The "Distant-yet-Distinct" Librarian

Open Access and Open Journal Publishing: Winds of change are profound !!

2011-03-31T14:00:00.003+05:30

Dear friends,

I came across an interesting article in PLoS Medicine March 2011 issue that discusses open access publishing. Dr. Subbaiah Arunachalam, a co-author of this article is a pioneer in promoting open access in India. He has always advocated and supported open access for academic journals. The article highlights are, quote:

Unequal access to and distribution of public knowledge is governed by Northern standards and is increasingly inappropriate in the age of the networked “Invisible College”.
Academic journals remain the primary distribution mechanism for research findings, but commercial journals are largely unaffordable for developing countries; local journals—more relevant to resolving problems in the South—are near-invisible and under-valued.
Donor solutions are unsustainable, are governed by markets rather than user needs, and instil dependency.
Open access is sustainable and research driven and builds independence and the capacity to establish a strong research base; it is already converting local journals to international journals.
However, as open access becomes the norm, standards for the assessment of journal quality and relevance remain based on Northern values that ignore development needs and marginalise local scholarship.

unquote.

Prior to publication of this article, Dr. Arunachalam, along with his co-authors Leslie Chan and Barabara Kirsop has guest blogged on Speaking of Medicine: PLOS Medicine Community Blog regarding withdrawal of journal access by commercial publishers, its after-effects, and alternatives like open access and open publishing. The blog post was entitled "Withdrawal of journal access is a wake-up call for researchers in the developing world". Indeed!! Researchers need to understand the fact that if they wish to generate more visibility to their research and ideas, they need to turn to open journal publishing models and not resort to commercial publishing.

I observe, open journal publishing trend is also like open source software that was not welcomed and accepted a few years ago. Today, the winds of change are profound. So much so that the community of librarians have embraced the open source software to its core. I, as one of such kind, strongly support and vouch for anything open and free of monopoly. Being an experienced professional, I have always tried to publish my views and observations in peer-reviewed open access journals as a modest initiative. Most of the open access journal initiatives are now supported by giants like PLoS (Public Library of Science), MedInd etc. and are peer-reviewed. They are sure to have good impact factors and so also the authors will enjoy good citation ranking.

So, authors, researchers and passionate writers please switch over to open journal publishing and increase and improve your visibility. The time is NOW and YOU are the Change!!

Happy publishing!!

Hathi Trust Digital Library

2011-03-31T13:29:00.001+05:30

Dear friends,

HathiTrust is a partnership of major research institutions and libraries working to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future. There are more than fifty partners in HathiTrust, and membership is open to institutions worldwide.

The HathiTrust Digital Library provides access to some of the very old and classic texts from several contributing institutions, consortia and universities viz., Triangle Research Libraries Network, University of California, Arizona State University, MIT etc. to name a few.
Not only this, HathiTrust has been certified as a trustworthy digital repository by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) in 2011, through their rigorous Trustworthy Repositories Audit and Certification (TRAC) assessment program. Only a small number of digital repositories have been granted this certification.

Wish you all a happy browsing and accessing!!

Online engineering education information site

2011-03-30T13:11:00.001+05:30

Dear friends,

Edgar Diaz and Samantha Rhodes maintain an online engineering education information site "Online Engineering Degree" They say it is an nonprofit online resource created to explain to students their options and some of the advantages and disadvantages of getting an online engineering degree.

Happy visiting!!

Online courses for Engineering students from NPTEL

2011-03-01T15:08:00.001+05:30

Dear readers,

I guess, we have earlier discussed about open courseware of MIT. Similarly we have NPTEL courses for Engineering students as a joint collaboration of IITs and IISc in India started a few years ago.

According to the NPTEL website,

"The main objective of NPTEL program is to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country by developing curriculum based video and web courses"

I hope it will be a useful resource for many students.

What kind of learner are you?

2011-03-01T14:59:00.001+05:30

Here's an interesting note.

Learning styles refer to the variations in your ability to accumulate as well as assimilate information. Basically, your learning style is the method that best allows you to gather and use knowledge in a specific manner. (http://www.ldpride.net/)

In general we hear the experts say that there are three kinds of learning styles, viz.:

Visual learning - learning by seeing, watching, perceiving etc.;
Auditory learning - learning by listening, hearing, discussing etc. ; and
Kinesthetic/tactile learning - learning by experiencing, hands-on, role play etc.

