Maybe you teach Internet classes,

Maybe you teach Internet classes, maybe you are a Librarian helping people access info on the web or perhaps you are a grandma trying to find out if that web new site saying emu oil can be good for your arthritis is for real. You've got a new friend. The Stanford University Persuasive Technology Lab does web credibility research. These fine folks have a great list of 10 guidelines for web credibility. It's a helpful review or instruction tool and just takes a couple of minutes to read.

ALA conference, here I come!

ALA conference, here I come! link

ALA has decided not to

ALA has decided not to decide if they should move or adjust the June conference in Toronto. At least until Friday. I imagine lots of folkss are just deciding not to go at this point.

We are everywhere! You can't

We are everywhere! You can't even go to the movies without seeing a Librarian. My favorite is Party Girl with Parker Posey. In grad school we bought pizza and watched this movie in the Library. Hey, it was a cheap Friday!

Librarians in the movies! by Martin Raish
Film index (with movies grades even!)
List of actors and actresses who have portrayed librarians.

Looks like they may now

Looks like they may now move the annual ALA conference ? I guess I'll wait a little while longer before I decide to make reservations, eh? Personally, my vote always goes for New Orleans. Now THAT is a great place for a conference!

Do many of you go

Do many of you go to ALA? As you likely know their annual conference is in Toronto this year. Apparently there is some debate as to the necessity of the SARS warning for travel to Toronto. Still ALA does has a SARS fact sheet up on a section of its conference web site. Just wondering if anybody has any comments on the subject. I'm just Michael Porter, but at least Libraryman has no worries about communicable diseases.

Pardon the extra posts here.

Pardon the extra posts here. I had a bit of an editing problem. No wise-cracks please. :)

Before I start today let

Before I start today let me just say that I really don't want to turn this into a blog of political critique. I will go there though if it is Library related:

Via our pals over at the Kennebunk Free Library Blog we find this article from Thane Peterson at Business Week magazine critiquing Laura Bush's level of involvement in Libraries. Public Libraries in particular are mentioned. I agree of course, but it seems a couple of things here are worth mentioning.

Firstly, Mrs. Bush was a school Librarian. Just as my first love is Public Libraries due to the understanding I have of them, I would imagine she feels inclined to support school Libraries more whole heartedly. In fact it is true and here is more proof. Naturally both Library types are indispensable though PL's do serve more people in the community so if I had to choose...(not that we should have to!). I just want to know how a school Librarian came up with enough money for a Foundation? Har har!

Secondly, (and I really don't want to turn this into a political debate on the merits of the current administration) on the Bush tip, not everything he does is evil. At least this isn't. Frankly, federal budget issues tend to confuse me and I don't know if this request went through. That's what keeps most people uninformed on these issues, no? Anyone know if it went through? You know, even if it didn’t, imls is a very good federal organization we should know about as Librarians.

Thirdly, the best paragraph in the whole Business Week whole article is this one:
Another cause in desperate need of attention is one dear to the First Lady's heart: America's public libraries. As budgets are squeezed and the economy continues to lag, libraries around the country are shortening their hours and cutting back on staff. For instance, Binghamton, N.Y., not far from where I live, has had to close all four of its branch locations for lack of funding. Only the main library remains open. Many of the nation's museums will also to have to shorten their hours if the economy doesn't pick up soon. Sadly, the most important enforcing point along these lines is left out, that is: it is a fact that as the economy dips and Public Libraries are forced to cut back they are simultaneously getting busier. As the economy dips Public Library stats rise, just go ask a Librarian and they will tell you that.:
Librarians have long believed that when the economy goes down, public library use goes up. In February 2002, ALA contracted with the University of Illinois Library Research Center (LRC) to study library use over the last five years, at the twenty-five U.S. public libraries serving populations of 1 million or more. Using data from eighteen of those large libraries, the study found that circulation has increased significantly since March 2001, when the National Bureau of Economic Research pegged the beginning of the latest recession. -From a study summary on the ALA web site. Well, a google cached copy of the web site as the "new" ALA site still is *ahem* "lacking".

Finally, I wish Laura would agreee with the the idea that lowering taxes isn't the way to help Libraries because things like this end up happening. Then she could get the President to think about taxes differently. Maybe this blog will make it happen! Yeah, that would be great.

