The end of the work year has arrived and with it, my last day at UC. On January 25 I’ll take up a position at CPIT as Liaison Librarian to the arts, creative industries and Maori departments. After 16 years here I’m leaving wonderful friends behind but I’ll look forward to catching up with many of you at library events in the future. Thank you to everyone for your support and good wishes.

I wish you all stamina and good humour to get through the changes ahead and I hope that any others who have to leave will be fortunate enough to find another rewarding job amongst lovely people.

Happy holidaying to everyone. Meri Kirihimete!

– Meg Upjohn

The middle barcode scanner isn’t working at the moment. Library IT have been notified.
-Meg

If a red box appears on the EftPos machine saying something like: “Contact a staff member. Unable to process balance request” – you should use key #10 to open the hatch, CTRL/ALT/Delete, then Shutdown/Restart.
-Meg

Students can’t log on to computer LibP8 in the computer room. Can’t locate profile. Library IT notified.
-Meg

Beims request submitted. # 0039160
-Meg

Fixed.

If you need to open up the EFTPOS computer, don’t despair if you think you’re using the wrong key for the big grey box. It sometimes sticks when you hold it a certain way but it does work! Meg

LIBS2, the middle pc beside the PSL service desk, can’t handle pdf files. If anyone tries to open a pdf they’ll get a “PDF Aloud” message and the computer will lock up.

The recommended solution (http://tiny.cc/IYxTq) doesn’t work on this computer so if the PDF Aloud message is showing, go to Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del), highlight all the problem tasks that are “Running” and then click “End Process”. This will kill the attempt to load the pdf so the user can log off or do something else. Advise them to use another computer to open the pdf. Shane won’t be able to fix it for a while so we’ve put a notice on the computer warning that it can’t handle PDFs.

-Meg

The heater behind Adam & Meg’s desk isn’t working. FM have been notified.

Motion: “This house believes that existing copyright laws do more harm than good.”

Live dates: May 5th-15th

Pro: Prof. William Fisher
“By needlessly locking up portions of our cultural heritage, we also
needlessly curb cultural progress and opportunities for
self-expression.”

Con: Prof. Justin Hughes
“To get both the desired amount and mix of expression, properly calibrated copyright is the best tool.”

Debate schedule
* May 5th – Opening arguments
* May 6th – Guest speaker John Kennedy, Chairman and CEO, IFPI, posts
* May 8th – Rebuttal arguments and guest speaker Dale Cendali,
Intellectual Property Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Adjunct
Professor, Harvard Law School, posts
* May 11th – Guest speaker Jennifer M. Urban, Clinical Professor of Law
and Director of the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic,
USC, posts
* May 13th – Closing arguments and guest speaker Jessica Litman, John
F. Nickoll Professor of Law and Professor of Information, University of
Michigan, posts
* May 15th – Winner announcement

Follow the debate, post your comments and vote now at http://tiny.cc/economist
You can also Follow and discuss the issues via Facebook and Twitter:

Facebook page:
http://news.economist.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBp8d0W1OIc0Mo0FmZD0EH

Twitter:
http://news.economist.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBp8d0W1OIc0Mo0FkxZ0E6

-Meg

An interesting Open Access book:
Kroski, Ellyssa / On the Move with the Mobile Web: Libraries and Mobile Technologies / Library Technology Reports / 2008 / vol. 44, n. 5 / pp. 1-48.

http://eprints.rclis.org/15024/1/mobile_web_ltr.pdf (2912Kb.)

Includes chapters on the types of movile devices available today, Library Mobile Initiatives, How to Create a Mobile Experience & Getting Started with the Mobile Web. Also discusses potential uses of visual camera phone searching with those 2D QR barcode tags.
Predicts library adaptations including:
Students will be able to check out own books using 2D barcode readers in their own mobile devices and video conferencing with a reference librarian will be possible at the click of a cell phone icon (eg via Skype Mobile).

-Meg