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Ethics, At Last

Thursday, December 9, 2004

See: http://blogethics2004.blogspot.com

Which links to these two great resources:

Rebecca Blood’s Weblog Ethics: http://www.rebeccablood.net/handbook/excerpts/weblog_ethics.html

Cyberjournalist.net, A Blogger’s Code of Ethics: http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000215.php

For some time I’ve grumbled and groused about the practices of librarian bloggers. Too many of us want to be considered serious citizen-journalists, when it suits us, but fall back on “hey, it’s only a blog” when we’d rather post first and fact-check later, present commentary as “news,” or otherwise fall short of the guidelines of the real profession of journalism. (This is doubly ironic, considering how librarians squeal when people without library degrees claim to practice “librarianship.”)

We’re on the eve of having the first serious blog coverage for an ALA conference. (I’m going to be one of the Citizen Bloggers for PLA, thanks to Steven Cohen’s advocacy in this area.) I really would like this to be a credible event that reflects well on blogging in librarianship. But I worry that if we start off without agreeing, however informally, to a code of ethics, we may prove to our colleagues why blogging has its bad reputation.

I also feel that as librarians our “code” has to go even farther than in the examples I cite at the beginning of this entry. We are the standard-bearers for accurate, unbiased information. Blogs filled with typos, half-baked “facts,” misrepresentations, copyright violations, and other egregious and unprofessional problems do not represent us well to the world.

I’m going to write about blogging and ethics over the next couple of weeks (in between discussing my holiday activities, such as baking 12 types of cookies in the next week and my hunt for The Best Ham in the World, or showing off my new holiday dress–gotta love that Lands’ End petite department!). In the meantime, give a gander to the links above. Think. Mull. Breathe it in.

Filed in Blogging and Ethics, Hot Tech, Librarianship | | Comments (6)

A Clueful Article about Libraries Reaching Out

Thursday, December 9, 2004

Full text at http://tinyurl.com/5ambu (registration required)

Gnatek, Tim. Libraries Reach Out, Online. New York Times, December 9, 2004: “E-books are only one way that libraries are laying claim to a massive online public as their newest service audience. The institutions are breaking free from the limitations of physical location by making many kinds of materials and services available at all times to patrons who are both cardholders and Web surfers, whether they are homebound in the neighborhood or halfway around the world.”

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We Are Worth It, Too!

Wednesday, December 8, 2004

You must share this delightful article far and wide: “A Billion-Dollar IPO for Johns Hopkins,” by William R. Brody, President of Johns Hopkins Univ. It’s tongue in cheek, but very, very flattering to us. Not bad for a week in which we also starred on TV.

http://www.jhu.edu/gazette/2004/06dec04/06brody.html

“Our library has the most effective search engines yet invented — librarians who are highly skilled at ferreting out the uniquely useful references that you need. Rather than commercializing the library collections, why not export to the public market the most meaningful core of Hopkins’ intellectual property — the ability to turn raw information into useful knowledge.”

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TNT’s The Librarian: Two Views

Monday, December 6, 2004

I taped, but did not watch “The Librarian” on TNT last night because I had so much homework (o.k., maybe I took a teensy peek at Geoffrey Rush playing Peter Sellers on HBO). Two blogs have already posted reviews. My own point of view tends to be “there’s no such thing as bad publicity,” but these reviewers feel otherwise.

At any rate, for all of my readers who are just getting their blog-legs, I strongly recommend Librarian in Black and LISNews as essential blogs to track on a daily basis. LiB is heavy on practical end-user technology, gaming, and cultural sitings; it’s a personal blog from Sarah Houghton of Marin County Free Librarian. LISNews is a collection of newsy blurbs and commentary contributed by librarians here and there and everywhere. (Rochelle is a frequent contributor; I’ve contributed myself, although since my post goes through a reviewing process I’d rather just post it here first.)

