Tag: digital content

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Linda Reimer

Here are our suggested daily recommended reads in both print and e-book formats!

Our suggested daily e-book is:

The Thin Man

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

 The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett’s classic tale of murder in Manhattan, became the popular movie series with William Powell and Myrna Loy, and both the movies and the novel continue to captivate new generations of fans.

Nick and Nora Charles, accompanied by their schnauzer, Asta, are lounging in their suite at the Normandie in New York City for the Christmas holiday, enjoying the prerogatives of wealth: meals delivered at any hour, theater openings, taxi rides at dawn, rubbing elbows with the gangster element in speakeasies. They should be annoyingly affected, but they charm. Mad about each other, sardonic, observant, kind to those in need, and cool in a fight, Nick and Nora are graceful together, and their home life provides a sanctuary from the rough world of gangsters, hoodlums, and police investigations into which Nick is immediately plunged.

A lawyer-friend asks Nick to help find a killer and reintroduces him to the family of Richard Wynant, a more-than-eccentric inventor who disappeared from society 10 years before. His former wife, the lush and manipulative Mimi, has remarried a European fortune hunter who turns out to be a vindictive former associate of her first husband and is bent on the ruin of Wynant’s family fortune. Wynant’s children, Dorothy and Gilbert, seem to have inherited the family aversion to straight talk. Dorothy, who has matured into a beautiful young woman, has a crush on Nick, and so, in a hero-worshipping way, does mama’s boy Gilbert. Nick and Nora respond kindly to their neediness as Nick tries to make sense of misinformation, false identities, far-fetched alibis, and, at the center of the confusion, the mystery of The Thin Man, Richard Wynant. Is he mad? Is he a killer? Or is he really an eccentric inventor protecting his discovery from intellectual theft?

The dialogue is spare, the locales lively, and Nick, the narrator, shows us the players as they are, while giving away little of his own thoughts. No one is telling the whole truth, but Nick remains mostly patient as he doggedly tries to backtrack the lies. Hammett’s New York is a cross between Damon Runyon and Scott Fitzgerald–more glamorous than real, but compelling when visited in the company of these two charmers. The lives of the rich and famous don’t get any better than this! –Barbara Schlieper, Amazon review.

Here’s a link to the description page in the Digital Catalog:

https://stls.overdrive.com/media/508419

And our print book suggested read for today is:

Sidney Chambers

Sidney Chambers and The Dangers of Temptation   

by James Runcie

Sidney Chambers and The Dangers of Temptation (Grantchester) by James Runcie   It’s the summer of love in late 1960s England. Basil D’Oliveira has just been dropped from the English cricket team before for a test series in apartheid South Africa; the war in Biafra dominates the news; and the Apollo 11 astronauts are preparing to land on the moon. In the midst of all this change, Sidney Chambers, now Archdeacon of Ely Cathedral, is still up to his amateur sleuthing investigations.

A bewitching divorcee enlists Sidney’s help in convincing her son to leave a hippie commune; at a soiree on Grantchester Meadows during May Week celebrations, a student is divested of a family heirloom; Amanda’s marriage runs into trouble; Sidney and Hildegard holiday behind the Iron Curtain; Mrs Maguire’s husband returns from the dead and an arson attack in Cambridge leads Sidney to uncover a cruel case of blackmail involving his former curate.

In the rare gaps between church and crime, Sidney struggles with a persistent case of toothache, has his first flutter at the Newmarket races and witnesses the creation of a classic rock song.

Charming, witty, intelligent, and filled with a strong sense of compassion, here are six new stories guaranteed to satisfy and delight this clerical detective’s many fans.

You can request the book by clicking on the following StarCat link:

http://goo.gl/bGBKxW

Or by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL

Note: You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist you.

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Linda Reimer

Here are our suggested daily recommended reads in both print and electronic (e-book) formats!

