Yale Workplace Survey

Here's an article about the Yale Workplace Survey

RAM Upgrade

Wikipedia: "DDR2 SDRAM or Double-Data-Rate [2] Synchronous Dynamic [RAM] is a computer memory technology. It is a part of the SDRAM family of random access memory technologies, which is one of many DRAM implementations." The Kinston Technology site seems to recommend a special path for Dell Inspiron 5100: namely: KTD-INSP8200/512 x 2, but (see below) I'm deciding to go with the "Kingston Value RAM" (i.e., generic) chips.

I've been struggling with infernally slow booting, skipping playback of music, etc. Maybe it's the RAM. Currently I have 384 MB.

Boosted RAM to 768 MB. Misinformed by supercilious Circuit City salesman that KGT KVR333SO512R costs $100. In fact only $34.99 (i.e., $64.99 - $30.00 rebate). This is the 512 MB 333MHz Kingston chip, not the 512MB 533 MHz. New module definitely made the Inspiron 5100 run more smoothly. Second module: accidentally picked up the KVR400SO512R, i.e., 400 MHz version, 5/9/06. Will this cause compatability problems with other 333 MHz module?

International Library Programs

International Associates Program

Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, based at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, include information regarding international library associates and programs. Here's a list of items related to international programming.

Live Theater in New Haven

2006-04-21

Renew subscription (2006-2007) for Long Wharf Theatre? Deadline for preferred rate is April 29th. Mainstage Package is 4 plays, targeted to the "Enthusiast - loves blockbuster hits and the social scene, expects excellence" and includes the plays: Rocket to the Moon, The Cocktail Hour, Man of La Mancha, TBA", and costs "Ranging from $102 - $194*"

-----------------------------------------
Check availability for Brundibar. According to Yale Rep Performance Calendar there's a 2pm performance on Sunday March 5th.

Brazzis is clostest restaurant to Long Wharf for dinner before After the Quake. Call 498-2488 t to make 5:45 reservations.


[2005-11-19]
Playing on Long Wharf main stage through November 20, 2005. Frank Rizzo wrote a review for Variety.com.E. Kyle Minor in CTCentral.com didn't like it; but some people in TownTalk discussion boardcertainly did (e.g., "Tristan" wrote, "The night I was there, the audience - without hesitation - stood up as one for a rousing standing ovation.")

Shi no otome (2005)

Shi no otome (2005), or "Loft", directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. To be screened March 25th as part of Kinema Club VII Conference.

More OSS meetings

OSS for Libraries on Friday, March 16, 2006, in Middletown, CT. Documentation for course is available on Brian Kysela's Web site.

3/17/06: Only 2 partitions: Linux 5000MB and Linux swap 500MB. Add user: DSL. Open GUI desktop with "startx".

NOTE: 198 total MB of RAM. Brian writes, "For the swap space I generally use twice the amount of RAM", so I guess I'll use 400. Problem: "No free sectors available"

NETSL 2006 Bibliographic Conference entitled: Exploring the 'Open' Universe: A Librarian's Guide in Worcester, Mass

Decline of Yiddish

2006-06-10
Yahoo News (from AP) describes efforts by scholars and students to sustain Yiddish as a spoken language. 102-year-old Yiddish scholar Itche Goldberg told the AP, "You can't possibly see a future Jewish life with the disappearance of a 1,000-year-old language and with it a 1,000-year-old culture."

Hosted Wikis

Wikihost Wiki is about as simple as it gets. How stable though? And what would I use it for? Cataloging documentation? (cf. Britta's wiki). Or personal stuff? Presence of advertisements and uncertain long-term viability makes it perhaps more useful as a personal 'sandbox'.

code4lib 2006

[2006-02-29]
Accessing code4lib IRC channel via Visual IRC. Server is chat.freenode.net and Channel is #code4lib. List of common commands can be found at this irchelp.org page. Simply to sign in, enter: "/join #code4lib".

Here's the conference schedule.


My Notes

Dan Chudnov helped organize the conference. By talking with him and reading his blog postings on the subject, it became clear that this was a great opportunity to make connections and find points of common interest between catalogers and library Web developers.

I was especially interested in going as a member of the Public Interfaces Committee (PIC) and chair of the Catalog Department Vision and Direction Task Force (VTF).

The VTF charge contains several elements, but most relevant right now is the bit about “helping to engage cataloging staff in discussions of new vision and promoting new expanded vision”.

