May 25, 2012
I've been posting quite a bit recently on the disastrous record of the current Conservative government here in Canada, especially in regards to how they treat information, science and the environment. Sadly, I have way too many posts in the works along these lines.
The other day a post I saw on the…
May 21, 2012
Today is #OAMonday.
It marks the launch of a petition on the Whitehouse web site to "Require free access over the Internet to scientific journal articles arising from taxpayer-funded research."
Here is the text of the petition:
We petition the obama administration to:
Require free access over the…
May 18, 2012
Yes, it's been that kind of day.
"Fussy" dung beetles refusing to eat shit any more
To zoologists, they are nature's great recyclers, the 5,000 or so species that feed on faeces and maintain the ecological balance of the deserts, farmlands, forests and grasslands of the world. However, this may be…
May 17, 2012
My union, the Library chapter of The York University Faculty Association (YUFA) has released a couple of open letters to The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages in the current Canadian government.
The letters protest the current cuts to staff and programs at…
May 17, 2012
Future U: The stubborn persistence of textbooks
Daunt: library e-lending "disruptive" to high street
A "License to Read": The Effect of E-Books on Publishers, Libraries, and the First Sale Doctrine
Inside the Georgia State Opinion
The GSU decision -- not an easy road for anyone
The GSU decision
E-…
May 15, 2012
Universities have been taken over by administrators
Making Our Ideas More Accessible (by blogging, twitter, etc)
University Of Toronto's Lawyer In Access Copyright Deal Also Advised Access Copyright On Related Legislation
NLLA advising universities & colleges not to sign AUCC's proposed model…
May 12, 2012
The ugly underbelly of coder culture
Used-Book Stores in the Digital Age
The Massive Open Online Professor
Leave only footprints: how Google's ethical ignorance gets it in trouble
The Arrogance of Publishers vs. Academic Culture - Why the Outcome Is Virtually Certain
Becoming Prof 2.0
Library…
May 11, 2012
Longtime followers of this blog will know that I'm a fan of genre fiction, and the more genres the better: science fiction, fantasy, horror, hard boiled and noir. And in a lot of ways those genre boundaries are fluid, and sometimes the authors themselves embody that fluidity.
Walter Mosley is one…
May 10, 2012
I'd like to extend a huge science librarian blogosphere welcome to Information Culture, the newest blog over at Scientific American Blogs!
This past Sunday evening I got a cryptic DM from a certain Bora Zivkovic letting me know that I should watch the SciAm blog site first thing Monday morning. I…
May 5, 2012
It doesn't matter what e-books cost to make
EdX: A Platform for More MOOCs and an Opportunity for More Research about Teaching and Learning Online
The Problem With EdX
How Should Your University Respond to edX?
Resisting the Robo-Assignment
The Immersion Method -- I & II (intensive "great…
May 4, 2012
This seems like a fun one for May the Fourth: Jedis disappointed with new "energy-saving" lightsabers
Jedi knights have expressed anger at plans to phase out traditional lightsabers in favour of new, more environmentally-friendly models.
'These new lightsabers are rubbish,' complained Jedi Master…
May 4, 2012
The tweetbomb and the ethics of attention
Did One-Sided Legal Advice Lead To The Terrible Copyright Deal For Canadian Universities?
How we use our mobile devices
Ebooks and Ereaders: Where do I Start and Which One Do I Choose?
Ebooks Appetizer #2: Ebooks in the Library
Ebooks Appetizer #3 - Ebook…
May 3, 2012
The Canadian Journalists for Free Expression has just awarded the Harper Conservative government here in Canada a failing grade in promoting free expression.
Federal scientists' freedom of expression: F
Canada's control over the communications of federally funded scientists is alarming. Climate…
May 2, 2012
The worth of creativity: From jerk to troll in three easy steps
Your Roger Corman Future
Where Would We Be Without Libraries? Or An Open Letter to Publishers, by Leah Petersen
Let in the Riffraff: In Praise of the New York Public Library's Renovation Plan
The digital world has invigorated…
May 1, 2012
A fantastic quote from Neil deGrasse Tyson:
The problem, often not discovered until late in life, is that when you look for things like love, meaning, motivation, it implies they are sitting behind a tree or under a rock. The most successful people recognize, that in life they create their own love…
April 30, 2012
Why DRM is a Toothless Boogeyman, Ebooks are like Video Games, and Amazon is the Winner
Shaking Up the Lecture
Geist: The most expensive copyright insurance policy in Canadian history
Open Letter Regarding the Agreement Reached Between Access Copyright and the AUCC
The Library of Utopia (Google…
April 27, 2012
David Suzuki is a icon for the Canadian environmental movement. He's like our Al Gore and Rachel Carson all rolled up into one. I read and reviewed his memoirs a while back and they are terrific.
