A Hard Rain's AGonna Fall

The June issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education showcased as its cover story the blaring headlines, “Should the Internet Be Scrapped?” Did this surprise anyone? If it did, you must not have been paying attention. Over the last decade, the Internet, the Web—yes, yes, I know the terms are technically not synonymous but have become so in usage—has become increasingly useless as a scholarly tool. The CHE story discussed the obvious problems: spam, viruses, unreliable connections, not to mention unreliable information, disinformation and even misinformation.

Of Facebook, Twitter and Social Networking Sites

For those who have read even one of my musings, it will come as no surprise that I find Facebook, Twitter, social networking sites (SNS), and the rest of Webology less than inspiring. If you had read nothing other than the screed I blathered about Google a few columns back, you’d know that I find all this talk about the Web replacing libraries more than a little silly; I find it downright idiotic. Still, one must keep an open mind.

Reading Is, Like, You Know, Sooooo Gross!

“Huge Decline in Book Reading” ran one headline. “Cultural Atrophy!” read another. “Study Links Drop in Test Scores to a Decline Spent in Reading” ran one for the “Duh!” award. “Americans are Closing the Book on Reading” said one, vying for the pun-acious trophy.

On Rememberance of Things Past: Woodstock and the Counterculture

The natural disposition of mankind is to want Utopia. In literature from the very beginning, from our most primitive to our most sophisticated verses, from the pens of atheists to acolytes, the human spirit has always scratched out, searched, even longed, for Utopias. When Utopias can somehow be linked to a political entity, the subsequent delirium from would-be followers numbers millions.

Availability and Use of Audiovisual and Electronic Resources by Distance Learning Students in Nigerian Universities: a Case Study of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Ibadan Study Centre

This study investigated the availability and use of audiovisual and electronic resources by distance learning students at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). A questionnaire was administered tothe distance learning students selected across the various departments of the NOUN. The findings revealed that even though NOUN made provision for audiovisual and electronic resources for students' use, a majority of the audiovisual and electronic resources are available through personal provision by the students.The study also revealed regular use of audiovisual and electronic resources by the distance learning students. Constraints on use include poor power supply, poor infrastructure, lack of adequate skill, and high cost of access.

Next Generation Catalogs (NGCs) : Meeting User Needs with Metadata and Search Technology

Recommendations • Become a beta partner with vendor • Test load collections before going live • Update cataloging codes to benefit your community • Don’t expect to drastically change cataloging practices

Survey of Staff and Organization of Private Secondary School Libraries in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State

The teacher-librarian and organization of private secondary school libraries in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State was the focus of the study. A structured questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Copies of questionnaires were administered to staff of six school libraries surveyed. The study revealed that none of the staff were professionally qualified, which resulted in poor and haphazard organization of the resources in all the schools surveyed. Recommendations were made to improve library services, including pr

Academic Library Websites in Bangalore City, India: An Evaluative Study

This study evaluates the content and quality of academic library websites. An evaluation checklist is used as a tool for evaluation of academic library websites. The checklist is divided into five main parts followed by Rating Table. The quantitative pointing system (ten point scale) and five point rating scales are used to evaluate and rank the websites. The study reveals that very few (16 percent) websites provide information about the date of last updating. Similarly very few (20 percent) websites provide links to other web reference sites and a moderate number (40 percent) have feedback forms for comments. On the other side, a good number of websites (76 percent) are efficient in loading images, icons, and graphics, and a large number (80 percent) have incorporated a web OPAC. The study is limited to the evaluation of websites of five academic libraries located in Bangalore, India.

Screen-Sized PDFs in Sans Serif Type: Template and Files

This document style is intended for reading onscreen. It creates a two-page spread that fits on a single screen (of 1024 x 768 pixels), with type that remains readable at 75% magnification. It includes design and typographic settings to accommodate common text elements: headings, subtitles, extracts, etc. The font is Lucida Sans Unicode, set single-spaced. It is a sans serif font, which allows for greater readability at smaller sizes and onscreen. The basic text size is 11 point. The font is engi¬neered with a tall line-height, so that even set “solid” (i.e., single-spaced) there is ample “leading” between the lines for clear reading. The overall design is “left aligned”—that is all titles, subtitles, headings, etc. are lined up on the left margin. Paragraphs are justified, for easier reading; titles, headings, references, captions, and endnotes are not justified. The two files attached to this documents are: Screen SansSerif file.doc = a blank MS Word file with these page and type specifications already loaded. Enter (or paste) your text into this file and Save under a new name. Screen SansSerif template.dot = an MS Word template; use this to create a new blank document. Templates are generally stored in a folder in Program Files > Microsoft Office > Templates The main document contains sample pages and specifications for the type, margins, settings, etc.

Effective Communication and Smooth Administration of Academic Libraries in the 21st Century: a New Paradigm in Nigeria

Effective communication is the soul of any institution. New opportunities are presented by Information and Communication Technology (ICTS). Library managers must adopt a more critical and communication plan that will enhance their skills and allow for further training, as well as allowing stakeholders to have input into decision-making.