GENERAL NEWS: A New Way to Digitalize Books

A good story to start the day with: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/05/29/blather.to.books.ap/index.html

Now if you could only digitalize books while waiting for videos to download...

GENERAL NEWS: New Slideshow

It seems, at least on my computer, that the slideshow is no longer working. Instead of spending precious time trying to fix it (the HTML is not showing up when I try to edit the entry), I just created a new one! Enjoy!

GENERAL NEWS: Memorial Day, 5 Things to Do

Hello dear friends and colleagues,

Today is Memorial Day and we are at work at the University of South Carolina. This has always been an emotional day of remembrance for me and it seems strange not to be distracting my heart and mind with barbeque. Instead I thought this update would cheer me as it always does.

Next Saturday is orientation for our summer enrollees at SLIS. I look forward to seeing all of our new students and encouraging them for the task ahead. From their files, it looks like we have another group of super bright and passionate people coming for their MLIS. It gives me great hope to see the variety and intelligence coming into the profession!

I’m into my serious rain dances now. My yard and house are built on sand and there aren’t enough sprinklers in the world to keep it wet enough to soak through to the roots. We need rain! We want rain! But no floods please. . .

So, it is the end of May and we are getting ready for Dr. Feehan’s storytelling extravaganza on Thursday evening, May 31 from 5 - 6 in Davis 112. Stop by if you are in town and enjoy the best of oral tradition. Summer courses are filling up and we have a wonderful and diverse offering of classes on the schedule for fall. As always, send your suggestions and comments anytime - I love hearing from you.

There are two new pics in my slideshow, check them out!

Here are your 5 things to do, read or think about for this week:

1. The Four Habits of Highly Effective Librarians [The Chronicle of Higher Education] http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2007/05/2007052301c/careers.html

2. From television’s “60 Minutes” What If Every Child Had A Laptop?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml

3. Of Real and Digital Libraries [Library Journal]
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6440594.html

4. Researchers Turn Web Blather to Books [The Washington Post]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/24/AR2007052401438.html

and finally but not least a report on the state of America’s libraries. . .

5. The State of America's Libraries [American Library Association]
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/march2007/stateoflibraries.htm

Sending best wishes to you and yours and hoping you are having a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

Dr. sam

GENERAL NEWS: Graduation, Hot Weather, 5 Things to Do

I am so happy that summer is here! No more guessing about the weather - it’s hot, it’s going to be hot! Friday was graduation. It was May 11. It was hot but our reception at Davis College was lovely and cool; the food delicious and the fellowship most welcoming. Over half of our 70 graduates were at graduation and I was so pleased to meet many of their friends and relatives. Congratulations to you all! Keep in touch and let us know if you need anything. BTW, If you have jobs for these new grads, let me know. They are the best and the brightest and will bring knowledge and a good work ethic to your shop.

So as summer rolls in, I think about this spring and all that we accomplished. Just for example in the fun category, we:
* held an elegant high tea for literacy for 60 guests;
* assembled the first meeting of the new Friends Group for the South Carolina Center for Children’s
Books and Literacy;
* brought Dr. Ken Haycock here for the Dean’s Lecture during ICOMM week;
* threw a great reunion for the Pro Sem Survivors (a 12 hour professional seminar was required for
everyone at Davis in the 70’s and early 80’s) with Dean Emeritus Bill Summers;
* and enjoyed a Spring Fling at my house!

So now, we are hunkered down and flinging the digital bits, writing proposals, working on articles, collecting data and generally feeling rather scholarly! We are teaching and designing new courses and keeping your school in good shape. What are you doing this summer? I’m curious about how to survive the heat ;-}

So here are your 5 things to read, do, act upon or think about:

1. Gerry McKiernan, Science and Technology Librarian at Iowa State University Library built several groups in Facebook. Check out the Information Commons in Facebook, an umbrella group of libraries which have a Facebook profile that complements a physical Information Commons or similar innovative services with their library.
[ http://iastate.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2753090572 ]

2. LG Philips Launches Bendable E-Paper Color Monitor [PC World]
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,131798-c,lcd/article.html

3. Microsoft Versus Your TV [Forbes]
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/05/08/microsoft-tv-gates-tech-cx_bc_0508gates.html

4. Open Access and the Progress of Science [American Scientist]
http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/55131

5. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) invites proposal submissions for 1-1/2 hour or half-day professional development programs to be held during the 2008 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference. Submissionswill be accepted through Monday, May 21, 2007. For further information and to download a proposal form visit http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/conferencesandevents/aaslannual/proposals/rfp.htm

Have a wonderful start to your summer, let me know how you plan to stay cool, hug a librarian and take care,

Dr. Sam