Blog U.: Thoughts on DIY U – Confessions of a Community College Dean – Inside Higher Ed.

The above link is a interesting critique of the Edu-Punk movement. Worth a read. This movement is of interest to me as the idea of Edu-Punk  makes libraries an obvious arena where this type of self-directed learning can occur. Remember the seemingly forgotten phrase that the library is the “People’s University”?

If you are not familiar with the Edu-Punk movement check it out here.

As an aside, I learned two new words from the post: eleemosynary (charity) and crazymaking (kind of self explanatory).  Is that DIY learning or what?

From: www.L1BRAR1An.com … of course

I will be at the Online NW conference this upcoming week. I will be giving a presentation on the Western Writers Digital Editions that I helped get up and running last year. I am still working on the presentation. I hoping to incorporate an online scavenger hunt within the digital collection as well as doing some crazy bingo thing when I am talking. Trying to liven it up a bit since I have an hour to fill. An hour is a lot to work with… might have show a movie or something to fill up the time… just kidding.

If you are at the conference, drop by and say hello!

Abstract of presentation:

Wrangling a Digital Collection into Existence: The Boise State Western Writers Series Digital Editions
Rick Stoddart, Boise State University

Wrangling a Digital Collection into Existence: The Boise State Western Writers Series Digital Editions. The distance between identifying an opportunity to implement a digital collection and actually getting it off the ground and onto the web is about as wide as the Grand Canyon. Learn about the trials, tribulations, and tears experienced in willing the Western Writers Series Digital Editions into an online existence. Navigating a new digital collection between multiple departments, server upgrades, and quirks in online hosting platforms is a hair-pulling thrill-ride! The audience will come away with a sense of what obstacles to look for and anticipate when creating digital collections for their libraries. The WWS Digital Editions are a collaboration between Albertsons Library Special Collections and the Boise State University English Department to bring out-of-print Western Writers Series titles to the public.

I just noticed that this post got lost in the ether of WordPress, so I am reposting it now…

Joe Nickell has a nice interview with the owners of Ear Candy a record store in Missoula, MT — my former stomping grounds. Check it here…

Ear Candy’s Tenth Anniversary

I find it interesting the challenge in the types of formats that record stores face (vinyl, CD, downloads) also mirrors the format challenges libraries face (print, digital… microforms?). Also the competition from big stores like Amazon factor in. Ear Candy fills a niche market in Missoula. Libraries fill a niche too.

Perhaps there are lessons we can learn from each other?