Our suggested daily e-book is:

Duty & Honor

Tom Clancy Duty & Honor by Grant Blackwood:

Even though he’s on forced leave from the clandestine intelligence group known as The Campus, Jack Ryan, Jr., still finds himself caught in the crosshairs after an attempt on his life is thwarted when he turns the tables on his would-be dispatcher. Convinced that the attack is linked to his recent covert actions with the convalescing Iranian national Ysabel Kashini, Jack sets out to find out who wants him dead, and why.

Using clues found on the now dead assassin, Jack pursues the investigation, following a growing trail of corpses to the European Union’s premier private security firm, Rostock Security Group, and its founder, Jürgen Rostock—a former general in the German Special Forces Command. Rostock is world-renowned as a philanthropist and human rights advocate. But Jack knows him from a Campus mission revolving around a company linked to RSG—a mission that has put him on Rostock’s lethal radar.

Without any Campus resources, Jack launches his own shadow campaign to uncover the truth about Rostock and a long-running false-flag war of terror that has claimed thousands of lives. Yet all of that bloodshed is but a precursor to a coming catastrophic event that will solidify Rostock’s place among the global powers. An event that Jack must stop at any cost.

https://stls.overdrive.com/media/2582496

And our print book suggested read for today is:

Ninefox Gambit

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee:

To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general.

Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics.  Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics.  Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake.  If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.

Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress.

The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own.  As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao–because she might be his next victim.

You can request the book by clicking on the following StarCat link:

http://goo.gl/Ywyk4g

Or by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL

 

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads

Linda Reimer

Here are our suggested daily recommended reads in both print and electronic (e-book) formats!

Our suggested daily e-book is:

Brighton

Brighton: A Novel by Michael Harvey:

Kevin Pearce—baseball star, honor student, the pride of Brighton—was fifteen when he left town in the back of his uncle’s cab. He and his buddy Bobby Scales had just committed heinous violence for what they thought were the best of reasons. Kevin didn’t want a pass, but he was getting it anyway. Bobby would stay and face the music; Kevin’s future would remain bright as ever. At least that was the way things were supposed to work, except in Brighton things never work the way they’re supposed to.

Twenty-six years later, Kevin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist for the Boston Globe. He’s never been back to his old block, having avoided his family and, especially, Bobby Scales. Then he learns his old friend is the prime suspect in a string of local murders. Suddenly, Kevin’s headed home—to protect a friend and the secret they share. To report this story to the end and protect those he loves, he must face not only an elusive, slippery killer, but his own corrupted conscience.

A powerhouse of a thriller, Brighton is a riveting and elegiac exploration of promises broken, debts owed, and old wrongs made right . . . no matter what the cost.

You can request the e-book through the OverDrive app on your mobile device or via this link to the STLS Digital Catalog:

https://stls.overdrive.com/media/2405066

And our print book suggested read for today is:

But What If We're Wrong

But What If We’re Wrong?: Thinking about the Present as If It Were the Past by Chuck Klosterman:

But What If We’re Wrong? visualizes the contemporary world as it will appear to those who’ll perceive it as the distant past. Chuck Klosterman asks questions that are profound in their simplicity: How certain are we about our understanding of gravity? How certain are we about our understanding of time? What will be the defining memory of rock music, five hundred years from today? How seriously should we view the content of our dreams? How seriously should we view the content of television? Are all sports destined for extinction? Is it possible that the greatest artist of our era is currently unknown (or—weirder still—widely known, but entirely disrespected)? Is it possible that we “overrate” democracy? And perhaps most disturbing, is it possible that we’ve reached the end of knowledge?

Kinetically slingshotting through a broad spectrum of objective and subjective problems, But What If We’re Wrong? is built on interviews with a variety of creative thinkers—George Saunders, David Byrne, Jonathan Lethem, Kathryn Schulz, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Greene, Junot Díaz, Amanda Petrusich, Ryan Adams, Nick Bostrom, Dan Carlin, and Richard Linklater, among others—interwoven with the type of high-wire humor and nontraditional analysis only Klosterman would dare to attempt. It’s a seemingly impossible achievement: a book about the things we cannot know, explained as if we did. It’s about how we live now, once “now” has become “then.”

