Hi -
I think a lot of people here are focusing more on Librarian In Black's concern of the "Buy Now" buttons - when you should be concerned about your privacy. First, I get why she is annoyed by the "Buy Now" button. Libraries do not wish to "endorse" a particular service or product over another - and the "Buy Now" button gives the sense that "This Library supports Amazon" over another bookseller.
As for the privacy concerns, I've noticed a lot of comments on "Well, don't libraries give up those records with the PATRIOT act anyway?" When the PATRIOT act was enacted, libraries in the US scrambled to protect the rights of their users and the majority of them only have a record of who has what item out at that time - they do not have a record of what you returned.
And of course, there are lots who are saying "Libraries, bah - NOT RELEVANT." And I'm sure that is true for many of you; however, the library is more than books. Libraries provide a space for people to gather, they provide free internet to those who cannot afford it, they provide lessons on various computer programs, storytimes for children, etc. I am in an academic college library, and the majority of my students cannot afford their textbooks, let alone a computer for them to use. Please remember, you are probably viewing this article from your own computer - there are still a lot of people out there who don't have that luxury.
Libraries help people with research, and despite what everyone thinks - not everything is found via Google. Perhaps Rush Limbaugh could have used a librarian / library when he made those horrible remarks about the LRA.
Yes, I saw that too. Have you not ever had the case where all the website that answer the question you want seem to reference themselves? Site A says it's true because Site B says it's true because site C says its true because site A says it's true.
And then through your research you discover - shocking - it's not true!
It happens ALL the time on the internet. And most people aren't going to be like me and search back to the original source.
Another problem is how do you know it's a reputable site? I am a librarian and I teach college students information literacy, and it seems no one has critical thinking skills to judge whether or not a site is a good source of information! I think Google is just perpetuating the culture of misinformation we have.
end rant
This concerns me. If it is just a gathering of facts from the top sites - who is to say that information is even accurate. I find lots of sites that all reference each other with the same false information.
Libraries are not just about knowledge. They are about gathering places - they are about providing services to the public. Not everyone can afford books, movies, internet, etc. Libraries provide access to these things. I realise to everyone it looks like a waste of time and money, but it isn't. Some of the video games (Dragon Age for example) provide more reading than most books these days.
Of course, I am biased. I am a librarian. I spend my days showing students why they still need the library. I show them pictures of fake giant skeletons, I show them pictures of Paris Hilton and Pope John Paul II clubbing in Ibiza. I try and show them that right now, we need libraries more than ever. We have reached an age where we can fake reality - who can say what is real. You need a place that can help you find out what the facts are.
Maybe (at the ripe old age of 30), I'm already a dinosaur.
From a purely anecdotal perspective, I'd say 60-70% of laptops in the college classroom are being used for entertainment, not note taking. At the very least, I'd like to see them confined to the back few rows of the room.
I'm a college librarian - I teach research classes and am always out in the computer lab section of our library. I'd venture to say that 90% of ALL computers at a college or university are being used for: Facebook and YouTube. I have students who can't get a computer to type out an essay because the computer lab is full (and I'm not even exaggerating) of students checking their facebook. (We can't ban facebook because they might need it for "educational purposes"). We get a report here that tells us essentially where all our bandwidth is going: Facebook, Youtube, Google Video, Myspace.
I teach in a computer lab. As funny / not terribly boring as my lecture is (I mean, really, the topic is research, I can't make it THAT thrilling) - I simply can't compete with texting / facebook, etc. And the computers FACE me. I find it distracting for me, the lecturer. When I do say something like "Oh, I can see you are telling all your friends how great the library is on Facebook", they all look at me like "What?? You know what facebook is??" (Yes, my dear students, I'm only thirty... not dead.)
I tried to switch into a Computer Science double major instead of just my English degree. (English was so boring, I was tired of analysing the sexual inference of a tree shadow across a woman's bed).
The Computer Science department was thrilled to have me (I had comp sci experience, could program, etc). BUT, I had to get into this one math course - so off I went to talk to the math department. The math professor I spoke to informed me that he "didn't think girls were good at math" and therefore, he wouldn't let me in. Yes, that was his whole reason - and this was only 10 years ago. I was young, stupid, and didn't take it to the Human Rights Office, instead, I went to the Classics department and spent 3 years learning latin (YAY).
