LIS + DataSci
In my last post, I described the characteristics of libraries during the century before 1975. During that century, libraries faced no fundamental changes and were fully in control of how they presented themselves to patrons. That stability and control have now been shattered. Why? The first crack came with the
LIS + DataSci
Until recently the online catalog continued to contain records only for items physically held by the library system. As libraries have entered into cooperative relationships, this principle of telling "what the library has" has eroded. In union catalogs that contain records from libraries of more than one institution,
LIS + DataSci
[W]e have all kinds of tools that are organized to aid in the process of finding information that we need: telephone books, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, indexes, catalogs, museum registers, archival finding aids, and databases, among others. -- Arlene G. Taylor, The Organization of Information (Westport, Conn. : Libraries Unlimited,
LIS + DataSci
We organize because we need to retrieve. -- Arlene G. Taylor, The Organization of Information (Westport, Conn. : Libraries Unlimited, 2004), pg. 1. Leaving aside the folks who organize because of OCD… Is there a good study out there about the range of ways that library patrons use to retrieve? Librarians
Chapbook
We expect anything and everything. We expect the contradictory and the impossible. We expect compact cars which are spacious; luxurious cars which are economical. We expect to be rich and charitable, powerful and merciful, active and reflective, kind and competitive. We expect to be inspired by mediocre appeals for "
Music
Three songs that go well together: * "Vienna" by Billy Joel * "Vienna" by Ultravox * "Leipzig" by Thomas Dolby
Books
Among all forms of prehistoric religion, the strangest and most difficult to understand in our own day seems the cult of the dead, the constant presence of the dead in every aspect of life. To a prehistoric man, in contrast, our strangest and most mysterious form of worship would be
History
In his book The Ruin of Kasch, Roberto Calasso argues that humanity lost an important outlet when we banned the ritual of sacrifice, because the craving to sacrifice now permeates life rather than being bounded and limited by the tradition of a ritual. The Aztecs killed a few to (as
California
The years 1945 to 1965 were the Golden Age of the Golden State. The economy was booming and jobs were plentiful. A torrent of tax revenue (and the bond issues it supported) led to widespread expansion of the parks system, the university system, K-12 schools, and public works. In 1962,
Life
On the one hand, I own enough already to keep me busy for the rest of my life. On the other hand, I still want everything on my Amazon wishlist.
Music
To continue listing my favorite songs added to my iTunes in 2007… 25. "Kick Out the Jams" by The MC5 26. "Time and Tide" by Basia 27. "Green Tambourine" by The Lemon Pipers 28. "Draggin' the Line" by Tommy James 29.
Music
Because I was on a blogging hiatus a year ago, I never posted my year-end favorite songs from 2007 (these are songs that I added to iTunes in 2007, most of which were not actually released that year). Here are #50 through #26: 50. "The Vex" by Black