Americas Collections Blog As a historian I get very excited about old letters, diaries, account books and inventories – but once in a while there are other ‘records’ that trump almost everything else. I had one of those moments this week when I returned to George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Over the past six years I have been many times to Washington’s estate in Virginia (just south of Washington DC) – first to research my book Founding Gardeners and then to give talks about the book. By now I go there to see the changes in the gardens (of which there are many, such as the fabulous restoration of the Upper Garden) and to meet my friend Dean Norton who is the Director of Horticulture there. Dean always makes a huge effort to entertain me – for example, by taking me out on the Potomac in a boat or letting me drive around the estate with a gator [A John Deere utility vehicle, not a reptile - ed.]. Last Wednesday’s visit, however, was one of the most memorable. It took four days to take the giant down – with a crane.
ALA TechSource ALA TechSource, an imprint of the American Library Association, publishes Library Technology Reports and Smart Libraries Newsletter. Library Technology Reports, published in eight issues annually, helps librarians make informed decisions about technology products and projects. Reports are authored by experts in the field and may address the application of technology to library services, provide thorough overviews of library technology, offer evaluative descriptions of specific products or product classes, or cover emerging technology. Smart Libraries Newsletter, published monthly, offers Marshall Breeding’s news and analysis on products, vendors, and new developments in the library automation marketplace. Print subscriptions include access to digital versions. To subscribe, view our subscription pricing and offerings page! Single-copy issues of Library Technology Reports are available for purchase in the ALA Store.
Editor's blog live: Day two of the CIPD conference Charlie Duff with her highlights of the CIPD conference for Wednesday 18 November 2009 Yesterday and today have been extremely busy but it's been a great experience for me to meet lots of people and members, plus potential members and contributors. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow but wanted to share with you the highlights from today. Yesterday I asked on Twitter a question sparked by Andrea Cartwright of Nationwide. She claimed she referred to her CEO not as a chief executive officer but a chief engagement officer. This morning was full of insight from a masterclass in going beyond employee engagement. Speaking of happiness, The Rough Guide to Happiness was gifted to us today. He finished by imploring us to 'dance with life in the close hold embrace and don't let anything get in the way of that'. A guide to using social media was very popular this afternoon and made the point that it's not just for Gen Y.
Untold Lives Continuing with the series on William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), we look here at his lifelong interest in botany and some of the items now available to researchers through the British Library catalogue. Botany was one of Talbot’s favourite fields of study although he pursued it only as an occasional interest. Nevertheless he was extremely knowledgeable and held in high regard. In 1829 he was elected to the prestigious Linnean Society, today one of the oldest active botanical societies in the world. From the age of 14, Talbot maintained a lively correspondence with eminent botanists such as Lewis Weston Dillwyn (1778-1855) and Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865), and later with Reverend James Dalton (1764-1843). In 1823 and 1826 Talbot chartered expeditions to Corfu and the Ionian Islands collecting plants which he then spent the following years studying and classifying. One of the least known facts about Fox Talbot is his role in the preservation of the Royal Gardens at Kew.
The Embedded Librarian | Exploring New, Embedded Roles for Librarians in Organizations of All Types Jonathan Overend: Davis Cup review must not paper over cra Surviving Cataloging Class Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Tracy Wasserman Many LIS students dread cataloging/classification class, a required course in some library schools. I found the class piqued my interest enough to take advanced cataloging/classification, a road travelled by few judging by the small class size. This was against the advice of my academic advisor, who cautioned not to take advanced cataloging unless I wanted to be a cataloger. Well, I thought, how would I know whether or not I wanted to be a cataloger if I didn’t take advanced cataloging? Turns out, I enjoyed the experience immensely. First, I believe cataloging/classification is an integral part of the value of librarians to society, as there is more information to organize than ever before. Use online cataloging tools: Understanding MARC fields and the RDA cataloging code can be a lot easier with the online help tools published and maintained by the Library of Congress. Like this: Like Loading...
Andy Murray (andymurray.com) | The Official Andy Murray Website