New Reader's Advisory Tool from Gale

Looks like EBSCO's Novelist is getting some company. Gale Centage has announce a new reader's advisory database that looks like its going to incorporate some Web\Library 2.0 tools, (Novelist has no Web 2.0 features) (see LJ note). It also has a really nice open web front end designed to funnel users to their local libraries, a very nice feature from a librarian's perspective. Looks like EBSCO's going to have to get moving if they want to keep their customer's attention.

Musical Pi

Hey this is nifty! Check out this boingboing post! Basically it links to a little webapp that converts the first 10,000 numbers of Pi into Music based on notes you set. Really it explains itself better than I could.

Mike

Microsoft and the European Union

I found this at TechCrunch and thought it was interesting. I'm not the foremost Microsoft supporter in the world, but I think Mr. Arrington makes a good point in this post.

If Europe spent half as much time coming up to solutions to their various ills as they spent blaming others for them they might be better off. Mad about not having a big tech industry? Here's an idea, do the capitalist thing and invest in it.

CML's Toolbar

Hey this is cool! On CML's upcoming "Power Tools" page, you can download a CML toolbar. Ordinarily toolbars of this sort really just annoy me. However, I think that this is just plain cool. I places CML's catalog right where patron's can get to it easily.

One of the most intoxicating things about Google, etc. is the convinience and immediacy. This toolbar takes CML's catalog in a more convinient direction. What's more, you can use the toolbar to search the "hidden web" through CML, providing more convinient access to electronic periodical databases. This is definitely a step in the right direction.

Very Cool!

Electronic Arts wants to buy Take Two

This should be terrifying to gamers everywhere. It seems that the biggest publisher in the game industry is intent on buying the second biggest. I'm all for capitalism, but EA is getting too big. It seems like the bigger they get the lower the quality of their product. With the notable exception of Maxis, EA seems to be the place where once venerable game franchises and developers go to die.

I have a particular concern in this case. Take 2 owns 2K Games which owns Firaxis (oi!), the current publisher of the Sid Meier's Civilization Series. I'd hate to see Civilization get the McElectronic Arts treatment...

And the Winner is...

...Blu-ray!!!!!!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, Toshiba has waved the white flag, announcing that it is quitting production on the HD-DVD format. This comes as welcome news to Sony, the principal developer of the competing technology Blu-Ray. It means that they finally get what they've wanted since the Beta-Max days: to force everyone to use a format they've devised and pay handsomely for the privilege. They failed with Beta, UMD, and others, but now have a winner with Blu-Ray. No word on when\if Toshiba will develop and sell Blu-ray player of their own.

It sounds like the early adopters among you who bought HD-DVD are out of luck. I'm just glad we're finally through another format war, as they are always rather onerous.

So much for the Google Generation...

Check this out! - From Library Journal

It looks like the the "Google Generation\Internet Generation" is a myth after all. Of course if anyone bothered to ask a reference librarian we could have told everyone that a long time ago and saved everyone the cost of expensive studies.

All you need is a month working reference in a public library to understand that kids in the "internet generation" don't understand:

• what the internet is good for,
  
• how to get good search results,
  
• or how to tell the difference between good and bad results.
  

In my opinion this research highlights the importace of information literacy instruction. What was once primarily the arena of academic and school librarians now needs to be a part of the public library world. Of course, in order to do that the librarians themselves need to be better internet searchers as well...