New Location for the Liaison Librarians Blog

As of September 2010 this is no longer the place to go for the UTAS Liaison Librarians Blog. Go here instead:

http://blogs.utas.edu.au/liaison-librarians/

Apple patent: helpful or restrictive of rights and privacy?

Apple has applied for a patent named:

"SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING UNAUTHORIZED USERS OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE". The full application can be read on the web page below:

http://www.patentvest.com/console/reports/docs/app/20100207721.html

Apple's justification for this patent is that installation of this proposed technology onto their devices will enable identification of unauthorised users, with, the idea that this will help the authorized user should the device fall into the wrong hands, as there is a lot of personal information stored on one of these things, of course.

However, the patent goes way beyond what is necessary to do this and in fact the technology would act as sophisticated spyware if installed on a device. You will see this if you read the application above and the commentary of the ETF:

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/steve-jobs-watching-you-apple-seeking-patent-0

IT geeks and hackers are justifiably concerned about this clause in the application:

"4 . The method of claim 3, wherein the particular activity comprises one or more of hacking the electronic device, jailbreaking the electronic device, unlocking the electronic device, removing a SIM card from the electronic device, and moving at least a predetermined distance away from a synced device"

I agree with the ETF that the application discusses technology that goes way beyond what is necessary for users to recover a lost iphone or ipad. I also think that attempts to prevent IT enthusiasts from breaking into Apple devices so they can potentially modify and experiment with Apple programs etc is a backward step.

Historious bookmarks

Historious has been touted as an interesting mix of Delicious and Google. Historius allows you to index sites into your own personal search engine to share or transport, then retrieve them by title and pages content. Try it for free.
http://historio.us/

Morris Miller redevelopments: almost there!

We're not far off moving into our new areas, as you can see from the photos below, everything has a space age, light feel and even if there are a few issues still to be resolved, it's looking great.
I might even come to miss the excitement of having a jackhammer just through the floor while I (try to) work and the unexpected network outages and strange smells we've come to enjoy over the last six months...

Peer Review V Wiki Review?

An interesting article in the New York Times on web based alternatives to the traditional peer review process that are currently being tested in a couple of journals. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/arts/24peer.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=technology

Is the slow but usually reliable peer review process in need of renovation or should it be torn down and replaced? How would academia respond? How would the gargoyles cope?

(The contributor of this photo is Callum Black)

UTAS Stalkerspace

If you feel the need to comment on goings on around campus, or read other's comments there's a facebook page for you (You don't have to be signed up to FB to read it). It makes for hilarious reading:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/University-of-Tasmania-Stalkerspace/141791622518940

This is interesting, as people spend less time on campus we are seeing these kinds of virtual groups take the place of groups hanging around outside lecture theatres, moving a sense of community online. It's also good to get a sense of what students are thinking about and how they feel about campus life, which we should definitely be paying attention to. And it's very funny.

Weeding Inspiration: Awful Library Books

Highlighting the importance of weeding to library collections is Awful library Books, it's public library stuff really, but continually amusing and interesting, even educational.


Image from "Dancing Disco", now discarded.

http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/

The iPad is perfect for Liaison Librarians

After playing with an iPad for a few days I'm smitten, and I think they make an ideal device for a liaison librarian to have on hand to increase productivity at work.

Here's why:

-Increased connectivity means you can comunicate more easily with colleagues and academics from anywhere on campus (within WiFi range, which is just about everywhere).

-Unlike a laptop you don't have to worry about lugging it around, it's light and very portable.

-It's great to demonstrate our databases, eJournals and particularly eBooks on. EBL books particularly look great and work very smothly in Safari (The web browser) for the iPad.

-In meetings you can take notes and email them straight out to colleagues, or make a useless meeting (You know the ones I'm talking about) more productive by doing something useful.

-Unlike a laptop, it is on (or off) as soon as you press the button, saving time.

-For reference desk duties you can go to the student, sit anywhere and show them our online resources, or search the catalogue while among the shelves, or outside the library, much more convenient than being stuck at a desk.

It's not perfect yet, there are a few niggling issues that I've found so far, but it does just about everything I need 90% of the time very well, and I'm sure Apple are hard at work trying to make the next version even better.

Plagiarism Vid.

An entertaining explanation of academic plagiarism from The University of Bergen that I came across on Stephen's Lighthouse blog. I particularly like the SWAT team.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mwbw9KF-ACY

Google failures

Interesting news about Google Wave, the supposed email killer that Google invested a lot of time and effort in, they're halting development and may close the service early next year, according to Read Write Web.

