Students at the School of Library and Archival Studies at the University of British Columbia have compiled a useful list of social media applications used by information management professionals. The responses to this post provide additional resources. I’ll certainly be taking a look at this, particularly to examine any tags used: Top 100 Ways Librarians Use Social Media The Search Principle blog.
Scholarly Publications: You’re never too young to start.
Yesterday I was handed a section of the Toronto Star by my father. He said, “Read this article and explain to me why you haven’t got an official publication yet.” Gingerly, I took the paper and read the article entitled “Kid’s report beedazzles U.K. science journal” (Oddly the online article differs in title from the print version, but I assure you the content is the same).
It turns out that a group of 25 students aged 8 – 10 years old from Blackawton, England had a report they wrote on bees published in the international science journal Biology Letters.
Okay, okay, so I’m simplifying things a little. The kids were aided by a neuroscientist from University College London who came up with the idea, guided the research, transcribed the children’s words into text “which was done with smaller groups of children at the school’s local village pub” (Lotto, 2010), and probably pulled some strings to get the article peer reviewed (that would be peer reviewed by adults scientist, not by 8 – 10 year olds). However, the kids came up with their own hypothesis, designed, and conducted the experiments mostly themselves and so credit is indeed due.
I am happy to say that Dalhousie University Libraries subscribes to Biology Letters. This link will provide access the full report, Blackawton Bees.
Of course this is a context quite different from that which surrounds students of SIM seeking publication of our own research and writing. Still, I decided to share this for several reasons. Firstly, to remind those of us headed for public and academic service of children’s capacity to reason at a level on par with adults (thus possibly giving us adults credence to reason on the level of children in return!). Secondly, this evidence will hopefully provide further impetus for those of us who have yet to get an essay published to do so. If an eight year old has thoughts worth publishing in scholarly journals we’d better believe we do as well! And finally, because a feel good, diversion story is always nice around the holiday season.
All the best,
Matt Cole
(Lotto, R.B. (2010)
Guest post: Lifelong library engagement
When my good colleague Louise Spiteri offered me a chance to be a guest blogger for the School of Information Management, I was quick to accept. It’s not that blogging is foreign to me, since in the Faculty of Graduate Studies we’ve been at it for quite a while. And it’s not just that SIM cross-appointed me to the School because of our shared academic and professional interests in information and knowledge management. The real reason for my willingness to contribute something to this forum is my lifelong engagement with libraries.
In a meaningful way, they shaped my life. Perhaps they even saved it. Growing up in working class Winnipeg in decidedly lower socio-economic status provided a lot of opportunity for mischief, bad choices, and compulsions, some of which led to Stony Mountain Penitentiary, and from there to Kingston’s maximum security penitentiary.
Season’s Greetings from SIM
I would like to extend the best wishes of the Season to all SIMmers: Staff, faculty, instructors, alumni, students, and all our external friends who do so much for the School. It’s been a rewarding term academically and administratively, with more and better things to come in 2011. Thank you to everyone for your continuing support of the School and all its endeavours; you make this a wonderful place in which to work and play (we do have fun, too, after all).
I hope you have a relaxing time with friends and family over the next two weeks. Happy Holidays to all of you and, to those of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas.
In memorium: Charles Armour
The School of Information Management and the Dalhousie University Archives & Special Collections honour the memory of Charles A. Armour, former Dalhousie University Archivist, who passed away on December 4th, 2010 at the age of 76.
Born in Taylor Village, New Brunswick, Charles graduated with a B.Sc. from Mount Allison University in 1956; a M.Sc. from Dalhousie in 1957; and a Ph.D. from University College, London in 1960. The chance discovery of a trunk containing historical logbooks and other shipping-related records in his family home in Taylor Village changed the direction of his academic career from Chemistry professor to archivist and historical researcher. In 1970, he was appointed Dalhousie University’s first University Archivist, a position he held until his retirement in 1999.
During his 29 year tenure, Charles built the foundation of the Dalhousie University Archives’ current holdings of Nova Scotia shipping, business, labour, medical and cultural records, as well as acquiring significant accruals of university records. He served as Regional Director of the National Archival Appraisal Board and also contributed many articles and two books to his life-long scholarly passion for ships, sailors and shipbuilding in the Maritimes. He is survived by his wife, Hedy and his son, Charles. A memorial gathering is planned for next spring.