More Reading Ideas in which I tell Friend about Literature Resource Center and Books in Print's *awesome* Fiction Connection readers advisory tool. Friend is a big library user -- for taking out books 'n stuff.
He asked me if there was a web resource like allmusic does for music?
"Of course there is!" I replied.
After I emailed him my thoughts on finding authors to read in a certain genre, he wrote back and said that he'd seen that page but never imagined the riches that lay beneath.
Come on library people, what are we going to do about that?!
February 02, 2007
January 31, 2007
Dan Dennett on All in the Mind
Natasha Mitchell did a great interview with Dan Dennett which aired a few weeks ago on All In The Mind. He discussed his new book Breaking the spell : religion as a natural phenomenon, and pleasantly asked the tough questions she asked him. They had a nice rapport, and it was a fun interview.
You can listen to the podcast or read the transcript. When All In The Mind is hot, it's a terrific cog sci listen!
You can listen to the podcast or read the transcript. When All In The Mind is hot, it's a terrific cog sci listen!
January 28, 2007
Usability Talk
I'm going to do a short presentation on usability for Simmons GSLIS (West) on March 24. I'll talk about good usability principles and show some examples from some recent testing I helped do at work. If you're part of the GSLIS community, I hope you'll attend!
Here are some basic readings to get you thinking about usability:
Here are some basic readings to get you thinking about usability:
- Cobus, Laura, Valeda Frances Dent, and Anita Ondrusek. "How Twenty-Eight Users Helped Redesign an Academic Library Web Site." Information Technology & Libraries 44.3 (2005): 232-46. Academic Search Premier.
- Krug, Steve. Don't make me think : a common sense approach to web usabiliity. Que, 2006.
- Nielsen, Jakob. Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design. Alertbox: Current Issues in Web Usability, 1996, updated 2007.
- ---. Usability 101. Alertbox: Current Issues in Web Usability, 2003.
- Nielsen, Jakob, and Marie Tahir. Homepage Usability : 50 Websites Deconstructed. New Riders, 2002.
How Doctors Make Decisions
Interesting article in this week's The New Yorker about how doctors think / make decisions. What's the Trouble, a medical dispatch by Jerome Groopman is subtitled "How Doctors Think." I'd say it's also about how they make decisions, and specifically three kinds of thinking that lead to bad decisions on their part. Malcolm Gladwell covered this a bit in Blink : the power of thinking without thinking, but this is a personal essay on topic.
Groopman describes three kinds of thinking that adversely affect doctors' decision making, with three different anecdotes.
1. Representativeness errors -- you believe what you see and "fail to consider possibilities" that contradict your mental template. The opposite of Occam's razor?
2. Availability errors -- when you see six patients in a row with the flu, and the seventh presents with similar symptoms, you're more apt to diagnose the seventh with the flu too (kind of like word priming, I'd guess); first described by Tversky & Kahneman, in Availability: A heuristic for judging frequency and probability. Cognitive Psychology in 1973. (wikipedia on availability)
3. Personal feelings for a patient -- The good Dr. Groopman admits to missing a diagnosis because he was reluctant to subject his "favorite patient on the ward" to an extensive (and buttocks) exam.
This is interesting for the medical profession, but it has (less dire) implications for librarians too -- I know I make assumptions at the reference desk which color the questions I ask. Sometimes I guess right, but not always, and then I have to backtrack, and occasionally start over.
Finally, Groopman refers to Achieving quality in clinical decision making: cognitive strategies and detection of bias, by Pat Croskerry, published in the 2002 Academic Emergency Medicine for more info.
Groopman describes three kinds of thinking that adversely affect doctors' decision making, with three different anecdotes.
1. Representativeness errors -- you believe what you see and "fail to consider possibilities" that contradict your mental template. The opposite of Occam's razor?
2. Availability errors -- when you see six patients in a row with the flu, and the seventh presents with similar symptoms, you're more apt to diagnose the seventh with the flu too (kind of like word priming, I'd guess); first described by Tversky & Kahneman, in Availability: A heuristic for judging frequency and probability. Cognitive Psychology in 1973. (wikipedia on availability)
3. Personal feelings for a patient -- The good Dr. Groopman admits to missing a diagnosis because he was reluctant to subject his "favorite patient on the ward" to an extensive (and buttocks) exam.
This is interesting for the medical profession, but it has (less dire) implications for librarians too -- I know I make assumptions at the reference desk which color the questions I ask. Sometimes I guess right, but not always, and then I have to backtrack, and occasionally start over.
Finally, Groopman refers to Achieving quality in clinical decision making: cognitive strategies and detection of bias, by Pat Croskerry, published in the 2002 Academic Emergency Medicine for more info.
January 22, 2007
Oxford DNB Podcasts!