When he talks, sensible people listen.
This blog post by Suzuki and Ian Hanington hit my in box this…
April 27, 2012
Klout is kind of evil. Basically, it's the impact factor for the Web, where this random company uses a mysterious algorithm to quantify and rank people's standing on social media -- Twitter, Facebook, etc.
There's been some interesting commentary about it on teh interwebs these lasts few days,…
April 25, 2012
Harvard Faculty Advisory Council Memorandum on Journal Pricing: Major Periodical Subscriptions Cannot Be Sustained
"No, we can't"
A proposal for the library of the future
Harvard: we have a problem
Harvard Library: subscriptions too costly, faculty should go open access
Could Harvard Library's "…
April 23, 2012
As I mentioned last week, on Tuesday, April 17 I was part of a workshop on Creative Commons our Scholarly Communications Committee put on for York library staff. My section was on open data and the Panton Principles. While not directly related to Creative Commons, we thought talking a bit about…
April 22, 2012
Persistent myths about open access scientific publishing
Prepping Grad Students for Jobs
Rewarding Teaching Innovation
Ask a Stupid Question: Why is there so much anonymity when it comes to the practices of academic discourse?
Elite Universities' Online Play
Electronic Textbooks: Why the Rush?
Peer…
April 20, 2012
I am somehow attracted to stories that are both incredibly sad and at the same time incredibly hilarious.
A character defect, I know. There must even be some sort of name for the condition, like ludustristophilia. Or something.
Anyways, this one really qualifies: 7 inventors killed by their…
April 16, 2012
As part of a workshop on Creative Commons, I'm doing a short presentation on Open Data and The Panton Principles this week to various members of our staff. I thought I'd share some of the resources I've consulted during my preparations. I'm using textmining of journal articles as a example so I'm…
April 14, 2012
The Emergence of a Citation Cartel
Ask the Chefs: "What's the Biggest Elephant in the Room?"
Review: "How Economics Shapes Science," by Paula Stephan
Interview with Paula Stephan -- Economics, Science, and Doing Better
Maxing out the curve on ebook adoption
Everything you need to know about today's…
April 13, 2012
Yes, well, we've all had days like that, where we've admired our furry friends' abilities to wonder through life, tail-wagging, mouth-drooling, yip-yapping.
Fortunately, today is not one of those for me as I'm quietly at home preparing for a presentation next week and working on an ebooks post…
April 13, 2012
Paper books vs. e-books: I still can't decide
Is blogging and tweeting about research papers worth it? The Verdict
Open Access To Scientific information: Policy Guidelines Released by UNESCO
Receptivity to Library Involvement in Scientific Data Curation: A Case Study at the University of Colorado…
April 12, 2012
The Decline and Fall of the Library Empire
Do Librarians Work Hard Enough?
Academia, Libraries, Work, and the Public Good
Library-only 2.0 is dead. Long live Library 2.0!
What Will Library/Information/Knowledge Graduates Be Doing 25 Years Hence?
The Last Enclosures (Washington Post article…
April 11, 2012
It's probably best to start with what Marc J. Kuchner's new book -- Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times -- isn't.
It isn't a social media jackass recipe book for "Success through Twitter." It isn't a detailed treatise on marketing theory. It doesn't come with a guarantee of grants…
April 6, 2012
I love me some private eye novels, that's for sure. I also love me some lists of books.
So combining them is pure heaven!
Anyways, an old friend of mine, Kevin Burton Smith, the proprietor of The Thrilling Detective web site and zine decided to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the site by running…
April 5, 2012
My Paleo Media Diet: Turning off, opting out, and disconnecting to save my brain for the things I really want to use it for.
What she Really said: Fighting Sexist Jokes the Geeky Way
Mobile and the news media's imploding business model
Bigger Than Agency, Bigger Than E-Books: The Case Against Apple…
