ALIA News

Here are some sites recommended recently by ALIA:

INTERNATIONAL
Taking Stock - the Future of Public Library Service
Unison and the University of Cardiff have published a report called Taking stock: the future of our public library service. The 'our' they are talking about is the UK public library service, but there are plenty of ideas to consider for Australian libraries.
The report looks a range of issues including measuring value and quality, book stock, facilities, and staffing. You can read the complete report here:

http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/17301.pdf
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Future of Reference Services - Survey
A quick survey about future of reference services:
How critical is reference to the survival of libraries? Should the library profession do more to promote reference services? In less than a minute you can tell the library profession what you think about reference services by taking a "60-Second Survey."


Survey

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great Endings Begin at the Library
Reconnect with reading! Check out the reading campaign poster used by Cuyahoga County Public Library at:

Cuyahoga County Public Library website

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading on the Rise
Reading on the Rise, the National Endowment for the Arts' new report documents a significant turning point in recent American cultural history. For the first time in over a quarter-century, our survey shows that literary reading has risen among adult Americans. After decades of declining trends, there has been a decisive and unambiguous increase among virtually every group measured in this comprehensive national survey.

http://www.arts.gov/research/ReadingonRise.pdf


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Libraries Responsible for a Drop in the Crime Rate
Libraries sow urban peace in Colombia

http://www.comunidadesegura.org/?q=en/node/41565


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEB RESOURCES
The Distance Between Two Points
Do you or your customers ever need to calculate the distance between any two cities or points in the world in kilometres, miles and nautical miles, and the initial compass bearing/heading from the origin to the destination? Click on the link below to find out more.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/distance.html

And find out current times around the world by visiting:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
This one is really useful - I use it all the time before calling family overseas.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The world's 50 most powerful blogs
From Prince Harry in Afghanistan to Tom Cruise on Scientology and footage from the Burmese uprising, blogging has never been bigger. It can help elect presidents and take down attorney generals while simultaneously celebrating the minutiae of our everyday obsessions. Here are the 50 best reasons to log on:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/09/blogs


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Search Engine
It's hard to argue with results. A study by Microsoft Research reveals that presenting a screenshot in conjunction with a text result allows a user to locate desired web pages faster and easier in almost every attempt. Our brain is designed to filter, distinguish, associate, and select information first and foremost visually. middlespot.com is designed to take advantage of this strength by providing a patented interface that helps you determine the relevancy of your results with greater efficiency and accuracy.

http://middlespot.com/


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Search Engine Optimisation Tips
The SEO tips found by following the link below should assist you in forming a basic understanding of how to create human friendly web pages, which are easily understood by the most popular search engines.http://www.ezau.com/latest/articles/0147.shtml

Also check out search engine optimisation tips for libraries at:

http://www.guartic.com/search-engine-optimization-seo-tips-for-libraries


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

100 Top Sites for 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/18/internet-websites


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 librarians' blogs to read in 2009
http://lisnews.org/10_librarian_blogs_read_2009


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Europeana is back online
Within Europeana you can search through millions of digital items provided by Europe's museums and galleries, archives, libraries and audio-visual organisations.
Searching in Europeana is simple. Just ask yourself who, what, where or when you are interested in and type these words into Europeana's search box.

http://www.europeana.eu/portal/using-europeana.html