Comment 1
Comment 2
Comment 3
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Week 1 Readings
OCLC Report:
I found this article to be quite interesting and learned several things from it. I hadn't considered this before, but I thought it was a great idea that research articles can be self-published on a personal web site or blog, and then through Google many people will be able to read them. This is definitely a newer way to reach more people, especially while struggling to get your article published in a journal, etc, could take a very long time (if you are even able to eventually do it).
Another change happening is that through newer technology being used (email and handheld devices), many people receive content in this manner rather than through interlibrary loan or postal services. What affect will this have on ILL and USPS (if any)? Will ILL perhaps become a thing of the past, as patrons find easier and quicker ways to obtain materials? I agree with the statement in the article, "Librarians need to find ways to deliver quality content to mobile devices." This seems to be the direction we are going, so we must therefor pursue the possibilities. The suggestion for librarians and libraries to reach out to their patrons through having a blog is one possibility to support this direction.
My favorite quote from this journal is, "We are drowning in information but are starving for knowledge. Information is only useful when it can be located and synthesized into knowledge." As we strive to follow the developing technology and offer newer, more convenient options to patrons, we will succeed in helping them utilize the information and turn it into knowledge.
Clifford Lynch:
This article on information literacy and information technology literacy makes some important and valid points. As a society that values information, information literacy, and information technology literacy, we need to put forth the effort to ensure that as many ideas and suggestions as possible are implemented and supported, thus ensuring the proper education of these topics. This needs to be taught to all students, and to be done more in depth, so that each student has a thorough grasp on these things. Without such understanding, a person's chance to succeed significantly decreases.
Lied Library:
This article explained in detail the steps taken for this library to develop into a first-class research library. I found most of this article to be quite interesting, as I plan to work in this type of library. Unlike some professions, you can't just get your degree and then be done; being a librarian is a life-long commitment to stay up-to-date with technology and the ever-changing needs of a major academic research library.
I loved the suggestion for university libraries to have a laptop checkout program for students. This would greatly benefit some Pitt students--a few in our class have mentioned not having their own laptop. Every college student needs this opportunity (it is not just a luxury or convenience!), and if implemented, this would greatly benefit the students, and in turn, the university.
Reading about all of the problems they faced was quite eye-opening. What a major project they completed! Their list of challenges seemed quite comprehensive and would be a great starting list for any other institution who is faced with a similar situation, although I felt that perhaps some issues were not addressed (staff training, etc).
I did feel that, although they did a great job with opening this library and attempting to serve the students' needs, they should have done a much better job planning to accommodate for the future growth needs, both in spaces for student computers and space for additional staff.
One opportunity that I am greatly appreciating is, as they pointed out, having "so much information available...online 7/24/365"--basically meaning the library is virtually never closed. This is so true! With our remote-access to journals, we can access these items during any hours, from the comfort of our homes. Amazing and convenient! That is something that should be one of the top priorities of libraries, facilitating the ability to access these items off-site.
I found this article to be quite interesting and learned several things from it. I hadn't considered this before, but I thought it was a great idea that research articles can be self-published on a personal web site or blog, and then through Google many people will be able to read them. This is definitely a newer way to reach more people, especially while struggling to get your article published in a journal, etc, could take a very long time (if you are even able to eventually do it).
Another change happening is that through newer technology being used (email and handheld devices), many people receive content in this manner rather than through interlibrary loan or postal services. What affect will this have on ILL and USPS (if any)? Will ILL perhaps become a thing of the past, as patrons find easier and quicker ways to obtain materials? I agree with the statement in the article, "Librarians need to find ways to deliver quality content to mobile devices." This seems to be the direction we are going, so we must therefor pursue the possibilities. The suggestion for librarians and libraries to reach out to their patrons through having a blog is one possibility to support this direction.
