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Who Needs a Librarian When You Have Google?

Who Needs a Librarian When You Have Google?

http://www.thedaringlibrarian.com/2013/04/who-needs-librarian-when-you-have-google.html

Awesome stuff from The Daring Librarian:

I used to work for an accounting firm and when they said this . . . I noted that online tax software made them irrelevant . .  and the accountants were irrelevant because there was Excel . . .

There’s always a metaphor for making the point that access and software don’t replace professionals – unless of course they’re doing something that can be easily automated instead of delivering real value . . .

Stephen

Posted on: May 23, 2013, 6:57 am Category: Uncategorized

Facebook Releases Resource Guide For Nonprofits

I missed this in March but it looks useful to libraries:

Facebook Releases Resource Guide For Nonprofits In Four New Languages

http://allfacebook.com/resource-guide-nonprofits-languages_b118130?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+allfacebook+%28Facebook+Blog%29

In March, Facebook released a guide for causes and nonprofits, advising them on how to reach Facebook users with their pages. The social network announced Wednesday that the guide is now available in four additional languages.

In a post on the Non-Profits on Facebook page, Facebook announced the availability of its guide for nonprofits in Spanish, German, French, and Hindi.The post directed users to the Resources section of the Non-Profits on Facebook page, where they can download the guide in English or the four additional languages mentioned above, along with related materials such as a case study featuring the successful efforts on Facebook by grassroots advocacy movement Movember.

The English Guide is a 13 page PDF:

https://fb-public.box.com/s/8dxyv66biabfnesvr3jj

Photo: Our brand new Best Practice Guide for Causes & Nonprofits is hot off the presses and we are excited to share it with you today!</p><br />
<p>The 2013 guide contains a number of different updates, including tips and tricks for posting compelling content on Instagram, growing your community with Facebook Pages, and five brand new essential best practices for engaging your audience - all specific to causes and nonprofits.</p><br />
<p>You can find the new best practice guide in our Nonprofit Resource Center, located right here on Non-Profits on Facebook. Grab the new guide today and tell us what you think: https://fb-public.box.com/s/8dxyv66biabfnesvr3jj

Lots to learn in using Facebook for advocacy.  Libraries need advocacy as an ongoing activity and not just crises and events.

Stephen

 

Posted on: May 23, 2013, 6:47 am Category: Uncategorized

Review of Canadian University Fair Dealing Policies

“Review of Canadian University Fair Dealing Policies” is a must-read new research paper by UWO Library & Information Science doctoral student Lisa Di Valentino — see her blog at http://fairdealingineducation.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/review-of-canadian-university-fair-dealing-policies/

The full text of the paper is posted at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2263034

Abstract:

“The past three years have seen a number of changes in the area of copyright law, particularly in the area of education. As a result, Canadian universities have had to make policy decisions to account for these changes and the resulting expansion of fair dealing rights. The content and consistency of the resulting policies may have a significant effect on the future interpretation of fair dealing rights. In this paper I analyze the current state of fair dealing policies and supporting information found on university web sites. I conclude that an ideal fair dealing policy is open ended and flexible, and incorporates mention of the significant elements of copyright legislation, court decisions, and other areas of law, in a way that is accessible to its intended audience of faculty and instructors.”

This research is particularly timely because of the recent lawsuit brought by Access Copyright against York University, the basis of which is York’s allegedly ineffective fair dealing policy.

Stephen

Posted on: May 23, 2013, 6:17 am Category: Uncategorized

Creative Making in Libraries & Museums iSchool Symposium: Website and Registration OPEN

What’s all the fuss?  Is this another new shiny thing, or does it have the potential to cause serious change in cultural, library and learning environments?  This is the Symposium for you if you want to hear about what’s happen, learn about scholarly research and investigations and have great conversations.

Creative Making in Libraries & Museums iSchool Symposium

University of Toronto iSchool Institute Symposium in partnership with Dysart & Jones Associates and the Ontario Library Association

REGISTRATION & WEBSITE NOW OPEN

Early bird discounts and Special Rates for OLA Members

Monday & Tuesday July 22 & 23, 2013, Toronto

Visit the website to learn more and register:

http://www.creativemaking.org/

One of the hottest trends today is FabLabs, 3D printing, Makerspaces, Arduino and the connection of libraries and museums to creation and invention.  It’s time for a symposium on the current landscape and a look at the opportunities for research, learning alignment, programs, practices and experiences of pioneers in this space.  Dysart & Jones Associates have assembled a stellar crew of the leading thinkers and innovators in the fields of critical making.  Attendees will tour the University of Toronto iSchool Semaphore Research Lab, hear of international innovations in FabLabs and Makerspaces in libraries, explore the use of maker technology in museums and cultural institutions, and learn the connections to strategies for research, community and education.

