Life Imitates Comedy
Posted On Apr 15 2010I realize I have not been the most faithful blogger since I joined OCLC, but there are two posts per year I have never missed–Christmas and April Fool’s Day. Both traditions started in 2007 and both peaked early. Bob Murphy (OCLC’s Senior Public Relations Specialist) and I still chuckle at the flurry of phone calls caused by my [pre-OCLC tenure] maiden April 1 joke that Google had acquired OCLC. I didn’t think I was going to be able to ever top that one, which was well coordinated with the talented bloggers at ALA Techsource. Leave it to the Federal Government …
Librarians Give Permanence to Twitter
Posted On Apr 1 2010As is often the case, librarians rush in where the less organized fear to tread. At a recent LITA Camp event, a bright librarian pointed out a method for preserving event-based Twitter posts. Apparently this inspired a small handful of clever librarians with a cataloging bent. What is happening to the historical record as created by millions of tweets? No need to fear, the librarians are here. In an effort supported by the Mellon Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the American Library Association, generous funding will ensure that catalog records are created for historically, culturally, and particularly …
I Love Public Libraries
Posted On Mar 22 2010Two more firsts for me this year. After several years of near-misses, I’m finally making it to the PLA Conference in Portland. I also decided to join PLA this year. Having been on the LITA Board for 6 years (3 as an officer), I have heard many times about the expense of professional affiliations. I’ve always paid my own way for ALA and Divisional memberships, which I find to be a bargain compared to other professions. In previous years, I could not think of a good reason to join PLA. But then my job changed at the same time I …