Library Collections & Acquisitions

Lost Library Technology-->Paul Otlet

2008-06-19T20:21:00.004-06:00

The Mundaneum Museum in Belgium documents the dreams and work of Paul Otlet who in 1934 developed plans for "electric telescopes". This librarian/archivist anticipated hypertext, social networks, and maybe even the semantic web.

I totally disagree with the resident archivist who states People are not necessarily excited to go see an archive. It’s like, would you rather go see the latest ‘Star Wars’ movie, or would you rather go see a giant card catalog?” After reading this I feel like a pilgrimage is required.

Mundaneum Museum Site

New Internet Publishing Model

2008-05-29T20:24:00.002-06:00

Smashwords allows authors to post books online with complete control over sampling and pricing. Smashwords retains 15% of the sale price.

Not very many books posted, but it always good to see new models.

Canadian Collections Interest Listserv

2008-05-01T20:26:00.003-06:00

My colleague Andrew Waller reminds folks with an interest to sign up for this list.

Collection Development and Management Interest Group
http://mailman.ucalgary.ca/mailman/listinfo/cdmig-l

Book Culture Scoundrels-->Bookstore Scam Artists

2008-05-01T20:02:00.002-06:00

Gawker wonders if someone is teaching a class. Taking advantage of a bookstore is particularly low. I suspect Dante would have consigned these scoundrels to the eighth circle?

200,000 books--one author

2008-04-17T19:37:00.002-06:00

I've posted about this gentleman before. Philip Parker has "written" over 200,000 books and he's planning to move into romance novels and video games.

My immediate reaction to this is mostly shock and suspicion. As a collections librarian I feel that this must be some type of scam, calculated to part me from my hard earned collections bucks.

However, Metacool, provided a link to a video by Mr. Parker. Viewing this I start to think that something much more interesting is going on. The books are written using a combination of text mining and algorithms, in the case of his market analyses, the algorithm is an econometric model.

Hmmm, collections implications...
- are we buying full text collections with rights that will support the use of customized text mining tools? What kind of rights are needed?
- critical review of Mr. Parker's books requires an ability to understand and review his text mining heuristics and algorithms
- are the books a "red herring"...if text mining can pull and analyze data, then why can't this be used to create a database that can be queried on the fly? Computers should be able to read the data as well as mine...a book isn't really needed.
-

Book Mutilation of the Week-->Books as Art

2008-04-17T19:30:00.002-06:00

Only one, the future of the book, is a true mutilation, but some nice book art in this fellow's portfolio.

Original link from if:book.

Amazon bullying with BookSurge?

2008-04-03T19:00:00.002-06:00

Lots of postings on indications that Booksurge (a print on demand service recently purchased by Amazon) that print on demand titles who don't use the Booksurge service will lose their "buy" buttons on Amazon's site. Check out Google if you want to find the postings.

However, Amazon has written to Publisher's weekly to explain they are only taking this stand for the benefit of their customers. Using the inhouse POD will allow speedy delivery. Publishers who want to use a different POD service must provide Amazon with 5 copies ahead of time.

Who doesn't love a juggernaut?

Yes expensive data access rates do matter to Canadian Libraries

2008-04-03T18:46:00.002-06:00

I spent quite a few years in a comfy bubble, knowing that people in other countries seemed to have strange customs that involved using their cell phones for all sorts of neat data access tricks that require wireless broadband, but that in Canada these were unexplored mysteries.

My colleague Paul Pival eventually burst my bubble by explaining that the relative expense of data access in Canada was the reason we seemed to lag behind.

Now of course I'm peeved. Why can't my users access the cool information services mobile users in other countries have. Read this post from Alec Saunders to get the background, and start thinking about how we can change this situation. Where is the government when you need one?

No Wireless, but you can have the Patriot Act

2008-03-27T18:42:00.003-06:00

You probably all read Boing Boing so this is a bit of a repeat. But those folks at Lakehead seem to be under a bit of cloud. First no wireless. Now by accepting Gmail and other services they possibly open the door to the Patriot Act.

They may laugh last when they don't get brain damage.

Curious to know more about the potential impact of the Patriot Act in Canadian Libraries, take a peek at this article by my colleague Andrew Waller.

Oops, Andrew points out this article refers to the Office of Foreign Asset Control Legislation, not the Patriot Act. He has kindly provided this summary of Patriot Act issues.

The USA PATRIOT Act

The USA PATRIOT Act (more formally known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) of 2001 (Public Law 107-56, 115 STAT.272, H.R. 3162)) has been in place in the United States for over 5 years, since October 24, 2001, and has recently been renewed by Congress and signed by the President, with minor changes. A wide-ranging piece of legislation that amends other laws, its most reported features is Section 215, which allows authorities such as the FBI and prosecutors to more easily get a court order or use national security letters to access personal records of any sort without disclosure. Those from whom records have been seized are not permitted to inform anyone but their legal counsel that this has occurred.