You can request the book by clicking on the following StarCat link:

http://starcat.stls.org/client/en_US/default/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:1066038/ada?qu=Chuck+Klosterman

Or by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL

 

Newly Added E-Books, Digital Audiobooks & Streaming Videos

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, just in time for your weekend reading, listening and viewing pleasure — there are new e-books, downloadable audiobooks and streaming videos available in the STLS Digital Catalog!

Here’s a link to a PDF listing!

Newly Added Digital Catalog Titles 4 29 16

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

Streaming Videos Come To The STLS Digital Catalog!!

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, if you’ve already checked out the Southeast Steuben County Library’s Facebook page — then excuse the duplication!

We’ve got very exciting news on the streaming video front today! Because as of today you can stream videos from the STLS Digital Catalog or through the OverDrive app for your smartphone or tablet — you don’t have to download them to a PC!

You can simply open the OverDrive app, which is available in your app store and the full name of which is OverDrive Media Console and then tap on any of the categories under the Streaming Video title or tap on “View More” which will allow you to browse all the streaming videos available — so all you need is an Internet connection –and you can watch movies, TV shows and documentaries on your tablet or smartphone very cool!

More videos will be added to the Digital Catalog streaming video library in the near future — in the meantime — enjoy!

Have a great day!
Linda R.

http://stls.lib.overdrive.com/00941FE9-8429-406A-9149-5C29B3246CF2/10/50/en/Subjects05.htm

Content Owners Lobby Congress To Update Copyright Law To Their Advantage & Redbox Instant and Vimeo Video Coming To Google Chromecast

Linda Reimer

Content Owners Lobby Congress To Update Copyright Law To Their Advantage: Content Owners, who might also be described a large media companies have been lobby Congress to update U.S. Copyright law to their advantage. The companies insist that if stricter copyright laws are not enacted blockbuster films and other entertainment will become cost prohibited to produce due to online piracy of content. To give you a better idea of their world view on this subject they are repeatedly invoking a what is being called a “fair use creep” claim that states that their copyrights are being undermined by a long entrenched copyright rule that allows people to make free use of creative works they are scholars, students doing research of journalists – the media companies would like to see this rule eliminated – which would make it illegal for scholars, students or journalists to use any part of their works for research or journalistic reporting and review purposes – without compensating said media companies I am sure!

Here’s a link to a short Gigaom article on the subject tilted “Content owners warn Congress of “fair use creep,” draw ridicule:”

http://gigaom.com/2013/07/26/content-owners-warn-congress-of-fair-use-creep-draw-ridicule/

And just FYI a link to the “Owner’s Rights Initiative” website that is an organization consisting of a number of groups, including The American Library Association, that believe that owners of print books, e-books and audio and video material should have the right to own that material – something the big media companies object to as far as digital content goes:

http://ownersrightsinitiative.org/

Redbox Instant and Vimeo Video Coming To Google Chromecast: And if you haven’t heard of it Chromecast is the small flash drive style device that Google has just put on sale that allows you to stream content from your tablet, smartphone or tablet directly to your TV – it costs $35 and is shortly to be updated to include Vimeo and Redbox Instant video apps to add more streaming options to the device. Here’s a link to a Gigaom artilce on that subject titled “Vimeo and Redbox Instant are coming to Chromecast:”

http://gigaom.com/2013/07/29/chromecast-vimeo-redbox-instant-plex/

References

Roberts, Jeff John. (2013, July 26). Content owners warn Congress of “fair use creep,” draw ridicule. Gigaom. Online. Accessed July 29, 2013. http://gigaom.com/2013/07/26/content-owners-warn-congress-of-fair-use-creep-draw-ridicule/

Roettgers, Janko. (2013, July 29). Vimeo and Redbox Instant are coming to Chromecast. Next up: Plex and HBO Go?. gigaom. Online. Acessed July 29, 2013. http://gigaom.com/2013/07/29/chromecast-vimeo-redbox-instant-plex/

Accessing The Online Library of Congress Collections, New iPad Shazam App, New Mailbox iPad App, What’s Next Digital Content Trend-Wise & Corning Inc. On Gorilla Glass

Linda Reimer

Wow, all I can say is so many interesting personal technology related stories and so little time!