When one of Time magazine’s top 100 thinkers, Chris Anderson, a famed journalist, and editor of Wired magazine and entrepreneur, writes his third book (following librarians’ favorite, The Long Tail) on Makers: The New Industrial Revolution  in 2012, you know the maker revolution is on the way!  The book describes how entrepreneurs using open source design and 3D printing as a platform are driving a resurgence of American manufacturing.  The innovations portrayed, crowdsourcing of ideas, utilization of available lower-cost design and manufacturing tools, and reviewing options to outsource capital-intensive manufacturing were also highlighted in the February 2012 Harvard Business Review article, “From Do It Yourself to Do It Together”.

Many industries, libraries, and museums have embraced the maker revolution.  This two-day symposium illustrates the breadth and depth of the revolution, puts it into the context of libraries and museums, shares exciting programs already being pioneered and suggests areas for future endeavours.  It features leading edge thinkers, scholars, and practitioners, includes a tour of the University of Toronto’s Critical Making Lab and focuses on strategies for libraries, museums, K-12 and other education and academic institutions.

Speakers:

  • Susan Considine, Executive Director, The Fayetteville Free Library FabLab; ALA LAMA Division Councillor, NYLA PLS President, NYLA Councillor at Large
  • Richard Hulser, Chief Librarian, Natural History Museum Los Angeles County
  • Nate Hill, Assistant Director for Technology & Digital Initiatives, Chattanooga Public Library
  • Jason Griffey, LibraryBox

Other innovators will be video-conferenced in as well

Lunch and coffee/snacks included

Conference Co-Chairs:
·         Jane Dysart, Senior Partner, Dysart & Jones
·         Stephen Abram, Consultant, Dysart & Jones

Sponsorship
For sponsorship opportunities or a chance to demonstrate technology please contact:  Juanita Richardson, Juanita@dysartjones.com

Register at http://www.creativemaking.org/

The 2 day symposium fee is $349.00 and $299.00 if you register before July 5th.  Students are eligible for free limited volunteer roles or a half price registration.

OLA members get a 15% discount on registration fees.

Location
University of Toronto, Faculty of Information, iSchool Institute
140 St George Street, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON

 

Stephen

 

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 3:09 pm Category: Uncategorized

National Center for Education Statistics Releases New Postsecondary Ed Data

National Center for Education Statistics Releases New Postsecondary Ed Data

Via  at LJ InfoDocket

http://www.infodocket.com/2013/05/22/reference-national-center-for-education-statistics-releases-new-postsecondary-ed-data/

“New Data Released by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Using Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

  • Postsecondary Institutions and Price of Attendance in 2012-13
  • Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2011-12
  • 12-Month Enrollment: 2011-12: First Look (Preliminary Data)

Key Findings

  • Between 2010-11 and 2012-13, the average tuition and required fees at 4-year public institutions (after adjusting for inflation) increased more for in-state students (7 percent increase) than for out-of-state students (4 percent increase).
  • During that same time period, 4-year nonprofit institutions increased overall at 3 percent. However, for-profit institutions reported a 2 percent decrease. This First Look presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) fall 2012 data collection, which included three survey components: institutional characteristics for 2012-13—such as degrees offered, type of program, application information, and tuition and other costs; the number and type of degrees conferred from July 2011 through June 2012; and 12-month enrollment data for the 2011-12 academic year.
  • In 2012-13, of the 7,416 Title IV institutions in the United States and other jurisdictions, 3,110 were classified as 4-year institutions, 2,363 were 2-year institutions, and the remaining 2,043 were less-than-2-year institutions.
  • Institutions reported a 12-month unduplicated headcount enrollment totaling about 29 million individual students. Of these, roughly 25.2 million were undergraduates and approximately 3.8 million were graduate students.
  • Of the roughly 3 million students receiving degrees at 4-year Title IV institutions, 46 percent were 18- to 24- years old

Postsecondary Institutions and Price of Attendance in 2012-13; Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2011-12;…

Report also available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2013/2013289.pdf

Stephen

Posted on: May 22, 2013, 2:41 pm Category: Uncategorized

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