This blog is now defunct.

For information regarding SILS student activities please visit the new and improved SILSSA (School of Information and Library Science Student Association) website.

SILSSA weary of wearing same shabby dress

 

Please submit your logo designs and letter of interest for the web designer position!

SILSSA, the School of Information and Library Science Student Association, a division of ALA, is rebranding itself! Our first goal is to design new logo that encapsulates our “Next-Gen Librarian” status within our academic context at Pratt Institute. Our second goal is to redesign our website (http://pratt.edu/~silssa) using that new logo and incorporating the web standards that govern the Information Architecture industry today.

The Logo Contest

Please submit 1 or more logos to silssa <at> pratt.edu by Sunday, October 21, 11:59pm. We will accept 300dpi jpeg submissions containing three versions of your design in black, white and color. Please incorporate Pratt’s colors of yellow and black for this logo and name it “[your name]_silssalogo.jpg”. Should your design win the contest, we will request outlined, vector versions of each color iteration. Our October General SILSSA meeting (to be announced) will include a voting session for all the logos we receive for the contest. All SILS students are invited and encouraged to contribute their vote to this endeavor!The winning logo will be implemented into the new web site and all communications thenceforth. The winning designer will receive kudos, Pratt fame, and 2 tickets to a BAM performance.

The Website Redesign

SILSSA is looking for a uniquely qualified SILS student to redesign and maintain our website. We seek to make our website an example of the new skills librarians can offer in terms of knowledge organization through an online platform. Of course, we also seek to make our website more accessible, easily navigated, and aesthetically pleasing than it is currently. If you are fluent in web design techniques and have completed courses in cataloging and Information Architecture and/or Usability, please submit your resume and samples to silssa <at> pratt.edu by November 1 to be considered for this new SILSSA position.

Thank you for your participation,

The 2007 SILSSA Officers

Brooklyn Historical Society – Photo Archivist

The Brooklyn Historical Society seeks to hire a Photo Archivist to inventory, rehouse, catalog, and scan the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation’s photography collection on the occasion of the institution’s 40th anniversary. 

Ol-Lib, artifactual value and the future of our profession

I’m including the text of a message that Karen Coyle posted to Ol-lib, the open library project discussion list.

[H]ashing a file works if you all have the same file to hash. That’s not the problem here. We have books, most of which are in hard copy, and we have metadata in machine-readable form. However, the metadata for the same book are not identical, so a hash won’t work on them. And we need for people who have the book to be able to connect that book to the identifier.

Note that independently scanned versions of books will not be identical, either to the eye, or bit-wise.

We know, thanks to the extensive work done on de-duping of files of bibliographic records, that the metadata alone is not enough to fully identify a book item. I’m thinking that we may have to go back to the physical book, but perhaps could do it in a way that scanned books could be identified algorithmically. I’ve had in mind something like an “incipit” — a snippet (of text, of sound, of whatever) that can feed into the identifier. For example, the first two words of each chapter. Or the first and last words of each chapter. But this isn’t something you can derive from metadata.

The other option is to see if there’s a way to use something like the title and the pagination, or some other combination of easily identifiable facts about the book that also appear in metadata, that would end up being unique. That’s why I asked to have some output from the creation of the OLNs – to begin to see what patterns appear in large files.

This particular snippet from the discussion should raise some issues with all of us. Suppose the open library really can create the (much longed for) single point of bibliographic access. If the actual ID of that point of access derives from a physical object, there may be some clear and severe preservation implications.

If you’re not subscribed to Ol-lib, fix that oversight first. This is the place that everything we already have learned about librarianship is being actively translated into everything we’re going to have to learn about librarianship. I’d submit to you that if you can follow the discussion going on about this project, you’re ready to deal with our profession in the 21st century. Some things to consider as you read and re-read this:

• What abstractions do we have introduce into our cataloging models to make a system like Open Library effective? At what level of abstraction from the item-in-hand will records be created?
  • Is the FRBR model sufficient?
  • Does the AACR defined level of correspondence between the item in hand and its surrogate catalog record serve a genuine need?
• Given a high level of abstraction for a record, what sub-records or meta-records do we require to manage our own inventories of physical collections?
• How do we identify the locus of preservation activity in a shared, single record environment? Preserve the item in hand? Ensure the preservation of representative items somewhere?
  • Who has to take responsibility? Will there be a rush to avoid having the last copy standing? In a networked, single record environment, is preservation a hot-potato game to avoid being stuck with the cost of expensive, perpetual, single-item preservation?

–Jacob Nadal

Friends Seminary – PT Librarian

Friends Seminary, an independent K-12 school near Union Square in Manhattan, seeks a librarian

Town library in both countries

The front door of  Vermont’s Haskell Library is in the United States but the circulation desk is in Canada. Feds worry that smuggling is a potential problem in the library. Keep reading.

