Muddiest Point for Wk #4

I have no muddy points for this week.

Readings for Wk #4

Data Compression / Wikipedia & Data Compression Basics / DVD-HQ
These clearly written & easy to understand articles on data compression covered some basics I am familiar with:

• Compression can help save bandwidth & disk space - very important for those of us with limited computing power. Compression allows you to be a better steward of resources.

• In order for data compression to be successful, both the sender & receiver must understand how the information is encoded
• You probably won't be able to play WMA music files on some MP3 players - the files will have to be converted first.

But the articles also raised some important points that I wasn't aware of:

• Lossless compression - original data can be retrieved
• Lossy compression - loses some of the data so it can be compressed, but the results are not the same as the original. This is like making a copy of  copy - the more copies you make of the copy, the less it looks like the original.

As we librarians digitize & share more information, we have to be sure we're using the right formats/techniques for our users.

 Imaging Pittsburgh / Galloway


This article emphasizes the importance of collaboration, planning, metadata. I appreciated how he explained all of the challenges (metadata, selection, website) involved in this project & how they arrived at solutions that were accepted by all collaborators. The resulting website is impressive & demonstrates how important projects like these are to not only libraries & historical societies, but also to the public.

Youtube & Libraries / Webb

This article on using Youtube for library marketing, promotion, & instruction is pretty timely for me professionally. In the near future my web committee will be creating a Youtube channel to promote our career center's services, events, & tips on career planning. Youtube (in addition to Facebook) is probably one of the best ways to get the attention of our target undergraduate audience - it's free, the students use Youtube already, & there are relatively few administrative hoops we'd have to jump through.

Week #3 Computer Software

Introduction to Linux

I'm a little familiar with this system, mostly because my husband is a tech-geek & he has re-programmed one of our old computers so it will run Linux. I've been too afraid I'd break something so I haven't gotten any hands-on experience with it yet. This article has almost convinced me to take it for a spin. I like the idea of an open source product that can be customized to fit user needs, yet it's not that easy to learn ,especially if you're not already a programmer or power user. Linux does seem like it could be the answer to some of my work-related tech issues.

Mac OS X
Mac have always struck me to be (Mac users, don't hate me) a bit "cultish." According to Apple & many Mac acolytes, Macs are safer, more intuitive, better for creative people & easier to use than PCs. To many PC users, Macs are difficult, not for serious programmers/hackers/techies, too expensive, & too trendy. As a long time PC user on a seriously strict budget, I mostly fall into the latter group. I liked the the author of the What is Mac OS X dealt with these differing opinions at the beginning of his article. I also appreciated how the author broke down the differences between OS X, Windows, & Linux while acknowledging the pros & cons of each system.


Windows Roadmap
This article was basically a heavy dose of Windows "Marketing Kool-Aid" alluded to in the What is Mac OS X article - it was annoying, to say the least. It was comforting to find they will continue to support XP until 2014. 

Assignment #2 - Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmwallace_lis2600/

Muddiest Point for Wk #3

Considering how flexible, inexpensive, & customizable it is, why don't more libraries adopt a Linux-based ILS? Or more Open Source products in general?

Comments from Wk #3

http://jsslis2600.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-3-reading-notes.html?showComment=1284599882375#c2952057805789126394

http://nrampsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/reading-notes-week-3.html?showComment=1284600706674#c3544744321368825753

Comments from Wk #1

http://nrampsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/week-2-reading-notes-muddiest-point.html?showComment=1283569530815#c7736709645643121437

http://lostscribe459.blogspot.com/2010/09/readings-week-1.html?showComment=1283460024567#c5842811368051212116

Muddiest Point - Wk #1

I have no muddiest point for this session.

Readings for Wk #2

I was pretty surprised to be reading Wikipedia articles for this class. Wikipedia has come a long way, but my inner old-school librarian was skeptical.  Maybe this to drive home the point that good information can be found in non-standard places?



Personal Computer Hardware / Wikipedia


This article didn't really offer anything new for me to consider - I was already aware of basic computer parts. It did bring up bad memories of the dreaded Iomega Zip Drive. That was my first and last attempt at early tech adopting. 


