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<p align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OPLIN 4cast #40 -
January 30, 2007</span></b></p>
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<p>The <em><b>OPLIN 4cast</b></em> is a weekly compilation of
recent headlines, topics, and trends that could impact public
libraries. You can subscribe to it in a variety of ways, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>RSS feed</strong>. You can receive the <em>OPLIN
4cast</em> via RSS feed by subscribing to the following URL: <a
href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?feed=rss2">http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?feed=rss2</a>.</li>
<li><strong>Live Bookmark</strong>. If you're using the <a
href="http://www.mozilla.com/" target="_blank">Firefox</a> web
browser, you can go to the <em>4cast</em> website (<a
href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/">http://www.oplin.org/4cast/</a>)
and click on the orange "radio wave" icon on the right side of the
address bar. In <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/"
target="_blank">Internet Explorer 7</a>, click on the same icon to
view or subscribe to the <em>4cast</em> RSS feed. </li>
<li><strong>E-mail</strong>. You can have the <em>OPLIN 4cast</em>
delivered via e-mail (a'la OPLINlist and OPLINtech) by subscribing to
the <em>4cast</em> mailing list at <a
href="http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/OPLIN4cast">http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/OPLIN4cast</a>.</li>
</ul>
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<p class="style4">This week’s <em>4cast</em><b>:</b></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1. <strong>Are Libraries Part of the
DRM Problem?</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>A blogger at Wired recently wrote a post complaining about
OverDrive audiobooks, which can be checked out from the public library
for free, but also come with <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management"
target="_blank">Digital Rights Management</a> (DRM) technology that
prevents the borrower from making their own copies. The post set off a
long chain of comments debating the appropriateness of DRM in this
context, and numerous responses from the library world. </p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/01/library_media_l.html"
target="_blank">Public Libraries, Private DRM</a> (Wired Blogs:
Listening Post)</li>
<li><a
href="http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/01/wired_news_arti.html"
target="_blank">Wired News article criticizes libraries for using
eBooks with DRM</a> (LibrarianInBlack)</li>
<li><a
href="http://fulton.blogspot.com/2007/01/audio-books-and-drm.html"
target="_blank">Audio Books and DRM</a> (Daveman's Tech Tips)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.librarybytes.com/2007/01/drm-frustration-continues.html"
target="_blank">The DRM conversation continues...</a> (LibraryBytes) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2. <strong>Respect the Techies</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Is there tension between your library's IT department and everyone
else in the building? Karen Schneider recently wrote an article on how
non-techie library staff can work collaboratively and cooperatively
with their techies.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2007/01/it-and-sympathy.html"
target="_blank">IT and Sympathy</a> (ALA TechSource)</li>
<li><a
href="http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/01/have_pity_on_yo.html"
target="_blank">Have pity on your IT folks...</a> (LibrarianInBlack)</li>
<li><a
href="http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/01/20/free-kittens-for-your-it-department/"
target="_blank">Free kittens for your IT department?</a> (Librarians
Matter)</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.acpl.lib.in.us/blog/?p=93" target="_blank">iACPL</a>
(ACPL's IT Blog) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3.<strong> Google to Librarians: Not
the Other Way Around? </strong></span> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Google's librarian outreach team recently debuted the <a
href="http://librariancentral.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Librarian
Central Blog</a>, which grew out of their quarterly <a
href="http://www.google.com/librariancenter/librarian_newsletter.html"
target="_blank">Librarian Newsletter</a>. Reaction from the library
community was initially critical because Google did not allow comments
on the blog. Comments have since been enabled (an exception to the rule
of most Google-run blogs), but that hasn't eased skepticism about
Google's attitude towards libraries.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://searchengineland.com/070119-054527.php"
target="_blank">Google Librarian Central: Talking At Librarians</a>
(Search Engine Land)</li>
<li><a
href="http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:ATqfWJ4PNTkJ:www.librarystuff.net/2007/01/google-doesnt-get-librariansagain.html+%22Google+Doesn%27t+%22Get%22+Librarians...Again&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1"
target="_blank">Google Doesn't "Get" Librarians... Again.</a> (Library
Stuff)</li>
<li><a
href="http://vancouverlawlib.blogspot.com/2007/01/google-misses-again-on-librarian-pr.html"
target="_blank">Google Misses Again on Librarian PR</a> (Vancouver Law
Librarian)</li>
<li><a
href="http://lorenzen.blogspot.com/2007/01/google-librarian-central-blog.html"
target="_blank">Google Librarian Central Blog</a> (The Information
Literacy Land of Confusion) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4.<strong> BookSwim Dives Into the
Netflix Pool </strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>There has been <a
href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?cat=55">a lot of
discussion in the past year</a> about libraries adopting a Netflix-type
delivery model for books. While libraries continue to talk about
dipping their toes in the water, a new service called <a
href="http://www.bookswim.com/" target="_blank">BookSwim</a> is taking
the plunge.</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/01/book_swim_beats.html"
target="_blank">Book Swim beats libraries to the Netflix model for
book delivery</a> (LibrarianInBlack)</li>
<li><a
href="http://tametheweb.com/2007/01/libraries_netflix_bookswim.html"
target="_blank">Libraries, Netflix & BookSwim</a> (Tame The Web:
Libraries and Technology)</li>
<li><a
href="http://snedlibrary.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/more-competition/"
target="_blank">More Competition</a> (Something New Every Day)</li>
<li><a
href="http://countrylibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/01/one-to-watch-bookswim.html"
target="_blank">One to watch - Bookswim</a> (Country Librarian) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Joel Husenits
Managing Editor
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
2323 W. 5th Avenue, Suite 130
Columbus, Ohio 43204
Phone: (614) 728-5252
Fax: (614) 728-5256
E-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:editor@oplin.org">editor@oplin.org</a>
Web: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.oplin.org">www.oplin.org</a></pre>
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