LernerMedia™ Journal

LernerMedia Update

Since ALA in Denver we’ve been very busy with projects  and have neglected our blog and Twitter feed development.  We now have something like 600 teachers and librarians in our various forum and Twitter feeds and it’s been a hectic Spring.  Now the annual ALA convention looms and several new projects in addition to the Great Libraries project are in the works. Registered users have  been provided with a related Twitter site. We plan to be in Chicago for at least one day to film interviews.

We have now visited more than three dozen libraries in the United States and in Europe while  doing research for the documentary project — and we continue to manage and develop programs and systems for data and book updates.

So, it remains obvious that we don’t have the time to manage the type  of  web development we need, and so we are looking to hire a web/blog development specialist.  We have not yet decided whether we should hire in the UK or US — but we are moving our main operation and server to Paris in September.  We also want to develop a companion French language site — but this might be something for late 2010.

We’ve decided to use this blog to create a space for a resources and comments about general things of interest to our colleaguess and  interesting experiences and places around the world that relate to our work.  This is not a blog to discuss work or projects  — that is for private and secure  intra-forum site.  We’ll redirect serious discussion of work to the LernerMedia Forum.  In similar fashion, posts related to errata (related to our projects or science related  publishing/films in general)  will be  redirected the flernerMEdia orum where advisors can evaluate and correct matters as needed.

And speaking of errata, please send posts related to Angels & Demons to the producer’s sites.  We KNOW  the physics absurdities and errors — but it’s just entertainment people. It’s fiction.  Most science accuracy and advice is sacrificed on the alter of  a good yarn.  All physicists — and most scientists — clearly know where truth yielded to storytelling.If you are posting to tell us about some other error in the movie related to secret societies or conspiracy theory, as with the Da Vinci Code we again say, “It’s Fiction!  It’s just fiction!  It’s just bloody FICTION!   What part of “fiction” don’t you people understand!!!!!!”  To that, we now respectfully now add, “Get a life!” 

We have wonderful interns on the way! More in July….

Logbook Notes

We  returned from  London-Prague-Paris work swing in late April — with a diversion manage coverage  the H1N1 influenza outbreak.  Brenda’s coverage of the clinical course and public health implications was spot-on!

My personal laptop went bluescreen on the trip home and so we’ve been scrambling on backup laptops and file server systems to manage coverage of the influenza outbreak, make book deadlines, keep film projects progressing, etc.

Adrienne and Joseph have returned from work travel  through Ireland, London, Athens, Cairo and Istanbul.  Addie promises a report on the new digs/finds in Egypt and something from Turkey soon — be she and Joe are swamped with new projects too!

On the horizon

A sailing work/family trip in July.  Kicking the last bird out of the nest to college in August. Work on projects in France and Italy will run from late August/ early September  through October.  A trip to Cuba related to the library doc project might possibly happen sometime next January to March.

It’s almost July and time for Le Tour!  let’s hope the sat dish stays aligned! It’s hard to convince people that you are too tough a pirate to mess with if you walk into a bar and ask them to turn the channel to the Tour de France.

Stay tuned for September! Some of you know details, but our lips are sealed (at least while in the U.S.!)

Cheers,

Lee