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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 Director's Desk - Paul Pormen |
Filtering of Internet Content:
The new administrations view: In campaign appearances in Michigan on October 5, George W. Bush said he would require libraries and schools that receive federal funds to install Internet filters to prevent children from accessing sexually explicit or violent material. Requiring the filters would help ensure that children were shielded from “filth and violence,” said Bush. “Culture is sometimes the enemy of what parents and teachers are trying to teach our children.”
Read more: http://www.usiia.org/news/bush.doc
ALA MidWinter
You're invited to join the Ohio Caucus at ALA Midwinter in Washington DC on Monday, January 15 from 3:00-4:00 pm. The
meeting will be held in the Washington Convention Center, Room 19. It's a time to learn about what is happening in ALA and in Council.
Also a time to meet with colleagues from Ohio in school, public, special and academic libraries. Hosted by Carolyn S.
Brodie, ALA Ohio Chapter Councilor.
What’s New at the INFOhio Web site?
CAT Jr.'s arrival, with links to pages that explain the changes in INFOhio's Web OPACs, an instruction sheet for younger readers, a DASite where
CAT Jr. is running in almost 90 buildings, and an e-mail address for comments about this new look for searching INFOhio school library catalogs.
A revised INFOhio Electronic Resources Information Kit, to help promote Ohio's state-funded tools for all K-12 students and teachers. Links to each of
the flyers, a poster, and the cover memo recently mailed are included. Newly added: black and white versions of the electronic resources flyers.
"Vendors and Jobbers Providing MARC Records to Ohio Schools," a list summarizing information vendors have provided.
Read more: http://www.infohio.org/new/
Items submitted by:
Paul Pormen - Email
Interim Executive Director
NOLA Regional Library System
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Save this Date!
National Library Legislative Day is April 30 & May 1, 2000
Click here for more info.
MVL Develops Web Site
I see that MVL (Miami Valley Libraries) has developed a Web site.
Visit the site: http://www.mvl.lib.oh.us
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| From
the Field - Brad Stephens |
PEACEFIRE
An organization opposed to Censorship and Filtering on the web has introduced a program that disables nearly all locally (client) installed Internet filtering applications. The program, also named
Peacefile, can disable SurfWatch, Cyber Patrol, Net Nanny, CYBERsitter, X-Stop,
PureSight, and Cyber Snoop all with one click. Libraries and schools using these applications to control Internet access should find out more about this application, as it is likely to become an issue within your system.
Visit Peacefire: http://www.peacefire.org
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One to watch in 01
Pointera is a interesting extension of traditional search engine technology that employs the same distributed, or peer-to-peer, style of networking made popular by Napster. Pointera allows users to share files directly from their hard drives with other users via the web.
The contents of these shared files are indexed and included in search results, significantly
increasing the amount of information available on the web. While the idea sounds interesting, it doesn't sound earth shattering, but it just might be. Why? These applications (there are a number of products similar to Pointera under development) can overcome many weaknesses found in traditional search engines such as the amount of non-indexed web content and the time it takes for material to be indexed and made searchable.
While the technology seems very appealing Pointera still has some growing to do before it's ready to large scale use. Issues of privacy, accuracy, consistent access to information, and copyright will need to be more fully addressed.
Read more: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20001231/tc/will_rebels_shake_the_web_in_2001__1.html
Visit the Pointera site: http://www.pointera.com
Handheld computers in schools
Wired.com recently published an article on how one school district in Illinois is using Palm Pilot technologies in their curriculum. This fall 2200 Palm Pilots were distributed to students. The devices are
being used in all courses, from Spanish to Biology, acting as a replacement for more costly and less portable technologies like laptops. If the project is successful look for more institutions to begin experiments.
Read more: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,40483,00.html
Misinformation on the Net
Some of our AskUsQuestions librarians sent me this article and I thought it was so good I should pass it along to everyone. The publication examines what has become a very real problem - the existence of and rapid increase in the amount of misinformation on the Internet. The sad fact about many of our patrons and students is that they view nearly all information found on the web as reliable - without verifying the source or checking the details. Take a few minutes to read more on this topic:
http://www.findarticles.com/m0DPC/5_8/61945076/p1/article.jhtml
On the same topic a recent survey by Burson-Marstelle found that more than 33% of journalists interviewed said that the Internet is their first reference when researching a story, only 25% said they'd use the library or newspaper archives. Of the reporters using the Internet for research more than 50% believe it to be as reliable as any other information resource.
Read more: http://www.nua.net/surveys/?f=VS&art_id=905356278&rel=true
Items submitted by:
Brad Stephens - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
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