I love information architecture - I once dated an information architect and I thought he was the coolest thing ever - he must have been one of the first ones because I think this was 1998 or 1999 - we went to Paris together.
So a website is liek a building, or liek a grocery store for example liek in lecture today - this is very Godard-esque as now many peopel actually grocery shop online!! Who woudl have thought!
I finally identified the mystery vegetable - after first tryign to type in descriptors of my own ('vegetable, large white bulb, mutiple green stems'). Nio luck, kept throwing up pics of spring onions. So I Decided to look for vegetable pics - no luck, kept throwing back pics of veggie cornupcopias. Then I just did it the old fashioned way and typed 'vegetable descriptions'. Returned sites that were too child oriented. Then 'guide to vegetables' or 'vegetable guide' yielded a site and I had to click on the vegetable names that I didn't identify myself until I cam up with a pic that vaguely looked like the mystery veg. I then copy and pasted that into Google Image search and then that pic actually came up numbe rthree in the search! It's a kohlrabi by the way. This entire process took me over 5 minutes. Not long if you think about it - I probably would have had to go to the library 15 years ago.
Went to the tesco site and think it is wonderful how personalised nad how much control you have a a user with the 'shopiing list feature'. Excellent architecture. I guess the lack of photos and just copy heavy product description works, that is a choice of architecture that favours speed over prettiness - but it's practical and you can chose to see the pics of you like. Overall fantastic I think.
Amazon not so impressive but obviously I am the only one who thinks that or something bc they are so successful. I find the site busy and annoying and not clean - it throws too many choices at me - I feel bombarded. That being said I cna create a wishlist - which in a way is a personal library I wish I had. I need to futrther explore their e-book potential???
Monday 7 December 2009
DITA Session 9
Javascript.
My log in info does not work - I had to go to the technical support desk.
They said I was OK. Must be something about the system.
When I get anywhere I can't make the script work - I have written it and saved it to server. I want to cry.
My log in info does not work - I had to go to the technical support desk.
They said I was OK. Must be something about the system.
When I get anywhere I can't make the script work - I have written it and saved it to server. I want to cry.
Monday 23 November 2009
DITA Session 8
So I am using boolean search terms in Bing
all of these terms "arts & crafts movement" AND "architecture" AND "best"
throws up great results
in fact even better than when I did not specify 'all of these terms' in the searchbox
When I replaced AND with or in the exact same query as above it gave me results I have no interest in, in fact most were about cooking and recipes!!!
No one has an answer for me if I search askign for the exact phrase "Who is the best architect in the arts and crafts movement?"
Not suprising - I am sure that is up for debate, although in my opinion it is Frank Lloyd Wright.
Onto the next experiment ...
Creating inverted files.
I understand it - I guess I am suppossed to make two different documents and create inverted files.
I will make them in an excel spreadsheet
I will use
DOC 1: durer and the rabbit statue in nuremberg
DOC 2: gothic sculpture photographed and archived in collection
all of these terms "arts & crafts movement" AND "architecture" AND "best"
throws up great results
in fact even better than when I did not specify 'all of these terms' in the searchbox
When I replaced AND with or in the exact same query as above it gave me results I have no interest in, in fact most were about cooking and recipes!!!
No one has an answer for me if I search askign for the exact phrase "Who is the best architect in the arts and crafts movement?"
Not suprising - I am sure that is up for debate, although in my opinion it is Frank Lloyd Wright.
Onto the next experiment ...
Creating inverted files.
I understand it - I guess I am suppossed to make two different documents and create inverted files.
I will make them in an excel spreadsheet
I will use
DOC 1: durer and the rabbit statue in nuremberg
DOC 2: gothic sculpture photographed and archived in collection
Thursday 19 November 2009
Wise words on marraige
I hold this to be the highest task for the bond between two people: That each protects the solitude of the other- Rainer Maria Rilke
Wednesday 18 November 2009
DITA POST SESSION 7
I know how to do complicated things on a black screen and it makes me feel super smart.
It reminds me of algebra class for some reason.
I am writing math.
SQL commands. AWESOME.
It reminds me of algebra class for some reason.
I am writing math.
SQL commands. AWESOME.
Thursday 12 November 2009
Copyright law is really complicated
Our ideas about copyright have changed dramatically with the widespread use of computers
A drop down menu on a piece of software used to be a copyright infringement if you had a drop down menu in your software that had a similar 'look & feel'
7 years later - a menu became considered a 'mode of operation' and therefore not a work of copyright.
Reading about this makes my brain feel like exploding!
A drop down menu on a piece of software used to be a copyright infringement if you had a drop down menu in your software that had a similar 'look & feel'
7 years later - a menu became considered a 'mode of operation' and therefore not a work of copyright.
Reading about this makes my brain feel like exploding!
LIbrarians are on the forefront of new journalism
In essence I am probably getting a better education that those at Columbia Journalism School, with a much more solid career before me.
The truth of it hit me when my professor Lyn Robinson joked that librarians should become journalists.
I believe that we are in essence already jounalists.
Newpapers are dying. Staff reporters are getting laid off everywhere.
Digital Information Managers/Librarians/Knowledge Managers are at the forefront of reallocating monies - they have the closet ties to government and industry and academia.
Conde Nast is shrinking, the NYT is haemmoraging - publishers have no readers anymore.
Librarians will redefine Access digitally.
Even TV journalism has become a TV circus proganda wheel to drive up viewership - and that isn't working either, viewership is dropping - even worse for budding journalists if you aren't an actor you can't be a'journalist' on TV anymore (Gus Van Sant's To Die For is a great portrayal of an 'aspirng TV journalist) . Librarians are heading up YouTube, the biggest online archive of video.
Anyway these are all just ideas floating around in my head now. Back to reading.
The truth of it hit me when my professor Lyn Robinson joked that librarians should become journalists.
I believe that we are in essence already jounalists.
Newpapers are dying. Staff reporters are getting laid off everywhere.
Digital Information Managers/Librarians/Knowledge Managers are at the forefront of reallocating monies - they have the closet ties to government and industry and academia.
Conde Nast is shrinking, the NYT is haemmoraging - publishers have no readers anymore.
