and saved your creation, capture the image and send it on to friends. js

http://www.philb.com/iwantto/laugh.htm

The 2005 Dubious Data Awards

I may have mentioned this site, STATS, from George Mason University before, but it is one that I am going to put in the blog at least once a semester. The fraudulent, or at least dubious, use of statistics by the media, governments and special interest groups in order to forward an agenda is rampant. The media may be the worst. What gets more readers or listeners than fear? Subtlety and nuance don't ever win in the battle for attention.

This website : "monitors the media to expose the abuse of science and statistics before people are misled and public policy is distorted.
Since 1994, STATS has sought to hold U.S. journalists to the highest standards of reporting accuracy, while providing them with concrete assistance to help them better understand the complexities and limitations of scientific and statistical material."

Writing a paper on a current issue? Check this website and other watchdog websites before you use "facts" and statistics promulgated by the local and national rags and cable news (or any) networks. JS [thanks to Marylaine Block]

http://www.stats.org/record.jsp?type=news&ID=534

Computer Labs on Campus (pdf)

Every semester new students to the University come to the University Library looking for computer labs with word processing and other programs they must use for their classes. The University Library doesn't have one. So every semester we put together an updated info sheet on labs that are available in other buildings on campus, location, hours of service, phone # and who is eligible to use them. Here'sthis semester's campus computer lab inventory. js

http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/guides/computerlabsoncampus.pdf

On Fridays, I usually try to highlight a funny website, but today the joke is on me--or on you, if you try my latest experiment with multimedia. Three short (1-3 minute) Quicktime tutorials are now on the Instruction page for your edification. One is an overview of the Library Homepage, the other a lesson in finding a book on the catalog using the author's name. If you don't have Quicktime 7 download it here. You also need speakers or a headset. Here's the direct links if you want a chuckle:

• Overview of the University Library Homepage--2.06 minutes
• How to Find a Book in the Library if You Know the Author's Name--2.36 minutes
• Searching for a Book or Movie by Title--1.37 minutes js

MANYBOOKS.NET

Public domain (no longer covered by copyright restrictions--usually the early 1920s and before) fulltext books free for download in a variety of formats. Includes all of the Project Gutenberg collection. (The most downloaded book being the Kama Sutra. Ah, those long vacations!) Clean and easy site to use with many non-English titles. As with all websites read the "About" page so you understand who and what it is all about. Thanks to Sue Medina for the heads-up on this website. (comments to js)

http://manybooks.net/

Jan. 3rd

Finished the Zabar's pickled herring and smoked salmon, so it's back to real life today. . . .

The Peer Review

The Wikipedia raises discussions whenever mentioned in the halls of academe. Imagine a grassroots compendium of knowledge. How trustworthy is the hoi polloi? Here's a bit of research comparing the error rate in the Wiki vs the error rate in the Britannica. Very enlightening esp. about what we reference librarians generally consider an "authoritative" source of factual info. js

http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/multimedia/438900a_m1.html