http://upitt01-staff.kwc.kohalibrary.com/cgi-bin/koha/virtualshelves/shelves.pl?viewshelf=67
My list of 'Pipe Organ Books'
To access: BTM32
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Week 8 - Musings...
Goans, Leach, Vogel - Beyond HTML
While this article was written in 2005 and the authors generally bemoan the fact that many academic libraries had not, at the time, implemented content management systems for their web interfaces, I think they may have been just a few years early in their complaints. LibGuides seems to have filled the niche that these authors reference and has grown substantially - a glance at their website indicates over 1,700 libraries utilizing their CMS services which operate in a similar method to those reference in the article. The question of content management systems today seems to be the later issue addressed in the article, namely that of the open source vs. in-house vs. proprietary model. As the authors indicated, the gap between those with knowledge of coding language (HTML) and those without is a substantial problem in terms of the ability to update content quickly. In-house and open source systems would seem to require a great deal of initial legwork to make them easy to manipulate and accessible for those with limited coding knowledge. While cost is always a concern, the ability to have support through a third-party company and to have a pre-defined templates for content upload makes proprietary systems very appealing. Regardless, I think we'll start to see CMS start to replace traditional web interfaces at not only academic libraries, but at a number of public libraries as well.
Webmonkey Staff - HTML Cheatsheet
Not an article, per se, but still a helpful piece of information for someone with limited coding experience. Having worked a little with EAD, the system of 'tags' makes more sense than it did before - where I still struggle is in the conversion of a series of tags and instructions to the screen. Presumably an HTML editor is the way this is done, but I'm never quite clear on the output of the editor and how it's 'uploaded' (??) to create a website.
CSS and HTML Tutorials (online)
Interesting and helpful - I'm glad I attempted these after I had a chance to look through the HTML cheat sheet. Despite the fact that the tutorials explained most of the tags, it was helpful to look through the list first just to familiarize myself with the concept of tags. All that said, I'm still not sure how comfortable I would be with having to edit HTML or CSS style sheets if one were presented to me with problems. The tutorials are comprehensive, but how these elements are contextualized and put into practice to create a website is where I still get confused. Perhaps if I had an opportunity to sit down with an editor like Dreamweaver and play around with this new knowledge, I would have a better idea about how this all 'fits together'.
While this article was written in 2005 and the authors generally bemoan the fact that many academic libraries had not, at the time, implemented content management systems for their web interfaces, I think they may have been just a few years early in their complaints. LibGuides seems to have filled the niche that these authors reference and has grown substantially - a glance at their website indicates over 1,700 libraries utilizing their CMS services which operate in a similar method to those reference in the article. The question of content management systems today seems to be the later issue addressed in the article, namely that of the open source vs. in-house vs. proprietary model. As the authors indicated, the gap between those with knowledge of coding language (HTML) and those without is a substantial problem in terms of the ability to update content quickly. In-house and open source systems would seem to require a great deal of initial legwork to make them easy to manipulate and accessible for those with limited coding knowledge. While cost is always a concern, the ability to have support through a third-party company and to have a pre-defined templates for content upload makes proprietary systems very appealing. Regardless, I think we'll start to see CMS start to replace traditional web interfaces at not only academic libraries, but at a number of public libraries as well.
Webmonkey Staff - HTML Cheatsheet
Not an article, per se, but still a helpful piece of information for someone with limited coding experience. Having worked a little with EAD, the system of 'tags' makes more sense than it did before - where I still struggle is in the conversion of a series of tags and instructions to the screen. Presumably an HTML editor is the way this is done, but I'm never quite clear on the output of the editor and how it's 'uploaded' (??) to create a website.
CSS and HTML Tutorials (online)
Interesting and helpful - I'm glad I attempted these after I had a chance to look through the HTML cheat sheet. Despite the fact that the tutorials explained most of the tags, it was helpful to look through the list first just to familiarize myself with the concept of tags. All that said, I'm still not sure how comfortable I would be with having to edit HTML or CSS style sheets if one were presented to me with problems. The tutorials are comprehensive, but how these elements are contextualized and put into practice to create a website is where I still get confused. Perhaps if I had an opportunity to sit down with an editor like Dreamweaver and play around with this new knowledge, I would have a better idea about how this all 'fits together'.
Week 7 - Muddiest Point
Though I see DOIs for many articles in electronic databases, it doesn't seem to be universally applied to all online content. Is this something that will find even more widespread use in the future? Is the DOI model hindered by this lack of ubiquity?
