For a
bi-monthly wrap up of NOLA news and information, be sure to check out NOLA Notes!
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| From
the Field |
P4 debuts in October
The next version of the Pentium processor debuts in October. The next generation in Intel’s chip line will initially run at speeds of 1.4 and 1.5 GHz. Once the chip is released bargain hunters should be able to locate a number of PIII processor machines at significant discounts.
Digital Collections
The Library of Congress (LC), in conjunction with the University of Virginia and its press, are making George Washington's 51 known diaries available online in its American Memory collection at
http://www.loc.gov. According to LC, Washington faithfully kept diaries beginning in 1748 with the final entry dated December 13, 1799, the day before his death. Some of this material has been published previously, but nothing of this scale has ever been available to the general public.
Source: www.LJDigital.com |
Statewide Resource Sharing Update
What does your library really need to be ready for the upcoming Statewide Resource Sharing project?
It's been a very popular question among libraries around the state for the
past few weeks. To assist members in planning for this program NOLA
will publish and mail to members a document next week discussing the requirements for
the project and explaining the impact the the three key technological
requirements in the project - TCP/IP, Z39.50, and
SIP/SIP2.
Ameritech Data/Voice Service Issues
Many libraries receive data (T1) and voice line services from
Ameritech. Some of these sites have reported significant outages,
poor repair service, inaccessibility of customer service and repair staff
and more. As a result it is worth watching the developments as five
midwestern states (including Ohio) meet to discuss Ameritech's troubles
and possible solutions.
Read more -
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000929/tc/telecoms_ameritech_dc_3.html
Electronic Pirating of Books
Forget Amazon and Barnes and Nobel - how’d you like to download the new John Grisham and Tom Clancy books, at no charge? Wired Magazine reported discovering a website offering dozens of
pirated bestsellers available for download - at no charge. Piracy and copyright issues related to the electronic distribution of music have been in the news; however, this is the first site reported to permit
downloading of pirated books. Look for the continued discussion of
copyright, fair use, and intellectual property the coming months.
Those interested in the topic might consider reading this month's Wired
magazine which has an excellent article on Napster and the future of
copyright.
Find out more -
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,38945,00.html
Worth a Look
Federal
Digital Signatures Law - new law permits the use of electronic
signatures on certain documents. Not likely to have an impact in the
next 12 months, but should play a significant role in the future of
Internet commerce.
Items submitted by:
Brad Stephens - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
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| The
Director's Desk |
CHILDREN’S INTERNET
SAFETY MONTH
ALA Newsline states the Senate declares October as Children’s Internet Safety Month. Libraries are encouraged to let your patrons know the important work librarians do to provide a safe learning environment for children. Over 95% of public libraries with Internet access have Internet Use Policies in effect. Educate your patrons & your community. ALA has provided an INTERNET TOOLKIT on its web site at
http://www.ala.org/pio/internettoolkit/index.html. In the 20 page toolkit, there are samples of policies plus suggestions for talking points about filtering. One statistic from the toolkit, less than 2% of all web sites contain sexually explicit material.
HOW TO STAY ON TOP OF THE TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION
NO more mouse or buttons to push to operate your computer? When will you be able to talk to your computer?
GW Forecast predicts by 2012 that you will voice operate your computer. William E. Halal and his research team at George Washington University have worked for the past 10 years to estimate when roughly 100 technologies will enter the economic mainstream. Since 1998, the web site has reflected on the pace of changing technologies. Be sure to bookmark The GW Forecast: A Virtual Think Tank for Tracking The Technology Revolution
www.gwforecast.gwu.edu
What is in the future?
2007 Online publishing: Majority of books, publications are published online only. 2015 Moon base is permanently established.
2019 Desalinized seawater is economically feasible.
2030 Fusion nuclear power is used commercially for electricity production.
Items submitted by:
Jeannette Martin - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
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DESKTOP NEWS FEATURES CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEWS
NOLA is pleased to have the YSU Penguin Storytellers share their talents by reviewing children’s books on Desktop News. Special thanks goes to Paul Rohrbaugh for his work with the YSU students.
Reviews start in this issue - Look for the new Penguin Corner section
below! |
 The
Penguin Corner |
Every issue we'll feature book
reviews from the Penguin Story Tellers, a Student organization at
Youngstown State University that focuses on love of reading and story
telling.
| The
following reviews were submitted by: Valerie Setzer |
 |
McBratney, Sam. I’m Sorry. New York: HarperCollins, 2000.
Words can heal better than a bandage when it comes to healing a friendship. Two children learn this lesson in the book I’m Sorry. The emotions that the characters feel have been beautifully illustrated by Jennifer
Eachus. This is a wonderful book for children between the preschool years and first grade. Because of the realistic way the children have been illustrated, the message of mending heartaches can be felt by the reader. The book would be a nice edition to a unit on family, friendships, or handling emotions. |
Little, Lessie Jones. Children of Long Ago. New York: Lee & Low, 2000.
Children of Long Ago, winner of the Parents’ Choice Award, is a compilation of poems written by an African American woman who grew up in the early 1900’s. The book’s poems are written to describe to today’s children the way people lived in the past. Unfortunately, quite of few of the poems do not convey that message. The artwork done by Jan Spivey Gilchrist actually gives the book the feel that it is set back in the earlier part of the century. However, the artwork and the poetry work well together to giving the reader knowledge that there was joy for the African American family amidst the heartache of oppression. The book can be used preschool age through sixth grade.
Severance, John B. Skyscrapers. New York: Holiday House, 2000.
Skyscrapers gives the reader a historical account of how the magnificent buildings came into existence. It contains a wide variety of information on the buildings such as the architects and where their ideas came from. The author describes the architects as artists creating a masterpiece. That is in fact what they were doing, but it is wonderful to see it put into words the way John Severance describes it. Photographs are incorporated with the text to give the reader opportunity to see what the artists had created. The book makes an excellent reference source. It would also be useful in an art class to discuss the different artistic styles the buildings were modeled after. It could also be used in a geometry class to discuss and work out mathematically the height of the buildings and, for example, the length of the shadow the building might cast. The book is intended for readers aged ten years and up.
Pinkey, Andrea Davis. Let It Shine Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters. San Diego: Harcourt, 2000.
Let It Shine is a biographical account of ten African American women who dedicated their lives to the fight for freedom and equality. The book speaks of women such as Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, but also brings our attention to women who are just as important but not as famous such as, Biddy Mason, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Shirley Chisholm. This book is not only important for the study of African American history, but for the roles women played in the building of our country, and our country’s history. The manner in which the book is written in does not do its message justice. It makes for easier reading, but the conversational tone gives the stories of the women a fictional appearance. The book can be used for all ages.
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