How to buy a projector
M. David Stone and Tony Hoffman write: “Projectors have come a long way from the days when the most useful way to categorize them was by their weight class. Today there are any number of more meaningful kinds of categories, including intended use (business presentations, home theater, game playing), technology (LCD, DLP, LCOS), throw distance (how close the projector can be to the screen), and more. Here are some questions that will help you focus on the right category for your needs.” And here are PC Magazine’s top 10 picks....
PC Magazine, Aug. 25

Sarah’s audio gadget showcase
Sarah Houghton-Jan writes: “I get asked a lot what technology I actually use, as opposed to all the cool stuff I show people or talk about. So I started looking around and thinking about it. What do I use? What do I have? Do I like it or love it? And I decided to start posting about it by gadget subject area. So we begin with audio.”...
Librarian in Black, Aug. 25

10 social networking add-ons for Firefox
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal writes: “Move over, RockMelt. You don’t need a dedicated social networking browser to stay überconnected. Here are 10 Firefox add-ons (all compatible with the latest version of Firefox) that will turn your browser into a social butterfly, including a Facebook toolbar, a Twitter search box, a HootBar, and a TinyURL generator (right).”...
PC World, Aug. 30

Repair a faulty Windows installation without reformatting
Alex Castle writes: “Nothing will put a crimp in your computing style quite like a Windows error. Although Microsoft’s OS has gotten exponentially more stable over the years, it’s still very possible for Windows system files to become corrupt, which can cause your system to slow down, freeze, or (in the worst case) refuse to load your operating system at all. When you encounter a Windows error, your first instinct may be to back up your data, grab the installation disk, and weep silently as you press the Reformat button. We’re here to tell you there’s another way.”...
Maximum PC, Aug. 31

15 reasons why bookstore/library partnerships are good
Naomi McEneely writes: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that libraries have readers, booksellers have books, and publishers have authors, and that each of the three is generally in need of the others. Lake Forest Book Store works with 15 of the 20 libraries in Lake County, Illinois, and has plans to partner with the remaining five by the end of 2011. The store brings in authors for library events, but only with the stipulation that it can sell the books. The partnership has been beneficial on every level.”...
Bookselling This Week, Aug. 24

How to host a video book club visit
Jason Boog writes: “Skype made book club headlines August 29 as author Meg Wolitzer used the video chat service to visit book clubs around the country. If you want to have an author speak to your book club through video chat, check out GalleyCat’s Authors Who Visit Book Clubs list to find nearly 1,000 writers. Explore the Video Chat category to find a video-friendly author in your favorite genre.”...
MediaBistro: GalleyCat, Aug. 29; Reuters, Aug. 29

Selecting books for special-needs storytimes
Renee Grassi writes: “Whether or not you have led a special-needs program before, the fact is that you may have already led one and not even known it. If your storytimes are drop-in and you don’t have information about a child’s special need ahead of time, selecting crowd-pleasing stories could be a challenge. So, in order to be prepared, plan ahead and ask yourself these questions.”...
ALSC Blog, Aug. 31

Collectible diaries from Che to Valentino
Elizabeth C. writes: “Reading someone’s personal diary is an invasion of privacy, and yet libraries are filled with diaries that have been published over the years. The day-to-day memories of people in the public eye or just ordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances make for fascinating collections. This selection of rare diaries contains many notable names, including adventurer Lawrence of Arabia, revolutionary Che Guevara, avant-garde artist Jean Cocteau, silent movie star Rudolph Valentino, and the green-fingered author who created Biggles.”...
Reading Copy Book Blog, Aug. 29

Astounding pulp cover artwork
Natalie Baaklini writes: “Here’s our look at the evolution of science-fiction magazine and paperback cover art from 1930 to 1955, as pulp styles exploded into awesomeness. Pulp art is characterized by tight compositions focused on one or two figures, with highly saturated colors and a contrasting background. Brush strokes were often visible because of the speed the artists worked at to make deadlines. This added to the illusion of motion in the figures. Violence and sexual overtones appeared on covers like never before, no longer merely suggesting adventure but beating you about the head with it.”...
io9, Aug. 26

