“…current research-and-development efforts are often driven by considerations that the company’s technicians think are important but customers really don’t care about. Mobile-phone companies, for one, had a reputation for piling on features that added more cost and complexity than value.”

Sound familiar?  Substitute “librarians” for “technicians” and “Libraries” for “Mobile-phone companies.”  Cut a little too close to home?

In a great WSJ article from this week, you can learn about how the pace of innovation has changed to a large degree because the cost of doing limited pilots that produce valuable information and experience is now substantially lower than in the past.  And the risk, even if something fails, is minimal.  The greatest risk is not doing anything.

We must test new things all the time!  We have no other way to know what works.

Here are some fun things one can do with a USB flash drive…well, fun for the technically inclined!

10 cool things you can do with a USB flash drive

FYI, TechRepublic posts a number of great articles on various technology topics.

http://techrepublic.com.com/

Let’s have a party. The Economist, August 1, 2009, page 26.

It just occurred to me that some of you may not be aware of the availability of OLT planning documents at the OLT wiki.  The OLT wiki is also linked from the Intranet blogs and wikis page.  Enjoy!

And, by all means, if you have any questions, please let us know.

September 9, 2009
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Gorgas Library, Room 205

What?

Why, the first Technology Forum of the new academic year!

You won’t want to miss this. This Forum will include a brief introduction by the Associate Dean for Library Technology, followed by an opportunity to discuss with your colleagues various technologies and services being used or developed here at the University of Alabama Libraries.

Good Chronicle article.

It is dangerous for us digital immigrants to assume that digital natives know what we “assume” they know.

All,

In preparation for the power outage in Gorgas Library Wednesday overnight, please power down your computer at the end of your workday on Wednesday, August 5. Also, turn off any peripherals attached to your computer, such as printers, scanners, etc.

OLT will be powering down servers in Gorgas after the close of the Library on Wednesday night and bringing them back up prior to opening on Thursday, August 6. Please plan your work accordingly. The catalog, web site, Intranet, and CONTENTdm will remain on during this period.

–Tom

Please follow these directions, even if you are not located in Gorgas Library.