Wow, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is offering podcasts podcasts of some of its entries. You can get them in iTunes, or browse their past (podcast) biographees online. They include Maurice Gibb, of the Bee Gees; Alan May, physicist and spy; Barry Sheene, racing motorcyclist; and Denis Thatcher, prime ministerial consort (ha!). There are new podcasts daily.
Great way to move an awesome print resource into the digital age. Browse some entries in the old-fashioned print format.
January 21, 2007
Brain Trauma --> Concussion
Very sad story in last week's New York Times about the suicide of former Philadelphia Eagles safety Andre Waters. Turns out there is a strong connection between repeated concussions and depression (leading to suicide), and also a strong correlation between repeated concussions and early-onset Alzheimer's.
In fact, "neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh ... determined that Mr. Waters’s brain tissue had degenerated into that of an 85-year-old man with similar characteristics as those of early-stage Alzheimer’s victims." Yipes! Waters was 44.
I love football as much as the next girl (ok, probably much more than the next girl), but I don't like to see my boys get hurt like this. I especially like the part where this connection was made by former football player / wrestler and *non-scientist* Chris Nowinski. Fascinating story.
Expert Ties Ex-Player’s Suicide to Brain Damage - New York Times
see also the accompanying graphic Cost of Concussions, showing tissue from Waters' brain and that of a normal brain.
Byline: Alan Schwarz
published on: January 18, 2007
In fact, "neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh ... determined that Mr. Waters’s brain tissue had degenerated into that of an 85-year-old man with similar characteristics as those of early-stage Alzheimer’s victims." Yipes! Waters was 44.
I love football as much as the next girl (ok, probably much more than the next girl), but I don't like to see my boys get hurt like this. I especially like the part where this connection was made by former football player / wrestler and *non-scientist* Chris Nowinski. Fascinating story.
Expert Ties Ex-Player’s Suicide to Brain Damage - New York Times
see also the accompanying graphic Cost of Concussions, showing tissue from Waters' brain and that of a normal brain.
Byline: Alan Schwarz
published on: January 18, 2007
January 19, 2007
Readers' Advisory via LibraryThing?
Heard Tim Spaulding's talk at last October's NEASIS&T Embedded Library program (link to podcast & more info) about LibraryThing and I got inspired. I'd heard about it for ages, of course, but finally I had some time to play with it today.
I plan to use it to keep track of the novels I read. I can never remember what I read before the current title (and I go through about 1 a week) and it seems like a loss not to remember these books. Some of them are great, many are good enough (esp. since I stop reading if they're no good) -- but I only remember a very few.
I had been finding book reviews in LexisNexis, printing them out, and storing them in a binder. I have about 3 years worth of reviews, but I gave that up last fall -- just too much work. But now, a few months into not tracking what I'm reading, I miss it.
I (loosely) cataloged about half of my recent reads in LibraryThing -- I can remember my current book (easy enough to double check that title!) and the one just before that, but earlier than that? No way. Maybe LibraryThing will do the trick.
As I was madly adding books, it occurred to me that this is a great Readers' Advisory resource. I came up with several books I want to read based on what I'd already added to LibraryThing, which I tagged 2B Read (and indicating which books are at UConn!).
Wouldn't this be a fun thing to do with patrons at the desk?
I plan to use it to keep track of the novels I read. I can never remember what I read before the current title (and I go through about 1 a week) and it seems like a loss not to remember these books. Some of them are great, many are good enough (esp. since I stop reading if they're no good) -- but I only remember a very few.
I had been finding book reviews in LexisNexis, printing them out, and storing them in a binder. I have about 3 years worth of reviews, but I gave that up last fall -- just too much work. But now, a few months into not tracking what I'm reading, I miss it.
I (loosely) cataloged about half of my recent reads in LibraryThing -- I can remember my current book (easy enough to double check that title!) and the one just before that, but earlier than that? No way. Maybe LibraryThing will do the trick.
As I was madly adding books, it occurred to me that this is a great Readers' Advisory resource. I came up with several books I want to read based on what I'd already added to LibraryThing, which I tagged 2B Read (and indicating which books are at UConn!).
Wouldn't this be a fun thing to do with patrons at the desk?
Facelift for the Blog
Just doing a bit of renovation on the blog. Perhaps I've been watching a bit too much This Old House ...
January 18, 2007
Presentation Tips
I attended two half-day training sessions recently on presentations & public speaking & came away with several great tips. I'm writing them up here so I don't forget them -- and maybe they'll help you, too!
The training itself was terrific and the presenter modeled what she was teaching us. The teacher was Chris Hand Parliman, principal of FALCON (Future Advantage, Learning, Consulting and Organizational Networking).
