Love Your Library? Help it out with Nolo's Matching Funds Program
Pass this information on to your stakeholders......
Our nation's libraries are in serious financial trouble. State, county, city and school budgets continue to be slashed and libraries have fewer and fewer dollars to work with. Nolo will help you support your favorite library by matching any contribution you make to it.
Here's how it works:
Fill out the nifty matching-funds form.
Send us the completed form and a check (made out to Nolo) and tell us which library you want to receive your gift of Nolo books.
We'll then match the amount of your check (up to $1500) and send the library a credit for Nolo books, along with a catalog and a letter acknowledging you as the donor. Your library will then choose which books they would like to receive.
So send us $10, $100 or (yes!) $1000 (up to $1500), and your library will receive $20, $200, or $2000 (up to $3000) worth of Nolo books, in your name.
Need more information? Call us at (800) 955-4775 or email LibraryCS@nolo.com
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Evaluating Electronic Resources
I recently received a question about my experience with managing electronic resources. After writing it, it occurred to me that other people may have the same question, so I am posting my reply here as well. I have not managed electronic resources in about three years. The technology has changed quite a bit, but my primary concerns have not changed. For that reason, I still have some strong opinions on the subject. Here are the first four things I consider when evaluating a service.
1) Useful reports. This is not a big headliner, but most companies give obfuscated information about how people actually use what you pay for. ePeriodicals prefer to tout the number of searches and omit the number of full-text articles actually retrieved. The book analog is counting the number of times people search the catalog while ignoring the number of books actually checked out. Are they really giving you information that lets you form a valid decision to continue the contract?
2) Useful usage. This is actually a continuation of useful reports, but directed at statistics that appear useful but are actually deceptive. eBooks are particularly bad about this. An eBook may circulate 500% more often than its print counterpart, but only have a 2-day checkout compared to the print book's 21-day checkout. Should the eBook's circulation be discounted by 1050% to make the comparison a direct measure of time spent in the patron's hands? Should "views" be compared to in-house use instead of getting bundled with circulation? Or is the number so vague that it should be ignored the way we ignore title reading in the stacks? Every vendor is different. Knowing how the numbers are derived is important to creating honest comparisons.
3) Broad access. An eAudiobook that can only be listened to with the vendor's player is worth less than an eAudiobook that can be played with any device. If they demand the same price, resist buying and try to get a price that reflects the limitation. This is especially true when the limit creates ADA liability for the library.
4) Concurrent access. Multi-user (aka., Library) editions cost more than single-user (Retail) editions, but also address the liability of patrons copying the content to their player and then using it after returning it. Retail editions usually prohibit sharing the same way software licenses usually prohibit sharing, and the courts have been upholding those prohibitions. Libraries need to do their part in discouraging piracy. Concurrent access lets you convert potential illicit access into a chance for several patrons to concurrently check out a single item for group study, a book club, etc. It's more flexible and less expensive than trying to quickly buy a bunch of copies that will soon be discarded. Just remind them to delete their copies when they finish.
That would be my top four thoughts. I hope this helps. -Paul
1) Useful reports. This is not a big headliner, but most companies give obfuscated information about how people actually use what you pay for. ePeriodicals prefer to tout the number of searches and omit the number of full-text articles actually retrieved. The book analog is counting the number of times people search the catalog while ignoring the number of books actually checked out. Are they really giving you information that lets you form a valid decision to continue the contract?
2) Useful usage. This is actually a continuation of useful reports, but directed at statistics that appear useful but are actually deceptive. eBooks are particularly bad about this. An eBook may circulate 500% more often than its print counterpart, but only have a 2-day checkout compared to the print book's 21-day checkout. Should the eBook's circulation be discounted by 1050% to make the comparison a direct measure of time spent in the patron's hands? Should "views" be compared to in-house use instead of getting bundled with circulation? Or is the number so vague that it should be ignored the way we ignore title reading in the stacks? Every vendor is different. Knowing how the numbers are derived is important to creating honest comparisons.
3) Broad access. An eAudiobook that can only be listened to with the vendor's player is worth less than an eAudiobook that can be played with any device. If they demand the same price, resist buying and try to get a price that reflects the limitation. This is especially true when the limit creates ADA liability for the library.
4) Concurrent access. Multi-user (aka., Library) editions cost more than single-user (Retail) editions, but also address the liability of patrons copying the content to their player and then using it after returning it. Retail editions usually prohibit sharing the same way software licenses usually prohibit sharing, and the courts have been upholding those prohibitions. Libraries need to do their part in discouraging piracy. Concurrent access lets you convert potential illicit access into a chance for several patrons to concurrently check out a single item for group study, a book club, etc. It's more flexible and less expensive than trying to quickly buy a bunch of copies that will soon be discarded. Just remind them to delete their copies when they finish.
That would be my top four thoughts. I hope this helps. -Paul
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Vanishing Line Between Books and Internet
O'Reilly Insights
The Vanishing Line Between Books And Internet
Hugh McGuire, 09.15.10, 06:00 AM EDT
The inevitability of truly connected books and why publishers need APIs.
A few months ago I posted a tweet that said: "The distinction between 'the internet' & 'books' is totally totally arbitrary, and will disappear in 5 years. Start adjusting now."
The tweet got some negative reaction. But I'm certain this shift will happen, and should happen. (I won't take bets on the timeline, though.) It should happen because a book properly hooked into the Internet is a far more valuable collection of information than a book not properly hooked into the Internet. Once something is "properly hooked into the Internet," that something is part of the Internet.
Yahoo! BuzzIt will happen because: What is a book, after all, but a collection of data (text + images), with a defined structure (chapters, headings, captions), meta data (title, author, ISBN), prettied up with some presentation design? In other words, what is a book, but a website that happens to be written on paper and not connected to the Web?
E-books to date have mostly been approached as digital versions of print books to be read on a variety of digital devices, with a few bells and whistles--like video. While the false battle between e-books and print books will continue--you can read one on the beach, with no batteries; you can read another at night with no bedside lamp--these battles only scratch the surface of what the move to digital books really means. They continue to ignore the real, though as-yet unknown, value that comes with books being truly digital; not the phony, unconnected digital of our current understanding of "e-books."
The Vanishing Line Between Books And Internet
Hugh McGuire, 09.15.10, 06:00 AM EDT
The inevitability of truly connected books and why publishers need APIs.
A few months ago I posted a tweet that said: "The distinction between 'the internet' & 'books' is totally totally arbitrary, and will disappear in 5 years. Start adjusting now."
The tweet got some negative reaction. But I'm certain this shift will happen, and should happen. (I won't take bets on the timeline, though.) It should happen because a book properly hooked into the Internet is a far more valuable collection of information than a book not properly hooked into the Internet. Once something is "properly hooked into the Internet," that something is part of the Internet.
Yahoo! BuzzIt will happen because: What is a book, after all, but a collection of data (text + images), with a defined structure (chapters, headings, captions), meta data (title, author, ISBN), prettied up with some presentation design? In other words, what is a book, but a website that happens to be written on paper and not connected to the Web?
E-books to date have mostly been approached as digital versions of print books to be read on a variety of digital devices, with a few bells and whistles--like video. While the false battle between e-books and print books will continue--you can read one on the beach, with no batteries; you can read another at night with no bedside lamp--these battles only scratch the surface of what the move to digital books really means. They continue to ignore the real, though as-yet unknown, value that comes with books being truly digital; not the phony, unconnected digital of our current understanding of "e-books."
Monday, September 13, 2010
Interview on KERA about libraries and the declining economy - in case you missed it!
The KERA interview program Think (The TV version of the show) interviewed Corinne Hill from the Dallas Public Library and Cathy Ziegler from the Plano Public Library about economic problems affecting libraries.
The link is the TSLAC Library Developments blog, which posted a video of the interview. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/librarydevelopments/?p=4759
The link is the TSLAC Library Developments blog, which posted a video of the interview. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/librarydevelopments/?p=4759
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Grant Opportunity for Technology Access and Training
Support for Technology Skills Training Programs
Microsoft Elevate America Community Initiative
The Microsoft Elevate America Community Initiative partners with nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. that provide technology access and training in their local communities to help people find employment. Through the current request for proposals, Microsoft will award cash grants of $100,000 to $250,000, software, and technology training curriculum to eligible U.S.-based nonprofit organizations, including workforce agencies, community colleges, labor organizations, etc.
Eligible organizations should provide technology skills training, job placement, and strong employer connections. The focus is on organizations in underserved communities, with emphasis on organizations that address the needs of women and young workers (ages 18-25). The application deadline is October 8, 2010. Application guidelines are available on the Microsoft Elevate America website under "Information for Organizations."
Microsoft Elevate America Community Initiative
The Microsoft Elevate America Community Initiative partners with nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. that provide technology access and training in their local communities to help people find employment. Through the current request for proposals, Microsoft will award cash grants of $100,000 to $250,000, software, and technology training curriculum to eligible U.S.-based nonprofit organizations, including workforce agencies, community colleges, labor organizations, etc.
Eligible organizations should provide technology skills training, job placement, and strong employer connections. The focus is on organizations in underserved communities, with emphasis on organizations that address the needs of women and young workers (ages 18-25). The application deadline is October 8, 2010. Application guidelines are available on the Microsoft Elevate America website under "Information for Organizations."
Wikipedia for Credit - Inside Higher Ed
Wikipedia is here to stay................we need to learn to use the tool effectively - not just ban it.
Wikipedia for Credit - Inside Higher Ed
Wikipedia for Credit - Inside Higher Ed
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
IFLA World Report on Libraries
The World Report series is a biennial report series that reports on the state of the world in terms of freedom of access to information, freedom of expresion and related issues. The reports are available online at:
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/iflafaife-world-report-series
and can be downloaded free of charge.
http://www.ifla.org/en/publications/iflafaife-world-report-series
and can be downloaded free of charge.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Interesting Webinar -
WEBINAR Fall 2010 - Register today!
The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians Webinar will be held on September 17, 2010 from noon to 1:30pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Registration for the webinar is now open! The cost is $15 and libraries can feel free to share this access with a group.
Tim Bucknall, the Assistant Dean, University Libraries at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and the Founder and Convener of the Carolina Consortia will describe how Journal Finder, the first link resolver to go into production in the U.S. was developed from an in house journal linking solution to its current use by 40 libraries in 6 states. It was recently sold to WT Cox, a serials subscription agency.
Jon Obermeyer, Director of External Education and Outreach at Wake Forest University Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and former CEO of the Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network (PTEN), will help you to develop your entrepreneurial ideas and will provide a road map for bringing them to the marketplace.