Given that staff size is unlikely to increase, while staff responsibilities continue to expand, there will necessarily be an increasing reliance on information technology as a way to increase productivity. Moreover, the library OPAC is facing increasing competition from the likes of Amazon, Google, Yahoo, etc. (or ‘Amazoogle', if you prefer), and libraries need to do a better job of providing popular features like “Search within a book”, spelling correction/”did you mean” suggestions, relevancy ranking, and book reviews, if they want to stay competitive. We also need to master link-resolving standards such as OpenURL, which is key to metadata interoperability and seamless digital libraries; and FRBR ideas on the deepest level (e.g., exploiting power of citation analysis for relating digital objects and relevancy rankings), i.e., what our users really want and need from us. Persistent unique context-sensitive identifiers underlie the whole enterprise of semantic interoperability.

Another part of our charge is “assessing staff needs and building new expanded expertise in existing staff”. Attending these kinds of conferences can help built our expertise in non-MARC metadata standards, and the way in which they are being used to provide new library services.

Here's the rationale as I put in my travel requisition:

In my capacity as chair of the Catalog Department Vision and Direction Task Force, I have been studying the rise of non-MARC library applications, metadata interoperability, and the growing convergence of traditional cataloging with Web-based information technology. The code4lib conference engages these developments in a highly authoritative, direct, and practical manner, ranging from a visionary keynote address by OCLC's chief research scientist, to hands-on exercises on new metadata tools led by some of the profession's most intelligent and creative practitioners. The goal of my task force is to analyze current metadata trends and opportunities, and provide the best possible support to my department head as she prepares her staff for the future. I believe my participation in the code4lib conference will help me achieve this goal.

In general, I believe that collaboration with information technologists and Web developers will be key to our success.

What Kind of Conference was This?

The first ever code4lib conference was held February 15 through 17 th , 2006 in Corvallis , Oregon . It was worthwhile for several reasons. Most importantly, it brought together many of the best innovators currently working in library software development and systems administration.

I was impressed with the way the conference was organized. The whole event (from initial call for proposals through the 3-days on the ground in Oregon ) was planned within a 3 month period, on a shoe-string budget, and largely by means of a dedicated code4lib IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel .

The format of the conference was unusual. The two 45-minute keynote addresses, fifteen 20-minute presentations, and two 1 ½ hour break-out sessions were familiar enough, but the 3 groups of 5-minute “lightning talks (where perhaps 30 speakers each gave 5 minute presentations) was something I hadn't seen before. I liked the fact that people could sign up to deliver their lightening talks literally at the last minute. Since there were only 80 persons altogether in attendance, and a substantial number of them ended up standing on the stage and presenting their ideas, the whole event became much more interactive, generating an unusually high level of audience ‘buy-in' and commitment.

Selected Topics of Interest

Evergreen Team

The keynote address for the first day was given by the team developing Evergreen open source library system for the PINES consortium in Georgia . Starting out as a Y2K bug correction project, the goal then changed to fostering a completely open-source ILS, independent of commercial vendors. Why important? The PINES consortium decided to break its dependency on commercial software vendors. This means they can more rapidly implement customer driven features, and re-purpose their data without first having to ask permission. Having access to all source code means they can forge ahead with R&D and adopt plug-ins as needed. Collaboration with cataloging staff would be ideal, I think, because decisions about how to structure metadata will have a great effect on what can be done later by programmers and database administrators.

Dan Chudnov imagined Connecting Everything with unAPI and OPA . Stated that “Remix culture is unstoppable.” Invoked metaphor of the dial tone, always there when you pick up the phone, doesn't matter what model of phone you have, everyone is connected. Hoping to do something similar with APIs, so that copying and pasting from one Web app to another becomes effortless. Sort of like a desktop ‘clipboard' but on the API level (?). Wants to start off by developing ‘copy' function. What is unAPI? It's a 2 page spec, based on ROGUE 05 rules, with emphasis on code that works. The idea is to provide URIs for microformats for identifying objects on Web pages, with <link> for auto-discovery, i.e., HTML-embedded URI metadata . Example given was FLICKR page with concert ticket stub images, parsed in OPA, multiple choice somehow allowed for MODS role in FLICKR. Dan sees this as possible replacement for COinS PMH.

Jeff Young discussed the OCLC WikiD (Wiki/Data) project. With emphasis on need for exploiting OpenURL 1.0, which “gives us a single consistent API for performing any and all services that reference these items”. See WikiD demo at http://alcme.oclc.org/wikid/ ; project page: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/wikid

Jim Robertson
In one of my favorite presentations (partly because I think I actually understood most of it), Jim Robertson of the New Jersey Institute of Technology addressed the topic: Lipstick on a Pig: 7 Ways to Improve the Sex Life of your OPAC . He talked about his efforts to tweak the NJIT Voyager implementation to include: (1) book covers; (2) book reviews, (3) live circulation usage history, (4) recommendation engine (e.g., “others who borrowed this book, also borrowed the following titles ….” ), (5) RSS of journals tables of contents, (6) live librarian support (integrated into OPAC), (7) shortcut, durable links (PURLs) to specific items. This is done partially through Cold Fusion and lots of data imported en masse from Amazon. (Amazingly, Amazon doesn't seem to mind. And there are books that teach you how to exploit them for all their worth, e.g., O'Reilly's Amazon Hacks . One slide exclaimed: “Don't catalog. Resolve!”