Most of us usually possess a single style or could possess a combination of different learning styles, which can usually be observed at a relatively young age. Identifying one's learning style helps him to adapt the learning process and maximize personal, professional and academic / educational opportunities.

If you want to know what kind of learner you are, you can visit http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html and take a simple test. It is interesting!! The site even has a freely downloadable book on 'Understanding Your Learning Styles'. You may even identify the learning style of your child, so that the next time your child shows low interest in listening to the lessons, you may try an alternative technique!!

A species called librarians - Dinosaurs or Phenix? Or the ugly ducklings?

2010-10-12T15:22:00.000+05:30

Dear Readers,

Today I have a little different topic for discussion here.

My doctoral research of five years on change, resistance and change management in library and information centres across the academic and research sectors has given me a great insight into different versions of this ongoing debate of changes in the external environment in general and knowledge and information environment in academic and research sectors in particular. With emerging Web 2.0 technologies and ideas like Library 2.0 I began to gather confidence about the growth of library profession again. But some of my recent experiences have again thrown a bouncer into my face inspite of my evident efforts in the direction of resurrection.

My question to you is very simple and repetitious (like many others) as ever. In this digital era and future generations of ipad kids, why do we need libraries and librarians at all? Should we exist or should we cease to?

Musing over this bouncer I roughly ran a search on Google (Phew! hail the popular notion - Google is God!). The following are some of the hits that intrigued me and I would like to cite and discuss.

The first one is from a Nature network blog, Scientists and librarians: friend or foe by Martin Fenner posted on Jan 24, 2010. He mentions, following the ScienceOnline2010 conference, librarian Dorothea Salo wrote on her blog:

This disconnect is the number-one threat to science librarianship today—perhaps to all academic librarianship. How can science libraries persist when scientists haven't the least notion that libraries or librarians are relevant to their work?

I share the concern of Dorothea. This is what we get to hear while amongst an elite gathering of scientists and academicians. The undaunted expression 'this species now has to cease to exist' is unmistakably flaunted by most people at most places.

While we also cannot deny the efforts of several librarians and library veterans in attempting to justify our existence and roles and to find alternatives for survival in this ever-changing world. While keeping a base of our traditional knowledge and library philosophy, we have always been attempting to strike a balance and invent new roles for ourselves. Some of them would be to participate more actively in the core business of our organizations like partnering in teaching-learning activities, acting as information manager/facilitator/provider (or whatever may suit the occasion) in scientific projects, so much so that now the librarians have a new area to enter (some have already entered) the open access publishing. This is one area which is gathering a quick momentum.

If we try and travel back in time we come across certain facts that cannot be denied.

1. All of today's scientists and academicians have come a long way, making a humble beginning, taking step after step. When they started their professional journeys, they too did not have this wider access to technology of which they talk of to compare the librarians as mundane and rustic.

2. All of them have built their charismatic and enigmatic careers with the help of the then 'brick and mortar' libraries only, which have been organized and maintained by the librarians for fostering their growth and promotion.

3. It was this species of librarians who have, first of all, gracefully accepted and embraced the technology, even earlier to banking sector.

4. When the librarians are continuously accepting the changes and metamorphosing themselves as per the need of the hour by inventing new roles, fitting into them and delivering products also, why this debate has to still continue even after so many long years?

5. A scientist or an academician is an expert in his or her own field, at the most in a couple of areas looking at today's inter-disciplinarity and cross-boundary research. But the poor librarian neither complains of the multifariousness of his role nor does he discourages himself from attempting to atleast know of about the field of research or educational endeavors his parent organization's business is in. Does this make a jack of all trades and master of none? He is still a master in his own profession. The information business!

Christina Pikas, a science and engineering librarian writes on her blog after quoting Dorothea's Salo's ScienceOnline 2010 conference experience: This isn't exactly what I had in mind. I do know that people (and more so engineers and scientists) consult their friends first, then their files, then after trying everything else, consult the library. It's sort of the library/librarian as goalie metaphor (you know, 10 other people missed the ball so the goalie has to save it). Of course, many - if not most - give up before getting to the library. And then there's web search engines which may be before or after friends, I don't think the evidence has sifted up enough to determine that order (most of the studies were done prior to the ubiquitous web)..... So one of my things is to try to get into the friends list. If not friend, then at least to make enough contacts so that the scientists and engineers I work with might think of me when they need information.