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
FastTrack Weekend Muddiest Point
I'm a little confused about what week this is now lining up with, so I'm just going to put it out there:
Are there quantifiable national or international standards that define the differences between a LAN, WAN, MAN, CAN, etc.? It seems to me that some of these network types can also be other types (i.e. - CAN can also be a LAN) but not always and the distinctions seem somewhat arbitrary.
Are there quantifiable national or international standards that define the differences between a LAN, WAN, MAN, CAN, etc.? It seems to me that some of these network types can also be other types (i.e. - CAN can also be a LAN) but not always and the distinctions seem somewhat arbitrary.
Week 7 - Musings...
Andrew K. Pace - Dismantling Integrated Library Systems
This article made a very interesting point that I hadn't really considered - the idea that the development of integrated library systems had plateaued in the 1990s. It's so difficult to imagine libraries functioning without integrated library systems, yet the truth of the matter is that many of these critical ILSs haven't managed to keep up with the rapidly changing needs of all libraries (especially large ones) and the functionality potential provided through the web. In my personal opinion, not all the potential functionality of the web is necessarily useful for a library end user. I think careful and well-planned advancement and integration of web functionality can make a huge difference in how patrons access information, but advancement for advancement's sake isn't productive. The library where I work recently added WorldCat Local's catalog search interface to our website. The new interface provides many useful features but also contains a number of completely superfluous ones that really have little practical use in any library setting. The new functionality of this interface wasn't so groundbreaking as to warrant the costs and the hassle of implementing it in place of our functional 'old' catalog system.
Considering the broad swath of smaller libraries with limited funding, access to any ILS is critical in promoting access to their collections. Many public and academic libraries are already organized into consortia to help collectively bargain with ILS companies to provide the best deal for their constituent organizations. In an ideal world, ILS companies could provide individualized support to institutions with needs outside the ability of the ILS to handle. Unfortunately, the cost and technical requirements needed for the frequent upgrades even to the basic ILS services often prove difficult for smaller institutions to keep up. While open source systems seem like an attractive option for cost and customization reasons, the reality is that many libraries (again, smaller ones) generally lack the technical resources (namely, individuals with programming skills) to develop such an ILS effectively. Proprietary ILSs seem to be the only option for smaller institutions who, without them, would otherwise lose access to their entire collection.
Jeff Tyson - How Stuff Works - Internet Infrastructure
A very good article - especially helpful was the overview of DNS servers, about which I had almost no knowledge. Considering how central the Internet is to the access of library resources now, this is great information to have entering the profession. To be sure, it's information that many people take for granted and simply don't think much about because of how ubiquitous the system itself has become. In my work experience on a college network, understanding how IP addresses work (and especially the changes between IPv4 and IPv6) has been critical. This article served to reinforce much of that knowledge and to actually introduce some new concepts that I hadn't been as familiar with.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page - ...on Google
An enlightening presentation and another example of a system that's become so ubiquitous in daily life that the volume of searches they handle becomes an abstraction until it's presented in graphic terms such as they did with the globe. What I took away from the presentation more than anything technological was the idea of a collaborative work space as a means of fostering innovation. I think many libraries struggle with this and the institutions themselves, along with patron service tends to suffer from this. Tying back into the ILS article, it seems that some libraries are willing to settle for the status quo because the environment in which they work does not foster or encourage creativity and the practical constraints often seem insurmountable.
This article made a very interesting point that I hadn't really considered - the idea that the development of integrated library systems had plateaued in the 1990s. It's so difficult to imagine libraries functioning without integrated library systems, yet the truth of the matter is that many of these critical ILSs haven't managed to keep up with the rapidly changing needs of all libraries (especially large ones) and the functionality potential provided through the web. In my personal opinion, not all the potential functionality of the web is necessarily useful for a library end user. I think careful and well-planned advancement and integration of web functionality can make a huge difference in how patrons access information, but advancement for advancement's sake isn't productive. The library where I work recently added WorldCat Local's catalog search interface to our website. The new interface provides many useful features but also contains a number of completely superfluous ones that really have little practical use in any library setting. The new functionality of this interface wasn't so groundbreaking as to warrant the costs and the hassle of implementing it in place of our functional 'old' catalog system.