Robby Robson
of EduWorks Corp. discussed Standards, Reusability and the Mating Habits of Learning Content – I didn't get much out of this one. Something about need for SCOs (Sharable Content Objects), and SCO editor that can convert XML into DHTML, converting motion pictures into still shots? Get things released from Adobe format lockup (e.g., as illustrated through helicopter example?).

We then spend 1.5 hours in various Breakout Sessions . I attended the one that extended on Dan Chudnov's talk. Asking for help meeting ROGUE 05 deadline, getting new release of unAPI out to the public. Mostly interested here in improving ‘copy' feature. Heavy lifting seems to be based on HTTP Status Code 300 (“Multiple Choice”). This may be the closest I came to a hands-on learning experience, but mostly I was confused during this session.

Lightning Talks also had a hands-on quality to them. Some of the 5-minute talks were simply demos of solutions to coding problems. CoiNS (ContextObjects in Spans) were discussed, and fact that Open WorldCat is to have them by March. Other things I didn't quite understand. Raymond Yee talked about Scholars Box that allows users to build personal collection and create simple slide shows out of disparate digital objects. LITA journal editor invited article submissions; Edward Corrado talked about the fact that patrons are not necessarily patronizing our OPACs, so we need to bring catalog data to where they already are, e.g., courseware, portal, rss 23.0, generated from catalog via PERL script, e.g., streaming data about new books via RSS, push technology.

Thom Hickey
Chief Scientist at OCLC ( http://hickey-to.oa.oclc.org.8080 . , spoke about 1,000 Lines of Code, and other topics from OCLC Research . www.errol.oclc.org/laf/n82-54463.html , lightweight OAI harvester in 50 lines of Python really works. Idea Hickey was exploring: “Google Suggest” anticipating your intentions as you type, dynamically. Trying to apply to VIAF?; Project w/ Phoenix Public Library w/FRBR, collecting records into works, VIAF browser, matching phrases following model of Google Suggest, with top categories generated from Dewey XML. . Increased speed achieved through data placement in memory tables (though this is not scalable).

Colleen Whitney
discussed Generating Recommendations in OPACs: Initial Results and Open Areas for Exploration – Basic idea: “patrons who checked this out also checked these other things out”, based on analysis of circulation records, with possibility of weighing faculty data more heavily. 3 to 5 recommendations returned considered most useful. Underbelly consists of AJAX , PERL, etc. Limitation of of circ analysis technique is that only useful for 25% of collection that actually circulates. Project is Mellon-funded. Doesn't catch STM circulation stats, since usage is largely online and through article aggregators, not tracked. through circulation module. Also problem that only 30% of bib records have ISBNs.

Ryan Chute of LANL dissected the Anatomy of aDORe , and discussion of “XMLtape, i.e., concatenation of valid XML content. This is lower level repository, i.e., the ‘plumbing' the result of us shouldn't really have to worry about. Highly technical discussion of largely (for me) unfamiliar territory that still manages to hold my attention.

Raymond Yee
on Teaching the Library and Information Community How to Remix Information . Yee is Technology Architect, Interactive University Lecturer, School of Information at UC Berkeley, and developer of Scholar's Box. http://www.sims.berkeley.edu:8000/academics …; and importance of “learning by doing”; Step one: “Learn one application really well”, then move onto to remixing projects. Project =based learning is important. Flickr chosen for class projects because it has great API, and is poster child for Web 2.0. See Flickr hacks book just published. FLICKR gmap button grabs map then use flyover button (via Google Earth). Mentioned that Ann Arbor has catalog within xml wrapper.

Roy Tennant
The Case for Code4Lib 501c(3) – i.e., registering with the IRS as a tax exempt, charitable organization, would facilitate applications for Mellon, ILMS, etc. grants, and provide some liability protection. Drawbacks include lots of paper work, regulations, IRS scrutiny. Topic continued in Breakout Sessions , where consensus seemed to be to practice benign neglect for the time being. Jeremy opines, better to wait until water is boiling before throwing pasta into pot; right now, it sonly simmering, better to wait. Also asked to consider partnership with ResCarta (John Sarnowski), or Cooperative structure such as OCLC. In breakout, there seemed to be much enthusiasm for something based on the Rare Book School model .

