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!

Reading For Free

Neil Gaiman has a series of wonderful posts about reading, buying books, and free books. His publisher, by the way, is offering his book American Gods online for free through March 28. Neil Gaiman talks the talk and walks the walk. He writes really well too – and now’s your chance to read one of his more popular books for free if you aren’t familiar with him. When you’re done with American Gods, don’t forget that you can check out many of his other works here at the Snell Library!