Knowledge Handler

Information Sources & Information Sifting Techniques

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Location: Independence, Ohio, United States

I am a retired librarian, most recently serving at Indiana Wesleyan University's Cleveland Education Center.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

OCLC and Google

OCLC has a massive bibliographic database that started a generation ago as an effort to convert library catalog information into an easily shared digital form. Google Books is an effort to digitize a million books. According to a news wire, both organizations are going to team up to provide cataloged books to the world.
-D.D.

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Monday, May 12, 2008

Powerset Search Engine

is a new search engine that uses artificial intelligence to locate relevant article. I found Powerset is fairly intuitive to use, but it will require a LOT of venture capital before the scope of materials indexed is as wide as Google's. Presently the content is mainly from Wikipedia. For each document, Powerset displays a floating article outline (table of contents) which makes usage of the document at hand easier.
-D.D.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Communication

I am fascinated by the psychology of learning and communication. A trio of articles in Computerworld on May 5, 2008 deal with communication issues. The first is a motivational article, Facts and Meaning by Paul Glen, that highlights how an important element of rhetoric is showcasing your facts in a story that personalizes the facts you are trying to convey. In another article from the online version of the same issue Dispatch from the War Over Cell Phones Mike Elgan shares his theory as to why some cell phone calls are irritating to those who witness them, and others not. Tracy Mayor penned a third article It's Open Secret which discloses how people with Asperger's Syndrome have been stellar performers in science and IT for generations -- highlighting to me that skills in communicating with a wide spectrum of people is essential in sharing knowledge.
-D.D.

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Thursday, May 01, 2008

Information Sharing Increases Value

Information sharing can increase the value of what you already know. As George Bernard Shaw said:
If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.
Note: The SPARKY awards were developed to foster student appreciation for information sharing. I found the Shaw quote in an announcement for the SPARKY awards.
-D.D.