Thursday, July 28, 2005

Librarians under siege?

[2005-04-19]
Carnegie Report article: Do Libraries Still Matter?. "The answer seems to be a resounding yes," he writes in the lead sentence, "because libraries are more than just a place to keep volumes on dusty shelves."

[2005-02-11]
Johns Hopkins University president William R. Brody has pro-librarian piece in Dec. 6, 2004 issue of Johns Hopkins Gazette

"Librarians under threat" article by Tony Tysome p. 8 of Times Higher Education Supplement, Feb. 11, 2005, on plan at University of Wales, Bangor, to eliminate 8 out of 12 librarians

And here's the story from the Library Journal Academic Newswire Publishing Report, February 17, 2005:

SUBSTANTIALLY DESKILLED? IN WALES, A UNIVERSITY MAY CUT MOST OF ITS
LIBRARIANS In a move that has rankled librarians and teachers throughout the
United Kingdom, the University of Wales, Bangor, is proposing to eliminate
eight of its 12 librarians, on the premise that students can find most
information they need online. According to the GUARDIAN, a "consultation
document" issued by the university last month said that a £300,000 (about
$566,000 USD) savings could be realized by reducing the library staff to one
cataloguer, an acquisitions expert, a chief librarian, and a law librarian.
"The support to the academic and student communities from the qualified
subject librarians, whatever its contribution to the teaching and research
roles of the institution," reads the document, "is hard to justify in
value-for-money terms at a time when the process of literature searches is
substantially deskilled by online bibliographical resources."

Librarian Eileen Tilley told the newspaper, "The university thinks that
because we have the Internet it no longer needs skills teaching. I would say
[the Internet] has, in fact, complicated the resources...users are confused
and need guiding through this." Meanwhile, the university's registrar said
the document was to stimulate discussion and that no decisions have been
made.

Read more...

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Costume Bazaar

Largest selection of costumes in New Haven area may be Costume Bazaar on 1593 State Street (New Haven). Unfortunately, they're still on summer hours, which are M-F, 9:30-4:30; and closed Sa-Su. Phone: 787-3600.

Read more...

Monday, July 25, 2005

Cascading Style Sheets (New Horizons)

"Cascading Style Sheets", New Horizons' Taurus Wright, July 25-26, 2005.

Style sheet is "any rule or sequence of rules that affect appearance of a document". Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) is "core technology of HTML".


Types: inline rarely used, applied to specific elements, appropriate for overriding linked CSS when necessary. More common are embedded (controlling a single page) and linked (controlling several pages). Imported CSS only recently supported in Firefox and Netscape, creates secondary link to another external stylesheet.

Syntax:

Each statement is a "rule", which includes a "selector" and a "declaration"

For the rule "P {font-size: 10pt; color: blue}", 'p' is the Selector; 'font-size' and 'color' are properties; '10pt' and 'blue' are values.

In Dreamweaver, F12 to preview.

Manual p. 5: group elements together using comma. Spaces within css rule syntax don't matter. Semicolons only matter when separating values (but OK to leave in).

Consult w3schools.com for css elements and tutorials.

Separate style sheet contains only rules, no "style" tag. HTML document points to it like this:

  • [link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="IlluminatiStyles.css"]
Font shorthand, p. 54;

Lesson 2: Designing with the Cascade

To solve conflicts between styles:

  • Top to Bottom

  • Specificity: weight of given style to determine its importance over another style (see table p. 66)


Elements: 1 point
Classes: 10 points
IDs: 100 points

  • Inheritence --> way css properties flow from parent to child elements.
Class Selectors: 2 types ...
  • Element classes (e.g., div.header {property: value; }

  • Independent classes, more flexible (e.g., .author {property: value;}

Class Selectors (cont.)

Why use ID Selectors? functions more as an anchor (for hyperlinks, etc.) than classes. Oftentimes, an ID will already be in document functioning as bookmark (formerly handled by 'a', now 'id'), and this same tag can also carry formatting information through the ID selector (=#). Also: IDs are unique per page, while classes are repeatable.


e.g., at footer, [div id="footer"] (with angle brackets though) toward bottom of HTML body.

