Skip to content


Video: A Brief Introduction to 3D Scanning at the Smithsonian Institution

Video: A Brief Introduction to 3D Scanning at the Smithsonian Institution

http://www.infodocket.com/2013/05/14/video-a-brief-introduction-to-3d-scanning-at-the-smithsonian-institution/

“From the YouTube Description:

What can you do to bring some of the Smithsonian’s 137 million objects to life? Put them in 3D!

This is a full-time job for two of the Smithsonian’s very own “laser cowboys,” Vince Rossi and Adam Metallo, who work in the Smithsonian’s 3D Digitization Program Office. They work hard to document, in very high three-dimensional detail, many of our priceless and important collections so that the objects are available for research, education and general interest.

See Also: The Smithsonian’s 3D Imaging Page on Facebook

See Also: Digitization: Smithsonian Turns to 3D to Bring Collection to the World (February 25, 2012)

Stephen

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 7:01 am Category: Uncategorized

The Canadian Book Consumer 2012: Annual Report

The Canadian Book Consumer 2012: Annual Report

http://www.booknetcanada.ca/consumer-studies/#CBC2

It costs $250-1500   but there’s some highlights here.

http://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2013/5/21/canadian-book-consumer-2012.html#.UZvtDLVJOAg

Canadian Book Consumer 2012 – An infographic by the team at BookNet Canada

Additional analysis at Digital Reader:

eBooks On the Decline in Canada? Now Only 12.9% of the Market

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/05/21/ebooks-on-the-decline-in-canada-now-only-12-9-of-market/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheDigitalReader+%28The+Digital+Reader%29#.UZvtarVJOAh

Stephen

 

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 6:52 am Category: Uncategorized

25% find company training/e-learning of no importance – according to the Learning in the Workplace 2013 survey results.

25% find company training/e-learning of no importance – according to the Learning in the Workplace 2013 survey results.

The Learning in the Workplace Survey:
 

Not important Quite important Very important Essential VIP + Essential
Company training/e-learning 25%  42% 20% 13% 33%
Self-directed study of external courses  14% 33% 35% 18% 53%
Internal company documents  13% 44% 29% 14% 43%
Internal job aids  20%  37% 26% 17% 43%
Collaborative working within your team  3%  12% 30%  55% 85%
General conversations and meetings with people  2%  19%  40% 39% 79%
Personal & professional networks and communities 3%  22% 35% 40% 75%
External blog and news feeds  8%  22%  40% 30% 70%
Content curated from external sources  9% 29% 39% 23% 62%
Web search for resources (eg Google) 2% 17% 32%  49%  81%

From Jane Hart: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/blog/2013/04/22/company-training-of-little-value/

Stephen

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 6:47 am Category: Uncategorized

25 Alternatives to Google Analytics

Alternatives to Google Analytics: Some free and some fee …

http://searchengineland.com/web-analytics-software-comparison-identifying-the-right-web-analytics-tools-for-your-business-149373?utm_campaign=tweet&utm_source=socialflow&utm_medium=twitter

Web Analytics Software Comparison: Identifying The Right Web Analytics Tools For Your Business

“If you’re considering using an analytics platform other than, or in addition to, Google Analytics, it can be a bit difficult to determine what the best alternative will be. Search Engine Land compiled a great buyers guide to enterprise web analytics tools, but what if you’re in the market for a free to mid-level tool, or don’t even know yet exactly what type of software you need?”

Analytics Software Solutions

“Once you’ve identified what you’re looking for in these tools, you should be able to use the information below to help you make a better decision about which analytics package will be right for you.

The table below is available as an image, and you can also get the raw data in this Google Doc.”

 

web-analytics-software-comparison

Web Analytics Software Comparison Guide

 

1.  Google Analytics

Google Analytics was originally designed as a tool for AdWords users. It was basically a repackaged version of Urchin on Demand, which Google acquired in 2005. It was redesigned in 2006 with additions from Adaptive Path after the company acquired Measure Map.