The PATRIOT Act has immediate implications in any situation where information of Canadian origin is stored in the United States, as result of service contracts, outsourcing, data storage, and data processing, makes it susceptible to seizure by U.S. authorities. Information that is stored in Canada by Canadian subsidiaries of American companies is also susceptible. This can affect almost any organization: companies, governments, associations, and universities.

This fact has led to some action by provincial governments. In October 2004, the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia investigated the effects of the PATRIOT Act on the outsourcing activities of the B.C. provincial government, particularly those dealing with medical services. He determined that the personal information of British Columbians could be threatened if it was being held on servers in the United States. Recommendations were issued to amend the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to deal with personal information under the control of a public body that is being stored outside Canada. Included among these recommendations was a fine of up to $1,000,000 for any disclosure of personal information or if personal information is sent outside Canada.

In Alberta, Alberta Government Services and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner surveyed public bodies in the province as to what sort of health or personal information they are sending outside of Canada for processing or storage. The University of Calgary was included in this survey. This work resulted in the tabling of a bill (Bill 20), the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2006 in the Alberta legislature on March 7, 2006. This bill was passed and came into force on May 24, 2006. The act responds to Patriot Act concerns in that it includes new penalties (including fines up to $500,000) for disclosing personal information in response to an order from a court with no jurisdiction in Alberta, among other steps, though it does not prevent the storage of Canadian data in the United States.

At the federal level, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner recently passed a ruling involving the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and, indirectly, the PATRIOT Act. In fall 2004, CIBC informed their VISA customers that the bank was using a service provider in the United States and that American authorities may be able to access cardholders’ personal information under U.S. law. Some customers filed complaints against CIBC to the Privacy Commissioner but the Assistant Privacy Commissioner ruled that CIBC had acted correctly in informing their customers under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). In addition, the Assistant Commissioner also ruled “that the Act cannot prevent U.S. authorities from lawfully accessing the personal information of Canadians held by organizations in Canada or in the United States, nor can it force Canadian companies to stop outsourcing to foreign-based service providers”.

A major problem of the PATRIOT Act for Canadian libraries is that the majority of the electronic information that libraries now provides for their patrons is hosted on servers located in the United States. For example, an academic user could conduct a search on the Elsevier e-journal platform ScienceDirect or could set up a Table of Contents profile on the same database; the search strategy, the results of the search, and the preferences given for Table of Contents profile would all be retained on Elsevier’s servers located in Dayton, Ohio. Accordingly, this personal information about a Canadian library user could be accessed by American authorities under the PATRIOT Act, regardless of its origin in another country.

Andrew Waller
Serials Librarian
Collections Services
University of Calgary Library

Why don't libraries buy self published books?

2008-03-27T18:31:00.003-06:00

Take a look at this posting from Library Thing. The author points out that Libraries are ignoring self published books, with even very popular works of this kind failing to find their way into academic collections, at least if WorldCat is anything to go by.

Taking up the challenge, I took a look at Lulu a publisher mentioned in the post. Looking under Arts & Photography I see the Ultimate Tattoo Bible, The Concordia University Undergraduate Journal of Art History, LAUNCH (another student publication), Sketching Iran, and Grain Elevators of Canada. Seems to me Library Thing may have a point.

Blog of the Week-->Bookshelf

2008-03-22T16:47:00.002-06:00

Lot's of fun at the Bookshelf blog. Love the parralax system that eliminates the need for bookends. Check out its sister site Shedworking "a lifestyle guide for shedworkers".

Canadian Book Exchange--who knew?

2008-03-13T19:13:00.004-06:00

Two stories about the close of the Canadian Book Exchange Centre.
* Federal budget claims National Book Exchange
* Feds axe book centre

This surprised me....because I confess I never even knew there was a Canadian Book Exchange. Now I'm famously ill informed on national issues, still I think part of the problem might have been publicity.

If like me your problem is finding a home for unwanted books, rather than seeking out other folk's surplus, then I'll point you to Better World Books our gifts coordinator has just started working with them, I'll send out a review later to tell you how its going.

Library Scoundrels--Book thieves

2008-03-13T18:54:00.002-06:00

Okay, this story is more about people who steal from bookstores, but the sentiment is the same. The author's interpretation that some of folks are motivated by a sense of entitlement is interesting, especially if you know how hard the book trade is. Still the guy with the list was probably motivated by more fundamental concerns.

Link from Reading Copy

Blog of the Week-->Reanimation Library

2008-02-28T20:17:00.002-07:00

Reanimation Library

What fun. The Reanimation Library collects discarded and used books, creating a storehouse of material for by artists and writers.

A primary goal is preserving the graphic elements of the work. The site points out that graphics rarely play a role in library collection decisions.