The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians Webinar will be held on September 17, 2010 from noon to 1:30pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Registration for the webinar is now open! The cost is $15 and libraries can feel free to share this access with a group.
Tim Bucknall, the Assistant Dean, University Libraries at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and the Founder and Convener of the Carolina Consortia will describe how Journal Finder, the first link resolver to go into production in the U.S. was developed from an in house journal linking solution to its current use by 40 libraries in 6 states. It was recently sold to WT Cox, a serials subscription agency.
Jon Obermeyer, Director of External Education and Outreach at Wake Forest University Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and former CEO of the Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network (PTEN), will help you to develop your entrepreneurial ideas and will provide a road map for bringing them to the marketplace.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Books Have Many Futures
AP
It's Kindle, and other e-readers, vs. The Book.
Published: August 20
, 2010
by Linton Weeks
The premise of Lane Smith's new work for children, It’s a Book, is simple: Books are under siege.
On the first page a donkey asks a monkey, "What do you have there?" The monkey replies: "It’s a book."
"How do you scroll down?" the donkey asks. "Do you blog with it?"
Then he asks: "Where’s your mouse? ... Can you make characters fight? ... Can it text? ... Tweet? ... Wi-Fi? ... Can it do this? TOOT!"
No, the monkey repeatedly replies. "It’s a book."
Smith's book, in stores this month, may be an example of a dying breed. A book, published -- and meant to be read -- on paper.
People have been talking about "the death of the book" for more than a decade. But recent events suggest the end may be imminent for bound-paper books as we have known them for more than 500 years. Hardbound and paperback books may never totally disappear, but they could become scary scarce -- like eight-track tapes, typewriters and wooden tennis rackets.
In July, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos announced that his customers now buy more digital versions of stories -- designed for Amazon's proprietary reading tablet, the Kindle -- than they do hardcover books. That is an astonishing fact, Bezos said, "when you consider that we've been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months."
For the complete story.
It's Kindle, and other e-readers, vs. The Book.
Published: August 20
, 2010
by Linton Weeks
The premise of Lane Smith's new work for children, It’s a Book, is simple: Books are under siege.
On the first page a donkey asks a monkey, "What do you have there?" The monkey replies: "It’s a book."
"How do you scroll down?" the donkey asks. "Do you blog with it?"
Then he asks: "Where’s your mouse? ... Can you make characters fight? ... Can it text? ... Tweet? ... Wi-Fi? ... Can it do this? TOOT!"
No, the monkey repeatedly replies. "It’s a book."
Smith's book, in stores this month, may be an example of a dying breed. A book, published -- and meant to be read -- on paper.
People have been talking about "the death of the book" for more than a decade. But recent events suggest the end may be imminent for bound-paper books as we have known them for more than 500 years. Hardbound and paperback books may never totally disappear, but they could become scary scarce -- like eight-track tapes, typewriters and wooden tennis rackets.
In July, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos announced that his customers now buy more digital versions of stories -- designed for Amazon's proprietary reading tablet, the Kindle -- than they do hardcover books. That is an astonishing fact, Bezos said, "when you consider that we've been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months."
For the complete story.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Life Through Literacy
Take a look at this video - great literacy program for teens and their babies through the Arlington Public Library!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Get a Blazing-Fast Computer for Free
By Farhad Manjoo
Posted Monday, July 26, 2010, at 4:38 PM ET
excerpt:
So Ubuntu is good. But why should you use it? After all, nearly every computer you encounter will likely be running either Windows or the Mac OS. You can buy a new PC preloaded with Ubuntu, but they're not easy to find (and, anyway, you don't save too much by doing so). So what's the point?
To me, it's the perfect way to give an aging Windows PC new life. Many of us have an old computer sitting around that, theoretically, is perfectly usable—you've just given up on it because it's too slow and too broken down. Perhaps the machine doesn't run modern programs. Or maybe it's become bloated by software you should never have installed, or colonized by spyware that sneaked by your defenses. Or perhap! s the machine is just old—over time, computers, like people, pick up all kinds of annoying affectations, and eventually they begin to drive you insane. But unlike people, a computer can be completely remade. All you need to do is reinstall its operating system, wiping it clean of every tic it's picked up in its life. More often than not, this relatively simple step will make the machine as good as new.
If your machine is really old, though, reinstalling its original OS could be a step backward. Consider, for instance, the laptop that I purchased in the spring of 2006. The computer—a Dell with a Pentium M processor—came with Windows XP pre-installed. In its day, it was a pretty solid machine, and the only real hardware flaw it's picked up over the years is a busted battery—it doesn't hold a charge, which means I've got to keep the computer plugged in all the time. That hasn't bothered me too much; for about two years, as I picked up newer and better portable ma! chines, I've relegated the Dell laptop to my kitchen counter, where I use it mainly to consult recipes, check my e-mail, and listen to NPR while I cook (I lead a thrilling life). Despite this fairly undemanding assignment, I've noticed the machine getting progressively worse at simple tasks over the last few months. For reasons I haven't bothered to check out—maybe it was a virus or spyware, maybe some kind of hardware or driver error, who knows?—the laptop would take forever to load up a Web page and would completely bog down when more than two browser tabs were open. The machine needed a makeover.
Yes, I could have hunted down the Dell's original XP disks and reinstalled it to its factory settings. But it's 2010—why should I use an operating system first made in 2001? That's when I decided on Ubuntu. It took me 10 minutes to download the OS, and another five to burn a CD (you can also install it using a USB thumb drive). Installation took another 15 minutes, and it went swimmingly—Ubuntu detected all my machine's hardware (soun! d, Wi-Fi, and one-finger scrolling on the laptop's trackpad work perfectly), and it came to life with several key applications pre-installed.
One of the main problems I had with Ubuntu two years ago was its mysterious app-install process. Unlike on the Mac or in Windows, Ubuntu didn't really like when I went to the Web, downloaded a program, and installed it—it would either fail to install the program or fail to put the installed app where I could find it. Instead, Ubuntu wanted you to install programs through its built-in "package manager," a centralized repository of apps for the system. While the package manager is still the preferred route to get new applications, I didn't have any trouble downloading programs from the Web this time around. My only quibble: Ubuntu doesn't offer any kind of startup guide showing you around the OS's main features. You pretty much have to consult the helpful online communi! ty of Ubuntu devotees.
Posted Monday, July 26, 2010, at 4:38 PM ET
excerpt:
So Ubuntu is good. But why should you use it? After all, nearly every computer you encounter will likely be running either Windows or the Mac OS. You can buy a new PC preloaded with Ubuntu, but they're not easy to find (and, anyway, you don't save too much by doing so). So what's the point?
To me, it's the perfect way to give an aging Windows PC new life. Many of us have an old computer sitting around that, theoretically, is perfectly usable—you've just given up on it because it's too slow and too broken down. Perhaps the machine doesn't run modern programs. Or maybe it's become bloated by software you should never have installed, or colonized by spyware that sneaked by your defenses. Or perhap! s the machine is just old—over time, computers, like people, pick up all kinds of annoying affectations, and eventually they begin to drive you insane. But unlike people, a computer can be completely remade. All you need to do is reinstall its operating system, wiping it clean of every tic it's picked up in its life. More often than not, this relatively simple step will make the machine as good as new.
If your machine is really old, though, reinstalling its original OS could be a step backward. Consider, for instance, the laptop that I purchased in the spring of 2006. The computer—a Dell with a Pentium M processor—came with Windows XP pre-installed. In its day, it was a pretty solid machine, and the only real hardware flaw it's picked up over the years is a busted battery—it doesn't hold a charge, which means I've got to keep the computer plugged in all the time. That hasn't bothered me too much; for about two years, as I picked up newer and better portable ma! chines, I've relegated the Dell laptop to my kitchen counter, where I use it mainly to consult recipes, check my e-mail, and listen to NPR while I cook (I lead a thrilling life). Despite this fairly undemanding assignment, I've noticed the machine getting progressively worse at simple tasks over the last few months. For reasons I haven't bothered to check out—maybe it was a virus or spyware, maybe some kind of hardware or driver error, who knows?—the laptop would take forever to load up a Web page and would completely bog down when more than two browser tabs were open. The machine needed a makeover.
Yes, I could have hunted down the Dell's original XP disks and reinstalled it to its factory settings. But it's 2010—why should I use an operating system first made in 2001? That's when I decided on Ubuntu. It took me 10 minutes to download the OS, and another five to burn a CD (you can also install it using a USB thumb drive). Installation took another 15 minutes, and it went swimmingly—Ubuntu detected all my machine's hardware (soun! d, Wi-Fi, and one-finger scrolling on the laptop's trackpad work perfectly), and it came to life with several key applications pre-installed.
One of the main problems I had with Ubuntu two years ago was its mysterious app-install process. Unlike on the Mac or in Windows, Ubuntu didn't really like when I went to the Web, downloaded a program, and installed it—it would either fail to install the program or fail to put the installed app where I could find it. Instead, Ubuntu wanted you to install programs through its built-in "package manager," a centralized repository of apps for the system. While the package manager is still the preferred route to get new applications, I didn't have any trouble downloading programs from the Web this time around. My only quibble: Ubuntu doesn't offer any kind of startup guide showing you around the OS's main features. You pretty much have to consult the helpful online communi! ty of Ubuntu devotees.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Cadaver displays in the library?
I just saw this article and it made me think this would be a great display in the anatomy section - let's pursue these types of exhibits for libraries!
