Sorry for not posting for so long, but i have been busy this week with much pressure from assignments, Presentations, exams, projects, as you all are. The last month of every semester always comes packed with much work to handle. Even though the assignments and projects were assigned to us from the first month but we tend to keep piling work to the last minute. Yesterday i did my first presentation for this semester and it went well with the help of my team, Talal and Abdullah. Still there are two presentations to go and two projects plus a case study and a group discussion. 22 days to finish this semester and counting down

Dont forget to start registering today starting from 10 am to 12 noon. The strange thing is that 596 for the Practicum is not listed as you can see above. What should i do now. I did send an email to the program director this morning and still he did not replay.

I dont want to miss registering the Practicum as i did last semester. This is my last registration for the last semester in the program. Last time P.Sajjad insisted on registering the Practicum over the internet first.

Now 524 will be with Dr.Sultan. The weird thing is; NO BODY IS TELLING US ABOUT ANY CHANGES IN THE SCHEDULE.

In the late nineties, there was no way I was going to be allowed to stay up late on a school night to catch a wisdom-spouting episode of MTV’s Undressed, but I managed to catch a few eppies here and there with Lis, who I recall having a crush on the geeky Justin Timberlake boy who drove a van and totally smooched that glittery butterface Jana. The other things I remember most about the show are:

• The crimpy-haired blond slut who lurked in the dormitory (with a name like Kiki, what else could we expect of her?)
• The other blond sex guru in the dorms who told the virgin guy to go give it up to Kiki so he can later have a better time with the virgin girl, who was the one he really liked and wanted to sleep with (I remember thinking that was horrible advice)
• The cute boy who could only communicate his innermost feelings via a  sock puppet!

Now we can catch a few episodes online at UndressedTV.com and continue our education! Thank you, Internet!

The most wonderful news toady that Dr.Samir Hamade is in Kuwait. For one month only during holiday season He will be here in Kuwait. Dr.Samir has been the chairman for DLIS for a long time and he was for sure filling his chair. Plus the fact that he is a good teacher, he is one good caring, funny, cool, and humble man. I dont have a class with him this semester and i wont be having any classes in the future so no one will say that im sweet talking.

TAP Portugal Airbus A320-214 CS-TNU (msn 4106) LIS (new delivery), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Copyright Photo: Pedro Baptista.

A Hungarian Photographer captured this photo Of Shouaikh high school in early 50’s, Which is now Kuwait University Campus. Notice The empty land on the left next to the mosque, i think we all know this is where Jaber AL-Ahmad Central Library is now. And the lot on the right is where Business college is located.

easyJet (Switzerland) Airbus A320-214 HB-JZR (msn 4034) LIS (first A320), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Copyright Photo: Pedro Baptista.

Brussels Airlines Boeing 737-36N WL OO-VEH (msn 28571) LIS (Star Alliance logo), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Copyright Photo: Pedro Baptista.

You are all Invited. I’m certainly going.

Information Schools, a.k.a iSchools, are education facilities dedicated to exploring the relationships between information, technology, and people.  They have, some might consider, a broader view of the role information professionals play. Rather than the traditional librarian, they believe an understanding is required of all information technologies, their application, their uses, and their users. With so much information now becoming digitized, it may indeed be time expand the horizons of information management.

visit the iSchools website and learn more.

Recently, the American Library Association produced a list of eight core competencies that they expect to be taught to prospective librarians.  This has been in response to movements from the iSchools which they feel threaten the foundations of what it means to be a librarian. These are the competencies that they feel lay at the core of library work.

1. 1. Foundations of the Profession

1A. The ethics, values, and foundational principles of the library and information profession.

1B. The role of library and information professionals in the promotion of democratic principles and intellectual freedom (including freedom of expression, thought, and conscience).

1C. The history of libraries and librarianship.

1D. The history of human communication and its impact on libraries.

1E. Current types of library (school, public, academic, special, etc.) and closely related information agencies.

1F. National and international social, public, information, economic, and cultural policies and trends of significance to the library and information profession.

1G.  The legal framework within which libraries and information agencies operate.  That framework includes laws relating to copyright, privacy, equal rights (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act), and intellectual property.

1H. The importance of effective advocacy for libraries, librarians, other library workers, and library services.

