Accept no substitutes

Month: March 2007 (Page 1 of 4)

Catching up

A beautiful day in spring and I’m catching up on some things.

Blogging about what I would say at the “This Conversation is being blogged” panel drew out blog entries from other panelists and from some who were there in the audience (and didn’t speak). I’ve added UPDATEs to those writings.

Jessamyn West writes about the Society of American Archivists not wanting to archive their listserv, then wanting to. Watch for more on this soon at a favorite site near you.

Fiona Morgan of the Independent Weekly has a long article about the many changes at the News and Observer — several which I’ve been watching and and interested in seeing play out as the paper learns to interact more directly with its readers.

Lulu Blooker books are all over the floor of my house. I can’t talk about them, but I can say that I’m doing a lot of reading. (I’m chair of judges this year).

This Converstion is being Blogged – panel tomorrow

What: THIS CONVERSATION IS BEING BLOGGED: Our lives, online, all the time, in the trend towards lifelogging
When: 12:30 to 1:30pm March 29th, 2007
Where: Pleasants Family Room in Wilson Library at UNC-CH
Who: A Panel Discussion Led by Dr. Deborah Barreau, with panelists Paul Jones, Dr. Cal Lee, Dr. Jeffrey Pomerantz, Terrell Russell, and Chirag Shah [note – librarians have arranged the speakers in alphabetic order by last name]
Presented by: ASIS&T-UNC

For my part, I think I’ll begin with some of the ironies and practices in 1984. Winston Smith lives in a surveillance society where cameras, your television, and your neighbors are aware of your every move. He himself takes part in manipulation of information and of memory — sending old news bits that no longer are accepted down the memory hole. Yet what does Winston do once he finds the one place in his house where he cannot be observed? He writes in his diary. He tries to create a true history counter to that that he is experiencing in his life and work.

Next a bit about Steven Nock’s Costs of Privacy: Surveillance and Reputation in America. Nock claims, validly I’d say, that these past generations have experienced privacy in ways that have never been available to young people in the history of humanity. But we pay. Now we live among strangers, we work with strangers, we hire strangers, we do business with strangers. In place of knowledge — reputation and trust — of people, we use credentials as a substitute. In place of broad personal experiences, we use ordeals. For example, a college diploma is a credential that shows that you have experienced the ordeals set in place by UNC to prove that you have achieved some sort of particularized knowledge from this school. But what happens now that we are more open? What on the other side are the costs of openness? Or the costs of perhaps of vanity?

My third musing is about the increase of self-knowledge gained by recording yourself by various means. Before the inventions of permanent photography in the 1800s, only rich people knew what their relatives looked like. The rich had paintings and drawings and etchings of their parents. In fact only rich people knew what they themselves had looked like a few years earlier. What happened once more people became aware of their histories –their own and their families? Does this shift of personal awareness teach us something that we can carry forward in predict anything much about lifelogging? Would, say, Mary Warner Marien’s Photography: A Cultural History enlighten our understanding of lifelogging?

UPDATE: Terrell writes about his brief panel statement on his blog here.

UPDATE:
Jeff Pomerantz writes about the panel in retrospect on his blog here.

UPDATE:
Kristina has added some of her ideas on the discussion to her blog here.

Newton (and ibiblio) get Celtic grant

The National Institute for the Humanities just announced 16 Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants — and Dr. Michael Newton‘s proposal “for a digital humanities collaboration on Celtic studies that will allow multiple users to contribute to, discuss, edit, and utilize a common body of information” is one of the awardees.

We’re delighted that Dr. Newton has chosen ibiblio as the host of the project and as a partner in this significant start-up.

Everything is Alumni-ated

Carolina Alumni Review
The March/April 2007 Carolina Alumni Review is chock full of ibiblian info and pictures of a couple of us. Unfortunately, you can’t read it online unless you are a member of the General Alumni Association in which case you will have gotten a physical copy in the mail already.

On pages 100 – 103. “A Blog’s Life” and “Blog Savvy” include a lot of great quotes by Fred Stutzman as well as a wonderful picture of Anton “mistersugar” Zuiker and his daughter — and a box “Starting Your Own Blog” about Anton’s advice on blogging. Colleague Phil Meyer and Greensboro blogger Ed Cone are also amongst those features and quoted.

On pages 42 – 49. “Remixing Scholarship” is loaded with references to ibiblio — often in quotes from me — and to SILS and the UNC Libraries including old friends DocSouth. Helen Tibbo, Gary Marchionini, Jose-marie Griffiths and I all get to speak. Gary and I with pullout quotes. Jose and I with pictures. Natasha Smith also gets an action photograph. It’s a beautiful article and full of ideas about where libraries are going.

intellagirl talks fills room in both worlds

intellagirl lectures in Second Life
Had a great time today visiting with Second Life researcher and rhetoric instructor Sarah “intellagirl” Robbins and her friend Mark Bell. The folks who came to listen to Sarah and to talk with her completely overfilled the physical room (60+ people) and filled to overflow two Second Life stages (over 80 – 90 avatars that stayed the entire talk). Thanks to Larry Taylor and to Mark, operations in both worlds worked wonderfully once we were set up. [Sarah’s blog post about the talk here. Her powerpoint slides here at SlideShare]

Since my computer was being used to animate Sarah’s avatar, I didn’t liveblog the talk, but fear not Larry videoed the talk in Real Life and we will have it on ibiblio in the Speakers area in the next day or so.