I think lots of girls are still discouraged from entering in the sciences - either quietly or overtly.
I don't think it's sexual harassment - everyone in university seems to collectively "sexually harass" each other. It's called teasing, and it happens everywhere everyday.
I also don't believe it's because CS isn't "social" - there are LOTS of opportunities for social interaction. I later became a systems librarian, so I could use the CS skills I have WITH the sociable aspect. There is a great demand for intermediaries - people who can speak tech and explain things to both sides (techies and non-techies).
I suspect it's these small little pockets of "Girls suck at that" professors / administrators / high school teachers who discourage women from pursuing the field.
They have serious motherboard issues too. I had to call again for work because the mobo transitors were all bloated. The server would just reboot whenever it wanted to- I called Dell and they said the same thing - we get this one all the time.
In my head I thought, "Then fix it, you twits."
I found their service to be quite good for businesses (sadly, once you got someone you could understand).
I found when I had a Dell that the service would fluctuate. The first desktop I was sent wouldn't even boot - one phone call and the next day a new one was shipped. Of course, that didn't work either - insert this about twice more; eventually getting one that did. I had the three year technical support next day service which worked pretty well until six months before my contract ended. My monitor went all exorcist and when I called Dell about it, I was asked, "What? You really think we are going to send you a new monitor?" and then LAUGHED. They wouldn't even repair it. Lost a customer that day, I tell you.
Sadly, the computer industry is very much like the car industry. People who do not know much about computers can easily get taken in: "No ma'am, it's not the hardware, your flux capacitor software has been dropping packets.... that's not covered."
You kinda feel a little dirty after dealing with Dell, wondering how you got screwed or how you will.
Yes, there are plenty of programs to encourage women into IT, but whose to stop a professor from maintaining a "No Girls Allowed in the Clubhouse" sign. Yes, I could have complained to the Human rights office at the time - I know that NOW. I didn't know that then, I thought I just had to suck it up and switch into something else.
Of course none of us are shocked at this. I think part of the reason why there are less girls in IT is they are actively discouraged from going into this field. I can hear all the naysayers: "Not in this day and age, by golly." Yes, in this day and age. By school, by family, and by society in general.
I am female, and I have been on a computer since I was a wee one. Worked my way through BBSes, the scary USENET world, and coding (my father started me off on BASIC when I was in grade 3). Now - one would think I would have ended up a compsci major. Well no. For various reasons, I started off as a science major - which made me unhappy so I tried to switch over to CompSci. The Compsci department was fine with that- they would let me in, BUT I had to get approval for one math course (because I didn't have the prereq). Happily, I went off to the math department and was told by the head of the Math Department at an unamed university that "girls were not good at math", and therefore, he wouldn't let me in. So, I ended up in the humanities.
I was lucky, I managed to keep up my skills on the side and eventually got a job as a systems librarian. But, I wonder how many girls gave up.
I also find that families aren't friendly to women learning technology - often giving boys the techy toys and encouraging them to learn, whereas girls are told that's not feminine (in more than verbal words). Luckily, my dad only had girls, and so I got a very nice well-rounded education. (That means, I can be a sysadmin, check my own oil, AND know which lipstick goes with my wine-coloured top).;-)
That robot is not a librarian... It should really be called a "Robot Page" since that is title of the position who puts the books back on the shelves. For this to really be a librarian, it would have to know how to find you that rare quote you wanted for your thesis, or suggest a good novel for you to read next.
I get so irritated when people dissect my career and believe that all we do is put books on shelves. I don't do that. I do a million other things, from research to coding web pages in PHP, but I do not shelve books.
an archivist who would deal with all that for you.;-)
However, that is an expensive route to follow. As for a hierarchical database system, I have yet to find a cheap one or "free" one, however, I have only been searching for one in the context of archival purposes, so that is probably the problem. I believe you could probably manipulate Inmagic's DB/Textworks to do what you want. But I believe it isn't a "hierarchical" database. Good luck!
