The Internet Archive
The Internet Text Archive contains a wide range, three million texts, of fiction, popular books, children’s books, historical texts and academic books. The Internet Archive is non-profit group, started in 1996 and charged with the responsibility to build an online library that will contain materials for researchers, scholars, and the general public and to provide services for adaptive technologies for the blind and for those with other disabilities.
The statement from their web page reads:
“Libraries exist to preserve society’s cultural artifacts and to provide access to them. If libraries are to continue to foster education and scholarship in this era of digital technology, it’s essential for them to extend those functions into the digital world.
Many early movies were recycled to recover the silver in the film. The Library of Alexandria – an ancient center of learning containing a copy of every book in the world – was eventually burned to the ground. Even now, at the turn of the 21st century, no comprehensive archives of television or radio programs exist.
But without cultural artifacts, civilization has no memory and no mechanism to learn from its successes and failures. And paradoxically, with the explosion of the Internet, we live in what Danny Hillis has referred to as our “digital dark age.”
The Internet Archive is working to prevent the Internet – a new medium with major historical significance – and other “born-digital” materials from disappearing into the past. Collaborating with institutions including the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, we are working to preserve a record for generations to come.
Open and free access to literature and other writings has long been considered essential to education and to the maintenance of an open society. Public and philanthropic enterprises have supported it through the ages.”
http://www.archive.org/details/texts
The Artistic Talents of SCC Students
Scott Community College’s welding and automotive students created an eight foot sunflower sculpture that stands tall on Faye’s Field at the Bettendorf Learning Campus. The sculpture was dedicated during an October 1 ceremony by our Dean of Students and member of the Bettendorf City Council Lisa Brown. “The students and instructors did a tremendous job,” said Lisa. “I have received many comments from people. They’re really beautiful pieces.” Faye’s Field is named in memory of Faye Clow who served as library director of the Bettendorf Public Library for over thirty years.
Click the link below for driving directions
The New and Improved Library Catalog is Coming Soon!
On October 13, I mentioned we are joining a new consortium, called RiverShare and that there will be a new and improved catalog. On Thursday, Oct. 27th through Tuesday, Nov. 1st, you will not be able to place holds, check your account or pay fines. The due dates on your items have been adjusted so no materials are due during this time. Thank you for your patience. The SCC Library staff ls looking forward to improving your library experience.
The Future of Libraries
I read an interesting article last night about the future of libraries. In “The Future of the Library,” Seth Godin describes libraries, their history and their future. Here are just a few things from his article:
“Just in time for [today’s] information economy, the library ought to be the local nerve center for information … There are one thousand things that could be done in a place like this, all built around one mission: take the world of data, combine it with the people in this community and create value.”
Libraries are just as relevant today as they were before the digital revolution. But, libraries have changed. “The next library is a place, still. A place where people come together to do co-working and coordinate and invent projects worth working on together. Aided by a librarian who understands the Mesh, a librarian who can bring domain knowledge and people knowledge and access to information to bear. Libraries are “less like warehouses and more like intellectual crossroads for working, learning, teaching, and new types of programs” [Source: U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 2006 Symposium]
While reading this article, I was thinking about our library and about the wealth of information that is available in the materials we have on the shelves or in electronic resources. Some students ask why they need to learn about library databases or how to find books. They believe everything is on the Internet. Everything is not on the Internet and what is there may not be authoritative or current. The Internet can be a valuable tool but it is only one tool you may use for research. Librarians can help you find credible resources on the Internet as well as teach you how to access and use other types of resources including books and databases.
Seth Godin’s article can be found at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/05/the-future-of-the-library.html
For the Reading Pleasure of College Administrators and Faculty
Envisioning Knowledge: Building Literacy in the Academic Disciplines was published in 2010. Written by Judith Langer, an internationally known literacy scholar, to help educators plan enriched academic programs, Langer tells about extensive research in knowledge development. She writes how people become literate in mathematics, science, social studies, and English. Langer identifies the key principles and demonstrates highly successful instruction across the curriculum.
Library of Congress Book Discussion
The Library of Congress has a book discussion on Facebook where the public talks about recently published books. http://www.facebook.com/booksandbeyond?v=app_2373072738. View webcasts at http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/results.php?mode=s&cat=26 or even start your own discussion.
New Library Catalog Coming in November
The Scott Community College Library is a part of a new consortium called RiverShare Libraries and will begin the use of a new online catalog in early November. The new consortium consists of 20 member libraries 12 from Iowa and 8 from Illinois. You will continue to be able to use your library card at other member libraries. To view a list of member libraries and to read about the benefits you will be able to enjoy go to http://tinypaste.com/e942d.
Starting this November
The Scott Community College Library is part of a new consortium called RiverShare Libraries and will begin the use of a new online catalog in early November. The new consortium consists of 20 member libraries 12 from Iowa and 8 from Illinois. You will continue to be able to use your library card at other member libraries. To view a list of member libraries and to read about the benefits you will be able to enjoy go to http://tinypaste.com/e942d.
Alternatives to Google
Anyone can publish articles on the web. It is imperative that researchers think critically about the information to be sure the site is authoritative. Infotopia, http://www.infotopia.info , searches only sites previously selected by librarians, teachers, and educational persons. These sites contain collections of juried sites. Other sites include the Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org/), Digital Librarian (http://www.digital-librarian.com/), and Academia edu http://journals.academia.edu/
Bill O’Reilly on The Late Show
On Thursday, October 18 on The Late Show with David Letterman: Bill O’Reilly, who is co-author of Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed American Forever . The book is available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Killing+Lincoln%3A+The+Shocking+Assassination+that+Changed+American+Forever+&x=20&y=19. It is available as a hardcover, Kindle E-book, and CD. “The anchor of The O’Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America’s Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln’s generous terms for Robert E. Lee’s surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln’s dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased. In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies’ man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country’s most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history’s most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.” –Editorial Review on Amazon
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