Volume 42, Number 1 - January/February 2018
EDITORIALFrontLines Page 4 When publishers change platforms, discovery services may encounter problems in the migration process, causing headaches for both the publisher and librarians. By Marydee Ojala The Searcher's Viewpoint Page 25 John Seely Brown thinks we've moved into the Exponential Age, which is characterized by a rapid set of punctuated jumps as opposed to the smooth curve of the past. Unlearning is key to reimagining libraries, learning, and knowledge management. By Marydee Ojala DEPARTMENTSPage 8 Search Engine Update By Greg R. Notess Page 59 Internet Librarian Innovations on Two Continents FEATURESPage 10 Blockchains, Sealing Wax, and Disruptive Technologies Blockchain technology is much more than cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Technology expert Richard Hammond explains digital ledgers, smart contracts, and blockchain terminology, starting with an example about how Shakespeare could have used blockchain. As a disruptive technology, blockchain could change how libraries interact with suppliers and handle library operations. By Richard Hammond Page 18 The Elegance of ‘Lite’  Some products are simply more complicated than they need to be. When you don't need all the bells and whistles, advises Barbie Keiser, opt for the lighter, slimmed-down versions, of which she gives several examples. Ease of use is important in many areas of business and library management. By Barbie E. Keiser Page 22 Build It and They Will Come? A Review of ScienceDirect Topics Science librarian Shelley Arvin reviews Elsevier's ScienceDirect Topics, putting it through its paces and giving constructive criticism for improvement as Elsevier matures the product. Although some critics think ScienceDirect Topics is a rival to Wikipedia, Arvin disagrees. By Shelley Arvin Page 32 Terry Ballard knows how much librarians love anything that's "free" and adds value to their library services. He talks up five databases patrons may not even know about and librarians may need to brush up on: ScienceDirect, the Digital Public Library of America, WorldCat, Internet Archive, and Digital Commons Network. By Terry Ballard Page 36 Edward Iglesias, web services librarian at Stephen E. Austin State University, shares how he brought a virtual reality-based makerspace into the Ralph W. Steen Library. Iglesias outlines the equipment selected, shows how to deal with cross-compatibility issues, and shares how the makerspace is faring so far. By Edward Iglesias Page 50 Library marketing guru Jennifer Burke goes through the pros and cons of infographics. She presents various tools for creating infographics, provides case studies for library usage of infographics, gives some caveats regarding when infographics are not appropriate, and concludes with design tips. By Jennifer E. Burke COLUMNSInternet Express Page 27 Does New Media Generation Technology Pose an Existential Threat to Factual Information? Emerging voice and video generation and manipulation software may soon be another tool used to spread "fake" news. Carly Lamphere previews what is in the pipeline and how library professionals can stand at the ready to make sure patrons are accessing reliable information. By Carly Lamphere InfoLit Land Page 59 As a longtime searcher, Bill Badke has learned a great deal about search. His main tips involve searching problems rather than topics, chipping away at search results, examining results carefully, simplifying, and doing multiple searches. He concludes that search is not a burden but an adventure. By William Badke The Dollar Sign Page 62 Fun With Numbers, the Business Researcher’s Best Friend Although diamonds may be a girl's best friend, for business researchers, it's numbers. Seasoned business researcher Marydee Ojala looks at various resources for business numbers (some of which are surprising), provides suggestions for effective search queries, and warns about numeric misrepresentations. By Marydee Ojala The Open Road Page 65 KoBoToolbox for Mobile Data Collection Conducting surveys and collecting survey data used to be labor-intensive when it was done manually. In today's digital world, tablets and smartphones are replacing pencil and paper. Our Open Road columnists explore the open source KoBoToolbox, designed for nonprofit organizations. By Eric Hinsdale, Abby Clobridge Hard Copy Page 69 Recommended Reading on the Cloud, Making Your Point, Career Development, and Publishing By Deborah Lynne Wiley Online Spotlight Page 72 Fighting Fake Facts With FUD FUD—Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt—is what info pros need to deploy in their fight to instill good information hygiene to their patrons. By Mary Ellen Bates |