1I. .   The techniques used to analyze complex problems and create appropriate solutions.

1J. Effective communication techniques (verbal and written).

.

1K. Certification and/or licensure requirements of specialized areas of the profession.

1. 2. Information Resources

2A. Concepts and issues related to the lifecycle of recorded knowledge and information, from creation through various stages of use to disposition.

2B. Concepts, issues, and methods related to the acquisition and disposition of resources, including evaluation, selection, purchasing, processing, storing, and de-selection.

2C. Concepts, issues, and methods related to the management of various collections.

2D. Concepts, issues, and methods related to the maintenance of collections, including preservation and conservation.

1. 3. Organization of Recorded Knowledge and Information

3A. The principles involved in the organization and representation of recorded knowledge and information.

3B. The developmental, descriptive, and evaluative skills needed to organize recorded knowledge and information resources.

3C. The systems of cataloging, metadata, indexing, and classification standards and methods used to organize recorded knowledge and information.

1. 4. Technological Knowledge and Skills

4A. Information, communication, assistive, and related technologies as they affect the resources, service delivery, and uses of libraries and other information agencies.

4B. The application of information, communication, assistive, and related technology and tools consistent with professional ethics and prevailing service norms and applications.

4C. The methods of assessing and evaluating the specifications, efficacy, and cost efficiency of technology-based products and services.

4D. The principles and techniques necessary to identify and analyze emerging technologies and innovations in order to recognize and implement relevant technological improvements.

5. Reference and User Services

5A. The concepts, principles, and techniques of reference and user services that provide access to relevant and accurate recorded knowledge and information to individuals of all ages and groups.

5B. Techniques used to retrieve, evaluate, and synthesize information from diverse sources for use by individuals of all ages and groups.

5C. The methods used to interact successfully with individuals of all ages and groups to provide consultation, mediation, and guidance in their use of recorded knowledge and information.

5D. Information literacy/information competence techniques and methods.

5E. The principles and methods of advocacy used to reach specific audiences to promote and explain concepts and services.

5F. The principles of assessment and response to diversity in user needs, user communities, and user preferences.

5G. The principles and methods used to assess current and emerging situations or circumstances to the design and implementation of appropriate services or resource development.

6. Research

6A. The fundamentals of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

6B. The central research findings and research literature of the field.

6C. The principles and methods used to assess the actual and potential value of new research.

7.  Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning

7A. The necessity of continuing professional development of practitioners in libraries and other information agencies.

7B. The role of the library in the lifelong learning of patrons, including an understanding of lifelong learning in the provision of quality service and the use of lifelong learning in the promotion of library services.

7C. Learning theories, instructional methods, and achievement measures; and their application in libraries and other information agencies.

7D. The principles related to the teaching and learning of concepts, processes and skills used in seeking, evaluating, and using recorded knowledge and information.

1. 8. Administration and Management

8A. The  principles of planning and budgeting in libraries and other information agencies.

8B. The principles of effective personnel practices and human resource development.

8C. The concepts behind, and methods for, assessment and evaluation of library services and their outcomes.

8D. The concepts behind, and methods for, developing partnerships, collaborations, networks, and other structures with all stakeholders and within communities served.

Information and technology continues to change and evolve at a pace that can only be described as rapid.  This has also caused a shift amongst the professions whose traditional task has been the management of information.  At this time, the schools of information are trying to redefine themselves from the traditional perceptions of LIS education. In response, the American Library Association put together a task force to define LIS education.  They came up with a set of core competencies that they feel present the essential knowledge of a librarian. They have threatened to revoke their accreditation of a university that does not follow this education plan.  This has caused quite a stir among the iSchools and information professionals who feel this prescriptive approach is too restrictive.

Learn more

By exchanging emails. Seeking the help of old friends as usual, I was in contact with dear Naseema. Naseema was one of the A students in MLIS Program and no one can say that is not true. She was very helpful with other coleuges and had success through her journey in the program. So, it was only normal to seek information about her situation after graduation. Now as a Master degree holder, What did she gain? What did she benefit? How is her career? So with her permission i gave her one last assignment to solve these questions so we can post the answers in the blog.