Google analytics screenshot

 

Key Features:

  • Benchmark against all other analytics programs
  • Content Experiments for A/B Testing

Cost: Free for all users, enterprise solutions available

 

2. Adobe Site Catalyst

Adobe SiteCatalyst

3. IBM Coremetrics Web Analytics, Now IBM Digital Analytics

IBM Digital Analytics

4. IBM’s Unica NetInsight

IBM Unica NetInsight 

5. iPerceptions

iPerceptions 

6. Google Analytics Premium

Google Analytics Premium 

7. Web Trends

Webtrends 

8. Mint 

Mint 

9. Reinvigorate

Reinvigorate 

10. MixPanel

MixPanel 

11. KISSmetrics

KISSmetrics

12. FoxMetrics

FoxMetrics  

13. Site Spect

SiteSpect 

14. Woopra

Woopra

15. Autonomy 

Autonomy

16. AT Internet

AT Internet 

17. comScore Digital Business Analytics

 comScore Digital Business Analytics.

18. Yahoo Marketing Dashboard

Yahoo Marketing Dashboard 

19. Piwik 

Piwik

20. Clicky

Clicky

21. GoingUp

GoingUp 

22. Open Web Analytics

Open Web Analytics

23. Stat Counter

Stat Counter 

25. Site Meter

Site Meter

Stephen

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 6:43 am Category: Uncategorized

The Red Flags of Quackery

The Red Flags of Quackery

Via: The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (Official)

 

Stephen

 

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 6:22 am Category: Uncategorized

The Big Six – where libraries stand at the moment

David Lee King has a nice summary of where the Big 6 publishers are at this moment in time with respect to libraries:

The Big Six – where we stand at the moment

http://www.davidleeking.com/2013/05/21/the-big-six-where-we-stand-at-the-moment/#.UZvuybVJOAg

“Here’s a list of the major ebook vendors, and what they offer in relation to the Big Six publishers:

3M, Baker & Taylor Axis 360:

  • Hachette
  • Simon & Schuster (but only if you’re a large NYC-area library – they’re still in pilot project mode)
  • Macmillan
  • Penguin
  • HarperCollins
  • Random House
  • … and No Kindle formats.

OverDrive:

  • Hachette
  • Macmillan
  • HarperCollins
  • Random House
  • doesn’t have Penguin or Simon & Schuster
  • … OverDrive has Kindle versions of some titles (and that’s probably why they don’t have Penguin).

What does each publisher offer?

  • Hachette: Full catalog, released simultaneously with print, ebooks will cost 300% more than the print book. Unlimited number of checkouts, one copy per user model.
  • Simon & Schuster: started a 1-year pilot project on April 30 with New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Library. Full catalog, a one year purchase/lease, unlimited checkouts, one copy per user model.
  • Macmillan: 1,200 backlist ebooks from its Minotaur Books imprint. Two year, 52-lends lease model. Ebooks cost $25. I’d say they’re still in pilot project mode too.
  • Random House: Our ebook friends, for a price – entire catalogue available for “perpetual access” at a higher price to libraries (upwards of 300% over the print book cost).
  • Penguin: all titles available, one-year licenses. Except if you’re OverDrive.
  • HarperCollins: 26 checkouts per title lease model.

So – at this point, we have all Big Six publishers willing and able to sell [at least some] ebooks to [at least some] libraries. With wildly varying models and price points:

  • Checkout models include: unlimited use, 26 checkouts per book, or 52 checkouts per book.
  • Time limits include: No year limits, one year limits, and two year limits per book
  • Title availability includes: All titles available, some titles available, hardly any title available.
  • Pricing: an even $25, a variety of more normal pricing. And two publishers who markup ebooks by 300%. If this was gasoline, we’d call it price gouging.”

Stephen

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 6:01 am Category: Uncategorized

Teens, Social Media, and Privacy

Teens, Social Media, and Privacy

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-Social-Media-And-Privacy.aspx

“The Pew Research Center’s Internet Project has just released a brand new report on Teens, Social Media and Privacy. The full report is available here: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-Social-Media-And-Privacy.aspx and I have pasted the press release in below for your reference.

