Bryan Loar Portfolio Series #1

Bryan Loar: Portfolio 1 from Bryan Loar on Vimeo.

In the video above, I describe how I utilized the social bookmarking tool Delicious to serve various patron types by

1. Focusing on users’ needs
2. Adopting user behavior
3. Creating continuity

Taken together, this overview demonstrates how I might apply user-centric thinking in the design and implementation of programs within your organization.

For more information, please go to my website at
www.bryan.theloars.com

Self Promotion: Bryan Loar Porfolio Series

Image: Bryan Loar, photographed by Justin Shady

Starting tomorrow, I will be highlighting work that I've done over the last couple of years. The work will bring to life my skills and capabilities in a more dynamic way than my electronic/paper-based resume can.

Each day I will highlight and contextualize the work, and at the end of this series I plan to have all the work collocated into an online portfolio on my website.

Cheers,

BRYAN LOAR
Freelance Information Specialist

316 E. KELSO RD.
COLUMBUS, OHIO 43202, USA

Chop Chop: Local Strays

Image: Local Strays, Chop Chop

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of going to one of the best galleries in Columbus. Chop Chop is actually a mixed-use space with promotional retail in the front, gallery space in the back, and studio space hidden away.

Artist and family friend, Sharon Bell was represented. Her work, pictured below, is a mixture of the fantastic, whimsical, and grim. Her work is sometimes reminiscent of Edward Gorey in tone but not as dry. I'd love to see her do a kids alphabet book--though, yes, that's me bringing up Gorey again. Anyway, Bell's work is really maturing and coming into its own. You should buy lots of her stuff while it's still affordable. Also, pickup a veg-dog from her husband Tawd while you're at it.


Image: Title Unknown (Where Is Home), Sharon Bell [note: crappy cell phone picture]

It seems everyone was all a gaga over Joey Monsoon. Already sold out by 8pm, he did quite well and rightfully so. Self-taught, Monsoon's figuration style is akin to Egon Schiele. His work also reminded me of another very talented chap I met at CCAD named Dave Crosland.


Image: Blister Sisters, Joey Monsoon


Image: Out of Season Portrait, Dave Crosland

ARLIS/NA 2009 Annual Conference News Aggregator

I've created an RSS and URL filter using Grazr. Below you'll find information on the conference including RSS feeds from Flickr, YouTube, Technorati, Google Alerts, Delicious, Twitter, and the conference's blog.

You can customize the look of the widget and possibly embed* it on your own site as well. Just click on the Share tab and select Customize.

You can also go directly to where the info is on Grazr. In this case, tinyurl.com/c7qpnh

Enjoy!



*Note: Using Grazr's Embed Code works well in many instances. I've used it with Netvibes and in Blogger's side bar. However, when embedding the widget in this Blogger post (vs. the HTML in the sidebar), I had to use an iframe tag and set the height and width manually. More importantly, I've also found that WordPress.com (the free, hosted version of WP) only displays a branded Grazr image that links to the info.

Technorati Tags: arlisna09

Tweak Your Sched Through Google Calendar

I was finding that I needed more flexibility to add other events and to slightly tweak Shed event times.

Below is one way you can export your calendar information from Shed and customize it to your specific needs. Furthermore, free online apps like Google Calendar, CalendarHub, and 30 Boxes offer reminders via text message (SMS).

Look forward to seeing you at the con or over the interwebs,

Bryan Loar

P.S. For more ARLIS/NA conference goodness, check out their blog at arlisnaindy.wordpress.com

Conference Scheduling Lifehack

View more presentations from Bryan Loar.

Technorati Tags: arlisna09

MIT and Open Access

Image: Ask Me About Open Access by mollyali

MIT faculty have unanimously voted to begin the policy of posting scholarly journal articles in their online, open-source DSpace platform.

The policy gives "MIT and its faculty 'the right to use and share the articles for any purpose other than to make a profit.'”

Hmm...the policy gives them the right, but does this mean they've worked out the contracts with publishers like Elsevier?

Via: LJ

U-M Press Moving Towards Digital Only

Image: Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire by Martin Beek

Although I wholeheartedly endorse moving towards digital only newsletters and more ephemeral works, I always take pause when considering digital-only publication for scholarly works.

University of Michigan has decided to move toward digital-only publishing with the capability of print-on-demand.  The move appears to be partially financial according to the U-M Press Blog, and Phil Pochoda (Dir. of U-M Press) makes some compelling points regarding how digital broadens access.  What he does not address is the continuous cost of digital archives. 

I hope for the sake of retaining knowledge, the university also has a plan in place to archive physical copies.

Tip off: LISNews

The Lives of the Artists

Father Guido Sarducci on art school

The sleep chart is a keeper.  More data viz!

Another gem via: Laughing Squid

LED + Sheep + Art = Samsung Marketing

Extreme Sheep LED Art

Nice.  Just think of the data visualizations you could create.  Tufte would be proud...maybe.

Via: Laughing Squid

Data Portability Message

FROM: Elias Bizannes, DataPortability Project vice-chair,
TO: DataPortability Project Members and Supporters
RE: Quarterly Plenary Meeting

As per our 2009 strategic goals[1], the Steering Group of the
DataPortability Project will be hosting quarterly plenary meetings to engage the community more with what we are doing. The plenary is an important part of the DataPortability Project's governance framework, which among other things, elects the Steering Group and holds it accountable.