I get Christina's point of making our space among the core crowd of the organization. But Dorothea's experience is of more general in nature, in a much larger crowd amidst knowns and unknowns. I have also had such experiences while participating in some of the seminars out of my professional discipline. The point is acceptance of librarianship as a a profession at par with other professions and amongst a much wider gathering.

It is not that the librarians are not able to keep pace with technology or not interested in upgrading themselves or saving their profession from becoming extinct. A simple search about the changing roles and libraries on Google returns a million various websites including books, journal articles, research reports and papers, white papers and position papers, technical conferences and blogs buzzing with ways and means of keeping pace with today's change and being relevant in the business.

There was yet another point in favour of extinction of librarianship that the Generation Y (if I have not mistakenly identified) is born and brought up with ipads and ipods, who will in all probability will never know that something called library used to ever exist. The New York Times has published an interesting column on this debate on Feb 10, 2010. As a librarian, yes, I am thinking about this argument, but more than that as a parent I am forced to think about it even more in terms of my kids (ofcourse) and kids' kids (more obviously)! I have heard of some good libraries in the community places for kids in some places where nannies or grannies (preferably) take their pre-schoolers and kids to the libraries serving the purpose of a good outing, a refreshing walk alongside green environs. If we deprive them of such a facility in their neighborhood and schools just because they get everything on their modern digital gadgets, what would be the result?

Are we not contributing to worsening their physical health in a way? It is we who raise a hue and cry when there is newspaper reporting about kids being affected by Type II Diabetes? We put the blame conveniently on today's lifestyle. What does lifestyle comprise of? Eating and sleeping habits? It also comprises of the physical activity. Is Internet and mobile gaming an alternative to playground? If we consciously are able to say NO to this question, then we should be conscious enough to say a NO to the statement that the digital devices are the best alternatives to printed books and brick n mortar libraries. Are we replacing the teachers in school with these digital devices? From now on: the educational technology journal, Vol 19 (4), March 2010 has published an article authored by Jamie McKenzie in support of the argument "Why Do We Still Need Librarians".

As a parent I am well aware that the e-learning technology has already entered the scholastic arena. But we are supplementing our teaching-learning methodology with these technological advancements and not complementing them. Ain't we? Then why are we hell bent upon replacing the librarians with digital devices thinking that the work-flows and process-flows have been now streamlined and need no intervention?

A human being is a social animal....a very widely known and acknowledged fact. People want to interact with each other and share emotions, happiness, fears and concerns, and look for help. I found some interesting pictures to share. It does not mean that I am against technology, otherwise I would not be writing this blog. I am trying to differentiate between technological advancement and technolust.

Who is controlling whom?

Moving towards the end of this long discussion, I have two important news items to share. At their outset they look as though they are signaling the Armageddon befalling the librarianship. A careful reading does highlight the importance of paper medium even in this digital age. Some excerpts are worth mentioning.

1. Stanford Ushers In The Age of Bookless Libraries by Laura Sydell, July 8, 2010. When the university realized the crunch for physical space they have decided to digitize 85% of their collection instead of erecting another building to house their growing collection. Now, only 10,000 books sit on the library racks physically. The library director Michel Keller expects eventually there will not be any books in future. However, the report also says, "Meanwhile, back at Stanford's new Engineering Library, librarians are looking forward to spending less time with books and more time with people."...............further, some Stanford students express mixed feelings about the shift. Engineering student Sam Tsai is checking out some old-fashioned paper books. He expresses, to read a book on the screen is kind of tiring for me," Tsai says, "so I sometimes like [the] paper form. But if I can access books online, it's much more convenient for me, so I would actually prefer that as well."

2. Digitizing the Personal Library, Jennifer Howard, published in The Chronicle of Higher Education of 28 Sep, 2010. She reports, "Alexander Halavais, an associate professor of communications at Quinnipiac University, found a partial solution to his city dweller's no-space-for-books dilemma: Slice and scan. The Chronicle asked Mr. Halavais whether the scanned books still felt like a library. Without a physical presence, "no, they really don't," he said. The scanned material "feels like a resource, but it does not feel like a library in the same way."

Well, these are some of my ramblings. So it is for each one of us to answer for ourselves, irrespective of whether we belong to the species of librarians or not, that do we spend our time and effort in duplicating and doing what the librarians are adept at, all by ourselves or do we leave it to them to continue doing their jobs and also magnanimously and candidly allowing them to become one amongst everyone, like a thread in the fabric, occasionally rendering a little glitch to the fabric by way of inventing and fitting themselves into new roles for themselves?