Teens are sharing more details about themselves on social media profiles, but few do so publicly; 60% of teen Facebook users keep their profiles private   

Teen social media users do not express a high level of concern about third-party access to their data;  just 9% say they are “very” concerned  

Teen Twitter use has grown significantly: 24% of online teens use Twitter, up from 16% in 2011.  

WASHINGTON – (May 21, 2013) – Teens are sharing more information about themselves on social media sites than they have in the past, but they are also taking a variety of technical and non-technical steps to manage the privacy of that information. Despite taking these privacy-protective actions, teen social media users do not express a high level of concern about third-parties (such as businesses or advertisers) accessing their data; just 9% say they are “very” concerned.

These are among the new findings from a nationally representative Pew Research Center survey of 802 youth ages 12-17 and their parents that explored technology use. Key findings include:

Teens are sharing more information about themselves on their social media profiles than they did when we last surveyed in 2006:

  • ·        91% post a photo of themselves, up from 79% in 2006.
  • ·        71% post their school name, up from 49%.
  • ·        71% post the city or town where they live, up from 61%.
  • ·        53% post their email address, up from 29%.
  • ·        20% post their cell phone number, up from 2%.

60% of teen Facebook users set their Facebook profiles to private (friends only), and most report high levels of confidence in their ability to manage their settings.

  • ·        56% of teen Facebook users say it’s “not difficult at all” to manage the privacy controls on their Facebook profile.
  • ·        33% Facebook-using teens say it’s “not too difficult.”
  • ·        8% of teen Facebook users say that managing their privacy controls is “somewhat difficult,” while less than 1% describe the process as “very difficult.”

Teens take other steps to shape their reputation, manage their networks, and mask information they don’t want others to see.

  • ·        59% have deleted or edited something that they posted in the past.
  • ·        53% have deleted comments from others on their profile or account.
  • ·        45% have removed their name from photos that have been tagged to identify them.
  • ·        31% have deleted or deactivated an entire profile or account.
  • ·        Focus group participants report that they are able to manage their privacy on social media sites, usually by deciding what content to post rather than by managing its dissemination via privacy settings.

Teen social media users do not express a high level of concern about third-party access to their data. Focus group findings suggest teens have mixed feelings about advertising practices, ranging from ignorance, indifference, to annoyance. Some teens may not realize how their personal information is being used by third parties. Others see them as necessary to provide the service or even as welcomed content about brands they like. Some teens are annoyed by ads and find them “creepy” when they are targeted and highly personalized.

“Far from being privacy indifferent, today’s teens are mindful about what they post, even if their primary focus and motivation is often their engagement with an audience of friends and family, rather than how their online behavior might be tracked by advertisers or other third parties,” said Mary Madden, Senior Researcher for the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project and co-author of the report.

While Facebook remains the most commonly used social media site, teen Twitter use has grown significantly: One in four (24%) online teens uses Twitter, up from 16% in 2011. But even as nearly eight in ten online teens have Facebook profiles, teen users report mixed feelings about it. The typical (median) teen Facebook user has 300 friends, while the typical teen Twitter user has 79 followers.  And 64% of teens with Twitter accounts say that their tweets are public, while 24% say their tweets are private.

“Our focus group findings revealed complex and often negative feelings about Facebook interactions,” said Sandra Cortesi, Director of the Youth and Media Project at the Berkman Center and a contributor to this report. “Many teens longed for some online place that was free of ‘drama,’ and complex audience management requirements. Instead, some are turning to Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat to avoid these difficult peer dynamics.”

Teens with larger Facebook networks are more frequent users of social media sites and tend to have a greater variety of people in their friend networks—such as teachers, coaches, celebrities and other non-famous people they have never met in person. They also share a wider range of information on their profile when compared with those who have a smaller number of friends on the site. Yet even as they share more information with a wider range of people, they are also more actively engaged in maintaining their online profile or persona.

Teens with more than 600 Facebook friends are more than three times as likely to also have a Twitter account when compared with those who have 150 or fewer Facebook friends (46% vs. 13%). They are six times as likely to use Instagram (12% vs. 2%).