Librarians will redefine Access digitally.
Even TV journalism has become a TV circus proganda wheel to drive up viewership - and that isn't working either, viewership is dropping - even worse for budding journalists if you aren't an actor you can't be a'journalist' on TV anymore (Gus Van Sant's To Die For is a great portrayal of an 'aspirng TV journalist) . Librarians are heading up YouTube, the biggest online archive of video.
Anyway these are all just ideas floating around in my head now. Back to reading.
Monday 9 November 2009
DITA Session 6 Reflections
I feel this need to write code and I am limited bc I don't know the language well enough.
I love how intuitive this all is and bc I love writing I am all the more frustrated by my lack of second nature ability to just write away. I could structure these things for hours.
Cascadign Style Sheets are my answer to so much ... I can see why peopel who are good at them pay so much for them. As a librarian it is important to be able to interface with colleagues within your work that are masters of these style sheets, as otherwise your users would not like using your resources and find it very frustrating.
A website or portal for information should be layed out and presented in an way that engages and is easy/efficient for the user. Style is key.
This is all very exciting for me - I am really understanding the different work that must be done to create efficient and useful and popluar information resources.
That being said I am frustrated by my lack of ability to rattle off code and work quickly. It is hard going back to school - patience is something I have lost as I have grown older, and it is essential I keep control over my frustration as this can't be learned in a heartbeat. It takes practice.
I can't wait unti I get my new big screen desktop - it will be so much easier for me to start looking at multiple frames!
Oh and another thing I did today was learn how to save my code correctly so it can be read by browsers. Didn't quite master that last session! Take a look at my first XML:
OOPS YOU CAN'T BC IT STILL DOESN'T WORK!
I suck.
I swear I will be bald by the end of this term from pulling on my hair.
'THIS IS LIKE OPENING THE BONNET TO SEE WHAT IS INSIDE' - from my Professor Andy MacFarlane
I love how intuitive this all is and bc I love writing I am all the more frustrated by my lack of second nature ability to just write away. I could structure these things for hours.
Cascadign Style Sheets are my answer to so much ... I can see why peopel who are good at them pay so much for them. As a librarian it is important to be able to interface with colleagues within your work that are masters of these style sheets, as otherwise your users would not like using your resources and find it very frustrating.
A website or portal for information should be layed out and presented in an way that engages and is easy/efficient for the user. Style is key.
This is all very exciting for me - I am really understanding the different work that must be done to create efficient and useful and popluar information resources.
That being said I am frustrated by my lack of ability to rattle off code and work quickly. It is hard going back to school - patience is something I have lost as I have grown older, and it is essential I keep control over my frustration as this can't be learned in a heartbeat. It takes practice.
I can't wait unti I get my new big screen desktop - it will be so much easier for me to start looking at multiple frames!
Oh and another thing I did today was learn how to save my code correctly so it can be read by browsers. Didn't quite master that last session! Take a look at my first XML:
OOPS YOU CAN'T BC IT STILL DOESN'T WORK!
I suck.
I swear I will be bald by the end of this term from pulling on my hair.
'THIS IS LIKE OPENING THE BONNET TO SEE WHAT IS INSIDE' - from my Professor Andy MacFarlane
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Digi-Memories
Does online blogging mess with our minds? Is it healthy?
Personally facebook is starting to make me ill I think - I don't enjoy it anymore - a diary is meant to be private so you you can speak freely and meaningfully to yourself.
I always censor myself on FB as it feels like I am onstage. Those who aren't savvy enough to use it that way look stupid to me.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/03/digital.diary.brain.mind/index.html
Personally facebook is starting to make me ill I think - I don't enjoy it anymore - a diary is meant to be private so you you can speak freely and meaningfully to yourself.
I always censor myself on FB as it feels like I am onstage. Those who aren't savvy enough to use it that way look stupid to me.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/03/digital.diary.brain.mind/index.html
Thursday 29 October 2009
The Idea Store in Whitechapel
I guess calling it a library turns people off so they have to call it a store to drive people to visit. Sad testimony to our consumer culture.
http://www.ideastore.co.uk/en/home
http://www.ideastore.co.uk/en/home
My beautiful beautiful library!
at Vassar College in the Hudson Valley, 90 miles north o NYC.
Feast your eyes
http://library.vassar.edu/
"Vassar is home to one of the largest undergraduate library collections in the US. The library collection today - which actually encompasses eight libraries at Vassar - contains over 1.6 million volumes and 7,500 serial, periodical and newspaper titles, as well as an extensive collection of microfilm and microfiche."
"In the West Wing is the Cornaro Stained-Glass Window commissioned for the library and installed in 1906. The image shows Elena Cornaro Piscopia, a young Venetian who had previously been denied the Doctor of Theology degree as a woman, receiving her doctorate in philosophy from the University of Padua. She is thought to be the first woman to earn this degree in European history.
The window comes from the studios of Messrs. John Hardman & Company of Birmingham, England, and of the Church Glass and Decorating Company of New York, their U.S. representatives.
The window was designed by Dunstan Powell, grandson of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, the Victorian era church architect. The much debated question of whose idea is was to choose the subject has not been resolved.[5]
The lights in the tracery represent Grammar, Dialectics, Music, Philosophy, Astronomy, Medicine, Geometry and Theology.
At the bottom are cherubim holding scrolls upon which are written in Latin: "In Laud Helenae Lucretia Cornelia Piscopiae Lauria Philo In Patav Gymn Unico Ex-Emplo Donatae"
Lady Elena's dress is Rose and Grey, the original colors of Vassar College."
Feast your eyes
http://library.vassar.edu/
"Vassar is home to one of the largest undergraduate library collections in the US. The library collection today - which actually encompasses eight libraries at Vassar - contains over 1.6 million volumes and 7,500 serial, periodical and newspaper titles, as well as an extensive collection of microfilm and microfiche."
The window comes from the studios of Messrs. John Hardman & Company of Birmingham, England, and of the Church Glass and Decorating Company of New York, their U.S. representatives.
