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<p align="center"><span class="style5"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>4cast
#81: Spectrum Auction, Kindle, Reading, Gaming </b><br>
</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">December 4, 2007</span></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
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<p class="style4">This week’s <em>4cast</em><b>:</b></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1.<strong> Sold! To the Giant
Corporation with Deep Pockets, in the Back.</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>In January, the FCC will auction off the 700-MHz broadcast
spectrum <em>(see <a href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?p=95"
target="_blank">4cast #66, item 2</a>)</em>,
with observers predicting an upwards of $30 billion pricetag. At stake
is the future course of American wireless network services (including
broadband), and the competition should be fierce, with Google,
AT&T, and Verizon all poised to bid.</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2007/09/auction_faq"
target="_blank">FAQ: Inside the High-Stakes 700-MHz-Spectrum Auction</a>
(Wired News)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/03/the-700-mhz-spectrum-auctions-whos-in-whos-out/"
target="_blank">The 700 MHz Spectrum Auction. Who's In, Who's Out.</a>
(TechCrunch)</li>
<li><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071203-sizing-up-the-likely-bidders-for-next-months-spectrum-auction.html"
target="_blank">Sizing up the likely bidders for next month's spectrum
auction</a> (Ars Technica)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.aspx?p=1070899&rl=1"
target="_blank">The 700MHz Question: Will the Wireless Spectrum
Auction Lead to Innovation or More of the Same?</a> (informIT) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2.<strong> Kindle Me This...</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Several weeks after its release, people can't stop writing about
the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/kindle" target="_blank">Kindle</a> <em>(see
<a href="http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?p=113" target="_blank">4cast
#80</a>)</em> - particularly, whether it's going to have any impact on
the future of <a
href="http://diveintomark.org/archives/2007/11/19/the-future-of-reading"
target="_blank">reading</a>, <a
href="http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/11/kindle_economic.html"
target="_blank">publishing</a>, and/or <a
href="http://blog.librarylaw.com/librarylaw/2007/11/kindle-in-libra.html"
target="_blank">libraries</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/law_librarian_blog/2007/11/beyond-the-kind.html"
target="_blank">Beyond the Kindle Hype</a> (Law Librarian Blog) </li>
<li><a
href="http://blogs.ala.org/pace.php?title=e_book_malaise&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1"
target="_blank">E-Book Malaise</a> (Hectic Pace)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.information-literacy.net/2007/11/amazon-kindle-will-your-library-buy-it.html"
target="_blank">Amazon Kindle - Will Your Library Buy it for Patrons?</a>
(The Information Literacy Land of Confusion)</li>
<li><a href="http://orweblog.oclc.org/archives/001503.html"
target="_blank">Kindle again</a> (Lorcan Dempsey's weblog)</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3.<strong> See Jack Watch TV (Not
Read) </strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Of
course, no device - eBook or otherwise - is going to help the book
industry if Americans are really reading less and less, as a new
National Endowment of the Arts study (<a
href="http://www.nea.gov/research/ToRead.pdf" target="_blank"><em>To
Read or Not To Read</em></a> <em>PDF</em>) claims. </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html"
target="_blank">National Endowment of the Arts Announces New Reading
Study</a> (NEA)</li>
<li><a
href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ikcf3Iq9HqsQTzx1PU11AJ3LWy3wD8T0I0180"
target="_blank">Government Study: Americans Reading Less</a>
(Associated Press) </li>
<li><a
href="http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/archives/2007/11/reading_down_or.html"
target="_blank">Reading Down or Up? Not</a> (Stephen's Lighthouse)</li>
<li><a
href="http://www.futureofthebook.org/blog/archives/2007/11/the_neas_misreading_of_reading.html"
target="_blank">the NEA's misreading of reading</a> (if:book) </li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4.<strong> This Game is Most
Definitely ON</strong></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p>So if teens and kids are less interested in books, should
libraries start expanding their videogame collections?</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2007/a-quick-guide-to-gaming-in-libraries/"
target="_blank">A Quick Guide to Gaming in Libraries</a> (iLibrarian) </li>
<li><a
href="http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/11/27/gaming-in-libraries-ltr-update.html"
target="_blank">Gaming in Libraries LTR Update</a> (The Shifted
Librarian) </li>
<li><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071127-esa-gaming-industry-an-economic-powerhouse-outgrew-us-economy-by-4-to-1.html"
target="_blank">ESA: Games industry an economic powerhouse, outgrew US
economy by 4 to 1</a> (Ars Technica)</li>
<li> <a
href="http://technaeum.blogspot.com/2007/10/gaming-and-libraries-reference-aint.html"
target="_blank">Gaming and Libraries: Reference Ain't Dead</a>
(Technaeum)</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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