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bi-monthly wrap up of NOLA news and information, be sure to check out NOLA Notes!
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| From
the Field |
Libraries,
eBooks and the future! Do you
have the Winning Solution?
From September 5-11, eBookNet.com is sponsoring a discussion with librarians
about what the future holds for libraries and eBooks. eBookNet will give away
10 Rocket eBooks each to the two libraries that propose, on the message forum,
the most compelling ideas for using eBooks in a library system. And one lucky
librarian will be chosen at random to receive three free Rocket eBooks.
Source:
Rocket ENewsletter, September 1,2000
The disappearance of Napster
The trend of banning Napster by US colleges and universities is continuing. 17 of 50 colleges (including Kent State) surveyed announced that they were updating their use policies to ban downloading of electronic
music through Napster. The issue of banning Napster may be irrelevant as opening arguments begin October 2 in a lawsuit filed by a recording industry group which could pull the plug on
Napster.
Read more |
Outsourcing Library Automation
There is an interesting trend developing in world of library automation - the development of library automation application service provider’s (ASP’s).
Library ASP’s provide both system administration and hosting services
for library automation systems. An ASP houses and maintains a library's
automated system, allowing access to the systems via the internet.
The advantage for many libraries - there is no need to purchase server
hardware, initial software costs and the time demands on library
automation staff are reduced. At present Epixtech and CASPR are offering ASP services to their customers - look for the trend to continue.
Read more: http://www.ala.org/alonline/ts/ts800.html
Ebook movement continues to gain momentum
This past week Amazon.com and Microsoft announced a partnership for the distribution and sales of Microsoft Reader Ebook content. With this partnership Microsoft has now established partnerships with the two largest web-based book-sellers,
Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com. This partnership firmly establishes a
content distribution network superior to that of NuvoMedia (maker of the
Rocket eBook) and should lead to a broader acceptance of Microsoft's Ebook
format.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/review/crh454.htm
Worth a look
Library of Congress launches US History site for children
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi
The REB1100: Lighter, More Connected
Like the Rocket eBook, the REB1100 (Rocket eBook 1100) has a monochrome LCD touch-screen measuring 5.5" diagonally (click here for an enlarged version of the picture at top).
It will come with 8 megabytes of memory, enough to store approximately 20 full-length
novels, and has a user-accessible upgrade slot for a 64-megabyte Smart Media
memory card. At 17 ounces, it is noticeably lighter than the Rocket eBook (which
weighs 22 ounces). Its rechargeable battery lasts up to 40 hours, about the
same as the advertised battery life of the Rocket eBook.
The most significant new features of the REB1100 are an internal modem and standard
telephone jack. Thanks to the modem, users will no longer need a computer and
Internet access to buy and download titles for their device. Gemstar and RCA
will provide a dial-up service that "permits users to access their personal electronic
library shelf and new content from any standard telephone line," according to
the RCA press release. For users who still wish to buy books on the Internet
and download them from their computers to the REB1100, the device comes with
a USB cable and an infrared link.
Source: Rocket ENewsletter, September 1,2000
Items submitted by:
Brad Stephens - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
|
| The
Director's Desk |
One Web
Site to Access the Federal Government
How do I get a passport? Who is the Ambassador to Japan? Will
Yellowstone National Park be open Labor Day? The sheer volume of federal
information makes searching the Web time consuming and often frustrating.
Currently, each federal agency has its own web site. President Clinton
announced the development of http://www.firstgov.gov.
This one Internet location will permit users to find authentic U.S.
government information and services on every available topic and find it
quickly and consistently. The project will link more than 20,000
government web sites and will be completed this fall.
Ohio LSTA State Grants
SLO has initiated a new monthly electronic newsletter The LSTA Zephyr
located at http://winslo.state.oh.us/publib/lstanews.html
to help you keep informed of upcoming dates and highlight changes in the
grant process. In the future, grants for other purposes will no
longer be competing for funding against automation grants. Also,
attendance at grant workshops will no longer be mandatory to submit a
grant proposal.
NAS Panel will study Strategies for
Protecting Kids from Pornography on the Internet
Marilyn Mason, former Director of the Cleveland Public Library and the
Atlanta Public Library and Nicholas J. Belkin, Professor at Rutgers
University’s School of Library and Information Science were appointed to
the National Academy of Science (NAS) Panel on Tools and Strategies for
Protecting Kids From Pornography on the Internet. Under the
Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1988, congress
mandated an 18-month study to examine and objectively report on the
various methods available to protect children from pornography and sexual
predators on the Internet. Final report will include how both
technological tools and non-technological strategies may be used together
to assist local approaches for guarding children against inappropriate
Internet content.
Items submitted by:
Jeannette Martin - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
|
Youngest
Holder of a Library Card
A library card was issued to the unborn child of Robert and Christine
Young of Herndon, VA. Grandmother-to-be presented the library card
to the expectant mother at the baby shower. Fairfax County Public
Library has no age limit on obtaining a library card. |
| From the Workshop Bench of Melissa
Lattanzi |
Job Burnout...What is it and do YOU suffer
from it?
Are you bored by your job?
Do you find yourself looking at your watch every ten minutes, eagerly awaiting the arrival of 5 o'clock?
Maybe you need a vacation... or maybe you need to just get "Fired Up" before you "Burn Out"!
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you're not alone.
Most people reach a point where they are unfulfilled by their work.
But they may not know why they're unhappy or what they can do about it. If this describes you, you may be suffering from
Job Burnout. Job Burnout is an expensive problem for many
businesses. It gradually robs workers of their productivity until they
simply can't function at all. When job stress leads to burnout it often
goes unnoticed.
Everyone has their ups and downs, and just because you have a
rotten day now and then doesn't mean you should rush to see a career counselor
or resign in a huff. You may just need to get rejuvenated once in
awhile. A good way to do this is to come to NOLA's program "Before
you Burnout...Get Fired Up! Carol Ritz will provide you with ways
to overcome and avoid Job Burnout and gain personal power by thinking
powerfully!
This program is offered twice once in Lisbon,
Ohio on Wednesday, September 20th and then in Ashtabula,
Ohio on Thursday, September 21st.
Items submitted by:
Melissa Lattanzi - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
 |
Well, are you ready? It's almost time.
Yep. School is back in session. And in just a few weeks Reflinks
will be your best friend on the circ desk. Oh yeah. Come to us first
for all those pesky questions about explorers, tree identification, Civil War
battles, Newberry Award lists, and more. New sites are added all the time.
Scroll through the dewey topics or use the convenient search engine. Turn
your students and staff onto http://www.reflinks.org. We're here to help.
Uh oh....is that the bell? Where did all those backpacks come from?
How many sources do you need for that? You have to get them off the
web?..... |
Items submitted by:
Reflinks Members [email protected]
|
