Week 8 Reading Notes

Webster

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines cascade as “something arranged or occurring in a series or in a succession of stages so that each stage derives from or acts upon the product of the preceding.” It makes sense that this would be the term used to describe style sheets since one of the benefits is that changing a style sheet influences the entire document. 

How do you like your brain?

As usual, reading the tutorials for this week, regarding CSS, have scrambled my brain a bit.  Although one benefit, is that it makes HTML seems a whole lot easier.  I can continue re-reading these articles, however the true test will be in applying this knowledge to actually design or work on a CSS of my own.  I would venture to say that this week’s lab will involve CSS and that is probably the best way for me to learn the material.  

Week 7 Lab

http://www.pitt.edu/~jlj74

Week 7 Reading Notes

Secret Decoder Ring

Again this semester, I feel like I have lucked out and gotten two secret decoder rings in my cereal box!  Both the “What is HTML” and the “Webmonkey HTML Cheat Sheet” were a bit of a tough read.  However, these articles will be tremendous resources once it is time for practical application of this knowledge in the form of a lab or assignment.  I know that they will serve me well as I learn HTML.

Another clue

This is an amazing world of computers and technology which nearly everyone uses in some fashion on a daily basis to make our work lives or personal lives a little bit easier.  “Beyond HTML: Developing and re-imagining library web guides in a content management system” provided great insight to what lead to Gerogia State University’s development and successful implementation of a content management system.  It was encouraging to see that what was a seemingly unwieldy and disorganized system was able to be revised and reinvented in to order to increase usage and access not only by contributing staff but also by the end users.  Many lessons can be learned from this process; specifically that collaboration is paramount in creating a system that would meet the needs of the library users.  My only observation is that while web developers and library personnel worked together and then launched the initial program, most users did not find it to be successful.  Therefore, I would recommend that end users be involved on some level in the collaboration process.  Perhaps this wouldn’t have delayed the final roll out and personnel as well as end users would have been able to take advantage of the CMS earlier. 

Lab 6 MARC Record

Barcode is 02012-1049

Week 6 Reading Notes

Go Badgers!

After reading the article, “How Internet Infrastructure Works,” I became incredibly grateful to the Badgers at the University of Wisconsin for creating the Domain Name System (DNS).  While the IP Address is nice, I can only imagine trying to remember octets of numbers in order to log onto a particular website.  Pitt.edu is much easier to remember than a combination of numbers and decimal points.  As an aside, I work for a classical radio station and it is a challenge to try to remember a composer’s symphony since it is typically a number such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.  However, it is easier for most people to remember that this is affectionately known as Ode to Joy.  Chances are more people will remember Ode to Joy than the particular number of this spectacular symphony.

Oxymoron

A Dismantled Integrated Library System?  I found this article to be intriguing and speak to the challenge posed by rapidly developing technologies.  This fast paced industry renders your most recent purchase outdated within a week.  Perhaps this is a strong statement but everyone wants the latest and greatest technology so that they can perform their work better and more efficiently.  I think the solution lies in the collaboration between librarians and developers in order to design software and programs that make sense within the scope of a library.  Since I lack the ability to design software, I would hope that future library programs could be designed to be more adaptive to future changes/updates/tweaks.

It’s a Small World After All

“A Few Thoughts on the Google Books Library Project” offers a perspective on the advantages to having books digitized.  Personally, I am still torn by the love of a printed book and the ability to see a historical text on my computer screen while sitting at my desk and sipping a cup of tea.  The argument for digitizing books seems to lie in the ability to make more objects accessible to a wider audience.  Having items more accessible should lead to increased knowledge and aside from not having an internet connection little excuse to not learn.  Perhaps we can have the best of both worlds by being able to see the original text within the context of a rare library connection or using a few keystrokes to be able to see the same image without leaving home.  Offering the information in different delivery systems helps to level the playing field for those seeking to learn and advancing the mission of libraries to make information accessible to everyone who seeks it.

New math=20%

I have always been a fan of the TED talks and have watched many compelling presentations on a variety of subjects.  Sergey Brin and Larry Page’s talk about Google was no exception.  What impressed me most was their focus on keeping information in context as well as their drive for innovation.  Their corporate structure which allows employees the opportunity to spend 20% of their time focusing on projects that the individual employee finds important will go a long way to continuing to create new and relevant ideas.  If only the rest of the corporate world would acknowledge and encourage this trend-where would we be?  

Lab 5

http://www.pitt.edu/~jlj74/index.html

Week 5 Reading Notes

Networking

The Wikipedia article about computer networks was interesting to read.  I might even go so far as to say that I enjoyed reading about computers.  This is a first.  All of the other articles have helped to take a complex process and system and help to conceptualize how it all works together.  It was interesting to note that the Internet was originally built as an overlay on the telephone network.  It is helpful to better understand these machines and programs that I use on a daily basis.  While I may never be on anyone’s speed dial to fix their computer, I do have a better understanding of the bigger picture and how each part relates to another.

Buy Local

This is a phrase that seems to be popular to help stimulate each individual’s local economy.  By working together, one can improve their own community.  This is what I thought about when I was reading the article about Local Area Networks.  It is human nature to want to be connected and designing computer systems that mimic that need allow students/employees/people to not only work more efficiently but increased access allows for a more collaborative (versus silo) environment.

__?  will Kill the Radio Star

“Management of RFID in Libraries” was a fascinating article that took the abstract concepts of computers and computer technology and how libraries can utilize this technology.  My library still uses barcodes and also has several self-check- out stations that allow patrons to quickly and easily check out materials.  However, I think the concern of reduced human interactions with library staff and patrons is valid.  My hope is that libraries look at this as an opportunity to offer a different service to patrons that wasn’t possible before when staff spent a lot of time checking out materials.  As with any technology there are limitations of RFID technology that were explained in the article.  Perhaps a new technology will evolve by taking the good attributes of RFID and fit them with the practical needs of a library.