NASA Imagery Added to The Commons

2010-10-11T13:33:00.003+05:30

Dear readers,

This ResourceBlog Article reports about NASA's imagery added to The Commons' gallery of Flickr. Read on, browse through the photostream and enjoy!!

The World e-book fair for the year 2010

2010-07-12T17:41:00.002+05:30

Hello Readers.

The World e-book fair for the year 2010 is here again from the 4th of July until 4th of August. Download from over 3.5 million free e-book titles and enjoy your pick.

Free Calculators for Engineers

2010-02-17T14:36:00.002+05:30

Hello dear readers,

Calculator Edge is an online free engineering calculators site for engineers and students. It features more than a few hundred calculators for solving complex equations and formulae in the field of Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Electronics, Civil, Metallurgy, Oil & Gas, Optical, Plastics, Ceramics, Physics, Mathematics etc.

2009-12-04T14:34:00.003+05:30

Hello readers,
Yet another interesting social networking tool from Google!! "Google Wave" according to Google sources, is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A "wave" can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.
Since a "wave" is shared, any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.
What's more? It is also live!! With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.
Google says, a "wave" can be used in a variety of ways like, for organizing events, group projects, photo sharing, meeting notes, brainstorming etc. It is also bundled with some powerful featured extensions like Google Maps, Lab Pixies, Rabbit for telephone conferencing calls, Rosy - the live translation tool, a real time video chatting extension and many more!!
Seems interesting..........need to explore.

Free OCR Tool on Web

2009-12-04T14:30:00.001+05:30

Dear readers,

Free-OCR.com is a free online OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool. You can use this to perform OCR on any image you supply. This service is free, no registration necessary. We also do not need your email address. Just upload your image files. Free-OCR takes either a JPG, GIF, TIFF BMP or PDF (only first page). The only restriction is that the images must not be larger than 2MB, no wider or higher than 5000 pixels and there is a limit of 10 image uploads per hour. Enjoy!!

Free access to articles by 2009 Nobel Laureates - Courtesy Springer

2009-12-04T14:25:00.003+05:30

Dear readers,
Springer is offering all journal articles and book chapters written by this year’s Nobel Prize laureates free of charge on its online information platform www.springerlink.com. The articles and chapters will be available to print out or download from now until 31 December 2009. Enjoy your reading!!

Interesting Resources on Mechanical Engineering - Materials Engineering Senior Design

2009-10-21T21:16:00.004+05:30

Hello friends.

Jay Bhatt, Librarian for Engineering at Drexel University has provided links to some very good resources on Mechanical Engineering - Materials Engineering Senior Design. They comprise of some online books, dissertations and theses as well. He has spanned the areas like Motor Sports, Magnetic Materials, Automobiles, Nanomaterials, Biopolymers, Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Sensor Netwroks, Aircraft Design.....to name a few. The older posts on the blog include resources to Biomedical Engineering Design Resources and a lot more. Thanks Jay!

Emerald Journal of the Week

2009-09-15T11:38:00.004+05:30

Hello all.

World's reputed publisher of Management journals, Emerald offers free access to one journal at a time each week. Journal of this week is Leadership & Organizational Development. The journal explores behavioural and managerial issues relating to all aspects of leadership, and of individual and organization development, from a global perspective. Business management students can find interesting topics and articles of high standard in this journal. The journal is useful for Theology students as well in cross-disciplinary perspective.

Fashion: From Concept to Consumer

2009-07-30T16:03:00.003+05:30

Hi.
The following link gives you interesting and useful supplementary information from the book Fashion: From Concept to Consumer, 8th Ed. by Gini Stephens Frings. It has objective questions, useful weblinks and above all chapter-wise powerpoint slideshows too.

This information is useful to those engaged in teaching Dress Designing & Tailoring as well as Textile Designing & Printing. Hope you'll enjoy it.

World e-book fair

2009-07-11T18:40:00.003+05:30

Hello Friends.

The Fourth Annual World E-Book Fair is on from 4th of July until 4th August. It has contributions from over 100 e-libraries from around the world. Access is available to 2 million e-books, the site says. Some of the interesting collections are from the Himalayan Academy Sacred Hindu Collection, The Sacred Religious Collection, Project Madurai, Technical E-book Collection, and many more.

Download and enjoy!!

