PART V THE PUBLIC VOICE
CHAPTER 11: THE INTERNET COMMUNITY
NOTE: This is a new chapter. It is available only online. It will be included
in the next print edition.
“The Internet is not just an information repository; it is also a
community. Thousands of discussion groups provide forums for
the exchange of ideas and information. Both e-mail discussion
groups and Usenet newsgroups are good places to read about
valuable Internet resources.”1
The voice of the people is the dream and the nightmare of reference
librarian. The dream is to have the Net meet the information needs of everyone.
The nightmare is to find what is useful for everyone.
This chapter considers various aspects of individual opinion on the
Internet – from discussion groups and Listservs to Weblogs. Suggestions are
made on how all of this may be employed to answer reference queries.
The information community is diverse. Some of it serves anyone
interested. Other areas are for experts. The former is the mission of Weblogs (or
blogs) which are types of personal frequently updated online journals featuring
excerpt from news articles and links to other blogs. The latter, usually as
discussion groups or listservs as well as similar sites, appeal to specific,
sometimes narrow subject interests.
An informal survey and discussion with reference librarians from most
types and sizes of libraries indicates Weblogs and their cousins are not often
used to answer reference questions. The reason: the unreliability of numerous
sites. Many offer little more than personal opinion, and often opinion supported
1
with no evidence. Also, Weblogs are difficult not only to evaluate but to locate for
specific queries. It is much faster, more reliable to turn to standard indexes,
newspapers and journals. With that, though, there are times when the betterknown, better-respected Weblogs are useful. A perfect example, the war with
Iraq where one found a broader view of the issues, both pro and con, than in the
established American press.
The conclusion: judicious use of popular web sites can be rewarding.
Yes, but is it worth the time? The answer: depends upon the question and the
knowledge of the individual librarian. Generally, some of the sites serve as a
place to turn when all else fails.
Sites for the People
Until the blossoming of the mass media (from popular magazines and
newspapers to radio) in the early part of the twentieth century, what most people
knew depend on who they knew. Information was passed from individual to
individual concerning everything from politics to preparation of food and caring
for children. What average people knew was largely a function of conversation.
Only the educated, only the literate turned to books and a relatively few reference
works for information. And in the mid-19th century this group was a minority.
Thanks to an expanded mass media and universal education, the minority
became the majority.
Today gathering information on the Net depends on neither social class
nor education – although some typing ability is presupposed. As more than one
2
wag has pointed out, any online individual could just as well be a bright dog as a
dull person.
Person to person approaches to information is extremely popular on the
Internet. “Conversations – whether chat, conferencing, listservs, one-on-one email, even Internet telephone - …is the driving force behind many late adopters’
desire to get online.” People online are important to librarians because they
represent specific areas of interest. Individuals take up the slack, providing
eyewitness reports, analysis, and opinion. Lots of opinions…raw data, not
always accurate, but delivered quickly, in detail, and without self-serving spin.2
The premise of person-to-person information sources is that the data
comes from individuals rather than standard reference sources. This can be an
obvious drawback when the individual is mad or simply likes to chatter.
Conversely, many people online are expert or near experts who are willing to
share their knowledge – knowledge that can be of extreme value for certain types
of information questions and problems.
DISCUSSION GROUPS
The thousands of online discussion groups are structured in large sets
that gradually are broken down into more and more specific groups. A large one
may be concerned with libraries, a smaller one with the needs of college students
to understand where to find answers.
There are no limits to the topics. However lists may be divided in broad
categories: (a) Subject oriented which tend to feature postings, i.e. question and
3
answers about a problem. Also, they cover the latest news about the subject.
(b) Education oriented where the goal is to master a given subject from French to
cooking to history. These types of groups are closely connected with distance
learning. (c) Commercial oriented where the group is informed about a product
or products. (d) Job oriented where members of professions, such as
library/information science, consider developments and problems in a general or
specific way, i.e. about libraries on the one hand, and reference services on the
other. Most people are involved with the type of groups just enumerated. There
are other divisions, from members of a high school class to friends of
woodchucks.
What’s all of this have to do with reference services? (1) Discussion
groups can serve as an excellent source of current data and opinion about any
topic covered in the general or subject encyclopedia, or for that matter any
reference source in print or online. (2) Librarians seeking reliable information
about libraries in general and, say, reference work in particular will find peers
online who are more than willing to help. Library groups cover everything from
employment and news about conferences to answers to difficult reference
questions.
One thing library and other specialized lists have in common is that
members, who may be from all parts of the country or the world, “feel isolated,
either because they physically are or because of their specializations, [they]
appreciate having someone to speak to who understands their problems and can
provide the help and sense of collegiality we all at times need.”3 Also, “the
4
electronic mailing list adds to the library professional’s communications arsenal a
tool that distinguishes itself in its speed (instantaneous or nearly so), directness
(it reaches only those who ask to be reached), and economy both in time (one
message written once reaches many people) and in money (no paper or stamp
costs).4
If speed is of essence, a discussion group is not the best place to turn.
Online members will take from one day to a week to respond. On the other
hand, the reply may be more detailed, even more current than what the librarian
is able to find in standard print or digital sources.
In any overview of discussing groups, “nothing” looms large. A good deal
of the chatter is so lacking in content and authority that it resembles television’s
advertising wasteland – although much more amusing. The librarian is there
once again, to filter out worthless discussion groups.
Types of Discussion Groups
Under almost as many names there are an estimated 250,000 plus
discussion groups online. They share one thing in common. No matter what the
interest or the number of people involved, the group affords an opportunity for
people to exchange ideas and information. The groups are something like a
telephone call. The call can start out one-to-one and end up with 10 to 10,000
other people listening and/or taking part in the conversation. And all through the
magic of the Internet.
5
Thanks to the various types of technology which deliver online talk, there
are numerous names for pretty much the same thing. No matter how they
operate, or the software required, all have only one goal – to offer one-to-one (orgroup-to-group) online discussion and conversation.
(1) Discussion group/Newsgroup: Both are umbrella terms for online talk.
Forum is another descriptor.
