New Nook E-Reader to Launch Today…05.24.11

According to CNET news:

“Barnes & Noble is set to launch a touch-screen e-ink e-reader…that costs $139, matching the price of the Kindle WiFi, a reliable source has told CNET.

The source has seen promotional signage that’s set to go on display in stores. Based on the signage, the new Nook is called ‘The Simple Touch Reader,’ according to the tipster, who describes it as a ‘squat, black, touch-screen e-ink reader that has been profusely speculated about in recent weeks.’

The source adds that the Nook ’1st Edition’ WiFi and 3G+WiFi e-readers will drop to $119 and $169 respectively….”

Comparison of Old Nook to Kindle:

From Mashable:

Barnes & Noble unveiled a small touchscreen eink ereader at a press event in New York Tuesday.

Priced at $139, the Simple Touch Reader is designed to more closely compete with Amazon’s Wi-Fi-only Kindle 3, which is likewise priced at $139.

The Simple Touch Ereader improves upon the Kindle 3 in several ways, however.

First, it sports a touchscreen, reducing the number of buttons to one: a simple on/off switch on the upper back.

It also has up to two months of battery life — double that of the Kindle, and greater than any ereader in the industry. And although the device is substantially smaller than the Kindle at 7.5 x 4.8 x 0.335 inches, it sports the same 6-inch screen.

Both devices weigh in at 8.5 ounces and have built-in Wi-Fi.

And, as a small bonus, Simple Touch Reader owners can also customize their screensavers.

The device is available for pre-order now in-store and on nook.com, and will ship “in time for Father’s Day” on June 19, says Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch.

QR Codes and Mobile in the Library…05.24.11

Exploring student engagement with mobile technologies at a regional university

View more presentations from Sally Cummings

2011 Pillars of Information Literacy…05.23.11

The 2011 7 Pillars of Information Literacy:

1. Pillar: Identify – able to identify a personal need for information

2. Pillar: Scope – can assess current knowledge and identify gaps

3. Pillar: Plan – can construct strategies for locating information and data

4. Pillar: Gather – can locate and access the information and data they need

5. Evaluate: Can review the research process and compare and evaluate information and data

6. Pillar: Manage – Can organize information professionally and ethically

7. Pillar: Present – can apply the knowledge gained: presenting the results of their research, synthesizing new and old information and data to create new knowledge and disseminating it in a variety of ways

Digital Storytelling and Mobile Strategy…05.23.11

Digital storytelling and mobile strategy

View more presentations from Steve Buttry

Next Steps in Social Media…05.23.11

Social Media

View more presentations from Paul Coulton

NEW – The Digital Library Survival Guide…05.22.11

The Digital Library Survival Guide:

“…”The Digital Library Survival Guide by Joseph R. Matthews is an excellent book for all librarians who are moving into the digital library arena.  It is written in a concise manner that will easily guide you through the migration process from traditional/hybrid to digital. The book briefly discusses the evolution of libraries and the technologies that enables them to effectively manage ever growing digital library assets.

‘We know that libraries are constantly changing to meet the needs and desires of their patrons, says Scot Cheatham, President and CEO, EOS International. ‘EOS International has been evolving its software solutions for over 30 years to provide our clients the right tools as they move to a more digital environment.’

 ’Researching the content for this book was quite enlightening for me personally, says Joseph R. Matthews, Author.  ’Having written many books on technology and specifically library automation over the last 30 years has given me a respect for the challenges facing libraries today and what they need to do to remain relative in the future….”"

3M : Cloud Library eBook Lending Service to Launch at ALA Annual Conference…05.22.11

From: 3M : Cloud Library eBook Lending Service to Launch at ALA Annual Conference

“The 3M Cloud Library System will revolutionize how patrons discover, borrow and read eBooks from their library. This eBook solution includes a comprehensive subscription for both digital content and in-library hardware, along with apps for borrowing and reading, providing libraries with a simple and turnkey system for participating in the digital revolution.