In new rule on style sheet: #footer {color: white; letter-spacing: 2px; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; }

Contextual & Attribute Selectors

Contextual selector: p b {color: red} means find bold text within any p tag, and make it red. (just p space b)

Attribute selector: e.g., identifying table by its width, to be formatted differently. Not supported by IE.

table [align] {font-family: Georgia, serif; } = "find the table that has the align attribute in it, and change font to Georgia"

The Cascade II
  • Cascading --> hierarchical order in which styles are applied when there is a conflict
  • General--> Specific

  • Types of Style Sheets:
    • In-line,
    • Embedded,
    • Linked/External
  • Order of Appearance
  • Modularity--> placing a style in the most approproate location:
    • Better organization;
    • More design options
Imported Styel Sheets
  • An external style sheet linked within another style sheet
  • No braces
  • Needs terminating semi0colon
  • 2 syntax options:
    • @import url(styles/stylesheet.css);
    • @import "styles/stylesheet.css";
  • Must be first rule in Style Sheet
  • Inherits its priority in the cascade from style sheet that imports it (i.e., where it is typed)

Designing with the Cascade
  • Create Cass Styles
  • Create ID Styles
  • Create Contextual Selectors
  • Target Specific Attributes
  • Style Sheets that Cascade
  • Import Style SHeets
  • Create Inlline Styles

Designing Content Sections
  • Control Margins and Padding
  • Create Borders
  • Control Element Dimensions
  • Floating Elements
  • Control Content Overflow

Formatting with the Box Model

  • Box Model: elements consist of a box which includes the element itself and its optional padding, border, and margin (concentric squares, from center: element->padding-->border-->margin-> Window edge)
  • Box properties are not inherited (they won't appear around individual child items by default)
Margins and Padding
  • Margin
  • Padding
  • Shorthand examples
    • {margin: 10px;} = all four sides
    • {padding: 5px 8px}=top/bottom, left/right
Borders
  • Border: lines that display on the edge of the box
  • Properties - (-top, -right, -bottom, -left)
  • Borders around tables and lists can be buggy
  • Not all border values are supported at all, or the same ones in the same browsers
To create beveled-look (3D): "border: white outset 2px;"

To create horizontal dashes (and other heading attributes):
h1, h2 { color: #366;
background-color: #cff;
text-transform: capitalize;
letter-spacing: 4px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: 900;
font-variant: small-caps;
border-top: 1px dashed #699;
border-bottom: 1px dashed #699;
width: 300px; }

Floating
Float property: to wrap text around picture or other object
Floating allows elements to arrange on page by defining
  • e.g.: #main img {float: left; padding-right: 5px}
Clear prevents wrapping around an element (can only be used on floated elements)

Overflow
  • Ensures that browser will know what to do with content that exceeds their allotted space. Fixed problem of overlapping divs in Firefox (IE had been more forgiving); generated scroll bar when height attribute in #main was jacked up

  • Property

    • Overflow Values

      • Scroll

      • Hidden

      • Visible

      • Auto

      • Inherit

  • Scrollable Content


    • Use [div] to apply the overflow property

Day 2

Content Overview
  • Introduction to Style Sheets

  • Controlling Color and Typography

  • Using the Cascade

  • Designing Boxes

  • CSS Positioning

  • Enhancing Elements

  • Alternate Style Sheets

  • Extras
Lesson 4: Positioning
  • Types of Positioning:
    • declare preciely where you want certain elements to appear on page
    • Position property- to choose type of positioning
      • Absolute- from parent element
      • Relative- from its normal position
      • Fixed- from top-left corner of viewport
      • Static- removes postioining, same as 'none'
    • Coordinates of positioin controlled by 2 propoerties
      • Top- vertical coordinate
      • Left- horizontal coordinate

  • Absolute Positioning
    • Abosolutely positioined elements are independent of other elements