Photo Net (www.photo.net) is an example of a news group. As the title
indicates, the “focus” is on photography. Anyone may participate with questions
and answers. But it is more than queries. There is considerable background
data of interest to an amateur or expert photographer. The home page is a
directory of retailers, news about books, classifieds, basic lessons on
photography etc. The group is divided by community, gallery, learn, equipment,
travel, ezshop. One enters a phrase in the Search box to find discussions which
sometimes may run for pages. There are close to 200,000 “comments”, as well
as the standard FAQ (frequently asked questions) section. Note, too, 352,000
images – expected in a photo group. This type of news group reflects the
primary forum of all such groups.
(2) Usenet is a subcategory of the discussion and newsgroup. Usenet is
descriptive of a technology and a type of cataloging. Usenet has 10 major
categories for subjects. For example, “alt” for any topic; “rec” for games, hobbies
and sports; “talk” for current issues and debates, etc. Each has subcategories
which in turn may have one to dozens of other subcategories.5
6
(3) A type of listserv is the Bulletin Board (BBS). They are limited to
specialized interests and groups. Boards are likely to be the term used to
describe listservs in government, medicine, business and more esoteric areas
such as “adult interests”. Many levy a fee, or, more likely, are part of a
membership. And just as many may be private. Conversely, international
organizations welcome the public to their bulleting boards. An example:
International Monetary Fund (http://dsbb.imf.org) is a good source of
information not only on the Fund but financial data about most of the world’s
countries.
Webopedia (www.webopedia.com) has information both about and how
to set up bulletin boards. It concentrates on computer technology. Their
directory covers “thousands of bulleting board systems in over 100 countries, and
over 5,800 internet providers.”
Yahoo, as numerous other search engines, uses “message boards” (not
bulleting boards) as synonymous with chat groups and its relatives. One has to
belong to the service, i.e. have a free Yahoo ID and a password. The tantalizing
quest for privacy is suggested by Yahoo’s promise to let the registered user
“create up to 6 different public profiles”.
Federal Bulletin Board (http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov) is a typical
government bulletin board. Here one can see, in alphabetical order, a complete
list of public federal bulletin boards which cover everything from legislative action
to Supreme Court decisions. The Board is maintained by the Superintendent of
Documents.
7
LISTSERVS/MAILING LISTS
Of various paths to online discussion, the most used and best known in
reference service is the listserv, or mailing list. Anyone who participates must
first register (by giving his or her e-mail address) and agrees to receive
messages from all members. As this latter step may flood one’s mail, there are
steps to limit the mailings.6 Some prefer non-participation and turn to the
archives for questions and answers. This does not allow participation, but it does
give one a useful insight into what is going on among working librarians.
The mechanic of listserv is summed up by an expert:

“Lurking,” which refers to the practice of remaining silent while
reviewing the messages posted (created) by others

send a single e-mail for posting to all members of the group,
whether the members number less than ten or more than 10,000

post e-mail questions, seeking answers from the group

on the subject at hand, by posting to the list

chat publicly with one or more individuals on the list, using
successive e-mails

quietly leave or re-join the list at any time.7
PubLib, the University of California listserv, has a useful section in the
introduction to one of its subsections on “guidelines for appropriate list
behavior”.8 The rules are appropriate for any listserv participant. Briefly, say
something substantial; say something new; don’t try to get in the last word; agree
8
or disagree; take long conversations off the list and correspond with that person
directly; watch the quality of your contribution; never send e-mail in anger; be civil
and respect the rights of others.
As listservs required e-mail membership, there is no or at least little
chance for anonymous messages. The user is quickly identified, which, in some
cases, may prevent membership. The rule is simple: if privacy and
confidentiality is required, do not participate discussion group. Period. An
exception might be a private group, but even here there is no guarantee of
privacy.
The way to retain anonymity and still benefit from groups is to rely on
archives.
Archives are an important part of any discussion group, including listservs.
They cover questions and answers, as well as announcements, from the
beginning to the list. The archives of Libref-L (http://library.kent.edu/libref-1) is
a typical example. One finds for a single week: numerous position openings
with details about a job; “announcements’ which cover everything from a call for
proposals and papers to news about meetings; queries on reference sources;
and finally, but of most interest, questions about such things as the location of a
reference desk or problems of the reference interview.9
The volume of archives is astonishing – over 700 million messages are
available via Google’s list of discussion groups (www.deja.com). Impressive,
but for most reference queries the latest information normally is the most sought
for by patrons.
9
Another aid for listservs and other groups, and is the FAQ (frequently
asked question) section. As with archives, the user is asked to turn to the FAQs
section first in order to save time by not asking the same question which has
been answered in full previously. As with archives there are various search
mechanisms, but primarily it is a matter of entering key words, subject headings
etc. in the search box.
An overview of FAQs will be found at:
Internet FAQ Archives (http://www.faqs.org/faqs/) has the archives of
over “3300 separate FAQ files, written by over 1250 authors and covering over
1700 newsgroups from late 1969 to the present. A general site, it is noncommercial and covers all types of questions. There is both a simple one word
or phrase search as well as a much more expanded search option. Full
information is given about each newsgroup from which the FAQs are from.
Library Groups & Listservs
Almost all groups have their individual directories. Libraries are no
exception. What follow are some examples:
Internet Library for Librarians (www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/email.htm) is
a commercial site from Info Works Technology which is “a portal designed for
librarians to locate Internet resources related to their profession.” One simply
enters any word or phrase about library and information science and, inevitably,
the site comes up with a list of relative Web sites. For example, “reference:
general resources” lists four sites with links and 50 to 150 word annotation
10
concerning content and other vital information. A more general term, “Internet
tools for library staff” results in close to 4 pages of sites. See, too, the annotated
section on “ready reference” sources on the Web. A first place to turn for
directory information on the Web about libraries.
Library Oriented Lists (http://liblists.wrlc.org/LiblistsQueries/Sview.idc)
offers a “subject index” from Acquisitions to Technical Services. One selects a
subject (out of about 400) and receives a set of related lists and electronic
serials.” Reference/information services are one entry. Related entries:
government documents, Internet, instruction and information literacy, digital
libraries and library automation. Full information is given about each of the lists
and the periodicals, or at least enough to indicate purpose, scope, etc.
