This week’s 4cast:
1. The Library vs. The Internet: Who’s Winning?
LISNews ponders whether the tide has turned against libraries.
- Library/Internet debate and Scrolling Forward (LISNews)
- 10 Reasons Why The Web Is Almost A Substitute For Libraries (LISNews)
- 10 Reasons Why the Internet Is No Substitute for a Library (ALA)
2. I Don’t Care Where We Go… Just Take Me With You
Portable applications are software programs that can run directly from a removable storage device, such as a USB memory stick, without having to install anything on the computer itself.
- List of portable applications (Wikipedia)
- Portable open source software (NewsForge)
- How to Surf Safely at Cybercafes: Use Their Computer, but Bring Your Own Desktop From Home (New York Times)
- Download of the Day: Portable Apps Suite (Lifehacker)
3.Impress with WordPress
The OPLIN 4cast is but one of a growing legion of blogs/websites that owe their existence to WordPress publishing software. It’s free, it’s fully customizable, it’s easy to install, and it’s spawned a devoted community of user forums for ideas and support.
- WordPress (Wikipedia entry with additional links)
- Get Your Feet Wet with WordPress (Webmonkey)
- Cool, customizable WordPress (Ask MetaFilter)
4. No More Fines? Fine By Some
The Christian Science Monitor recently asked whether the concept of library fines should go the way of the purple mimeograph. This same discussion came up earlier in the year (see the third link below).
- Is the lifting of library fines long overdue? (The Christian Science Monitor)
- Library fines? or not (Multitype Librarian)
- Killing Off Fines Is Long Overdue (It’s all good)