After graduation I joined my work back, which was tougher than before. Everything has changed for the worst in terms of  rules, regulations, systems…etc. Most of the colleagues have  left  the place, and lots of new faces were there as well. At the beginning I was so depressed because of the situation, then I thought to search for a better place which was quite hard thing to do. I straggled a lot, started to follow up newspapers searching for vacancies, visited some places asking for a suitable job. I guess two of the  places I visited asked me my bachelor’s degree, they were not interested in the master’s, and the only answer I usually get, is to wait for their job related announcement  in the news papers. I have applied in so many places as well, nothing happened so far. So now I feel so disappointed for having a master degree after two years of hard work and at the end there is no use of such a degree. Other thing is that, I didn’t benefit from my master degree even at my work, my salary didn’t increase, my job title is the same. Also, I have noticed that no one is interested in our major (LIS), I don’t know why Kuwait University had the word library in there. The things I gained from the  degree have to do with me as a person only, it has improved my English language, improved my knowledge in certain areas for example, knowing the information searching techniques, how to search and retrieve  the right information from the most reliable sources, realizing the importance of managing and sharing knowledge whether within an organization or in an individual’s daily life, having a special knowledge in specific fields that were taught during the program. But when it comes to a person’s professional life, there is no use of MLIS, this is from my own experience.

Dont be depressed to read it. 90% or maybe more of MLIS graduate students don’t benefit the degree on the career side. And other just forget it. Small percentage of the graduates get lucky and get a scholarship for a PhD, Other get a better Job if they are real lucky. But the majority will not.

SEAA-Servicios Executivos Aereos de Angola Embraer ERJ 145EP EI-DKH (msn 145155) LIS, originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

SEAA-Servicios Executivos Aereos de Angola (Luanda) is getting ready to take delivery of its first Embraer ERJ 145.

Copyright Photo: Pedro Baptista.

تعلن كلية الدراسات العليا بجامعة الكويت لطلبتها (المقيدين وغير المقيدين)عن موعد التسجيل المبكر للفصل الدراسي الثاني 2009/2010 والذي سيكون عن طريق الإنترنت وذلك اعتبارا من يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 22/12/2009وحتى يوم الاثنين الموافق 28/12/2009 على الموقع https://portal.kuniv.edu وفقا للجدول التالي:-

الآداب ، العلوم الاجتماعية ،الدراسات العليا (الدرجة المشتركة)

الثلاثاء 22/12/2009

• من الساعة  10:00 إلى 12:00 ظهرا للطلبة المقيدين بكلية العلوم الاجتماعية والدراسات العليا (الدرجة المشتركة)
• من الساعة 01:00 إلى الساعة 012:00  صباحا  الكليات المعنية و كليات الأيام السابقة (المقيدين وغير المقيدين)

I woke up this morning, and I was asking my self “What makes a good teacher?”, so I decided to drink my French coffee with some sweetener, and to search the Internet to find out what others are saying or have in common when they were asked the same question. I came across one website, and I found a very interesting quote

“If you do any reading about the history and philosophy of education, you’ll find that great teachers of the past all agree that learning is usually the result of a good relationship between the teacher and the student. Good teaching is personal.” Hal Urban

I think this quote is very true. Teaching is all about caring, trust & building relationships with students, because as said in the quote “Good teaching is personal”. If you care about the future of your students, you would be such an excellent model for them.

If you trust your students, they will do the following:

- Trust you back and trust in what you are saying;

- Respect you more; – Exceed your expectations;

- Always remember you in a good way for the rest of their lives;

- … etc.

I have only mentioned some of the benefits of trusts. So, when teaching, always remember these words, caring, trust & building good relationships with your students.

P.S. I was talking to my colleague at work Mr. Abdullah Khuraibet about this subject, and he recommended me to watch a movie called “Pay it forward”. So, your assignment for this weekend is to watch and analyze the movie.  It would be very helpful if you share your thoughts with us.