The window was designed by Dunstan Powell, grandson of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, the Victorian era church architect. The much debated question of whose idea is was to choose the subject has not been resolved.[5]
The lights in the tracery represent Grammar, Dialectics, Music, Philosophy, Astronomy, Medicine, Geometry and Theology.
At the bottom are cherubim holding scrolls upon which are written in Latin: "In Laud Helenae Lucretia Cornelia Piscopiae Lauria Philo In Patav Gymn Unico Ex-Emplo Donatae"
Lady Elena's dress is Rose and Grey, the original colors of Vassar College."
Maybe I could work for them one day?
http://search.theeuropeanlibrary.org/portal/en/index.html
Hungary is the firmest on complete coverage of anything and everything published that is in Hungarian, has to do with Hungary, or is by a Hungarian, or by someone of Hungarian nationality must be included in their national library.
The main issue for national digital libraries now is do you collect all of th nation's digital output for the record?
A good example now is that Britain has to store Sarah Brown's Twitter feed as it is a matter of public record.
Countries liek Greece must be facing a huge issue with the relavancy and accessibility of their information. You can't really ge tto anything if it hasn't been translated, and if it is new information can it be translated quickly enouh to keep it relevant? Must get up to speed on this and how Greece is managing this issue.
Hungary is the firmest on complete coverage of anything and everything published that is in Hungarian, has to do with Hungary, or is by a Hungarian, or by someone of Hungarian nationality must be included in their national library.
The main issue for national digital libraries now is do you collect all of th nation's digital output for the record?
A good example now is that Britain has to store Sarah Brown's Twitter feed as it is a matter of public record.
Countries liek Greece must be facing a huge issue with the relavancy and accessibility of their information. You can't really ge tto anything if it hasn't been translated, and if it is new information can it be translated quickly enouh to keep it relevant? Must get up to speed on this and how Greece is managing this issue.
Thoughts on libraries best put in context by my professor David Bawden
"Library and Information Sciences are defined by:
-the services which they provide
-the collection which they maintain
-the places and spaces in which they operate
-a managed and organised collection of information resources, of all kinds, with services provided so that the collections can be used effectively within physical and virtual spaces."
"A digital library is deliberately similar:
A managed and organised collection of information resources preserved for a long time with associated user service, where the information is stored in digital format and accessed over a computer network.
The digital world invites transience, but it also persists by nature. It also implies connectivity.
A digital library also decays."
Example: Pharmaceutical industry needs to keep ORIGINAL data FOREVER when they get FDA approval. This means they also have to keep all machines and archiving systems that tha tinformation requires for viewing as the regulators INSIST ON IT, as they need access to the ORIGINAL data. If you switch over systems in the library it is no longer original data. So a librarians job becomes saving and archiving equipment, hardware and software as well as the data in its original format.
The current laws say that if a document doesn't come directly from your comuter it is not the original. But some things live across 'borders' or on several computers. So this all sounds wholly unreasonable to me, particularly in light of the fact that so many documents today are being created on shared platforms across the world.
-the services which they provide
-the collection which they maintain
-the places and spaces in which they operate
-a managed and organised collection of information resources, of all kinds, with services provided so that the collections can be used effectively within physical and virtual spaces."
"A digital library is deliberately similar:
A managed and organised collection of information resources preserved for a long time with associated user service, where the information is stored in digital format and accessed over a computer network.
The digital world invites transience, but it also persists by nature. It also implies connectivity.
A digital library also decays."
Example: Pharmaceutical industry needs to keep ORIGINAL data FOREVER when they get FDA approval. This means they also have to keep all machines and archiving systems that tha tinformation requires for viewing as the regulators INSIST ON IT, as they need access to the ORIGINAL data. If you switch over systems in the library it is no longer original data. So a librarians job becomes saving and archiving equipment, hardware and software as well as the data in its original format.
The current laws say that if a document doesn't come directly from your comuter it is not the original. But some things live across 'borders' or on several computers. So this all sounds wholly unreasonable to me, particularly in light of the fact that so many documents today are being created on shared platforms across the world.
Reflections on Libraries in practice #1
Mondays lectures really got me thinking.
A library is a library, just as I knew it as a child. I have been getting too fancy in my thinking - I guess that is natural for a new student (??)
Chambers Dictionary defines a library as "a collection of boos, a building or room containing it"
Harrods definition includes: "kept for a purpose"
This is a concept recognised since antiquity.
Now when we start talking about Information Sciences is where things get tricky:
-it's ill defined
-it's only been used since the mid 20th century
-typically centered around a specialised subject and user group
-strong emphasis on access and user services, rather than the collection.
This way we can even view James Bond as an information officer.
What distinguishes Library Sciences from Information Sciences? In short, Information Science implies a more active relationship with documents.
A library is a library, just as I knew it as a child. I have been getting too fancy in my thinking - I guess that is natural for a new student (??)
Chambers Dictionary defines a library as "a collection of boos, a building or room containing it"
Harrods definition includes: "kept for a purpose"
This is a concept recognised since antiquity.
Now when we start talking about Information Sciences is where things get tricky:
-it's ill defined
-it's only been used since the mid 20th century
-typically centered around a specialised subject and user group
-strong emphasis on access and user services, rather than the collection.
This way we can even view James Bond as an information officer.
What distinguishes Library Sciences from Information Sciences? In short, Information Science implies a more active relationship with documents.
Monday 26 October 2009
DITA Session #5 part 2
So I tried to publish what I thought was my first XML on the samba server, and it didn't work. I think I am missing a piece of software - I probably jumped the gun. I am sure I will figure out why it didn't work next week.
In the menatime this week I will take the skeleton on the example as given in this week's exercise and plug my own tags into it to create at least the skeleton of my own database that I will one day hopefully be able t opublish.
I the meantiem I anjoyed this weeks lecture and excersizes and I love that grammar and sytax aren't just things in books anymore. They are actually tools I use! (And yes I know you can say I use them every day when I speak, but this is decidely different to me. I don't go around saying 'hey! open bracket library close bracket openbracket reflist description such and such close bracket.')
Anyhow XML is a language that quite simply organises information. It is a stack of virtual shelves upon which information lives.
In the menatime this week I will take the skeleton on the example as given in this week's exercise and plug my own tags into it to create at least the skeleton of my own database that I will one day hopefully be able t opublish.