Preserved cadaver exhibits banned in Seattle
Seattle council bans exhibits like 'Bodies'
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012391385_bodies19m.html
Exhibition or freak show? 'Bodies…The Exhibition' cashes in our own curiosity
http://www.seattlepi.com/visualart/286689_bodies28.html
Anatomy of a controversy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081902055.html
Missouri congressman concerned about origin of bodies at exhibit currently in Cleveland
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/07/lawmaker_concerned_about_origi.html
20/20: Inside the Bodies Exhibit
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4300207
Photographic History of Human Dissection
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/29/dissection
Not many things get banned in Seattle, so it was a bit unusual this week to learn that the city council in the Emerald City voted to ban commercial cadaver displays. For those who might not be familiar with such matters, preserved cadaver displays have become tremendously popular over the past several years, and they include the exhibits "Bodies" and "Body Worlds". In Seattle, Councilmember Nick Licata expressed concern over the origins of the bodies used in these displays, and other citizens (including anatomy professors and museum directors) thought that the exhibits were disrespectful to the families of the deceased. The popular exhibit "Bodies" had been on display twice in Seattle, and the group responsible for sponsoring the exhibit stated that they received these bodies from a plastination facility in China, which had in turn, received them from Chinese medical universities. Similar laws have been signed into law in Hawaii, New York, and San Francisco. The ban in Seattle does not apply to human remains that are more than 100 years old or consist solely of human teeth or hair. Given the continued popularity of such exhibits, this issue may be revisited in other towns across the United States. [KMG]
The first link will take visitors to a news article from this Tuesday's Seattle Times which talks about the recent ban passed by the Seattle City Council. The second link leads to a thoughtful retrospective piece from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer which reviews the original exhibit which found its way to Seattle in 2006. Moving on, the third link leads to an excellent piece from the Washington Post that reports on the initial reactions to the "Bodies: The Exhibition" display. The fourth link leads to a recent piece from the Cleveland Plain Dealer which discusses concerns about the "Bodies: The Exhibition" raised by a Missouri congressman which may affect an upcoming exhibit in St. Louis. The fifth link leads to a segment from ABC's "20/20" program about the Bodies exhibit. It should be noted that the segment contains images that some persons may find graphic in their depiction of the human body. The final link leads to a piece from Inside Higher Ed which provides material on a recent book about the photographic history of medical dissection.
Preserved cadaver exhibits banned in Seattle
Seattle council bans exhibits like 'Bodies'
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012391385_bodies19m.html
Exhibition or freak show? 'Bodies…The Exhibition' cashes in our own curiosity
http://www.seattlepi.com/visualart/286689_bodies28.html
Anatomy of a controversy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/19/AR2005081902055.html
Missouri congressman concerned about origin of bodies at exhibit currently in Cleveland
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/07/lawmaker_concerned_about_origi.html
20/20: Inside the Bodies Exhibit
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4300207
Photographic History of Human Dissection
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/29/dissection
Not many things get banned in Seattle, so it was a bit unusual this week to learn that the city council in the Emerald City voted to ban commercial cadaver displays. For those who might not be familiar with such matters, preserved cadaver displays have become tremendously popular over the past several years, and they include the exhibits "Bodies" and "Body Worlds". In Seattle, Councilmember Nick Licata expressed concern over the origins of the bodies used in these displays, and other citizens (including anatomy professors and museum directors) thought that the exhibits were disrespectful to the families of the deceased. The popular exhibit "Bodies" had been on display twice in Seattle, and the group responsible for sponsoring the exhibit stated that they received these bodies from a plastination facility in China, which had in turn, received them from Chinese medical universities. Similar laws have been signed into law in Hawaii, New York, and San Francisco. The ban in Seattle does not apply to human remains that are more than 100 years old or consist solely of human teeth or hair. Given the continued popularity of such exhibits, this issue may be revisited in other towns across the United States. [KMG]
The first link will take visitors to a news article from this Tuesday's Seattle Times which talks about the recent ban passed by the Seattle City Council. The second link leads to a thoughtful retrospective piece from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer which reviews the original exhibit which found its way to Seattle in 2006. Moving on, the third link leads to an excellent piece from the Washington Post that reports on the initial reactions to the "Bodies: The Exhibition" display. The fourth link leads to a recent piece from the Cleveland Plain Dealer which discusses concerns about the "Bodies: The Exhibition" raised by a Missouri congressman which may affect an upcoming exhibit in St. Louis. The fifth link leads to a segment from ABC's "20/20" program about the Bodies exhibit. It should be noted that the segment contains images that some persons may find graphic in their depiction of the human body. The final link leads to a piece from Inside Higher Ed which provides material on a recent book about the photographic history of medical dissection.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Prefer E-books?
Mashable.com is a website devoted to news in social and digital media, technology and web culture. They asked their readers whether they preferred e-books or print books. The results were a little surprising, given the audience being polled:
23% prefer e-books
42% prefer print books
35% said each format had its advantages
You can see the results here: http://mashable.com/2010/07/24/e-book-real-book-results/
23% prefer e-books
42% prefer print books
35% said each format had its advantages
You can see the results here: http://mashable.com/2010/07/24/e-book-real-book-results/
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Gamestorming - Alternative Work Environments
In defense of games in the workplace
"Gamestorming" author Dave Gray on how games cut through creative chaos.
by Mac Slocum
We're hardwired to play games. We play them for fun. We play them in our social interactions. We play them at work.
That last one is tricky. "Games" and "work" don't seem like a natural pairing. Their coupling in the workplace either implies goofing off (the fun variant) or office politics (the not-so-fun type).
Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo, co-authors of the upcoming book Gamestorming, have a different perspective. They contend that an embrace and understanding of game mechanics can yield benefits in many work environments, particularly those where old hierarchical models are no longer applicable.
In the following Q&A, Gray discusses the collaborative power of games and how they can cut through increasing workplace complexity.
What is Gamestorming?
Dave Gray: Gamestorming is a set of collaboration practices that originated in Silicon Valley in the 1970s and has been evolving ever since. It's an approach that emphasizes quick, ad-hoc organization of teams so they can rapidly co-design and co-develop ideas. As my co-authors and I observed these practices, they seemed to look more like games than any other form of work we were familiar with. Hence the term "gamestorming."
Is each of us playing some sort of game all the time?
DG: In a sense we're always playing games of one sort or another. "Game" is a big word that can have many meanings. For example, "game-playing," "gaming the system," "getting your head in the game," and so on.
In this context, games are simply a way to put structure around the chaos of creative work. The game rules are a way of distributing information into the space you are working in, and distributing power equally among the people in a group. They are a method for flattening hierarchy, increasing engagement, and just generally speeding things up.
Does Gamestorming require specific skills?
DG: Gamestorming is primarily a mindset. It's an approach to work that's about engaging people in collaboratory activities. It's not a game if people are forced to play, so you need to have people and projects that stir people's curiosity and emotion. The Gamestorming skills are synthesizing and social skills, like visualization, improvisation, good listening and language skills.
Can games apply in any organization? Or, are there jobs and industries where it's less effective?
DG: Gamestorming is a great approach when you are entering into unknown territory, when you need to imagine or design for the future, and when you need to tap creative energy. What games are best at is facilitating collaboration and innovation. Where the work is predictable, or where you want consistency, games are not the solution. You don't want people playing too many games in the accounting department.
What is the relationship between complexity and game mechanics?
DG: The world is only getting more complex, and the more complex a system gets the less predictable it is. Games are a way to create simplified systems that mirror the real world. Plus, they're a safe place to try out various scenarios and see what kinds of results are possible. You can tweak one or two variables and see how that affects the system.
How has workplace motivation changed as we've moved into a knowledge economy?
DG: In a traditional industrial setting, say, a factory, it's easy to see what everybody is doing and how what they do fits into the bigger picture. It's easy to see when people are working and when they are slacking off.
But in a knowledge economy, where people are all moving symbols around on screens, and many work from home or the road, it's harder to coordinate the work. Fundamentally, in a knowledge economy, you want people to be creative. That means you need them to be interested, passionate and engaged. The modern cubicle layout and the intangibility of the work makes it difficult. You need to find ways to make it easier for people to share their work and the excitement they have for it. You need to fan the flames.
"Gamestorming" author Dave Gray on how games cut through creative chaos.
by Mac Slocum
We're hardwired to play games. We play them for fun. We play them in our social interactions. We play them at work.
That last one is tricky. "Games" and "work" don't seem like a natural pairing. Their coupling in the workplace either implies goofing off (the fun variant) or office politics (the not-so-fun type).
Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo, co-authors of the upcoming book Gamestorming, have a different perspective. They contend that an embrace and understanding of game mechanics can yield benefits in many work environments, particularly those where old hierarchical models are no longer applicable.
In the following Q&A, Gray discusses the collaborative power of games and how they can cut through increasing workplace complexity.
What is Gamestorming?
Dave Gray: Gamestorming is a set of collaboration practices that originated in Silicon Valley in the 1970s and has been evolving ever since. It's an approach that emphasizes quick, ad-hoc organization of teams so they can rapidly co-design and co-develop ideas. As my co-authors and I observed these practices, they seemed to look more like games than any other form of work we were familiar with. Hence the term "gamestorming."
Is each of us playing some sort of game all the time?
DG: In a sense we're always playing games of one sort or another. "Game" is a big word that can have many meanings. For example, "game-playing," "gaming the system," "getting your head in the game," and so on.
In this context, games are simply a way to put structure around the chaos of creative work. The game rules are a way of distributing information into the space you are working in, and distributing power equally among the people in a group. They are a method for flattening hierarchy, increasing engagement, and just generally speeding things up.
Does Gamestorming require specific skills?
DG: Gamestorming is primarily a mindset. It's an approach to work that's about engaging people in collaboratory activities. It's not a game if people are forced to play, so you need to have people and projects that stir people's curiosity and emotion. The Gamestorming skills are synthesizing and social skills, like visualization, improvisation, good listening and language skills.
Can games apply in any organization? Or, are there jobs and industries where it's less effective?
DG: Gamestorming is a great approach when you are entering into unknown territory, when you need to imagine or design for the future, and when you need to tap creative energy. What games are best at is facilitating collaboration and innovation. Where the work is predictable, or where you want consistency, games are not the solution. You don't want people playing too many games in the accounting department.
What is the relationship between complexity and game mechanics?
DG: The world is only getting more complex, and the more complex a system gets the less predictable it is. Games are a way to create simplified systems that mirror the real world. Plus, they're a safe place to try out various scenarios and see what kinds of results are possible. You can tweak one or two variables and see how that affects the system.
How has workplace motivation changed as we've moved into a knowledge economy?
DG: In a traditional industrial setting, say, a factory, it's easy to see what everybody is doing and how what they do fits into the bigger picture. It's easy to see when people are working and when they are slacking off.
But in a knowledge economy, where people are all moving symbols around on screens, and many work from home or the road, it's harder to coordinate the work. Fundamentally, in a knowledge economy, you want people to be creative. That means you need them to be interested, passionate and engaged. The modern cubicle layout and the intangibility of the work makes it difficult. You need to find ways to make it easier for people to share their work and the excitement they have for it. You need to fan the flames.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Are Online Tools Being Used??
Reposted from WebJunction’s blog;
In a survey to a random sample of WebJunction members this spring, respondents answered a question on how frequently they used online tools, either in or outside of their professional life. We found the results interesting. Nearly half of the respondents (49%) use email “listservs” daily. One-third of the respondents (35%) use professional or social networking sites daily. A quarter or less of the respondents use the following daily: online news or magazines (21%), blogs (14%), RSS feeds (14%), bookmarking sites (10%), wikis (9%), employment sites (6%) and online courses (3%).
