Articles Posted in Uncategorized

Whoever thought librarians and other information providers don’t have lots to laugh and talk about when their work day is done, had better think again. The Sept 4th SF Chronicle had a great story, “Pig balls and stuck skunks: A 311 customer service rep has a window onto San Francisco’s secret heart,” by Chris Colin:

‘Forget the Golden Gate Bridge and House of Nanking and Zeitgeist on a summer night — the heart of San Francisco beats loudest on the carpeted second floor of that South Van Ness building you thought was Bank of America.
“Thank you for calling San Francisco 311, this is Kyle speaking, how may I help you?”
“Yes, there’s a skunk with his head stuck …”

Kyle Sutton is one of 50 or so customer service representatives, or CSRs, asking this question 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The free service launched in March not just to funnel 2,300 government phone numbers into a single line, but to give the city more of a service orientation. About 6,000 calls come in every day, and program director Ed Reiskin says 311 is on track to answer 2 million a year. …’

A new Bedsworth to make these last few day of summer enchantment lighter and funnier and less bittersweet. Beds takes on crime and punishment this month. Can life in the law get any better?

Scan this Book! … An interview with the Open Content Alliance’s Brewster Kahle (by Andrew Richard Albanese — Library Journal, 8/15/2007)

Open source digital preservation software: Lots of Librarians Can Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS) (by Karen G. Schneider — Library Journal, 8/15/2007)

IM/Chat: IM a Librarian: Establishing a Virtual Reference Service with Little Cost or Technical Skill by Bonnie Shucha

A local blogger, NW Republican, weighs in on the American Federation of Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO v. Oregon Taxpayers United Pac case (S054403) that will be argued before the Oregon Supreme Court on September 10th, 2007.

For a summary of the case, and a link to the calendar, go here.

From the Court’s web site:

No, this isn’t from a Mark Twain short story or a defense department contract. It’s better! A Portland brewpub is getting creative with some of its financing. See the story in the Oregonian (8/28/07), “Beer lover? Foodie? Checkbook, please,” byline Jonathan Brinckman.

Don’t jump to sour grapes mode too fast. If you read the contract, know the owners’ track record, frequent the pub, don’t confuse this with an investment, know the risks, you might want to plonk down that $2,500 for, no, not more plonk, but some good beer and a guaranteed seat. Maybe not a bad way at all to invest in your neighborhood?

Excerpt (highlights are mine):

Are you good at coming up with clever, prize-winning nicknames? Look no further:

From Trimet:

“Get on board now! Create a nickname for the new commuter rail in Washington County that opens fall 2008 and runs 14.7 miles between Beaverton and Wilsonville.
Enter TriMet’s train-naming contest and you could win an annual TriMet transit pass valued at $836 and a preview ride next year on a commuter rail train, along with the everlasting glow of seeing your winning name on the rail vehicles and marketing materials for years to come. Remember, the winning name will be simple, fun and memorable.
Entries must be received at TriMet no later than 5 p.m. Monday, October 1, 2007. Enter now!”

The Oregon Labor & Employment Law blog is back in action. The latest post, August 27th, begins:

“The Oregon Supreme Court issued an opinion in Richard Joarnt v. Autozone, Inc., on August 16, 2007 overruling the Oregon Court of Appeals and holding that a party who files a class action under in state court may file an interlocutory appeal under ORS 19.224 before a class has been certified….”

The Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) is switching from WP to MS Word. The transition will take several months. Each county may keep to its own schedule for this process.

Legal Research in a Podcast? You bet and don’t worry. Bob Berring can make legal research fun and enlightening. Visit Berring on Legal Research.

Thanks to the Law Librarian blog for the link.