I the meantiem I anjoyed this weeks lecture and excersizes and I love that grammar and sytax aren't just things in books anymore. They are actually tools I use! (And yes I know you can say I use them every day when I speak, but this is decidely different to me. I don't go around saying 'hey! open bracket library close bracket openbracket reflist description such and such close bracket.')
Anyhow XML is a language that quite simply organises information. It is a stack of virtual shelves upon which information lives.
DITA Session 5
Paul Magree and I flew through the XML code review - we spotted all of the flaws we beblieve. I will see once I attempt to post my own XML online next. I think we will take Andy's XML examples, correct them, and publich them online - stay posted to see how we do.
I am really enjoying this - it is very empowering. Honestly I don't understand how XML literally works, I just know it is a richer form of HTML.
And I think that is all I need to know.
Work to follow.
I am really enjoying this - it is very empowering. Honestly I don't understand how XML literally works, I just know it is a richer form of HTML.
And I think that is all I need to know.
Work to follow.
Librarianism in Action
"Transitional justice is also about ensuring that victims have more information about their dear ones who are still missing years after the conflict," she said. "It's also about them obtaining reparations. It's to some extent a measure of truth and acknowledgement of the crimes of the past."
Aptel said the establishment of a "truth commission," charged with investigating and documenting crimes, atrocities and testimonies of victims and perpetrators on all sides, would go some way towards addressing that need.
"If you were to have a truth commission being established -- involving local processes of acknowledgement and documentation of the crimes -- that would certainly have a positive impact on reconciliation," she said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/26/karadzic.trial.analysis/index.html
Aptel said the establishment of a "truth commission," charged with investigating and documenting crimes, atrocities and testimonies of victims and perpetrators on all sides, would go some way towards addressing that need.
"If you were to have a truth commission being established -- involving local processes of acknowledgement and documentation of the crimes -- that would certainly have a positive impact on reconciliation," she said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/10/26/karadzic.trial.analysis/index.html
Irresponsible reporting by CNN
What they don't tell you is that the money she is using all comes from the Kabbalah Centre and the school is being opened for indoctrination purposes.
I know this for a fact because I used to do their PR for two years in London. It was sort of like trying to publicity for paedophiles. Thanks goodness I don't have to do it anymore.
This school should not be allowed to open their doors - it is a front for a cult- I will be writing to the government in Malawi to inform them.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/10/26/malawi.madonna.school/index.html
I know this for a fact because I used to do their PR for two years in London. It was sort of like trying to publicity for paedophiles. Thanks goodness I don't have to do it anymore.
This school should not be allowed to open their doors - it is a front for a cult- I will be writing to the government in Malawi to inform them.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/10/26/malawi.madonna.school/index.html
NYTimes clearly working with Apple on iTablet
after his very embarassing interview with The Daily Show the head of the newspaper of record is finally getting his sh*t together
http://gawker.com/5389636/bill-keller-apple-tablet-impending
http://gawker.com/5389636/bill-keller-apple-tablet-impending
Sunday 25 October 2009
Peter Murray-Rust Lecture Notes
PETER MURRAY-RUST LECTURE
LIBRARY SCIENCE AND INFORMATION FOUNDATION
19/10/09
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Murray-Rust
http://www.ch.cam.ac.uk/staff/pm.html
http://wwmm.ch.cam.ac.uk/blogs/murrayrust/
What is a librarian?
• Looks after information
• Information and knowledge steward
• Gives access to information
• Organised
• Adds value
5 Laws of Library Science
1) For every reader, his or her book.
Corey Doctorov – Science Fiction writer, publishes on web, writes for guardian, open access on web, how do you get income – advertising, subscriptions
AND
Sell electronic books
Business model to make money out of free material – THIS IS KEY TO OPEN ACCESS PUBLISHING
Corey talks about copyright in order to protect the creator solely
Leaders of Library Science today are probably Google
Copyright records ownership
Protects the economics and moral rights of the creator
Requires license or fee for reproduction and dissemination
They do not have to register it
EVERYTHING I WRITE IS MY COPYRIGHT
Rangunathan owns the 5 Laws of Library Science:
He is dead so it depends on have long he has been dead and afterwards it depends on jurisdiction
(THE BOOK) is a key cultural artefact
E.g. Fahrenheit 451
Peter has an aspiration towards defining what makes a great librarian
Academic Library Sector is in crisis, especially in the Sciences
Index of chemical abstracts
Scientists no longer use academic libraries
What do you see as the growing points in the library sciences in this information age?
• Google
• Wikipedia
• Amazon
• IMDB
• YouTube
• Apple (iTunes)
• US Military
• Tim Berners-Lee
The semantic web changed Peter’s life
‘Everything decays rapidly’
Movement of documents drives the real world
Causes people to move goods and currencies, etc.
VERY COMPELLING in terms of the future of information
To help conceptualise the power of information, read/watch some seminal works in science fiction:
• Gibson: Neuromancer, Burning Chrome
• Twelveoaks: Shockwave Rider
• EM Forrester: The Machine Stopped – written in response to Wells
• 1984 – 'The information controlled dystopia'
• Gattica
• The Terminator
• The Matrix
Military, healthcare, entertainment will be the first sectors to start chipping people
Universal connectivity
You will be able to interact with devices outside of you
http://www.rfidbuzz.com/news/2004/chip_the_vip.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/Pages/210504_clubbers_chipped.html
Events/conferences/publication
Voice recognition
BE PROACTIVE ABOUT THESE SORTS OF DEVELOPMENTS – this was we will have more control over its applications
Rangunathan – his job was to set up a library - The 5 Laws of Library Science
1) Books are for use.
(A library is not a museum)
2) For every reader, his or her book.
(uses book as the epitome of what he/she wants) (it is a reciprocal arrangement)
3) For every book there is a reader
(A book with no use has no place in the library)
4) Save the time of the reader.
5) A library is a growing organism.
Sarah is fired up in creating the library of the future.
Based on public library concept. She taught peter about Rangunathan.