Slashdot Mirror
Hi - I think a lot of people here are focusing more on Librarian In Black's concern of the "Buy Now" buttons - when you should be concerned about your privacy. First, I get why she is annoyed by the "Buy Now" button. Libraries do not wish to "endorse" a particular service or product over another - and the "Buy Now" button gives the sense that "This Library supports Amazon" over another bookseller.
As for the privacy concerns, I've noticed a lot of comments on "Well, don't libraries give up those records with the PATRIOT act anyway?" When the PATRIOT act was enacted, libraries in the US scrambled to protect the rights of their users and the majority of them only have a record of who has what item out at that time - they do not have a record of what you returned.
And of course, there are lots who are saying "Libraries, bah - NOT RELEVANT." And I'm sure that is true for many of you; however, the library is more than books. Libraries provide a space for people to gather, they provide free internet to those who cannot afford it, they provide lessons on various computer programs, storytimes for children, etc. I am in an academic college library, and the majority of my students cannot afford their textbooks, let alone a computer for them to use. Please remember, you are probably viewing this article from your own computer - there are still a lot of people out there who don't have that luxury. Libraries help people with research, and despite what everyone thinks - not everything is found via Google. Perhaps Rush Limbaugh could have used a librarian / library when he made those horrible remarks about the LRA.
Yes, I saw that too. Have you not ever had the case where all the website that answer the question you want seem to reference themselves? Site A says it's true because Site B says it's true because site C says its true because site A says it's true.
And then through your research you discover - shocking - it's not true!
It happens ALL the time on the internet. And most people aren't going to be like me and search back to the original source.
Another problem is how do you know it's a reputable site? I am a librarian and I teach college students information literacy, and it seems no one has critical thinking skills to judge whether or not a site is a good source of information! I think Google is just perpetuating the culture of misinformation we have. end rant
This concerns me. If it is just a gathering of facts from the top sites - who is to say that information is even accurate. I find lots of sites that all reference each other with the same false information.
Libraries are not just about knowledge. They are about gathering places - they are about providing services to the public. Not everyone can afford books, movies, internet, etc. Libraries provide access to these things. I realise to everyone it looks like a waste of time and money, but it isn't. Some of the video games (Dragon Age for example) provide more reading than most books these days. Of course, I am biased. I am a librarian. I spend my days showing students why they still need the library. I show them pictures of fake giant skeletons, I show them pictures of Paris Hilton and Pope John Paul II clubbing in Ibiza. I try and show them that right now, we need libraries more than ever. We have reached an age where we can fake reality - who can say what is real. You need a place that can help you find out what the facts are. Maybe (at the ripe old age of 30), I'm already a dinosaur.
I'm a college librarian - I teach research classes and am always out in the computer lab section of our library. I'd venture to say that 90% of ALL computers at a college or university are being used for: Facebook and YouTube. I have students who can't get a computer to type out an essay because the computer lab is full (and I'm not even exaggerating) of students checking their facebook. (We can't ban facebook because they might need it for "educational purposes"). We get a report here that tells us essentially where all our bandwidth is going: Facebook, Youtube, Google Video, Myspace.
I teach in a computer lab. As funny / not terribly boring as my lecture is (I mean, really, the topic is research, I can't make it THAT thrilling) - I simply can't compete with texting / facebook, etc. And the computers FACE me. I find it distracting for me, the lecturer. When I do say something like "Oh, I can see you are telling all your friends how great the library is on Facebook", they all look at me like "What?? You know what facebook is??" (Yes, my dear students, I'm only thirty... not dead.)