Sage e-Reference on Trial

2009-03-03T15:00:00.013+05:30

Hello friends.
SAGE Reference Online provides access to more than 80 authoritative, award-winning, and interdisciplinary encyclopedias in the social sciences. You can REGISTER NOW for 30 days of free online access to the SAGE Reference Online Platform.
Of special interest to the theology students is the Encyclopedia of Time: Science, Philosophy, Theology & Culture. You can find information on several theologians and philosophers. A little more detailed information about this work....

“What is time? Did it have a beginning? Will it ever end? These are profound questions that have been asked by serious thinkers over the centuries. Both philosophers and theologians have offered dynamic worldviews to accommodate new facts and ideas about time and change. Because of its elusiveness, time still challenges those individuals who strive to understand and appreciate the flux of reality and the pervasive influence of time on all objects and events within it.” Edited by H. James Birx, this encyclopedia surveys those major facts, concepts, theories, and speculations that infuse our present comprehension of time. Its inclusive orientation recognizes the contributions of not only scientists and philosophers, but also theologians and creative artists from various fields.

H. James Birx, Ph.D., D.Sci., is professor of anthropology at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. He received both his M.A. in anthropology and Ph.D. with distinction in philosophy from the State University of New York—University at Buffalo. His writings and lectures in natural science and process philosophy embrace both a cosmic perspective and an evolutionary framework. Dr. Birx has published over 400 chapters, articles, introductions and reviews, authored six books, and edited 11 other volumes, receiving awards for both his Theories of Evolution and the five-volume Encyclopedia of Anthropology. His other works include Human Evolution, Interpreting Evolution: Darwin & Teilhard de Chardin, and the scientific monograph Craniometry of the Orchid Site Ossuary.

In this New Year...........Peep Peep Don't Sleep !!

2008-12-27T13:12:00.007+05:30

Hello Friends.

Its been quite sometime that I have posted some interesting. It was merry festivus and hope all of you have enjoyed. With the New Year round the corner, let me wish you all a Very Happy and a Prosperous New Year ahead.
Wish you Happy 2009 !
So this season many of you must be planning to take a break from routine and drive down to spend some time in solace. We've come across so many mishaps due to poor traffic habits which send chills down our spines. But thanks to Mr. Ajay Jain for taking pain to drive down 10,000 kms in India only to put together a wonderful as well as wise collection of road safety signs. He does not stop here. He has even published his thoughtful work in the form his new book "Peep Peep Don't Sleep" which is now available for purchase in India and abroad. Since most of us love to drive, I personally feel this book is of use to all of us. Its a 'must read' for every one in India especially. These little words of wisdom are gleeful yet convey the right message across. If you wish to take a look at the sample chapters of the book and see what they are like you can access Mr. Ajay Jain's blog here and open/download pdf files. You can see colourful pictures of Himachal and Kashmir along with his road signs cheerfully guiding the passersby. If you are further interested you can go ahead and purchase this book online from A1 Books. Well, we all should realize and keep in mind that road safety is a must for all of us to help save our lives as well as others'.

Happy Deepavali

2008-10-25T00:17:00.006+05:30

Dear Readers,

Wish you all a very happy Deepavali and a prosperous New Year ahead !!
Deepawali is the most important festival of Hindus in India. This festival traditionally marks the victory of good over evil. It believes in driving away the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge.

The following article on Deepavali by Swami Sivananda is an interesting exposition. It is a chapter extract from the book "Hindu Fasts and Festivals" penned by Swami Sivananda.

DEEPAVALI or Diwali means "a row of lights". It falls on the last two days of the dark half of Kartik (October-November). For some it is a three-day festival. It commences with the Dhan-Teras, on the 13th day of the dark half of Kartik, followed the next day by the Narak Chaudas, the 14th day, and by Deepavali proper on the 15th day.

There are various alleged origins attributed to this festival. Some hold that they celebrate the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Kali. It also commemorates that blessed day on which the triumphant Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. On this day also Sri Krishna killed the demon Narakasura.

In South India people take an oil bath in the morning and wear new clothes. They partake of sweetmeats. They light fireworks which are regarded as the effigies of Narakasura who was killed on this day. They greet one another, asking, "Have you had your Ganges bath?" which actually refers to the oil bath that morning as it is regarded as purifying as a bath in the holy Ganges.