The “reference information services” listservs include 10 entries. The law
of diminishing returns is apparent as it is in other lists. One of the 10, for
example, is of limited value to most American, e.g. the Polish language reference
list.
ALA Lists and Discussion Groups (www.ala.org/membership/lists.html)
primarily is concerned with the conduct of American Library Association
business. From time to time, though, the listservs of the various groups is of
interest to reference librarians, and certainly the talk generated by their official
organization, Reference and User Services Association.
There are scores of reference groups, and related lists. One quick
method of ascertaining their probable worth is to check the number of members.
More trustworthy, of course, is the subject interests of the group.
11
What follows are representatives library and reference groups.
Libref-L (www.library.kent.edu/libref-1/) is “a moderated discussion of
issues related to reference librarianship”. It is the work of librarians at Kent State
University. It is one of the best, and oldest about. It is constantly updated.
Comments are from librarians throughout the country and from various types and
sizes of libraries. Topics touch on almost everything from collection evaluation,
to job openings, to reports on reference works, both print and online.
Particularly interesting are the running discussions.
The first step is to turn to the “archives” for a good overview of the type of
material discussed. The archive is arranged week by week back to 1995. A
perfect place, too, to trace the interests of reference librarians over the years.
Stumpers-L (http://domin.dom.edu/depts/gslis/stumpers/welcome.txt)
this is one of the leading reference discussion groups about. Members ask other
members to help them find answers to questions they can’t answer, i.e.
“stumpers”. Not all questions are answered, though. It is both informative and
entertaining. Informative in that the questions and answers about reference
queries often results in useful news about new methods of mining answers, as
well as where to turn for the information – both online and in print. The amusing
aspect is many of the questions, which range over every interest. Who says
librarians lack imagination, or curiosity? Here is the place to turn to make a case
in their favor. Questions range from a crossword clue to children’s ant colonies
to the origin of suspenders – and on and on.
12
Archives are by the month, and a typical month’s queries number between
350 to 450. After each short hand phrase for the query, the name and e-mail
address of the person asking the questions is given. If there has been one or
more responses, that name is followed by one to a dozen “from” with a name of
the individual who gave a response. Also, the table of contents for each month
indicates answers by (4 messages) (2 messages) etc.
PubLib (http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/PubLib/) began in 1992 and is one
of the oldest and one of the largest (over 5,000 members) listservs in this area. It
concentrates on public library questions, but a good deal of it has much to do
with other types of libraries. This is a first listserv to turn to, particularly for nitty
gritty queries ranging from Internet filters to job openings and standards for daily
reference services. It is by way of the universal library listserv.
It has two subsections: Web4Lib which is concerned with Web
management; and PubLib-Net which relates to all Net issues of concern to
libraries.
The listserv is under the supervision of the University of California,
Berkeley library. It is an excellent place to turn for an overview of how thousands
of similar sites operate, or should operate. Beyond that. There is an extensive
archive. For example, in a two-day period it is not unusual to post over 400
messages. Topics cover virtually everything in the library universe. Examples:
best library school, academic library salaries, average music CD theft numbers,
and library mission statements. Reference queries are numerous: library related
quotations, misuse of the word pornography, patron seeking a book he read
13
some years ago, reference competencies, results from bibliography survey, and
switch to RA from reference.
WEBLOGS
A Weblog is a personal “log” or “diary” of daily events sent out over the
“Web” – hence “Weblog”. Today most simply abbreviated the term and call the
system “blogs”.
A cross between e-mail and more complex Web pages, the blog is
“usually maintained by one person. It is updated on a regular basis…Weblogs
often are highly focused around a singular subject, an underlying theme or
unifying concept.”10
Free personalized Web pages and Weblogs often seem similar. They
differ for several reasons. Web pages tend to be built around a theme or subject.
Blogs concentrate on personal opinion. The latter tends to change each day.
Web sites may not be updated for weeks, or even months at a time. Still, they do
have much in common, although blogs as a means of personal expression now
far surpass individual Web pages in number and, yes, in interest.
Blogs began around 1998. The claim is that John Barger evolved the
name, “blogs” in late 1997. At the beginning of 1999 Cameron Barrett of
Camworld listed 23 Weblogs. By the end of that year the blogs were in the
thousands. Today they are over one-half million.11
Over the last few years blogging has become an
international pastime, embraced by Web aficionados around the
world. Its popularity was spurred by new software that enables
anyone to build a site and post commentary without knowing a lick
14
of Web code. The allure of blogging lies in the thrill of
circumventing the establishment, of being able to publish worldwide
without having to be an op-ed columnist or a famous writer. Blogs
can be nurtured at all hours of the day and night.12
The singular delight and benefit of better blogs is their random nature and
coverage of many topics.
Have you ever clipped something…and tacked it to a bulletin
board or routed it to colleagues…The urge to share interesting and
relevant tidbits [is the blogger’s mission]…With tools to make Web
page building easy and encourage instant updating…enthusiasts
maintain sites than can range anywhere from public diaries to
focused citations in narrow fields.”13
Blogs “range from the political…to the high tech…and from the personal
rant to the thoughtful critique. One recurring theme is their query, counter
cultural nature.”14
Identifying a blog is easy. The address is the key, e.g. most start with a
personal name or a subject followed by http: // [individual password] and
“blogspot.com” the universal commercial firm which setup the online Weblog for
free. Example: “Matt Connolly http://hubbub.blogspot.com”. Occasionally the
blog does not contain “blog” and the site, while following the Weblog content
style, may be a Web page or a magazine, or a cousin of the latter, a zine.
Why are there so many Weblogs and the number keeps growing?
Answer: It is extremely easy to set up a personal blog. Current software
requires little more than filling in blanks to tap into one of many free web side
services from America Online to Blogger (www.blogger.com).