Carnegie set up library system in the USA
What are the artefacts of today? Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, The British Library, UK Pub Med Central
MUCH INFORMATION EXISTS IN ‘WALLED GARDENS’
Particularly in the fields of health, environment, and climate change
‘Commoners’ can’t get a hold of that information, and isn’t available to even purchase
How do we get the internet to become a HUMAN RIGHT, as it is in Finland?
My Society
Gets people involved in causes, you get easier access to your MPs, congressmen
It is a democracy website
HADOPI – particularly true as far as government goes
EXAMPLE: Paying Disney for Mickey Mouse
He will never be free for the public to use
Yet he belongs to us
He is about 70 years old and they just extended copyright
3 Strikes Law – if you are accused of copyright infringement 3 times you can be disconnected from the WWW forever
Serials Review – Peter’s work, once they published it, no longer belongs to him, it belongs to them
Many publishers have page charges – the publishers don’t pay for a thing!
£5-£10 Billion is the value of the academic publishing market worldwide
Can try and change it catastrophically or it will automatically change itself
Publishers are not facing up to this
And academics are not doing any better
Scholarly publishing is 1-2% of budget for academic institutions
CASE STUDY:
The Wellcome Trust - Aggressive takeover by GlaxoSmithKline - But still all of their research has to be public - Not just available to people that can afford it, like Lancet, etc.
This could not have been done before the internet
The only thing stopping us from doing the same are social aspects
ANOTHER CASE STUDY:
Google wants to digitise Nigeria
The librarian negotiating on behalf of Nigeria has to do a good deal
Don’t underestimate the value of your information. Library of Congress – who digitised it for them?
Under Thatcher, the ordinance survey system was structured, it was structured to generate an income as the department is expensive to run – they generate £100M per annum for their maps alone, but is you make it digital and free the government would actually be SAVING £500M by revolutionising the system.
Why don’t we all just use Googlemaps instead?
Because they are licensed and we would have to pay them.
They are free to use but they are not OPEN SOURCE
Stallman
GNU
Its ‘free beer’ VS ‘free speech’
High cost of entry to make maps
Until Steve Coast (one of Peter’s heroes)
Got all of the couriers to input their GPS tracking data (which they have anyway, this costs them nothing extra) free of charge and they were able to generate a perfectly accurate map of London! Without ‘Easter eggs’ (A to Z puts non-existent streets in their maps for copyright purposes)
OpenStreetMap (free of Easter eggs)
Uses crowd sourcing and have achieved a significant amount of organised information for free and even have achieved very accurate metadata, in fact more accurate that A-Z!
As Internet Librarians, we create metadata
How well do we index things ourselves?
When two separate librarians read the same document/book they come up with a 50% match in tags at best
Human domain metadata is too expensive. This era must come to an end.
Text reading through Google is better/more efficient.
Indexing by machine is clearly the way forward.
Speech recognition is also having a huge impact on publishing
Microsoft funds Peter’s research
They are funding Opensource in part because it is in their best business interests. Opensource allows the meetings of minds and the easy sharing of information
Opensource Chemistry – we are starting to have a new understanding of chemical language
Chem4word 2D Editor
Needed librarians to create it
How can we read chemistry texts better/faster? How can we assess them, organise them better/faster?
Software now exists to ‘decode’ chemistry abstracts/research for us
OSCAR TEXT EXTRACTION
You tip the chemistry code into JavaScript and it ‘spell checks’ it!
Then it automatically puts the text into a table, and reconstructs the chemical spectrum
Anybody can do this as it is run on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s website.
You can easily find out is a document is correctly stated formulaically
Easy to do this exact same thing in most disciplines that have ‘named entities’
Machines can do as good of a job as humans
OSCAR can understand 90% of names – it is a very smart chemistry parsing language with noun phrases and verb phrases
Can mark up as a ‘dissolve’ phrase, a ‘heat’ phrase, and ‘wait’ phrase
Graph of experiment is part of thesis
Annotate & hides it away
PPT finding the journey of the chemical reaction
So it becomes a graphic illustrating the story of the molecule.
We can now communicate without a single word – the document no longer must be written in English or any other language
OPENSOURCE EXAMPLE:
Galaxy Zoo
Indexing by trained astronomers would take years to classify
Also a machine can’t identify a spiralled galaxy
Humans are very good at recognising patterns
Galaxy Zoo spells out the guidelines, and you help classify!
Democratising of information
The ‘Blue Thing’ was discovered by non-astronomers, papers by non-trained astronomers are published – traditional barriers are breaking down.
So much information is now digital
LIBRARIANS ARE THE CUSTODIUANS OF OUR CULTURE
LIBRARIANS ARE THE GUARDIANS OF SCHOLARSHIP
We are in danger because we worry too much about copyright and subscription rates
Take the old ideas/principles and bring them into the information age!
Ideas that librarians can put into practice:
-citizen Librarian
-post all academic output publically – IGNORE COPYRIGHT
-text-menu everything
-put 2nd year students in charge of developing educational technology and resources
-actively participate in obtaining science grants
-actively participate in the scientific publication process
-close the science library building and move into departments
-hand over all purchasing to ‘National Rotweiller Purchasing Officer’
-set up a new type of University Press
-develop own metrics system
-publicly campaign for openness
-make the library an addictive game
LIBRARY SCIENCE AND INFORMATION FOUNDATION
19/10/09
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Murray-Rust
http://www.ch.cam.ac.uk/staff/pm.html
http://wwmm.ch.cam.ac.uk/blogs/murrayrust/
What is a librarian?
• Looks after information
• Information and knowledge steward
• Gives access to information
• Organised
• Adds value
5 Laws of Library Science
1) For every reader, his or her book.
Corey Doctorov – Science Fiction writer, publishes on web, writes for guardian, open access on web, how do you get income – advertising, subscriptions
AND
Sell electronic books
Business model to make money out of free material – THIS IS KEY TO OPEN ACCESS PUBLISHING
Corey talks about copyright in order to protect the creator solely
Leaders of Library Science today are probably Google
Copyright records ownership
Protects the economics and moral rights of the creator
Requires license or fee for reproduction and dissemination
They do not have to register it
EVERYTHING I WRITE IS MY COPYRIGHT
Rangunathan owns the 5 Laws of Library Science:
He is dead so it depends on have long he has been dead and afterwards it depends on jurisdiction
(THE BOOK) is a key cultural artefact
E.g. Fahrenheit 451
Peter has an aspiration towards defining what makes a great librarian
Academic Library Sector is in crisis, especially in the Sciences
Index of chemical abstracts
Scientists no longer use academic libraries
What do you see as the growing points in the library sciences in this information age?