Good luck

Now you can google by the image search , read this new feature of google search engine.

source: http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/index.html#landmark

Taken as a whole, the annual Online event at London Olympia each December is a huge gathering of the information industry. Upstairs in the conference centre there are the formal conference sessions, downstairs are the exhibitors and free seminars, and around Olympia smaller satellite events take place in hotels and bars. Hence the use of quotation marks of the title of this blog posting. This is a “review” of Online 2009 from the perspective of Library and Information Science Research Coalition staff: participation was limited by the laws of physics that render it impossible to be simultaneously in more than one place at the same time. Thankfully a number of other participants have also blogged their experiences of Online 2009. These include: Brian Kelly of JISC (@briankelly); Marydee Ojala and colleagues of Information Today (@marydeeo); and Bethan Ruddock, who worked on the Mimas stand at the exhibition (@bethanar). Others have contributed posts about specific conference themes, such as Pete Cranston (@petecranston). In the New Year reviews of Online 2009 will appear in the print media. In the meantime, for a fuller picture of what went on at Olympia in the first week of December this year, please follow the links provided at the end of this entry.

Charlene Li was the opening keynote speaker on the Thursday

In contrast the conference sessions on the semantic web gave the impression that those in library and information science related roles are now beginning to consider the exploitation of data to data links, although it is not yet obvious where the greatest commercial benefit will lie in doing so.

The CILIP stand on the exhibition floor

Both in the conference sessions and on the exhibition floor there were opportunities to see demonstrations of products and services that could be adopted by library and information services. Ellysa Kroski, for example, gave many examples of how libraries in the US are using social computing applications to their full potential. It was surprising to a few, however, how little mention was made of Google Wave in Online week.

FreePint is a regular exhibitor at Online

On the Thursday morning Hazel Hall gave an introductory presentation about the LIS Research Coalition to Online 2009 delegates. This covered the background to the formation of the Coalition and its broad mission to provide a formal structure to improve access to LIS research, and to maximise its relevance and impact. Taking each of the five specific goals of the Coalition, she explained the progress so far that the Coaltion has made on each. Hazel encouraged the audience to visit the web site at http://lisresearch.org, as well as follow @LISResearch on Twitter. She hoped that delegates would be able to keep Monday 28th June 2010 free to attend the forthcoming LIS Research Coalition conference. Hazel’s slides Introducing the UK Library and Information Science Research Coalition are available on SlideShare.

Hazel Hall with Ben, the youngest delegate and son of one of the speakers at Online 2009.

Links

• Online 2009 web site: http://online-information.co.uk
• Slides from the Library and Information Science Research Coalition presentation: Introducing the UK Library and Information Science Research Coalition
• Blog postings by Brian Kelly, JISC (@briankelly)
  • http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/highlights-of-online-information-2009-semantic-web-and-social-web/
    This is Brian’s main review of the conference, in which the LIS Research Coalition is mentioned.

  • http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/a-tale-of-three-conferences/
    In this blog posting Brian provides a comparative analysis of the Twitter activity of Online 2009, taking into account activity at two other conference that took place in the same week.
• Blog postings by Marydee Ojala and colleagues, Information Today (@marydeeo):
  http://www.infotodayblog.com/conference/pastconferences/oi/online-information-2009. This link brings together all of Marydee’s reports, and those of her colleagues, on Online 2009 for Information Today.

• Blog posting by Pete Cranston (@petecranston):
  http://thegiraffe.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/linked-open-data-web-or-not-the-semantic-web. These are Pete’s reflections on the semantic web.

• Blog posting by Bethan Ruddock, Mimas (@bethanar): http://bethaninfoprof.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/online-09-the-aftermath Bethan’s report gives a flavour of work on an exhibition stand at Online 2009.
• Twapper keeper archive of #online09 Twitter posts: At the time of writing, Twapper keeper had archived 2396 tweets tagged #online09 at http://www.twapperkeeper.com/online09
  ]]> http://liskw.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/management-story-whatever-you-give-to-life-life-gives-you-back/ Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:00:25 +0000 M.Bahrani http://liskw.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/management-story-whatever-you-give-to-life-life-gives-you-back/

  

  A Successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
  He said, ‘It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. ‘The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. ‘I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.’
  One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
  Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
  Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
  By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.
  Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – He so wanted the seed to grow.
  A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection:
  Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
  When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

  Jim just tried to hide in the back. ‘My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,’ said the CEO. ‘Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!’
  All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, ‘The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!’

  When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim told him the story.

  The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the 20young executives, ‘Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!

  His name is Jim!’ Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed..
  ‘How could he be the new CEO?’ the others said.
  Then the CEO said, ‘One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.

