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British Library packs its least requested items into new, robot-operated facility in Leeds
The British Library's just taken the wraps off a new facility up in Leeds where they'll now house some lesser used items (things like patent specs and Martin Amis' diner receipts). The new digs are a £26 million (that's about $43 million) building in West Yorkshire controlled by seven robot operators capable of pulling items and taking them to a retrieval area when they've been requested by librarians. Hit the BBC Source link to check out the futuristic system for yourself.
Ebooks making libraries popular again, can do nothing about your 80s scrunchie
A few forward-thinking libraries in the UK have started offering ebook downloads as an alternative to borrowing physical copies of books, and the local public's reaction has been one of overwhelming enthusiasm. Seemingly attracted by the idea of being able to collect and return books without having to actually attend the library, Brits have been eagerly joining up to the new scheme. Free downloads that last for 14 days before self-deleting can be had either in the library or at home, and transitioned onto your Sony Reader, iRex iLiad, or that new hotness, B&N's nook. Naturally, the proprietary-format Kindle isn't invited to this party. We've already seen a similar initiative in the USA, and can only hope this kind of convenience becomes mainstream before too long.
Boston prep school nixes all the books in its library, replaces them with 18 e-readers
We love looking to the future here at Engadget. And while real, paper books hold a special place in our heart, we're fairly certain no one will accuse us of being Luddites for scoffing at a recent development at a Boston prep school. James Tracy, the headmaster of Cushing Academy, says that he sees books as an "outdated technology," and to that end, he's taken the drastic and expensive step of ridding the school's library of every single one of its books. Replacing the books will be a high tech "learning center," housing three flat screen televisions, laptops, 18 e-readers, and a coffee bar. The project -- which is costing somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 -- is one of the first of its kind. So, excuse us for our cynicism, but unless there are only 18 students at Cushing Academy, we're pretty sure the e-reader supply is going to come up short.
Coolest librarians EVER in trouble for playing Rock Band
Imagine, if you will, that you have entered a library. Imagine further that a librarian approaches and, upon meeting you, asks, "Would you like to play Rock Band?" Would you think that this librarian was A) the greatest librarian in the history of librarians or B) wasting taxpayer money? If you chose B, you appear to agree with Omaha, Nebraska's Action 3 News, which recently filed a report about a group of local librarians using state funds to purchase Rock Band for its gaming workshops. Worse still, the librarians even had the audacity to film themselves assembling and playing the game -- during work hours -- and then uploaded the results to YouTube.Indeed, the offense was so egregious that Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley launched an investigation into the matter, the results of which will be looked over by a group appointed by Governor Dave Heineman. To think that a library would purchase video games in order to attract more young people -- something many libraries are starting to do -- and then promote it via YouTube, where plenty of young people are likely to see it, boggles the mind. It's practically unconscionable.Check out the incriminating YouTube video after the break (which also includes a little DDR action).
Nov. 15 is 'National Gaming Day' at your library
The American Library Association, in a rather surprising diversion from its usual finger-on-lip hushing, has excitedly dubbed this Saturday, November 15th, as "National Gaming Day." At your library. Participating book bastions will open their doors to gamers of all types, promoting and celebrating "the educational and social value of video and board games." None of which are likely to contain poor approximations of Gandalf, Uhura and C-3PO, we're sorry to say.And hey, while you're there, you might just pick up a perfectly entertaining book (hint: be sure to pick one with a good cover). For more information, check out the official ALA site. Just make sure none of your macho friends see you typing in that particular URL.
Rumors: Apple working on iTunes controller for iPhone
An anonymous tipster tells TUAW that according to code found in the latest firmware release, Apple is working on a new iPhone application called iControl. Like Apple TV and other remote controllers, it would allow the iPhone to connect wirelessly to local iTunes libraries and browse through and play media from those sources. TUAW is told that a media navigator will allow you to view videos, play podcasts, listen to music and even support shuffle playback. The screenshot shown here shows some of the localizable strings for the iPhone-based application. There's obviously no timeline for release, but since the SDK event back in February, it's been rumored that Apple would release some official iPhone apps of their own, and iControl might be the first.Update: The data is so thin on the ground that it's hard to respond to readers who have asked whether this will be a "Back to my iTunes" application. Just having local Bonjour support wouldn't be all that useful. Apparently a screenshot of the bundle (not apparently a real application) here
Finally, a game about the Library of Congress classification system [Updated]
Since the inception of the video game, there have been those who would try to re-purpose electronic interactive entertainment for more ... educational pursuits. As a rule we're typically supportive of these efforts, but a recent project by students at Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center has just pushed us too far. They've just used a game called Within Range to ... teach the Dewey Decimal System. [Update: It's the Library of Congress classification system. See below paragraph for more insight into how this error was made.]We've made it clear how we feel about libraries (or as we think of them, the crappy, flammable Internet that also has homeless people), so you can understand why this is so offensive to us. That's doubled by the fact that the fun has been filed under "N" for "non-existent." Think all games deserve a fair shake? Go ahead, but don't say we didn't warn you.[Thanks, Michael S.]
Libraries aren't ready to invest into Blu-ray or HD DVD
Psst. Wanna know a secret? The majority of public libraries have a vast DVD collection - new and classic; major studio releases and indie films. Seriously, they have 'em and just like the books, they're free. However, don't expect to find Blu-ray or HD DVD titles just yet, not in