Urban library respondents (72%) are more likely to use email listservs daily than suburban (57%) and rural (45%) library respondents. Also, urban library respondents (18%) are more likely to use RSS feeds daily than rural library respondents (9%). Suburban library respondents (40%) are more likely to use professional or social networking sites daily than urban (31%) and rural (31%) library respondents.
Alas, lists are still alive and well!
Does this match your activities? Go to the full blog post to see full chart and additional results. And check out our competencies for social networking in libraries.
In a survey to a random sample of WebJunction members this spring, respondents answered a question on how frequently they used online tools, either in or outside of their professional life. We found the results interesting. Nearly half of the respondents (49%) use email “listservs” daily. One-third of the respondents (35%) use professional or social networking sites daily. A quarter or less of the respondents use the following daily: online news or magazines (21%), blogs (14%), RSS feeds (14%), bookmarking sites (10%), wikis (9%), employment sites (6%) and online courses (3%).
Urban library respondents (72%) are more likely to use email listservs daily than suburban (57%) and rural (45%) library respondents. Also, urban library respondents (18%) are more likely to use RSS feeds daily than rural library respondents (9%). Suburban library respondents (40%) are more likely to use professional or social networking sites daily than urban (31%) and rural (31%) library respondents.
Alas, lists are still alive and well!
Does this match your activities? Go to the full blog post to see full chart and additional results. And check out our competencies for social networking in libraries.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Fosters.com - Dover NH, Rochester NH, Portsmouth NH, Laconia NH, Sanford ME
Fosters.com - Dover NH, Rochester NH, Portsmouth NH, Laconia NH, Sanford ME
This is interesting - will more groups start doing this? We should generate news like this that is for LIBRARY ADVOCACY!
This is interesting - will more groups start doing this? We should generate news like this that is for LIBRARY ADVOCACY!
Monday, July 12, 2010
California Clearinghouse helpful for all rural libraries!
Remind me again, please...what is the Clearinghouse?*
The Rural Library Resources Clearinghouse is an online archive to help California rural public libraries serve their users more efficiently. By providing examples of commonly needed documents, materials and programs in all aspects of library operations, the Clearinghouse benefits rural libraries by eliminating the need to "reinvent the wheel" for every new policy, practice, procedure or project needed locally.
Although developed for use by California rural libraries, any library is welcome to visit and use www.resourceroundup.net
The Rural Library Resources Clearinghouse is an online archive to help California rural public libraries serve their users more efficiently. By providing examples of commonly needed documents, materials and programs in all aspects of library operations, the Clearinghouse benefits rural libraries by eliminating the need to "reinvent the wheel" for every new policy, practice, procedure or project needed locally.
Although developed for use by California rural libraries, any library is welcome to visit and use www.resourceroundup.net
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Are You Pretty Enough to Get a Job? | Employment | Career | Mainstreet
Are You Pretty Enough to Get a Job? | Employment | Career | Mainstreet
As if looking for a job isn't hard enough.......................
As if looking for a job isn't hard enough.......................
Mall Library Proving Wildly Successful | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
Mall Library Proving Wildly Successful | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
People streamed into a storefront on a recent summer day at an upscale Dallas mall, but they weren't drawn to a heavy discount on designer clothes. It was story sing-a-long time for babies at one of the city library's newest outposts.
The library for kids 12 and under has been wildly successful in offering unconventional access to families who might not make a trip to a traditional public library, and it's one of a growing number of strategies used by librarians nationwide to reintroduce communities to their local library.
"I think what's happening now is really that focus on convenience," said Sari Feldman, president of the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association. "How do we make the public library as convenient as Amazon, Netflix? Part of that is putting library branches in the path of customer."
"We are very aware of the fact that our biggest advantage is that we're free, but if time is actually a commodity for people, will people be willing to spend money rather than go to a library?"
She said putting libraries in malls is one of many efforts by public libraries to become more convenient. Even at more traditional branches, libraries have built cafes, provided downloadable books or installed drive-through windows.
With about 5,000 items, including books and DVDs, the Bookmarks branch in Dallas' NorthPark Center checks out as many items as branches eight times its size, said Jo Giudice, youth services manager. She said in the two years since it opened, it's had to increase story times to 12 a week compared to the two or three at most branches.
"It's been extremely successful. Numbers have risen every month in respect to programming and book checkout," said Giudice. "We've reintroduced the library to some young families."
The American Library Association doesn't have a comprehensive list of how many libraries are in malls or shopping centers but has an informal tally of around two dozen such branches. One of those opened as far back as the 1960s, but the idea seemingly has grown in popularity in the last decade.
Some locations are arranged like traditional libraries, while others resemble a bookstore. There's also a handful of libraries with arts centers, museums and even apartment buildings.
In Wichita, Kan. there's a library in a grocery story, and a small annex opened by the Chicago Public Library to offer best-sellers to patrons in a visitor center in the city's historic Water Works Pumping Station along Michigan Avenue.
Meanwhile, traditional libraries are trying to become more convenient. Leslie Burger, executive director of New Jersey's Princeton Public Library, said her library in downtown Princeton has a cafe, a bookstore selling donated books, return boxes around town and will mail books to borrowers. This summer, it started hosting a farmer's market.
"It's really that public libraries are really in the midst of some amazing transformation," Burger said. "I think the point of all this is we have multiple generations that we're serving right now and what we're trying to do is surprise and delight our customers."
More people are visiting public libraries, with the Institute of Museum and Library Services showing an almost 20 percent increase from 1999 to 2008, even though the number of librarians remains the same and more libraries have decreased hours and flat or decreased funding.
While there was a bump in library use as the economy faltered, libraries have been seeing consistent growth over the last decade, said Larra Clark, project manager in the Library Association's office for Research and Statistics.
In the face of budget concerns, Feldman, who is also executive director of Ohio's Cuyahoga County Public Library in suburban Cleveland, said a shopping center location can be a good for people and the library system.
Opening a new location in a strip mall nine months ago, one of her branches found affordable rent because of the large number of vacant shops. And since the library is arranged like a bookstore with a self-service focus, they only need the equivalent of 2½ staffers compared to the 11 needed for a full stand-alone branch, she said.
For Bookmarks in Dallas, the owners of NorthPark paid for the mall space to be converted into a library and charge only $1 a year for rent. The library's programs are sponsored by a local energy company.
Curled up reading a book to her 4-year-old son at Bookmarks, 31-year-old Priscilla Gluckman said they came for a yoga class and stayed to read. On such visits they also usually have lunch or shop at NorthPark, which offers higher-priced storefronts like Neiman Marcus and Carolina Herrera.
Bookmarks, she said, is a nice contrast to the consumerism.
"It was just perfect. It was just a nice clean place that wasn't trying to market you something -- just a book," she said. "NorthPark is so high-end. It was so refreshing to see this little pocket of childhood."
Online:
American Library Association, http://www.ala.org/
Bookmarks, http://dallaslibrary2.org/branch/bookmarks.php
Copyright Associated Press First Published: Jul 6, 2010 8:45 AM CDT
People streamed into a storefront on a recent summer day at an upscale Dallas mall, but they weren't drawn to a heavy discount on designer clothes. It was story sing-a-long time for babies at one of the city library's newest outposts.
The library for kids 12 and under has been wildly successful in offering unconventional access to families who might not make a trip to a traditional public library, and it's one of a growing number of strategies used by librarians nationwide to reintroduce communities to their local library.
"I think what's happening now is really that focus on convenience," said Sari Feldman, president of the Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association. "How do we make the public library as convenient as Amazon, Netflix? Part of that is putting library branches in the path of customer."
"We are very aware of the fact that our biggest advantage is that we're free, but if time is actually a commodity for people, will people be willing to spend money rather than go to a library?"
She said putting libraries in malls is one of many efforts by public libraries to become more convenient. Even at more traditional branches, libraries have built cafes, provided downloadable books or installed drive-through windows.
With about 5,000 items, including books and DVDs, the Bookmarks branch in Dallas' NorthPark Center checks out as many items as branches eight times its size, said Jo Giudice, youth services manager. She said in the two years since it opened, it's had to increase story times to 12 a week compared to the two or three at most branches.
"It's been extremely successful. Numbers have risen every month in respect to programming and book checkout," said Giudice. "We've reintroduced the library to some young families."
The American Library Association doesn't have a comprehensive list of how many libraries are in malls or shopping centers but has an informal tally of around two dozen such branches. One of those opened as far back as the 1960s, but the idea seemingly has grown in popularity in the last decade.
Some locations are arranged like traditional libraries, while others resemble a bookstore. There's also a handful of libraries with arts centers, museums and even apartment buildings.
In Wichita, Kan. there's a library in a grocery story, and a small annex opened by the Chicago Public Library to offer best-sellers to patrons in a visitor center in the city's historic Water Works Pumping Station along Michigan Avenue.
Meanwhile, traditional libraries are trying to become more convenient. Leslie Burger, executive director of New Jersey's Princeton Public Library, said her library in downtown Princeton has a cafe, a bookstore selling donated books, return boxes around town and will mail books to borrowers. This summer, it started hosting a farmer's market.
"It's really that public libraries are really in the midst of some amazing transformation," Burger said. "I think the point of all this is we have multiple generations that we're serving right now and what we're trying to do is surprise and delight our customers."
More people are visiting public libraries, with the Institute of Museum and Library Services showing an almost 20 percent increase from 1999 to 2008, even though the number of librarians remains the same and more libraries have decreased hours and flat or decreased funding.
While there was a bump in library use as the economy faltered, libraries have been seeing consistent growth over the last decade, said Larra Clark, project manager in the Library Association's office for Research and Statistics.
In the face of budget concerns, Feldman, who is also executive director of Ohio's Cuyahoga County Public Library in suburban Cleveland, said a shopping center location can be a good for people and the library system.
Opening a new location in a strip mall nine months ago, one of her branches found affordable rent because of the large number of vacant shops. And since the library is arranged like a bookstore with a self-service focus, they only need the equivalent of 2½ staffers compared to the 11 needed for a full stand-alone branch, she said.
For Bookmarks in Dallas, the owners of NorthPark paid for the mall space to be converted into a library and charge only $1 a year for rent. The library's programs are sponsored by a local energy company.
Curled up reading a book to her 4-year-old son at Bookmarks, 31-year-old Priscilla Gluckman said they came for a yoga class and stayed to read. On such visits they also usually have lunch or shop at NorthPark, which offers higher-priced storefronts like Neiman Marcus and Carolina Herrera.
Bookmarks, she said, is a nice contrast to the consumerism.
