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<p align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OPLIN 4cast #57 -
May 29, 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> Facebook Opens Up, Makes
MySpace Look Bad </strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,
the social networking website originally aimed at college students (but
now open to everyone), recently made its <a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Api" target="_blank">API</a>
available to third-party developers, allowing anyone to create
applications that can be used on Facebook pages. Some observers are
predicting that more users will ditch the uptight confines of <a
href="http://www.myspace.com/" target="_blank">MySpace</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070528-facebook-opens-its-api-in-hopes-of-growing-user-base.html"
target="_blank">Facebook opens its API in hopes of eclipsing MySpace</a>
(Ars Technica) </li>
<li><a
href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/24/facebook-launches-facebook-platform-they-are-the-anti-myspace/"
target="_blank">Facebook Launches Facebook Platform; They are the
Anti-MySpace</a> (TechCrunch)</li>
<li><a href="http://searchengineland.com/070525-072052.php"
target="_blank">Facebook Opens Up Its 'Platform' To Everyone</a>
(Search Engine Land)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/27/myspace-v-facebook-its-not-a-decision-its-an-iq-test/"
target="_blank">MySpace v. Facebook: "It's Not A Decision. It's an IQ
Test"</a> (TechCrunch) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2. <strong>LibraryThing &
WorldCat Local Introduce Guinea Pigs </strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Both <a href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?cat=45">LibraryThing
for Libraries</a> (a service that allows libraries to enhance their
OPACs with <a href="http://www.librarything.com/" target="_blank">LibraryThing</a>
stuff) and <a href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?cat=199">WorldCat
Local</a> (a service that allows libraries to enhance their OPACs with <a
href="http://www.worldcat.org/" target="_blank">WorldCat</a> stuff)
are now beta-testing in the wild.</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.librarything.com/thingology/2007/05/danbury-ct-kicks-off-librarything-for.php"
target="_blank">Danbury, CT kicks off LibraryThing for Libraries!</a>
(Thingology)</li>
<li><a
href="http://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2007/05/14/librarything-for-libraries/"
target="_blank">LibraryThing for Libraries</a> (Life as I Know It)</li>
<li><a
href="http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/05/first_worldcat_.html"
target="_blank">First WorldCat Local Installation Is Up!</a>
(LibrarianInBlack)</li>
<li> <a
href="http://spaceagelibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/05/worldcat-local-goes-live.html"
target="_blank">WorldCat Local Goes Live!</a> (Space Age Librarian) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3. <strong>Congress to FCC: Faster!
Faster! </strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Recently, the FCC has been <a
href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?p=76">taking it on the chin</a>
<em>(see item 4)</em>
due to their questionable methods of measuring broadband availability.
Congress is now realizing that American broadband looks pretty lousy
compared to most developed nations, and is taking steps to improve the
national broadband outlook. The first step? Updating the definition of
"broadband."</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070517-house-dems-broadband-isnt-broadband-unless-its-2-mbps.html"
target="_blank">House Dems: Broadband isn't broadband unless it's 2Mbps</a>
(Ars Technica)</li>
<li><a
href="http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/004434.html"
target="_blank">Hey FCC: 200 Kbps Isn't 'Broadband'</a> (Today @ PC
World) </li>
<li><a
href="http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3680051"
target="_blank">Bill Seeks to 'Get Our Broadband House in Order'</a>
(InternetNews) </li>
<li><a href="http://www.freepress.net/news/23373" target="_blank">U.S.
High-Speed Internet Is Slow</a> (Free Press)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4.<strong> Be Cool, Stay in Library
School?</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>So are MLS students being taught the right kinds of skills? It's
only the future of the profession at stake, after all.</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://librarygarden.blogspot.com/2007/05/what-are-library-students-of-today.html"
target="_blank">What are the library students of today learning?</a>
(Library Garden) </li>
<li><a
href="http://liblogs.albany.edu/library20/2006/10/what_they_should_teach_in_libr.html"
target="_blank">What They Should Teach in Library School</a> (Library
2.0: An Academic's Perspective) </li>
<li><a
href="http://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2007/05/23/in-library-school-and-beyond/"
target="_blank">In Library School and Beyond</a> (Life as I Know It) </li>
<li><a
href="http://scanblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/am-i-only-one-who-hears-screams-and.html"
target="_blank">Lovin' the Legal Stuff</a> (It's all good)</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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