Conan the Librarian I thought

Conan the Librarian

I thought Conan the Librarian originated with this Reading Rainbow episode. Link

Then this guy shows up with this Conan the Librarian t-shirt. Link

Then there is this voluminous Conan the Librarian story/book site. I mean, it’s a freakin’ book! Link

The most famous single panel Conan the Librarian comic. Link

Conan the Librarian is also a robot?! Link

Conan the Librarian commands SILENCE!! I think I went to high school with that girl next to him. Link

This is perhaps the worst cartoon ever about Conan the Librarian. Oddly enough it is also likely the best cartoon ever about Conan the Librarian. It's a zine thang you gots ta understand! Link

I guess the lore of Conan spreads beyond any possible language barrier. Link

Conan the Librarian is funny and all, but this is my favorite Conan ever. Link

Now let’s hope people don’t start making too many other Libraryman claims. Libraryman is actually copy written, did you know that? There are a couple of other claims out there but rest assured you’ve got the real deal here.

Due to formatting issues you

Due to formatting issues you may need to scroll down a bit to see this post. If so, follow the links and the pictures will be your reward!

Went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Sunday. If you are anywhere near Seattle or Vancouver in April it is so very worth a visit. Rows of colors and shapes that will put you in a happy place. Mankind can do so many truly amazing things with nature and this is one of them. I'm sure it involves masses of chemical, but there were so many happy people there it seemed worth it to me. Plus the fish we had for dinner mysteriously had one head and two bodies so it was sort of a two-for-one deal there which you can't really knock. Thanks again Tulips! Go and behold the glory and you too will say: "It is good". For the love of all mankind, please do consider a visit! What do I have to do to get you people looking at the pretty flowers already? I have some really beautiful pictures of last years festival posted to this page, maybe that would work. It seems like it was a little more colorful last year. Lucky for you I have the pictures to prove it, why not take a peek?

I called my Grandma today

I called my Grandma today and told her about my blog. She will be visiting shortly, so when she does:
"Hi Grandma!!! Love you!":)

A list of Library and

A list of Library and Information Science Weblogs from the dmoz open directory project. Super cool library fun!

Library/Internet post: *It's a big

Library/Internet post: *It's a big one!*


"SM" is a library man.
Does anyone else have a friend with a "famous" name? One of my most excellent friends and fellow Librarian is both blessed and burdened to be named Steve Miller. Some people call him a space cowboy, others, the gangster of love. I just call him Steve. Sometimes Steve-o. In fact, we were friends for quite a while before I even made the famous name connection. Now that I think of it, that may be part of the reason why we are friends. I think he's heard every Steve Miller joke a body can think of. This naturally includes the stupid wise crack I made above.

The Steve Miller I know and love does not write catchy hooks we all sing in the shower (c'mon! Nobody can resist "Abracadabra"). But don't worry, its way cool because the real Steve Miller is one of the best Librarians in the world. No joke. He is the man in the Library. He's plenty smart, has worked hard and has an amazing Librarian job. He is a "floater" Librarian in a very large, well supported and most excellent Public Library. This means that he knows and uses all the different departments of the library. Each department is large enough to be an entire library. For example, the last I heard their children's department had over 3000,000 items. That's 300k! I very seriously doubt there are many Public Librarians in the world that are well versed using such specialized and massive collections. I'd bet money that there are very few Librarians that can do better reference work. That's big talk, but Steve-o can back it up with results.

Yesterday this super librarian, this library man sent me a spam. Steve, being a well trained Internet user and Librarian with crazy mad skills, knows his way around the old email and had never before spammed me. He did it today though Steve is a pretty mellow fellow, but I think he has had enough:
"Several of you have already forwarded me an email list regarding efforts to save PBS and NPR funding. Please do not send me any more of these lists! While it sounds like an admirable undertaking I think it may all be a hoax. I have tried more than once to forward one of the lists on to the given address and it Never goes through. I read the NY Times regularly, as well as a number of internet news sites and I have never seen anything about an immediate threat to PBS funding. But stay vigilant and if a "real" list turns up I would be happy to sign it."

Steve's Internet Rule of the Day
Unless it is from a place you remember registering with do not believe, contact or communicate with the people that sent you an unsolicited email. Equally important; please do not forward the horror story, chain letter, Bill Gates is dead, new vitamin discovery, buy a piece of the space shuttle, PBS and NPR are dying, random emails you have received. I know that since you are reading a blog you likely already know this. Hopefully though there are or eventually will be some Librarians that read the blog that may not know yet. Click here to go to a simple and well phrased set of spam rules you can follow.