Lightning Talks 2 included info on bookmarklets that pair soft cover with hardcover ISBNs, ask Jeffrey Young for more information ( FRBR application?) ; another (Aaron) on using vendors to give us more access to our own data to perform our own metrics; renegotiate relationships, access to vendor subscription databases, such as what Ryan says he already has with Thompson Elsevier. ; NJIT's Jim Robertson on exposing faculty research via Scopus DB, where vendor allowed modification in contract, win-win situation, good publicity for Scopus and good for faculty.; Keren Combs talked about branding issues, Cold Fusion, MySQL, WordPress, and adding pages to Moveable Type, user categories …; Sarnowski ( ResCarta ) on importance of standardizing image production and metadata storage for libraries and archives, whose work is sustained by a Gelatt Family grant. , mentioned that in 1995 3.5 million images were generated by the Making of American Collection, but different metadata formats are creating silos, and we're not using enough open standards. This foundation is trying to fill gap.; Also: Terry Reese on latest enhancements to MarcEdit , with default now I UTF-8, and ability to change language of interface (thanks to volunteers), and lots of cross walks. OAI Harvesting editor, new/enhanced Z39.50 utility. MarcEdit can be used as .net library. dchud on why we should support free software foundation (consider IRC on freenode.lib, which hosts code4lib IRC for free.

Tigran Zargaryan
Yerevan State University, head of Automation, spoke on Practical Aspects of Implementing Open Source in Armenia – localizations of open source software, such as Mozilla, Open Office 2.0, Moodle (learning mgmt system), Greenstone , phpbb (?), ILIAS (Learning mgt. system) KDE 3.5.1 desktop environment (i.e., instead of Windows), etc. Nicely done presentation, and inspiring, given what he's accomplished with limited resources.

Casey Bisson on What Blog Applications Can Teach Us About Library Software Architecture – “I love Open Search”. Amazon API leads to substitute OPAC; His choice is WordPress OPAC. taking advantage of entire WordPress API, so easy to COinS, plus Amazon and Delicious info , into the mix.

Lightning Talks 3 including Hickey's announcement of open source software for libraries context. Also “Native-xml database demo from Al Cornish, supporting XPath and indexing, Northwest Digital Archives Project, See Ronald Bourret's Web site for more details.

OSS for Libries (Middletown)

Signed up for workshop on Open Source Software for Libraries (3/17/2006) at Middletown Library Service Center Computer Lab. Instructor is Brian Kissela, systems administrator at Mt. Holyoke College Library. Need to remember directions to Middletown Service Center.

Decline of Science in U.S.

BBC article on Bush administration hostitliy to science, slashdotted 8/24/05. Bush Robert Samuelson (Newsweek, Feb. 24, 2006) thinks fears of U.S. decline are exaggerated.

Gift ideas

ThinkGeek catalog; Cool watches from Skagen. Harmony catalog has some nice things, like composters, but they're not cheap, and not exactly appropriate for birthdays.

Japanese

2005-02-26
Japan Times Book Club

2005-09-17
Yamasa Language Institute: fees for short intensive language acquisition courses. Teaching Japanese through music. JLTN (Japanese Language Teachers Network) Quarterly. National Council of Japanese Language Teachers, see esp. links page.

12/02/04
Handed out during LL: est. 14 hours to fill out conjugation practice sheet that will count for 20 percent of final exam.

Yahoo Japan during lab: Video News

10/14/04: JPN100 language lab. Not using Lab Recorder. Instead, playing with Web Subject Contents, or something. Practicing verbs. Genki CD set costs 18,000 yen (ca. $180). Later in the session we're encouraged to practice kanji here. Another good practice site, which actually seems a part of genki, is this.Reproduction in Modern JapanBeginning Japanese (J115) is to be taught at Yale by Michiaki Murata (in charge), Mari Stever, and staff. I need to email Murata-sensei to see if I may audit. There's an email directory on the East Asian Languages and Literatures website Here's the information: EMAIL: michiaki.murata@yale.edu SPECIALTIES: Japanese Language; Japanese History. PHONE: 2-8609 OFFICE: 432 Temple Rm. 302. HOURS: Mon & Tues 3-4. One can apply to be a Yale Special Student, and gain course credit, but then each course costs around $7,000. Maybe worth reconsidering the program at Southern even though they say the intro class is already filled beyond capacity. There's a bit more information in the course catalog. [Aug. 13, 2004:]Wait for email confirmation, then check back with Registrar Page to enter user ID and password for online registration. My SCSU is modified version of "Pipeline," and allows certain kinds of transactions to take place online (emailing professors, etc.). I can't seem to find any mention of what textbook to purchase. Also, I have no idea where the class is supposed to meet. Here's the website for SCSU's Dept. of Foreign Languages. Maybe I'll find some clues there. SCSU Audio Online will become important once sensei has the materials finished. Yoshikawa-sensei recommends kanachart in the mean time. Also recommends Hiroko Sato's Japanese page at Rice University website. Jerry Anne suggested I check Yale's Digital Audio Website to see what kind of Japanese language resources might be available there.