All members of the plenary are invited to this meeting, where the Steering Group can explain how we are tracking against the goals and question Steering members on the DataPortability Project's future direction and the relevance of work being performed. It also is an opportunity for the community to make binding decisions on behalf of the Project, despite being
removed from the day to day operation of it. As with all DataPortability Project meetings, this is open to anyone to participate.

[Truncated]

To read the whole post and learn more visit:

http://tinyurl.com/cguajf

ALA Connect Screencast

Screencasts and videos online

Nice overview of ALA's forthcoming collaboration tool.

"Introduction to ALA Connect"

Via: @shifted

Seth Godin on Social Networking

Image: Godin in Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind: New Perspectives on Business

Godin waxes poetic about "fake networking."  Takeaway?  Building real relationships by going out of your way.

Via: dilvie

My Sched @ ARLIS/NA 2009 Annual Con

Copyright and Amateur Photography

Image: "Tough Guys" by smif Some Rights Reserved

In our user-generated content (UGC) world, there is more content than ever available to marketers. Traditional stock photography houses like Corbus and Getty Images are threatened by marketers reaching out to sources like Flickr.

However, marketers and the corporations they belong to must be very careful. Unauthorized use of the image or images and not compensating the creator as well as any individuals ("models") in the images can lead to big legal headaches and possible financial repercussions.

Copyright is still copyright. It does not matter if you source your image from a large clearing house or from the guy on the street. I almost wonder if marketing's use of professional image repositories like Getty has made them not realize what has already been done for them--namely setting up a pricing matrix that covers all fees in various types of uses.

While marketers gain "authenticity" from sites that host amateur photography, they loose the safety net that stock photography houses create. This is fine if they understand the net needs to be constructed and disastrous if they don't.

Earlier this year, the Washington Post posted and article entitled, "Hey, Isn't That...." The article deals directly with the issues that I bring up above, and it's worth a quick glance. (Note: it features James Griffioen, the photographer that I used to illustrate the last post [without authorization--another post on copyright and blogging to come])

School's Out Forever Photo Essay

Image: James Griffioen

"This tiny box elder sapling took root in a pile of mouldy books and ash inside the former Detroit Public Schools book depository"

Moving essay on abandoned schools in Detroit.

"School's Out Forever," Vice

Via: PSFK

Copywrong? Warner's Copyright Mishandling

Image: Sounds of Old by C.S. - Now Version [2.0]

Boing Boing and the Twittersphere are all agast at Warner (WMG) trying to protect their assets. Tried quickly find a WMG response on their news page or to see if they even had a Twitter, blog, or some sort of social media pr machine. No such luck. In fact, the 1st hit while searching for "warner music group blog" brings up Wired's 2008 post on WMG pulling music from Last.fm.

Note: TO ALL BRANDS THAT DON'T GET CONSUMERS.

Seriously, I wanted to tell WMG's side, but I don't have the patience. Creating relationships is what business is all about. B2C or B2B...it doesn't matter. The relationship is what will pull you out of the recession [as noted by others] and create lifelong customers (hello!? Lovemarks?!).

Get it? Comcast does.

Blog Facelift

Image: Bryan Loar's Blog: Brave New World

Finally updating the look of the old blog.  Moved to a nice clean white template.  Still working out the header image--a little amateurish.  Website to follow.

Chandelier Studio's Library Doors

(Photo: Dean Kaufman)

Saw these in the April '09 issue of Print. Amazing. They're made from 40-pound, polyeurethane foam. So, they are not the most green doors in the world, but much cheaper than the originally planned stainless chrome doors.

For more on Chandelier, see this NY Mag write-up.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos

Image: Biblioteca Vasconcelos - rageforst

Absolutely stunning renovated library in Mexico City.  For more background, go to coolhunting.com.

Mozilla's Ubiquity for Firefox

Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

Holy moly.  Easy embedding and other tools make the Web experience much more seamless with easy mashups.  Nice.

Via: The Fighting Librarian

Ian Davenport

Ian Davenport Interview with Wallpaper

Absolutely fantastic video on Ian Davenport's creative process.

Benedetta Mori Ubaldini

Rats and Babies, Benedetta Mori Ubaldini

Absolutely stunning, ghost-like works made of wire.  I think the lighting is almost as important as the work.  Beautiful.

Benedetta Mori Ubaldini

Love Mini E's Logo

Incorporating both an "E" and an electric plug.  Smart, clean, and simple.

Via: Mini USA

Marcus Brown Treats Tweets as Fine Lit

Official Tweet Reading V: Reading Robert Scoble from Marcus Brown on Vimeo.

About 4 minutes in I could help but laugh out loud.  Maybe some libraries can hold open mic tweet sessions.

Via: Brandflakes

Angie Davis: Bird & Belle

Modern Furniture Framed Stitchery - 14 Inch

Mixing modern furniture design and craft is a winning combination.

Davis' Bird & Belle on Etsy

Via: Design Milk Twitter

“Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy"

Image: adam.laiacano

I love that this was held @ NYPL.

Shephard Fairey and Lawrence Lessig (Creative Commons) talk about the limits of copyright law on creativity.  There is a great synopsis @ PSFK.