MERLIN & Other Useful Library-Related Blogs

MERLIN, or Maryland's Essential Resource for Library Information Networks, is a discussion board for Maryland Library staff to talk with each other, ask technical questions, pose thoughts and gain access to online learning resources. You must create an account in order to use this website.

URL: http://www.merlin.lib.md.us/

The heart of MERLIN is the Learning Links page. If technical terms such as "social bookmarking," "wikis" and "RSS" are news to you , start here.

I first heard of the term "wiki" from using the Wikipedia online encyclopedia. Wikis are websites used to share information and files. They are great for team projects (designing a new library, planning an agenda for annual staff day, roundtable book discussion) because groups of people can share and edit information on the same web page. Many libraries are using wikis for their staff Intranets so that staff can share ideas and edit files together. Organizations sponsoring conferences also use wikis to build enthusiasm and collaboration amongst conference goers.

Web/Learning 2.0 Resources

Feed Readers, RSS, XML, Atom
Blogs
Gaming, Avatars, Virtual Worlds (Appeals more to children and YAs)

For an introduction to podcasting, go to http://podcasting101.pbwiki.com/

None of the podcast search engines were particularly great. Google wins hands down. You really need to know what is being podcasted to find relevant podcasts that interest you.



One of the most fascinating podcasts was found on Podomatic.com was a 22-minute "Beatlegs Podcast" (http://www.podomatic.com/search/directory/Music) celebrating the 50th anniversary of John Lennon meeting Paul McCartney for the first time at a Liverpool church fete on July 6, 1957, which is the date of the above photograph. The historic meeting has been well-documented in every book and video about the Beatles. The sound quality of this podcast was excellent. Most amazing are the first recordings of John Lennon and Paul McCartney performing old country and rock and roll tunes such as Cumberland Gap and Eddie Cochran's Twenty Flight Rock, Elvis Presley's Baby Let's Play House, from previously unreleased sources.

Previous Beatlegs Podcasts can be accessed at http://dinsdalep.podomatic.com/.

Social Bookmarking, Reference, Tagging, Alerts (del.icio.us)
Video, Photo & Media Buckets (no links as of 7-18-07)

Wikis & File Sharing

My top pick: WetPaint (http://www.wetpaint.com/), which enables you to create a website that combines wikis, blogs, and forums. The blog phenomenon could not have happened until software was developed that didn't require a knowledge of HTML (although that knowledge is very essential for advanced website design).


The primary use of del.icio.us is to store your bookmarks online, which allows you to access the same bookmarks from any computer and add bookmarks from anywhere, too. You can use tags to organize and remember your bookmarks, which is a much more flexible system than folders.

Computing and Technical Resources

Beginning Computing
Handheld Devices
Network & Security
Trends & Cool Stuff
Web & OS Vulnerabilities
Web Design

Instruction and Online Learning

Content Management Systems
Course Management Systems
Shared Training
Online Courses & Webinars
Presentation and Screen Recording Software
Web Conferencing/Webinar Development Tools

Library Databases & Catalog Interfaces

Library Thing (http://www.librarything.com/): An online service to help people catalog their books easily. You can access your catalog from anywhere—even on your mobile phone. Because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth.

* * *

Podcasting is really another name for Internet radio. The issue for podcasters who broadcast copyrighted music is that record labels and artists are demanding of them the same BMI and ASCAP royalties that are collected from terrestrial (AM-FM) and satellite broadcasters.

Published in today's Baltimore Sun:

www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.internet17jul17,0,685364.story

baltimoresun.com

Radio Web casters get reprieve on royalties

By Jim Puzzanghera

July 17, 2007

WASHINGTON

Podcasting is really another name for Internet radio. The issue for podcasters who broadcast copyrighted music is that record labels and artists are demanding that the same fees collected from terrestrial and satellite radio broadcasters.

The songs remained the same on Internet radio yesterday, as many stations continued to stream music while their representatives negotiated to lower a controversial royalty increase that took effect over the weekend.

With talks progressing, SoundExchange, the organization that collects royalties for musicians and record companies, indicated to Web casters that it wouldn't seek immediate payment of the higher rates.

That amounted to a reprieve for Internet radio stations, some of which had warned they would have to shut down Sunday when a major increase in music royalties and fees kicked in.

"Each company has had to decide how they want to act on their own, but I think it's pretty clear that SoundExchange is not going to go after people providing they are trying to work it out," said Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora Media Inc., which operates one of the largest Internet radio sites from Oakland, Calif.

The federal Copyright Royalty Board set the higher royalties in March, retroactive to the start of 2006, when the previous rates expired. The board boosted the amount Web casters must pay per listener for each song they play, from .0762 of a cent to .19 of a cent by 2010.

It also eliminated a provision that capped the royalties of small Internet radio stations - many of them run by hobbyists - at 10 percent to 12 percent of their revenues, and set a $500 administrative fee for each Internet radio channel.

Some small stations already have shut down because the loss of the revenue-based cap meant they would owe much more in royalties than their stations earn. Web casters have organized online petitions and appealed the rate increase in court.

Fears that the new rates would squelch the musical diversity of the growing number of Internet radio stations have led some in Congress to propose halting the increases.

SoundExchange has the ability to strike separate deals on royalties. It has been negotiating with organizations representing various groups of Web casters, including small and large Web sites, religious broadcasters and National Public Radio stations.

Jim Puzzanghera writes for the Los Angeles Times.