Preserving digital data

From Computerworld: Cerf sees a problem: Today's digital data could be gone tomorrow.

"What I'm saying is that backward compatibility is very hard to preserve over very long periods of time." [said Cerf, who is Google's vice president and chief Internet evangelist].

The data objects are only meaningful if the application software is available to interpret them, Cerf said. "We won't lose the disk, but we may lose the ability to understand the disk."

I have more than a few A-drive disks in my desk drawer that illustrate this point. Not that there's anything important on them... at least, I don't think. But I don't know, now do I?

A quick search on ebay.ca reveals all hope is not lost - there are old floppy drives for sale, though I imagine they will become more and more rare as time goes on.

Bonus! Got old floppies lying around? Make them into pen holders, planters, or coasters. And probably a bunch of other things, too. Never underestimate the imagination of internet crafty types.

Also: 

I'm done now, I promise.

10 of the coolest librarians alive

10 of the coolest librarians alive (at least according to flavorwire). I've been a fan of #4 for years now; 6, 7, and 8 have great ideas. Alex, sounds like you and Audrey Barbakoff would get along famously. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that meeting.

What to bring to an interview

Today, a link for job-hunting: what to bring to an interview by Julia Philips for 4BN. Maybe it's not strictly library-related, but hey. I just graduated. This kind of article is good for me at least.

In summary:
1. Your ID. Social security card, driver's license and so on.
2. Copies of the resume. More than one copy.
3. References.
4. Original copies of official transcripts - academic credits, licenses, degrees, and so on.
5. Good attitude.

While Julia recommends resumes be on plain white paper, I personally think that colour printing, if available, shows you've gone an extra step in presenting yourself favourably.

I would also suggest a sixth item:
6. A pen.

People tend to forget pens. You might need a pen to take notes or jot things down; your interviewer might need a pen, too, if he or she forgot to bring one or their own pen doesn't work. Even if you don't write anything, having a pen out shows you are prepared. If you lend that pen for a rescue? Bonus points. In my opinion, anyway. PS: make sure your pen works.