Library role in digital repository services

I just finished ARL's "The research library's role  in digital repository services: final report of the ARL digital repository issues task force" report.

I certainly do not remember I took any classess related to repository services when I was a graduate student at library school. In fact I could recall that the librray school offered any repository related courses  - it has been over a decade ago. Now I am wondering whether there are repository services courses at any ALA accredited library schools. - Technology changed and the role of traditional library has dramatically changed. Repository services has become one of the important elements at institutional research library in a digital environment.

This 47 pages report provides a in-depth information of the common issues and questions of digital repository services. It also offers valuable suggestions, strategies and plans on the repository services in research libraries.

http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/repository-services-report.pdf

Library user's unacceptable behavior

It's NOT a good day for me at the Reference Desk this afternoon. A student walked around the library and the computer lab without shoes. She even left the library and came back a moment later ... again she did not wear shoes. - :))

A graduate student went to the copier machine and took a stack of plain paper out of the drawer. Then she put the paper in the Printer - apparently she was run out of money to print. - :))

I have worked at both academic and public libraries. It's the first time I witnessed this unprofessional behavior at a university library!

...

Oh well, I am getting too old to understand the college students.

A very impressive documentary film - The man who killed Kennedy

This documentary file is consists five parts of series, Coup d’état, Forces of darkness, Cover-up, Patsy, and Witnesses. The chilling evidence includes interviews of scientist, eyewitnesses, and doctors. The most compelling part of this film, in my opinion, is the evidence provided by eyewitnesses and the forensic evidence by scientists and doctors.

We probably won't know the real truth; but the chilling evidence make you "angry" the lies of the US government. It also makes you feel so "helpless" and "hopeless" with the US Federal Government. The controversy and question of the Kennedy assassination are always with the American people.

This is a very objective investigation documentary.

Leuven! Leuven! KULeuven

It has been almost two years since I served as the Visiting Scholar at the KU Leuven Asia Library in Belgium. Yes! an Asia Library in Belgium!

I again dreamed of Leuven Belgium last night - walking down the coblestone street; working in a medieval cathedral building; climbing up the spiral stairs to the attic and retrieving retrieve library materials from the rolls of rolls of shelves. The nearby church's bell strikes every fifteen minutes... what a magical world/place! I surely miss it.

If you are interested in the Asia Library at KULeuven, here is the link:

http://bib.kuleuven.be/bibc/lsin/_english/index.htm

Oh, Leuven! Leuven!

Vatican secret archives

The History channel has a special program on Vatican secret archives - the producer brought viewers to Vatican's "forbidden" archival collection. Seeing rolls of rolls of old documents on the shelves, I wish I have a chance to touch and look at those original documents! - It's surely a "candy store" for archivists and librarians. If you are interested in the Vatican secret archives, youcan visit this website:

http://asv.vatican.va/home_en.htm

Of course, it is NOT the same if you are allowed to visit the stacks!

Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien"

I just learned that one of Edith Piaf's song titled "Non, je ne regrette rien." - it was a song she performed this song just three eyars before she died at the age of 48.

English lyric of this song is "No Regrets" -  it surely reflects her life in a way.

- :))

La via en rose ... a life story of Edith Piaf

I watched this wonderful biographical film two nights ago. It is a dramatic retelling story of a famous singer, Edith Piaf. It is extremely well-done - good story and good acting. I am so surprised it is not one of the awarded foreign films.

It is a very sad life story about a young talented French singer who grew up in a brothel, and worked at a circus with father. She eventually abandoned by her parents and worked on the street when she was a teen. Her talent was discovered by a "crime figure" who gave her a new life in the show business. Despite her drug abuse and alcoholic habits, she climbed up from the ladder and became an international star in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Edith's health deteriorated as her drug abuse habit reached the uncontrollable level.  She used drug injection as high as ten times a day! Edith drank heavily, addicted to drug, poor health... all these "elements" we can see the similar "elements" in an American singer star, Michael Jackson's life.

Sad, sad, sad....

The title of this biographical film is from one of Edith's famous song, "La via en rose." The major actress, Marion Cotillard did an amazing job on portraying the life of Edith Piaf. So are the supporting actors. I usually do not "sit still" and watch movie for a couple of hours - I watch movies while I am cleaning the floor or dusting the furniture. But I have to say that the cinematography of this movie made me "sit still" at the first time. It definitely gave me a memorable watching experience.

Statistics made easy!