“Teens with larger Facebook networks visit the site more often, share more information about themselves and are friends with a greater variety of people,” said Amanda Lenhart, Senior Researcher, Director of Teens and Technology at the Pew Research Center and a co-author of the report. “But these large networks are also associated with greater engagement in reputation management activities, and these youth are more likely to be spreading their social media energies across a broader portfolio of social media sites.”

The complete findings of the study are detailed in a new report called, “Teens, Social Media and Privacy” that is the result of a collaboration between the Pew Internet Project and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. The data are based on a nationally representative phone survey of 802 parents and their 802 teens ages 12-17, conducted between July 26 and September 30, 2012. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. The margin of error for the full sample is ± 4.5 percentage points.

This report includes insights and quotes from 24 in-person focus groups conducted by the Youth and Media team at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University beginning in February 2013. The team interviewed 156 students across the greater Boston area, Los Angeles (California), Santa Barbara (California), and Greensboro (North Carolina). Participants ranged in age from 11 to 19. The mean age of participants is 14.5. Although the research sample was not designed to constitute representative cross-sections of particular population(s), the sample includes participants from diverse ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds.

In addition, two online focus groups of teenagers ages 12-17 were conducted by the Pew Internet Project from June 20-27, 2012 to help inform the survey design. The first focus group was with 11 middle schoolers ages 12-14, and the second group was with nine high schoolers ages 14-17. Each group was mixed gender, with some racial, socio-economic, and regional diversity. All references to these findings are referred to as “online focus groups” throughout the report.

About the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan source of data and analysis. It does not take advocacy positions. Its Internet & American Life project produces reports that analyze the social impact of the internet – on families, communities, work and home, daily life, education, health care, and civic and political life. The Project aims to be an authoritative source on the evolution of the Internet through surveys that examine how Americans use the Internet and how their activities affect their lives.

About the Berkman Center for Internet & Society

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University is a research program founded to recognize, study, and engage the most difficult problems of the digital age and to share in their resolution in ways that advance the public interest. Founded in 1997, through a generous gift from Jack N. and Lillian R. Berkman, the Center is home to an ever-growing community of faculty, fellows, staff, and affiliates. Fundamental to its work is the study of the relationship between digital technologies and democratic values, including civic participation, access to knowledge, and the free flow of information. More information can be found at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu.

Media contacts

Mary Madden: mmadden@pewinternet.org and 202-419-4515

Amanda Lenhart: alenhart@pewinternet.org and 202-419-4514

Stephen

Posted on: May 21, 2013, 4:53 pm Category: Uncategorized

Teaching America: A Glimpse at the Teaching Profession

Teaching America: A Glimpse at the Teaching Profession

http://graduatedegreeprogram.net/teaching-america/

 

teaching america

An infographic by the team at Graduate Degree Program

The average day of a public school teacher doesn’t end when the bell rings and the students are gone. Class preparation, grading, bus duty, club advising, coaching and other non-instructional activities are often left out of the discussion on teacher compensation.

3.7 million: number of full-time elementary and secondary school teachers. 1

(project for Fall 2011)

3.3 million public school teachers.
0.4 million private school teachers.

7: percentage of increase in teachers between 2001 and 2011.

SALARY – Average Annual Contract Salary:2

$49,482: (before deductions, for all teachers for the school year 2005-2006, not including supplemental pay for extra duties).
By Gender3:
$50,505: male teachers
$48,998: female teachers

By Education 4:
$44,138: Bachelor’s degree or less
$52,710: Master’s degree or higher

By Region 5:
$57,936: Northeast
$41,597: Southeast
$49,082: Middle
$48,746: West

Global Stats 6:

The U.S. ranks 12th out of 37 countries in teacher salaries

Average Starting Salary – How Do Teachers Stack Up 7?

$30,377: teachers

$43,635: computer programmers

$44,668: public accounting professionals

$45,570: registered nurses

WHAT ABOUT SUMMERS OFF 8?

Most teachers spend summers:

Working second jobs
Teaching summer school
Taking classes for certification renewal/career advancement at their own expense. (Most full-time employees in the private sector receive training on company time at company expense.)