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I Say, Essays, Old Chap

Sunday, December 5, 2004

I spent most of this day tethered to a keyboard while humping over a long essay due this Wednesday, yearning to read the essays in today’s Times recommended in an essay on Beatrice, which is, since you asked, the best literary reading around. I did take a moment during my morning cuppa to read Frank Rich, who nearly made me blubber with joy, he was so good today. (Brian Williams “is eager to hunt down an audience, not a story”–pow, Alice, right in the kisser!)

So I was surprised to learn that Michael McGrorty thinks no one reads or writes essays. It’s a colorful argument, but ultimately unconvincing; I can’t walk two feet without tripping over a good essay. Literally, because I’ve been scattering this semester’s readings around the house while I concentrate on my final class assignment. My house is three feet deep in the stuff; I am daunted, cowed, humiliated, and ultimately challenged by the presence of all these great essays. (For that matter, does anyone drink castor oil any more?)

Sure, in my classes we’ve read many older essays, such as E.B. White’s “Death of a Pig,” which I let myself re-read when I’ve been especially good, but we’ve also read very recent essays such as “The Debacle,” a strapping piece by Francine du Plessix Gray that originally appeared in The American Scholar. “The Debacle” is about World War II, France, a small child, and her mother, and it’s really, really good. It was republished in Best American Essays 2003, which I would tell you more about except right now it’s under a sleeping cat on my bed, and it too is very, very good (the book, not the cat; although the cat is pretty good too, as cats go, when she’s not scratching the couch).

After you finish BAE, as we call it in The Program, you can pick up BAE 2004, or even go back and read earlier compilations. I see them lined up on the shelves at the Palo Alto library, taunting me to check them out. Four more days, and I will. And I’ll give you more recommendations for good essays, if you’re interested, and recommend mainstream magazines that carry essays, and if you’re realio trulio interested, I’ll even more about the state of the state of the essay. Who knows but you might decide to make a collection of essays a book club choice one month, and start by having members take a straw poll about which essays most resonated with them. Or maybe you will declare it Annual Essay Day in your library, and make an enticing display of your yummiest essay resources. Or you will even write an essay. It could happen.

I say, we say, we all hail, the essay!

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The Wild Prairie Days of Early Library Automation

Saturday, December 4, 2004

I’ve been doing some research about Anne Lipow, and part of my research has taken me into the stacks at UC Berkeley, reading through decades of weekly newsletters. So occupied, I found an example of an entry in the Serials Keyword Index–a crude keyword index to journals printed on microfiche produced from the primitive, glacially slow precursors to what would become the library’s online catalog. (The Index was one of Anne’s many inventions.)

The next time you have a little trouble searching Lexis or Proquest, ask yourself what it was like when journals had to be found by main entries in card catalogs. Fall to your knees and worship automation–and the persistent pioneers, such as Anne, who got us there!

cukeywordindex.jpg

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“The Librarian”: Reviewers Wanted

Thursday, December 2, 2004

From ALA PIO:

—————————–

TNT will premiere its original movie “The Librarian” Sunday, December 5, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) http://www.tnt.tv/Title/Display/0,5918,543783,00.html.

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Information Office would love to hear from librarians and library workers who are able to catch the movie on cable and willing to take a few moments to respond to the short questionnaire below. Responses will be used in media relations and may be published. Please send email (including your name, city and
state) to thelibrarian@ala.org before 10 a.m. Central Time Monday, December 6. Thanks!

((Also, check out ALA member and Entertainment Weekly librarian Heidi Weinkam’s article in tomorrow’s magazine highlighting some of the best librarians and library workers from TV and film history.))

Stars out of four for overall estimation of “The Librarian”

Stars out of four for librarian image makeover in “The Librarian”

Brief movie review (5 lines or fewer):

What did you admire or enjoy most about the lead character?

What was the most “real” aspect of the film?

What would you have loved to see shown in the film somewhere?

What would you like “The Librarian” to tackle in any future sequel?

Larra Clark, Media Relations Manager
Public Information Office, American Library Association 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611-2795
Toll-free: 800-545-2433 x5043; Fax: 312-944-8520 @ your library

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ALA Swiftly Denounces Proposed Book GLBT Book Ban

Thursday, December 2, 2004

Kudos, ALA! You just justified twelve years of dues and bad hotel rooms for conferences. The entire press release follows.