"It was just perfect. It was just a nice clean place that wasn't trying to market you something -- just a book," she said. "NorthPark is so high-end. It was so refreshing to see this little pocket of childhood."
Online:
American Library Association, http://www.ala.org/
Bookmarks, http://dallaslibrary2.org/branch/bookmarks.php
Copyright Associated Press First Published: Jul 6, 2010 8:45 AM CDT
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Small Stores See Google as Ally in E-Book Market - NYTimes.com
Small Stores See Google as Ally in E-Book Market - NYTimes.com
Someday as we are floating in space and downloading books straight to our brains - we will wonder what all of the fuss was about..............
Someday as we are floating in space and downloading books straight to our brains - we will wonder what all of the fuss was about..............
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Libraries Have a Novel Idea - WSJ.com
Libraries Have a Novel Idea - WSJ.com
This article is interesting and makes one begin to think about the future of ereaders and books - instead of starting the discussion - we need to be leading the discussion!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Appletell reviews BookLover for iPhone, iPod touch
Appletell reviews BookLover for iPhone, iPod touch
I confess - I do not have an Iphone - I do have an I-Pod however.........Anyway - thought this was an interesting review of the BookLover app.......
I confess - I do not have an Iphone - I do have an I-Pod however.........Anyway - thought this was an interesting review of the BookLover app.......
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
A Failure to Communicate
Check out this article detailing the current lawsuit with e-reserves.
A Failure to Communicate
Out of patience, in April 2008, publishers sued four individuals at Georgia State University in their "official capacities." Niko Pfund, publisher of Oxford University Press, one of the named plaintiffs in the case, along with Cambridge University Press and SAGE Publications, said the plaintiffs were reticent to sue, but had little choice. "I consider this a failure of dialogue," Pfund says of the suit. "It's a shame. We've successfully come to agreements with others over the years. But Georgia State just wouldn't talk with us."
The allegations in the complaint offer some sense of just how much material is being accessed through electronic course content systems on college campuses: publishers claim that at Georgia State, more than 6,700 works were "made available through a variety of online systems and outlets" without permission, representing "systematic, widespread, and unauthorized copying and distribution of a vast amount of copyrighted works" for students in more than 600 courses.
On one hand, the lawsuit has certainly served as a shot across the bow of the university library community and faculties who use course management systems, and has prompted many schools to revisit their policies and procedures. But the legal case against Georgia State itself has been a complex, uphill battle for publishers from the start.
A Failure to Communicate
Out of patience, in April 2008, publishers sued four individuals at Georgia State University in their "official capacities." Niko Pfund, publisher of Oxford University Press, one of the named plaintiffs in the case, along with Cambridge University Press and SAGE Publications, said the plaintiffs were reticent to sue, but had little choice. "I consider this a failure of dialogue," Pfund says of the suit. "It's a shame. We've successfully come to agreements with others over the years. But Georgia State just wouldn't talk with us."
The allegations in the complaint offer some sense of just how much material is being accessed through electronic course content systems on college campuses: publishers claim that at Georgia State, more than 6,700 works were "made available through a variety of online systems and outlets" without permission, representing "systematic, widespread, and unauthorized copying and distribution of a vast amount of copyrighted works" for students in more than 600 courses.
On one hand, the lawsuit has certainly served as a shot across the bow of the university library community and faculties who use course management systems, and has prompted many schools to revisit their policies and procedures. But the legal case against Georgia State itself has been a complex, uphill battle for publishers from the start.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Library "Apps for That"
Library “Apps for That”
by Kam McEvoy from Central Texas Library System
Are you looking for some resources to offer your on-the-go patrons with mobile devices? Or are you a free-range reference librarian who needs access to the databases without being tethered to the desk?
Here are some mobile apps to consider for your iPhone, Blackberry, Android, iPod Touch (it uses a wi-fi connection and runs apps like an iPhone – perfect for the library to buy and use as the on-duty reference tool), etc.:
1. Gale’s Access my Library app -
Gale created this free iPhone/iPod application to help people use library resources by detecting physical library branches within a 10-mile radius of the user on demand and using a web product to connect people to the Gale online resources that their local libraries subscribe to. The app is downloadable from www.accessmylibrary.com or from the iTunes store. You can promote this in your library with marketing materials or place it on your website. Through TexShare, your patrons should be getting Health and Wellness Resource Center, Literature Resource Center, and InfoTrac Custom Newsletters at the very least.
2. EBSCOhost Mobile is EBSCO’s answer to the Gale app. It can be accessed at: http://m.ebscohost.com/ or http://search.ebscohost.mobi/ (not through the iTunes app store). EBSCOhost Mobile has the following features available: Basic Searching, HTML and PDF Full Text, Search Modes, Limiters, Image Quick View, Image Collection
(depending on the database that has been selected), E-mailing articles, Preferences, Multi-database Searching, and Branding. These are free to access if you set up a user account at the library ahead of time or are using it in the library.
Again, TexShare gets your patrons a subscription to a ton of EBSCO databases.
3. WorldCat Mobile App can be accessed through the iTunes store, or type this URL into your phone's Web browser: http://www.worldcat.org/m/. You can:
• Search for library materials—Enter search terms such as keywords, author or title
• Find a WorldCat library near you—Enter your ZIP, postal code or location in the Libraries Locator
• Call a library—Highlight and click the phone number in a library listing to place a call
• Map a route—Find the fastest way to a WorldCat library using the mapping software already on your device
4. Other Reference Tools to Consider:
• Wikipedia Mobile – no, it’s not Britannica, but it’s convenient and comprehensive – a good starting point for many patrons.
• WhitePages Mobile for people and business search
• Basic Spanish for Dummies – this one costs 99 cents, but its Spanish-English dictionary might come in handy if you are trying to assist Spanish-speaking patrons with limited English and you’re not fluent.
• Meebo – keep in touch with your patrons through instant messaging on your iPod Touch or iPhone
• Check out Shelfari if you haven’t already – a social networking site about books! Here’s the mobile-friendly website: http://m.shelfari.com
These are just a few resources, and we will be thinking of more ways to help you and your mobile users, including making our own website mobile-friendly. And please let us know about apps that are useful to you!
by Kam McEvoy from Central Texas Library System
Are you looking for some resources to offer your on-the-go patrons with mobile devices? Or are you a free-range reference librarian who needs access to the databases without being tethered to the desk?
Here are some mobile apps to consider for your iPhone, Blackberry, Android, iPod Touch (it uses a wi-fi connection and runs apps like an iPhone – perfect for the library to buy and use as the on-duty reference tool), etc.:
1. Gale’s Access my Library app -
Gale created this free iPhone/iPod application to help people use library resources by detecting physical library branches within a 10-mile radius of the user on demand and using a web product to connect people to the Gale online resources that their local libraries subscribe to. The app is downloadable from www.accessmylibrary.com or from the iTunes store. You can promote this in your library with marketing materials or place it on your website. Through TexShare, your patrons should be getting Health and Wellness Resource Center, Literature Resource Center, and InfoTrac Custom Newsletters at the very least.
2. EBSCOhost Mobile is EBSCO’s answer to the Gale app. It can be accessed at: http://m.ebscohost.com/ or http://search.ebscohost.mobi/ (not through the iTunes app store). EBSCOhost Mobile has the following features available: Basic Searching, HTML and PDF Full Text, Search Modes, Limiters, Image Quick View, Image Collection
(depending on the database that has been selected), E-mailing articles, Preferences, Multi-database Searching, and Branding. These are free to access if you set up a user account at the library ahead of time or are using it in the library.
Again, TexShare gets your patrons a subscription to a ton of EBSCO databases.
3. WorldCat Mobile App can be accessed through the iTunes store, or type this URL into your phone's Web browser: http://www.worldcat.org/m/. You can:
• Search for library materials—Enter search terms such as keywords, author or title
• Find a WorldCat library near you—Enter your ZIP, postal code or location in the Libraries Locator
• Call a library—Highlight and click the phone number in a library listing to place a call
• Map a route—Find the fastest way to a WorldCat library using the mapping software already on your device
4. Other Reference Tools to Consider:
• Wikipedia Mobile – no, it’s not Britannica, but it’s convenient and comprehensive – a good starting point for many patrons.
• WhitePages Mobile for people and business search
• Basic Spanish for Dummies – this one costs 99 cents, but its Spanish-English dictionary might come in handy if you are trying to assist Spanish-speaking patrons with limited English and you’re not fluent.
• Meebo – keep in touch with your patrons through instant messaging on your iPod Touch or iPhone
• Check out Shelfari if you haven’t already – a social networking site about books! Here’s the mobile-friendly website: http://m.shelfari.com
These are just a few resources, and we will be thinking of more ways to help you and your mobile users, including making our own website mobile-friendly. And please let us know about apps that are useful to you!
Shawn P. Williams: Budget woes a chance to remake libraries | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Opinion: Viewpoints
Shawn P. Williams: Budget woes a chance to remake libraries | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Opinion: Viewpoints
The library is in the news again - check out this article. I believe responses will be interesting from librarians and the community.
The library is in the news again - check out this article. I believe responses will be interesting from librarians and the community.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Y2K...............
Remember all the hubbub about Y2K - just reminiscing a bit and ran across the Library and Information Technology Association for the 1999 conference and found this quote: We can't fend off e-books with a glib "I like to read a book at the beach, under a tree, or in bed" any more, because now you can do all of those things. With some public libraries starting to lend Rocket e-books and NetLibrary signing up universities right and left, the world of e-books is taking shape, although it might not affect your library for a year or two. What librarians need to do now is stay informed and get involved in discussions with e-book publishers about standards - don't assume that privacy concerns, fair use in copyright, and methods of charging for use are going to conform to what we've gotten used to in libraries with print materials.
What amazes me is 10 years later we are still just now embracing ereaders and waiting with anticipation who will be the leaders in readers?? My birthday is coming up and I was thinking about getting a Kindle - but then do I really need it? I want to download for free from the library - so do I go for the Nook instead? Maybe I'll wait and see just what is available for Y3K : )
What amazes me is 10 years later we are still just now embracing ereaders and waiting with anticipation who will be the leaders in readers?? My birthday is coming up and I was thinking about getting a Kindle - but then do I really need it? I want to download for free from the library - so do I go for the Nook instead? Maybe I'll wait and see just what is available for Y3K : )
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sharing IT experiences from Kansas | TechSoup for Libraries
Sharing IT experiences from Kansas | TechSoup for Libraries: "Sharing IT experiences from Kansas
26 May 2010 - 11:03am | Steve Stone
Tags: Emporia Public LibraryIT Tech TalkSteve Stonetap
At the Emporia Public Library where I am the IT guy, we were working on upgrading our HDD protection software. The software we chose, based on price and apparent features, ended up being very problematic. We ended up abandoning it and purchasing a different software.