My favorite quote from this journal is, "We are drowning in information but are starving for knowledge. Information is only useful when it can be located and synthesized into knowledge." As we strive to follow the developing technology and offer newer, more convenient options to patrons, we will succeed in helping them utilize the information and turn it into knowledge.
Clifford Lynch:
This article on information literacy and information technology literacy makes some important and valid points. As a society that values information, information literacy, and information technology literacy, we need to put forth the effort to ensure that as many ideas and suggestions as possible are implemented and supported, thus ensuring the proper education of these topics. This needs to be taught to all students, and to be done more in depth, so that each student has a thorough grasp on these things. Without such understanding, a person's chance to succeed significantly decreases.
Lied Library:
This article explained in detail the steps taken for this library to develop into a first-class research library. I found most of this article to be quite interesting, as I plan to work in this type of library. Unlike some professions, you can't just get your degree and then be done; being a librarian is a life-long commitment to stay up-to-date with technology and the ever-changing needs of a major academic research library.
I loved the suggestion for university libraries to have a laptop checkout program for students. This would greatly benefit some Pitt students--a few in our class have mentioned not having their own laptop. Every college student needs this opportunity (it is not just a luxury or convenience!), and if implemented, this would greatly benefit the students, and in turn, the university.
Reading about all of the problems they faced was quite eye-opening. What a major project they completed! Their list of challenges seemed quite comprehensive and would be a great starting list for any other institution who is faced with a similar situation, although I felt that perhaps some issues were not addressed (staff training, etc).
I did feel that, although they did a great job with opening this library and attempting to serve the students' needs, they should have done a much better job planning to accommodate for the future growth needs, both in spaces for student computers and space for additional staff.
One opportunity that I am greatly appreciating is, as they pointed out, having "so much information available...online 7/24/365"--basically meaning the library is virtually never closed. This is so true! With our remote-access to journals, we can access these items during any hours, from the comfort of our homes. Amazing and convenient! That is something that should be one of the top priorities of libraries, facilitating the ability to access these items off-site.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Week 2 Readings
Computer Hardware: This Wikipedia definition was much longer than I expected... but it is good to be thorough! One quote that really surprised me was: "Personal computers...form only a small minority of computers (about 0.2% of all new computers produced in 2003)." I would have guessed that percentage to be much, much larger! It did get me to thinking, though.
Typical PC hardware: motherboard, power supply, storage controllers, video display controller, removable media devices, internal storage, sound card, networking, and other peripherals.
Moore's law: This discussion is intriguing. In the history section it is explained that Alan Turing predicted in 1950 that by 2000 we would have "computers on our desk with a billion words of memory." I'm sure that at that time, this prediction must have sounded quite far-fetched... It makes me wonder what amazing changes we will see in the next 50 years! What will be sitting on my desk, and what will I be carrying around in my hand?!
One thought that I completely agree with is how things can be a 'self-fulfilling prophecy.' When a claim is made that something will happen by a certain time, it may well drive other companies to meet that goal, so that they do not fall behind what they are expecting another company to do. What if Moore had predicted doubling but in twice the amount of time? Would we still have increased as quickly as we did, or would it have been a slower increase?
Under 'Future Trends,' several examples and thoughts are explained. These advances are so amazing--it is almost difficult to comprehend! As far as 'limits of the law' go, it is incredible that we are creating things nearly as tiny as the size of an atom. This makes sense that eventually we will hit a barrier, and not be able to get smaller. Here it is claimed that "in less than 10 years computers will be created where each molecule will have its own place, i.e. we will have completely entered the era of molecular scale production." I have tried to think about this, and tried to imagine how this will affect our lives. How different will our cars look? Or the insides of our homes? Or what other drastic changes will we see?
My favorite quote in this reading is, "Moore's law is a violation of Murphy's law. Everything gets better and better."
One thing I did not quite understand is at the end when they talked about "during the Pentium era when popular manufacturers played with public perceptions of speed, focusing on advertising the clock rate of new products." I am not sure what they mean here, and what 'clock rate' refers to. Would anyone care to enlighten me? Is this something I would have heard, and just not known the phrase?
