by Well, I’ve got the Unofficial Access to Government Information Interest Group (AGIIG) blog up and running and announced. I’ve already had some good feedback. I’m hoping the blog will act as a means to discuss issues facing gov pubs and gov pubs librarians. While we all know there are issues, it’s difficult for all of us to come together and talk about what’s happening and what we need to do. What better use of a blog is there!
Author: theweelibrarian
New Gov Docs News Aggregator
Free Government Information (FGI) has created a news aggregator. It’s a great way to get gov docs news in one easy spot. Feeds are divided into 1 of 4 categories: government documents blogs, government technology, information focused government blogs, organizations of interest to FGI.
Canadian Maps Office To Stay Open!
When maps, gov pubs, and other librarians heard that the Canadian government was going to stop the production of paper maps and go digital only, there were protests. It seems their protests, along with others, have been heard. The Conservative Government has scrapped plans to close the Canadian Map Office! Great news for map lovers and users!
Join! Join! Join!
Hear ye! Hear ye! The Canadian Library Association (CLA) has opened up membership to CLA interest groups to those not living in Canada, without getting a full CLA membership! For a low price, you too can become a member of a CLA interest group. Check out your options today! You may even want to join the group I convene!
Second Life Library Grand Opening!
Feel free to join us for the Second Life Library Grand Opening! I’ll be there greeting, hope to see you there too!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Gonzo Mandelbrot, gonzoman@videotron.ca
Lorelei Junot, lbell927@gmail.com
DATE: October 4, 2006
Alliance Library System and Second Life Library/Info Island Pleased to
Announce Official Opening
The Alliance Library System and the Second Life Library/Info Island
collaborative group of librarians are pleased to announce the grand
opening and a host of activities planned for Second Life residents
scheduled October 12-14, 2007. All events will be held in Second Life
and are free to residents.
“We have been working on this project with partners from around the
world for six months,” stated Kitty Pope, Executive Director of the
Alliance Library System. “We are grateful to all the librarians and
others who have put in huge amounts of time to make this happen and we
are pleased with the reception the library has received in Second
Life.”
Gonzo Mandelbrot, Coordinator of Grand Opening Activities said, “We
have a variety of activities, events and tours that people can pick
and choose from or they may attend everything. The goal is to
highlight all the different aspects of the library and Info Island and
all that is available there.”
A detailed schedule of events is provided below. If attendees have
questions about specific locations, come to Info Island. We will have
tour guides there who can show people to the event location.
Thursday, October 12 – Virtual Worlds and Education: The Cutting Edge
– 4 pm sl – 6 pm sl – Speakers: Pathfinder Linden, Kitty Paul, Puglet
Dancer, Professor Boliveau, Lorelei Junot and Maxito Ricardo – Puglet
Dancer and Kitty Paul will cut the ribbon to begin grand opening
ceremonies at Info Island open air auditorium (Info Island 143, 82,
34)
Friday, October 13 – Virtual Worlds and Alternate Realities – Where
Do Libraries Fit In? – 7:30 a.m. sl – 1:30 pm. sl – A variety of
wonderful speakers with keynote by Pathfinder Linden – Info Island
open air auditorium(Info Island 143, 82, 34)
Friday, October 13 – 5:00-6:00 p.m. sl – Scary Movies at Second Life
Pantheon Picture House (Info Island II, 98,71,24)
6:00-8:00 p.m. sl – Costume Ball at Info Island Mystery Manor – prizes
for best costumes! (Info Island, 214, 163,33)
Saturday October 14 – 8:00 a.m. sl – Opening of Caledon Branch – 19th
century library (Caledon Tamrannoch (211,31,22)
9:30 a.m. sl – Grand Opening of Second Life Library Medical Library –
special events (Info Island 165, 204, 33) – Bioterrorism demonstration
Speakers: Moriz Gupta and Sojourner Truth
12:00 p.m. sl – Second Ribbon Cutting and special speaker – Info
island Open Air Auditorium (Info Island 143, 82, 34) – Katt Kongo,
editor, Metaverse Messenger
3:00 p.m. sl – Talis SciFi & Fantasy Portal Opening – special events
(Info Island 29, 62, 33)
5:00 – 8:00 p.m. sl – TX950 Beach party and celebration – dancing
refreshments, fun (Info Island 85, 33, 23)
Throughout the day – Tours, scavenger hunts, information kiosks – come
and have fun!
For further information, please contact Gonzo Mandelbrot or Lorelei Junot.
Google News
Here’s an article from the BBC that discusses a new Google project, a literacy portal. “The Literacy Project enables teachers, organisations, and those interested in literacy to use the internet to search for and share literacy information.” Could have some interesting implications or applications for libraries.
Update: An interesting literacy side issue. Literacy groups in Canada are pushing to get the 17.7 million cut from their budget back. Read more from the CBC.
Odds and Sods
Here are some interesting tid bits to pass along.
It looks like open access journals and open peer review have made it onto CTV’s radar. Perhaps the wave of academia’s future?
The Library and Archives of Canada has released their Report on Plans and Priorities 2006-2007.
Update: This just in: an article from the Halifax Chronicle Herald in Nova Scotia suggests that the Community Access Program (CAP) is cut. Terrible news for the many rural areas (possibly even my small hometown) which rely on the program.
Down with Stereotypes!
I admit it, I hate the stereotypes of librarians and don’t feel I fit the traditional view of the librarian and fight against it (although I do have glasses and occasionally pull my hair back). The days of the old librarian are gone. Here’s a little piece about librarians revolting from the staid image, staging a mock protest during filming for a movie which features a librarian. More power to the protesters!
Save the maps!
As a back-up for our maps and data areas, I thought I would post this:
As of January 2007, Natural Resources Canada will discontinue the printing of paper topographic maps and will close the Canada Map Office. Our government wants to get out of the business of producing maps.
As of January 2007, Natural Resources Canada will discontinue the printing of paper topographic maps and will close the Canada Map Office. Our government wants to get out of the business of producing maps.
Many Canadians place a priority on the paper map service the Government currently provides. Natural Resources Canada's digital mapping policy will effectively cut off access to the majority of Canadians. However, our politicians see this issue as a minor one. ACMLA, which represents both the public and research communities, would like to convince them otherwise. This policy will have an enormous impact on the Canadian
public and our map users. The Minister of Natural Resources has a responsibility to listen to our point of view. This is not a minor policy amendment but a major change that has implications not just for map librarians but for the ordinary Canadian who is looking for a map for their cottage or who wants to go snowmobiling or hiking. Canada can be a vast and unforgiving country without a map in hand.
How you can help:
This is a political issue and we must get the message out to as many Canadians and organizations as soon as possible. An independent website has been set up to lobby and inform Canadians. ACMLA asks its members to support this initiative by sending emails to inform associations, university departments, schools, individuals, etc. of the Government of
Canada's decision to abandon printing paper topographic maps. Let your M.P. and your Minister of Natural Resources know what their constituents think of this decision.
Support Access to Maps for Canadians mapsforcanadians.ca
Check it out!
I’ve added a new page on the Second Life Library on Information Island, in Second Life of course. Check out the links and feel free to get involved in the project!