As my director and I were looking back on the series of events, trying to learn from our mistakes, she asked me a question,
'Why didn't we talk to other libraries in Kansas to see what they used?'"
Join the Blog for Techie Sharing!
26 May 2010 - 11:03am | Steve Stone
Tags: Emporia Public LibraryIT Tech TalkSteve Stonetap
At the Emporia Public Library where I am the IT guy, we were working on upgrading our HDD protection software. The software we chose, based on price and apparent features, ended up being very problematic. We ended up abandoning it and purchasing a different software.
As my director and I were looking back on the series of events, trying to learn from our mistakes, she asked me a question,
'Why didn't we talk to other libraries in Kansas to see what they used?'"
Join the Blog for Techie Sharing!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Cable Children's Program from Denton Public Library
Library Larry Online
Fun program created and produced by Denton Public Library - check it out.
Catch Library Larry on T.V.
•7 a.m. & 4 p.m. daily on DTV, Charter Channel 26, Verizon Channel 38 & Grande Channel 12.
•10 a.m. on Saturdays, 4:30 p.m. Mondays & Thursdays on Charter Channel 25 & Verizon channel 39.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
TechNet 2010 - Library Technology Conference
There's still time to register for TechNet 2010 - The 3rd Annual North Texas Conference on Library Technology! Scheduled for Friday May 14 at the Decatur Civic Center in Decatur, TX, the event's intended for all library personnel whose responsibilities involve the use of technology, whether at the most basic or the most expert level.
In keeping with the theme of Ahead of the Curve: Learn, Explore, Engage, the keynote presentation will feature Amigos Continuing Education Librarian Christine Peterson discussing Playing Catch-Up with Technology. Want a sample of that presentation? Visit our webpage at http://www.ntrls.org and click on this month's featured podcast "Technology Trends in Libraries." This month's featured article, "Successful Library Planning for Web 2.0," was written by Texas Christian University Science Reference Librarian Jeff Bond - who happens to be scheduled to present a couple of sessions on Going Mobile: Building Your Library's Presence on Mobile Devices" at that conference.
Besides choosing from 22 different session topics, participants can visit the Technology Petting Zoo to compare an Amazon Kindle to a Sony Reader to a Barnes & Noble Nook, various digial cameras, an electronic magnifier and different handheld illuminated magnifiers, several brands of Large Print keyboards, and more! Technology-related exhibitors will provide group demonstrations and also be on-hand for one-on-one discussions.
Throw in doorprizes, CE/CPE credits and excellent opportunities for networking with your peers, top all that with lunch and refreshments prepared by the facility's on-site chef, and you'll get the big picture.
To put yourself into that picture, register online at http://www.ntrs.org/ce/ . To review the schedule and/or find out more about the sessions and session presenters, visit http://www.librarytechnetwork.com/agenda.html . If you hurry, you too can get AHEAD OF THE CURVE!
In keeping with the theme of Ahead of the Curve: Learn, Explore, Engage, the keynote presentation will feature Amigos Continuing Education Librarian Christine Peterson discussing Playing Catch-Up with Technology. Want a sample of that presentation? Visit our webpage at http://www.ntrls.org and click on this month's featured podcast "Technology Trends in Libraries." This month's featured article, "Successful Library Planning for Web 2.0," was written by Texas Christian University Science Reference Librarian Jeff Bond - who happens to be scheduled to present a couple of sessions on Going Mobile: Building Your Library's Presence on Mobile Devices" at that conference.
Besides choosing from 22 different session topics, participants can visit the Technology Petting Zoo to compare an Amazon Kindle to a Sony Reader to a Barnes & Noble Nook, various digial cameras, an electronic magnifier and different handheld illuminated magnifiers, several brands of Large Print keyboards, and more! Technology-related exhibitors will provide group demonstrations and also be on-hand for one-on-one discussions.
Throw in doorprizes, CE/CPE credits and excellent opportunities for networking with your peers, top all that with lunch and refreshments prepared by the facility's on-site chef, and you'll get the big picture.
To put yourself into that picture, register online at http://www.ntrs.org/ce/ . To review the schedule and/or find out more about the sessions and session presenters, visit http://www.librarytechnetwork.com/agenda.html . If you hurry, you too can get AHEAD OF THE CURVE!
Six Things You Need to Know About Facebook Connections Commentary by Kurt Opsahl
May 4th, 2010
"Connections." It's an innocent-sounding word. But it's at the heart of some of the worst of Facebook's recent changes.
Facebook first announced Connections a few weeks ago, and EFF quickly wrote at length about the problems they created. Basically, Facebook has transformed substantial personal information — including your hometown, education, work history, interests, and activities — into "Connections." This allows far more people than ever before to see this information, regardless of whether you want them to.
Since then, our email inbox has been flooded with confused questions and reports about these changes. We've learned lots more about everyone's concerns and experiences. Drawing from this, here are six things you need to know about Connections:
1.Facebook will not let you share any of this information without using Connections. You cannot opt-out of Connections. If you refuse to play ball, Facebook will remove all unlinked information from your profile.
2.Facebook will not respect your old privacy settings in this transition. For example, if you had previously sought to share your Interests with "Only Friends," Facebook will now ignore this and share your Connections with "Everyone."
3.Facebook has removed your ability to restrict its use of this information. The new privacy controls only affect your information's "Visibility," not whether it is "publicly available."
Explaining what "publicly available" means, Facebook writes:
"Such information may, for example, be accessed by everyone on the Internet (including people not logged into Facebook), be indexed by third party search engines, and be imported, exported, distributed, and redistributed by us and others without privacy limitations."
4.Facebook will continue to store and use your Connections even after you delete them. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there. Even after you "delete" profile information, Facebook will remember it. We've also received reports that Facebook continues to use deleted profile information to help people find you through Facebook's search engine.
5.Facebook sometimes creates a Connection when you "Like" something. That "Like" button you see all over Facebook, and now all over the web? It too can sometimes add a Connection to your profile, without you even knowing it.
6.Your posts may show up on a Connection page even if you do not opt in to the Connection. If you use the name of a Connection in a post on your wall, it may show up on the Connection page, without you even knowing it. (For example, if you use the word "FBI" in a post).
You can send Facebook your comments on the new Connections here.
"Connections." It's an innocent-sounding word. But it's at the heart of some of the worst of Facebook's recent changes.
Facebook first announced Connections a few weeks ago, and EFF quickly wrote at length about the problems they created. Basically, Facebook has transformed substantial personal information — including your hometown, education, work history, interests, and activities — into "Connections." This allows far more people than ever before to see this information, regardless of whether you want them to.
Since then, our email inbox has been flooded with confused questions and reports about these changes. We've learned lots more about everyone's concerns and experiences. Drawing from this, here are six things you need to know about Connections:
1.Facebook will not let you share any of this information without using Connections. You cannot opt-out of Connections. If you refuse to play ball, Facebook will remove all unlinked information from your profile.
2.Facebook will not respect your old privacy settings in this transition. For example, if you had previously sought to share your Interests with "Only Friends," Facebook will now ignore this and share your Connections with "Everyone."
3.Facebook has removed your ability to restrict its use of this information. The new privacy controls only affect your information's "Visibility," not whether it is "publicly available."
Explaining what "publicly available" means, Facebook writes:
"Such information may, for example, be accessed by everyone on the Internet (including people not logged into Facebook), be indexed by third party search engines, and be imported, exported, distributed, and redistributed by us and others without privacy limitations."
4.Facebook will continue to store and use your Connections even after you delete them. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there. Even after you "delete" profile information, Facebook will remember it. We've also received reports that Facebook continues to use deleted profile information to help people find you through Facebook's search engine.
5.Facebook sometimes creates a Connection when you "Like" something. That "Like" button you see all over Facebook, and now all over the web? It too can sometimes add a Connection to your profile, without you even knowing it.
6.Your posts may show up on a Connection page even if you do not opt in to the Connection. If you use the name of a Connection in a post on your wall, it may show up on the Connection page, without you even knowing it. (For example, if you use the word "FBI" in a post).
You can send Facebook your comments on the new Connections here.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
10 Technology Ideas Your Library Can Implement Next Week
Read the entire article from the March 2010 American Libraries for great ideas!
10 Technology Ideas Your Library Can Implement Next Week
Even non-techies can offer cutting-edge services right away
By Ellyssa Kroski
Here are 10 ideas you can use to start creating, collaborating, connecting, and communicating through cutting-edge tools and techniques. All of them are culled from the 10 books in the Tech Set series.
New social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter enable librarians to converse, communicate, and collaborate with patrons as never before, because they are increasingly a part of people's everyday lives. A brochure that describes your library with a few pictures is great, but a video tour that people can watch on your website or blog is immeasurably better. Enabling patrons to save their catalog searches is important, but offering the ability to notify patrons via email and text messaging when new acquisitions arrive presents a fresh way to connect with users.
Librarians who are still becoming comfortable with the Web are often reticent to begin using new technologies in their day-to-day work because the learning curve often takes more time than they have at hand. When I begin teaching people about Web 2.0, mobile, and emerging technologies, I try to answer three questions:
• What is it?
• Why is it important?
• How can it help me better serve my users tomorrow?
Here are 10 ideas you can use to start creating, collaborating, connecting, and communicating through cutting-edge tools and techniques. All of them are culled from the 10 books in the Tech Set series, to be published by Neal-Schuman in March.
10 Technology Ideas Your Library Can Implement Next Week
Even non-techies can offer cutting-edge services right away
By Ellyssa Kroski
Here are 10 ideas you can use to start creating, collaborating, connecting, and communicating through cutting-edge tools and techniques. All of them are culled from the 10 books in the Tech Set series.
New social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter enable librarians to converse, communicate, and collaborate with patrons as never before, because they are increasingly a part of people's everyday lives. A brochure that describes your library with a few pictures is great, but a video tour that people can watch on your website or blog is immeasurably better. Enabling patrons to save their catalog searches is important, but offering the ability to notify patrons via email and text messaging when new acquisitions arrive presents a fresh way to connect with users.
Librarians who are still becoming comfortable with the Web are often reticent to begin using new technologies in their day-to-day work because the learning curve often takes more time than they have at hand. When I begin teaching people about Web 2.0, mobile, and emerging technologies, I try to answer three questions:
• What is it?
• Why is it important?
