LibraryLaw Blog

Another reason to like blogs - they don't scream in your ear

Michael McGrorty wisely points out that even though blogs have become as ubiquitous as the cell phones attached to our heads, you only have to read them if you want to.

...the weblog is not in the public eye; it is not some electronic busker, banging away on a drum outside one’s window in the small hours.  To read a weblog a person has to desire to; the act entails a series of conscious, positive actions, even more than would be required to read the content of a magazine.  The weblog is a hidden thing that can only be uncovered by design and effort.  Nobody has to read a weblog.  In fact, most of them are hardly read by anybody.  They are certainly not like billboards screaming from the roadside, nor as some have put it, like graffiti in a washroom..."  Library Dust April 28

By the way, I relate to Michael's characterization of blogs that persist as a possible indicator of authors "in the grip of some strange compulsion."  Library Dust is approaching its first anniversary ... and LibraryLaw blog marks its first anniversary at this location today.  [update: to find oldest archives, for Typepad blogs like this one, click the word Archives on the right - you'll find months older than those listed]

Have you modified a wiki? Try the unofficial ALA Chicago conference wiki

I've been too intimidated to modify the Wikipedia, though I added a comment there once. 

But I took a shot at the new unofficial wiki for the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago started by Meredith Farkas and eminently editable by anyone. 

I added recommendations for Pizzeria Uno, Midway airport and the architectural boat tour on the Chicago Tips for Newbies page (it's just too easy - you just click "edit") ...   Lo and behold a couple of days later, someone (or ones) added a better description of Midway and links to Unos and the boat tour. 

Meredith - GREAT USE OF WIKI.  Now that my feet are wet, I'll start one myself sometime when I have a project that would suit it.

Blogs and the Law

Seeing Kimberly Kralowec's post reminded me I want to point readers (especially those of you who are bloggers) to a new working paper on the law and economics of blogging, by Univ. of IL law professor Larry Ribstein.

I found his defamation discussion most interesting - especially the idea that libel law may change as a result of blogging. It's no longer difficult for private persons who are maligned to access a public forum to "counteract false statements."

In the meantime, since the law has not changed yet, Andrew Sullivan said (elsewhere) that he set up a limited liability corporation for his blog to insulate him from lawsuits.

MR. SHAFER: ...  So I would say that I tend not to predict, because I always predict wrong, but I would venture that what we'll see is, you know, the full First Amendment rights and prosecutions of libel extending to the blogosphere that we—

MR. SULLIVAN: I bought an expensive liability insurance.

MR. SHAFER: Yeah?

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah, at the very beginning. Which actually took up a certain of the money that we raised. Precisely because. And set up an LLC, you know, so that the blog exists independently of me as a little company, as it were, just so—because I was nervous, given how many people might have it in for me, that I might be liable to that. But we don't know. I mean, it's basically untested. We have no idea what the possible standards of this are legally

Let the Blogshine on Congressional Research Service reports

When you can get at them, Congressional Research Service reports are incredibly useful.  Why aren't they all available, digitally, to taxpayers?  You never really know if you have the latest versions, or what topics are just plain not available. 

You've got to wince at the irony of the CRS report on intergovernmental sharing of information that's not available online except by the good graces of the Federation of American Scientists.

Attention bloggers: Call for participation in Blogshine Sunday - March 13

FreeCulture.org is organizing Blogshine Sunday this weekend to demonstrate the need for open government accessible to bloggers, "tomorrow's journalists."

Bloggers are encouraged to spotlight their experiences with open government and to draw attention to access to digital records in particular.

Thanks, Gavin Baker, for letting me know.

I am a blog person

Karen Schneider is handing out banners and has written a thoughtful response to the backward thinking of our American Library Association's President Elect.   

I hope he reads it, and the rest of the blogstorm he stirred up. 

Then I hope he apologizes, not just to the blog people, but to Google and to the library profession, for making us look so entrenched in the past as we forge ahead into the 21st century.

from http://freerangelibrarian.com/archives/030105/say_it_loud_im_a_b.php

Added later:  Law Librarian blog shows where apologies should be sent by linking to library blog directories (and there are a lot of blog persons out there).  It also suggests that the diatribe is a violation of the ALA Code of Ethics.

Do you prefer to read blog comments in chronological order?

This blog shows the newest comment at the top and the older comments below it. A reader wrote in that he likes regular chronological order better - with the first (oldest) comment on top and newer ones below.  If you have a preference, let me know and I'll consider switching it.  Or will this be like the Ann Landers poll on toilet paper - should it roll off the top or the bottom? She had a stronger response to that (a passionate split vote) than to her more substantive issues. I think she regretted having ever asked the question.  Anyway, add your comments below.

A new must-read blog

Unbelievable. Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner is starting the Becker-Posner blog, with its first real post slated for tomorrow. You may recall he's shown great (indirect) support for libraries. He proposes that copying old copyrighted works should be permitted if the copyright owner has not taken minimal steps to place copiers on notice of his interest.

Whenever I feel I have too much work and not enough hours, all I need to do is look at him and sigh.

Do library students have anything to say?

Marti Krow-Luca, a recent graduate of San Jose State's library school told me yesterday at lunch with JoAnn Rees that library students read this blog. If that's you, we need your comments and posts. You know how to comment ... if you want to submit a draft post -- at least somewhat related to library law--send it to [email protected]. For a really good example, see Sheila Bryant's post.

Blog blocked at library

There's a lively discussion (20 comments and counting) at isthatlegal.org about a blog that's been blocked by the Seminole (Fla) County Public Library:

IsThatLegal? Why, No. It's Not.

A reader informs me that this blog has been blocked by the Seminole(Fla.) County Public Library.

It's hard to know what got me on the banned blogs list. Perhaps the librarian is a big fan of Duran Duran. Or of Siegfried and Roy.

Or maybe it's the dog.

Seriously, this seems like an odd censorship policy to me. There could be a story here. Drop by your public library and see whether you can reach the blogs you like to read. (Unless they're, uh, you know, not safe for work.) If you can't reach some of them, ask your librarian why not, and leave a comment here.

Sounds like a good idea -- and maybe it turns out that some off-the-shelf filtering software blocks some blogs, which suggests that messages to the filter producer (once it's identified) might help get them unblocked wholesale.

via The Volokh Conspiracy