  • Fixed Layouts

  • Fluid Layouts

    • Will reposition with browser size
    • Can be used with fixed layouts

    • Use the 'right' and 'bottom' properties

  • Relative Positioning

    • Position elements without disturbing other elements in document
    • Elements that follow a relatively positioned itme not distrubed
    • Positioned according to [its own] default position in HTML doc
    • Will re-flow and change position with browser resizing
    • Use position: relative, and the left, right, top, or bottom
    • Use neg values to move elements up
    • [cf: activity 4-6]

  • Layered Elements
    • Z-Index

      • Positioning creates layers
      • To control stacking order of overlapping items
      • By default, last element in doc appears at top of stack
      • Older Navigator->all items must use z-index in order for browser to recognize property
      • Use positive numbers

  • Fixed Positioining

    • Not supported by IE--ignored

    • To fix element to browser window (aka viewport)

    • Allows you to keep object visible at all times

    • Element revmoved from doc flow

    • Fixed item won't scroll with rest of pageUse z-index property to control ...
    • ....

Enhancing Design
  • Scrollbars
  • Cursors

    • element: {cursor: keword;}

    • element: {cursor: url("filename.cur");}

      • Must be image with a .cur extension

      • Not supported by Netscape, or Explrer pre-6.x

    • element: {cursor: url("filename.cur"), keyword;}, ex.: a.help {cursor:url("mycursor.cur"), help;}

    • Appendix E p. 233

    • [cf.: Activity 5-1-,5-2]

  • Link Pseudo-Classes

    • Color hyperlinks at various stages

    • a:link--not yet used

    • a:visited--clicked links

    • a:hover--when moused over

    • a:active--when mouse button is down

    • Should be listed in the above order to avoid browser confusion
Background Images
  • Background-repeat:
  • repeat repeat-x repeat-y no-repeat
...

Generated content
  • Not supported in Explorer [but unnumbered list can achieve much the same thing in both browsers]
  • Content specified from sytle sheet that is not specified in HTML
    • Display text before or after an element
    • Display image beofre or after element
  • 2 pseudo-elements
    • before and after
  • Content Property
    • element:before {content: url(filename.jpg);}
    • element:before {content: open-quote;}
    • element: after {content:"string of text"}
    • ...

Enhancing Elements

  • See Appendix A :first line :first letter

  • Script Styleswitcher creates cookie on users harddrive. See example on CD-ROM (or snippets in book?)

  • Accessiblity tools: bobby.watchfire.com

  • Manipulate display properties, can change text and menu display in Windows menus, including high-contast (for color-blind) and variations in type, size, color of font, etc.

Print Styles
  • Style sheet to control way page looks when printed

    • use absolute measureements

    • set background-color to white or shade not requireng lots of ink

    • set font color to black or dark color

  • link [rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="filename.css" media="print"] (where square brackets should be angular]

  • Use display: and visibility: properties to control layout and hide unnecessary items (Display removes page from flow of document, whereas visibilitiy is just what it says, where empty space replaces images or blocks ordinarily on screen)

  • Integrated Learning Manager:
    my.newhorizons.com
    TW99-BXEW3-3JGC
    • Spoil date--> 8/24/05

    • 6 months

    • Disable Popup blocker

    • AOL--> Internet Explorer

    Read more...

    Saturday, July 23, 2005

    House of Flying Daggers (2004)

    Or Shi mian mai fu, I guess in Chinese. Unrealistic swordplay doesn't stop the love story from being believable. Ziyi Zhang is the ravishing rebel "Mei"; Takeshi Kaneshiro is the playboy soldier Jin who suffers from divided loyalties. Directed by Yimou Zhang, who also directed Hero.

    Read more...

    Friday, July 22, 2005

    NELINET Course Calendar

    A lot of great courses offered through NELINET and the Connecticut Library Association can be found on this Annual Course Calendar

    Read more...

