Citizendium and Authoritative Wikis

Many librarians and classroom teachers have serious reservations when students want to use wikipedia for school assignments given the lack of academic credentials for authors, uncited information, and poor grammar. I find the site to be useful for explaining technical jargon or pop culture topics, but I always advise students who want to use wikipedia to view the site as a possible introductory site for information on a topic, not as a citeable resource. However, the debate over whether students should use wikipedia is nearly a mute point since so many do.

I find the newish citizendium site to be a hopeful tool for those who desire a community generated resource with more rigid oversite regarding authorship and editing of articles. In the about section citizendium states, "The Citizendium (sit-ih-ZEN-dee-um), a 'citizens' compendium of everything,' is an open wiki project aimed at creating an enormous, free, and reliable encyclopedia. The project, started by a founder of Wikipedia, feels that we can achieve this crucial improvement over Wikipedia through measures such as adding 'gentle expert oversight' and requiring contributors to use their real names. We already have over 5,800 articles and hundreds of contributors." The site features a registration form for possible contributors and a list list of topics by discipline.

I do have to wonder if citizendium will ever become a universaly known resource in competition with wikipedia since so many people are reliant on convenience and prior knowledge when looking for quick information. Hopefully, additional attention will arise with free yet authoritative resources such as citizendium which counter sites such as wikipedia and offer a resource more educators would be willing to accept from students.

- Christopher Bishop

How To Assistance: From the Mundane to the Mandatory

The other day I found myself needing some assistance with a household project I had no prior experience with and knew absolutely no one who would be knowledgeable enough to help. I did some searching online and found my new favorite one stop help site, eHow. Topics range from the mundane to the practical and extend to the ridiculous. Everything finds a home on the site which features written steps and video tutorials with an easy to use search box and browsing categories.


Another how to site I find helpful is monkeysee featuring thousands of helpful video tutorials on a wealth of topics. Some of the content is humorously done while other segments are more straightforward. Monkeysee has fewer inane topics than eHow and seems to be a little more rigid in what they will accept. For me the break dance basics and beat box introduction were most helpful ;).

- Christopher Bishop

Svalbard Seed Vault

Ok, so have you heard about this? The Global Crop Diversity Trust is an organization devoted to fighting hunger and it is its mission to "ensure the conservation and availability of crop diversity for food security worldwide."

To this end, the idea for a sort of ark for seeds was conceptualized back in the 1980's. However, due to various squabbles and disagreements about the best methods for seed preservation, etc, the GCDT was only able to move forward once the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources went into effect.

Here's the idea: when disaster strikes (whether natural in the form of droughts, etc, or manmade in the form of war, civil unrest, or mismanagement) and unique varieties of the world's most important crops may be lost. The purpose of the seed vault is to ensure that specimens of as many seeds as possible are preserved for a day when they might be needed, and it can actually hold 4.5 million specimens.

Why Svalbard?

Svalbard is a group of islands north of Norway. The lack of tectonic activity and extremely cold conditions (think permafrost) make it an idea location for seed storage: if for some reason the electricity fails, the seeds will have little chance of warming up as the vault is sunk deep in the mountainside and surrounded by that permafrost. Clever, yes? Yet another reason is that the Norwegian government paid for the vault, as a service to the world community... and it wasn't cheap!

(This whole thing reminds me of the movie "Titan AE", which I loved. The premise is that the earth has been destroyed by an alien weapon and those humans who managed to escape become refugees, dispersed throughout the universe and considered outcasts because they have no homeworld. One young man sets out on a journey to find the Titan, an earthship which was designed with the ability to create a new Earth. It is also stocked with DNA samples of

Earth species, including animals and plants. )

Librarian Barker

Donnie the Genius Doberman

So I was watching National Geographic Channel last night (yes, I am a nerd. I'm fine with that), and they were airing a show called "Genius Dogs". One of the featured canines was a Doberman Pinscher named Donnie, who was about four years old when he was adopted from a local shelter. After living with his new family for a while, Donnie began to exhibit some unusual behavior: he began arranging his 80+ stuffed toys in specific patterns and sequences. Some of these included triangles, circles, all frogs, all monkeys, all face up, all face down, etc.

Donnie's owners began documenting his arrangements through photos and eventually contacted Barbara Smuts, a psychologist who researches social behavior among dogs. You can see what happened in this YouTube clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGQ0n0A71xQ

Is it random? Is Donnie a doggie genius? Is this his method of artistic expression?
You decide.

