I was having trouble getting the link to post, but I left a comment on Susan Geiss' RFID-related blog posting. I will try to update the link if possible.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Reading Notes- Networks an RFID
Networks
I was already somewhat familiar with the terms Campus Area Networks and Local Area Networks. (Mainly when we receive word from the IT dept. that they have failed. But this was the first time I had heard of WAN's, GAN's, MAN's and all the rest of the "AN's". Intranet and Internet were, obviously, familiar, but not Extranet. Some of the hardware components were familiar (routers, hubs), but the only time I hear about the others is when I am on the phone with tech support and they are trying to walk me through a problem fix. I also found it interesting that "Ethernet" is actually a patented name. I simply thought it was a generic term. I also didn't know that basic networks were around as early as 1970. Interesting.
RFID
When my library wanted to introduce a self-check out station, we thought about using RFID tags as a security measure. In our current setup, the patron would be able to use self-checkout but then would still have to come to the service desk to have their material de-sensitized. (We could just imagine how many VHS tapes and books on cassette would be erased if we left it up to the patrons to remember what desensitizer can be used for what item). RFID tags would remove this step. However our current security gates are not compatible with RFID. When we calculated the costs of giving all our items RFID tags and then buying new security gates, the cost was just prohibitive. So, now we have self check-out and are still working on the security situation. I didn't realize until I read the article that RFID has such wide-ranging uses for inventory purposes. The fact that you can track an item around the library is nifty and just a little creepy. For inventory it would be great! For privacy, not so much.
Muddiest Point
I am still a little unclear about the way RFID works. The article touched on the fact that it uses electromagnetic fields. I have not heard the lecture yet, so I apologize if this was answered. Does this field have an effect on items such as VHS tapes and other magnetic-type materials? Will it damage them?
I was already somewhat familiar with the terms Campus Area Networks and Local Area Networks. (Mainly when we receive word from the IT dept. that they have failed. But this was the first time I had heard of WAN's, GAN's, MAN's and all the rest of the "AN's". Intranet and Internet were, obviously, familiar, but not Extranet. Some of the hardware components were familiar (routers, hubs), but the only time I hear about the others is when I am on the phone with tech support and they are trying to walk me through a problem fix. I also found it interesting that "Ethernet" is actually a patented name. I simply thought it was a generic term. I also didn't know that basic networks were around as early as 1970. Interesting.
RFID
When my library wanted to introduce a self-check out station, we thought about using RFID tags as a security measure. In our current setup, the patron would be able to use self-checkout but then would still have to come to the service desk to have their material de-sensitized. (We could just imagine how many VHS tapes and books on cassette would be erased if we left it up to the patrons to remember what desensitizer can be used for what item). RFID tags would remove this step. However our current security gates are not compatible with RFID. When we calculated the costs of giving all our items RFID tags and then buying new security gates, the cost was just prohibitive. So, now we have self check-out and are still working on the security situation. I didn't realize until I read the article that RFID has such wide-ranging uses for inventory purposes. The fact that you can track an item around the library is nifty and just a little creepy. For inventory it would be great! For privacy, not so much.
Muddiest Point
I am still a little unclear about the way RFID works. The article touched on the fact that it uses electromagnetic fields. I have not heard the lecture yet, so I apologize if this was answered. Does this field have an effect on items such as VHS tapes and other magnetic-type materials? Will it damage them?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Provided Help on Blog Discussion Page
Answered Evelyn McCarthy's call for help on Flickr Assignment that was posted on Sept. 19th on the "Blogs" Discussion Board.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Reading Notes for Database Management Unit
Data Compression-Wikipedia and DVD-HQ
I thought these were both pretty straightforward explanations of topics I knew really nothing about before. I knew what compression was but the "hows" were pretty much a mystery.
Historic Pittsburgh
What a great project! I thought this was a great real-life example of digitization and the use of metadata. It certainly made it easier to understand than a standard technical explanation. Our library is currently seeking a grant to fund a large digitization project. We want to encourage access to our large collection of Civil War and Episcopal Church history. The seeming success of this project would could certainly be an impetus for what we are trying to do. On a personal note, for someone who loves pictures of old bridges, this is a great find!!
YouTube and the Library
This is a project that is close to my heart. We would love to incorporate videos as part of our library instruction. We hope to work with our Film Studies students to create engaging videos to illustrate the answers to some of our most asked questions at the reference desk. Such as, "How do I look up a reserve item?". We would then use the videos in instruction classes as well as linking our website to YouTube.