• Wikipedia
• Amazon
• IMDB
• YouTube
• Apple (iTunes)
• US Military
• Tim Berners-Lee
The semantic web changed Peter’s life
‘Everything decays rapidly’
Movement of documents drives the real world
Causes people to move goods and currencies, etc.
VERY COMPELLING in terms of the future of information
To help conceptualise the power of information, read/watch some seminal works in science fiction:
• Gibson: Neuromancer, Burning Chrome
• Twelveoaks: Shockwave Rider
• EM Forrester: The Machine Stopped – written in response to Wells
• 1984 – 'The information controlled dystopia'
• Gattica
• The Terminator
• The Matrix
Military, healthcare, entertainment will be the first sectors to start chipping people
Universal connectivity
You will be able to interact with devices outside of you
http://www.rfidbuzz.com/news/2004/chip_the_vip.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/Pages/210504_clubbers_chipped.html
Events/conferences/publication
Voice recognition
BE PROACTIVE ABOUT THESE SORTS OF DEVELOPMENTS – this was we will have more control over its applications
Rangunathan – his job was to set up a library - The 5 Laws of Library Science
1) Books are for use.
(A library is not a museum)
2) For every reader, his or her book.
(uses book as the epitome of what he/she wants) (it is a reciprocal arrangement)
3) For every book there is a reader
(A book with no use has no place in the library)
4) Save the time of the reader.
5) A library is a growing organism.
Sarah is fired up in creating the library of the future.
Based on public library concept. She taught peter about Rangunathan.
Carnegie set up library system in the USA
What are the artefacts of today? Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, The British Library, UK Pub Med Central
MUCH INFORMATION EXISTS IN ‘WALLED GARDENS’
Particularly in the fields of health, environment, and climate change
‘Commoners’ can’t get a hold of that information, and isn’t available to even purchase
How do we get the internet to become a HUMAN RIGHT, as it is in Finland?
My Society
Gets people involved in causes, you get easier access to your MPs, congressmen
It is a democracy website
HADOPI – particularly true as far as government goes
EXAMPLE: Paying Disney for Mickey Mouse
He will never be free for the public to use
Yet he belongs to us
He is about 70 years old and they just extended copyright
3 Strikes Law – if you are accused of copyright infringement 3 times you can be disconnected from the WWW forever
Serials Review – Peter’s work, once they published it, no longer belongs to him, it belongs to them
Many publishers have page charges – the publishers don’t pay for a thing!
£5-£10 Billion is the value of the academic publishing market worldwide
Can try and change it catastrophically or it will automatically change itself
Publishers are not facing up to this
And academics are not doing any better
Scholarly publishing is 1-2% of budget for academic institutions
CASE STUDY:
The Wellcome Trust - Aggressive takeover by GlaxoSmithKline - But still all of their research has to be public - Not just available to people that can afford it, like Lancet, etc.
This could not have been done before the internet
The only thing stopping us from doing the same are social aspects
ANOTHER CASE STUDY:
Google wants to digitise Nigeria
The librarian negotiating on behalf of Nigeria has to do a good deal
Don’t underestimate the value of your information. Library of Congress – who digitised it for them?
Under Thatcher, the ordinance survey system was structured, it was structured to generate an income as the department is expensive to run – they generate £100M per annum for their maps alone, but is you make it digital and free the government would actually be SAVING £500M by revolutionising the system.
Why don’t we all just use Googlemaps instead?
Because they are licensed and we would have to pay them.
They are free to use but they are not OPEN SOURCE
Stallman
GNU
Its ‘free beer’ VS ‘free speech’
High cost of entry to make maps
Until Steve Coast (one of Peter’s heroes)
Got all of the couriers to input their GPS tracking data (which they have anyway, this costs them nothing extra) free of charge and they were able to generate a perfectly accurate map of London! Without ‘Easter eggs’ (A to Z puts non-existent streets in their maps for copyright purposes)
OpenStreetMap (free of Easter eggs)
Uses crowd sourcing and have achieved a significant amount of organised information for free and even have achieved very accurate metadata, in fact more accurate that A-Z!
As Internet Librarians, we create metadata
How well do we index things ourselves?
When two separate librarians read the same document/book they come up with a 50% match in tags at best
Human domain metadata is too expensive. This era must come to an end.
Text reading through Google is better/more efficient.
Indexing by machine is clearly the way forward.
Speech recognition is also having a huge impact on publishing
Microsoft funds Peter’s research
They are funding Opensource in part because it is in their best business interests. Opensource allows the meetings of minds and the easy sharing of information
Opensource Chemistry – we are starting to have a new understanding of chemical language
Chem4word 2D Editor
Needed librarians to create it
How can we read chemistry texts better/faster? How can we assess them, organise them better/faster?
Software now exists to ‘decode’ chemistry abstracts/research for us
OSCAR TEXT EXTRACTION
You tip the chemistry code into JavaScript and it ‘spell checks’ it!
Then it automatically puts the text into a table, and reconstructs the chemical spectrum
Anybody can do this as it is run on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s website.
You can easily find out is a document is correctly stated formulaically
Easy to do this exact same thing in most disciplines that have ‘named entities’
Machines can do as good of a job as humans
OSCAR can understand 90% of names – it is a very smart chemistry parsing language with noun phrases and verb phrases
Can mark up as a ‘dissolve’ phrase, a ‘heat’ phrase, and ‘wait’ phrase
Graph of experiment is part of thesis
Annotate & hides it away
PPT finding the journey of the chemical reaction
So it becomes a graphic illustrating the story of the molecule.