Everyone forgets and forgives the wrongs done by others. There is an air of freedom, festivity and friendliness everywhere. This festival brings about unity. It instils charity in the hearts of people. Everyone buys new clothes for the family. Employers, too, purchase new clothes for their employees.

Waking up during the Brahmamuhurta (at 4a.m.) is a great blessing from the standpoint of health, ethical discipline, efficiency in work and spiritual advancement. It is on Deepavali that everyone wakes up early in the morning. The sages who instituted this custom must have cherished the hope that their descendents would realise its benefits and make it a regular habit in their lives.

In a happy mood of great rejoicing village folk move about freely, mixing with one another without any reserve, all enmity being forgotten. People embrace one another with love. Deepavali is a great unifying force. Those with keen inner spiritual ears will clearly hear the voice of the sages, "O Children of God! unite, and love all". The vibrations produced by the greetings of love which fill the atmosphere are powerful enough to bring about a change of heart in every man and woman in the world. Alas! That heart has considerably hardened, and only a continuous celebration of Deepavali in our homes can rekindle in us the urgent need of turning away from the ruinous path of hatred.

On this day Hindu merchants in North India open their new account books and pray for success and prosperity during the coming year. The homes are cleaned and decorated by day and illuminated by night with earthern oil-lamps. The best and finest illuminations are to be seen in Bombay and Amritsar. The famous Golden Temple at Amritsar is lit in the evening with thousands of lamps placed all over the steps of the big tank. Vaishnavites celebrate the Govardhan Puja and feed the poor on a large scale.

O Ram! The light of lights, the self-luminous inner light of the Self is ever shining steadily in the chamber of your heart. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Withdraw the senses. Fix the mind on this supreme light and enjoy the real Deepavali, by attaining illumination of the soul.

He who Himself sees all but whom no one beholds, who illumines the intellect, the sun, the moon and the stars and the whole universe but whom they cannot illumine, He indeed is Brahman, He is the inner Self. Celebrate the real Deepavali by living in Brahman, and enjoy the eternal bliss of the soul.

The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do lightnings shine and much less fire. All the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a ray of the inner light of the Self. Merge yourself in this light of lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali.

Many Deepavali festivals have come and gone. Yet the hearts of the vast majority are as dark as the night of the new moon. The house is lit with lamps, but the heart is full of the darkness of ignorance. O man! wake up from the slumber of ignorance. Realise the constant and eternal light of the Soul which neither rises nor sets, through meditation and deep enquiry.

May you all attain full inner illumination! May the supreme light of lights enlighten your understanding! May you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of the Self! May you all prosper gloriously on the material as well as spiritual planes!

Hope you enjoyed the article and details about the festival of lights.

Free Access to E-Journals from SAGE Publishers

2008-10-06T14:02:00.001+05:30

Dear readers,

For your information - Free Online Access to all SAGE journals until October 31, 2008

Earlier this year SAGE celebrated the launch of the 500th journal site on the award-winning SAGE Journals Online platform.

SAGE Journals Online provides users access to one of the largest databases of social science, humanities, and science, technical, and medical content in the world. To mark the occasion SAGE are offering free online access to over 500 SAGE journals with content available from 1999-date until October 31, 2008.

Faculty, researchers, and students can register at the link below for free online access until the end of the month:

https://online.sagepub.com/cgi/register?registration=FTOct2008-35 <https://online.sagepub.com/cgi/register?registration=FTOct2008-35>

Please forward this message, if you think it will be of interest, to your colleagues, faculty, researchers and students.

"Simplicity" - Patterns for Sewing Projects

2008-09-27T14:42:00.004+05:30

Dear Dress Designers,
Simplicity is a much acclaimed resource for dress patterns. Their catalogues are very attractive and catch one's attention instantly. You can visit their site and browse or search for apparel patterns for women, men, boys and girls, babies etc.
They also host a variety of information under the section Sewing Basics like 'Fit Help' for learning how to get perfect fit for the clothes you construct; 'Sewing 101' for sewing basics and techniques etc.
The site is an excellent resource for finding a variety of sewing projects on apparel, home decor, craft and costumes at one place!!

Fashion Encyclopedia - An Interesting Resource for Dress Designers

2008-09-27T14:34:00.002+05:30

Dear Dress Designing & Tailoring students, mentors and facilitators,
I came across an interesting resource Fashion Encyclopedia. You can browse alphabetically or search for different clothing and dress related information on this site. It hosts information on various dresses in the Ancient World, Early Cultures, European Culture and the Modern World.