    Ethnologue piece in New York Times

    Article in July 19, 2005 New York Times on Ethnologue, entitled " How Linguists and Missionaries Share a Bible of 6,912 Languages." Begun in 1951 to help missionaries identify languages into which the Bible had not yet been translated, it is now a huge database (and 1,200-page book) consulted 'religiously' by linguists, librarians, software developers, the federal government, and others needing a panoramic view of the world's languages. Ethnologue estimates number of the world's extant spoken languages to be about 7,000. There's a nice map showing language diversity by country. North Korea has the least with 1 spoken languages; Papua New Guinea the most with 820.
    Ethnologue has assigned a three-letter code for all 7,000 languages. 400 of these have been mapped to their (similarly 3-letter) equivalents in MARC. It wouldn't be hard, then, for libraries to convert to this more robust set of codes some day).

    Read more...

    Monday, July 18, 2005

    Yale Library iconography

    Yale Digital Library no. 8098 "Savage, the Leffingwell Professor of Painting, Yale School of the Fine Arts, described his retable [REE-tay-bul] as follows: 'Under the spreading branches of the tree of knowledge is a golden portal within which stands Alma Mater, laurel crowned, clothed in white, and wearing a blue mantle. She holds in one hand the sphere of learning and in the other an open book illuminated with the ancient characters which 'Lux et Veritas' translate in the seal of the University. On the left of the composition, Light bearing a torch, and Truth holding a mirror have led their followers to make grateful acknowledgment to Alma Mater. Science and Labor present to her the fruits of the earth; Music, Divinity and Literature attend on the right, while the Fine Arts places a figure of Winged Victory at her feet.' See Yale University Library Gazette, v.VII:no.3 (1933:Jan), pages 75-76."

    When one enters Sterling Memorial Library through its main portal, the most striking feature are the inscriptions carved above its doors: literary passages from Assyrian cuneiform, Hebrew, Arabic, Mayan, Egyptian hieroglyphic, Greek, and Chinese scripts can be found there. There are even engravings reproduced from Cro-Magnon caves dwellings.

    Another great resource is Nota Bene, many issues of which (perhaps all?) are available online.
    Categories: , ,

    Read more...

    Sunday, July 17, 2005

    Johnson's Dictionary

    Rutgers English professor Jack Lynch has 7/2/05 op-ed piece in the New York Times on occasion of 250th anniversary of Samuel Johnson's dictionary. Compares Johnson's achievement favorably with that of Noah Webster, whose celebrated 1828 dictionary turns out to be little more than "a terse utilitarian spelling guide." Despite Webster's patriotic credentials, it is still Johnson to whom constitutional lawyers and supreme court justices turn when they want to know the original meaning of 18th century words. Ironically, Johnson had little affection for the American adventure, especially as it pertained to slavery and money-grubbing. "I am willing to love all mankind, except an American," he wrote. "They are a race of convicts, and ought to be thankful for anything we allow them short of hanging." Webster, for his part (according to David Littlejohn, 1971) was disgusted by Johnson for using the profane Shakespeare has one of his principle authorities.

    Read more...

    Friday, July 15, 2005

    Pseudoephedrine

    According to the DEA, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine "are highly coveted by drug traffickers who use them to manufacture methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance". Shop owners can be found criminally negligent, it seems, if they do not take measures to prevent shelf-clearing, shoplifting, and "smurfing". The meth empidemic has brought dentists untold cases of "meth mouth", where teeth assume the "consistency of ripe fruit" In the mean time, Pfizer and its Sudafed clones are using phenylephrine as alternative decongestant.

    Read more...

    Wednesday, July 13, 2005

    Access 2005

    Speakers at Access 2005 (October 17-19 at University of Alberta) include Clifford Lynch keynote, Art Rhyno/Peter Binkley session on Vannevar Bush, Lorcan Dempsey on "The library and the network," Dan Chudnov on "Digital Library Dialtone: Bootstrapping with Service Registries and Autodiscovery", William Moen on "A Radioactive Metadata Record Approach for Interoperability Testing Based on Analysis of Metadata Utilization", Roy Tennant on "Creating Customized Metasearch using an XML API".

