Vast Active Library and Information Science blog. From a recent library science graduate in Wellington, New Zealand. A focus on reference and current awareness tools and issues, especially free, web-based resources.

 
Techdirt is fast becoming one of my favourite sites out there. It bills itself as "easily digestible technical news", and it delivers. Definitely worth adding to your reading list (and they have an RSS feed, so there's really no excuse not to).

They have a good article on the social aspects of information technology at work, arguing that employers should permit the odd personal use of the internet. The logic being that this allows staff to recharge their batteries, take care of personal business, and come back to work focused on what they're paid to do. This totally fits in with how I view the world. I spend a lot of time online, working. I can't keep concentration for that whole time, so the odd bit of personal or quasi-personal surfing is good for me. (Quasi-personal is what I'm calling my library weblog reading, seeing as it helps me and my employer).

We need to move beyond the notion of work as something that you do from 9-5, with no overlap with your personal life. I'll clear emails from home on a Sunday. I'll also buy CDs and book travel online from work. It's a trade-off, and I think if you treat people with respect they tend not to abuse this sort of thing.

| posted by Simon at 8:38 pm