Blogger “is a free, web-based tool that helps you publish to the web
instantly.” One simply clicks on “Create a new blog” and easy to follow
15
instructions set up the weblog in a few minutes. The person signs up, with a
minimum of information about herself, and is given a “blogspot”. This is an
address and a form for the individualized weblog. The blogger uses the Blogger
logo in his address. The “push-button publishing for the people” also is a
combination review of old and new blogs as well as technological tips on daily
operation of a blog. It is easy to use because of careful, easy to understand
instructions. See the sections: “getting started”, “troubleshooting” and “how to”.
Also, there is a thread search information on problem areas.15
Although Blogger is the best-known free software site, there are numerous
others. Among the free and more popular: GrokSoup (www.groksoup.com)
focuses on tools for blogging the latest news including automatic archiving. Pitas
(www.pitas.com) offers easy to use software and numerous blog designs. Live
Journal (www.livejournal.com) allows the user to integrate his or her blog with
the personal website. Slashdot (www.slashdot.org) uses Slash 2.0, a Weblog
software package, to install and configure a personal blog. This is covered in
detail at the site, and more thoroughly in the book Running Weblogs with Slash.16
Finding Readers
How do bloggers increase the number of people reading their Weblog?
Content is all. A way to draw attention to the content is to increase hits through
Popdex (www.popdex.com) a site which ranks blogs. Another method of selfpromotion is to encourage links. The blogger lists X or Y other bloggers of a
similar content interest and they, in turn are likely to list the initial blogger.
16
Ideally, although difficult, is to be mentioned by one of the 20 to 100 best-known
Weblogs in the country. This alone can multiply readers by the hundreds.
Reference Type Weblogs
What’s all of this have to do with reference work. Not much. Similar to too
many chat rooms, web sites, and related wonders of the Web, the blogs are
roughly 80 percent waste and 20 percent worthwhile. That’s a guess. There is
no real way of knowing unless one flitters away a good part of a life testing the
ever number of growing blogs. A casual dip into the blog swamp, though,
supports the assumption of more gas than content, more blather than informed
opinion.
The reference librarian must choose and select Weblogs which will be of
assistance in answering questions. This is as much a methodical plan of
selection as of serendipity and constant attention to new sites.
In the beginning most Weblogs were news oriented.
Bloggers never sought to emulate mainstream journalists;
they defined their endeavor as a totally new venture. Bloggers
linked to each other and steadily built readership. Linking also
gives bloggers opportunities to make their cases stronger, or in
some rare instances, to connect readers to writers and ideas with
which bloggers may actually disagree – or in the case of Chris
Matthew’s blog (taken directly form his show script), to have some
fun around serious issues. The blogs and their accompanying links
can quickly create multiple dialogues that can be much more
engaging to many younger Net-savvy information consumers than
the typical Frank Rich exposition in The New York Times.17
17
The best-known weblog political observer is Andrew Sullivan
(www.andrewsullivan.com).18 The conservative commentator is a former editor
of the New Republic has more hits per day than any other blogger (on average
about 25,000). He generates his own headlines in the print media and even has
an Opry like book club.
Sullivan’s daily opinions are typical of the genre, although considerably
more sophisticated better written, researched and edited than any competitor, left
or right. In a September 2002 issue he talks about or points to stories
concerning “blogging for cash”; “Mugabe’s PR Switcheroo; an e-mail exchange of
Camille Paglia and so on for 10 to 20 pages.
See his links to weblogs and online magazines he admires, or at least
finds useful. It moves from “Euro-left loopiness” (The Guardian) to Slate, Salon
and Independent Gay Forum, ”finally gay writers with brains.”
On the left of Sullivan is the counterbalance to his sometimes conservative
notes. InstaPundit (http://instapundit.com) is labeled by some admirers as “The
New York Times of the bloggers.” Issued since early 2001, it averages 10 to 15
pages per day and according to its founder, Glenn Reynolds, highlights any
threat to individual liberty, particularly online. It concentrates on national and
international developments in a fast moving series of comments, both by the
head of the site and his, apparently, thousands of readers. Often the opinion is
supported by fact and statistical data. Reynolds, a University of Tennessee law
professor, fires away at both Republicans and Democrats about everything from
Home Security to the Mideast crisis. The fascinating aspect of his Weblog is the
18
ongoing discussion between him and critics, many of whom who have specific
right or left wing viewpoints.
Reynolds includes links to favorite or “InstaPundit inspired blogs”
(http://jeffwolfe.com/instapundit-inspired.html) useful as most listings follow
the purpose and scope of the Pundit, although vary wildly is skill, political, and
social attitudes.
There are scores, if not thousands of what may be described as newsopinion Weblogs. Only a few can be recommended, and of these the better
known ones are listed below as examples.
How does one find similar blogs? Directories, noted at the end of this
section, are one way. But the best approach is to follow links. A universal
feature of a Weblog is a side-bar of links to sources. The editor turns to for
support and information. The links reflect the intellectual level and the opinions
of the blogger. Hence, if the librarian finds X or Y Weblog valuable and wants
more of the same, she is likely to find similar titles in the list of links.19
Library Weblogs
The library oriented blog is of most interest to the individual librarian.
Library blogs are, according to Jessamyn West (www.librarian.net) for
“Librarians and library fanatics and information junkies everywhere.”
I find 10 minutes a day to check three or four Weblogs time well
spent: It helps to keep in touch with outspoken librarians and
sometimes leads to articles and sites I’d hate to miss. Some of
these sites are a bit casual on spelling and grammar; others are as
professional as any print publication. You should find a Weblog for
almost any personal interest. If you don’t see what you want, to
19
paraphrase the advice of one great radio journalist, “go make some
news of your own.”20
How does one find a library Weblog? There are several directories:
Libr.org (www.libr.org/) is a clearing house for “library related websites
with a social orientation.” There are links to about 20 liberal library sites, as well
as brief comments and quotes of interest to readers. The blog sites listed are:
Library Juice, Progressive Librarians Guild, Information for Social Change,
Progressive Librarians Around the World, GATS and Public Libraries, Librarians
Against War, Progressive Archivists, ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table,
SRRT Alternatives In Publication Task Force, SRRT Hunger, Homelessness and
Poverty Task Force, SRRT Martin Luther King Day Task Force, SRRT Feminist
Task Force, Cuban Libraries Support Group, Joel Kahn’s Frankentoons, Rory
Litwin’s home page.