    Read more...

    "Developing Digital Libraries"

    Britta refers me to Connecticut Webjunction course list, including online tutorial "Developing Dgital Projects" (and another on XML), developed together with OCLC.

    Read more...

    Tuesday, July 12, 2005

    Jessica Williams at Yoshi's

    Extraordinary performance by Jessica Williams at Yoshi's 6/22/05 at Jack London Square, Oakland. Surpised I hadn't heard of her before. Picked up one her CDs ("Live at Yoshi's vol. 1"), and it's just as brilliant.

    Read more...

    Sunday, July 10, 2005

    Frank Rich: Iraq machinations worse than Watergate

    [added 7/10/05:] Frank Rich's scathing Op-Ed column in today's Times, We're Not in Watergate Anymore, maintaining that John Dean was right, the illegitimate war in Iraq is "Worse than Watergate," and unpacking the strange story of how fellow Times reporter Judith Miller wound up in prison. In order to understand what happened, one needs to remember Joseph Wilson's July 6, 2003 Op-Ed piece in the Times, where he recounted his 2002 CIA-sponsored mission to Niger that convinced him reports of yellow cake uranium purchases by Iraq were bogus. "[S]ome of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program," Wilson wrote, "was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat." This threw the spotlight on Bush's January 2003 State of the Union address, in which he claimed: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa," since the Administration had mendaciously ignored Wilson's findings. It took five weeks for the administration to issue a retraction, but then the invasion of Iraq would begin just a few days later. Five months later, and the week after Wilson's Op-Ed piece was published, George Tennet wanly conceded that "these 16 words should never have been included in the text written for the president." According to Rich, Wilson's public assertions provoked the Administration's to take revenge by divulging the covert CIA operations of Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, and insinuating that his Niger mission was done on partisan and nepotistic grounds. The betrayal of Plame's covert identity reminds rich of what Nixon hacks tried to do when they broke into the office of Daniel Ellgerg's psychiatrist, hoping to find something with which to smear the man who had revealed the Pentagon Papers (and therefore the true facts about the Vietnam War) to the public. Rich cites the Washington Post story, that "two otop White House officials" contacted 6 or more reporters, not just Robert Novak, in order to "destroy" Wilson and his wife. I'm a bit confused on this point, but it seems the connection here with Judith Miller's imprisonment is that she was working on the same story, and was protecting sources that specialy prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerals was demanding that she reveal.

    Read more...

    Saturday, July 09, 2005

    Paul Bass and Douglas Rae: "Eminent Disdain"

    Op-Ed contribution from Paul Bass and Douglas Rae on last month's ill-conceived recent Supreme Court decision. The City of New London is being allowed to re-develop a 90-acre neighborhood, removing current residents and shopkeepers to make room for office space, hotel, and conference center. This brings back bad memories for those who lived through New Haven's "urban renewal"in the 1950s. Meant to improve the city's quality of life, the long-term consequences were catastrophic. According to the authors, "In 1970, as urban renewal ended, the census ranked New Haven the 38th-poorest city in America. Ten years later, it was ranked seventh, with 23.2 percent of its population living below the poverty line. Today, more than a quarter of the city's families live in subsidized housing. So much for combating poverty."

    Read more...

    Friday, July 01, 2005

    Documenting Invasion of Iraq

    Truth out has archived video footage documenting the U.S. decision to invade Iraq.

    Read more...

    Google Maps API Key

    Google Maps API Key. View API documentation. Roy Tennant mentioned that the City of Chicago has mapped crime statistics along with other layers of data onto the now-freely-available Google API.
    Categories: ,

    Read more...

    PHP + MySQL in slashdot

    Michael J. Ross June 30, 2005 Slashdot book review of Vikram Vaswani's How to Do Everything with PHP and MySQL. Doesn't assume prior knowledge of database programming, but does presuppose familiarity with HTML. Chapter one is freely available on publisher's Web site.

    Categories: , , , ,

    Read more...