Open Books: Microsoft’s “Me Too”

Just a few days after this post about Google Books vs. the Open Content Alliance, Microsoft has partnered with Yale University to scan 100,000 out-of-copyright books so that it can make them available to readers through Microsoft Live Search @ http://books.live.com. Here’s another story on the same project.

So everyone seems to be jumping on the Open Books bandwagon (not that that’s a bad thing). I don’t know about you, but I think it’s high time McDonalds got involved somehow. Maybe Wal*Mart and Starbucks, too.

Internet Librarian: Notes from the Conference

The Internet Librarian conference is in swing Monday-Wednesday this week in Monterey, CA. As with previous conferences, you can find notes from the sessions at Shifted Librarian. For example, here are today’s posts:

• Online Outreach
• DIY Intranet
• Information Literacy in Public Libraries
• Cranky? Boomers and Older Adults are Graying the Internet
• Integrating Libraries and Online Communities Online

And Speaking of Google

This ComputerWorld post discusses a recent setback in Google’s attempt to become the world’s online library — the world’s exclusive online library, that is.

Google has been signing contracts with major libraries (including, um… one that’s pretty close to home), to scan their holdings and make them available online. A consortium of New England libraries recently decided to sign on with the Open Content Alliance instead. The OCA is trying to do the same thing as Google, but where Google will retain exclusive control of the materials, OCA will make the scanned books available for free to any website.

The catch: where Google can do it for free, OCA needs to charge $30 per book.

Scroogled!

I enjoy using Google for a number of different things. E-mail, RSS, calendar… But they are becoming pretty powerful. I know tech people would prefer to read lines of code or a good manual for some new piece of software, but a little fiction is good every now and then. Here is a short story by Cory Doctorow about the near future. Tagline: “Google controls your e-mail, your videos, your calendar, your searches… What if it controlled your life?“

Go read Scroogle

Andy B

Cool YouTube Video… About Organization of Information?

It’s definitely more inspirational than informational, but I really enjoyed (twice) this brief video about the changing nature of information organization. Credits to Shifted Librarian for pointing it out. This somewhat mesmerizing video is by Michael Wesch, an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Kansas State. It’s clearly not pro-InfoProfessional, though I’m not convinced it’s entirely anti-, either.

Information R/evolution

He also created this meditation on Web 2.0 and what it means for information:

The Machine is Us/ing Us

Shifted Librarian: New OCLC Report About Sharing Online

“It’s taken a long time for them to release this, but OCLC has finally made their Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World report available for free on the web.”

• The Shifted Librarian’s commentary
• The OCLC Report

What Next – LibTube?

A short story, but interesting: a Jacksonville library is making hundreds of hours of video available to its patrons free… and online.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=94035

Gates Foundation Announces Grants for Library IT

I was going to title this one “Gates Not Evil,” but that seemed uncharitable somehow given the news.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced $8.3 million in grants to update library computers in ten states. Impressive stat: “To date, the foundation has invested $320 million in grants and other support to install computers in libraries and train staff in all U.S. states and territories.”

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Gates_Foundation_Libraries.html

WLA Conference 2007 Recap

Hey everyone. I just returned from the annual WLA Conference at Green Bay and found some sessions that everyone might find interesting. Even though I couldn’t go to all the sessions, bloggers kept everyone informed about most of the sessions. Here are some of the session recaps:

• UW-Madison Libraries/Google Partnership
• The New Media Ecology
• Real World RSS
• Future of the OPAC

~Becky

Hip at One Hundred and Five

This brief TV news story (w/ video) looks at a 105-year old Dubuque library that’s sporting some nice technology upgrades.