  All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!’

  * If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

  * If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

  * If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

  * If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

  * If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

  * If you plant hard work, you will reap success

  * If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

  So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

  ‘Whatever you give to life, life gives you back’

  ]]> http://readsleepeat.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/the-lis-friend-compatibility-test/ Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:44:06 +0000 readsleepeat http://readsleepeat.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/the-lis-friend-compatibility-test/

  I’m a graduate student and I regularly meet new people so one of the questions I’m always asked in the first or only 5 minutes of the conversation is: What do you study? So I answer “library and information science” which is a mouthful. The LIS Friend-Compatibility Test is a judgement based on the other person’s response to this information and can also be read from their expressions. The following is a list of the comments I’ve received:

  • So, you want to work in a library?
  • I didn’t realize there are degrees for being a librarian.
  • What’s that?
  • What can you do with that?
  • I hear that’s a good job market because librarians are all old ladies ready to retire.
  • Haven’t libraries already been replaced by the internet?
  • People can just ask google now.
  • I love libraries!

  I often get a lot of blank looks and its obvious they got bored after the library part. Especially in China. Friends there would give me a bit of a frown as if to say “why would you do that?”
  I’ve found that the useful application of the LIS Friend-Compatibility Test requires that I deliver the line “library and information science” with gusto. A person that is worth my time will respond with at least feigned interest or enthusiasm and ask more, may actually just be enthusiastic because I am and that’s good enough for me, or possibly already be familiar with the field or know and appreciate someone in it. It’s possible that someone could be having a bad day when they meet me and fail the test with a lack of enthusiasm. I won’t deny them a second chance, that’s not what this test is for. But I’ve learned that this can tell me a lot about someone I’ve just met.

  ]]> http://mtuitive.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/ross-memorial-hospital-chooses-mtuitives-xpert-for-pathology-to-meet-cco-standard/ Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:03:36 +0000 mvalen7 http://mtuitive.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/ross-memorial-hospital-chooses-mtuitives-xpert-for-pathology-to-meet-cco-standard/

  Press Release

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  Contact: 
  Mike Valentine, VP North American Sales
  mike.valentine@mtuitive.com
  508.771.5800 

  -December 8, 2009-

  Ross Memorial Hospital chooses mTuitive’s xPert for Pathology to meet CCO standard 

  Becomes the sixteenth Ontario hospital to implement xPert for Pathology

  Boston, MA – Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, Ontario, has selected mTuitive’s xPert for Pathology synoptic reporting solution to meet Cancer Care Ontario’s 2008-2009 CAP/CS aligned data standard for pathology reporting.

  Standardized pathology reporting increases the availability and consistency of cancer pathology information that is essential for treatment decisions, evaluation, and research.

  mTuitive complies with the 2008-2009 CAP/CS aligned data standard developed by Cancer Care Ontario in conjunction with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Cancer Committee, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Joint Committee on Cancer. The CAP checklists¹ for breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, and endometrium were amended to include the mandatory pathologic collaborative staging elements.

  xPert for Pathology interfaces with all available Pathology and Laboratory Information Systems on the market which lends itself to wide use throughout the province.  Other Ontario hospitals utilizing mTuitive’s xPert for Pathology synoptic reporting solution to meet the CCO data standard include Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, The Scarborough Hospital, North York General Hospital, Lakeridge Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Rouge Valley Health System, Bluewater Health, Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Stratford General Hospital and Sudbury Regional Hospital.

  About mTuitive: mTuitive, Inc. develops data capture and synoptic reporting software to assist health care professionals in recording clinical findings and maintaining compliance with established protocols and guidelines. Our unique method of capturing structured information provides valuable data for pathology, oncology, and cancer staging applications. Established in 2003, mTuitive, Inc. is based in Massachusetts. See us on the Web at www.mtuitive.com.

  1. This material includes the Cancer Checklists and Cancer Protocols which are copyrighted works of the College of American Pathologists. Encoded within the Checklists are portions of the copyrighted work of the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization, SNOMED CT. © 1998-2007 IHTSDO. The Cancer Checklists and Cancer Protocols are used with permission of the College of American Pathologists – which has also authorized use of SNOMED CT as encoded in the Checklists.

  ]]>