Muddiest Point
Will our technology advance enough that compression will be unnecessary for the average computer user?
I thought these were both pretty straightforward explanations of topics I knew really nothing about before. I knew what compression was but the "hows" were pretty much a mystery.
Historic Pittsburgh
What a great project! I thought this was a great real-life example of digitization and the use of metadata. It certainly made it easier to understand than a standard technical explanation. Our library is currently seeking a grant to fund a large digitization project. We want to encourage access to our large collection of Civil War and Episcopal Church history. The seeming success of this project would could certainly be an impetus for what we are trying to do. On a personal note, for someone who loves pictures of old bridges, this is a great find!!
YouTube and the Library
This is a project that is close to my heart. We would love to incorporate videos as part of our library instruction. We hope to work with our Film Studies students to create engaging videos to illustrate the answers to some of our most asked questions at the reference desk. Such as, "How do I look up a reserve item?". We would then use the videos in instruction classes as well as linking our website to YouTube.
Muddiest Point
Will our technology advance enough that compression will be unnecessary for the average computer user?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Comments Left on Discussion Boards
Left comment on General Discussions Board under "2 Questions" thread-09/09/08
Friday, September 5, 2008
Notes on Week 3 Readings
Digitization: Is It Worth It?
In my experience? A resounding, "Yes!" For the access it offers, for the preservation capabilities, I say Yes! Yes! Yes! However, I have to temper this enthusiasm with the admission that I have only experienced the positive aspects of digitization in the academic library arena. I have been on the take with none of the give. As a Interlibrary Loan librarian , I have fielded many a request for antique and rare items. In the past, my queries nearly always ended in disappointment for the patron. Few libraries owned them, even fewer had copies that could scanned (much less loaned), and often by the time I had made all the queries the patron no longer had need for the item. Then came Google Books. In the past month alone I have been able to satisfy the research needs of two faculty members with the help of Google. They needed texts from 1877 and 1906, both of which I found in Google Books, and I all had to do was pass along a URL.
I do think the Lee does raise some valid points, but I don't see how they could possibly negate the obvious advantages. For example, the costs of undertaking such a project. Our library just announced in the past couple of days that we plan on digitizing a few major collections in our archives. The costs could reach upwards of $300,000 for personnel, equipment, etc. We plan to offset most of this with a grant. In the end, I believe a large number of scholars and other interested parties will benefit from our work. If donors are then attracted by such a high-profile project(and in my experience they usually are- if there is a perm. nameplate involved), then all the better.
Herald Tribune Article
This was an interesting article, but certain aspects left me a bit puzzled. Jean-Noel Jeanneney's (the former head of the Bibliotheque Nationale) comment about America's crushing domination struck me as a bit alarmist. Why would partnering with an American company endanger future generations view of the world? I did not believe that when Google partners with a library that it is Google that dictates what will be scanned. Doesn't the burden/ opportunity to decide what materials to present to the world ultimately rest on the library? If I am missing something, I would love to know. Please share your thoughts.
A Few Thoughts on the Google Books Project
After reading the very first line of this article, I thought I would get some sort of contrast to my Pollyanna-positive experience with Google Books. However, Smith never explains to my satisfaction from where the "unease" stems. I agreed wholeheartedly with most of his article. However, the lack of negatives led me to search further to uncover some of the problems folks had with Google Books. I ran across a few after a cursory Internet search. It appears that some people think that Google is not maintaing enough quality control. Quality is being lost for the sake of quantity. Pages are poorly scanned or skipped entirely. Sometimes the meta data (descriptions) of the material was wrong. One blogger mentioned a book that was listed by Google Books as being published in 1953, thus putting it outside of copyright and offering only a snippet view. A closer examination revealed that this particular volume was actually published in 1917, thus making it part of the public domain and the full-text should have been available. Another blogger added that by law copyright does not apply to US govt. documents. However, Google only offered snippet or limited views of several government documents. The points do not severely diminish my positive experiences, but it was nice to get a different perspective.
Muddiest Point
I don't really have a muddiest point this week as much as a blown-away brain. I just can't believe how fast our technology is moving. I had no idea that a hertz was in its simplest form was still lightning fast. Amazing!
