The Information Commons in Library West

The Challenge: Read Infinite Jest over the summer of 2009

You’ve been meaning to do it for over a decade. Now join endurance bibliophiles from around the web as we tackle and comment upon David Foster Wallace’s masterwork, June 21st to September 22nd. A thousand pages ÷ 93 days = 75 pages a week. No sweat. 

The folks over at Infinite Summer (http://www.infinitesummer.org) have set up a site along with social networking tools to provide a support group of sorts to help you get plow through the slew of footnotes in this very wonderful novel by David Foster Wallace.  You can follow them on Twitter (#infsum) or join their FaceBook group (see the website for the FB link).

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Get ready to ride the Google Wave – Google announces their new vision of the web!

Google has unveiled an early preview of an online collaboration and communication environment called ‘Wave’ and is inviting developers to get involved in the open-source project.  Read More.

From Google:

A wave is equal parts conversation and document.People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

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.

A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.

Video from the developers:

Links to other great articles: 

Google Wave Drips With Ambition. A New Communication Platform For A New Web.

Google Wave: Google Tries to Reinvent Email

Google Wave Article from GoogleSystem

Thumbnail Previews:

Pretty cool, dontcha think?  Something for all of us to look forward to.  :D

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Article I, Section IV

The times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations, except as to the places of choosing Senators.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

“Constitution Wednesday” was made possible by the Founding Fathers.

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Pintando una Canción: Soy Tu Aire – Ambient, Interactive Design Site

Take a quick study break and check out this beautiful ambient site design. http://soytuaire.labuat.com/

It might take a second or two to download but then a “play” icon will appear for you to click to begin..   Once the music starts, move your mouse around like a magic wand and see what happens.  :D

Enjoy!

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Just Launched Today - Data.gov

Earlier today, the federal government launched Data.gov.   This new site was created to allow users to search large data sets of government information.

from the home page:

The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Although the initial launch of Data.gov provides a limited portion of the rich variety of Federal datasets presently available, we invite you to actively participate in shaping the future of Data.gov by suggesting additional datasets and site enhancements to provide seamless access and use of your Federal data. Visit today with us, but come back often. With your help, Data.gov will continue to grow and change in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

Currently the site is in Beta with only a few data sets to experiment but that will change quickly as they continue to load new sets daily.    Give it a whirl here:  http://www.data.gov/

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Blast Studio - A Real Time, Interactive Art Installation

Ready for a quick study break?  Take a few minutes to explore the different interactive features of Blast Studio and get creative!  

The Blast Studio is a brand new online and real time art installation allowing you to dabble in your own creativity. It’s been designed to give you an opportunity to explore the creative artist within you and add your mark to a unique art installation that will be created together over the next four weeks.

Housed in the Topolski studio at London’s Southbank Centre, this great new initiative lets you take control of four machines. Each machine will provide you with the tools to remotely control how you paint and design this space. Control from a choice of a cool glue gun, paint pellet machine, printer or hanging light strips all directed from your computer.

The Studio is live everyday between 12pm and 12am, from 12th May till 9th June. Watch the action online and get involved at www.blastgetcreative.co.uk

Thanks to Matthew D. for tweeting about this great link.

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Article I, Section III

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in consequence of the first election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year, of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year, and the third class at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one third may be chosen every second year; and if vacancies happen by resignation, or otherwise, during the recess of the legislature of any state, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature, which shall then fill such vacancies.

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the office of President of the United States.

The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present.

Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States: but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment, according to law.

“Constitution Wednesday” was made possible by the Founding Fathers.

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NEW RELEASE!  Open Office Suite 3.1

Open Office 3.1 is a FREE and EASY to use suite of programs created to mirror/compete with the Microsoft (MS) Office Suite.   It’s available in different languages, stores your data in an international open standard format, can read/write files in other common office software packages and works on ALL COMMON COMPUTERS!   Did I mention how easy it is to use???  http://download.openoffice.org/

Mission Statement:

The mission of OpenOffice.org is to create, as a community, the leading international office suite that will run on all major platforms and provide access to all functionality and data through open-component based APIs and an XML-based file format.

Available programs include:

• WRITER
  A word processor similar to MS Word and can export to PDF format.
• CALC
  A spreadsheet program similar to MS Excel or Lotus 1-2-3.  It can also export spreadsheets to PDF.
• IMPRESS
  A presentation program similar to MS PowerPoint or Apple Keynote.  It has the ability to export presentations to Adobe Flash, can create PDF Files, and can also read presentations created in Microsoft’s .PPT file format.
• BASE
  A database management program similar to MS Access.
• DRAW
  A vector graphics editor like MS Visio or CorelDRAW and contains features similar to those contained in MS Publisher and Scribius.
• MATH
  A program that allows for creation and editing of mathematical formulae similar to MS Equation Editor. It supports multiple fonts and can also be exported to PDF format.

Why you should use Open Office: http://why.openoffice.org/

List of New 3.1 Features:  http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/features/3.1/index.html

Download the latest version: http://download.openoffice.org/

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Have some books that you think you’d like to share with the community?   Consider using Book Crossing as a unique way of recycling your books by “releasing them into the wild” for others to find.

It’s really easy- sign up for an account (takes less than a minute) and then you register the book(s) you want to release. After that, all you have to do is leave the book(s) anywhere – a coffee shop, dorm couch, bench outside the library, laundromat, waiting room, etc.    Book Crossing will allow you to track your book’s journey around the world as it passes on from person to person.

Over 772,000 people around the world participate in Book Crossing.  Why not give it a try?  Maybe if enough of us band together, we can put Gainesville back on the Book Crossing map!

Find out more about Book Crossing here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/

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Article I, Section II

 The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature.

No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.

Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any state, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole power of impeachment.

“Constitution Wednesday” was made possible by the Founding Fathers.

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