Here are links to five interesting articles relating to personal technology!

1. Accessing The Online Library of Congress Collections: The New York Times has a short piece in their Gadgetwise column today titled “Tip of the Week: Touring the Library of Congress Digital Collections” which offers tips about what items/collections you can access for free on the Library of Congress website. If you haven’t taken a look at the LOC website recently – I urge you to check it out they have some really cool collections as does the Digital Public Library of American – their site too is free to access.

Here’s a link to the New York Times column:

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/tip-of-the-week-touring-the-library-of-congress-digital-collections/

A link to the Library of Congress site:

http://www.loc.gov/index.html

And a link to the Digital Public Library of America site:

http://dp.la/

2. New Shazam App For iPad: If you’re not familiar with it Shazam has had an iPad app out for quite a while – and it is one of the neat ones that will “listen” to a song playing in the background and tell you what it is so you can buy it and listen to that great song any time you want to. And they have just updated their app and made it even better! The new and improved app has a bunch of new features and my favorite of them is the ability to allow Shazam to listen to television programs and tell you which program your are watching – for all those times when you catch the last five minutes of a show and/or hear a clip from a TV show while you’re out and about and would like to watch the entire show later – now Shazam can help you with that! The app is free from the app store.

And here’s a link to a Mashable article titled “Shazam Launches New App For iPad” that will tell you more about the new Shazam app bells and whistles:

http://mashable.com/2013/05/23/shazam-ipad-app/

3. New Mailbox iPad App: The Mailbox app for the iPhone has been available for a while and now there is an iPad app too. And if you’re not familiar with it the Mailbox app offers you a few more organizational features if you use it to read your mail on the iPad than does the native iPad email client (the built in one that comes with the iPad right  out of the box).

Here’s a link to a Mashable article on the subject that will tell you more titled simply “Mailbox Comes to iPad:”

http://mashable.com/2013/05/23/mailbox-ipad/

4. What’s Next Digital Content Trend-Wise:  The American Library Association has just put out a report titled “Digital Content: What’s Next” which speculates on what public libraries can and should do to continue to offer patrons the access to digital content that they want and expect in our quickly-changing-rapidly-advancing technological world! This is the perfect article for library and tech fans!

The Digital Book Word article “Digital Content: What’s Next” can be accessed via this link:

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/digital-content-whats-next/

And the 30 page American Library Association article itself on digital content can be accessed via the following link:

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/7d9e3366#/7d9e3366/2

5. Corning Inc. On Gorilla Glass: There have been a number of tech articles circulating recently speculating that just perhaps sapphire glass might be used to manufacture tablet and smartphone screens in the near future. And Corning Inc. has a word or two to say on the subject – and basically what they say is that their Gorilla Glass is superior by far to sapphire glass which is, among other things, quite a bit heavier than Gorilla Glass.

There are several articles out now that note what Corning spokesmen have said about Gorilla Glass but I went right to the horse’s mouth and found an article on the Corning Inc. website that says – well, the article offers facts and video clips that illustrate why Gorilla Glass is the superior glass for use in manufacturing displays for tablets, smartphones and other devices.

The Corning article is titled: n” Corning® Gorilla® Glass Now Found On More Than 1.5 Billion Devices Continuing innovation to fuel future versions Sapphire not seen as major threat” and here’s the link:

http://www.corning.com/news_center/features/gorillaglasssuccess.aspx

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Biersdorfer, J. D. (2013, May 23). Tip of the Week: Touring the Library of Congress Digital Collections. New York Times. Onlne.

Corning® Gorilla® Glass Now Found On More Than 1.5 Billion Devices: Continuing innovation to fuel future versions: Sapphire not seen as major threat. (2013, May). Online.

Fiegerman, Seth. (2013, May 23). Mailbox Comes to iPad. Mashable. Online.

Inouye, Alan. (2013, May 23). Digital Content: What’s Next. DBW. Online.

