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Daily Archives: August 5, 2012

Did the British burn all the books? Remembering the war of 1812 and the first Library of Congress

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Via LLRX.com: Did the British burn all the books? Remembering the war of 1812 and the first Library of Congress

  • Nicholas Pengelley has once again contributed his expertise as a historian, librarian, writer, and scholar with his article on the War of 1812, from the Canadian perspective. This month marks the anniversary of events that are largely overlooked on our Nation’s Capital, yet had an overarching impact on many aspects of our lives as librarians, researchers, students and citizens. The Library of Congress was at the time of the British invasion in the summer of 1814 a solid working collection, with an emphasis on law and parliamentary history, but with a smattering of works considered as entertainment. If it still existed, a number of the works on its shelves would be counted as great rarities and doubtless displayed in glass cases. This library perished in the flames of war, but it was created anew the following year – arising phoenix-like from the ashes on the foundation of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library of nearly 7,000 volumes, which he sold to the nation for $23,950. Nick offers us many lessons and food for thought – not the least that the rush into the embrace of technology’s myriad applications should be complemented by acknowledging how the deliberation and actions of individuals 200 years ago continues to enrich our society, and our lives.”

    • E-Books in Libraries: A Briefing Document Developed in Preparation for a Workshop on E-Lending in Libraries

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    E-Books in Libraries: A Briefing Document Developed in Preparation for a Workshop on E-Lending in Libraries (July 1, 2012). Berkman Center Research Publication No. 2012-15. “The “E-Books in Libraries” workshop was convened as part of a broader effort to explore current issues associated with digital publishing business models and access to digitally-published materials in libraries.… Continue Reading

    Levy Economics Institute – The Fix Is In—the Bank of England Did It!

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    The Fix Is In—the Bank of England Did It!, Jan Kregal, Levy Economics Institute of Bard College “As the results of the various official investigations spread, it becomes more and more apparent that a large majority of financial institutions engaged in fraudulent manipulation of the benchmark London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) to their own advantage,… Continue Reading

    ICO statement on information received from Google about retention of Street View data

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    Statement: 27 July 2012 – “The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued the following statement today in response to information received from Google about the retention of payload data collected by its Street View vehicles. An ICO spokesperson said: “Earlier today Google contacted the ICO to confirm that it still had in its possession some… Continue Reading

    The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act

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    Via NIH: “The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, enacted on April 4, 2012, contains several requirements for employees who file a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278). The following resources are provided for filers and ethics officials. Filers should consult with their IC’s ethics officials if they have questions. STOCK Act Summary… Continue Reading

    UK – Public Accounts Committee – Tenth Report Implementing the transparency agenda

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    Public Accounts Committee – Tenth Report Implementing the transparency agenda: “Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 16 July 2012.” “The Government has not yet developed a full understanding of costs and benefits of making information… Continue Reading

    Food safety guides for groups most vulnerable to foodborne illness now available

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    News release: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have partnered to create six booklets with food safety advice for populations that are most susceptible to foodborne illness. The booklets in this “at-risk series” are tailored to help… Continue Reading

    Amazon surpasses Google for online buyers conducting product research

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    Forester Report, July 26, 2012: “Some 30% of online buyers began researching their last online purchase with Amazon, compared with 13% researching a product on Google, according to a new Forrester survey of nearly 4,000 US respondents. This is a growing trend as Amazon increasingly becomes the first-stop shop for consumers, taking market share away… Continue Reading