Considering the broad swath of smaller libraries with limited funding, access to any ILS is critical in promoting access to their collections. Many public and academic libraries are already organized into consortia to help collectively bargain with ILS companies to provide the best deal for their constituent organizations. In an ideal world, ILS companies could provide individualized support to institutions with needs outside the ability of the ILS to handle. Unfortunately, the cost and technical requirements needed for the frequent upgrades even to the basic ILS services often prove difficult for smaller institutions to keep up. While open source systems seem like an attractive option for cost and customization reasons, the reality is that many libraries (again, smaller ones) generally lack the technical resources (namely, individuals with programming skills) to develop such an ILS effectively. Proprietary ILSs seem to be the only option for smaller institutions who, without them, would otherwise lose access to their entire collection.
Jeff Tyson - How Stuff Works - Internet Infrastructure
A very good article - especially helpful was the overview of DNS servers, about which I had almost no knowledge. Considering how central the Internet is to the access of library resources now, this is great information to have entering the profession. To be sure, it's information that many people take for granted and simply don't think much about because of how ubiquitous the system itself has become. In my work experience on a college network, understanding how IP addresses work (and especially the changes between IPv4 and IPv6) has been critical. This article served to reinforce much of that knowledge and to actually introduce some new concepts that I hadn't been as familiar with.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page - ...on Google
An enlightening presentation and another example of a system that's become so ubiquitous in daily life that the volume of searches they handle becomes an abstraction until it's presented in graphic terms such as they did with the globe. What I took away from the presentation more than anything technological was the idea of a collaborative work space as a means of fostering innovation. I think many libraries struggle with this and the institutions themselves, along with patron service tends to suffer from this. Tying back into the ILS article, it seems that some libraries are willing to settle for the status quo because the environment in which they work does not foster or encourage creativity and the practical constraints often seem insurmountable.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Assignment No. 3 - Jing Captures and Video
Screen Captures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5072847427/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5072848605/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5073448576/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5072851173/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5073450480/in/set-72157625019737701/
Captures Video
The audio is a little quiet - I was having microphone issues, but I think it's audible the whole way through.
http://www.screencast.com/t/tMfSU5WLh
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5072847427/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5072848605/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5073448576/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5072851173/in/set-72157625019737701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15831551@N03/5073450480/in/set-72157625019737701/
Captures Video
The audio is a little quiet - I was having microphone issues, but I think it's audible the whole way through.
http://www.screencast.com/t/tMfSU5WLh
Friday, October 8, 2010
Week 5 - Muddiest Point
At what point do librarians end up doing their patrons a disservice by having so many like resources available (like bibliographic management systems)? With so many out there and with each one operating in a different way, doesn't it make sense for a library staff to choose one and stick with it for sake of learning it and teaching it effectively to patrons?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Week 6 - Musings...
Local Area Network - from Wikipedia
Perhaps it's odd, but the thing that struck me most about this article was the information about Ethernet. As rapidly as technology appears to be changing, it's intriguing that our preferred method of network communication today is through something developed in the mid-1970s. I suppose if it isn't broken, why fix it? I feel like the article itself may have glossed over some useful points about LANs that are covered in the later 'Computer Network' article, while at the same time delving into some technical history and context that doesn't quite translate well as an introduction. I found much more about LAN clarified in the next article.
Computer Network - from Wikipedia
This article was particularly helpful to me in being able to try to distinguish the types of networks I encounter. Working on a college campus, it's helpful to know that features of the Campus Area Network can impact elements of the Local Area Network running in the building where I work. I frequently encounter this interplay when, for instance, our network printer goes down. From experience working with technical services, I've come to recognize some of the differences between our LAN causing problems with the printer vs. the CAN having larger issues that impact the printer. The article was also quite revealing about VPN, which we are finding (in our library) to be of great value for accessing electronic library materials off campus. Individuals accessing campus resources through the VPN interact in an environment that essentially recognizes their machine as being part of the campus network without their needing to be physically present or connected to said network. Practically, for libraries, this bypasses the need for proxy servers when accessing electronic databases that are IP verified. Still, it also raises potential security considerations and copyright concerns if non-campus parties were able to access the VPN (and thus library materials).
Common Types of Computer Networks - YouTube
Essentially a rehashing of the types of networks mentioned in the Wikipedia page, this didn't add much new. If I had watched this first, then read the Wikipedia article, I would have at least known the types of networks that exist. Metropolitan Area Networks, for instance, are ones that I was not familiar with existing. I took for granted that the new wireless systems that have been introduced in numerous cities are actually networks. Presumably these will continue to grow in popularity, as the expectations of ubiquitous wireless are becoming widespread.