Tips for a good intro
* I have a great concept of how the session should start: with a quick beat of silence. I did this by accident during the training session -- I was trying to find the second hand on the clock so I could keep my presentation to 1 minute as requested -- and the silence & expectant looks of the audience were empowering and almost enticing for the class. I want to do that again!
* The intro should take ~10% of the class time (50 minute class = 5 minute intro; three hour class = ~20 minute intro -- that seems a bit long for a weekly class, but we'll see ...). The end should also take ~10% -- same # of minutes as above.
* Tell class / students:
* "Don't be afraid to say 'I don't understand'."
* "Share your experience & knowledge with the class if / when it's relevant"
* "You are all adults & if you have needs (bathroom, stretch, another cup of coffee -- take care of them. Don't need to ask me!"
* Interesting icebreaker: talk to the person next to you and find out enough about them to say whey they're you're hero. We got some great responses in our session!
Tips for the classroom
* Reorient folks after the break -- quickly say something like "we finished our discussion of X before the break, now we're going to talk about Y."
* Maybe have classical music playing in the background as they walk in? (this was an idea generated in the session, but I'm not sure it was Chris'). I will try this with naxos -- a wee bit distracting, comforting, maybe will make folks more comfortable talking among themselves?
Tips for presenting more generally
* Keep your thumb right where you're speaking on your notes -- and move the thumb when you switch to the next topic. That way, when you look down at your notes, you know where you are in your presentation.
* Remember to breathe & put spaces between words so the audience has a chance to digest what you've just said. Try to avoid "ums" and "uhs" -- distracting for audience & doesn't leave time for processing. (I'm sure there's some great cog sci research on this!)
* Pay attention to the side of the room that is your non-dominant hand. If you are left-handed, you'll have a tendency to look at the left side of the room, so try to consciously pay attention to the right side of the room.
* Fidgeting takes away from your point, so have something small to fidget with (I think pens are too big, but that's what I like -- 'cause then you can write with them, too). Also, try to time your body fidgets -- i.e., movement -- with a change in point. So if you're talking about X and X and X -- stay in one place. Then M_O_V_E when you start to talk about Y.
* If you ask for questions and there are none, say "last time I taught this class, people asked ABC" and answer ABC question. Even if it's not true, you can imagine a
* Tell them what you're doing when you're not speaking -- i.e. look at your notes and say "I want to make sure I covered everything. Hmmm. Yup, that's it."
* Another cog sci tip: if you use notes, put some blue / green / pink paper behind your notes so that the audience doesn't see WHITE paper by your face. It's harsh and can be distracting. Some of my classmates tried their presentations with blue or pink paper, and I was much better able to focus on their face & what they were saying. Fascinating but true!
* Don't speak when writing on the board. This helps you write better, and it helps the audience take in what you're writing. After you're done, you can review what you wrote -- and they can read it. :-)
What about problems?
We talked about some problems that can arise from the audience -- here are the answers to four I identified with ...
1. Hostile response from someone(s) about what you're saying.
Them: "You mean I have to ... &*(^@# ?!"
You: "I know you know a lot about this PersonName -- but let me get through this part and then we'll discuss during the Q&A. Don't let me forget!"
Take control back, but don't forget them. Chris emphasizes that your setup is very important here -- if you've said there will be Q&A at the end (at 1:45, say), then in this situation, you can say "I'll be done with my part in 10 minutes, and then we can discuss this." And *do* discuss it -- but on your terms, not theirs.
2. Comments that aren't relevant in the middle of your presentation.
Them: "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah"
You: "Good point, PersonName. Does anyone else want to comment on that?"
You step in when they breathe and MOVE to another spot as you say your phrase. You're changing the focus from them back to you.
3. They interrupt your awesome presentation when you don't want to be interrupted.
Them: "I think that we should be talking about the environment"
You: "Great idea -- we'll come back to that in a few minutes / during the Q&A"
You praise them for a good idea, then defer the comment until YOU want to talk about it. AND you walk away while you say your thing to indicate that you're going back to YOUR topic.
4. If a few of them are talking while you are, stop and say "Your talking is distracting me and the rest of the class. You can ask me a question if you don't understand, or take the conversation into the hall, or talk to me during the break - - but please stop talking while I am."
Great ideas -- thanks Chris!
The training itself was terrific and the presenter modeled what she was teaching us. The teacher was Chris Hand Parliman, principal of FALCON (Future Advantage, Learning, Consulting and Organizational Networking).
Tips for a good intro
* I have a great concept of how the session should start: with a quick beat of silence. I did this by accident during the training session -- I was trying to find the second hand on the clock so I could keep my presentation to 1 minute as requested -- and the silence & expectant looks of the audience were empowering and almost enticing for the class. I want to do that again!
* The intro should take ~10% of the class time (50 minute class = 5 minute intro; three hour class = ~20 minute intro -- that seems a bit long for a weekly class, but we'll see ...). The end should also take ~10% -- same # of minutes as above.