Morning bibliophilia

Lorcan Dempsey is always required reading, especially on book technology. Also, take a look at Jim Michalko’s lovely posting on the book as object over at hangingtogether.org. Maybe we can organize a tour of New York area Euclid editions?

Two OLPC Wiki Jobs

My friend at UNICEF is looking for a wiki editor and a developer for their exciting One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) wiki project. Please see descriptions below and respond to Christopher Fabian cfabian@unicef.org if you are interested. –Ken P.

http://www.laptop.org/

http://www.unicef.org/

 

———————————————

Wiki Developers–UNICEF
http://www.idealist.org/en/job/220846-330
http://www.idealist.org/en/job/220883-210

Come join our exciting and highly caffeinated team at UNICEF. We need
someone to start now who’s a skilled Python developer (would be great if
you’ve worked with the development of wiki’s — preferably Moin) – with a
focus on getting the tools to work on the OLPC (100-dollar laptop (you will
get to play with them)).

Customize the Moin code base: simply the user experience, extend its
functionality, make the wiki kid-friendly and fun. You will be working with
our information architect and front-end developer on an already scoped and
defined project (partially developed) with clear and concrete deliverables.
Experience using extreme programming or other agile programming
methodologies a plus.

Immediate Start. Candidates should be from the New York metro area and able
to work on site (UN HQ – midtown). This is a one month contract to meet
specific goals, with the possibility of extension.

*IF you are NOT a python developer, but if you can hack another wiki (on
rails, etc.) and are comfortable, send your cv along but explain EXPLICITLY
in your cover letter how you could wrap around this project.*

and
Gardener
Description:
- Gather, assess and edit content for the online community, with focus on
HIV/AIDS-related content
- Build youth groups online through activities, collaborative projects etc.

- Monitor / “garden” posts and edits to the site
- Provide basic support to new users
- Report regularly on usage, success and potential pitfalls within the site

- Support the development of internal workspaces for UNICEF departments,
and country offices

Additional Qualifications:
- Work is ON SITE at UNICEF HQ in Manhattan.
- Computer programming is not necessary — comfortable working in a “wiki”
or content managed environment
- Experience working with youth and HIV/AIDS issues, especially in
developing countries
- Experience with youth development issues, so as to be able to make
editorial judgments on the import and relevance of various pieces of
information
- Previous experience either in teaching, producing inventive material for
youth audiences (again, developing world experience preferred)

How to Apply:
Please send CV and Cover Letter to cfabian@unicef.org — As soon as
possible, *immediate start*

Language Log: LOLBRARIANS

LOLBRARIANS

Elatable by Bradley Horowitz

It’s kind of like cross-referencing your kids through other people’s photos!

http://www.elatable.com/blog/?p=38

Mind Jam Thursday 4-12!

Keyword Mind Jam 4-12 @ Vol De Nuit
148 W 4^th Street (6^th ave)

9:30 pm

Please RSVP if you’re coming! keyword.silssa@gmail.com

SILSSA Meeting Tonight! 4/10

Don’t miss the SILSSA meeting tonight (April 10th) at 5:30! In Room 610 at the Pratt Manhattan Campus. There will be lots of FREE stuff!!  The ballot for next year’s officers will also close.  And there will be FREE stuff!

The Chairscoot at NYPL

I’ve often been annoyed by the noisy nature of the heavy wooden chairs scraping across the floor at NYPL’s 42nd Street branch. But now I’m beginning to wonder if I simply have not been appreciating it properly.

Geddup Noise

Blogging and social network bloopers

Net reputations ruin job hopes

Blogging and social network bloopers can hurt your employability

By Tim Ferguson

http://management.silicon.com/careers/0,39024671,39166575,00.htm

The Library of Congress Trip!!!

Dear SILS students,The Library of Congress Trip, still has about 5 or so spots…so if you are interested in going, please confirm by e-mailing me, I will add you to the list, and fill out the form in the SILS office ASAP!  The trip is on April 12th, we will being leave Pratt SILS at 6am, all day event, we will be visiting the Jefferson building, Cataloging, digital ref, rare books, prints & photos, & manuscripts (not in that order), and we will leave there about 5pm or so…Thank you,Nicholas

 PS- I am sorry about the two missing “ss.” I hope that did not make anyone less interested!

Movers & Shakers 007

As I was looking through the current issue of Library Journal, I found and became particular interested in the Movers & Shakers issue. It has some really interesting people and ideas. However, I notice as I looked through it, none of the noteworth people were graduates of Pratt. Now, why is that…?

http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=ljms

OPAC Survey

A chance to get your two cents in on the state of the OPAC: http://www.daveyp.com/blog/index.php/archives/197/

For my own part, I’ve got at least a buck seventy to say about what we put our patrons through to find a book…

I want out!

