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<p align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OPLIN 4cast #63 -
July 17, 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. </span><span
style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>The Open Library Opens</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Internet Archive has unveiled <a
href="http://demo.openlibrary.org/" target="_blank">Open Library</a>,
their attempt to create a free, online catalog of every book ever
published. What separates this project from a typical OPAC is that
anyone, anywhere is invited to contribute entries and information.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://demo.openlibrary.org/about" target="_blank">About
Us (Open Library)</a></li>
<li><a
href="http://blogs.talis.com/panlibus/archives/2007/07/the_open_librar.php"
target="_blank">The Open Library - Open for Business</a> (Panlibus) </li>
<li><a
href="http://www.librarything.com/thingology/2007/07/open-library.php"
target="_blank">Open Library</a> (Thingology) </li>
<li> <a
href="http://havemercia.wordpress.com/2007/07/17/the-open-library/"
target="_blank">The Open Library</a> (Library Too)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2. <strong>Tapping the Crowd</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The <a href="http://demo.openlibrary.org/" target="_blank">Open
Library</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>,
and other large-scale projects or problems depend upon the efforts of a
large number of amateur contributors. "<a
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing" target="_blank">Crowdsourcing</a>"
is a term coined by <a href="http://www.wired.com/" target="_blank">Wired
Magazine</a> to describe this phenomenon, and <a
href="http://zero.newassignment.net/" target="_blank">Assignment Zero</a>
is their recent experiment in journalism via crowdsourcing.</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/07/crowdsourcing"
target="_blank">What Does Crowdsourcing Really Mean?</a> (Wired) </li>
<li><a href="http://crowdsourcing.typepad.com./" target="_blank">Crowdsourcing</a>
(Wired Blog Network)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/07/crowdsourcing_diversity"
target="_blank">Using Crowd Power for R&D</a> (Wired)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/theluddite/2007/06/luddite_0621"
target="_blank">Internet Smackdown: The Amateur vs. the Professional</a>
(Wired) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3. <strong>Librarians Are (insert
stereotype here) </strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Two recent articles (from <a
href="http://www.nysun.com/article/57835" target="_blank"><em>The New
York Sun</em></a> and <a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/fashion/08librarian.html?ex=1184817600&en=9b486b01e8baa82c&ei=5070"
target="_blank"><em>New York Times</em></a>)
point to an influx of "young, hip, tech-saavy " librarians entering the
profession. While some librarians read the articles as harmless, mostly
positive PR, others took offense. </p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://informationatrix.wordpress.com/2007/07/08/its-hip-to-be-square-is-librarianship-cool-now/"
target="_blank">Is Librarianship Cool Now? Did I Miss Something?</a>
(informationtrix)</li>
<li><a
href="http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2007/07/08/breaking-news-librarians-can-be-hip/"
target="_blank">Breaking News: Librarians can be hip</a> (Information
Wants To Be Free)</li>
<li><a
href="http://m00se.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/librarians-and-hipsters-and-cocktails-oh-my/"
target="_blank">librarians, and hipsters, and cocktails, oh my!</a>
(m00se)</li>
<li><a
href="http://scanblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/one-of-wonders.html"
target="_blank">One of the Wonders</a> (It's all good)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4. <strong>Are You Completely
Incompetent (Technically Speaking)? </strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://libraryrevolution.com/" target="_blank">Library
Revolution</a>
kicked off a discussion among a number of library bloggers about which
basic technology skills (be they 1.0 or 2.0) a librarian should have,
in order to adequately do their jobs.</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://libraryrevolution.com/2007/07/05/librarians-and-technology-minimum-competencies/"
target="_blank">Librarians and Technology: Minimum Competencies</a>
(Library Revolution)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.davidleeking.com/2007/07/05/basic-competencies-of-a-20-librarian/"
target="_blank">Basic Competencies of a 2.0 Librarian</a> (David Lee
King)</li>
<li><a
href="http://coollibrarianblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/tech-competencies-and-growing-divide.html"
target="_blank">Tech Competencies and the Growing Divide</a> (Cool
Librarian) </li>
<li><a
href="http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/07/tech-competenci.html"
target="_blank">Tech competencies: what do we need to know to do our
jobs (well)?</a> (LibrarianInBlack)</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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