Posted on May 19, 2011 by Robert Balliot BS, MLIS, MSCJA
Posted to Best of Publib:
Library Security and Insecurity – A Brief Risk Assessment
Anne Frontino of the Haddonfield Public Library in New Jersey queried the PubLib Listserve about privacy and possible misuse of library barcodes on smartphones remarking:
Our library is considering allowing patrons to use barcodes scanned onto their smart phones to check out books. … We have only had a few instances of patrons trying this method of checking out items, but we feel that there may be some privacy or other misuse issues lurking.
It was obvious that there is no universally accepted standard for securing library user information, yet privacy is a cornerstone of libraries, library ethics, and the library profession. In fact, a privacy guarantee may be the one thing in the information age that sets libraries apart from other massive information resources. It may be the singular added value that provides validation of libraries as a public service.
Library records and library use are afforded privacy protection by statute and / or published opinions in the fifty States and the District of Columbia. Many states have enacted Security Breach notification laws and Data Disposal laws that safeguard privacy. Library user privacy is also championed by the American Library Association Code of Ethics specifically through Article III:
We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted. ~~ read more
Filed under: Library 2.0, Patron Privacy | Leave a comment »
Posted on November 27, 2010 by Robert Balliot BS, MLIS, MSCJA
This article was posted on Best of Publib: Culture of the Book, Gutenberg Parenthesis and new ways of learning . The reaction to the content was mixed on PubLib and Web4Lib listserves, and even a bit troubling. Out of thousands of Librarians who are affected by these changes, only one person commented on the intellectual aspects of the Gutenberg Parenthesis. The comments from the Web4Lib readership were about having to copy and paste a link because their e-mail could not handle long URLs.
That focus on method – where it is seen as too much effort to retype a URL – may be yet another aspect of the Gutenberg Parenthesis. As the availability to content has sped up, the value of the information is relative to the ease of access. Twenty years ago, it was uncommon to do research online. Access to scholarly resource meant physically going to a building, locating the article, and usually photocopying it. Now, the action of having to move one’s thumbs a bit on a Smartphone keyboard seems daunting. If there is no effort at obtaining information, then the most relevant information may merely be what is the easiest to access. So, even with greater access to information we may become less intelligent as human societies.
Filed under: Intellectual Freedom, Library 2.0, Library Blogs | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 3, 2010 by Robert Balliot BS, MLIS, MSCJA
Best of Web4Lib Current Topics and Archives
Best of PubLib and Best of Web4Lib TV – Coming Soon!
This edition of Best of Web4Lib covers the month of February 2010. This month includes questions about digitization projects, thought-provoking discussions about the intrinsic and explicit value of library conferences, configuring analytics, and the meaning of various acronyms. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
The Web4Lib Archives
The Web4Lib archives of Web4Lib the Webjunction listserve are searchable and browseable. Please note: HTML is stripped out of achives. Compose in plaintext or richtext.
Filed under: GSLIS, Library 2.0, Library Administration, Library Classification, Library Marketing, OPAC, Patron Privacy, Video, Virtual Reference, Web Authoring, Web Design, Web Scripting, Web Standards, Web Terminology, Web Tools | Tagged: Android, Archon, DAM, Drupal, EAD, Flickr, FLV, ICA-AtoM, IIS, MRBS, Overdrive, PubGet, SharePoint, SMS, VLC, XTF | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 4, 2010 by Robert Balliot BS, MLIS, MSCJA
Virtual Reference : Legal Research Study Aids
This Virtual Reference video on Youtube explores the topic of Legal Research Study Aids. The conversation takes place between Hololibrarian characters – Bonnie Bright, a second year law school student and Michael Mulligan, a first year law school student. The five print resources covered are available at most law school libraries along with many academic and public libraries. Study aids and resources reviewed include :
The popular on-line legal research tutorial database from The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) is also cited and referenced.
This Legal Research Study Aids video is about four minutes in length, and employs multi-layer learning dynamics – including text, body language, and graphic transitions. The conversation takes place between peers and is targeted towards peer consumption with subsequent referral to higher authorities (law librarians). The video is rendered in HD format, and can be scaled up to large screen applications. As a YouTube video, it will also scale down nicely for hand-held media devices.
Filed under: Animation, GSLIS, Library 2.0, Library Marketing, Library Science, Video, Virtual Reference, Web Design | Tagged: CALI, Hornbook, Legal Research, Lexis Nexis, Nutshell, West Thomson, Wolters Kluwer | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 1, 2010 by Robert Balliot BS, MLIS, MSCJA
Best of Web4Lib Current Topics and Archives
Video coming soon
This first edition of Best of Web4Lib covers the month of January 2010. This month includes questions about library job descriptions, thought-provoking discussions about library database marketing , library link placement, and the effectiveness of library jargon. Some of the topics we will be reviewing include:
The Web4Lib Archives
The Web4Lib archives of Web4Lib the Webjunction listserve are searchable and browseable.
Filed under: Censorship, Intellectual Freedom, Library 2.0, Library Budgets, Library Classification, Library Conferences, Library Employment, Library Marketing, Library Portals, Library Science, Patron Privacy, Web Authoring, Web Design, Web Scripting, Web Standards, Web Terminology, Web Tools | 1 Comment »
Posted on January 8, 2010 by Robert Balliot BS, MLIS, MSCJA
Contributors to the popular listserve PUBLIB developed Best of Publib to enhance access to the collective mind of the 8000 list members. As Best of PubLib’s sister site – Best of Web4Lib – intends to do the same with the popular library web development listserve Web4Lib. The focus of Best of Web4Lib is much more narrow in scope, although it is a continously growing and evolving study – library web development.
The archives of Web4Lib are searchable and browseable.
Here is where you can find more information about the listserve and how to subscribe. Thanks to our friends at WebJunction for hosting the listserve. Summary discussions will be posted as a weekly feature when traffic warrants or monthly when there are few discussions.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Responses varied from Manya Shorr of the Sacramento Public Library advocating for use of barcodes without requiring authentication to Dale McNeill of the Queens Library advocating familiar authentication such as PINs. 
Best of Web4Lib 