In my experience? A resounding, "Yes!" For the access it offers, for the preservation capabilities, I say Yes! Yes! Yes! However, I have to temper this enthusiasm with the admission that I have only experienced the positive aspects of digitization in the academic library arena. I have been on the take with none of the give. As a Interlibrary Loan librarian , I have fielded many a request for antique and rare items. In the past, my queries nearly always ended in disappointment for the patron. Few libraries owned them, even fewer had copies that could scanned (much less loaned), and often by the time I had made all the queries the patron no longer had need for the item. Then came Google Books. In the past month alone I have been able to satisfy the research needs of two faculty members with the help of Google. They needed texts from 1877 and 1906, both of which I found in Google Books, and I all had to do was pass along a URL.
I do think the Lee does raise some valid points, but I don't see how they could possibly negate the obvious advantages. For example, the costs of undertaking such a project. Our library just announced in the past couple of days that we plan on digitizing a few major collections in our archives. The costs could reach upwards of $300,000 for personnel, equipment, etc. We plan to offset most of this with a grant. In the end, I believe a large number of scholars and other interested parties will benefit from our work. If donors are then attracted by such a high-profile project(and in my experience they usually are- if there is a perm. nameplate involved), then all the better.
Herald Tribune Article
This was an interesting article, but certain aspects left me a bit puzzled. Jean-Noel Jeanneney's (the former head of the Bibliotheque Nationale) comment about America's crushing domination struck me as a bit alarmist. Why would partnering with an American company endanger future generations view of the world? I did not believe that when Google partners with a library that it is Google that dictates what will be scanned. Doesn't the burden/ opportunity to decide what materials to present to the world ultimately rest on the library? If I am missing something, I would love to know. Please share your thoughts.
A Few Thoughts on the Google Books Project
After reading the very first line of this article, I thought I would get some sort of contrast to my Pollyanna-positive experience with Google Books. However, Smith never explains to my satisfaction from where the "unease" stems. I agreed wholeheartedly with most of his article. However, the lack of negatives led me to search further to uncover some of the problems folks had with Google Books. I ran across a few after a cursory Internet search. It appears that some people think that Google is not maintaing enough quality control. Quality is being lost for the sake of quantity. Pages are poorly scanned or skipped entirely. Sometimes the meta data (descriptions) of the material was wrong. One blogger mentioned a book that was listed by Google Books as being published in 1953, thus putting it outside of copyright and offering only a snippet view. A closer examination revealed that this particular volume was actually published in 1917, thus making it part of the public domain and the full-text should have been available. Another blogger added that by law copyright does not apply to US govt. documents. However, Google only offered snippet or limited views of several government documents. The points do not severely diminish my positive experiences, but it was nice to get a different perspective.
Muddiest Point
I don't really have a muddiest point this week as much as a blown-away brain. I just can't believe how fast our technology is moving. I had no idea that a hertz was in its simplest form was still lightning fast. Amazing!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Comments for Week 1 Readings
Lied Library Article
I am a reference librarian and interlibrary loan coordinator for an academic library at a small, rural liberal arts college. We also serve as a community library for a seven-county region. We have shared many of the same problems and successes as the Lied Library, albeit on a much smaller scale. After countless amounts of staff time was spent each day removing items such as downloaded software and custom wallpaper (too many embarrassing student photos), we recently purchased Deepfreeze-esque software to reset our PC's each evening. It has worked great so far. Our next major item to tackle is print management. We are currently HEMORRHAGING paper and toner and copious amounts of staff time is currently needed to coddle an aging printer population. After much experimentation with ideas such as fewer (yet higher-capacity) printers, print-management software seems they way to go. However, the cost of this software continues to be a barrier. We are also trying to find ways to balance the needs of our university and community patrons. As soon as the local elementary and middle school bells ring in the afternoon, we become overrun with game-playing adolescents. The in-house software developed by UNLV to show the location of available computers, and whether that user is a university person or a community resident, etc. is intriguing. However, it seems it could easy develop into something a little too Big Brother.