Sarah gave a good talk that not only drew on her experiences in teaching and learning in Second Life but also grounded in identity theories, games research and rhetoric. The questions were well thought out and provocative — both from within Second Life and within the room. Sarah’s speaking style is engaging and promotes good interactions and enthusiasm — and that worked here as well.

It was great to see someone who really understands Second Life well and who has the academic engagement to impart not just experience but understanding working in both worlds.

Later a couple of us (Carolyn, Larry and myself) took Sarah and Mark to one of Chapel Hill’s two best BBQ places — the BBQ Joint so’s they could have “some South in their Mouths” (as Mama Dip used to say). They (and we) were not disappointed. Good talk and some ideas for future projects.

Tyndall Galleries feature in News and Observer

As readers of this blog know by now, I take in a lot of my art appreciation at Tyndall Galleries. Today’s feature in the News and Observer on local galleries goes a long way to explaining why. The art there is wonderful, but also the ways in which the artists and owner appreciate and support each other. Every opening is an occasion to mix with not just the featured artist and friends but with almost every artist represented by the gallery. The atmosphere there is one of love and caring and of passion for art.

Owner and friend, Jane Tyndall is the reason and the quotes from her in the story tell you a lot:

“You want for people to enjoy themselves and for it to have a great ambience and for it to feel wonderful,” said Jane Tyndall, owner of Tyndall Galleries. “But behind the scenes in all of that is a lot of work and a lot of planning. You really have to plan two years out for shows.

“You have to really love what you’re doing. You have to see the purpose in it.”

Here are photos of the galleries featured in the News and Observer story.

Here for a PDF of some of the photos and a gallery guide.

This conversation is being blogged – ASIST Wednesday

What: THIS CONVERSATION IS BEING BLOGGED: Our lives, online, all the time, in the trend towards lifelogging
When: 12:30 to 1:30pm March 29th, 2007
Where: Pleasants Family Room in Wilson Library at UNC-CH
Who: A Panel Discussion Led by Dr. Deborah Barreau, with panelists Paul Jones, Dr. Cal Lee, Dr. Jeffrey Pomerantz, Terrell Russell, and Chirag Shah [note – librarians have arranged the speakers in alphabetic order by last name]
Presented by: ASIS&T-UNC

In blogs, in podcasts, in social networking systems, we are increasingly recording, noting, archiving, posting, and publishing our own lives. The reasons for doing so are many, and the possibilities for a cultural record are profound. What confluence of technology and society spurred this trend? What happens when my desire for privacy intersects with your intent to publish? What is there to do when prospective employers, marketers, or the government take note of what you have recorded about yourself?

The Rise of Carrboro, the Fall of San Francisco

A beautiful spring day and the opening of the Carrboro Farmers’ Market coincides with the initial publication of the Carrboro Citizen. The Citizen is in boxes around the town and in the front of Weaver Street. As I sat at the Weave with my coffee reading the Citizen, several folks stopped and asked where to get a copy. The excitement of having a locally owned small town paper that is put out by people who know and love the town was and is palpable. (also on their website if you are paper adverse or far from the Paris of the Piedmont).

Out on the Left Coast’s other Bohemia, Tim O’Reilly reports on the desperate straits that the San Francisco Chronicle flounders in. That leads to a spirited and informative discussion and…

Dave Winer has a solution or better a set of solutions which he calls his “message of hope” consisting of two points (which he explains in more detail

  1. “journalism should become a required course, one or two semesters for every graduate”
  2. “embrace the best bloggers.”

Summary: Read Carrboro Citizen, O’Reilly and Winer.

Morgan Creek Preserve Dedication and Signing Monday

Just after Intellagirl’s talk on Monday, Sally and others will be making a major announcement about the Morgan Creek Preserve. I can’t be in Merritt’s Pasture for the ceremony, but if you can get out on what promises to be a beautiful day. You can celebrate the preservation of a lot (740 acres) of land in Chapel Hill.

The Chapel Hill Town Council and the Botanical Garden Foundation Inc. will hold a dedication and signing ceremony for the creation of Morgan Creek Preserve at 1 p.m. Monday, March 26.

The public is invited to this special event that celebrates the permanent protection of open space to the south and west of Fordham Boulevard, a woodland corridor that James Taylor called “Copperline.” In all, the citizens of Chapel Hill have supported and helped the Council identify, protect and preserve these and other green spaces and critical natural areas, now totaling about 740 acres.

