Monthly archives: January, 2014

Knowledge Discovery Resources 2014 – An Internet Annotated Link Dataset Compilation

Marcus P. Zillman’s new guide focuses on a comprehensive, reliable and actionable group of the most current resources for knowledge discovery available on the Web. The sources that Zillman highlights range from academe to non-profits, advocacy groups and the corporate sector. This guide covers topics that include: Data Mining, Web Mining, Knowledge Discovery, Data Analysis, Data Management, Big Data, Open Source and Curation, and P2P knowledge management.

Subjects: Business Research, Internet Trends, Legal Technology, Libraries & Librarians, Library Software & Technology, Reference Services, Search Engines, Search Strategies, Technology Trends, Wiki

Clemency and The Vanishing Point of Decision Making

Ken Strutin begins his article stating that for the most part, the decision of whether to grant a pardon or commutation rests on the discretion of the executive. He continues, it is a constitutional authority that leaves little recourse if the President or a governor chooses not to act or to do so parsimoniously. He notes the downward trend in the granting of clemency begs the question of whether this is due to some fault in the process or in the decider or some other aggregation of factors. And he takes up the challenge of legal scholars and petitioners to speculate on whether there is any relief for a petrified constitutional remedy. Ken’s article highlights some notable decisions and scholarship about clemency practices and the legal theories underlying a mandate for its application. It is an important resource on a significant issue by a subject matter expert whose work continuously expands our understanding of complex issues related to civil liberties and the law.

Subjects: Features

Researching Australian Law

Nicholas Pengelley and Sue Milne have revised, updated and expanded their guide which covers a comprehensive range of sources on topics that include: Parliaments and Laws; Finding Australian Legislation; Courts and Judgments; Finding Australian Cases; Treaties; Journal Literature; Legal Encyclopedias; Law Reform; Government Information; Dictionaries; Directories; Legal Research Guides; Publishers; Current Awareness; Discussion Lists; and Major Texts.

Subjects: Comparative/Foreign Law, Court Resources, Features, Government Resources, International Legal Research, Legal Research, Legislative

Should public libraries give away e-book-friendly tablets to poor people? $38 tablet hints of possibilities

David Rothman proposes that e-book-capable tablets, especially with national digital library systems in place, could multiply the number of books matching students’ precise needs. Paper books could serve as gateways to E, and then children and parents could digitally follow their passions to the max, whether for spaceships, basketball, or knitting. A “quiet” feature could turn off Facebook-style distractions when tablet users wanted to focus on books. Protective rubber cases could guard against drops. Learning, independent of income – access to knowledge regardless of often round-the clock-work schedules for increasing numbers of parents and young people who are struggling to get by – this is a cause around which many communities of best practice can rally.

Subjects: E-Books, Features, Gadgets, Libraries & Librarians, Library Marketing, Library Software & Technology

E-Government Information and Public Access: Online electronic government information and the impact of the government shutdown on public access

Crystal Vicente’s paper focuses on the impact of the dramatic termination of e-government access during the October 2013 federal funding gap that resulted in a shutdown of government processes. As she documents, the public’s access to government information was severely limited, and in some cases prohibited entirely. We now widely expect that an advanced technological society will make information available via Internet anytime and from anywhere. However, when access is eliminated, the resulting information crisis cripples the public’s interaction with the federal government. Vicente states that the shutdown and the subsequent lack of access to government information is an indicator that the information dissemination model is faulty, and reliance on a single point of access is a mistake. As a result, libraries, long charged with protecting the public’s access to information, are challenged to find a viable solution to protecting free permanent public access.

Subjects: Features