Archive for August, 2006
By now, most web-savvy individuals have encountered the terms “API” and “mashup“. At a bare-bones level, they relate to ways that techies (definitely excludes me) can take data feeds from one or more websites and use them in a helpful–often very novel–way on a different website. For example, Flash Earth combines mapping information from both Google Maps and Microsoft’s Virtual Earth and gives you simultaneous access to both. Up to now, the data-source sites have had full control over who can get access to the raw information. But new service Dapper allows those without expertise to cull information like articles, photos, and statistics from websites and put the data to new and highly-personalized use.
According to the Dapper website:
“Dapper’s mission is to allow you to use any web based content in any way you can imagine. And by use, we mean going beyond just reading or viewing a webpage. You may want to create an RSS feed or a Google Gadget for a site, take a site’s content and put it on a map, receive an email alert when your site’s Alexa’s ranking goes below 5000, or create a mashup of your favorite band’s tour dates and a camping locations reservation website to organize your musical camping vacation. Whatever you want to do, however you want to mold the web, Dapper can help you do it.”
Some will see this as a landmark in the web 2.0 movement–allowing Jane Q. Public great flexibility to easily create the kinds of web applications SHE wants to see and use. Others point out the potential for copyright infringement, more spamming, and earnings reductions on “monetized” weblogs due to inaccurate site traffic stats. Either way, Dapper is undeniably intriguing and a neat tool to play with. Hopefully, the main concerns involved will eventually be resolved while leaving the basic usefulness intact.
Related links:
http://www.techcrunch.com/tag/Dapper/
http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/?p=315
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_scraping
http://www.programmableweb.com/
August 31st, 2006
Today Google started allowing users to download pdf copies of out-of-copyright classic novels and other public domain titles. See Google’s weblog entry or go straight to the Google Book Search page.
August 30th, 2006
As the parent of a college student, I think this is a concept worth exploring! Check out this NYTimes article.
August 29th, 2006
In celebration of MLC’s upcoming Special Program Series – The Library Rebooted, I would like to announce MLC’s newest blog, The Library Rebooted: Unwrapped. This blog exists to promote any and all aspects of Library 2.0. Featured guest posters include speakers at our upcoming special programs and experts in various library 2.0 technologies.We encourage comments by our members to facilitate discussions and share ideas. Also, if you would like to post what your library is doing in regards to the Library 2.0 model, please contact Evette Atkin to receive a login and password.
MLC’s 2006/2007 special program series, The Library Rebooted kicks off on October 6th with Perceptions of User’s – MLC Annual Meeting.
August 29th, 2006
If you have iTunes, you may have noticed that some new Categories have been added. One such Category is Education>K-12. Content ranges from autism, to German language, to world history. If you run across any gems, please do post a comment to let us know!
August 25th, 2006
Photos from yesterday’s MeL Databases: Basics workshop have been posted to MLC’s flickr account.
August 25th, 2006
Yeserday I (re)found a simple but powerful 3D modeling tool–Google SketchUp. With it, even non-designers can easily rough out models of things like buildings and floor layouts. Very detailed renderings are possible too, with a little more time and effort. Both the free version and an enhanced version can be downloaded at http://sketchup.google.com/.
August 24th, 2006
MLC now offers online demonstrations on how to create a student account in the MLC workshop registration system and how to register for a workshop using the system. All you need is to have either Flash or Windows Media Player installed on your computer. To access these demos, click here.
August 22nd, 2006
The Onion reported:
Members of the OCLC Online Computer Library Center’s Editorial Policy Committee, which oversees the Dewey Decimal System library classification system, were no closer Monday to assigning a definitive call number to the recently published Jim Belushi book Real Men Don’t Apologize.
“With all due respect to the author, we remain unsure how to categorize this particular work,†said committee chair Leslie Buncombe, who, despite repeated readings, still wasn’t sure if Real Men… was “an actual book.â€
“What is it? Autobiography? Self-help? We can’t even tell if it’s fiction or nonfiction,†Added Buncombe: “Too bad it can’t be shelved by its ISBN number. Maybe it’s Fantasy Biography? I don’t even think there’s a code for that.†If no decision is reached within the week, librarians may be forced to shelve it in the “phantom zone†between Jenny McCarthy’s book of marriage tips and novels in which a cat helps solve a mystery.
August 22nd, 2006
Thomson Gale is offering webinars to MeL libraries to hear the latest news on Gale databases and new features. Webinar dates are September 11, 14, 18, and 28. The webinars will cover Academic OneFile, PowerPacks (subject databases), PowerSearch highlights and more.
For information and links to register, please visit Gale Webinars on MLC’s News & Announcements page.
August 18th, 2006
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