We can now communicate without a single word – the document no longer must be written in English or any other language
OPENSOURCE EXAMPLE:
Galaxy Zoo
Indexing by trained astronomers would take years to classify
Also a machine can’t identify a spiralled galaxy
Humans are very good at recognising patterns
Galaxy Zoo spells out the guidelines, and you help classify!
Democratising of information
The ‘Blue Thing’ was discovered by non-astronomers, papers by non-trained astronomers are published – traditional barriers are breaking down.
So much information is now digital
LIBRARIANS ARE THE CUSTODIUANS OF OUR CULTURE
LIBRARIANS ARE THE GUARDIANS OF SCHOLARSHIP
We are in danger because we worry too much about copyright and subscription rates
Take the old ideas/principles and bring them into the information age!
Ideas that librarians can put into practice:
-citizen Librarian
-post all academic output publically – IGNORE COPYRIGHT
-text-menu everything
-put 2nd year students in charge of developing educational technology and resources
-actively participate in obtaining science grants
-actively participate in the scientific publication process
-close the science library building and move into departments
-hand over all purchasing to ‘National Rotweiller Purchasing Officer’
-set up a new type of University Press
-develop own metrics system
-publicly campaign for openness
-make the library an addictive game
Monday 19 October 2009
DITA Session 4
This is all pretty unreal for me - I have updated my webpage in my own html with a picture of my mother and I in Paris and also with an image of David Hockney, bc today was all about images and graphics.
To view my altogether pathetic work please click on the following:
Maria's First HTML
To view my altogether pathetic work please click on the following:
Maria's First HTML
Thursday 15 October 2009
Death of the bookstore as we know it?
Hopefully not, because I love my books and I love losing myself in the stacks.
But if eBooks can get more kids reading I am all for it. Just because I have my favourite book covers/editions doesn't mean 'little Timmy' must. Also, as a student I have to say I would really enjoy not having to carry a load of books on the bus/tube.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1015/breaking46.htm
But if eBooks can get more kids reading I am all for it. Just because I have my favourite book covers/editions doesn't mean 'little Timmy' must. Also, as a student I have to say I would really enjoy not having to carry a load of books on the bus/tube.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1015/breaking46.htm
Does the brain like e books?
We read more slowly online and we don't use our peripheral vision the same way.
Historically, every time information has become popular in a new format, there has been public uproar. Plato famously didn't even like the invention of writing because he felt it compromised man's ability to focus.
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/does-the-brain-like-e-books/
Historically, every time information has become popular in a new format, there has been public uproar. Plato famously didn't even like the invention of writing because he felt it compromised man's ability to focus.
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/does-the-brain-like-e-books/
No longer angry about del.icio.us
Because now my books are organised here:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/mariaefstathiou
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/mariaefstathiou
Changing documents forever
No pun intended. heehee.
http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html#video
http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html#video
Monday 12 October 2009
MY 3rd DITA Session and I have made first two html files of my life!
The amazing part of this session is I finally figured out have to control my own blog if my coputer is acting funny. I have had issues with my ability to embed links into my posts on this blog. And now I think I can fix them.
This is incredibly empowering for me as an budding information manager because I really don't want to have to call IT every time I have a problem like this.
I hope to build my html skills at least to a rudimentary level so I can start posting my own urls if i need to in case of an emergency sometime when it is urgent that i share information to a group quickly.
I am really pleased with this section of the course and will be spending lots of time this week practicing so I can hone my skills - I will be posting again to keep a record of my development.
Also I just spoke with my colleague and realised that when we 'published' our html, it had to be through a specific server, not on our workstation's hard drive, and not through the general internet - this further illuminates the interactiosn of the world wide web, that my workstation HD can not speak to all workstations in the school - my code must be uploaded to a specific server in order for it to be shared with my colleagues at City University, and with is a server that i can only get access to with passwords if I am not sitting at a comuter in the City U system, where I can launch the server from my start menu.
This will get even more interesting once I try and publish html onto student.city.ac.uk from home.
The second module of this course was largely historical and contexual. I understand it is important to keep my vocabularly growing so I think I will just make a list of keywords for the second session's entry.
OH MY GOD! I JUST FIXED MY LINKS BY MYSELF!
This is incredibly empowering for me as an budding information manager because I really don't want to have to call IT every time I have a problem like this.
I hope to build my html skills at least to a rudimentary level so I can start posting my own urls if i need to in case of an emergency sometime when it is urgent that i share information to a group quickly.
I am really pleased with this section of the course and will be spending lots of time this week practicing so I can hone my skills - I will be posting again to keep a record of my development.
Also I just spoke with my colleague and realised that when we 'published' our html, it had to be through a specific server, not on our workstation's hard drive, and not through the general internet - this further illuminates the interactiosn of the world wide web, that my workstation HD can not speak to all workstations in the school - my code must be uploaded to a specific server in order for it to be shared with my colleagues at City University, and with is a server that i can only get access to with passwords if I am not sitting at a comuter in the City U system, where I can launch the server from my start menu.
This will get even more interesting once I try and publish html onto student.city.ac.uk from home.
The second module of this course was largely historical and contexual. I understand it is important to keep my vocabularly growing so I think I will just make a list of keywords for the second session's entry.
OH MY GOD! I JUST FIXED MY LINKS BY MYSELF!
Friday 2 October 2009
Pertinent to my studies and mentions my alma mater
http://gawker.com/5372619/bloggers-higher-learnings-saviors-or-destroyers
Why does Vassar always get picked on?
Why does Vassar always get picked on?
Thursday 1 October 2009
Flaubert quote
Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.
My del.icio.us
http://delicious.com/mariaefstathiou
It's a work in progress but very exciting for me to build - it's really like having my own personal library - too bad I am limited to just websites.
It's a work in progress but very exciting for me to build - it's really like having my own personal library - too bad I am limited to just websites.
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Monday 28 September 2009
What am I?
Am I a Librarian? Am I an Information Scientist? Am I a Knowledge Manager?