Library Weblogs (www.libdex.com/weblogs.html) is a basic guide to
library-related weblogs. Anyone can have his or hers added by simply sending
an e-mail to the sponsor. Arrangement is by country from Austria to USA – the
latter being the bulk of the listings. Note: This is only one section of LibDex
(www.libdex.com) the library index to 18,000 libraries worldwide which can be
browsed by library name. The directory includes libraries homepages, webbased OPACs, Friends of the Library pages, etc.
There are hundreds, perhaps several thousand library oriented Weblogs.
What follows are only a few better known, representative examples: 21
20
LibLog (www.redwoodcity.org/library/news/liblog/) is put online by the
Redwood City (CA) Public Library and focuses on current “web sites and stories
dealing with the interface between technology and libraries.” It has daily
comments and links to both a broad nature (“25 Ideas for a changing world” in
Business Week; to a piece on copyright from the Library Journal. Usually,
though, the emphasis is on daily stories of interest as much to laypeople as
librarians. As such it is a good filter of relatively popular news stories carried in
the major newsstand magazines.
Neat New Stuff I found on the Net this week
(www.marylaine.com/neatnew.html) is by one of the early founders and
advocates of zines and blogs, Marylaine Block. Primary purpose: a “librarian
without walls” gives suggestions as to the “best” sites for library use and masses
of useful tips and data on how to make a library more useful to its public. A first
choice for many bloggers.
Librarian.Net (www.librarian.net) is a good example of a highly
personalized site. Jessamyn West, “ a librarian, among other things” loves
“weird, freaky librarians” and takes a dim view of much of modern technology.
(See, too, her Webpage www.jessamyn.com). She begins each entry with “Hi”
and then brief one liners or notes about “I” and more useful comments and
reminders of library news, e.g. “24/7 reference is getting popular” or “Australian
Erotic archive at the National library to include porn websites.” Many of these are
from friends and readers.
21
PHOTO BLOGS
Thanks to digital cameras, photo cams, and printed photo blog joined
Weblogs around 2000. They are multiplying in number and variety every day.
Often the photos are posted with no text which makes them quicker to “read”
even if they take more time to download than text. (Often viewers may catch just
enough of the photo to know what it looks like. They cut it short and move on to
something else.
Out of this has grown informal clubs, contests, diaries, photo albums and,
yes, even online photo galleries. See, Jen Bekman’s Nolita Gallery
(www.fotolog.net./jenbekman) where she shows photos of artwork for sale as
well as photographs. The virtual exhibit has definite drawbacks, but it is a great
place to discover emerging artists.
Still, most photo bloggers are amateurs. Their primary goal is to have
others look at their work. As with Weblogs, a good photo site is hard to find. The
better photo pages offer lists of favorite places to turn on the Web.
The possibilities of harnessing this service in a library is as limitless as the
imagination of the librarian and the users. A good place to start, particularly for
reference librarians with questions about photo blogs is: Fotolog
(www.fotolog.net) They offer information on how to set up a personal site as
well as where to find information on some 6,000 plus blogs. Among their
“favorites are: www.fotolog.net/moodywoodpecker from France, which had a
photo of sawed-off board titled “Castration Symbolique”;
www.fotolog.net/meltoledo from Brazil, featuring a series of pictures taken of
22
swimming pools; www.fotolog.net/dirtdirt, random photos sent from a cell
phone in Brooklyn, and www.fotolog.net/lauratitian, posted in New York by
Laura Holder.”22
Wiki
A cousin of the Blog is the Wiki.
Wiki is a Hawaiian word for fast. It differs from a Blog in that it is a
collective work rather than the thoughts of a single individual. In appearance it
looks like a Blog or typical Web page.
A good example is the Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia (wikipedia.com)
which is a collaborative online free encyclopedia.23
Another modification of Weblogs or Wikis is developing in business. In the
corporate context some firms have adopted blogs as a way to share information
among employees. Usually not accessible to the public, these blogs contain
everything from words to wisdom from the head of the firm to news on coordinate
group projects. Another favorite use is to open the blog to employee comments.
PERSONAL PUBLISHING
Not content simply to publish views and comments online, via a Web page
or a Weblog, numerous would-be-writers want to be in print. While it has been
assumed print would be replaced by digital, when it comes down to peer
recognition, community applause and in a few cases monetary return, most
writers turn to the conventional printed book.
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Whether a novel or the last word on penguins and the American Civil War,
any writer faces the difficulty of finding a publisher. In most cases one must first
find an agent, and that’s more difficult than locating a willing publisher. In fact,
today few agents or publishers will even look at an unknown writer’s work.
So, what’s to be done?24
One answer is as old as printing. This is vanity publishing. The author
pays to have his or her book published. There are numerous such firms about
today. The expense is often more than the writer can afford – up to $5,000 plus
for a single work.
Digital comes to the rescue. There are now a number of firms who will, for
$99 to $1500, design and put out a book with all the standard features including
hard covers and even an ISBN number (International Standard Book Number)
which, among other things, is used to list the book in online bookstores. The
author receives from 10 to 20 copies of the book, and can buy additional copies
for typically 60 percent of the retail price. On any books sold – and few are ever
sold – the author receives royalties from 20 percent to 100 percent.
The print-on-demand companies store the book digitally. When added
copies are needed they are printed immediately. Unlike older vanity publishing
firms. There is no problem with storage. The author does not have to worry
about the book ever going out-of-print.
There is a “catch”. Who is going to advertise, promote and otherwise be
sure the book gets into bookstores? Answer: the author. With the ready
availability of print-on-demand firms it is no longer a question of how to get a
24
book published, but how to get it noticed. Traditional marketing techniques which
insure at least modest sales, are entirely up to the skills of the writer. As most
know nothing about marketing their book is not noticed. The exception, and it is
rare, is when a standard publisher picks up the title and makes it part of their list.