• How can it help me better serve my users tomorrow?
Here are 10 ideas you can use to start creating, collaborating, connecting, and communicating through cutting-edge tools and techniques. All of them are culled from the 10 books in the Tech Set series, to be published by Neal-Schuman in March.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
8 things I wish everyone knew about email by Seth Godin
1. Change your settings so that email from you has a name, your name, not a blank or some unusual characters, in the from field. (ask a geek or IT person for help if you don't know how).
2. Change your settings so that the bottom of every email includes a signature (often called a sig) that includes your name and your organization.
3. Change your settings so that when you reply to a note, the note you're replying to is included below what you write (this is called quoting).
4. Don't hit reply all. Just don't. Okay, you can, but read this first.
5. You can't recall an email you didn't mean to send. Some software makes you think you can, but you can't. Not reliably.
6. Email lives forever, is easy to spread and can easily show up in discovery for a lawsuit.
7. Please don't ask me to save a tree by not printing your email. It doesn't work, it just annoys the trees.
8. Send yourself some email at a friend's computer. Read it. Are the fonts too big or too small? Does it look like a standard email? If it doesn't look like a standard, does this deviation help you or hurt you? Sometimes, fitting in makes sense, no?
And a bonus tip from Cory Doctorow, who gets more email than you and me combined: When you go on vacation, set up an autoreply that says, "I'm on vacation until x/x/2010. When I get back, I'm going to delete all the email that arrived while I was gone, so if this note is important, please send it to me again after that date."
2. Change your settings so that the bottom of every email includes a signature (often called a sig) that includes your name and your organization.
3. Change your settings so that when you reply to a note, the note you're replying to is included below what you write (this is called quoting).
4. Don't hit reply all. Just don't. Okay, you can, but read this first.
5. You can't recall an email you didn't mean to send. Some software makes you think you can, but you can't. Not reliably.
6. Email lives forever, is easy to spread and can easily show up in discovery for a lawsuit.
7. Please don't ask me to save a tree by not printing your email. It doesn't work, it just annoys the trees.
8. Send yourself some email at a friend's computer. Read it. Are the fonts too big or too small? Does it look like a standard email? If it doesn't look like a standard, does this deviation help you or hurt you? Sometimes, fitting in makes sense, no?
And a bonus tip from Cory Doctorow, who gets more email than you and me combined: When you go on vacation, set up an autoreply that says, "I'm on vacation until x/x/2010. When I get back, I'm going to delete all the email that arrived while I was gone, so if this note is important, please send it to me again after that date."
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Our Public Library Lifeline is Fraying.........
This is long for a blog post - but the article is so good I wanted to post it in its entirety.
Our Public Library Lifeline Is Fraying. We'll Be Sorry When it Snaps
by Art Brodsky, Communications Director, Public Knowledge
Posted: April 11, 2010
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-brodsky/our-public-library-lifeli_b_533529.html
This is National Library Week, a time normally reserved for celebrating an institution that plays a vital role in many of our cities, towns and counties. Instead, many libraries, particularly public libraries, are being decimated by budget cuts at a time when library services are needed most.
Libraries, once considered a necessity, are now seen as a luxury. They are low-hanging fruit for budget pluckers, particularly at the state and local levels of government in communities across the country. It's been a slow death by attrition over the past couple of years. First, it was the budget for books and materials because, after all, books and materials aren't people. No matter that books and materials are what makes a library, well, a library. Then came the hours of operation, then the staff, then the closure of branches. No two communities are approaching the situation identically, but in cities from Boston to Indianapolis, the stories are increasingly dire.
In Boston, the trustees voted to close four branches. There was lots of protest, and Mayor Thomas Menino still has to make the final call, but the situation doesn't look good.
The Florida legislature is considering eliminating state aid to libraries entirely, while the New Jersey legislature is only looking a at a 74 percent cut. Indianapolis and surrounding Marion County are also looking at closing six branches and cutting back programs and staff.
In my home community of Montgomery County, Maryland, formerly one of the wealthiest local jurisdictions, the County Council is looking at a budget for fiscal year 2011 of $29 million - down from $40 million just three years ago. This year, it is slated for a 23 percent cut - one of the largest of any agency, on top of cuts in the last fiscal year with percentage decreases larger than all but one county agency. And this is for a county of about one million residents in which 70 percent hold library cards. It's even worse across the river, in Fairfax County, Virgina, where libraries were declared a "discretionary" service while cutting 30 of 54 full-time librarians. Libraries discretionary? That's nuts.
These are only some of the stories. They are being repeated endlessly across the country, perhaps even where you live. Some places put a high value on their libraries. Contrast the $29 million of my county for the $51 million library budget in Seattle, a city of about 600,000. Sure, Seattle needed to cut the library budget, but the fact that they started out much higher than my home says something about their priorities. Sadly, Seattle is the exception, not the rule.
One problem for libraries in some jurisdictions is that they don't fit squarely into any one policymaker's domain, like public safety or a school system. Libraries serve a range of purposes - they help teach children to read, they help students work on projects, they provide meeting space for tutoring, they provide Internet access. They serve students, seniors, immigrants. They provide assistance to the unemployed. Libraries combine education, workforce development, socialization, recreation. But they aren't the school board, or a social services agency, and so generally get buried in the larger budgets.
The cuts come at a time when library use is increasing, for all types of services. The one that hits home the most these days is the crucial access to the Internet. A study by the Information School at the University of Washington found that: "Low-income adults are more likely to rely on the public library as their sole access to computers and the Internet than any other income group. Overall, 44 percent of people living below the federal poverty line used computers and the Internet at their public libraries."
In addition, the study reported: "Americans across all age groups reported they used library computers and Internet access. Teenagers are the most active users. Half of the nation's 14- to 18-year-olds reported that they used a library computer during the past year, typically to do school homework."
Ask any librarian, or read any of the stories about the budget cuts, and one message that stands out loud and clear is that the Internet at libraries is a lifeline for many. Here the unemployed look for jobs, and apply for jobs - many companies these days accept applications online only. Here people learn what many would consider rudimentary skills - how to attach a document to an email, for example. Is this what a library is supposed to do? Yes. The Internet has become an integral part of the library mission.
Internet support for libraries is national policy, going back to the 1996 Telecommunications Act and the amendment from current Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA) as well as former Nebraska senators, the late James Exon and Robert Kerrey. Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) is trying to update the policy for the 21st century.
But it would be a mistake to say that the Internet replaces libraries. It doesn't. It's an adjunct. More than one budget officer has said that people don't need libraries because they can go online. First, many people can't go online due to their economic circumstances. Second, librarians help to guide research. A simple online search will not always achieve desired results, as anyone who does this well knows. And libraries still have those quaint old things called books, many of which aren't online. The printed medium still has a lot of attraction for many, from the youngest readers whose parents check out armloads of picture books, to the serious readers and researchers who realize there is more to find than what's online.
It would also be a mistake to say that bookstores replace libraries. Nothing against bookstores, but they aren't a public resource. Quite obviously, who have to pay to enjoy the fruits of a bookstore. Libraries are there for everyone.
Politicians are loathe to raise money to pay for libraries. That's the kiss of death to an aroused citizenry that wants services but doesn't want to pay for them or, in some cases doesn't value them at all. Still, it's nice that around the country, people are protesting the cuts to their local libraries. In some cases, library lovers have formed foundations or other organizations to supplement their libraries. These are to be lauded, and supported, but they aren't a substitute for the public commitment that led to public libraries in the first place.
Let's give the last word to someone who has a secret ambition to be a librarian, but whose career went in a different direction. No less an authority than Keith Richards put it best in his forthcoming autobiography: "When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you. The public library is a great equaliser."
Our Public Library Lifeline Is Fraying. We'll Be Sorry When it Snaps
by Art Brodsky, Communications Director, Public Knowledge
Posted: April 11, 2010
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-brodsky/our-public-library-lifeli_b_533529.html
This is National Library Week, a time normally reserved for celebrating an institution that plays a vital role in many of our cities, towns and counties. Instead, many libraries, particularly public libraries, are being decimated by budget cuts at a time when library services are needed most.
Libraries, once considered a necessity, are now seen as a luxury. They are low-hanging fruit for budget pluckers, particularly at the state and local levels of government in communities across the country. It's been a slow death by attrition over the past couple of years. First, it was the budget for books and materials because, after all, books and materials aren't people. No matter that books and materials are what makes a library, well, a library. Then came the hours of operation, then the staff, then the closure of branches. No two communities are approaching the situation identically, but in cities from Boston to Indianapolis, the stories are increasingly dire.
In Boston, the trustees voted to close four branches. There was lots of protest, and Mayor Thomas Menino still has to make the final call, but the situation doesn't look good.
The Florida legislature is considering eliminating state aid to libraries entirely, while the New Jersey legislature is only looking a at a 74 percent cut. Indianapolis and surrounding Marion County are also looking at closing six branches and cutting back programs and staff.
In my home community of Montgomery County, Maryland, formerly one of the wealthiest local jurisdictions, the County Council is looking at a budget for fiscal year 2011 of $29 million - down from $40 million just three years ago. This year, it is slated for a 23 percent cut - one of the largest of any agency, on top of cuts in the last fiscal year with percentage decreases larger than all but one county agency. And this is for a county of about one million residents in which 70 percent hold library cards. It's even worse across the river, in Fairfax County, Virgina, where libraries were declared a "discretionary" service while cutting 30 of 54 full-time librarians. Libraries discretionary? That's nuts.
These are only some of the stories. They are being repeated endlessly across the country, perhaps even where you live. Some places put a high value on their libraries. Contrast the $29 million of my county for the $51 million library budget in Seattle, a city of about 600,000. Sure, Seattle needed to cut the library budget, but the fact that they started out much higher than my home says something about their priorities. Sadly, Seattle is the exception, not the rule.
One problem for libraries in some jurisdictions is that they don't fit squarely into any one policymaker's domain, like public safety or a school system. Libraries serve a range of purposes - they help teach children to read, they help students work on projects, they provide meeting space for tutoring, they provide Internet access. They serve students, seniors, immigrants. They provide assistance to the unemployed. Libraries combine education, workforce development, socialization, recreation. But they aren't the school board, or a social services agency, and so generally get buried in the larger budgets.
The cuts come at a time when library use is increasing, for all types of services. The one that hits home the most these days is the crucial access to the Internet. A study by the Information School at the University of Washington found that: "Low-income adults are more likely to rely on the public library as their sole access to computers and the Internet than any other income group. Overall, 44 percent of people living below the federal poverty line used computers and the Internet at their public libraries."