Green Card

[20060131]

I-797C Checklist

• Interview Notice and your Government issued photo identification.
  


• Completed medical examination(Form I-693) and vacination supplement in a sealed envelope (unless already submitted).
  
• Completed Affidavit(s) of Support (Form I-864) with all required evidence, including the following, for each of your sponsors (unless already submitted):

• Federal Income Tax returns and W-2s, or certified IRS printouts, for the past 3 years

• Letters from each current employer, verying current rate of pay and average weekly hours, and pay stubs for the past 2 months;

• Evidence of your sponsor's and/or co-sponsor's United States Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident status.
  

• All documentation establishing your eligibility for lawful Permanent Resident status.

• Any immigration-related documentation ever issued to you, including any Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and any Authorization for Advance Parole
  

• All travel documents used to enter the US including passports, Advance Parole docs (I-512) and I-94s (Arrival/Departure Document)
  


• Your Birth Certificate.
  

• Your petitioner's Birth Certificate and your pertitioner's evidence of United States Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident status.
  

• If you have children ...
  

• If your eligibility is based on your marriage, in addition to your spouse coming to the interview with you, bring:

• A certified copy of your Marriage Document issued by the appropraite civil authority.
  

• Your spouse's Birth Certificate and your spouse's evidence of United States Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident status;

• If either you or your spouse were ever married before, all divorce decrees-death certicates for each prior marriage/former spouse;
  

• Birth Certifcates for all children of this marriage, and custody papers for your children and for your spouse's children not living with you;
  


• Supporting evidence of your relationship, such as copies of any documentation regarding joint assets or liabilities you and your spouse may have together. This may include: tax returns, bank statements, insurance documents (car, life, health), property documents (car, house, etc.), rental agreements, utility bills, credit cards, contracts, leases, photos, correspondence and/or any other documents you feel may substantiate your relationship.
  

• Original and copy of each supporting document that you submitted with your application. Otherwise, we may keep your originals for our records.
  

• If you have ever been arrested ...

• A certified English translation for each foreign language document. The translator must certify that s/he is fluent in both languages, and that the translation in its entirely is complete and accurate.
  

[20050326]
Complete list of forms and fees direct from source: Some, e.g. G-325A (Biography data), can be filled-out electronically. Most of the others (for us, all of the others), must be filled out by hand: I-130 Petition for Alien Relative and I-864 Affadavit of Support and I-485 Petition to Adjust Status.

[2005-03-14]
Per shusterman.com, G-325 Biographical Information to be filed along with I-485 Green Card application. See also official list of service fees.

[2004 10 03]
Jacqui Bucar is an immigration attorney and a partner at Tyler Cooper & Alcorn. New Haven office is at 205 Church Street, a.k.a. the First Union Building. (8/31/04)

Important to have physical examination by INS-approved physician, e.g., Dr. Racuglia at 2 Church St. in New Haven.

Good information is available on Yale Office for International Students and Scholars

Need to make fingerprints.

Sarasota

Staying at the Jamaica Royale in Sarasota, Florida.

Continuing problems with United Airlines, which seems to change flight schedules once per week.

Now they've eliminated our final flight from Chicago to Newark. I specifically told them only to change the piece from Tampa to Chicago, for which we paid $220. Here's the latest itinerary from Travelocity:


UA649 18FEB DEPARTS NEWARK AT 245P ARRIVES CHICAGO OHARE AT 410P

UA1568 18FEB DEPARTS CHICAGO OHARE AT 710P ARRIVES TAMPA AT 1046P

UA1423 25FEB DEPARTS TAMPA AT 811A ARRIVES CHICAGO OHARE AT 1000A

Still, better I think to call United (1-800-864-8331) than Travelocity (888-709-5983, trip ID: 767490767780), since they're the ones I spoke with. United gives only busy signal, though, due to snowstorm possibly. Trying Travelocity now, left on hold for very long time. Pick up after about 10 minutes, told by agent to call again tomorrow afternoon, after things calm down. She understands problem and will look into it in the mean time.