American Library Association denounces proposed bill to ban state funds for gay and lesbian books

http://www.ala.org/ala/pr2004/december2004/Allenstatement.htm

December 2, 2004

(CHICAGO) The following is a statement from American Library Association (ALA) President Carol Brey-Casiano:

“It is alarming and discouraging that Alabama state Representative Gerald Allen is proposing to ban books about lesbian and gay people from public libraries, schools and universities. Not only is the bill unworkable, it is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

“Libraries are for everyone – of all backgrounds and viewpoints – and provide a broad spectrum of materials from which to choose. This is what makes libraries the most democratic of institutions in this country.

“Every year, the American Library Association learns of hundreds of attempts to remove books from our public libraries and schools. Most of these books stay available because teachers, librarians and community members stand up for literature and the freedom to choose what to read and view. We trust that Alabama legislators will stand up to this latest attempt to censor our library collections.”

Larra Clark, Media Relations Manager
Public Information Office, American Library Association 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611-2795
Toll-free: 800-545-2433 x5043; Fax: 312-944-8520 @ your library

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God is Still Speaking; NBC and CBS are Mum

Thursday, December 2, 2004

See http://www.stillspeaking.com/default.htm “The UCC’s first 30-second television advertisement – part of the denomination’s new, broad identity campaign – began airing nationwide on Dec. 1, stating that – like Jesus – the United Church of Christ seeks to welcome all people, regardless of ability, age, race, economic circumstance or sexual orientation. … On the eve before the campaign’s launch, negotiations with CBS and NBC broke down, after the networks deemed the UCC’s all-inclusive message as ‘too controversial.'”

(Marketing factoid: churches in the South and Midwest reported an influx of newcomers the Sunday after the ad first aired–over 50 in one Florida church.)

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Does “S” Stand for Satan?

Monday, November 29, 2004

Update: supposedly most of the problems have been ironed out… we’ll see. How many hours have I spent on this?

I’ve been on the phone for an hour now. I particularly liked how the SBC rep answered the phone today, “How can I provide you with excellent customer service?” I spelled it out, in a loud, clear, slow voice, using monosyllabic terms and extra emphasis.

I have had such go-rounds with SBC since we moved to Palo Alto I feel almost fragile when anyone says “phone” or “DSL.” It was such an easy job. Put two phone lines where we live. One in my office, for MPOW. Put DSL on the office line. We’d use wi-fi in our home, just yards from the office. See?

Although I gave SBC two weeks’ notice before we moved to Palo Alto, they still couldn’t get it right. First SBC put DSL on the wrong line. I got that straightened out–or so I thought. It took a week of calling and begging, many hours of being on hold, several technicians who didn’t know their fannies from a hole in the wall, but at last the problem was fixed, or so they told me.

But DSL still showed up on our household phone bill. Then I looked closer: they are billing me, twice, for DSL, on the same line, and not at all for the office line.

To make things even better, SBC not only incorrectly installed DSL in the first place, then stiffed us for an additional DSL fee for two months running, but I am now being told we will be hit for a $200 early disconnect charge on the line they incorrectly installed DSL on.

The rep has asked me if I originally talked to Emerging Products or Phone Service. I don’t know. I talked to a lady who kept pushing services I didn’t want. I wasn’t aware her sales pitches were at the expense of attention to detail to my original order. I certainly didn’t guess I would easily spend another 20 hours of my life talking to SBC, waiting for repair persons, twiddling with authentication servers, and otherwise doing anything but what I want to do, which is, quite frankly, work on MPOW.

I’m not paying SBC a nickel they aren’t entitled to, not if I have to get a lawyer and spend far more than the cost of a couple of months of DSL and a disconnect fee to make my point. I don’t care whether SBC’s behavior is due to incompetence or because they are nefarious thieves. I simply refuse to enable their behavior, whatever its source.

Filed in Hot Tech, Two Minutes Hate | | Comments (5)