Many are pleased to find their way into print even without much
recognition. Hence the success of print-on-demand services. Librarians show
know about major companies, all of whom are legitimate but make no guarantees
to insure the author a place on a best-seller list.
On-demand digital publishing began in the mid 1990s when major
publishers such as Random House became involved with online publishing.
Today the majors include:
Xlibris (www.xlibris.com) was among the first. It is a child of Random
House. Today it charges from $500 to $1600 to publish a work, and offers the
author 10 to 25 percent of retail prices as royalties. As with all such operations,
copy editing and where available, minimal marketing, costs above the basic fee.
Authors flocked to Xlibris because originally the notion was Random House
would select many of the titles for their main list. It did not happen. Since it
began in 2000, the publisher has selected only three to five titles (out of over
10,000) for traditional publishing.
Iuniverse (www.iuniverse.com) is the large competitor of Xlibris. It is
owned, in part, by Barnes & Noble who claims to have published over 10,000
digital titles. As with Xlibris, of this number only six are available on the
bookstore’s shelves. And the six primarily are to publicize the service rather than
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to celebrate the books’ contents. Here charges range from $160 to $1,000 for
publishing. Charges for copy editing are included in the higher fee. Royalties
are 20 percent of the retail price.
Writers’ Collective (www.writerscollective.com) is a cooperative effort. It
is by and large the best in this group for the average beginning writer. Why?
Because it is nonprofit and managed by writers and publishers who really are
working to help the beginner, not simply to take his or her money. One begins by
joining the Collective at $175, plus $50 for administrative costs. There are
additional minimal costs for editing, helps on marketing etc. If the book is kept
available in digital form, the author is charged $100 for each subsequent year.
The author retains all royalties.
Among other firms with low prices: 1st Books Library
(www.1stbooks.com), has an initial fee of $598 with additional charges for
edition. GreatUnpublished (www.greatunpublished.com) has an added fee for
marketing assistance, but will publish a work for as little as $99.
Both authors and digital publishers deny the new publishing method is a
cousin to vanity publishing. They point out the fees are so low a to be far from
profitable for the digital publisher. They add that legitimate publishing firms use
the new technology to convert their backlists to print-on-demand. This eliminates
the problem of “out-of-print” titles. Another plus is the lack of waste of
transporting books to and from the bookstore. The books are only required when
sold.
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With that, the chances of an author gaining fame via digital edition is slim.
There are a few success stories. The rules for publishing remain pretty much the
same for the writer. Get an agent, but you can’t get an agent until you are
published. In that case become famous first and then write a book.
MUSIC ONLINE
Downloading or listening to music online, (i.e. via streaming) rather than
purchasing individual recordings, is a growing industry. “Digital music
subscription sites will become a primary music source for fans, and by 2006,
record labels will be making $1 billion from them.” Reference librarians should
be prepared for questions about the subject, if not actual use of library Net
services.
Another more pressing reason to understand the music format is being
pushed by record companies. Some of the larger are trying to legally prevent
libraries letting patrons use the library computer to download music. So far
(2003) this has not made much progress, but it may. So when the company
representative appears in the library it is well the librarian have at least a minimal
understanding about the fuss.
Why are record companies so concerned with online music? The answer
is the traditional one: the new format threatens profits, perhaps even the
existence of the firms.
The decline in global music sales is documented by the International
Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Worldwide sales dropped by 7 percent
27
in 2002, after a 5 percent drop in 2001. The United States suffered a 10 percent
drop in album sales, mainly because fans are taking music from the Internet
instead. The U.S. ten best selling albums of 2002 sold 33 million copies
compared with 60 million two years ago. It is little wonder the music industry is
working hard to close down or limit online for free music sites.
Ways to Connect
The two basic methods to receive music online are actually playing the
music through a computer. This is known as streaming and comparable to
picking up a radio station on the computer. The second favored approach is to
download the music by copying the music file onto your computer and into an
MP3 format, similar to a CD.
The most favored compression format for downloading, MP3, is not up to
normal CD-quality, but for most purposes it is good enough. But one does not
need a computer to hear the music. In fact, one of the advantages of the new
formats is the flexibility. This means owning a handheld jukebox which, on
average, will store hundreds of albums and still slip into a pocket. Other
playbacks include an in-car CD player that also plays MP3; budget hi-fi sets
which play the MP3 files as well as CDs, radio etc.; a sophisticated controller
which connects to more expensive, many parts, hi-fi; and almost every audio
company, from SONY to Philips, makes such gadgets.
Free and For Fee File Sharing
28
File sharing began with the defunct Napster. This allows individuals to
share their music with others at no cost. The problems: copyright is ignored;
there is a limit on what can be found and downloaded or streamed; and the audio
may be less than perfect. The alternative is to find music through a for fee
company. The cost normally is around $10 a month.
The subscription services have gained some acceptance because they
are easy to use, have representative selection of recordings and operate within
the law. Searching usually allows the user to look for recording by track name,
individual album, producer, artist etc. The selection is limited, and rarely offers
leading recordings by large firms or bigger stars. The average is from 20,000 to
25,000 CDs or tapes – a small fraction of what is available in record stores.
(Individual songs number from 200,000 to 300,000.)
People who grew use to free music via Napster are reluctant to sign on to
subscription services or to pay for software which allows peer-to-peer
downloading. Record companies while supporting some online services are
equally reluctant to give up the gold of overly priced recordings.
Among typical subscription services:25
Emusic (www.emusic.com) claims to be the most popular service with
over 70,000 registered users. The reason: it is easy to use, has no restrictions
on recordings and has a wide variety of music. It features, too, important
elements often missing in the large corporation efforts such as Pressplay:
downloads are fast, the audio quality is high, and there is little or no waiting.
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Rhapsody (www.listen.com) is similar to Emusic in that it is independent
and licenses music from all the major labels. The essential difference is that
songs can’t be downloaded – they can be heard only while the user is connected
to the Net, i.e. via streaming. A plus feature is access to music on “dozens of
commercial free radio stations.”
