Library News

Handing the Web Back to the Experts?

Here is an interesting Newsweek article suggesting that the Internet is beginning to move back away from the Web-2.0 phenomenon of user-generated content. (Just when some of us are getting excited about adopting Web 2.0 features!) The article explores the idea that Web users may now be more interested in seeking out expert opinions and reliable knowledge online. What do you think — what is the place of user-generated content versus expert knowledge on the Web?

After Restaurant Week

Mmmhmm, you had a wonderful experience at your favorite restaurant and now you feel, oh, a little bloated. Feeling a little pressed for time, maybe, with exams or work or just life in general. As a fitness professional (in addition to being a professional business librarian), I have heard just about every reason why you can’t work out – and it keeps me very busy in my time away from the library! In case you didn’t know, Campus Recreation offers a variety of options for helping you take off that little extra. If you need an extra push, beginning instruction, variety, or want to take it to the next level, they have personal training available at very reasonable rates. If you haven’t looked at their PT programs lately, take another look – they have a number of options available – some of their packages even include a group exercise class every week! If you want to learn something new in a group environment, you could sign up for one of their instructional programs (NU-OPPS) – try out hip-hop, swimming, or even hula hoop! These are short-term classes, so you can try out a variety of different programs. With all these opportunities to get moving, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t.

Year of the Frog

Someone asked me if I had heard about a rare and threatened New Zealand Maud Island frog that has been found to be breeding in the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Of course being a Kiwi I should have known about this but no it was new to me. So I did a Google search and found quite a few news items about this wonderful small little frog. It has started to breed again and this is wonderful as according to the article it wasn’t even doing that on its home island of Maud. The article also mentioned that this frog has eveloved little over the last 70 million years. Wow that is, well for want of a better word “mind blowing” that a species is here now and has been around for that length of time. These rare frogs do not croak, live in water or have webbed feet sorather different from your regular frog. But  Thirteen little froglets have been born and as this is the Year of the Frog what could be more wonderful. Keep on breeding Maud Island frogs.

New Scholarly Communication Resource

“Scholarly communication” may not sound like all that exciting of a topic, but there’s actually so many interesting ways in which it affects all of us in academia, whether we’re students, faculty, or staff. A committee here at Snell Library has been working really hard to assemble a resource for the NU community on scholarly communication. This website provides news and information about topics related to this issue, such as academic publishing, copyright issues, and open access. Be sure to check out this great new site if you’re interested in any of these areas!

Restaurant Week Boston

Restaurant Week Boston is a great way to break up the winter doldrums that hit once February passes and you realize that winter hasn’t lost its hold just yet. This event gives you a chance to sample some of the area’s finest restaurants (and not-so-finest) for the reasonable price of $33.08 (for dinner). The restaurants that participate offer a prix fixe menu Sunday – Friday for two weeks in March. You go in, ask for the RW menu, select an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert – most places have several choices for each course – then enjoy the meal and the company. True, sometimes the selections are a little weak (last year, nearly every restaurant had the same cheap cut of beef) or sometimes lacking in variety, but almost always excellently prepared or prepared in some unique way. If you want to explore what that restaurant you’ve always heard about has to offer without spending a lot, dress up for a night out with friends, and forget that OMG, it’s freezing outside, make your reservations without reservation. You’ll have lots of fun.