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Daily Archives: December 7, 2010

Commentary on the Future of Academic Libraries – Rising Prices, Sustainability, Digitization, and Copyright

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The Library: Three Jeremiads, by Robert Darnton, New York Review of Books, December 23, 2010.

  • “In fact, more printed books are produced each year than the year before. Soon there will be a million new titles published worldwide each year. A research library cannot ignore this production on the grounds that our readers are now “digital natives” living in a new “information age.” If the history of books teaches anything, it is that one medium does not displace another, at least not in the short run. Manuscript publishing continued to thrive for three centuries after Gutenberg, because it was often cheaper to produce a small edition by hiring scribes than by printing it. The codex—a book with pages that you turn rather than a scroll that you read by unrolling—is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It has served well for two thousand years, and it is not about to become extinct. In fact, it may be that the new technology used in print-on-demand will breathe new life into the codex—and I say this with due respect to the Kindle, the iPad, and all the rest.”

    • Commerce Secretary Launches First Federally Coordinated Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative

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    News release: “U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today joined seven other U.S. government agencies in launching a coordinated effort to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency exports – the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative. The Initiative was developed through the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Working Group on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, which… Continue Reading

    BLS: Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment Summary – October 2010

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    News release: “In October, 102 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, down from 129 areas a year earlier, while 78 areas posted rates be- low 7.0 percent, up from 74 areas in October 2009. El Centro, Calif., again recorded the highest unemployment rate, 29.3 percent, followed by Yuma, Ariz., 26.7 percent.… Continue Reading

    The Chronicle's ProHacker Eclectic Holiday Gift Ideas

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    Profhacker 2010 Holiday Gift Guide: The ProfHacker Group provide interesting and often unique holiday gift ideas in this wide ranging guide which includes useful commentary, on items from the Analog, Hardware, Software, Print and Wellness venues. Have fun, and please think about all the terrific charitable organizations, large and small, local, regional and global, to… Continue Reading

    FTC's 2010 Report Concludes U.S. Ethanol Market Still Unconcentrated

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    News release: “The market for ethanol fuel in the United States is still unconcentrated, with 160 firms nationwide either producing ethanol or likely to be in production within the next 18 months, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2010 report on the state of U.S. ethanol production. The FTC report is the agency’s sixth annual… Continue Reading

    CRS: Changes in Airport Passenger Screening Technologies and Procedures: Frequently Asked Questions

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    Changes in Airport Passenger Screening Technologies and Procedures: Frequently Asked Questions, Bart Elias, Specialist in Aviation Policy, November 23, 2010 “During 2010, TSA introduced whole body imaging (WBI) systems at airport checkpoints around the United States. Previously, the systems were used only on a trial basis at a small number of airports. They are now… Continue Reading

    Charter Schools: Education Could Do More to Assist Charter Schools with Applying for Discretionary Grants

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    Charter Schools: Education Could Do More to Assist Charter Schools with Applying for Discretionary Grants, GAO-11-89, December 07, 2010 “The number of charter schools is growing, spurred by demand for innovation and federal incentives, such as the Race to the Top Fund, which favors states supportive of charter schools. However, states often define charter schools… Continue Reading

    CRS: Foreign Science and Engineering Presence in U.S. Institutions and the Labor Force

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    Foreign Science and Engineering Presence in U.S. Institutions and the Labor Force, Christine M. Matthews, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, October 28, 2010 “The increased presence of foreign students in graduate science and engineering programs and in the scientific workforce has been and continues to be of concern to some in the scientific community.… Continue Reading