The “Internet of Things”: What It Is and What It Means for Libraries

The “Internet of Things” is a popular buzzword but a poorly understood concept. In short, it refers to everyday objects that can sense the environment around them and communicate that data to other objects and services via the Internet. This column will briefly explain what the Internet of Things is and how it might be useful for libraries. It will also discuss some of the problems with and objections to this technology. A list of currently available Internet of Things examples is also included.     

Everyone Can Use a Little Extra Cache

No abstract available for this article.     

Librarianship and Motherhood

This article suggests that a part-time work schedule is one way for a working mother to manage the demands of career and family. The advantages and disadvantages of part-time work are identified for both the employee and the employer. A case study is used to illustrate how reference librarians in a medical library function as professional part-time librarians.     

Smart Buildings: An Introduction to the Library of the Future

ABSTRACT

Advances in building technologies are combining energy efficiency, networked sensors, and data recording in exciting ways. Modern facilities can adjust lighting, heating, and cooling outputs to maximize efficiency, provide better physical security, improve wayfinding for occupants, and provide detailed reports of building use. This column will briefly explore the idea of “smart buildings,” describe some of the technologies that are being developed for these buildings, and explore their implications for libraries. A brief listing of selected smart building technologies is also provided.     

Visualizing the Virtual Library

In my article "Planning the Virtual Library," published in the last issue of the Medical Reference Services Quarterly, visioning was included in the implementation process. Visioning is such a critical component, however, that I wanted to provide a follow- up article that would vividly illustrate its importance. Eugenie Prime needs no introduction to the medical librarian community; she is well known for her many years of work with CINAHL¹ and with the Medical Library Association. Since 1987, Eugenie has been the Manager of the Corporate Libraries at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, the research and development component of HP.     

Energy,Climate, Food and Health

ABSTRACT

On June 3–5, 2008, international organizations and heads of state met in Rome to discuss the critical situation in global food supplies and prices during the World Food Crisis Summit. The intent of this column is to provide approaches to identifying the complex issues that impact public health, public safety, and nutrition on a global basis. The Web sites selected provide a background for the complex issues involved (energy, climate and environment, agriculture, and politics) and reveal controversial and competing agendas with many far-reaching implications.     

FROM THE LITERATURE: Terry Henner,Column Editor

This article explores automated task services, a type of website that allows users to create rules that are triggered by activity on one website and perform a task on another site. The most well-known automated task service is If This Then That (IFTTT), but recently a large number of these services have sprung up. These services can be used to connect websites, apps, business services, and even devices such as phones and home automation equipment. This allows for millions of possible combinations of rules, triggers, and actions. Librarians can put these services to use in many ways, from automating social media postings to remembering to bring their umbrella when rain is in the forecast. A list of popular automated task services is included, as well as a number of ideas for using these services in libraries.     

A Review of: “Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. 2nd ed. Morgan,Pamela J.”

QR codes, or “Quick Response” codes, are two-dimensional barcodes that can be scanned by mobile smartphone cameras. These codes can be used to provide fast access to URLs, telephone numbers, and short passages of text. With the rapid adoption of smartphones, librarians are able to use QR codes to promote services and help library users find materials quickly and independently. This article will explain what QR codes are, discuss how they can be used in the library, and describe issues surrounding their use. A list of resources for generating and scanning QR codes is also provided.     

Wolfphram|Alpha: A Brief Introduction

On May 18, 2009, British computer scientist Stephen Wolfram officially launched a new search product called Wolfram|Alpha (WA). This launch was preceded by months of speculation and hype online about exactly what WA would be and how it would compare to Google and other search engines. This article will explore the basic features of WA, show some example queries and results, and discuss the usefulness and limitations of this new tool.     

Health Sciences Librarians' Research on Medical Students' Use of Information for Their Studies at The Medical School,University of Queensland,Australia

This study reports the findings of research undertaken by health sciences librarians at the University of Queensland Library into how medical students use information for their studies, particularly resources and services provided by the Library. The methods utilized were an online survey and focus groups. Results indicated that students favor print resources over electronic, value accessing resources on a one-stop basis, and prefer training to be delivered flexibly. The implication of these results for future resource selection, service provision, and instructional design and delivery is discussed.