This week’s 4cast:
1. OPLIN Award for Innovation: Text Message Notification (Cuyahoga County Public Library)
From 2001 to 2005, OPLIN gave an annual Award for Innovation to draw attention to particular Ohio public library services that:
- Built on traditional library areas of strength but used the technology to actually expand service.
- Served the public in a direct, immediate, and beneficial way.
- Overcame previous constraints, such as location and hours, using network technology.
- Demonstrated creativity and courage in seeking new ways to do things better.
This year, instead of an annual award for a single project, we’ve decided to recognize exciting new projects and services as they happen throughout the year. And so we present the next OPLIN Award for Innovation to the Cuyahoga County Public Library for their Text Message Notification service.
In addition to e-mail notification, CCPL patrons have the option of signing up for Text Message Notification. Courtesy reminders and other library notices are automatically sent to their cell phone at no charge to the patron. In the past two months, CCPL has sent over 30,000 text messages.
CCPL developed this service with Velti, a company specializing in mobile advertising, marketing, and content. When patrons sign up for Text Message Notification on the CCPL website, standard library e-mail notices are sent to the Velti server, which then reformats and forwards them as text messages to the cell phone number of the patron.
- How Do I Sign Up for eMail or Text Message Notification? (Frequently asked questions about using Cuyahoga County Public Library)
- Velti
2. Google Owns YouTube – Will the Lawyers Own Google?
The biggest tech story of the year happened this week when Google bought YouTube. So what’s gonna happen now? YouTube videos will probably start showing up in Google search results, for one. Even more likely – lots and lots of lawsuits over copyright infringement.
- Google buys YouTube: GooTube (Boing Boing)
- Video search made easier with Google/YouTube (Lifehacker)
- YouTube’s New Deep Pockets (BusinessWeek)
- YouTube may add to Google’s copyright worries (CNET News)
3. When Instant Messages Become an Instant Mess
The scandal involving former Congressman Mark Foley neatly demonstrates what all IM users should already know – your messages are not private.
- Those IMs Aren’t as Private as You Think (Wall Street Journal)
- How to Keep Your Instant Messaging to Yourself (NPR)
- Never Assume Text Is Private (Wired News)
- Understanding transparency, the hard way (Know It All)
4. Inefficient, Limited & Obsolete: Them’s Fighting Words
When an anti-library opinion piece appeared in a local Kansas newspaper last week, some library bloggers sprang to the defense of their institution, while others wondered… should we be listening more closely to our critics?
- Libraries are limited, obsolete (Lawrence Journal-World)
- Ten Things I Know About Libraries in 2006 (Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology)
- “Libraries are limited, obsolete” — No sir, I beg to differ (LibrarianInBlack)
- Going to the Boneyard? (blyberg.net)