MusicNet (www.musicnet.com) is one of the largest as it is a joint
venture of giants such as Time Warner, AOL and EMI. It charges a set
subscription fee, but allows retrieval of only a limited number of recordings – and
has numerous provisions against using the music.
Pressplay (www.pressplay) is another giant under the supervision of
SONY and Universal, and follows the same type of fee schedule and restrictions
as its cousin MusicNet.
While the number of recordings vary among the services, it is clear their
popularity, although growing, is meager compared to the free sites. Estimates
are that in mid 2003 no more than 350,000 subscribed to the fee sites.
(Comparatively, the free Napster before it was forced out of business, had over
50 million people, and KaZaA claims 60 million.) The paid services vary in
charges, but average around $9.95 per month for listening and from $1 and up
for downloading.
The for free sites, which do charge for software, are few. (Most people
simply download from friends or friends of friends without a middle person.) The
leader is KaZaA (www.KaZaA.com) is a system which permits the user to type
in the name of a musician, title etc. into a search box. A list of matching files
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which other users are willing to share for free appears. The user then can click
on an item to download a free copy. KaZaA does not sell the material direct, but
provides the software (KaZaA Media Desktop) to connect with users who have
copies of what is needed. KaZaA is incorporated in the SouthPacific, has
computer servers in Europe and millions of customers for copyrighted music,
television shows and movies in the United States. The question: can United
States laws cover a virtual company which has over 60 million users in 150 plus
countries? Can the United States impose its copyright law worldwide? True,
there is international copyright, but little covers virtual information carriers such
as KaZaA.
Several other companies have similar software for file trading: Stream
Cast Network and Grokster.
There are limited opportunities to find classical music online. The listed
sites concentrate on popular music. One or two have brief sections on classical.
But there is an after thought and of no value to the music lover. One partial
remedy is a site sponsored by the American Music Center, dedicated to
distribution of new music. This is: New Music Jukebox
(www.newmusicjukebox.org) which offers streaming and downloading of
primarily new American works. The reference librarian will find it useful for hard
to find material on composers, their works, performance data and other crossreference-information.
The Music Wars
31
The recording industry has tried to frustrate music piracy in the courts as
well as through online measures such as spreading copies of fake music files
across file-sharing networks like KaZaA; simply redirecting for free explorers to
Web sites where they can buy the song they tried to download; and a more
malicious program locks up a computer system for minutes or hours when they
try to download pirated music.26
As one critic puts it: “Hardly a week goes by without another salvo in the
music wars, which have been going on now for years. And week by week the
shape of the struggle seems to change.”27 Large record companies seek to
maintain the economic “logic” of $18 CD’s, while the public online looks for the
same music for free. One bridge between the two, and likely to be followed by
the Windows platform, is the Apple music service, iTunes Music Store which
charges 99 cents a song or about $9.90 for a full CD. The question is whether it
will remain independent or serve the needs of the large recording companies.
FILMS TO DATES
There is no end to the possibilities of informal online communication. Two
examples:
Today most of the public watches films on television (who may or may not
go to movie theatres). Even more popular is to rent titles from local outlets such
as Blockbuster or via the mails.
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Following the emergence of pop music online, the same business
interests are trying to make a profit from films on the PC. Rates (around $4 to $5
per feature film) are much the same as in the stores, and by streaming the film to
a person’s home (or a library) it can be watched only minutes after it is
requested.
The problem is technical. Few people want to watch a film, much reduced
in showing area, on a PC. In this case the current answer is to offer a
subscription service where the user pays $10 to $15 a month for all the movies
he or she wishes to view. The catch, and a large one, is that most of the films
available by subscription are old, less than popular and generally not worth the
low monthly fee.
The major companies involved with all of this are MovieLink
(www.movielink.com) sponsored by SONY and several Hollywood studies; and
CinemaNow (www.cinemanow.com) backed by Microsoft and related firms.
The problem is that there is no advantage for using these services, particularly
over TV, rental mail services or video stores.
This may change, in fact has to change if the companies are to succeed.
As critics point out the online services are failing to use the net’s potential. They
should make available not a few hundred but tens of thousands of movies. This
would dwarf offers of TV television stores and other competitors. Until this and
technical improvements are in place, the future of online movies is dim.
Online Dating
33
Online dating is now acceptable. It is not simply for losers. And while
reference services has not yet embraced the pervasive approach to love and
marriage, it is always a possible reference query. According to The New York
Times28 close to 50 million people use online dating.
A typical monthly fee for an individual ranges from $15 to $25. (No, the
library is not expected to pick up the tab.) Match (www.match.com) claims to
have over 800,000 subscribers, although usually there is no charge for simply
posting a profile. Other well-known sites: Tony.com; Nerve.com; Boston.com.
34
SUGGESTED READING
Bausch, Paul and Matthew Haughey, We Blog: publishing online with weblogs
(John Wiley & Sons, 2002). Experts define and explain all aspects of the
Weblog. The authors are early pioneers in the field. Good for explanation
of not only personal use, but how a Weblog can be structured to serve
business, education and the community.
Blood, Rebecca, The Weblog Handbook: Practical advice on creating and
maintaining your blog. (Perseus Publishing, 2002). A hands on guide to
blogs y an early Webloger, this gives step by step procedures for all types
of blogs. Clear writing and sensible approach to how and how not to
employ blogs. Particularly valuable for commonsense methods of
attracting and holding readers. Beyond the process of creating blogs, the
author offers a good history and social explanation of the present and
future of the medium.
Borei, Karin, “The Rewards of Managing an Electronic Mailing Lists”, Library
Trends, Spring, 1999, pp. 686-698. This is a detailed article on how to
start a listserv and what to expect from members. Two lists are examined
in detail, i.e. both in terms of management and of use by its members.
The author has wide experience in managing listservs.
Johnson, Roberta, “The Global Conversation”, Booklist, January 1-15, 2001, p.
912-3. This is a discussion of a specialized group of listservs involved
primarily with readers’ advisory services. As such it is typical of many
35
library-oriented lists and gives the student a good insight into what is
involved in terms of information to be found at such sites.