Encyclopaedia Britannica

2008-09-27T14:20:00.002+05:30

Hello readers.
Britannica.com is the website of the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica. Visitors to the site can freely search the main Encyclopaedia, the Britannica Student Encyclopedia and the Britannia Concise Encyclopedia, plus a selection websites, video/media items, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary and thesaurus. A brief synopsis of articles from the Encyclopaedia is provided, with access to full-text available only to subscribers. The site can also be browsed, either alphabetically or via the World Atlas, timelines or subject browse facility. Subjects listed under 'Art' include: Visual Arts and Architecture; Literature; Music; Dance; Theatre; Nonwestern Traditions; Aesthetics. Timelines for Art, Architecture and Music are also available, plus a 'year in review' section and a selection of archived items about the Encyclopaedia.

Science and Consciousness

2008-09-22T10:35:00.004+05:30

Good morning dear readers.
Quantum mechanics and consciousness is an upcoming field of interest. Work in this field was being done since long, but interest in this field is picking because of people's enthusiasm science and religion. David Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Centre for Consciousness at Australian National University. Basically, he works in the area of philosophy of mind and related areas of cognitive science. His website http://consc.net /chalmers contain his own papers on consciousness as well as a number of resources on topics related to consciousness like physics, quantum mechanics, neurobiology and consciousness, etc. It also contains MindPapers (a bibliography), Online Papers on Consciousness and much more.

Consciousness Studies: A Book of Reading

2008-09-11T11:59:00.002+05:30

Dear Readers,

I hope you found the resources posted earlier, interesting and useful. Consciousness Studies is a book by Robin, Schmidt and Shamantics, hosted on Wikibooks. An excerpt from the Introduction section of the books says “Everyone has their own view of the nature of consciousness based on their education and background. The intention of this book is to expand this view by providing an insight into the various ideas and beliefs on the subject as well as a review of current work in neuroscience…… It is often said that consciousness cannot be defined. This is not true; philosophers have indeed defined it in its own terms. It can be described in terms of two principle components: firstly phenomenal consciousness which consists of our experience with things laid out in space and time, sensations, emotions, thoughts, etc., and secondly access consciousness which is the processes that act on the things in experience. Phenomenal consciousness is much like the “perceptual space” of psychological and physiological research. It is the many simultaneous events that become the space of experience in general and it is now a legitimate target of scientific research.”
Wikibooks is an excellent source of e-books spanning over wide range of subjects and disciplines. Also brought forth by Wiki is an initiative for children - Wikijunior for children. Apart from these there are good books on general reading.

The Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism

2008-09-06T20:06:00.003+05:30

Yet another good news for Theology students.
One of the reference readings suggested in your recommended readings list is "The True History and Religion of India: A Concise Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism" by Prakashanand Saraswati of Jagatguru Kripalu Parishat, whose detailed table of contents can be viewed on their website. Indian edition of this book can be had from Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, New Delhi.
Alternatively, you can also read articles from The Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism here. It covers about 70 articles. The site in itself is comprehensive and user friendly. It gives elaborate introduction to the encyclopedic work, information about the author Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, the articles segregated into sections, a detailed glossary as in The True History and Religion of India, a complete section on abbreviations and scriptural bibliography, information about the transliteration of Hindi and sanskrit words. You can save these articles as html files or pdf files for later reading.
I hope this resource will be of interest to you all.

Varieties of Religious Experience by William James

2008-09-06T18:57:00.007+05:30

Dear Theology students,
The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature by William James is one of the suggested readings as per the list of recommended reading provided to you. Incidentally, a web version of the same is available here. You may download the contents of your choice and read at leisure.
Also Charles T. Tart's States of Consciousness is one of the suggested readings, which I had previously posted.
There's also a plethora of resources on Mysticism and like on University of Central Florida's web server. But they are heavily slanted towards Western Mysticism. However, you can also visit this site and choose to have a look at other resources too.
Do some of you like writing? As you learn you may want to express your thoughts. You may wish to publish too. Or you may wish to read more research oriented literature in your area of interest. Perhaps these online journals will be of some interest to you like: Journal of Consciousness Studies, Mind and Matter, Zygon etc. Though access to fulltext articles and papers in the first two journals is not completely free, most of them are available online. If you get interested in anything from Zygon, you can contact me for reprints. Sometimes Nature also publishes interesting articles on consciousness and religion.
Do try these resources at leisure and let me know of their usefulness.

