Volume 42, Number 6 - November/December 2018
EDITORIALFrontLines Page 4 Information disappears from the web not only because of "natural causes" but also due to overt removal. By Marydee Ojala The Searcher's Viewpoint Page 27 As we were going to press, the Southern California Online Users Group (SCOUG) retreat had just taken place in California. As a tribute to the founder of this organization, the irreplaceable and irascible Barbara Quint, we are sharing words of wisdom from a 2002 Searcher magazine editorial. By Barbara Quint DEPARTMENTSPage 8 Search Engine Update By Greg R. Notess Page 57 Conference Corral Transform Libraries, Transform Societies FEATURESPage 10 Linkrot + Content Drift = Reference Rot The web is many things, but permanence is not one of them. Links that lead nowhere and content that is nothing like what was originally referenced contaminate the entire research process. It's a big problem, but Laura Gordon-Murnane has found some hopeful signs, particularly from the Internet Archive. By Laura Gordon-Murnane Page 18 Every website, at some point or another, starts to look dated. Corporate librarian Brian McCann has lots of suggestions about how to restart, refresh, and reconstitute your library's presence on the intranet, making it intuitive and usable for your users, regardless of their location or specialization. No extensive UX training required! By Brian McCann Page 23 Snapchat’s Snap Map Is a Gold Mine for Online Researchers and Investigators Social media and messaging app Snapchat has utility beyond sharing stories, photos, and videos with friends, family, and possibly your library users. Its new Snap Map feature can help researchers learn more about a geographic location, gather on-the-ground optical data, conduct threat assessments, and improve situational awareness. By Edward J. Ajaeb Page 34 For more than 2 decades, libraries have been authorizing access to subscription content using IP addresses. As technology continues to adapt at warp speed and mobile access is becoming more the norm, the time has come for a new commercial standard: Resource Access for the 21st Century (RA21). Although strongly supported by content providers and other organizations, Nancy Herther says not everyone has jumped on the RA21 bandwagon. She talks with those who have concerns as well as those who say the standard is good to go. By Nancy K. Herther Page 42 Wolters Kluwer Innovates Wolters Kluwer is hardly a new company name for information professionals, but recently it's introduced new features and content that leverage artificial intelligence technologies for several of its legal information products. By Barbie E. Keiser Page 49 Serving Patrons Using Voice Assistants at Worthington At Worthington Public Library, the emergence of voice assistant technology and smart speakers seemed promising. Working with a member of its community, the library introduced Alexa Skills and an Action for Google Assistant, which focus on informing patrons about library events and programs. By Susan Allen, Avneet Sarang Page 53 Why Archive the Web? Given the ephemeral nature of the web and the potential disappearance of information on webpages, it's imperative to archive the web to preserve cultural, scientific, and institutional resources, particularly when the history and memories of an organization are at stake. University web archivist Bess Pittman explains the process. By Bess Pittman COLUMNSInternet Express Page 29 Shopping for gifts and decorations, food selection and preparation, special events and family gatherings, travel, and the expense of it all—no wonder the month of December is the most nerve-wracking time of the year! Luckily, Carly Lamphere has found a bevy of apps you can use to put the fun back into the holidays! By Carly Lamphere InfoLit Land Page 60 The Learning Commons: Challenges and Opportunities for Information Literacy As academic institutions embrace the notion of the Learning Commons, the possibilities for collaboration with libraries and information literacy are many; all benefit students. By William Badke The Dollar Sign Page 63 Import/Export Statistical Data Sources for statistics on importing and exporting goods are many and varied, meaning that they don't always agree, are reporting on different metrics, and require critical thinking to interpret. By Marydee Ojala The Open Road Page 66 Although an attribute of open data is that disparate datasets can be combined to enhance knowledge, the possibilities for reuse in ways the original researchers never intended could potentially put someone else in harm's way or be used for morally ambiguous purposes. By Eric Hinsdale, Abby Clobridge Hard Copy Page 69 Recommended Reading on Responsible Design, Web History, Values, and Being Overwhelmed By Deborah Lynne Wiley Online Spotlight Page 72 Googling Before You Google How do you research a topic based on an image rather than keywords? Mary Ellen Bates explores some Google techniques you can use before actually putting together a search strategy. By Mary Ellen Bates |