Virginia earthquake knocked down books in Maryland
Following the Virginia earthquake on August 23, more than 27,000 books fell off the shelves at the University of Maryland’s McKeldin Library in College Park. The library closed to the public following the tremors and reopened on August 26. Compact shelving on four floors was compromised; one unit tilted off its track. A free-standing bookshelf on the library’s fourth floor collapsed. Staffers have picked up all the books and loaded them onto book carts. Sorting and shelving is underway. Only about 700 items require preservation treatment....
University of Maryland, Aug. 29

Nothing right about this copyright ruling
Maura Smale writes: “The world of copyright litigation is getting downright surreal. Recently a court struck down an appeal of a New York case, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. v. Supap Kirtsaeng, involving reselling books from overseas in the United States. Essentially, the court ruled that the first sale doctrine applies only to works manufactured in the U.S. The takeaway is that libraries may not be able to loan out books that were manufactured outside the United States, and students may not be able to buy or sell used textbooks.”...
ACRLog, Aug. 30; Scholarly Communications @ Duke, Aug. 24

Google’s +1 button could affect search results
Ryan Singel writes: “Google is making plans to turn its +1 button into a crowdsourcing tool that helps it reorder search results and fight web spam. Introduced in March, the +1 sharing button debuted with little incentive for web surfers to click on it. But in August, the button entered adolescence and can now be used to post stories to friends and followers on Google+ (and Google Maps), much as the Like button functions for Facebook. If Google’s search results become heavily dependent on social signals from Google+, then there’s going to be heavy pressure on the net’s websites to embed the Google+ button.”...
Wired: Epicenter, Aug. 29; Google Lat Long Blog, Aug. 29

Three hidden features in Google Advanced Search
Google is continually improving its search engine. Not only does it work meticulously on the search algorithm change, but also the graphical user interface and its features constantly receive upgrades. Many changes are subtle and thus easily missed. Likewise, many advanced features are well hidden. Google has recently updated its advanced search features, making it easier for users to more quickly narrow down search results. Here are three features you may not know about....
MakeUseOf, Aug. 23

Five things libraries can post on Foursquare Venue Pages
Heather Mansfield writes: “Here are five different types of tips that your nonprofit can post on Foursquare Venue Pages using your nonprofit’s Foursquare Page (not your personal Foursquare account) to both gain new followers and inspire the Foursquare community. The more tips you post, the more exposure your Foursquare Page will get.”...
Nonprofit Tech 2.0 Blog, Aug. 30

Medify simplifies medical research
Sarah Kessler writes: “What you find when you search for health information online is not necessarily what you need if you’re managing a disease. Medify attempts to find a productive compromise between the extremes of online health information. It aggregates published research from the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s Medline, a database that contains more than 18 million references to journal articles going back to 1946. Then it scrapes data points like the number of patients studied, their treatments, symptoms, and side effects to generate insights about medical treatments and experts.”...
Mashable, Aug. 27

10 tips for respectful and effective shared calendaring
Terri Griffith writes: “Shared calendars push our boundaries in the workplace and let other people see and touch our time in ways that have limited equivalents. Having a staff member manage your calendar used to be a status signal and implied that your time was important. Instead, shared calendars open your time to the world—a huge benefit for our ever more collaborative work. Unless they are effectively managed, however, they can be a major drain on our time.”...
GigaOM, Aug. 22

The research paper controversy
Barbara Fister writes: “An issue currently highlighted in the New York Times Room for Debate feature is on whether research papers are a ‘waste of time’ and no longer ‘justifiable as a means of grading a college student’s performance.’ I also have never heard the argument made that ‘it is outdated because the internet has made sources so readily accessible’ or that it promotes ‘deference to conventional opinions.’ Let’s take a closer look at these claims.”...
Inside Higher Ed: Library Babel Fish, Aug. 29; New York Times: Room for Debate, Aug. 28