Happy Teachers' Day!!

2008-09-05T09:30:00.001+05:30

Good morning dear readers,

Today is Teachers' Day, birthday of our Second President Late Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. Its a memorable day for all of us in the academic field to remember the teachers who have mentored us and celebrate. When Dr. Radhakrishnan became President, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, September 5. He replied, "Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers' Day." Thank you Dr. YVS for sharing the following lovely lines as a mark of respect to a teacher.

Oh respectable teacher........

You are a preacher – of good, strengths and virtues

You are a potter - for all students are clay and alike

You mould them - with your hands with care and love

You shape them - with utmost tenderness and affection

You carve them - by cutting the vices and ego slices

You etch them - with sharpened warnings, shaped blesses

You teach them - with utmost care and for ultimate results

You reach them - with selfless affection and zero friction

You broach them - with parental feelings and hearty dealings

You pamper them – with your patience and patronage

You hamper them – when you find them on evil roads

You sharpen them – by your homework and class work

You paint them – that the world can see the beauty in them

You tough them – that they do not break in future life

You rough them – that they learn all men are not alike

You finally send them – with a great agony and farewell

You know that – their future is perfect and safe, if they listened to you

Oh my beloved teacher........ I bow my head with humbleness and respect so that

All your blessings help me achieve positive results!!

I hope you enjoy these lines and celebrate teachers' day with affection. Theology students can find links to some of the works penned by Dr. Radhakrishnan here like An Idealist View of Life.

Free e-journals resource for M.Phil. (Phys, CS) students

2008-09-04T11:19:00.007+05:30

Dear M.Phil. students,

This site is for you. It hosts free e-journals in Physics. You may even search for resources on Google Scholar also. You can request for a detailed list of journals (printed) and e-journals available in DEI Central Library. You can also contact me at kshemaprakash@gmail.com for reprints of research papers and I'll try to help you. Do let me know what you think of this attempt.

Google unviels Chrome

2008-09-04T10:50:00.006+05:30

Hello dear readers.
Google has unleashed a new web browser called 'Chrome'. It appears like Google is trying to capture the still MS's IE and Mozilla's Firefox dominated browser market with its own web browser. My friend Jason and myself share similar views on this browser that its just okay but not spectacular. You can download the beta version of Chrome and try it out yourself from this link: http://www.google.com/chrome.

Further on, here's a good site for fulltext science and engineering books - Techbooks for free. Its a good attempt to list all possible free downloadable e-bboks in Science and Engineering at one place. The site hosts links to such e-books from ibiblio openbooks project, MIT press, Indiana University, National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), University of Miami and so on and so forth. What do you think? Some of them will be useful for PGDCSA students?

Useful Site for All

2008-09-03T14:38:00.004+05:30

Dear All,
The Project Gutenberg is a very useful site. You can find loads of useful fulltext e-books here. You can even download and read them at your leisure. Do visit it.
I'll try to add some more useful links in the due course of time.

New Resource for Textile Designing & Printing and Dress Designing & Tailoring students

2008-09-03T14:28:00.003+05:30

Dear TDP and DDT students, mentors and facilitators,

This information resource is for you. The blog named Needle n Thread provides many useful resources in your area of interest. Lots of embroidery designs and techniques too. Todays' highlight is a an e-book - Handbook of Embroidery by L. Higgins. Enjoy your reading!!

Resources for Theology Students

2008-09-02T15:56:00.002+05:30

Dear Theology students,

This link hosts the full text of Charles T. Tart's "States of Consciousness". Enjoy your reading!!

Deutsch Engine Info

2008-09-02T15:29:00.000+05:30

Dear MVM mentors, facilitators and students........
Have a look at this blog - Jonathan's Blog. It gives information about Deutsch Engine's working.

Information Resource for MVM and WM Students

2008-09-02T15:21:00.002+05:30

The link below is a very useful site for finding manuals and related study material on automobiles and electrical and electronics related material. MVM and WM mentors, facilitators and students may visit to find useful information.

National Instructional Media Institute, Chennai

Welcome

2008-09-02T15:14:00.000+05:30

Hello and welcome to the blog of your Coordinator, Distance Library Services, DEI.

Distance Learners of DEI can use this blog as a platform to communicate informally with me for any library and information resources related matters.

I will be posting useful information and links to useful information resources here.

I will try my best to follow and update the blog postings.

Have a nice time.