The Morgan Creek land was amassed in a series of acquisitions with the intent to connect Town-owned open space. Future plans call for walking trails throughout the corridor to connect with the Fan Branch Trail toward Southern Village and the future Southern Community Park.

The signing of the conservation agreement culminates two years of work by a Council Committee led by Council Members Jim Ward, Sally Greene and Ed Harrison. The committee consulted with representatives of the Botanical Garden Foundation and the Triangle Land Conservancy, reviewed sample conservation language, considered maps and aerial photographs, and walked
the property, before presenting its recommendation to the full Council for approval.

The agreement is made up of two parts, the first a conservation easement which will establish, in perpetuity, a 92-acre nature preserve along Morgan Creek from Merritt Pasture to the Chapel Hill town limit at Smith Level Road. The second part is a monitoring agreement, which establishes baseline information for preserve property, and an annual obligation by Botanical
Garden Foundation representatives to monitor the long-term health of the area’s natural elements.

The easement grants to the Botanical Garden Foundation Inc. an interest in all of the Town property that is bounded by the Merritt Pasture on the east, the Carrboro Town line on the west, Culbreth Road to the south, and Fordham Boulevard to the north. Downstream from Merritt Pasture there are several conservation easements on private lots that are held by the Botanical Garden
Foundation and beyond these lie conservation lands of the botanical garden that protect Morgan Creek to the Durham County line.

“Our main goal is to ensure that the property be retained as open space in its natural condition,” said Mayor Kevin Foy. “The easement is structured to protect native plants, animals, and plant communities on the land, while allowing low impact recreational uses that are compatible with the conservation values of the easement.”

Monday’s dedication will be led by Mayor Kevin Foy, Council Member Ward, Botanical Garden Foundation Inc. President Bill Bracey, and North Carolina Botanical Garden Director Peter White. Livy Luddington, a science specialist from Frank Porter Graham Elementary School, and a group of fourth graders will discuss how they use the preserve for frequent field trips to watch for
birds and animal life, identify plants, and monitor water quality in Morgan Creek.

An optional hiking tour of Merritt Pasture will follow the ceremony. Ms. Luddington’s students will lead the tour and demonstrate how they use kick nets to locate salamanders and other invertebrates in Morgan Creek. Appropriate outdoor footwear is recommended for this rain or shine event.

Shuttles will be available starting at noon from the North Carolina Botanical Garden visitor parking lot located off Old Mason Farm Road, and limited parking will be available near an entrance to Merritt Pasture off Meadow Lane. The public is encouraged to call 968-2784 or 968-2787 ext. 214 for a map and directions to the site.

Good Thoughts and Prayers for Elizabeth Edwards

Elizabeth and John Edwards
In the past couple of years, I’ve been lucky enough to spend a little time, too little, with Elizabeth Edwards. I can say that at every meeting with Elizabeth, I was more and more impressed by her. She is intelligent and insightful and particularly kind. And I would guess patient.

Her book and her warmth supported others as did her involvement in groups both on the internet and around the world.

As many of you know, today we just learned that Elizabeth has had a recurrence of cancer. This time in her bones. Our prayers are with her and her family. (Leave messages for Elizabeth and her family).

Intellagirl in Second Life — update

The official word from Fred, who is organizing the Intellagirl visit:

A quick reminder – Second Life researcher Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins will be giving a talk next Monday at UNC. This talk will be streamed into SL by Larry Taylor, whose SL work received a great writeup yesterday. Here are all the details on Sarah’s talk, “Creating Authentic and Engaging Community-Oriented Learning Spaces: Using Second Life in Higher Education Classrooms.”

First Life details:
Who: Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins, Ph.D. Candidate, Ball State University
When: March 26, 2007, 11AM-12PM
Where: Room 205, UNC Undergrad Library

Second Life details:
Who: Sarah “Intellagirl” Robbins, Ph.D. Candidate, Ball State University
When: March 26, 2007, 11AM-12PM EDT. (8AM-9AM PDT)
Where: Cybrary City Amphitheater (129,148,24)
Larry notes: Search for the SILS building in SL by entering “SILS” in the search engine “places” tab. The amphitheater is a short walk due SW. It’s in front of the ALA library. Hard to miss. Or use this SLURL for SILS.

Full details at Fred’s blog, UnitStructures

Jones-mania UNC Alumni Review, etc

There is a really good article on remix, libraries and information science in the current UNC Alumni Review (not yet online) which I’m on my way downstairs to take a look over. My colleagues, Gary Marchionini and Helen Tibbo get good quotes. Our Dean, Jose-marie Griffiths, gets some nice lines and a good picture as does out University Librarian Sarah Michalak. And then there is this other picture…

Dan Sears is very creative; the clouds are excellent — then there is me

Just also took a call about Wikipedia as a primary resource for student papers. Answer: encyclopediae are not acceptable primary sources for university papers whether paper or electronic. I would give the same bad grade for a paper overly citing Britannica as I would to one citing Wikipedia.

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