Want to know if your dog is a genius? Interested in dogs and pets in general? Then check out these books in the CFL :)

• Cesar's Way : The natural, everyday guide to understanding and correcting common dog problems / Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier
  636.7 MILLAN
  
• Pets in America : a history / Katherine C. Grier
  636.088 GRIER
  
• The Lost Pet Chronicles : Adventures of a K-9 cop turned pet detective / Kat Albrecht with Jana Murphy
  363.28 ALBRE

Librarian Barker

A New Banner

The Carlyle Fraser Library would like to gratefully thank Christopher Bishop's friend Laura for creating the new library blog banner. We think it adds a great deal to the site.

Digital Photography for Everyone

I love to take pictures despite feeling somewhat disapointed when I compare the results to professional images or the work of others highlighted on sites such as Flickr, or another great resource, Betterphoto.com. To alleviate this feeling I've completed some research and thought I would share it with anyone else feeling photographic inadequacy or a desire to improve their digital photography skills. A number of the sites were also mentioned in the February 2008 issue of The Connected Newsletter.

Camera Reviews
I've made the mistake of impulsively buying a digital camera based on cost, number of megapixels, and aesthetic considerations which seemed promising in the moment, but later resulted in a camera that failed to do what I wanted. I've learned my lesson and found the sites Buying A Digital Camera and Digital Camera Reviews to be very useful. Each offers side by side comparisons of hundreds of digital cameras with both the novice and advanced photographer in mind.

Capturing Great Pictures
My first inclination with any new piece of technology is to play around with it and see what I can learn on my own. However, I appreciate the guidance and expertise a manual or online resource guide can provide as I try to improve my skill set. The following sites offer a wealth of information concerning photography basics, tips, lighting, et cetera.

Digital Photography School
Using Your Digital Camera: A Guide To Great Photographs
Taking Better Picture: Composition
Practice Makes Perfect in Close-up Photography
Basic Rules of Photography
Tips, Tricks, & Technology to Improve Your Photography
Getting The Most from Your Digital Camera

Online Editing
My first challenge after taking a picture I want to share usually involves editing it for size or adjusting something. The site Picnik offers an easy to use online editor for photos you can upload from your computer reducing the need for purchasing photo editing software.

Classroom Use
For educators or those thinking of using digital photography in the classroom I suggest the sites Digital Photography in the Regular Classroom and The Digital Camera In Education. Both offer a wealth of information with tons of practical advice.

CFL Photography Collection
Don't forget the CFL's collection of photography books including collections and how to guides.

The photo above was taken by me on February 15th of this year. The picture was taken at an abandonded bank on Moreland Ave.

- Christopher Bishop

GroPak: The Future of Food?

Ok, people, file this under "Green and oh, so cool!"

Recent Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Agata Jaworska is responsible for creating packaging for mushrooms that will eliminate the wastefulness of the transit process. When shipping mushrooms from the farm to the store they must be kept cool or they will begin to rot. This is bad for the environment as a lot of energy is used to cool these very warm trucks. But Jaworska's brilliant re-thinking of the supply chain has changed that!

She has designed biodegradable packaging that has been treated with a growing medium innoculated with fungi spores. So, instead of wasted time and energy, these packages are loaded onto trucks and the mushrooms actually grow IN TRANSIT. By the time they reach the stores, you have fresh, beautiful mushrooms.

I call that brilliant!

You can see an animation of the process on YouTube.

Go forth and be green!

Librarian Barker

Blogging The Universe: A Weekly Look At Blogs of Interest, Installment 4, atlantalarry

I live in East Atlanta, a culturally and economically diverse area of the city undergoing a number of changes. Until the 1970s the area was predominately Caucasian and middle class. An influx of African-Americans to the area resulted in white flight to the suburbs and a downturn in the economic prosperity of the area as social ills such as unemployment, crime, and lack of development overtook East Atlanta. In the middle 1990s young families, bohemians, and others seeking all the culture and amenities of downtown living began moving to East Atlanta and surrounding areas of Atlanta once forgotten, resulting in the diversity present in the area now. The development and changes in the area have brought about a number of questions and concerns on the part of long time residents and those who question the ramifications of gentrification in Atlanta.

Someone addressing some of those concerns while presenting an informative and colorful resource for Atlanta living is atlantalarry, a long time resident of East Atlanta and deeply informed source of knowledge for Atlanta civics and history as a whole. Larry's easy to navigate blog contains information concerning everything from riding Cobb County Transit, to local resources for gardening and history, to a unique collection of photography documenting areas of Atlanta such as East Atlanta, Grant Park, and downtown Atlanta (the image of the Flat Iron above is from Larry's blog). Blogs like atlantalarry are some of the richest resources available for understanding Atlanta as it undergoes some of the most dramatic social and economic transformations ever experienced by the city.

