Did you know this? I sure didn’t.
For all you techie troubleshooters out there,
Apparently since Windows 2000, you’ve been able to copy the entire error message to your clipboard by hitting the universal copy shortcut, Ctrl-C (who knew?!).
No more SnagIt just to get a copy of the text.
Post via LifeHacker.
Last weekend at NASIG I attended a panel session at which several librarians discussed their career choices and described their jobs at organizations such as consortia and subscription agents. It was a pretty good session, and one which I understand pops up at NASIG every now and then.
One phrase that kept coming out of the mouths of the panelists, however, was “the dark side.” Now I like a good Star Wars reference as much as the next person, but as someone who just made the switch from working in a library to working for a library software company, I found it a bit perturbing. When I started telling people about my new job, the only people who used that phrase were in sales, and I don’t recall anyone who works at a library using it during the panel session.
I’m sure there are librarians working in libraries who do think those of us in industry have gone to the dark side, but for the most part that has not been my experience. If we want to change perceptions about what we do and why, we should at least give ourselves a little credit and leave the “dark side” comments to, um, the Harrison Fords of the serials world.
I’m not saying stereotyping is a good thing, let’s get that straight upfront.
But if you sit down to watch network primetime with any member of the legal, medical, or forensic science professions, you will quickly learn that librarians aren’t the only group outraged by their treatment at the hands of the the media and entertainment industries. It seems that whether the portrait is flattering or not, no one likes to see their chosen career misrepresented for fun and profit.
In honor of Halloween, on which day, in my opinion, librarians don’t even make the top 10 list for stereotypes, I offer a suggestion: the next time you see the DHL commercial, read Harry Potter, visit Ms. Dewey, or hear the adventures of Ruth Harrison, go ahead and laugh. You’ll be doing your part to dispel the stereotype.
if:book (I’ve been reading it a lot lately) has a post about the future of television.
Today, radio listening habits have shifted, and I only hear the radio in cars and offices. Television viewing (if you can even call it that) is experiencing a similar shift, as people multitask at home, with the television playing in the background.
The post goes on to mention a partnership between YouTube and NBC and the shift from watching TV on, well, TV to watching it on computers and portable players.
It got me thinking: I live by technology at work. The words “digital library initiatives” are in my job title. I blog. I think coding web pages is fun and I actually sort of like vi. I own an MP3 player and connect it frequently to my computer at work (although lately I’ve been listening to my favorite radio station, WXPN 88.5, a lot). I use IM to help patrons with technical problems. I am obsessive about checking my feed reader.
But when I get home at the end of the day it’s a different story. I own a cell phone for emergencies, but I don’t know the number and I definitely can’t check for messages. I am more likely to listen to NPR than to watch television. (I did get addicted to several procedurals last winter, but summer has helped me get things under control and I hope to stay on the wagon. Does anyone know of a CSI 12 step program?) I used to maintain a website for fun but stopped because I was never in the mood to work on it. I spent a recent evening playing a board game with some friends and I have been thinking of taking up sewing or knitting.
What gives? I am getting all digital-ed out at work? Are my roots showing? Is it Gen X nostalgia for my pre-web existence? These are all rhetorical questions, but I am curious to know if anyone else can relate.
I have cleaned up all the junk comments & trackbacks. MT is supposed to notify me for both but does not seem to be doing so. Apologies for all the junk and offensive content. I’ve changed some settings and will monitor things more closely.
Welcome to Ab’s blog, a place for me to share information about technology and libraries with BU library staff. My goal is to provide links, information, and some analysis about library tech stuff. In the past I have occasionally done this via e-mail, but a blog seems like a less intrusive and more useful way to go. You can see what I think I might blog about from the categories list; undoubtedly the list will change and grow over time. A lot of what I post will be inspired by what I read on other blogs (see the blogroll for a partial list) and in journals and by what I hear at conferences. I hope it’s helpful; if there’s something you’d like to know about just drop me a line via e-mail or IM (acbtanya).