Computer History Museum: This is really a great site! My favorite part was the exhibits:
*The Silicon Engine
*Internet History (Did you know that the timeline of the Internet began in 1962, before the word 'internet' was invented, and only 10,000 computers existed in the world? Fast forward to 1992... the internet had 1 million hosts!)
*The Computer Revolution
*Visible Storage (I loved the photos of the early calculation tools. Also, the Odyssey videogame system sure brought back memories--my siblings and I thought it was the neatest thing, but if kids today saw it, they probably wouldn't give it a chance!)
*Timeline of Computer History (I LOVED this exhibit! Click on a year, any year '39 - '94, and see what was the newest, latest, and best of the time! I never knew that the first email was sent the year I was born! Also, the 8 inch floppy diskette was invented the same year! I HIGHLY recommend this section when you have several hours to spare--you won't be bored!)
**This site has so much information to offer!
Typical PC hardware: motherboard, power supply, storage controllers, video display controller, removable media devices, internal storage, sound card, networking, and other peripherals.
Moore's law: This discussion is intriguing. In the history section it is explained that Alan Turing predicted in 1950 that by 2000 we would have "computers on our desk with a billion words of memory." I'm sure that at that time, this prediction must have sounded quite far-fetched... It makes me wonder what amazing changes we will see in the next 50 years! What will be sitting on my desk, and what will I be carrying around in my hand?!
One thought that I completely agree with is how things can be a 'self-fulfilling prophecy.' When a claim is made that something will happen by a certain time, it may well drive other companies to meet that goal, so that they do not fall behind what they are expecting another company to do. What if Moore had predicted doubling but in twice the amount of time? Would we still have increased as quickly as we did, or would it have been a slower increase?
Under 'Future Trends,' several examples and thoughts are explained. These advances are so amazing--it is almost difficult to comprehend! As far as 'limits of the law' go, it is incredible that we are creating things nearly as tiny as the size of an atom. This makes sense that eventually we will hit a barrier, and not be able to get smaller. Here it is claimed that "in less than 10 years computers will be created where each molecule will have its own place, i.e. we will have completely entered the era of molecular scale production." I have tried to think about this, and tried to imagine how this will affect our lives. How different will our cars look? Or the insides of our homes? Or what other drastic changes will we see?
My favorite quote in this reading is, "Moore's law is a violation of Murphy's law. Everything gets better and better."
One thing I did not quite understand is at the end when they talked about "during the Pentium era when popular manufacturers played with public perceptions of speed, focusing on advertising the clock rate of new products." I am not sure what they mean here, and what 'clock rate' refers to. Would anyone care to enlighten me? Is this something I would have heard, and just not known the phrase?
Computer History Museum: This is really a great site! My favorite part was the exhibits:
*The Silicon Engine
*Internet History (Did you know that the timeline of the Internet began in 1962, before the word 'internet' was invented, and only 10,000 computers existed in the world? Fast forward to 1992... the internet had 1 million hosts!)
*The Computer Revolution
*Visible Storage (I loved the photos of the early calculation tools. Also, the Odyssey videogame system sure brought back memories--my siblings and I thought it was the neatest thing, but if kids today saw it, they probably wouldn't give it a chance!)
*Timeline of Computer History (I LOVED this exhibit! Click on a year, any year '39 - '94, and see what was the newest, latest, and best of the time! I never knew that the first email was sent the year I was born! Also, the 8 inch floppy diskette was invented the same year! I HIGHLY recommend this section when you have several hours to spare--you won't be bored!)
**This site has so much information to offer!
Muddiest Point 8/26/2008
Well, I don't know about everyone else, but the thing I didn't understand was why the due-date for our second required readings would be before the due-date for our first required readings. Wouldn't it make more sense to say #1 by Friday and #2 by next class, instead of the other way around?
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