For additional resources on Atlanta and issues including gentrification, Grady Hospital, The Beltline, et cetera, I would like to guide readers to Westminster's School for the Common Good Wiki, a resource Vicki Norman and I prepared for the class to create an interactive learning experience. The link will take you to the library's guide with a link to the wiki at the bottom. Since the wiki was introduced students have added a number of resources. Those with additional resources to add are invited to do so.

- Christopher Bishop

Lost In The Library, Installment 4, Ventriloquism: Magic With Your Voice by George Schindler

A look through the sports section of the CFL collection uncovered this lost gem, George Schindler's Ventriloquism, a guide many practitioners still hold high regard for despite an original publishing date of 1979. My initial interest in the book originated from the odd depiction of ventriloquist and dummies on the cover, an image surely meant to relate humor, further exploration of the book's content relates a thorough and fascinating understanding of how one can become a ventriloquist for fun and profit (if such a market still exists).

The author begins the book with an explanation of what ventriloquism is, making others believe your voice is emanating from somewhere other than yourself, and how one can begin to develop the skill of throwing your voice. A concise but informative history of the art of ventriloquism relates origins in Egypt with the use of puppets beginning in the 1800s in Europe. Our current understanding of ventriloquism was popularized by the Vaudeville circuit in America, children's show star Charlie McCarthy, and various comedy routines with ventriloquists speaking through puppets.

The majority of Ventriloquism details sound techniques, exercises, and methods for learning to throw your voice. The detail and coaching given by the author is detailed enough for anyone who may need extra help or varying approaches. The extensive substitute sounds section for working with a closed mouth is especially helpful as is the secrets of the trade section. Another chapter explains what to look for when choosing a puppet, how to work a puppet, and alternatives to traditional dummies. The photos and illustrated steps found throughout the book also lend a level of understanding and context needed for those learning the art of ventriloquism.

The last third of the book deals with scripting, booking a show, and writing comedy material for a performance. There are even some scripts ready to perform.

I have to wonder if there is an audience for ventriloquist acts in a time when puppetry in film and television is replaced by computer graphics and comedy has changed so much, but the artistry of watching a person speak through a puppet is still something entertaining to me when done well. Every few years kids pick up on an old trend and make it new again (the yo-yo, origami, scooters, et cetera). Perhaps ventriloquism will undergo a revival with small children obtaining their own portable dummies for neighborhood talent shows? One can only hope!

Websites of Interest:

Center for Puppetry Arts
Atlanta's amazing home for both adult and youngster puppetry shows

Ventriloquism In A Month
An exhaustive ventriloquism how to

Ventriloquist Central
An excellent tribute with lots of great photos

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:

Voice and Speech In The Theatre
784.95 TURNER
J. Clifford Turner

The Human Voice: How This Extraordinary Instrument Reveals Essential Clues About Who We Are
Anne Karpf
808.5 KARPF

Lost In The Library, Installment 3, Japanese Colour Prints

I have always found Japanese water-colours to be a fascinating form of art representing a very distinct style and culture. Thankfully for myself and others who enjoy Asian art in general, and Japanses art specificaly, Westminster''s CFL owns a wonderful collection of Asian art books including J. Hiller's wonderful collection of water-colours entitled Japanese Colour Prints, a concise collection suitable for those wishing to forgo the often overwhelming art collections available detailing Japanese art.

Many examples of the style are familiar to Americans because of the widespread popularity and disemination of water-colour images in Japan and abroad after the country was opened to interaction with the West. The style gained prominence in 17th and 18th century Japan with its own school of art called ukiyo-e, translated as "pictures of the floating world." The rise of the Japanese color-print contrasted greatly with Western traditions which detailed reality and the telling of a story, whereas ukiyo-e placed emphasis on technique involving lines and brushstrokes. In his introduction Hiller notes, "The Japanese genius was for the expressive line, for pattern and design, the representation of natural objects as a means to an end, not an end in itself." Japanese Colour Prints and other books dealing with Japanese art (see below) are available in the CFL. In addition, the websites listed below should offer wonderful collections of images in the ikiyo-e style and tradition.


Websites of Interest:
Viewing Japanese Prints
"Illustrated essays on the artists, designs, and techniques of traditional and modern Japanese woodblock prints."

Connecticut College Japanese Prints
A large collection of Japanese prints from Connecticut College

Books of Interest in the CFL Collection:
Hiroshige's Woodblock Prints: A Guide
Edward F. Strange
769.92 STRANGE

Primitive Ukiyo-e From the James A. Michener Collection in the Honolulu Academy of Arts
Howard A. Link
769.952 HONOLULU

- Christopher Bishop