Last week was Sunshine Week, a week to celebrate and promote the idea of transparency in government (local, state, and federal). The idea is the more transparent the government the more the public knows what the government is doing in the public’s name and how the government is spending the public’s tax dollars. The information will help the public and other government officials make informed decisions and informed votes. There are definite issues dealing with privacy and security, and the issue is not black and white. The challenge is to define that line. Though it seems the presumption of openness is better than secrecy. Below are resources that may help one inform his/herself about the federal government and legislators. Plus, many state and local government sites are useful.

• OpenSecrets.org
• OpenCongress.org
• OMBwatch.org
• Project Vote Smart

Last week, I sat in on a webinar (terrible word) on OCLC’s WorldCat Local.  This catalog interface appears to be more useful than the general OPAC.  I like the idea that the Local holdingds display first, then the regional consortium, and finally the rest of WorldCat.  WorldCat Local also provides the social network options.  A patron may add a record to his social network (e.g. del.ic.ous) and add comments to a record.  The record holding also list articles from certain databases (I hope more are added int eh future).  I think this interface is headed in the right direction, but it is needs more improvements and there are free options (e.g. Plymouth State University) being used and in development.

The New York Times conducted a study with comScore and found Internet companies are gathering more and more information on users.  The article, To Aim Ads, Web is Keeping Closer Eye on You, by Louise Story explains the findings.  I only wish she had more quotes from the interviewees.

PC Magazine has put together a list of The Best Free Software.  It places each program into a category (e.g. Operating System, Blogging, Firewall).  I have used some of these, especially the ones listed in the “Hall of Fame.”  Look through this list and see if any of the program will make life a little easier.

A friend (DanToday) of mine clued me in to the MIT SIMILE project.   The SIMILE Exhibit project is quite interesting.  The Exhibit page provides examples and I foresee many uses for it.  We probably will use it for our archival online exhibits, and may use it for finding periodical indexes and databases, and possibly a journal or book finder.

Many librarians have received interesting, if not funny questions from time to time.  An example from Funny you should ask - Do you have any information on “vertical vans?”  After a long discussion it was determined the patron wanted information on “varicose veins.”

Anyway, I have received a couple questions from interesting routes.  One student came to the desk and asked if I could help her.  We walked over to her computer and she wanted to know how to use the virtual reference program so she could ask a librarian a question right now.  So instead of asking me the question directly, she asked how to use an online chat program to ask another librarian her question.  I answered her question and explained the virtual reference program.  I know some people use virtual reference programs because it is anonymous or because they are shy.  This was not the case here.

Last week, I received a call (transfered from the front desk) from a student who wanted information on companies.  I proceeded to explain a number of resources.  After a few minutes something about the background noise made me asked her if she was at her computer.  She told me she was at a public phone.  Which I found a bit strange and asked myself is she on campus? off campus?  After another question she informed me she was at the public phone in the library’s vestibule, which is 10 feet from my office!  I asked her to come in the library and I would assist her.  After she came in we walked over to her computer in the lab, which is 10 feet from my office, and I helped her.  So she was working on her computer, got up, walked past my office, walked past the front desk, enter the vestibule, and called the library’s front desk.