News Report #3

“In Recession, Libraries Are Booming Megan McFarlane, American Library Association”
Sandra Hughes, CBS News
08/25/09
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/02/eveningnews/main4770599.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_4770599

This article discusses the Los Angeles library as well as others throughout the United States and how they are booming with people. In Los Angeles, long lines are forming outside the public library during these tough economic times. People are coming to the library more to check out books and use the computers. Many of these people are unemployed and are coming to the library for help. Librarians have now become job counselors and they are doing everything they can to help each person who walks through the doors. People are coming to use the computers to search for jobs, update resumes and for many it’s just a quiet place to work. Nationwide more people applied for library cards last year than anytime since they started keeping records in 1990. This is the time when people need libraries the most and unfortunately in other cities libraries are being cut back or closed. All of this is happening as more people are finally realizing the value of the public library. Everything at the library is free unless you don’t return an item in on time and then a fine must be paid.
I hate to see so many libraries being closed down because like stated in the article we all need libraries now more than ever. A lot of people cannot find jobs or just simply do not have the money to pay for the internet and that is where the library can play a huge role in someone’s life. I think it’s an awesome idea that these librarians at the Los Angeles library are working as job counselors. This can be a huge help for people coming to the library and it will help bring them back if they know the librarians care and are there to help them. It is also amazing that so many people are getting library cards. I just wish it had happened sooner and they hadn’t waited until now when the economy is not good and many libraries are closing. Hopefully people will start realizing what all resources are out there that are basically free and start using them.

News Report #2

“Nation’s libraries to celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month”
Megan McFarlane, American Library Association
08/25/09
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/august2009/lcsumstories_pio.cfm

During the month of September, the American Library Association and other libraries throughout the country are going to be celebrating Library Card Sign-up Month. This will be a time to remind and encourage parents to get their children a library card. When children start school they should most definitely have a library card. A library card should be considered a child’s most important school supply. The Yuma Arizona County Library District is partnering with a local radio station to promote Library Card Sign-up Month. The library’s community relations manager will have a 3-minute interview and their will be a thirty second public service announcement. The Wauconda Illinois Area Library District will partner with local businesses and library users can receive discounts at over sixty local businesses when they show their library card. The Fresno California Country Library used its summer reading program, Be creative @ your library, with Library Card Sign-up Month. Children were asked to be creative and design their own library card. The winning submission will be used on cards in September. These are just a few ways different libraries are promoting Library Card Sign-up Month.
I think this is an awesome idea! I personally do not think libraries are used as much as they should be. I know growing up my mom got me a library card right away and I loved just going and checking out books each week and also participating in programs the library offered for children. I attended many workshops at the library growing up learning everything about the library and how to use it. I also volunteered as a library assistant one summer and would go to the library each day for a few hours and help out where I was most needed. I used the library frequently and I think other children should take advantage of all the opportunities that libraries offer. I think by promoting Library Card Sign-up Month will help bring more children in and hopefully more parents will want to get their children cards. My library card was free and if they still are there is no excuse not to have one and take advantage of all the library offers.

Reading Report #2

“Can Wikipedia Ever Make the Grade?" by Brock Read - Chronicle of Higher Education

In the article, “Can Wikipedia Ever Make the Grade?” it discusses whether or not the information presented on Wikipedia is credible or not. In the beginning of the article it talks about how Mr. Halavais, an assistant professor, tried planting thirteen errors on Wikipedia. He did this as a test and to his surprise he found that within three hours all of the errors had been corrected. The article then discusses how accurate Wikipedia is. A study was done to compare the content on Wikipedia to the content in the Encyclopedia Britannica. The study found that on average Wikipedia had one or more errors than the Encyclopedia Britannica. The article then discusses the issues scholars have with Wikipedia. They believe that Wikipedia is not getting expertise because anyone could post or edit a topic. In an interview with the co founder of Wikipedia, he said that “they have been doing a lot to prevent misleading information.” They have editors who regularly check the validity of the information that is posted and they are now requiring that in order to create a topic or post on the site you must be a registered member of Wikipedia.

I personally think Wikipedia is a good resource but only to a certain extinct. It should not be anyone’s only source for information. I think that the study done with the Encyclopedia Britannica proves that it is a valid resource. I use Wikipedia from time to time but when doing research I never let it be my only source for information. I do like the fact that there are editors that check for false information and delete anything that is not true but that still leaves room for error. This article has shown me that I need to have more than one source when collecting information and I must check the information for validity. If I find two to three other sources with the same information as Wikipedia, I will trust its validity but if not I will be skeptical about whether or not it is credible information or not.

Reading Report #1

“Web Hoaxes, Counterfeit Sites, and Other Spurious Information on the Internet” By Paul S. Piper

The article “Web Hoaxes, Counterfeit Sites, and Other Spurious Information on the Internet” discusses misleading websites and information. Some of the information on websites may seem like it is false, but really the sites are just a matter of opinion. The internet can be a great tool but it can also be very misleading and this article discusses how. There are a lot of websites that seem very informative and real, when in reality anyone can post information to these sites. An example from the article of how the internet is misleading is a counterfeit site. This is a site that poses as a legitimate site that gives out misleading information. The author identifies several specific counterfeit sites about Dr. Martin Luther King, the White House, the Makah tribe and the World Trade Organization. Another example is a suspicious website. This is a website that gives misleading information about academic discourse. It will say certain events were proven not to have happened. The author discusses the meaning of disinformation as deliberately giving false information. People can make websites and ask for money for a specific organization or for a tragedy that has occurred and a lot of these sites are false. They will ask for money for victims and their families if something tragic has happened like 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina. Throughout the article, the author gives things to look for on sites to prove if they are real or not including the domain, footnotes and contact information. Also, towards the end the author provides readers with websites used to track false and misleading internet sites.

Overall, I found this article to be very interesting. It provided me with a lot of useful information about misleading information on the internet. It also gave me sites to use to track false websites which is a very handy tool especially when conducting research or when working on a project for school or work. I always knew that some websites were false but I never knew that there were so many different types and that some were so easy to miss. It is hard to believe that people will waste their time making these false sites and providing people with false information but it is a cruel world and a lot of times people just simply do not care. It is good to know the information I gathered from this article not only for myself, but so I can share it with other people as well. I know so many people who will go on a site, read something, tell someone about it and come to find out in the end it was all false. The internet is very tricky and people need to know how to properly use it and need to know when and how to identify a false, misleading website.