OCLC Content, Not Containers
In some ways I would qualify as a format agnostic. My mix-tape approach to musical enjoyment has led me to nearly forsake cd's in favor of iTunes. I give as much (or more) weight to certain online resources as I do their cousins in print. The one item mentioned in the OCLC article that continues to give me pause is e-books. I truly have a love/hate relationship with them as do, it seems, many of my patrons. In my experience, many patrons understand that there are intrinsic aspects of print materials that limit their availability and ease of use. Electronic materials can be free from some of these limitations. Before they actually use an e-book, these same patrons view e-books as having all the benefits of electronic materials (such as journal articles) with none of the limitations of print materials. They are usually disappointed. If we only have one copy of a particular print book on reserve and it is checked out, they will just come back later. No problem. If they cannot access an e-book because another patron has it checked-out virtually, they do not understand why. The same goes for printing. If you need to copy a couple of pages from a print book, you understand that it will take a bit of time to copy it page by page. However, the copyright limitations for our e-books also only allow the patron to print one page at a time. That is considered frustrating and irritating. I have had more than a few patrons simply request an print copy of an available e-book through ILL rather than bother with it. ILL has also allowed me to experience the "love" side of this equation. There has been several instances where Google Books has saved me when a patron requests a copy of an old, obscure item. I simply send them the link to the full-text of the (out-of copyright) item and they are thrilled. We both love the immediate availability, ease of use, searchability of these texts. Plus, they are free! What librarian would not love that?!
As an aside, some of the terms this article provided in the "The New Vocabulary" section of this article were completely foreign to me. Fleshmet, anyone?
Clifford Lynch Article
I agree with Lynch's opinion that too much emphasis has been placed on a learning exeperience that results only in the acquistition of a new skill-set. Even though the article is ten years old, I find it even more relevant today than when it was authored. The "pervasive" technology he talked about has grown exponentially as has our reliance on it.
It also appears that the higher-ups at my current institution also agree with Mr. Lynch. The research instruction I provide to our library patrons varies greatly from that which I received as an undergraduate.
I am a reference librarian and interlibrary loan coordinator for an academic library at a small, rural liberal arts college. We also serve as a community library for a seven-county region. We have shared many of the same problems and successes as the Lied Library, albeit on a much smaller scale. After countless amounts of staff time was spent each day removing items such as downloaded software and custom wallpaper (too many embarrassing student photos), we recently purchased Deepfreeze-esque software to reset our PC's each evening. It has worked great so far. Our next major item to tackle is print management. We are currently HEMORRHAGING paper and toner and copious amounts of staff time is currently needed to coddle an aging printer population. After much experimentation with ideas such as fewer (yet higher-capacity) printers, print-management software seems they way to go. However, the cost of this software continues to be a barrier. We are also trying to find ways to balance the needs of our university and community patrons. As soon as the local elementary and middle school bells ring in the afternoon, we become overrun with game-playing adolescents. The in-house software developed by UNLV to show the location of available computers, and whether that user is a university person or a community resident, etc. is intriguing. However, it seems it could easy develop into something a little too Big Brother.
OCLC Content, Not Containers
In some ways I would qualify as a format agnostic. My mix-tape approach to musical enjoyment has led me to nearly forsake cd's in favor of iTunes. I give as much (or more) weight to certain online resources as I do their cousins in print. The one item mentioned in the OCLC article that continues to give me pause is e-books. I truly have a love/hate relationship with them as do, it seems, many of my patrons. In my experience, many patrons understand that there are intrinsic aspects of print materials that limit their availability and ease of use. Electronic materials can be free from some of these limitations. Before they actually use an e-book, these same patrons view e-books as having all the benefits of electronic materials (such as journal articles) with none of the limitations of print materials. They are usually disappointed. If we only have one copy of a particular print book on reserve and it is checked out, they will just come back later. No problem. If they cannot access an e-book because another patron has it checked-out virtually, they do not understand why. The same goes for printing. If you need to copy a couple of pages from a print book, you understand that it will take a bit of time to copy it page by page. However, the copyright limitations for our e-books also only allow the patron to print one page at a time. That is considered frustrating and irritating. I have had more than a few patrons simply request an print copy of an available e-book through ILL rather than bother with it. ILL has also allowed me to experience the "love" side of this equation. There has been several instances where Google Books has saved me when a patron requests a copy of an old, obscure item. I simply send them the link to the full-text of the (out-of copyright) item and they are thrilled. We both love the immediate availability, ease of use, searchability of these texts. Plus, they are free! What librarian would not love that?!
As an aside, some of the terms this article provided in the "The New Vocabulary" section of this article were completely foreign to me. Fleshmet, anyone?
Clifford Lynch Article
I agree with Lynch's opinion that too much emphasis has been placed on a learning exeperience that results only in the acquistition of a new skill-set. Even though the article is ten years old, I find it even more relevant today than when it was authored. The "pervasive" technology he talked about has grown exponentially as has our reliance on it.
It also appears that the higher-ups at my current institution also agree with Mr. Lynch. The research instruction I provide to our library patrons varies greatly from that which I received as an undergraduate.
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