A $1,500 DIY Robotic Book Scanner
Recently a Google engineer unveiled a do-it-yourself (DIY) robotic book scanner. As reported by The Verge, Dany Qumsiyeh and a team of colleagues constructed it out of sheet metal, scanner parts, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
As Tablets Supplant Ereaders, New Challenges Arise for Publishers
James McQuivey, Forrester research Sixty percent of publishing executives believe that tablets have become “the ideal reading platform,” and 45 percent believe that dedicated e-readers will soon be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Playaway View Proves Popular with DIY Crowd, Older Patrons, and Other Adults
Launched in 2011 by portable audiobook and media platform provider Findaway World, handheld Playaway View units were designed with kids in mind, featuring straightforward, oversized button controls,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
One Way To Get Streaming Content from the Library: Ephrata PL Looks to Expand...
A Roku lending program launched last year by Ephrata Public Library (EPL) in Pennsylvania has proven so popular that the library is planning to invest in several more of the media streaming devices in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What To Do with a Raspberry Pi (The New $35 Computer That Could Replace Your...
After a successful test with this $49 APC prototype, White Plains Public Library is planning to use single-board computers for most of their dedicated OPAC terminals. In what must certainly rank as one...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Library of Congress: Cell Phone Unlocking Should Not Be A DMCA Exemption Issue
The Library of Congress (LC) on Monday issued a statement arguing, in part, that allowing U.S. consumers to “unlock” their cellphones was not an issue that should be decided every three years using the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
SLJ Reviews the WiFi Smartpen Sky by Livescribe | Test Drive
Hard to believe it’s been over seven years since I reviewed Leapfrog’s first “pentop computer,” the Fly, a product that would continue to evolve under inventor Jim Marggraff’s next company,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Potential Pitfalls for Libraries Unaware of Credit Card Industry Security...
As processors of a low volume of small transactions, libraries are unlikely to count credit and debit card processing issues among their most pressing concerns. Yet many libraries may be unaware of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is This It for the Nook?: While its future is unclear, the Nook is an ideal...
Could it be the end of the line for Nook devices? Given their sluggish holiday sales and a subsequent flurry of rumors predicting their demise, it seems a distinct possibility. At press time, it was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3M SelfCheck, NoveList Partner on Reader Recommendation | ALA Annual 2013
Anyone who has ever bought a book online is familiar with recommendation engines that say “if you like this book, you may also like these other titles.” But now libraries are getting in on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
LibraryBox 2.0 Project Moves Forward with Kickstarter | ALA 2013
[UPDATE: July 9, 2:00pm Matthias Strubel, lead developer for the PirateBox project, has agreed to be the developer for LibraryBox 2.0, Jason Griffey posted today on the CODE4LIB listserv. Appended...
View ArticleClik here to view.
DC Public Library Opens Digital Commons, “Dream Lab”
The DC Public Library (DCPL) yesterday hosted the grand opening of its new Digital Commons and “Dream Lab” collaborative workspace. The new areas are designed to enhance the library system’s digital...
View ArticleClik here to view.
SAPL To Debut Digital Commons, Test “Public Proof” OverDrive Kiosk
The San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) this month will unveil Connect at Central, a new 12,800 square-foot digital commons in the system’s main library. “Connect” will feature enhanced WiFi capabilities...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Power Tools
OK, I admit it, I’m a hardware geek. I love hardware of virtually any variety — building, climbing, rafting — you name it. I have a thing for tools that just won’t quit. Plus, I’m quite aware of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nexus 7 Versus the iPad: The new tablets strengthen Google’s play for K–12...
With the Nexus series of devices from Google, the company shows what happens when they control not just the operating system, but also the hardware design. Coupled with the much-anticipated Google...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Four Librarians, Four E-readers, Two Years
Two years ago, four librarians at Oregon State University shared our initial thoughts about using dedicated e-readers for the first time. We had just launched a year-long study of academic librarian...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Oklahoma’s Pioneer Library System Launches 24-Hour Vending Library
Pioneer Library System held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new 24-hour vending library on October 29. Oklahoma’s Pioneer Library System (PLS) this week became the first library in the U.S. to debut...
View ArticleAstonishing Customer Service
Librarianship is undeniably a service profession. Given that, you would think that our literature would be filled with advice on how to provide astonishing customer service. Instead, it isn’t. Perhaps...
View ArticleClik here to view.
School Librarians Score 3-D Printers Through MakerBot/DonorsChoose
School librarians looking to launch a maker space in their schools, but who lack the funds to purchase high-tech gadgets like a 3-D printer, should consider the recent MakerBot and DonorsChoose.org...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Google Play for Education Is Here! Now What Does It Offer?
Back in June, Google announced a major plan to enter the education app space. The search giant promised incredibly simple roll outs, painless Mobile Device Management (MDM) of tablets for busy...
View Article