The only exception to this no dubious forwarding rule applies to grammas. My grandma in particular can send me whatever email she wants to simply because she is my grandma.

So does anybody know if NPR and PBS really are in trouble? Hmmm, maybe I should ask Steve. Oh no, wait... Either way, Steve Miller, Libraryman and Michael Porter all support public broadcasting. Well, I'm not sure about Libraryman but he is a hero and always knows what organizations would benefit most from his assistance.

Let's test an image here.

Let's test an image here. This is libraryman in the Big Apple. Oh yes, I've got a ton of these super cool Libraryman pictures that you haven't seen yet. There are some hum-dingers so stay tuned for those!

In case you haven't read it yet here is the link to the story of Libraryman. There are other stories too, my friend. In fact, if you have some Libraryman tribute stories swimming up there in your noggin why not send them to me through the old email. It could very well make the cut and be added to the new "Adventures of Libraryman" tribute section of my libraryman web site. By the way, the new libraryman.com site should be done in, oh, let's say, maybe two months. Hey, it's a very big site!

First a music post: I

First a music post:
I just saw a Subaru ad featuring Lance Armstrong. More importantly in my world is that the ad features a song by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. It may not be that exciting to any of you folks, but JSBX used to be the absolute shiznit back in the day. I’ve seen them live eight times and met John twice. Check out this picture as proof. They did a very abstract Miller Light/bowling ad a few years ago too. I now hope Jon, his wife Christina (from Boss Hogg), and their son Gomez are now set for life and are rolling in cash flow. Jon used to be in a rather seminal punkish band called Pussy Galore years and years ago. He also studied semiotics in college. Many will think that is corny, but I think it’s one of the coolest things to study. Sorry for the fan geek rant.

One last thing, buy their album “Orange” and you will rock out mightily.


Now a library post:
I wonder if Mary Carmen Chimato from The Indie Rock Librarian would approve of the above post?

Many of you know I

Many of you know I am a pretty big fan of the American Library Association. I was even the President of the student chapter of ALA in graduate school. In fact I was the student-to-staff rep IU selected to represent the school at the annual ALA conference in New Orleans way back in 1999 when I graduated. Top that off with the different chapters, divisions, round tables, publications, trainings and other services they offer it is needless to say that I am quite fond of the ALA. But change can be difficult and large organizations often suffer most during major changes, (and don’t give me the 'Who Stole My Cheese?' line either!).


The latest hubbub has to do with their site redesign that was launched last week.


If you visited and knew the old one you may wonder what's wrong. At least I did. If you want to hear a more detailed criticism or two read this article by Marylaine Block


The 04/07 entry from Jessamyn West at
librarian.net says:
"New ALA website debuts at the beginning of National Library Week. Customer service open extra hours to help people use it. Say goodbye to easy-to-understand URLs. Say hello to over 50 front page images, non-Mac fonts, and browser conflicts." Yeah, but Jessamyn said that about my old web site (soon to be re-done btw). You Mac users, you!


Now you be the judge:
To see the new ALA site itself go to www.ala.org


The old, archived from Internet Archive site is found here.

Hello there friends of Libraryman!

Hello there friends of Libraryman! Most of you here know, but some may ask “why is this blog here?” Well I’ll be darned if I know!

Actually, I do know. The goal is to use the blog to post library related information, libraryman.com info and Michael Porter information, hopefully in that order. Also, at the prodding of my 18 wheeler drivin’ buddy Kris, I have jumped into the little blogging community I already so greatly enjoy taking part in. You can see some of those blogs via the links on the right side of this page. 10-4 good buddy!

At this point in my life both my suite of web sites are in a state of transition. These are very good things though as you will now get to read a Libraryman blog, see new web pages as they develop and hear about the traveling I am doing, the video games I am playing (bah ha!) and the states I may move to with a new job.

For now, thanks for stopping by. I’m happy to join all of my blog friends and hope you will all continue to stop in periodically to see what going on in the libraryman world.

If you want to know what my old web site looks like before I change it feel free to check out www.libraryman.com. Also, if you have any content you would like to see added or include please let me know that as well. More soon!

Welcome ya'll to the first

Welcome ya'll to the first real post at Libraryman.com's weblog. Here Libraryman himself will update you on the haps of his life, libraries, and pez, as well as anything else that strikes his fancy. Thanks to Kris Bell for the blog design. That kid is so darn helpful . . .