NetLibrary eBook of the month

The Muslim World after 9/11
A groundbreaking examination of the major dynamics driving changes in the religio-political landscape of the Muslim world

Momentous events since September 11, 2001—Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the global war on terrorism, and the ongoing war in Iraq—have dramatically altered the political environment in the Muslim world. Many of the forces influencing this environment, however, are the products of trends that have been at work for decades.

In February's eBook of the Month, the authors of The Muslim World After 9/11, examine the major dynamics driving changes in the religious-political landscape of the Muslim world—a vast and diverse region that stretches from Western Africa through the Middle East to the Southern Philippines and includes Muslim communities and diasporas throughout the world—and draws the implications of these dynamics for global security and U.S. and Western interests.

NetLibrary's eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of the Rand Corporation.

Butler owns a thousand eBooks, and provides access to several thousand more owned by the state vial the KS Library Card. Sign up for the card in person here at the Nixon library, or at any Kansas Library to borrow e-books or read magazine/journal articles online.

Book Sample

Sample "French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For
Pleasure," by Mireille Guiliano: fren1

I've ordered this for the library as my last "January - Get Fit" purchase. When I was in Paris in 2000, I found the fitness of the citizenry quite remarkable. Here's to chocolat y vin!

LexisNexis Academic & Library Solutions

LexisNexis Academic & Library Solutions

Butler owns access to LexisNexis, and this newsletter gives you some of the latest news, such as the addition of "The Sacramento Bee" newspaper from 1991-on to the collection. Also see the introduction to the CIS Index -- your roadmap through U.S. Congressional Research.

Narnia Movie News - TheOneLion.net - Into the Wardrobe, and Action! - First Set Report

Narnia Movie News - TheOneLion.net - Into the Wardrobe, and Action! - First Set Report

Another great fantasy book is being turned into a movie. View the short report here.

RSS in your life

Does no one really know what "RSS" stands for in the blogging world? On Steven M. Cohen's site this morning there was a reference to "really simple syndication."

Other meanings for the acronym:

real simple syndication
rich site summary
RFD Site summary

Then we get this comment a lot:
The meaning of the acronym is not terribly important, however. An RSS feed (also known as a news feed) is a site's syndicated news feed that you subscribe to using your news reader.

As an English major and a librarian, I'd like to see the acronym take on a fixed meaning. It won't of course, for a few years, and we'll be dealing with Library of Congress subject updates in our catalogs.

It seems clear to me that "site syndication" is the most complete meaning of the "SS" part of the RSS.

As to the "R" part, the trouble seems to be in finding an adjective to modify "site syndication." But come on, folks: "Really" "Real" and "RFD"?

I'll offer a word that comes from court reporting and News captioning and seems particularly fitting. "Realtime" as in "Realtime Site Syndication."
I like it because it adds to the description as a modifier, rather than creating a mere superlative or confusing with another acronym.

Realtime Site Syndication: RSS. Says it for me.

Micaela

The New York Times > Technology > Free Speech, or Secrets From Apple?

The New York Times > Technology > Free Speech, or Secrets From Apple?

Free Speech, or Secrets From Apple?
By TOM ZELLER Jr.

Published: January 11, 2005


gainst the backdrop of the Macworld Exposition in San Francisco this week, a series of legal actions filed by Apple Computer over the last month highlights the difficulties of defining who is a journalist in the age of the Web log.

As part of a lawsuit filed by Apple in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Dec. 13, the company obtained a court order allowing it to issue subpoenas to AppleInsider.com, PowerPage.org and Thinksecret.com. The three Web sites published or linked to information on what they said was a future Apple audio device that was code-named "Asteroid." The subpoenas are aimed at getting the operators of those sites to disclose the sources of the information that was reportedly leaked.

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An attorney representing AppleInsider and PowerPage asserted that bloggers ought to be extended the same protections as mainstream journalists, who have traditionally been given some latitude by the courts in protecting the identities of confidential sources.

"Bloggers are becoming a more and more critical source of news," said Kurt Opsahl, the lawyer representing the two sites and a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group based in California. "A lot of confidential tips first start out on the blogs before being picked up in the mainstream media."

Library Dust: North in the Rain

Library Dust: North in the Rain: "Last night I was driving my truck along the railroad tracks in a rainstorm when the gas gauge bottomed out. I pulled into a service station and was fumbling for my wallet when I saw a figure pass through the watery blur of the windshield. The man walked over and tapped the glass. I rolled down the window and looked into a sad, dark pair of eyes beneath an old felt hat that had spent a lot of its life in the rain.
The man said, 'No use you getting out in this. Say what you need and I'll pump her.'"

(Story continues...from blog: Library Dust
A small gift to the library world from Michael McGrorty

Carpeting Update

Just prior to Christmas, all was well, going according to plan. The students stuck around to help us with some painting for a week in areas that weren't newly carpeted. Bless them! The back room and the lab were actually 3.5 days ahead of schedule, the reupholstery job was getting picked up on time, and the architect had supplied the new floor plan design.

Then, oops.

The truck from KCI was full so they couldn't pick up the sectional couch for its re-upholstery, so that got put off until Jan. 5. I haven't checked on delivery date for that yet. But, oh, well.

Then.

We were notified on Monday Dec. 20, the week the main floor carpet was due to arrive, that the manufacturer had neglected to put it in the queue... so it was not to arrive until a month later. Ha! So our carpet contractor got on the phone with the president of the company. They said it was human error. They offered different carpet... but you know, it just wasn't as good looking as our original. Then they offered a different backing, which I accepted. And moved our carpet to the front of the line, starting Jan. 3rd, when they got back after the Christmas break. So we get it at the end of this week instead.

Fortunately (I believe in prayer) the book stack movers were able to wait a week to come, and will be here next week instead of this week. Also, our elevator, which is getting the hydraulic lift replaced, should be working again. Too, the carpet backing is the cheaper, so that should save some money. The bright side... I'm hoping it all goes according to the "adjusted" plan now.

Meanwhile, we have no offices at all in the library... where the new carpet is down, we have piled up everything else, so as to leave just the bookstacks on the floor. Oh, wait, I guess Ronda's office is up and running. 1 out of 7! So I'm working at home today (brought my computer home).

More later.