While graduate students are struggling with numbers and symbols for their research project, I was told by my colleagues that there are statistics software out there. All you need is to put down your number and the program will calculate for you.

I guess I am getting too old ... I remember that we were not allowed to use calculator in middle and high schools!! Well time passed and things changed.

Anyway, the most popular statistic computer programs are SSPS, Excel - at our library  we even has a book to guide you how to use Excel for your data. I wonder why our students do not manually calculate their results.

But I still believe that students should know the formulas of t-test, p-value, and the concepts of standard deviation, population means, etc. Do you agree?

Feeling ... a middle school student again

I have been reading some research review and basic statistics textbooks lately. Oh boy, moving average, mean, median, mode, t test, p-value, and chi-Square... I feel I went back to my middle school again. My middle school teacher never explained why we have to learn statistics. Now I understand why - researchers use statistics to "make a point". Statistics data is used to determine whether meaningful or significant differences for the results of a research project.

Why didn't the teachers tell us? - :))

A practical research "guide" book for graduate students

I have been working at academic library for quite a while. Assisting students for their research papers is one of my major responsibilities. As time goes by, I gain more an dmore experience in providing good research tools for students. Last week I browrsed the stacks with an aim to local a practical printed resoruce for our students - nowadays everyone wants electronic resources ("sigh"). There is one book which just caught my attention last week.

Arlene Fink, Conducting Research Literature Reviews. Don't be fool by the title. This is NOT a book for literature reviews. It rpovides very in depth information how to design research and research methods.  - I do hope that the title of this book is simple "Conducting your research" or " how to write your graduate research paper", etc... But anyway, it is a very useful. The author offers good hints of designing research methods, reviewing literature reviews, and conducting research questions by providing examples. Each chapter has exercises and answers for student to practice.

A Tiger in the Kitchen

Cheryl Lu-Tien, A Tiger in the Kitchen: A memoir of Food and Family was just released a couple months ago, February 2011. I have to admit that I was "caught" by the book title. I just finished Amy Chua's Battle Hymm of the Tiger Mom. I thought it is a similar" book by nature (maybe...). I also assume that it is a memoir with recipes at the end of each chapters - like Kristin Espinasse's, Words in a French Life. I was so wrong. - Mmm ... I should "judge" a book by its title!

From the first few pages, I learned why the author, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan uses "tiger" as part of her book title. She was born in the year of tiger. And, she is a Singaporean. Singapore is also known as "Asian Tiger City" or "Lion City"  獅城. It is such a "clever" title. I love it!

Many young women in Asia countries consider cooking as a wifely skills. Most of them have no interests in learning the family traditional cooking. Cheryl Tan is no exception. Then  in her 30s, she had an opportunity to return to her homeland, Sinagpore where she learned her culture through the family traditional cooking. Suddenly she had a culinary homesickness attack!  - This is a book of her personal journey how she rediscovererd her own culture via the family traditional cuisine.

I am not a good cook, but I enjoy this book.

A great statistics book for graduate student!

If you are a graduate student, you probably need to write a dissertation.

If you need to write a dissertation, you probably evaluate your research outcomes with "numbers", and "percentages".

If you present your research outcomes with numbers and percentages, you probably need to know the basics of statistics.

If you need to learn the basics of statistics, you probably have alot of anxieties.

If you have alot of anxieties, you probably have no idea where to start.

Here is a book I recommend you to start your journey of learning the basics of statistics - Neil J. Salkind, Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics.

This book makes you feel athat statistics is not "sadistics." It is written in a conversatinal style with humor to help readers learn the basics of statistics. yes it is considered as a textbook; yet it is also a ready reference book, in my opinion.

April 1942 Japanese Concentration Camp

We all remember this "shameful" period of the American history. And, anyone can easily locate a history book about April 1942 Japanese concentration camp. But there is a "must-read" on my list. - Joanna Oppenheim's Dear Miss Breed. Yes it is a young adult book; however this book is about a librarian who had "made a different" for the Japanese-American children and their families during their lives in the America's "concentration camp."

The School Library Journal criticized this book: "Unfortunately, she [the author]muddles her assessment, ladling on a variety of unnecessary details and her own anecdotal experiences. Theres a lack of clarity and focus, and though this is a welcome addition to this topic, its appeal will be limited to those familiar with it." - I disagree. The author has done a very details of this historical issue and she successfully included many original documents in this book.

This book is heart-breaking. As a librraian, I admire Miss Breed's courage. She had made a different for the young Japanese -American's lives.

