Monthly Archives December 2007

ReadMe – The MetaFilter Book Wiki

Following up nicely on yesterday's post about Yahoo Answers! (with its passing compliment of Ask MetaFilter), I see today that a MetaFilter user has taken the time to compile and categorize a master list of book-related questions from Ask MetaFilter in Wiki format. Called ReadMe, I especially like that the first question listed on the […]

Why Yahoo! Answers Is A Librarian's Worst Nightmare

Don't worry – it's not because it's going to replace us anytime soon – it's because it's an incredibly crappy reference tool which is (unfortunately) also one of the most widely used on the Net, second only to Wikipedia. The blockbuster success of Yahoo! Answers is all the more surprising once you spend a few […]

Making A List – Checking It Twice

All I Want For Christmas Is…The Brit Box by Rhino Records.  (Tracklisting)  (MetaFilter discussion on the subject and a Salon review of the box set)

The US Election – Less Than 365 Days Left!

I follow US Presidential politics and this year is shaping up to be one of the most interesting elections in a long time – because of the Iraq War, because of the razor-thin margins (and resulting controversy) of the last two elections in 2000 and 2004, because the Democrats made a stunning comeback in the […]

Friday Fun Link – 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians Are Still Important (Dec 7, 2007)

This list is focused mostly on the Internet and technology as things that librarians are better at (rather than librarians successfully utilizing these tools beyond what normal users might do – he says, typing on a blog) but it’s still a lot of food for thought. To be honest, I think it wouldn’t be hard to make a […]

Wall Street to Costco: "Stop Treating Your Employees So Well"

If you're doing your Christmas shopping over the next few weeks, why not consider Costco aka “The anti-Wal-mart“? Their unique practices as a retailer – paying employees a living wage, offering generous benefits, customer-friendly return policies – has led to low employee turnover, a wealthier clientele in general and continued growth while competitors such as […]

Security Can Always Be Circumvented

DMCA be damned!

"From Books to Beers and Stacks to Snacks" (Xmas Edition)

If you're a librarian in Regina, live nearby or are going to be back in town for the holidays, feel free to join us for a Christmas gathering on Friday December 14 from 5pm until whenever at Monarch's Lounge in the Hotel Saskatchewan.  If you're on Facebook, full details are available here. 

The Canadian Book Challenge

“In case you haven't been challenged enough lately, here's another to add to your compulsive need to push yourself to your limit: The Canadian Book Challenge.The rules are simple: read 13 Canadian books (books by Canadians and/or about Canadians) before next Canada Day (That's July 1st for you non-Canadians in the audience). Make sure to […]

Four Week "Introduction To Computers" Course

I was asked to teach a four week “Intro To Computers” course for the month of November at the Weyburn Public Library, one of two city branches in our region, while they are temporarily short-staffed.  Last week was my final class so I thought I'd put up the outlines and some thoughts in case that's […]