Was it a case of a product in search of a problem to solve, or too many over-smart engineers at Google and not enough people thinking through the actual usefulness for real people, or something else? Perhaps we're just not ready for the advanced functionality of Wave?

It's not going to be a big issue for them, unless they stop trying to innovate because of a high profile failure, which seems unlikely at this point. It does highlight the fact that experimentation and innovation have a high failure rate, even for very large and experienced companies, but that's no reason to stop trying, libraries, take note .

Library Value

The Centre for Information Behaviour and the Evaluation of Research (CIBER) has been commissioned by Research Libraries UK to help develop a set of evidence-based advocacy materials for library policy makers in higher education. The research will review and analyse the available material, mainly statistical, that relates to the contribution that libraries make to the student experience, and especially satisfaction. The study is led by Dr Ian Rowlands and will report in August 2010.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/infostudies/research/ciber/

Research! Student study habits

The University of Rochester’s Studying students ethnographic study gives us more than interesting feedback on student behaviour, it also provides some excellent examples of research techniques which could improve the effectiveness of your next library usage survey.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/digital/Foster-Gibbons_cmpd.pdf

Everything you wanted to know about cloud culture

Join Charles Leadbeater and a cast of experts from the British Council to debate the big issues around cloud culture. Download the book, watch the film, hear the podcast.http://www.counterpoint-online.org/cloud-culture-a-new-counterpoint-publication-and-ica-debate/

Researchers of Tomorrow
JISC have released another interesting report (which I'm still digesting) - this time with findings from phase one of their study into differences between information-seeking behaviours of Gen Y and older doctoral students. It should be noted that 65% of the Gen Y sample were from pure and applied science disciplines and that some of the differences revealed may be due to the science-bias rather than age factors. Nonetheless, it indicates that some of our assumptions about generation-specific use of information or interest in technology may be inappropriate. Topics covered by the study include uptake of Web 2.0 technologies, approach to information-seeking, understanding of open access, preference for seeking help...One of the biggest differences appears to be in students' use of librarians for support - much more likely with older students. Among the constraints on research progress, with a rating in the middle range, is lack of own research or information seeking skills. A subsequent survey has just commenced and will address:
The role of supervisors and technology take-up
Attitudes towards using mediated content and intermediaries in research support
Attitudes towards using open access
- As research resources
- As places to publish their own research
What kinds of training and support would best serve their needs

New Spice library ad

Have you all seen the Old Spice ad that is around at the moment? This spoof called New Spice - study like a scholar, scholar has been designed to promote the Harold B. LeeLibrary. Its worth a look for a laugh.

Tasmanian Yearbook: Morris Miller Library in 1972

While looking for some totally unrelated statistics on the ABS website I came across a feature article from the 1972 Tasmanian Yearbook about the Morris Miller Library.
Total budget for 1970: $414,787!
I like the section on future developments:

Establishment of a library branch in northern Tasmania, as an expansion of the present extension service, will be considered in the future but this is dependent on the expansion of the University’s northern facilities.

Initial steps have been taken to provide an audio-visual collection in the central library. Equipment is to be installed for playing disc and taped recordings, particularly music, both from a central control point and individual cassette-players.

Investigations have been made of the feasibility of automating some library routines but introduction of automated techniques is considered a doubtful economic and technical proposition at the present level of transactions.

More: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1384.6Feature%20Article122004?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1384.6&issue=2004&num=&view=

The end of the reference desk

From the blog of the McMaster University Librarian:

"After much planning and hard work the last of our reference desks is gone! Our library has completed the transition to “blended services” where library assistants handle most of the transactions at combined service points (circulation, interlibrary loan, research help). Our business library was the first to go in this direction around one year ago followed by our science/engineering library. Finally, I came in this morning to find that the last of our reference desks is now gone!"

http://ulatmac.blog.lib.mcmaster.ca/2010/07/15/reference-desk-gone/

Proceedings of the 31st IATUL Conference now available

The link to the proceedings of the 31st IATUL Conference: The evolving world of e-science: Impact and implications of science and technology libraries held at Purdue University 21 - 24 June 2010 is available at http://www.iatul.org/conferences/pastconferences/

Top 50 librarian blogs

I've found this site which lists 50 librarian blogs. They are listed on the GetDegrees website. If you are looking for more ways to keep in touch with what is going on in Library Land it is worth exploring some of the links.