I just read that today Google unveiled a new service, Google Archive Search, whereby it provides accessibility – i.e. search function – to various online news archives. I gather Google will serve the function of the traditional search index/abstract tool for the various news databases whose content has been made available to Google, and Google will direct searchers to those news sites. The news sites of course may (or likely will) charge for access to the full text of any selected articles. Searches will be free to the user. The archive search interface offers various ways of limiting searches . . . [more]

I’ve lately been the demise of the CD to family and friends. This is only my interpretation, but it is difficult to find and purchase classical or jazz CD’s in Victoria. So I’ve been thinking of moving over to IPOD technology and downloading music as well as e-books. But a colleague sent me an article reminding me of how complicated e-books are to use and the prolems with the different formats. I did a quick search and couldn’t find e-books on the Barnes & Noble site (it appears they no longer support ebooks), amazon.ca had strange results, and Foyles, God . . . [more]

L’ennemi numéro un d’Internet, c’est assurément la peur. Un nouvel exemple provient de ce titre choc du Observer selon lequel “New data theft scandal rocks subcontinent’s call centres“. Il est vrai que la standardiste Quitte à être manichéiste, autant que ce soit une femme. indienne, «voleuse de job», remplit bien ce rôle de «générateur de craintes»: et la «standardiste indienne» est pour les nords-américains ce que le «plombier polonais» est pour les européens de l’ouest. Dans le cas qui nous intéresse, c’est loin, c’est méconnu, et maintenant, ça vole nos données personnelles.

L’article est un tantinet irritant car, . . . [more]

Two items in today’s papers show that there appears to be a global trend towards smaller libraries, with the justification being that it’s all available online anyway.
In Bangor Maine, users will be moved out of the main library room into three small upper rooms, as the librarians pack up 750 boxes of the collection. We can say that it’s all on the online services, but losing 15,000 books has to have an impact.
And on the other side of the world, a story from the SMH as profs at the UNSW discovered the library‘s collection of international law . . . [more]

Les bibliothèques corporatives sont-elles vouées à la disparition? Quelles en sont les causes? Y a -t-il un remède?

Because I’m an academic, September will always be the new year for me. I get a kind of excitement when the first threads of coolness enter the air, and part of that excitement has to do with beginnings, new beginnings, if that isn’t redundant. There’s something liberating about fresh starts. Too, these are often associated for me with having moved to a new town or country and taking up life there as an unknown person. I used to consider becoming someone other as I stepped of the plane, so to speak…. maybe hair slicked back and sunglasses, with a derring-do . . . [more]

I don’t have a Black Berry — deadly admission, I know, revealing a distinct lack of social status, because, rather like visits to Tokyo, you can’t manage it unless it’s a corporate expense, which necessitates the presence of an interested and able corporation, that source of all power in today’s world.

But I do have a cell phone and, moreover, one that can do text messaging, painfully because there’s not keyboard per se (have I mentioned that I don’t have a Black Berry?). Text messaging is a feature that I’d never used until today, Bcz IDK any1 LS who Duz . . . [more]

Not having much time as I prepare for the new school year which will dawn next week, hahahahaha (that is an uneasy laugh). I just want to present you with some quotes from Mark Twain (one of my favourite authors) on Law and Lawyers, which remain particularly insightful today.

From Twainquotes.com I find this site a great resource for quotes when writing papers and reports.

Twain on Law

Twain on Lawyers

Okay, here is Twain on Libraries too.

. . . [more]

In today’s The Independent (U.K.), an article about The Beatle’s many lawsuits.

“They are back where they have so often been since breaking up – in the law courts. This time, the world’s most famous band is taking on EMI (again). Martin Hickman counts down their greatest legal hits.” . . . [more]

Innovate: Journal of Online Education is a bi-monthly, peer-reviewed online journal focusing on the innovative, creative ways information technology is used in corporate, academic, and government settings to enhance the learning process. Articles are authored by leaders in information technology and education, including librarians, professors, program administrators, and software designers. You can search articles going back to October/November 2004. Innovate also hosts webcasts with the authors.

Free registration is required to access full-text articles.

Notable articles include:

“A_FLIP to Courseware: A Strategic Alliance for Improving Student Learning Outcomes”
This article outlines the Administrators, Faculty, Librarians Instructional Partnership (A_FLIP) model, which . . . [more]

announce[d yesterday] the launch of our new Digital Editions, in partnership with VitalSource Technologies Inc. In September, we will offer six titles in our Essentials of Canadian Law collection in this new digital format.... In addition, users can customize page views, perform single and multiple book searches, highlight text, make searchable notes, link easily to case law databases and print, copy, and paste with bibliographic support. If you have access to QuickFind through the Quicklaw system, you can highlight citations in our Digital Editions and link seamlessly to the full text, summary or citator record for that case on Quicklaw.

We Canadians thought that allowing a parliamentary committee to very briefly and very, very politely interview a nominee for the Supreme Court of Canada last winter was a big deal. And they even did it on TV! Wow, that sure made us feel innovative. Maybe even a little too radical for Canada.

Many expressed worries that this could lead to an overpoliticization of the judicial appointment process in Canada.

Well, our friends in the great Republic to the South seem to have an even bigger problem: the rapidly growing influence of big money in judicial elections for state supreme courts. . . . [more]