Blogs

So: one of the most annoying/odious things i have to do at my current library is to find pictures of the California Missions for kids so they can build mini versions of them.

yo: i added some resources to the History, Resistance section of the Reference Shelf (look towards the top right of the website).

Here is a response from Anthony R.D. Franks Team Leader, Cooperative Cataloging Team Library of Congress, published with his permission (links added and typos fixed):

Thank you for your recent e-mail about the Blog-a-Thon. It will be interesting to see what your group comes up with next time. To facilitate matters, please let me know ahead of time. As we usually identify proposals by institution and not by group, it's always a good idea to include a note in the 952 field--perhaps "Blogathon returns!"

Congratulations to Radical Reference mainstay Lia Friedman and her pal Char Booth for authoring the May 15th 2008 Library Journal NextGen column, "Finding Your Inner Moxie."

A law librarian/attorney has created a Homeless Law Blog to share legal expertise for the homeless (and presumably those who wish to help them).

The following is a round up of the subject headings (24), cross-references (6), and subdivisions (2) suggested to the Library of Congress during our LCSH Blog-a-Thon. Included is anything that was legitimately tagged with rr_lcsh2008 on del.icio.us. Thanks to everyone who helped promote this effort, and huge thanks to everyone who participated.

Members of Radical Reference hope to work with catalogers, particularly those from the RADCAT discussion list to SACOfy suggested headings that haven't previously been submitted to LC in a formal manner. However, we also think that it would be nice if the form weren't the barrier that it is for non-cataloging librarians to contribute subject heading ideas.

Do subject headings still matter? We say they do.

Does the Library of Congress always identify accessible and appropriately named headings and implement them in a timely manner? We say not always. All you have to do is spend one day behind a reference desk to see examples of biased, non-inclusive, and counterintuitive classifications that slow down, misdirect, or even obscure information from library users. As librarians and library workers, providing access to information is important-and classifying it in ways that are inclusive and intuitive strengthens our egalitarian mission.

Between now and Sunday, April 27, Radical Reference invites you to suggest subject headings and/or cross-references which will then be compiled and sent to the Library of Congress. You can either choose one previously suggested by Sandy Berman (pdf or spreadsheet) or propose your own.

This is a chance to positively impact the catalog of the de facto national library of the United States, which also impacts cataloging all over the world! Here's how...

This post is part of the Radical Reference Library of Congress Subject Heading Suggestion Blog-a-Thon.

FOLKSONOMY was first proposed to the Cataloging Policy & Support Office in September 2007 by Sanford Berman.

I have to admit that i've been lax in paying attention to the issue of Net Neutrality. Listening to Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!