Moore's Law / Wikipedia

Moore's Law states that the number of transistors manufactured "at optimal minimal cost" doubles approximately every two years. There's been some conjecture over the years over exactly what time frame Moore really specified (18 months, one year, three years). People mistakenly think it refers to increased processing power - although it can be a nice side effect of smaller, more efficient chips that are developed. Although it's not actually a law, the technology industry seems driven to keep up with it, using it as a measurement of their progress. It also seems that every ten years or so, scientists or companies will say that the trend will expire ten years into the future. Some futurists believe Moore's Law will bring us to a technological singularity, a period of growth so great that it will usher in a new age of artificial intelligence & hybrid human/machines. I don't know if I completely believe that particular theory, but I do know that we've experienced exponential growth in technology Moore described over 40 years ago.


Computer History Museum
The first glance of that site was not that interesting to me - I wasn't sure what we were supposed to focus on. As I explored throughout the site, I found the exhibits page was surprised to find an exhibit dedicated to the Babbage (or Difference) Engine, which is considered to be one of the first computers. In 1821, mathematician Babbage had hoped to create an steam-powered calculating engine. While the Difference Engine proved to be a failure, Babbage salvaged some of it to work on the Analytical Engine - a true forerunner of computers. He was aided in expanding the purpose of his engine by Ada Lovelace, widely considered the first computer programmer. I was pleased to see her & her contribution mentioned, because women aren't represented very well on this site. Are contributions by women to computer history/technology so few, or are they just poorly represented in the field, or are they just given short shrift altogether?

Information R/evolution

Readings for Wk #1

Lied Library @ four years: technology never stands still / J.Vaughan
This case study of a large academic library's technological evolution provides a good overview of the pros & cons of adopting new technologies & the unique challenges it poses. No detail was left out: from larger system updates & changes to analyzing the printing costs. The one point the author raised and resonates with me (& probably most library/info pros) was "...the fact that so much information is available & expected online, 7/24/365, the times when the library is truly closed are fading away." Vaughan does not give exact dollar figures, but if a library of that caliber updates only  its computers every three years, even with a vendor discount, it will cost millions of dollars. Also, when the costs of e-journals, databases, software & accessories are added in, along with staff wages, how do libraries balance the need to provide the services/information their users want with the realities of shrinking budgets? I wish Vaughan had gone into more detail on that particular point.



2004 Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers / OCLC
This trend report from OCLC covers the explosion of digital content & how it effects the basic nature & purpose of library work. Although this research is 5 years old, it's still interesting to mark the predictions that have come true in the intervening years. Information is now available everywhere, to everyone, all the time - with or without the help of libraries. If library users are as the article states "content consumers" & "format agnostic," what will that mean for us a future library/info pros? What does it mean for us now as content consumers who have a deeper understanding of librarianship?

Full disclosure: I love the internet & being online. I am a  consumer of online content: websites, blogs, social media, search engines - almost everything.  On the one hand, I appreciate the free exchange of ideas in many avenues. I feel people should be able to create or access or describe most information in any legal way they want. I don't necessarily want to consult LC for the "correct" subject headings if I post vacation pictures on Flickr or books on LibraryThing. But, on the other hand, (please feel free to disagree with me here) I mostly agree with the article & think it's our responsibility as library/info pros to really engage in these new arenas of information (without taking over) & assist with "synthesiz[ing it] into knowledge."


Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture / Lynch
The author sets out to address/define what information technology literacy is, how it should be taught, & how it should be used. The author also puts forth the idea of student-created simulations for better understanding. It’s not enough to know how to use the tools – one must also understand how the technology infrastructure works together with (or against) social issues. As technology changes so much around us, it’s more important that everyone understands how & why these systems work. The line between strict technician & average user is blurring, so our jobs may be (as stated in the previous article) to help others navigate these systems. But my question is how? The author doesn't give many suggestions for this at all.

Intro

Hi LIS2600 classmates - welcome to my blog! My name is Tracy Wallace & I'm happy to be part of FT Cohort 10.5. I'm originally from Philadelphia, but I attended & now work for Penn State University (main campus). I have a BA in English, mostly because I love to read (naturally). I've held just one full time job in my adult life that wasn't library-related (receptionist - I was terrible) & after many years of flirting have decided to make it official by getting an MLIS. Of the library jobs I've held, I really enjoy my current job as the solo library assistant for the career center. Every day I have the opportunity to help students find & make sense of the information they need to get to the next steps in their lives. It's especially nice when they call/email with success stories or just to say thank you. Right now my goal is to explore some non-traditional paths in librarianship.