DEMOGRAPHICS (most recent data from 2006) 9:

Gender:

30: percentage of all teachers who are male

70: percentage of all teachers who are female

Age:

46: average age for all teachers

44: average age for male teachers

46: average age for female teachers

10: percentage of teachers under 30

21: percentage of teachers 30-39

27: percentage of teachers 40-49

42: percentage of teachers 50+

WORKING HOURS (most recent data from 2006) 10:

7 hours, 24 minutes: average length of the required school day for all teachers (instructional)

37 hours: average school workweek for all teachers (instructional)

Instructional Hours:

10: percentage of teachers that work less than 35 hours per week

68: percentage of teachers that work 35-40 hours per week

22: percentage of teachers that work 40+ hours per week

Working 40+ hours – Influencing Factors 11:

School system size (number of students)
22% of teachers working in large systems (25,000+ students)
19% of teachers working in medium systems (3,000 to 25,000 students)
28% of teachers working in small systems (less than 3,000 students)

Geographic Location
5% of teachers in the Northeast
17% of teachers in the Southeast
26% of teachers in the Middle
37% of teachers in the West

Non-Classroom Hours 12:

10: number of additional hours spent on instruction-related activities such as lesson preparation and paper grading, on average.

9.1: number of additional hours spent on instruction-related activities such as lesson preparation and paper grading by male teachers on average.

9.8: number of additional hours spent on instruction-related activities such as lesson preparation and paper grading by female teachers on average.

Compensated Additional Hours 13:

5.2: number of hours spent on compensated non-instructional activities (coaching, etc) per week, on average.

Non-compensated Additional Hours 14:

3.8: average number of hours spent each week on non-compensated non-instructional activities (bus duty, club advising, etc) by all teachers.

5.1: average number of hours spent each week on non-compensated non-instructional activities (bus duty, club advising, etc) by senior high school teachers.

Total Time Spent on All Teaching Duties 15:

52: mean number of hours spent weekly on all teaching duties.

54: number of hours spent weekly on all teaching duties by senior high school teachers.

6: percentage of teachers that spent 35-39 hours/ week on all teaching duties

19: percentage of teachers that spent 40-44 hours/week on all teaching duties

22: percentage of teachers that spent 45-49 hours/week on all teaching duties

19: percentage of teachers that spent 50-54 hours/ week on all teaching duties

13: percentage of teachers that spent 55-59 hours/ week on all teaching duties

20: percentage of teachers that spent 60+ hours/ week on all teaching duties

CLASS SIZE (most recent data from 2006) 16:

Non-departmentalized Elementary Schools

22: average number of students per class

Departmentalized Secondary or Elementary Schools

29: average number of students per class

Students Taught Per Day Departmentalized Secondary or Elementary Schools

87: average number of students taught per day, per teacher

Sources:

1 http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d11/

2 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

3 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

4 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

5 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

6 http://www.oecd.org/edu/eag2012.htm – Education at a Glance 2012: OECD Indicators

7 http://www.nea.org/home/12661.htm

8 http://www.nea.org/home/12661.htm

9 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

10 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

11 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

12 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

13 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

14 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

15 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

16 http://www.nea.org/home/46616.htm – Status of the American Public School Teacher, 2005-2006 – March 2010.

Stephen

Posted on: May 21, 2013, 7:08 am Category: Uncategorized

Flowchart: Practicing Music and Librarianship

This is about musical practice but I do think that it applies equally to the practice of librarianship.

http://ilovecharts.tumblr.com/post/48618847638/this-is-taped-to-the-office-door-of-my-schools

This is taped to the office door of my school&#8217;s band director. Creative and rather accurate, music majors will confirm.<br />
-wheremythoughtsescape

Stephen

 

Posted on: May 21, 2013, 6:52 am Category: Uncategorized

What Guests Want…at Hotels

What Guests Want…at Hotels

I spend a lot of time in hotels so this survey interests me.  Hotels.com has released the 2013 version of their Global Hotel Amenities Survey, summarized in the infographic What Guests Want.
2013 Hotels.com Amenities Survey
Stephen

 

Posted on: May 21, 2013, 6:21 am Category: Uncategorized