I wonder how many people have a "passwords.txt" file in their Documents. ;-)
I tried to switch into a Computer Science double major instead of just my English degree. (English was so boring, I was tired of analysing the sexual inference of a tree shadow across a woman's bed). The Computer Science department was thrilled to have me (I had comp sci experience, could program, etc). BUT, I had to get into this one math course - so off I went to talk to the math department. The math professor I spoke to informed me that he "didn't think girls were good at math" and therefore, he wouldn't let me in. Yes, that was his whole reason - and this was only 10 years ago. I was young, stupid, and didn't take it to the Human Rights Office, instead, I went to the Classics department and spent 3 years learning latin (YAY). I think lots of girls are still discouraged from entering in the sciences - either quietly or overtly. I don't think it's sexual harassment - everyone in university seems to collectively "sexually harass" each other. It's called teasing, and it happens everywhere everyday. I also don't believe it's because CS isn't "social" - there are LOTS of opportunities for social interaction. I later became a systems librarian, so I could use the CS skills I have WITH the sociable aspect. There is a great demand for intermediaries - people who can speak tech and explain things to both sides (techies and non-techies). I suspect it's these small little pockets of "Girls suck at that" professors / administrators / high school teachers who discourage women from pursuing the field.
They have serious motherboard issues too. I had to call again for work because the mobo transitors were all bloated. The server would just reboot whenever it wanted to- I called Dell and they said the same thing - we get this one all the time. In my head I thought, "Then fix it, you twits." I found their service to be quite good for businesses (sadly, once you got someone you could understand).
I found when I had a Dell that the service would fluctuate. The first desktop I was sent wouldn't even boot - one phone call and the next day a new one was shipped. Of course, that didn't work either - insert this about twice more; eventually getting one that did. I had the three year technical support next day service which worked pretty well until six months before my contract ended. My monitor went all exorcist and when I called Dell about it, I was asked, "What? You really think we are going to send you a new monitor?" and then LAUGHED. They wouldn't even repair it. Lost a customer that day, I tell you. Sadly, the computer industry is very much like the car industry. People who do not know much about computers can easily get taken in: "No ma'am, it's not the hardware, your flux capacitor software has been dropping packets.... that's not covered." You kinda feel a little dirty after dealing with Dell, wondering how you got screwed or how you will.
Yes, there are plenty of programs to encourage women into IT, but whose to stop a professor from maintaining a "No Girls Allowed in the Clubhouse" sign. Yes, I could have complained to the Human rights office at the time - I know that NOW. I didn't know that then, I thought I just had to suck it up and switch into something else.
Of course none of us are shocked at this. I think part of the reason why there are less girls in IT is they are actively discouraged from going into this field. I can hear all the naysayers: "Not in this day and age, by golly." Yes, in this day and age. By school, by family, and by society in general.
;-)
I am female, and I have been on a computer since I was a wee one. Worked my way through BBSes, the scary USENET world, and coding (my father started me off on BASIC when I was in grade 3). Now - one would think I would have ended up a compsci major. Well no. For various reasons, I started off as a science major - which made me unhappy so I tried to switch over to CompSci. The Compsci department was fine with that- they would let me in, BUT I had to get approval for one math course (because I didn't have the prereq). Happily, I went off to the math department and was told by the head of the Math Department at an unamed university that "girls were not good at math", and therefore, he wouldn't let me in. So, I ended up in the humanities.
I was lucky, I managed to keep up my skills on the side and eventually got a job as a systems librarian. But, I wonder how many girls gave up.
I also find that families aren't friendly to women learning technology - often giving boys the techy toys and encouraging them to learn, whereas girls are told that's not feminine (in more than verbal words). Luckily, my dad only had girls, and so I got a very nice well-rounded education. (That means, I can be a sysadmin, check my own oil, AND know which lipstick goes with my wine-coloured top).
That robot is not a librarian... It should really be called a "Robot Page" since that is title of the position who puts the books back on the shelves. For this to really be a librarian, it would have to know how to find you that rare quote you wanted for your thesis, or suggest a good novel for you to read next.
I get so irritated when people dissect my career and believe that all we do is put books on shelves. I don't do that. I do a million other things, from research to coding web pages in PHP, but I do not shelve books.
Reasons why you should fall down and worship your librarian
However, that is an expensive route to follow. As for a hierarchical database system, I have yet to find a cheap one or "free" one, however, I have only been searching for one in the context of archival purposes, so that is probably the problem. I believe you could probably manipulate Inmagic's DB/Textworks to do what you want. But I believe it isn't a "hierarchical" database. Good luck!