I am inquiring if anyone could assist me regarding a certain issue I am have having. Well, it is more like a crisis. I hope to have a career in academic librarianship after everything is said and done. However, at the moment I am relegated to suffering in public libraries. So if anyone could point me to an internship, part-time, or better yet full-time work in a academic library, I would be most grateful. Since, the experience and environment will be best suited for me and my future.

 

Thank you!

Keyword silliness due — no joke.

Anything for the Keyword April Fools issue is due tomorrow (Thurs. 3/22) at midnight please!  Thanks to those of you who have already submitted articles!

Alicia Gibb

Read to Kids on Friday!!

America Reads is coming to Pratt!!!! Come read to a child! This will be held at the Pratt Brooklyn campus this FRIDAY, March 30th from 10am-3pm in the Pratt Gym (Arc Building). If you have any questions please contact Peggy West-Barton Feagin at 718-399-4489.

Don’t forget….

Wednesday night is the SLA@Pratt’s Alumni Panel!!

Meet some Pratt alums who have not only found work, but

are willing to let us know what it is they do and how they got

there.

There will be time for student questions as well as free

food!!

The date is Wednesday, March 21st.

The time is 5:30 pm.

The room is the PMC Library Conference Room (4th floor).

Culinary librarians

A BOOKWORM FINDS HIS PLACE AMONG THE STARS

“Think that chefs are the only ones who work at the Food Network? Hardly. The production studio in New York City houses people with all sorts of talents and interests-all relating to food, of course. Librarians, often cloistered in the hallowed halls of academia or kid-filled public facilities, can sometimes break out of the stacks and land a position that makes them the envy of all. Hear what Jonathan Milder says about his dream job.” Keep reading.

I thought this was a cool feature about a research librarian at the Food Network (scroll down).  Drool…

meghan.wheaton

Article: History, Digitized (and Abridged)

NY Times|History, Digitized (and Abridged)
By KATIE HAFNER. March 10, 2007

As more museums and archives become digital domains, and as electronic resources become the main tool for gathering information, items left behind in nondigital form, scholars and archivists say, are in danger of disappearing from the collective cultural memory, potentially leaving our historical fabric riddled with holes.

Murder in the Library

Murder in the Library, Part 1: A – H, from Britannica Blog

“Murder in the library, as a literary plot, holds a certain peculiar fascination for many readers (especially librarians). Some of the plots revolve around specific rare books, but most are set in mythical academic and research libraries in the United States and United Kingdom. Here are a few titles. . .” Keep Reading.

Article: Presidential papers

This is a must-read, especially with Freedom of Information Day approaching…

The New York Times
“Historians Fight Bush on Access to Papers“
By PATRICIA COHEN
Published: March 8, 2007
Historians want to broaden access to documents by lifting White House restrictions on their release.

-latona

Article: Intellectual authority in the infosphere

Keyword

View the latest edition of Keyword here! Pick up copies at the PMC library or the sixth floor.

NYTSL Annual Reception

Yesterday, Friday, March 2 was the Informal Reception at the New York Public Library
for Librarians, Information Professionals & Library School Students. For all of you who were there, I was great to see and meet you. Although, for all of you who missed it, I would highly recommand attending when you can. It was a great opportunity to meet up with your fellow students and network with various professional in the field. Personally, I meet a few Pratt students I did not know, see a few I did, and talked to many different professionals. There were not only Pratt students and staff, but also students and staff from Queens College, University of Michigan, CUNY, NYU, and St. Johns. In addition, there were members of ARLIS, VRA, and CAA. Further, there were people from the Morgan Library, Frick, NYPL, etc. So in all, it was a great time to chat, network, and meet people!

Library wifi incident

Alaskan Police seize the computer of man using free wireless outside the public library after-hours. Read article.

People are talking about it: Wi-Fi Net News, librarian Jessamyn West
Found on Library Link of the Day

Well, as long they’re house-trained

The New Library Professional
From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

The generation gap in research libraries begins with the large proportion of young people who work at jobs that either did not exist for their older colleagues, or weren’t associated years ago with librarianship.

James G. Neal, university librarian at Columbia University, invented the phrase “feral professionals” to describe individuals in such positions.

Library censors art

Brooklyn Up Close|An Exhibition Notable for What’s Not There
By PAUL BERGER. NY Times, February 18, 2007

The Brooklyn Central Public Library on Grand Army Plaza: Works are absent from exhibt because the library judged them too partisan or too abstract for its purposes. The decision has led to a debate over censorship that is as spirited as the battle over the project itself.