Price, Emily, (2013, May 23). Shazam Launches New App For iPad. Mashable. Online. 

And as usual — I have to say — don’t forget if you just bought, or received as a gift a new tablet, e-reader, PC or other tech item and would like to know more about how to use it — you can make an appointment at the library for a free On-On-One tech session and a member of our tech team will show you the digital ropes! Call the Reference Desk at: 607-936-3713 to make an appointment! Did I mention it is a free service the library offers? It is! 

YouTube iOS App Debuts, Hulu Had A Great 2012 & Consumer Digital Content Rights (or the lack thereof):

Linda Reimer

YouTube iOS App Debuts: YouTube is debuting an iOS app today called YouTube Capture. So if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad you’ll be able to take videos and gently edit them via the app and then easily upload them to YouTube.

Here’s the link to a MASHABLE article on the subject:

http://mashable.com/2012/12/17/youtube-video-recording-app-ios/

Hulu Had A Great 2012: Hulu had a great 2012 closing out the year with profits of $695 million dollars! Hulu’s streaming video service, Hulu Plus, has become increasingly popular and you can see why. The service costs $7.99 per month and offers unlimited streaming of catalog shows and streaming of episodes of series currently on the air for a limited time.

Here’s a link to a brief SlashGear article on the subject:

http://www.slashgear.com/hulu-looks-back-on-2012-closes-the-year-with-695-million-in-revenue-17261219/

Consumer Digital Content Rights (or the lack thereof): The tech site PaidContent put out a cool article over the weekend titled The Right To Re-Sell: A Ticking Time Bomb Over Digital Goods. The article discusses the ramifications of the fact that consumers (and public libraries) cannot purchase digital content. When consumers (and public libraries) purchase a printed book, a DVD or music CD – those consumers own that physical item. They can re-sell it, loan it to a friend, use it to prop a window open or give it away and they need never lose access to it.

In contrast, with digital books, music and video you are only purchasing a license to access the content. You don’t own the e-books, digital music or videos you “buy.” You can’t legally sell those items nor give them to someone else and, at least in theory, the owning media/publishing company (or the vendor who sold you the access to the digital content) can electronically delete items you’ve purchased from them remotely as long as your tech device is connected to the Internet.

The reason for the difference in the rights between physical books, DVDs and music CDs and digital versions of those same items is because with printed works there is this cool thing called “The First Sale Doctrine” which allows you the purchaser of a printed book to own that book, loan it to someone else and/or sell it to someone else – and basically we need a Digital First Sale Doctrine to grant ownership rights to consumers for digital content. The PaidContent article offers a solid introduction to this subject; here’s the link:

http://paidcontent.org/2012/12/15/the-right-to-resell-a-ticking-time-bomb-over-digital-goods/

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Abent, Eric. (2012, December 17). Hulu looks back on 2012, closes the year with $695 million in revenue. SlashGear. Online.

Rosenblatt, Bill. (2012, December 15). The right to resell: a ticking time bomb over digital goods. PaidContent. Online.

Wasserman, Todd. (2012, December 17). YouTube releases video recording app for iOS. MASHABLE. Online.

The Issue of Personal Ownership of Digital Content

Linda Reimer

The issue of personal ownership of digital content is one of major league importance in my book. In fact, it is so important I’m only going to discuss that one topic today and leave a discussion about the introduction of new Barnes & Noble Nooks, a new Barnes & Noble video streaming service and the fact that the state of California really did pass that law I mentioned in a previous blog posting – the one allowing self-driving cars to drive on the roads of California!  I’m going to leave all those tantalizing tech subjects for tomorrow.

I found a great article on the British tech site onestopclick: Researching Technology Solutions today that discusses personal ownership of digital content which in my opinion is the largest part of the important digital rights pie puzzle today.