I do not agree that Librarians are simply 'custodians' of existing knowledge. First and foremost, in my youth, Librarians helped me uncover knowledge. I had limted resources to myself. My parents were immigrants, albeit educated, but immigrants who could not steer my enquiries. The Librarians were not the most expressive or extroverted, but when asked they indeed responded through directing me. Yes, I felt lost in a sea in a deluge of information, but I was steered, admittedly. By addressing Librarians as 'Custodians' they are easily equated to 'Janitors', i.e. Janitorial Administrators of knowledge (synonymous). This is an unfounded categorisation. It is an importnat job and one that has not been performed well by anyone in the information profession when history stands as testimony. Without Librarians one can doubt whether where Science today would be and moreover, where Science will be tomorrow. Thank goodness for those who have preserved knowledge, while making it accessible.
The title of Information Scientist also falls deflated, flat ... retrieting information is quite dog-like. Any computerised search engine can do that for an informd individual. Instinctually I do not adore that title either.
Knowledge Manager ... that sits beter, although I understand it is inoccuous and a bit wishy-washy ... also I am swayed by those who have practiced in the private sector and done incredibly well for themselves ... early adaptors I might add ...
More to some after my first day in school after I won't say how many years.
I do not agree that Librarians are simply 'custodians' of existing knowledge. First and foremost, in my youth, Librarians helped me uncover knowledge. I had limted resources to myself. My parents were immigrants, albeit educated, but immigrants who could not steer my enquiries. The Librarians were not the most expressive or extroverted, but when asked they indeed responded through directing me. Yes, I felt lost in a sea in a deluge of information, but I was steered, admittedly. By addressing Librarians as 'Custodians' they are easily equated to 'Janitors', i.e. Janitorial Administrators of knowledge (synonymous). This is an unfounded categorisation. It is an importnat job and one that has not been performed well by anyone in the information profession when history stands as testimony. Without Librarians one can doubt whether where Science today would be and moreover, where Science will be tomorrow. Thank goodness for those who have preserved knowledge, while making it accessible.
The title of Information Scientist also falls deflated, flat ... retrieting information is quite dog-like. Any computerised search engine can do that for an informd individual. Instinctually I do not adore that title either.
Knowledge Manager ... that sits beter, although I understand it is inoccuous and a bit wishy-washy ... also I am swayed by those who have practiced in the private sector and done incredibly well for themselves ... early adaptors I might add ...
More to some after my first day in school after I won't say how many years.
SESSION 1
In this module I was informed about the best tools available today for blogging. I learned about the importance of blogging, how to filter through blogs or sites that are credible versus rubbish.
Overall, I ahave been pretty disappointed in todays lectures and lab work. I understand the point of it but didn't feel very well guided or instructed I have to say. I understand that the Unix form of information acess is important as it is the barebones foundation of information storage, the skeleton, foundation, backbone of the 'house of knowledge and information storage and access'. Nothing worked today though - so my dexterity at using the system and understanding it by stream of concious was not accomplished or developed.
Not alot of guidance for blog creation - had to wade through it myself. I hope to use the labeliign system efficiently but I can't undertand or see the option that allows me to create a robust labelling system in advance. Although I understand a lot better the structure of what makes a good blog and how they can be useful - first and foremost I have to understand they have to be useful for the ultimate reader, the audience. My blog will be for which target audience? I guess it could be for the general public and certain tags will be targeted? Have to think about this. But also I can not forget that this is my first attempt and the essence of it is that it is an ONLINE DIARY. So my webpage is more Web 2.0 than Web 1.0 I am guessing.
Soem keywords that were particularly illuminating to me today: Graphical Inforamtion, Presentation of Representation/Cascading Style Sheets (CCS), Inforamtion Retrieval (Google, BING), Applications Development (Javascript), Wikis, TRACKBACKS (which I thought were particularly cool/new/illuminating to me), Blogroll (list of other sites/blogs recommended, Archive includign Label/Tag List, SYNDICATION (RSS feeds) eg Google Reader (rich site summary feeds in XMLso I can track other blogs). I have to check out this Google reader and will post my experience about that once I check it out.
The purpose of this moduel is to understand all the methods and tools available for FINDING/SEACHING/ORGANISING Information.
Nice to see there are accepted standards already in the Industry and that they are truly considered intstitutions to be taught and used and considered 'legitimate'. My age makes me view all of these things as ephemeral and 'cheating' but that's because the last time I went to school I had to lug around newpapers, magazines and books!
Overall, I ahave been pretty disappointed in todays lectures and lab work. I understand the point of it but didn't feel very well guided or instructed I have to say. I understand that the Unix form of information acess is important as it is the barebones foundation of information storage, the skeleton, foundation, backbone of the 'house of knowledge and information storage and access'. Nothing worked today though - so my dexterity at using the system and understanding it by stream of concious was not accomplished or developed.
Not alot of guidance for blog creation - had to wade through it myself. I hope to use the labeliign system efficiently but I can't undertand or see the option that allows me to create a robust labelling system in advance. Although I understand a lot better the structure of what makes a good blog and how they can be useful - first and foremost I have to understand they have to be useful for the ultimate reader, the audience. My blog will be for which target audience? I guess it could be for the general public and certain tags will be targeted? Have to think about this. But also I can not forget that this is my first attempt and the essence of it is that it is an ONLINE DIARY. So my webpage is more Web 2.0 than Web 1.0 I am guessing.
Soem keywords that were particularly illuminating to me today: Graphical Inforamtion, Presentation of Representation/Cascading Style Sheets (CCS), Inforamtion Retrieval (Google, BING), Applications Development (Javascript), Wikis, TRACKBACKS (which I thought were particularly cool/new/illuminating to me), Blogroll (list of other sites/blogs recommended, Archive includign Label/Tag List, SYNDICATION (RSS feeds) eg Google Reader (rich site summary feeds in XMLso I can track other blogs). I have to check out this Google reader and will post my experience about that once I check it out.
The purpose of this moduel is to understand all the methods and tools available for FINDING/SEACHING/ORGANISING Information.
Nice to see there are accepted standards already in the Industry and that they are truly considered intstitutions to be taught and used and considered 'legitimate'. My age makes me view all of these things as ephemeral and 'cheating' but that's because the last time I went to school I had to lug around newpapers, magazines and books!
Wednesday 23 September 2009
My first post!
Wow. This is really exciting. I have a blog. I have always been told I should have one - and now I do. Wow.
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