‘We worked closely with librarians to develop this system, which enabled us to create a solution that meets the needs of both librarians and library patrons,” adds 3M Library Systems Digital Business Development Leader Tom Mercer. “The 3M Cloud Library eBook lending service has simplified the discovery, browsing and check out process for eBooks so that more patrons can enjoy the digital content their library provides.’

At the ALA booth, visitors can test drive the new 3M eReaders and 3M Discovery Terminal, as well as the 3M Cloud Library App for iPad…”

iPad 101…05.20.11

IPAD 101: UTK LIBRARIES

View more presentations from Mark Baggett

Stream Hulu on the Nook Color and Other Android Devices…05.20.11

Future Smartphones…05.20.11

And more….

QR Codes in the Library…05.20.11

QR Codes for Library Staff

View more presentations from Erin Downey Howerton

Cornell University Discussion of Digital Library…05.19.11

Overview of Open Source Invenio Digital Library Software…05.19.11

FlyingWord Apps and Enhanced ebooks…05.19.11

Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide…05.19.11

“Millions of Americans–35 percent of adults–live without broadband access at home. Perhaps more surprising, as of late 2009, 22 percent of adults still did not use the Internet at all. New government initiatives and services mean that Internet access and understanding is no longer an optional skill. How can libraries help close the gap?

Teaching novice computer users, including seniors and individuals with disabilities, how to do what they want and need to do online is a formidable challenge for library staff. Part inspirational, part practical, Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide is a summary of techniques, approaches, and skills that will help librarians meet this challenge.

Jessamyn West’s experience as a librarian, deeply immersed in technology culture yet living in rural America, makes her uniquely qualified to write this book. Taking a big-picture approach to the subject, she demystifies and simplifies tech training for the busy librarian, providing an easy-to-use handbook full of techniques that can be used with a library’s many diverse populations. As an added bonus, she also examines the players in the library technology arena to offer firsthand reports on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next.”

Multiple Identities Online…05.19.11

Changing Libraries…05.19.11

Geelong publicevent

View more presentations from Stephen Abram

Google Social Search Redux…05.19.11

Pew Research Survey: What Caused the U.S. Civil War?…05.19.11

What’s Your World View?…05.19.11

Found at Centered Librarian

QR Codes and Libraries…05.18.11

Larc qr codes and libraries

View more presentations from Joe Murphy

Open source: The affordable future of college textbooks…05.18.11

Augmented Reality and Libraries…05.18.11

Seeing the Library through the Terminator’s Eyes: Augmented Reality

View more presentations from Rachel Vacek

Netflix Largest Single Source of Internet Traffic In North America…05.18.11

Libraries and Social Connection from The Library Minute…05.17.11

Wireless in Libraries…05.17.11

What is a library? What do librarians do?…05.17.11

Amazon.com – The Hidden Empire…05.16.11

Amazon.com: the Hidden Empire

View more presentations from faberNovel

This Week in Libraries – Nigel Spencer (British Library)…05.16.11

The Future of the Library?…05.16.11

From Seth Godin’s post today The Future of the Library:

“…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.

The next library is a house for the librarian with the guts to invite kids in to teach them how to get better grades while doing less grunt work. And to teach them how to use a soldering iron or take apart something with no user servicable parts inside. And even to challenge them to teach classes on their passions, merely because it’s fun. This librarian takes responsibility/blame for any kid who manages to graduate from school without being a first-rate data shark.

The next library is filled with so many web terminals there’s always at least one empty. And the people who run this library don’t view the combination of access to data and connections to peers as a sidelight–it’s the entire point.

Wouldn’t you want to live and work and pay taxes in a town that had a library like that? The vibe of the best Brooklyn coffee shop combined with a passionate raconteur of information? There are one thousands 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.

We need librarians more than we ever did. What we don’t need are mere clerks who guard dead paper. Librarians are too important to be a dwindling voice in our culture. For the right librarian, this is the chance of a lifetime.”