And when I use the terminology “digital rights” here I’m not referring to the digital rights management software that digital content creators or rights holders insist be incorporated into their e-books, e-audios (including audiobooks and music) and e-videos – and which blocks people that buy those e-books, e-videos and e-audio titles from being able to listen to or watch those items on any tech device they own – their smartphone, their iPad, their iPod touch, their Android tablet, their PC or Mac etc. instead, I mean the rights of individuals who “purchase” digital content to actually own that digital content.

I think this issue is completely overshadowed by other issues like the rivalry between Amazon, Apple and the Big Six publishers* and is frankly more important that the actual price of e-books. The essential crux of the matter is the fact you cannot currently buy digital content. Instead when you click or tap that buy button to “buy” an e-book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Apple via the iBook store etc. – you’re not really buying the content instead you’re buying access to it as it if were a piece of software and not a book, video or audio item.

And you’ll notice that I have the words “buy” and “purchase” in quotation marks in those previous two paragraphs…

And the reason for that is because I just want to re-iterate the fact that I’m not sure most people are aware of; but one that being intellectual property advocates those of us working in library land are acutely aware of — the fact that when you click or press the buy button to buy an e-book, an e-audio or an e-video you aren’t really buying that item. Instead, you are buying a license to access that item. So unlike physical formats – print books, DVDs, CDs, LPs etc. you are limited as to what you can do with that digital e-book, e-audio or e-videos. You don’t really own the digital items you buy and thus unlike the physical formats you can’t usually loan them to someone, give them to someone else, donated them to your local library or leave them to your heirs in your will.

This whole situation of the rights of the individual to access books, videos and audios in the digital format is a huge one and I see the licensing, as compared to the purchasing, of those formats to be a huge threat to intellectual freedom.

Think of it this way – say a great classic novel was written today and published in the e-format only – in other words, only as an e-book; and the rights to that work were owned by one large publishing company that decided later on, after a dispute with the estate of the great author who had sadly passed young (think Stieg Larsson) – to pull that e-book from being available for sale and pull e-book versions already purchased by the paying public right off their e-readers so that no one has access to that great work. So just like that – zap! That e-book disappears and the reading public cannot gain access to it.

If you think it can’t happen – it already has! In 2009 Amazon did just that – they deleted copies of the e-book 1984 from purchasers Kindles because Amazon’s didn’t have a license to sell those versions of the e-book titles – despite the fact that the titles were sold by Amazon through the Amazon website!

Now granted, George Orwell’s 1984 is a book that you can find multiple copies of at your public library; however, it still illustrates the point that we need changes in the way copyrights are interpreted in the digital age.

Why shouldn’t you be able to purchase an e-book, really buy it and own it instead of licensing a copy, and later give it to a friend or family member or read it on any device you own instead of being locked into a specific electronic platform?

And that question is the big one I see that doesn’t seem to be mentioned much when the press covers the subject of e-books and disputes over how much large media and publishing companies can charge consumers for them for comes up. The subjects of unfair prices that The Big Six Publishers and Apple claim that Amazon sets and/or the unfair pricing practices that Apple and the Big Six publishers offer customer in the in the U.S. according to the Department of Justice – those subject do frequently pop up in the news; however, if you do a Google news search for “e-book ownership” as I did to find the cool onestopclick article, which cites some solid scholarly sources*2, you’ll find only an occasional article that truly relates to issue of the rights of consumers to buy content print wise (and the so called “Fair Use” doctrine*3) versus digital wise.

And in the last few weeks a story broke that well highlighted this issue and one that, unfortunately, turns out to be untrue. It was reported that the actor Bruce Willis was going to sue Apple because he wanted to be able to bequeath the digital content he purchased from iTunes, in the form of music, videos and e-books, to his daughters and had been told he couldn’t – his license to the content would expire when he did…Now, that story is untrue but it does illustrate the point – you don’t own the digital content you buy – and we should all speak up and start telling publishers, media companies and our legislators that we the people want to own the e-books, e-audios and e-videos we buy when we click or tap on that buy button!

If you missed the 2009 story about Amazon deleting copies of 1984 from Kindle owner’s Kindles – here’s the link to a New York Times tech blog article on the subject:

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/

And that onestocpclick article, the one that got me going on this subject today, is titled Digital Ownership: why you don’t own the content you buy; it was written by Kerry Butters and originally posted yesterday (9-25-12) on the onestopclick website.

