In through the outfield

15 January 2009

Happy slapping for the Google generation

According to Google there are two definitions of Google Slapping.

The first is what can happen to your site after Google have revised their PageRank link analysis algorithm. Some websites have seen their search results ranking drop through the floor after having been slapped with PageRank penalties, Google slapping PageRank Penalties, and a Wired article.

The second comes from a recent net@night podcast with Amber MacArthur and Leo Laporte. They interviewed Mr. Calzone of http://gog.is who has developed what he calls ‘the simple Google slapper’.

“Ever felt like slapping someone with a Google search, while in an IM conversation, chat-rooms, or on Twitter? simply write http://gog.is and put the keywords in the url, like this: http://gog.is/clerks. This will redirect them to the Google search for clerks.

So the next time someone asks you how to remove spyware on their windows box, tell them to http://gog.is/remove,windows,spyware. Or simply http://gog.is/install+ubuntu. You can even write http://gog.is/what/is/love.”

This is a more friendly variation of what has become a popular response to simple questions between Internet sophisticates. They create a link to Let me Google that for you, with the topic in question. The site generates an animation of typing the search into Google followed by the patronising message “Was that so hard?”, before producing the search results.

Here is an example for the word library. Incidentally, it is gratifying to see that the British Library comes up at number five in the results. So it looks as though we haven’t been Google slapped (definition one) recently.

“Let me Google that for you
This is for all those people that find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than google it for themselves. Created by @coderifous, contributions by @rmm5t. Inspired during a lunch conversation with @coderifous, @tmassing, @rmm5t, @EricStratton, and @methodvon. Not associated with Google™ in any way.”

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uOtdsJKsDc0]

6 January 2009

Michael Jackson as a ‘Thrilling’ librarian

I have just come across a video of the National Library of Australia’s staff Christmas party. I don’t know who chose to model the dance on Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, but the sight of a kick-fighting librarian and book trolleys spinning across the dance floor are something to behold.

Perhaps we can generate some similarly creative choreography for next years British Library staff party.

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DPhM7JbsgxU]

24 November 2008

10 million hits per hour for the new European Library

The new European digital library Europeana proved to be so popular with 10 million hits per hour that it crashed within 24 hours of going live, according to the BBC report.

According to their home page, they hope to be back by mid-December.

In the meantime you can get a sneak preview from here.

I find it ironic that in the midst of news stories about the closure of both school and public libraries in the UK there is still a great deal of demand for library material from potential customers.

19 November 2008

Online Information Conference 2008 – Clay Shirky Keynote Preview

As a first-time speaker at the Online Information Conference in London in a couple of weeks, I was intrigued to see the organisers have posted up a preview video of the keynote speaker on YouTube.

“Clay Shirky , Author of ‘Here Comes Everybody‘ and thought leader on the social and economic effects of internet technologies will open the 2008 conference with a keynote address that examines ‘Every piece of information is a latent community.’

One of the absolutes of information is that people don’t just like to have it, they like to share it, discuss it, argue about it. In the digital world, we now have media that can both transmit information and coordinate people at the same time; one potent side-effect is that published information can call a topic-specific community into being, by linking together the people who gather around it.”

It sounds like it will be an interesting and controversial topic.

18 November 2008

A ‘friendly’ catalogue for the British Library

Soon after joining the the British Library nearly three years ago I had my first encounter with our Integrated Catalogue, and I have to say it was not a happy experience. Having used and developed simple and easy to use databases and catalogues in the past, I found our system complicated, confusing and definitely not a thing of beauty.

Once the sheer scale of the database (over 14 million records) was explained to me, and how much of an improvement it was over the numerous separate catalogues that pre-dated it, my criticisms were somewhat muted.

However, I still struggled every time I needed to search it. But the good news is that from this week I now have the option of using the beta version of our new Primo based ‘Search our Catalogue’ service from ExLibris.

The role model for this new interface is Amazon and other similar simple to use search services such as Flickr and eBay. After just a few sample searches I have to say that I am very impressed. The design is much cleaner and clearer than the Integrated Catalogue, and provides display options and mechanisms for filtering the results.

Even more revolutionary for the library is the ability to tag books and even write reviews once you are logged in.

13 October 2008

Business & IP Centre minor media star

We are very proud of Jeremy O’Hare our minor media star in the Business & IP Centre team. His first appearance was last summer on the BBC’s Working Lunch show.

They came in to the Centre to film a ten minute slot on our wonderful and unique free sources of information and interviewed a couple of our ‘success stories’. As well as finding out how they had used our information, the journalists wanted to interview a member of our reference team. Jeremy volunteered and did an excellent job, suppressing his understandable nerves to give a clear but enthusiastic summary of our service.