WorldCat turns 40
August 26 marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of WorldCat, the world’s most comprehensive database of resources held in libraries around the globe. On August 26, 1971, the OCLC Online Union Catalog and Shared Cataloging system (now known as WorldCat) began operation. That first day, from a single terminal, catalogers at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, cataloged 133 books online. Today, WorldCat comprises more than 240 million records representing more than 1.7 billion items in OCLC member libraries worldwide....
OCLC, Aug. 26

Three simple marketing rules for libraries
Ned Potter writes: “You don’t need to be a genius to do this stuff, or have huge marketing budgets, or even loads of time. It’s just a case of reconfiguring our existing efforts to acknowledge some simple rules. Number 2: No one cares about the how. Libraries are seemingly process focused, but the the rest of the world is focused on results. When marketing a service we should concentrate on what people aspire to, not the tools that will get them there.”...
thewikiman, Aug. 25

Depository library user survey report released
In its efforts to address the value of Federal Depository Library Program membership, the U.S. Government Printing Office developed a survey for depository library users. The survey ran from October 10, 2010, through March 4, 2011, and resulted in more than 3,300 responses from users of nearly 550 depository libraries. The final report, FDLP Users Speak (PDF file), presents the survey results....
FDLP Desktop, Aug. 24

My problem with Banned Books Week
Rory Litwin writes: “The Banned Books Week project, well-intended as it may be, fails to model good standards for democratic communication. Here is what I mean. Book banning, good people agree, should be fought against and is a source of inspiration to fight for what is right. Banned Books Week taps into people’s responses to these historical narratives and aims to prevent the suppression of ideas from recurring. But what counts as a ‘banned book’ is actually a ‘challenged book,’ and what counts as a challenged book is something quite different from an effort to prevent a book from being published, sold, or even made available in a library.”...
Library Juice, Aug. 28

Library teen centers: A report from the field
Steve Teeri writes: “My philosophy in running a teen center is ‘No matter what, this will be a safe and respectful place.’ Without those two things we cannot build anything else. This goes both for our teen customers and our library staff. We treat teens as adults, and let them know we expect them to behave as such. If a teen comes to us with an idea for a program or a concern we listen to them fully. The only time we bring our staff power to bear is when the fun gets a little too out of hand.”...
Letters to a Young Librarian, Aug. 26

Topeka doesn’t like social media
David Lee King writes: “Wouldn’t it be weird if Google, Kansas, blocked Google from its own computers? Unfortunately, that just happened. OK, it’s really Topeka, Kansas (Topeka renamed the city in March 2010 for that Google fiber-optics project). And they didn’t really block Google—they blocked YouTube (which Google owns). But still, there’s some irony there, is there not?”...
David Lee King, Aug. 30

A new model of storytelling
Laura Fleming writes: “As a school library media specialist, storytelling is at the core of what I do each and every day. I have seen many children who struggle with reading because of a lack of engagement with traditional books and stories. The new media that surrounds educators and learners forced me to rethink the concept of storytelling for our 21st-century learners. After some experimenting within my classes, I found a way to successfully engage and capture the attention of all of my students. As a result of this, a new model of storytelling emerged for me: Transmedia.”...
Edutopia, Aug. 26

Holiday resources from September to June
Julie Greller writes: “Here’s a list you won’t want to lose. Resources for all the holidays celebrated from September to June”: Hispanic Heritage Month, Columbus Day, Halloween, Ameican Indian Heritage Month, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and much more....
A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet, Aug. 29

14 marvelous modern libraries
The jaw-dropping intricacy of antique libraries, with their leaded glass windows and tiers of dark wood shelves, is being replaced in favor of clean lines, open spaces, and a focus on new technology in library architecture of the late 20th century and beyond. These 14 (see 15 more) modern libraries are just as beautiful, boasting dramatic shapes and volumes, high ceilings, transparent walls, and impressive stacks of books....
Web Urbanist, Aug. 22, 26; Dec. 10, 2008

Who cares about libraries? Canadians, apparently
John Geddes writes: “To hear the uproar in Toronto, an avid book borrower might be forgiven for imagining that Canadian libraries are coming under financial siege. The administration of the city’s right-leaning, populist mayor, Rob Ford, is taking a hard look at closing branches of the Toronto Public Library to cut costs. Yet top Canadian librarians do not see the Toronto scrap as a sign that the international malaise has arrived here. They point to upbeat developments in other Canadian cities.”...
Macleans, Aug. 29

Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative
Karen Coyle writes: “While there is no question that MARC was originally developed by the Library of Congress and has been maintained by that body for over 40 years, it is surely time for that control to pass to a more representative body. LC recently announced the Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative to ‘determine a transition path for the MARC21 exchange format.’ The next data carrier for libraries needs to be developed as a truly open effort.”...
Coyle’s InFormation, Aug. 25

Play a game and help decode the Oxyrhynchus Papyri
Keith Veronese writes: “Want to help transcribe ancient Greek texts from the comfort of your couch? Have no understanding of the Greek language? No problem. With the Egypt Exploration Society and Oxford University’s Ancient Lives project, you can contribute to the work of researchers who are digitizing the vast holdings of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, a mysterious pile of Greek papers discovered in an ancient dump outside Egypt. And you can do it just by playing a puzzle game.”...
io9, Aug. 30

Library book boxes
Larry Nix writes: “I try to say no when someone offers or lets me know about a large library artifact in order to keep my basement from becoming a library museum. A colleague caught me in a weak moment, however, when he alerted me to a wood library book box that was being offered on Craigslist. He even offered to pick up the book box, which was located in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. The large wooden box was probably used to transport one of Wisconsin’s many traveling libraries. Some other examoples are shown here.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Aug. 24

Phyllis Diller’s gags on file at the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History opened an exhibition in the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery that features a “gag file” filled with over 50,000 jokes belonging to comedian Phyllis Diller. The joke cards are annotated, organized, and documented with a rigor that would please the most diligent of librarians. Each drawer is arranged alphabetically by subject. Many of the topics listed on the front of the drawers suit Diller’s self-deprecating persona of harried wife, mother, and homemaker. Watch the video (1:40)....
O Say Can You See?, Aug. 12; YouTube, Oct. 26, 2006

Library of the Congress, the movie
Mike Ashenfelder writes: “The Library of Congress, a 20-minute motion picture from the 1940s, is blessed with a special mojo. It is not only a loving homage to the library, rich with Hollywood production values, but it is also associated with a few significant nodes in history: World War II, the creation of the library’s motion picture archives, and the population of cyberspace with cultural treasure. The motion picture is a pleasure to watch. It has great dignity and pride, and it attempts to convey the library’s significance, its roots in American history, and its reach into international collections.”...
The Signal: Digital Preservation, Aug. 29

Mindset list for new librarians and teachers
Doug Johnson writes: “I've enjoyed the Beloit Mindset list and use parts of it in presentations for years. Maybe it’s time to dust off my librarian and teacher mindset lists and spruce them up a little. Librarians entering the field today: Have never had to type a catalog card. Have never looked something up in the Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature. Have always maintained a Facebook fan page for their library.”...
The Blue Skunk Blog, Aug. 27

Kentucky welcomes students back with another Hubbub
The University of Kentucky Libraries celebrated freshman orientation week with its fifth annual Hubbub event, which featured prizes, a photo booth, video games, and a balloon artist. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research Stacey Greenwell said: “We kicked the video games up a notch with an Unreal Tournament from KY Trade in the lab and a full-size Galaga arcade game thanks to Louisville Arcade Expo, in addition to video games old (a Vectrex, seriously) and new.”...
The Uncommon Commons, Aug. 24

The Librarian Sisterhood
Corpses are piling up at the Eastern Kentucky University Libraries as Documentarianationalist Rupert Van Witherbottom compiles evidence of a secret and sinister Librarian Sisterhood whose punishment of patron transgressions is a “macramé of the macabre.” This video exposé (15:24) will curdle your blood and “turn your kidneys inside out.” Conceived by Library Associate Richard Garland for the EKU Libraries Fall 2011 all-staff meeting, and starring Jens Arneson (above), Sarah Cooper, Clay Howard, and other EKU staffers....
YouTube, Aug. 19

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