* Tell class / students:
* "Don't be afraid to say 'I don't understand'."
* "Share your experience & knowledge with the class if / when it's relevant"
* "You are all adults & if you have needs (bathroom, stretch, another cup of coffee -- take care of them. Don't need to ask me!"
* Interesting icebreaker: talk to the person next to you and find out enough about them to say whey they're you're hero. We got some great responses in our session!
Tips for the classroom
* Reorient folks after the break -- quickly say something like "we finished our discussion of X before the break, now we're going to talk about Y."
* Maybe have classical music playing in the background as they walk in? (this was an idea generated in the session, but I'm not sure it was Chris'). I will try this with naxos -- a wee bit distracting, comforting, maybe will make folks more comfortable talking among themselves?
Tips for presenting more generally
* Keep your thumb right where you're speaking on your notes -- and move the thumb when you switch to the next topic. That way, when you look down at your notes, you know where you are in your presentation.
* Remember to breathe & put spaces between words so the audience has a chance to digest what you've just said. Try to avoid "ums" and "uhs" -- distracting for audience & doesn't leave time for processing. (I'm sure there's some great cog sci research on this!)
* Pay attention to the side of the room that is your non-dominant hand. If you are left-handed, you'll have a tendency to look at the left side of the room, so try to consciously pay attention to the right side of the room.
* Fidgeting takes away from your point, so have something small to fidget with (I think pens are too big, but that's what I like -- 'cause then you can write with them, too). Also, try to time your body fidgets -- i.e., movement -- with a change in point. So if you're talking about X and X and X -- stay in one place. Then M_O_V_E when you start to talk about Y.
* If you ask for questions and there are none, say "last time I taught this class, people asked ABC" and answer ABC question. Even if it's not true, you can imagine a
* Tell them what you're doing when you're not speaking -- i.e. look at your notes and say "I want to make sure I covered everything. Hmmm. Yup, that's it."
* Another cog sci tip: if you use notes, put some blue / green / pink paper behind your notes so that the audience doesn't see WHITE paper by your face. It's harsh and can be distracting. Some of my classmates tried their presentations with blue or pink paper, and I was much better able to focus on their face & what they were saying. Fascinating but true!
* Don't speak when writing on the board. This helps you write better, and it helps the audience take in what you're writing. After you're done, you can review what you wrote -- and they can read it. :-)
What about problems?
We talked about some problems that can arise from the audience -- here are the answers to four I identified with ...
1. Hostile response from someone(s) about what you're saying.
Them: "You mean I have to ... &*(^@# ?!"
You: "I know you know a lot about this PersonName -- but let me get through this part and then we'll discuss during the Q&A. Don't let me forget!"
Take control back, but don't forget them. Chris emphasizes that your setup is very important here -- if you've said there will be Q&A at the end (at 1:45, say), then in this situation, you can say "I'll be done with my part in 10 minutes, and then we can discuss this." And *do* discuss it -- but on your terms, not theirs.
2. Comments that aren't relevant in the middle of your presentation.
Them: "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
You: "Good point, PersonName. Does anyone else want to comment on that?"
You step in when they breathe and MOVE to another spot as you say your phrase. You're changing the focus from them back to you.
3. They interrupt your awesome presentation when you don't want to be interrupted.
Them: "I think that we should be talking about the environment"
You: "Great idea -- we'll come back to that in a few minutes / during the Q&A"
You praise them for a good idea, then defer the comment until YOU want to talk about it. AND you walk away while you say your thing to indicate that you're going back to YOUR topic.
4. If a few of them are talking while you are, stop and say "Your talking is distracting me and the rest of the class. You can ask me a question if you don't understand, or take the conversation into the hall, or talk to me during the break - - but please stop talking while I am."
Great ideas -- thanks Chris!
January 16, 2007
Cog Sci Publications @ Hampshire
Just discovered a cool way to use Scopus author affiliation + RSS feed to create a dynamic list of new publications.
Check out what folks in the School of Cognitive Science at Hampshire have written lately:
Note that this is only publications that are indexed by Scopus, so it may not be a comprehensive list. Also, if you're not at an institution that has Scopus, you won't be able to see more than this list.
Still, it's a great mix of technology & LIS, and a nice way to promote current publications by faculty, colleagues, etc.
(you can also see what the UConn Communication Science faculty have written lately...)
Check out what folks in the School of Cognitive Science at Hampshire have written lately:
Note that this is only publications that are indexed by Scopus, so it may not be a comprehensive list. Also, if you're not at an institution that has Scopus, you won't be able to see more than this list.
Still, it's a great mix of technology & LIS, and a nice way to promote current publications by faculty, colleagues, etc.
(you can also see what the UConn Communication Science faculty have written lately...)
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