In fact Jeremy’s appearance was so successful the rest of the team had to deal with several weeks of answering phone enquirers who specifically asked for Jeremy to assist them with their business information needs.

Since then he has played a staring role in our award winning interactive annual report.

Last week we received a call from the Working Lunch show saying they wanted to come in and get three British Library staff to review the latest batch of E-readers. They wanted to know if the ‘professionals’ thought we were ready to usher in the era of digital books. You can watch for yourself to see what their views were.

Once again Jeremy was pressed into action and once again acquitted himself excellently.

Who knows where this media career will lead!

4 October 2008

Our future world is Blue, Green or Orange

Just back from the ebic 2008 conference organised by TFPL, and exhausted from listening to so many speakers and ideas (plus networking late into the night). This year we spent an afternoon brainstorming the implications for the information and knowledge profession of the Pricewaterhouse Coopers‘ scenario worlds of the future, Managing tomorrow’s people: The future of work to 2020. This predicted three very different possibilities and gave each a colour:

The Blue World: Corporate is King: Big company capitalism rules as organisations continue to grow and individual preferences trump beliefs about corporate social responsibility.

The Green World: Companies Care: Social responsibility dominates the corporate agenda and concerns about demographic changes, climate and sustainability become the key business drivers.

The Orange World: Small is Beautiful: Companies begin to breakdown into collaborative networks of smaller organisations and specialisation dominates the world economy.

Our task was to attempt to answer the following three questions:

1. What significant developments/events/trends that will impact on KIM (knowledge and information management) activity can we expect/anticipate across the forecasting time-line in this world?
2. What KIM activity would ensure success in this world?
3. What KIM roles and skills would be of value to organisations in this world?

The outputs from these discussions were recorded and I am looking forward to seeing the conclusions in the next few weeks.

29 September 2008

ebic 2008 and Flight Memory.com

I’m off to ebic 2008 on Wednesday for the TFPL organised conference of which I was a regular attendee a ten years or so ago. After a gap of a couple of years they have revamped it in the form of a “networking event for people working in the knowledge and information arena”.

I am looking forward to meeting some old and new faces from the profession, and to seeing Berlin again after a ten year gap. At that time it was the largest building site in Europe as it adjusted to the removal of ‘the wall’.

flightmemory

Appropriately today’s Net@Nite with Leo and Amber included Flight Memory, a new flight tracking website which enables you to record previous trips and produce cumulative data. It also generates a map similar to the ones found in the back of the airline magazines showing where your flight routes.

They will also calculate your total time in the air, distance flown and even keep track of aircraft types and airlines. All they need to add is the amount you have added to global warming to complete the picture.

flightmemory2

23 September 2008

Manchester’s Commercial Library and Ask About Business service

Today I visited Manchester’s Commercial Library and Ask About Business service with my colleague Nigel Spencer. The weather was spectacular all day which made for wonderful views from the train over Cheshire and the Peak District. But also put a lie to Manchester’s reputation as grey and wet city. Walking along the canal past Victorian industrial palaces and modern glass and steel offices to the impressive circular building (apparently based on the Pantheon in Rome) was a delight.

The meeting was to compare developments in our respective services and to explore how we can support each other in future. They demonstrated their recently launched Ask About Business service, which is particularly impressive.

“Ask About Business is a new partnership between eleven library authorities in Greater Manchester, Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen. Led by Manchester Library & Information Service, Ask About Business provides access through libraries to information that supports: Pre-Start and new businesses, Existing business, Jobseekers, Consumers, Inventors, Business students”

What is particularly inspiring was the decision to use their numerous local libraries as the front line for this new service. Customers are then referred to business information specialists on a case by case basis.

It was flattering to hear that some of their initiatives (such as workshops and use of success stories) were inspired by our activities in the Business & IP Centre. Considering the limited budget they have been working to, their achievements are even more extraordinary.

Providing remote free access to the Cobra (Complete Business Reference Adviser) database (one of our most useful sources for business startups) is inspired.

12 September 2008

Business & Intellectual Property Centre (the envy of every business librarian

I know we like to think we are doing a great job here in the Business & IP Centre, but it is great when an external source confirms this for us. Especially when it comes from as far away as Australia.

The case in point is a blog post from the State Library of Western Australia which has picked up on our Weird and Wonderful Gadgets and Inventions small display, but in passing mentions that the Business & IP Centre is “the envy of every business librarian”.

Praise indeed.