"The Reanimation Library is committed to building a collection of materials that are rich in visual information, regardless of the currency of their textual information. The Library serves as a repository and, more pertinently, an access point for such materials."

Collection Assessment Symposium :: Edmonton February 21/2008

2008-02-19T07:49:00.002-07:00

The Alberta Library is sponsoring a Collection Assessment Symposium in Edmonton this week.

In preparation for a short presentation I'll be doing explaining how we use Ulrich's Serials Analysis System I'm posting an overview prepared by Heather D'Amour and myself for the 2006 Art Libraries Association meeting in Banff Alberta.

Introduction to Collection Assessment

The guide includes a chapter outlining the methodology we used for USAS.

Library Lending Right Payouts

2008-02-14T20:04:00.002-07:00

Short story announcing the $9 million that will be given out this year as part of the library lending right program.

To find out more about this program you can visit the site. Its an important issue in Canada as it establishes an understanding regarding single purchase multiple use.

Globe and Mail reports on study of Canada's book retail market

2008-02-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

The entire report is available here. But the Globe and Mail has a good summary.

Highlights
- Domination of Chapters/Indigo
- Increased number of titles published
- Media saturation
- Rising Canadian dollar (did you know that if the Canadian price for a book is more than 10% above the cost difference assignable to currency conversion, than Canadian booksellers can import from the foreign supplier...which would have a lot more impact in a more varied sales environment....sigh.

World's most prolific author

2008-02-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

This post from If:book is worth a read, Ben Vershbow reports on Philip M. Parker and two stories (here and here)stories about him published in the Guardian by Marc Abrahams.

Mr. Parker has patented a machine that generates the 200,000 books he has authored.

So well, of course, I had to check out our catalogue. It appears we have 17 books by this author. They seem to be of a type, solid sounding titles that may lack substance on further examination...but which the average librarian won't be able to judge and may likely purchase based on the title alone.

I tried Amazon reviews, the one for The World Market for Machinery Used in the Grain Milling Industry or for the Working of Cereals or Dried Leguminous Vegetables Excluding Farm-Type Machinery: A 2007 Global Trade Perspective appeared to lack the necessary gravity.

The review for The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Acne Rosacea: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age is a bit more critical.

Finally, a positive review for The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome

Alberta Publisher Closes

2008-02-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

After 30 years, Canmore's Altitude Press closes its doors.
John King, of the University of Calgary Press, is quoted.

Amazon's underbelly?

2008-01-30T19:21:00.001-07:00

Its always nice to read a story about some non-library aspect of the book biz. This articles discusses how Amazon gets its reviews. Maybe not a 2.0ish as we all thought, but still not really 1.0?

A Library Scoundrel revisited

2008-01-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is why those pesky acquisitions folks have all those rules.

Blog of the Week--> Not in WorldCat

2008-01-30T19:15:00.001-07:00

What a great blog, once a day I get to see the kind of "rare, interesting, unusual books, and book like things" that are for sale online but which are NOT found in WorldCat...comforting news for us who like to think some books still roam free.

This blog will feature books, and book-like items, for sale online that are not in OCLC/WorldCat. To start with, I will find interesting items on sites like abebooks.com. In the future, I may allow submissions. Since sellers on sites like abebooks want to sell books, I’m assuming that they’re are OK with me using their content, with proper attribution. If not, just let me know, and I’ll take any entry off. Use the comment box below- your message will not be published. I have no relationship with any of these sellers, cannot comment further on their books, cannot provide additional scans, and take no commission or other consideration from anyone.

Library Scoundrel (okay its actually a sticky fingered archivist)

2008-01-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

We haven't had a scoundrel in some time, this week we'll have one new one and get to revisit an old acquaintance.

The new Scoundrel stole documents from the New York State Library (where he worked!) to pay of his daughter's credit card debts. Quoting from the the story...
"I took things on an as-needed basis to pay family bills, such as house renovations, car bills, tuition and my daughter's credit card problem," Lorello wrote.

He said he took many items last year because his daughter "unexpectedly ran up a $10,000 credit card bill."

So I guess it was like his own little nest egg.

However he was caught, as are so many would be fences, when it turned out that Ebay is a terrible choice for selling stolen goods.

Canadian Library Heritage Minute

2008-01-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Check out this warm and fuzzy story about the Canadian Book Centre and the distribution of books overseas after the war.

Lately we've been looking into using Better World Book Center as a way of letting surplus gifts and duplicates find a better home. Is anyone else in Canada using them directly?

I am aware of the Used Books New Start Programbut you folks out there with active book programs know what it means to need a longer term approach.

Blog of the Week-->Quillblog

2008-01-21T19:55:00.001-07:00

Boy, I'm so out of it, who knew Quill and Quire had a blog?

Better sign up for you feed.