Re: [CODE4LIB] Linux Laptop

2011-12-14 Thread Roy Zimmer
Check out the below companies. I have no experience with them, but were 
I in your shoes, I'd take a thorough look.


http://www.system76.com/
http://zareason.com/shop/home.php
http://www.emperorlinux.com/

Roy Zimmer
Western Michigan University


On 12/14/2011 11:31 AM, Chris Fitzpatrick wrote:

I just had a Howard Beale moment with Apple. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going 
to take it anymore.

I'm curious what people can suggest for linux laptop?
Any suggestions for distros and hardware?

thanks. b,chris.


Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4Lib Community google custom search

2011-10-07 Thread Roy Zimmer

I tried it, I like it, I thank you, Jonathan.
Already found something new and interesting.

Roy Zimmer
Western Michigan University


On 10/6/2011 9:35 PM, Jonathan Rochkind wrote:
So I was in #code4lib, and skome asked about ideas for library hours. 
And I recalled that there have been at least two articles in the C4L 
Journal on this topic, so suggested them.


Then I realized that there's enough body of work in the Journal to be 
worth searching there whenever you have an ideas for dealing with X 
question. You might not find anything, but I think there's enough 
chance you will, illustrated by that encounter with skome.


Then I realized it's not just the journal -- what about a Google 
Custom Search that searches over the Journal, the Code4Lib wiki, the 
Code4Lib website, and perhaps most interestinly -- all the sites 
listed in Planet Code4Lib.


Then I made it happen. Cause it seemed interesting and I'm a 
perfectionist, I even set things up so a cronjob automatically syncs 
the list of sites in the Planet with the Google custom search every 
night.


The Planet stuff ends up potentially being a lot of noise -- I tried 
to custom 'boost' stuff from the Journal, but I'm not sure it worked. 
But I did configure things with facet-like limits including a just 
the planet limit, if you do want that. But even though it's sometimes 
a lot of noise, it's also potentially the most interesting/useful part 
of the search, otherwise it'd pretty much just be a Journal search, 
but now it includes a bunch of people's blogs, as well as other sites 
deemed of interest to Code4Lib community (including a couple other 
open source library tech journals) -- without any extra curatorial 
work, just using the list already compiled for the Planet.


I'm curious what people think of it. Try some searches for library 
tech questions or information and see how good your results are. If 
people find this useful, I'll try to include it on the main 
code4lib.org webpage in some prominent place, spruce up the look and 
feel etc. (Or try to draft someone else to do that, I think my time to 
work on this might be _just_ about up after staying until 9.30 hacking 
on this cause it seemed cool).


http://www.code4lib.org/custom_search/search_form.html


Re: [CODE4LIB] Programmer Orientation to Library/Lib Sci

2011-07-20 Thread Roy Zimmer

Hi Laura:

I started working with/for Library stuff in 1994. Been working on it 
more or less full-time now for nearly half that time. I moved from the 
IT department and became a library employee several years back. So...CS 
degree, no library education, but have picked a lot up over the years.


One thing that's still not 100% clear to me is the relationship between 
the types of records. I sort of know how bib, authority, holdings, and 
item records relate to each other. What I would have found helpful a 
long time ago would be something like an entity-relationship diagram for 
these records, with decent text explanations. I could use that even today.


Hmm. Perhaps also such a diagram+text for all the workflows in a library.

Roy Zimmer
Waldo Library
Western Michigan University


On 7/20/2011 12:04 PM, Laura Smart wrote:

Hi folks -

What do you include in orientation when you hire a programmer
(excellent, experienced, of course), who isn't familiar with
library-land?  MARC is a given, ditto the ILS, plus e-resource
management back end (OpenURL parsers, proxies and the like).  From
those of you who came into libraries for other industries:  what do
you wish you knew about libraries, library/info science, and library
operations when you began? I'm especially interested in anything which
gave you an ah-ha! moment when you were working with library data --
the implicit things which didn't make sense until you knew why those
crazy librarians did things the way they did.   Also - which resources
were particularly valuable to you as you gained familiarity with your
new environment?

Your insight is deeply appreciated,

Laura J. Smart
Metadata Services Manager, Caltech Library
la...@library.caltech.edu/laura.j.sm...@gmail.com


Re: [CODE4LIB] Seth Godin on The future of the library

2011-05-17 Thread Roy Zimmer
I think 50 cents would be right in the ballpark. My earliest scifi 
paperbacks cost me that much, mid-60's.


Roy Zimmer
Waldo Library
Western Michigan University


On 5/17/2011 11:18 AM, Jonathan Rochkind wrote:

On 5/16/2011 7:52 PM, Luciano Ramalho wrote:

  And then we need to consider the rise of the Kindle. An ebook costs
  about $1.60 in 1962 dollars. A thousand ebooks can fit on one device,

1) Why quote the ebook price in 1962 dollars? The reality in 2011 is
that Kindle books in general are too expensive, particularly when


Yeah, how much did a paperback book cost in 1962?  50 cents? $1?  I 
wasn't alive then, but I bet $1.60 is expensive in 1962 dollars!


Re: [CODE4LIB] Promo for free issues of php|architect [zine]

2009-02-05 Thread Roy Zimmer
Thanks for doing this, Jay.


 Jay Luker lb...@reallywow.com 2/4/2009 5:28 PM 
Just a reminder: tomorrow I'm going to forward the list of e-mail
addresses
I've collected to the editor at PyMag. So if you'd like to use the
code4lib coupon code to get 3 free issues of either PyMag or
php|architect
your time is running out. All you have to do is create an account
on the
magazine site of your choice and then e-mail me with [zine] in
the
subject.

--jay

On Fri, Jan 23, 2009 at 12:35 PM, Jay Luker lb...@reallywow.com
wrote:

 Hi gang,

 On a lark I e-mailed Doug Hellmann, EiC at Python Magazine, to
ask about
 the possibility of a group coupon code for code4lib. Apparently
we qualify.
 :)

 Here's the deal:

 1) anyone who would like 3 free issues of either PyMag [1] or
php|architect
 [2] should first create an account on the respective site. For
example, [3].


 2) Next we need a way to collect the e-mail addresses of those
account
 holders. I first thought, wiki page, but some folks might balk
at that.
 Unless anyone has a better suggestion, you can just e-mail me at
 lb...@reallywow.com and put the string [zine] in the subject
somewhere
 so I can filter it.

 3) After two weeks I'll send the addresses to Doug at PyMag and
he'll
 trigger the promo on those accounts.

 I also suggested to Doug the idea of some free subscriptions to
give away
 at the conference along with the usual slew of O'Reilly books.
He's checking
 with his publisher.

 [1] http://pymag.phparch.com/c/ 
 [2] http://www.phparch.com/ 
 [3] https://store-pymag.phparch.com/c/account/new/account/ 



Re: [CODE4LIB] Code4lib mugs

2008-11-03 Thread Roy Zimmer
How about making the mug available for sale to the rest of us
listmembers just because we're on the list?
 
Roy Zimmer-Waldo Library-Library Stuff  Information
Herding-
Western Michigan University-Kalamazoo, Michigan USA
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QRM!
roy dot zimmer at wmich dot edu-Wherever you go, there you
are!