Coyle, K. - Management of RFID in Libraries
RFID presents potential to libraries, I do admit - at the same time, Coyle make some rather broad generalizations in her argument that really make her seem disconnected from the reality of library work. RFID would certainly help speed up the checkout process for patrons, but at the same time her assertions that not having to scan barcodes and library cards would somehow reduce repetitive stress injuries is a stretch for me. I work at a circulation desk and I certainly don't find this to be an issue. I, for one, spend as much time helping patrons with reference questions as I do simply checking books out to them and reshelving them.
Considering that more resources are moving to electronic formats anyway, reference and circulation functions are becoming less independent. Patrons aren't as apt to draw a distinction between a reference librarian and a circulation staff person - they approach whoever they believe may answer their question (which is often the person closest to them at the time). What Coyle may be hinting at, but fails to draw out is the fact that RFID is helping to speed along the breakdown of traditional library job descriptions and roles.
As for privacy, I think libraries really need to look very carefully at the implications of this from all angles before wantonly instituting a system such as this. ALA has very strong guidelines developed to help preserve patron privacy, we live in a day and age where privacy is ever more difficult to control. As librarians, we should always be advocates for patron privacy and we don't want to sacrifice that trust or contribute to the erosion of privacy rights simply for the sake of patron convenience (even if it seems most important for patrons).
Perhaps it's odd, but the thing that struck me most about this article was the information about Ethernet. As rapidly as technology appears to be changing, it's intriguing that our preferred method of network communication today is through something developed in the mid-1970s. I suppose if it isn't broken, why fix it? I feel like the article itself may have glossed over some useful points about LANs that are covered in the later 'Computer Network' article, while at the same time delving into some technical history and context that doesn't quite translate well as an introduction. I found much more about LAN clarified in the next article.
Computer Network - from Wikipedia
This article was particularly helpful to me in being able to try to distinguish the types of networks I encounter. Working on a college campus, it's helpful to know that features of the Campus Area Network can impact elements of the Local Area Network running in the building where I work. I frequently encounter this interplay when, for instance, our network printer goes down. From experience working with technical services, I've come to recognize some of the differences between our LAN causing problems with the printer vs. the CAN having larger issues that impact the printer. The article was also quite revealing about VPN, which we are finding (in our library) to be of great value for accessing electronic library materials off campus. Individuals accessing campus resources through the VPN interact in an environment that essentially recognizes their machine as being part of the campus network without their needing to be physically present or connected to said network. Practically, for libraries, this bypasses the need for proxy servers when accessing electronic databases that are IP verified. Still, it also raises potential security considerations and copyright concerns if non-campus parties were able to access the VPN (and thus library materials).
Common Types of Computer Networks - YouTube
Essentially a rehashing of the types of networks mentioned in the Wikipedia page, this didn't add much new. If I had watched this first, then read the Wikipedia article, I would have at least known the types of networks that exist. Metropolitan Area Networks, for instance, are ones that I was not familiar with existing. I took for granted that the new wireless systems that have been introduced in numerous cities are actually networks. Presumably these will continue to grow in popularity, as the expectations of ubiquitous wireless are becoming widespread.
Coyle, K. - Management of RFID in Libraries
RFID presents potential to libraries, I do admit - at the same time, Coyle make some rather broad generalizations in her argument that really make her seem disconnected from the reality of library work. RFID would certainly help speed up the checkout process for patrons, but at the same time her assertions that not having to scan barcodes and library cards would somehow reduce repetitive stress injuries is a stretch for me. I work at a circulation desk and I certainly don't find this to be an issue. I, for one, spend as much time helping patrons with reference questions as I do simply checking books out to them and reshelving them.
Considering that more resources are moving to electronic formats anyway, reference and circulation functions are becoming less independent. Patrons aren't as apt to draw a distinction between a reference librarian and a circulation staff person - they approach whoever they believe may answer their question (which is often the person closest to them at the time). What Coyle may be hinting at, but fails to draw out is the fact that RFID is helping to speed along the breakdown of traditional library job descriptions and roles.
As for privacy, I think libraries really need to look very carefully at the implications of this from all angles before wantonly instituting a system such as this. ALA has very strong guidelines developed to help preserve patron privacy, we live in a day and age where privacy is ever more difficult to control. As librarians, we should always be advocates for patron privacy and we don't want to sacrifice that trust or contribute to the erosion of privacy rights simply for the sake of patron convenience (even if it seems most important for patrons).
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