Journal Liberation

John Mark Ockerbloom writes about the problems with the high cost of some academic journals for Everybody's Libraries:

The problem of limited access to high-priced scholarly journals may be reaching a crisis point. Researchers that are not at a university, or are at a not-so-wealthy one, have long been frustrated by journals that are too expensive for them to read (except via slow and cumbersome inter-library loan, or distant library visits). Now, major universities are feeling the pain as well, as bad economic news has forced budget cuts in many research libraries, even as further price increases are expected for scholarly journals. This has forced many libraries to consider dropping even the most prestigious journals, when their prices have risen too high to afford.

His article is partly a primer for how to 'liberate' journals.

Unhappy Children Demand Rhyme Time Librarian Remain

Little kids in Camden, London, are pretty upset about their Rhyme Time reading librarian, Paula Rundell, getting moved to a basement sorting job. Two-thirds of the library staff are being redeployed, presumably as part of a drive to improve libraries by 'balancing the range of staff skills and experience among the libraries'. It is also a cost-cutting measure, as fourteen posts were also cut as well as some programs.

Alexander Price, aged eight, who lives in Keats Close, just a short walk from Heath Library, went to Rhyme Time as a toddler and has been an avid reader ever since.

He said: “I feel really upset and angry. I want to say to the council staff that they should not [move Ms Rundell] – it’s very mean. The job she does, no one else can do, and the job she is going to do, anyone can do, just putting books in bags.”

The article in the Camden New Journal shows a picture of some very thoroughly disgruntled, scowling, and unhappy kids. Particularly the girl in front... if looks could kill.

Children's Library in Liberia

Just a neat little story about setting up the first library in Liberia. This one's for children. While I have to wonder if they really never had a library before (really?), this is still most definitely awesome. Students in Arizona schools collected more than ten thousand used books and teaching materials to donate, while others donated backpacks, supplies, and teaching aids. In Yekepa, where as many as five children share a photocopied textbook, this will be very helpful.

Python Coding for Kids (And Beginner Adults)

Invent Your Own Computer Games With Python is a Creative Commons-licensed free(!) book aimed at kids (and beginner adults) to help them learn the Python coding language. And make games, I suppose, but I think for me the games would be a means to the end of learning Python, not vice versa.

Technological Brain-Rot

Two articles: one on how some people think technology is making us less focused and a shorter one explaining why that's crap.

The problem lies with the person lacking focus, not in the technology itself. Are things like Twitter, Facebook, and email too distracting? Not really. They're all still there for after you, say, finish your current class. Time management is the issue.

(I can't mess with Facebook or anything when I'm in class. I know it's going to distract me if I try to read blogs and websites when I'm supposed to be listening. Or if I try to read a book, for that matter. Sometimes when I doodle, too.)

Google Wi-Fi Data

It's just been so long since I mentioned Google here. So here is a disturbing article about wi-fi data Google collected that lots of people would love to get their hands on. Privacy? What?

Google said it didn’t realize it was sniffing packets of data on unsecured Wi-Fi networks in dozens of countries for the last three years, until German privacy authorities questioned what data Google’s Street View cameras were collecting. Street View is part of Google Maps and Google Earth, and provides panoramic pictures of streets and their surroundings across the globe.

Jane Yolen's Foiled

WIRED ran a small review of Jane Yolen's Foiled. Where was all this good YA fiction when I was young? I keep seeing books I would've loved that I'm tempted to pick up even today.