Here’s the link:

http://www.onestopclick.com/topic/228/649/digital-ownership-why-you-dont-own-the-content-you-buy.html

Have a great day!

Linda R.

 *1) The Big Six Publishers are the six largest publishers in the United States today: Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Macmillan, HarperCollins & Hachette. And I have to briefly note that one of those Big Six Publishers offers e-books for unrestricted licensing sale to public libraries – Random House – of course they charge libraries about $85-$100 for new e-book best sellers but then that is another blog posting…

*2) The largest solid/scholarly report on the subject – which is cited in the onestopclick article is titled The Hargreaves Report and was done by Professor Ian Hargreaves of Cambridge University who offers justification as to why it is so necessary to intellectual freedom and economic growth to get copyright law caught up with the digital times…You might want to check it out – there is a link to it within the onestopclick article or you can access it at the following link:

 http://www.ipo.gov.uk/ipreview-finalreport.pdf

*3) Here’s a link to an official explanation of what the term copyright related term“fair use” means – offered by the U.S. Copyright Office at the following link:

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

 

 

 

Tech at the Library & Two Questions For Readers!

Linda Reimer

I usually relay tech news in this blog. However, I thought I’d try something different today and inquire if everyone out there in cyber-land is aware of the tech materials, programs and services our public library, and indeed most public libraries, offer patrons today.

The Southeast Steuben County Library has always strived to offer patrons the best materials, programs and services possible. And offering excellent materials, programs and services in the early twenty first century translates into us offering more than traditional books, programming and on site research assistance to our patrons. Today we offer patrons a multifaceted array of tech related materials and services.

The library offers patrons the following free tech related items and services:

  • Access to e-books through our Digital Catalog
  • Access to a growing number of videos and music titles via our Digital Catalog
  • Access to circulating e-readers with pre-loaded bestsellers
  • Access to tech assistance (You can call and make an appointment to sit down with a member of the library’s tech staff and go over tech question – so if you just got a new e-reader, PC or tablet or other device and have questions about how to use it – call us! We’re here to help. We also have some insight on the best e-reading devices to use to check out free library e-books — just ask us!)
  • Tech programs and workshops (including upcoming ones on how to use the iPad, how to use a digital camera, how to use Microsoft Publisher, how to use Microsoft Excel and one showcasing video streaming players in the form of the Apple TV and Roku player.

And Access to credible databases including:

  • Academic One File (useful if you’re for kids and adults doing academic research)
  • The Business & Company Resource Center (useful if you’re researching a company)
  • The Chilton Library (think of this database as all the Chilton Auto Repair Manuals in the library – accessible online!)
  • Ebsco Animals (useful for kids doing research for school projects or anyone who wishes to know more about animals)
  • Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (use to check simple facts)
  • Grolier Online (offers articles, audio and video clips on a wide range of subjects – useful for students or adults doing research)
  • Health Reference Center (useful for anyone doing research on medical/health related topics)
  • Heritage Quest (a genealogical research database for those looking into their family history)
  • Literature Resource Center (a database that offers articles and biographies about authors, books etc.)
  • New York State Newspapers (a database that allows you to search for articles found in New York State newspapers on a cornucopia of topics)
  • OCLC First Search (a database that allows patrons to search for books owned by libraries across the globe)
  • Talking Tumble Books (this database offers free audiobooks for children and adults as well as multi-lingual titles)
  • Twayne Authors (If you’re interested in information about a specific author – this is the database for you!)

And my two questions for our patrons are:

  1. Did you know we offer all the above digital materials and services? (If not – please pass the word on!)

And

2. What digital materials, tech programs and services would you like to see our library offer? (And feel free just to state a specific e-book title or pitch an idea for a tech program etc. Thanks!)

And in relation to my two questions, please do feel free to go wildly off topic and pitch any suggestions that come to mind! We like feedback here in library land…

Have a great day!

Linda R.