Perseus Publishing, “We’ve got Blog: how weblogs are changing our culture.
(Perseus Publications, 2002). Sensible hints about the purpose of
Weblogs. The problem, although minor, is that this is a series of essays
by different people, i.e. the primary writers are editors of Perseus Press.
There is some overlap and confusion. Best sections discuss history and
impact of blogs on individual expression.
Powazek, Derek, Design for Community: The art of connecting real people in
virtual places (Dimensions, 2001). This includes both the philosophical
and practical aspects of creating Web pages and blogs. Most of the
emphasis is on the impact of the Net. Each chapter includes an interview
with an online expert about how to build a particular type of virtual
community.
Stone, Biz, Blogging: genius strategies for instant Web content, (New Riders
Publishing, 2002). Similar to Ms. Blood’s manual, this is a step by step
explanation of how to setup a blog and how to best put over the blogger’s
message. Strongest point: the technology of the system which can be
considerable more advanced than first suggested by some writers.
Tan, Bing et al., “Web Information Monitoring: an analysis of Web page
updates,” Online Information Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, 2001, pp. 6-18. An
explanation and an analysis of just what constitutes a Web page and how
it differs from its cousins and aunts. The study concentrates on how Web
36
pages are updated and methods employed by average users to find them
on the Net.
37
Footnotes
1
Laura Cohen, “Searching for Quality…” Choice Internet Supplement, August,
1998, p. 16.
2
Reva Basch, “Reva’s Wrap,” Online, September/October, 1998, p. 96.
3
Douglas Winship in Walt Crawford, “Library Lists: Building on E-Mail,” American
Libraries, November 201, p. 58.
4
Karen Borei, “The Rewards of Managing an Electronic Mailing List”, Library
Trends, Spring, 1999, p. 696.
5
Chip Salzenberg, “What is Usenet?” (www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/what-is/part1/).
Usenet is one of those puzzling terms which can mean different things to
different people, most of whom seeking precision end-up with pages of jargon.
This is a 10 page definition which is noteworthy for not only being complete but
ironic. Mailing list is the all embracing term for a mailing list of names whom
receive automatically all messages in the list. “Listserv” is the automatic mailing
list server, a commercial list management system by L-Soft International, i.e.
manages subscriptions, postings, problems, membership, etc. The term listserv
technically is applicable only to this one system, but it is now used for all mail-in
lists and servers. Another less popular server is known as “Majordomo”.
Confusing? Yes, but the term listserv or mailing list covers it all.
6
In their home page the listserv, Stumpers
(http://domin.dom.edu/depts/gslis/stumpers/welcome.txt) points out that the
service can generate up to 100 messages a day. To avoid this, there is a “digest
38
option” which is outlined. Similar methods of controlling the volume of e-mail will
be found for most listservs.
7
Randall Marcinko, “Listservs: the goodness and the bad news” Searcher,
November/December, 1998, p. 35.
8
Web4Lib Electronic Discussion DL SunSITE,
(http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Web4Lib/).
9
For a clear explanation of how archives function and various ramifications, see
almost any home page or a discussion group. One of the best: Mailbase, How
to Use Mailbase (www.mailbase.ac.uk/docs/user.html). See, too, “Welcome to
Stumpers” (http://domin.dom.edu/depts/gslis/stumpers/welcome.txt) for a 10-part
explanation of how to join a listserv, how to post questions, e-mail problems etc.
10
Camworld [online] January 26, 1999
(www.camworld.com/journal/rants/99/01/26.html).
11
For a short history of the Weblog see Rebecca’s Pocket, [online] September 7,
2000. (www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html)
12
Lisa Guernsey, “Telling All Online,” The New York Times, November 28, 2002,
pp. G1, G7. The author’s primary focus is on women who pilot blogs. She asks
why so few woman use blogs, but concludes “some women see the tables
turning”.
13
Walt Crawford, “You Must Read This: Library Weblogs”, American Libraries,
October 2001, p. 74.
14
Economist, July 4, 2002, p. 45.
39
15
Pyra Labs, the small San Francisco based company behind Blogger, is itself a
patron of still another type of Weblog. This one carries the thoughts of an 800year-old Brazilian vampire named Boris (www.boris.blogger.com.br), a character
from a television soap opera “Kiss of the Vampire”. Pyra teamed up with a
Brazilian media conglomerate because Brazil, according to the company, is by
far the second largest Blogger using country after the United States.
16
For other packages see the Open Directory Project Weblogs Template at:
(http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/On_the_Web/Weblogs/Templates/)
17
Craig Colgan “Creatures from the Web lagoon: the blogs” National Journal
[Online], August 2, 2002.
(http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2002/0803nj_colgan.htm)
18
For a biographical sketch of Sullivan see his “Biography” at his site.
19
There are gaps. Any Webloger can ask not to be linked any copyrighted
articles and/or those sold online legally are not part of the linkages.
20
Walt Crawford, “You must read this library weblog,” American Libraries,
October 2001, p. 76.
21
See the aforementioned two directories for more library Weblogs. See, too,
Google “Weblogs: Reference-Libraries-Library and Information”
(http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Libraries) for several pages, with brief
descriptions, of the library weblogs.
22
“Prospering for Gold Among the Photo Blogs” The New York Times, May 25,
2003, p. Art 27.
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23
“New Economy” The New York Times, May 19, 2003, p. C3. A detailed article
on primarily how Wikis may be used in commerce.
24
“A Call to Pens” [online] The Writer’s Collective
(www.writerscollective.org/pens.htm) is a short summary and raison d’etre
turning to digital publishers “to publish your own books”.
25
For an overview of these and other services see “Pay-and-Play Music Services”
PC Magazine, March 12, 2002, various pages. Among others: MusicNow, Real
One Music Pass.
26
“Bullet Sought Against Music Piracy,” The New York Times, May 4, 2003, p. 1,
36.
27
Verlyn Klinkenborg, “Downloading Music…” The New York Times, June 7,
2003, p. A14.
28
Amy Harmon, “Online Dating…” The New York Times, June 29, 2003, p. 1, 23.
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