Culture Shock! book series...

A friend has landed a teaching position at an international schol in Shanghai. He mentioned that he is going to check out the Lonely Planet series for learningn more about the city. That's reminds me that there is a very good series about cultures around the world, the Culture Shock! series.

The books in this series have been published for over a decade. But still the information is very useful. For my friend, the Culture Shock! Shanghai at Your Door will be a good book to read before he starts his teaching journey in Shanghai. The book was published in 2003 - kind an "outdated" book. BUT... the customs are still very useful.

This book also provides an overview on Shanghai's history, the way of the Shanghai people doing business, and an overview of the Shanghai customs. At the end of the book, it also lists a set of questions and answers about the Shanghai culture - it's a fun! It certainly helps anyone who is relocating to a new city at the other side of the globe.

Again it is お花見ごろ

Sakura starts blooming in Japan. April is the center of Flower Festival. People go to the park and enjoy the blooming scene of the beautiful sakura. - families, coworkers, friends are gathering under the trees and picnicking in the park. Actually the activity is called "桜の見ごろ" or "お花見ごろ".

An old friend sent me a card every year in the past decades, reminding me the festival. It kind likes the Christmas card in the West. In nowadays, letters and cards are rare - most people communicate via email. I surely treasure any letters and cards from Far East!

If you are looking for contemporary American culture films...

I watched two films in the past two evening which I consider as "contemporary American culture" films. The stories are simply; but the messages from the films are greater than the stories, in my opinion.

(1) Winter's bone: this film depicts the hardship of the American "in the middle of nowhere" small town life style. People live in the "sheds", doing drug on a daily basis; people know each other; news (bad or good) spread faster than laser beam; children learn how to use rifle at a very young age... it is a real life story.

(2) The extra man: this film depicts the American big city life story - young men married old women for money; young men obsessed with women's clothing (not necessary a homosexual)' people not nessarily know each other and are roomates, etc.

None of these two films have big movie stars; but the acting is excellent.

Watch these two films and make your own judgement.

National humor month - pick up a humorous book at your library!

I picked up this "laughing out loud" book a couple days ago. - Reader's Advisory: An Unshelved Collection by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum.

If you love library humor, you need to read this book.

If you work at the public library, you cannot miss this book.

If you are a librarian, you have to read this book,

If you look for library humor, you cannot miss this book.

This book features the daily life at a public library. This book makes you laugh and makes you "cry" at the sametime.

The changing face of public library

A few years ago when the gaming stations arrived public library, I thought, "Oh wow gaming at the library!" But that is NOT it. In the following years, there are MORE CHANGES (almost non-stop) - MP3 books, and games are part of the library collections.

Wi-fi, computer lab are the major components of a public library. I even heard someone said, "Are you kidding? There is a type-writer at the far corner of the library?"

It is certainly not my mother's library anymore.

An adoptee memoirs - "Lucky GIrl"

 Book: Lucky Girl: a memoir by Mei-Ling Hopgood.

The stereotypical portrait of an adopted Chinese girl include ... she came from a very poor family, being abandoned on the street. It is impossible to locate her birth parents. Later she was fortunate enough adopted by a very nice Western couple. Growing up with adopted parents, she does not want to know the reason why she was adopted, she has a very hard feeling towards her birth parents - those are steretypical description.

That is not what Mei-Ling's story. Mei-Ling was adopted. She was born into a middle-class Taiwan family. She was adopted when she was only eight months old. She never asked why she was given up by her biological parents. She never wonders about her Asian root. In her twenties, her Taiwan biological family suddenly came calling her from long distance - in a language that she does not understand. Not only have her birth parents tried to connect with her, but also her brothers and sisters.

This books is written by a women, who was adopted, telling her feeling about her birth family and her own experience of "living again" with her Taiwan bith family.

This books is well-writenn. The first few pages of this book draws its readers' attention immediately. - highly rfecommended.

National Archives Central Plains Region

I visited the National Archives last week and learned something very intersting. There are two major collections at the Central Plains Region National Archives (Kansas City, Missouri):

(1) National Inmates Archives - general public are allowed to access to thiese reocrds and do geneology search for their "black sheep" family members. The archive records include "mug shots", personal correspondence, court information, etc.

(2) "Aliens" Archives - Immigrants records. I only hope that they will change the term "Aliens" to "Immigrants" - "sigh"!

The Exhibition Hall is also very impressive. It's very tiny but the display items are very impressive.