In addition, the study reported: "Americans across all age groups reported they used library computers and Internet access. Teenagers are the most active users. Half of the nation's 14- to 18-year-olds reported that they used a library computer during the past year, typically to do school homework."
Ask any librarian, or read any of the stories about the budget cuts, and one message that stands out loud and clear is that the Internet at libraries is a lifeline for many. Here the unemployed look for jobs, and apply for jobs - many companies these days accept applications online only. Here people learn what many would consider rudimentary skills - how to attach a document to an email, for example. Is this what a library is supposed to do? Yes. The Internet has become an integral part of the library mission.
Internet support for libraries is national policy, going back to the 1996 Telecommunications Act and the amendment from current Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA) as well as former Nebraska senators, the late James Exon and Robert Kerrey. Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) is trying to update the policy for the 21st century.
But it would be a mistake to say that the Internet replaces libraries. It doesn't. It's an adjunct. More than one budget officer has said that people don't need libraries because they can go online. First, many people can't go online due to their economic circumstances. Second, librarians help to guide research. A simple online search will not always achieve desired results, as anyone who does this well knows. And libraries still have those quaint old things called books, many of which aren't online. The printed medium still has a lot of attraction for many, from the youngest readers whose parents check out armloads of picture books, to the serious readers and researchers who realize there is more to find than what's online.
It would also be a mistake to say that bookstores replace libraries. Nothing against bookstores, but they aren't a public resource. Quite obviously, who have to pay to enjoy the fruits of a bookstore. Libraries are there for everyone.
Politicians are loathe to raise money to pay for libraries. That's the kiss of death to an aroused citizenry that wants services but doesn't want to pay for them or, in some cases doesn't value them at all. Still, it's nice that around the country, people are protesting the cuts to their local libraries. In some cases, library lovers have formed foundations or other organizations to supplement their libraries. These are to be lauded, and supported, but they aren't a substitute for the public commitment that led to public libraries in the first place.
Let's give the last word to someone who has a secret ambition to be a librarian, but whose career went in a different direction. No less an authority than Keith Richards put it best in his forthcoming autobiography: "When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you. The public library is a great equaliser."
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Dulcinea Media - a significant find at the TLA Conference!
A significant highlight of my experiences at this year's TLA Conference was meeting Mark Moran, President & CEO of Dulcinea Media, and seeing the online products his company provides without fee. Check out any or all of the following and see if you're not impressed:
http://www.dulcineamedia.com/
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/ & www.encontrandodulcinea.com/ - Be sure to review the index at the bottom of each page!
http://www.sweetsearch.com/
http://www.findingeducation.com/
According to their website, their mission is "to bring users the best information on the Web for any topic, employing human insight and methodical review." Information at www.findingDulcinea.com/employees.html, shows that they employee a team with appropriate expertise to tackle the challenge of meeting that mission.
For more information, read "8 Ways that Public Librarians Can Use Dulcinea Media to Serve Patrons" at http://blog,findingdulcinea.com/2010/04/8-ways-that-public-libraries-can-use-dulcinea-media-to-serve-their-patrons.html and "8 Ways a Week: Using Dulcinea Media in the Classroom" at http://blog.findingdulcinea.com/2010/04/8-ways-a-week-using-dulcinea-media-in-the-classroom.html.
http://www.dulcineamedia.com/
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/ & www.encontrandodulcinea.com/ - Be sure to review the index at the bottom of each page!
http://www.sweetsearch.com/
http://www.findingeducation.com/
According to their website, their mission is "to bring users the best information on the Web for any topic, employing human insight and methodical review." Information at www.findingDulcinea.com/employees.html, shows that they employee a team with appropriate expertise to tackle the challenge of meeting that mission.
For more information, read "8 Ways that Public Librarians Can Use Dulcinea Media to Serve Patrons" at http://blog,findingdulcinea.com/2010/04/8-ways-that-public-libraries-can-use-dulcinea-media-to-serve-their-patrons.html and "8 Ways a Week: Using Dulcinea Media in the Classroom" at http://blog.findingdulcinea.com/2010/04/8-ways-a-week-using-dulcinea-media-in-the-classroom.html.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Hmmmm..Makes one think.........
As a follow-up to last night's Find a Job in Federal Libraries chat (please see the Wimba classroom off the SLIS Village homepage for the archive and the Career forum in the Village for the panelists' notes), please consider joining the Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group. The group's founder, Nancy Faget (also one of last night's panelists) describes the group below:
Students and job seekers may be interested in federal librarianship as a career choice because:
1. The average annual salary of a federal librarian is approximately $84,000
2. There are school, academic, medical, law, public, and special libraries in federal government
3. The Feds are hiring, even in this tough job market
An online group was set up to allow those interested in this career choice to continue the conversation with federal librarians. Educational presentations, resume reviews, and mentors are available on the Careers in Federal Libraries Google group. You may want to join and receive job announcements and career advice from federal librarians in ALA and SLA.
Students and job seekers may be interested in federal librarianship as a career choice because:
1. The average annual salary of a federal librarian is approximately $84,000
2. There are school, academic, medical, law, public, and special libraries in federal government
3. The Feds are hiring, even in this tough job market
An online group was set up to allow those interested in this career choice to continue the conversation with federal librarians. Educational presentations, resume reviews, and mentors are available on the Careers in Federal Libraries Google group. You may want to join and receive job announcements and career advice from federal librarians in ALA and SLA.
How Libraries Stack Up
Mentioned before (I think) but worth repeating..........
How Libraries Stack Up: 2010
This new report examines the economic, social and cultural impact of libraries in the United States. As the current economic environment is impacting library budgets and library usage is increasing, particular attention is paid to the role that libraries play in providing assistance to job-seekers and support for small businesses. Information includes statistics on:
•Americans receiving job-seeking help and career assistance at public libraries
•Libraries as a resource for small businesses
•The prevalence and scope of library activity in the United States
•Libraries as providers of free services to the community such as Wi-Fi access, technology training and meeting rooms
•Comparisons of library activities to various retail and entertainment businesses
How Libraries Stack Up: 2010
This new report examines the economic, social and cultural impact of libraries in the United States. As the current economic environment is impacting library budgets and library usage is increasing, particular attention is paid to the role that libraries play in providing assistance to job-seekers and support for small businesses. Information includes statistics on:
•Americans receiving job-seeking help and career assistance at public libraries
•Libraries as a resource for small businesses
•The prevalence and scope of library activity in the United States
•Libraries as providers of free services to the community such as Wi-Fi access, technology training and meeting rooms
•Comparisons of library activities to various retail and entertainment businesses
Recently updated at NTRLS.org
New things to see at NTRLS.org:
- Were you at the System Assembly in Denton last January? Visit the photos page and see our photographs. Look for 'photos' under the Resources menu.
- Our Librarian Live partners post new podcasts several times a month. Meet Kim Doner, the artist for the 2010 Texas Reading Club and learn about a wireless network device and a free web content filter that might be useful in your library. Recent Librarian Live podcasts are listed in the box on the right-hand-side of our web page. Click 'all podcasts' to get to the archive of the entire podcast series.
- TWDL - Texas Workskills Development in Libraries - is the program we developed through the SYNG grant to provide resource for libraries to help job seekers. See NTRLS.org for more information, or go straight to the TWDL website at http://www.twdl.org/.
- We're gearing up for this summer's Close the Book on Hunger campaign, to fight hunger and illiteracy in North Texas. See the project website at http://www.closethebookonhunger.org/ .
- A few of our libraries recently sent us updates on their websites and automation systems. Do we have correct information about your library? Look for 'Library Websites and OPACS' and ‘Automation Systems’ under the Members menu.
- The scrolling box on the left side of our website has links to the the latest items in the NTRLS Blog , Adam Wright's blog Notes of a Binge Thinker, and the Libraries for Literacy website. Check these blogs often so you won't miss anything.
- Our Sample Library Policies page now includes a sample policy for Social Software, thanks to Denton Public Library. Look for "Policies-Examples" under the "Resources" menu.
- At the March regional meetings, we received some questions about the differences between regional meetings and system assemblies. The Meeting Details page now has a brief description of these two kinds of meetings. Click 'Meeting Details' from the main Meetings Portal page, http://www.ntrls.org/meetings/.
- The dates for the next five regional conferences are on a handy flyer you can get to from our home page. The dates are also posted on the SIGS page - look for 'SIGS and Regional Conferences' under the Continuing Education menu. Or check each conference's website: LibraryPresentationsNetwork.com (for LP3), LibraryYouthServicesNetwork.com (for CYC), LibrarySupportersNetwork.com (for the Supporters Conference) and LibraryTechNetwork.com (for TechNet). These links are all on our home page at the bottom right.
- Remember to check the CE Portal often for upcoming workshops and conferences. Registration is now open for the TechNet conference in May, as well as workshops on Accessibility, Budgeting, Long Range Planning, and more!
Thanks for visiting North Texas Library Partners at http://www.ntrls.org/ !
Monday, April 05, 2010
Micro-Volunteering
>From a report commissioned by the James Irvine Foundation called, Convergence:
How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector http://www.lapiana.org/downloads/Convergence_Report_2009.pdf
Options for volunteering are increasing along with the development of new technologies and online platforms for connecting interested individuals with causes, actions and communities of like-minded activists. Virtual volunteering, where tasks are undertaken at least partly online, is increasing in popularity, allowing individuals to find opportunities that are personally meaningful and a good fit for their skills, regardless of geography.
The even newer concept of micro-volunteering — where volunteers help out in small, convenient ways that do not require a long-term commitment to an organization or cause — is also growing. The economic downturn is likely to bolster this trend, as online engagement offers an opportunity to give back in one’s spare time, while reducing transportation costs and travel time.
How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector http://www.lapiana.org/downloads/Convergence_Report_2009.pdf
Options for volunteering are increasing along with the development of new technologies and online platforms for connecting interested individuals with causes, actions and communities of like-minded activists. Virtual volunteering, where tasks are undertaken at least partly online, is increasing in popularity, allowing individuals to find opportunities that are personally meaningful and a good fit for their skills, regardless of geography.
The even newer concept of micro-volunteering — where volunteers help out in small, convenient ways that do not require a long-term commitment to an organization or cause — is also growing. The economic downturn is likely to bolster this trend, as online engagement offers an opportunity to give back in one’s spare time, while reducing transportation costs and travel time.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
A Book Free Future - we keep hearing this!
Librarians envision a book-free future
PORTLAND, Ore., April 1, 2010 (NW Newswire) -- Librarians in your town or city will soon be arguing for the elimination of books from your public library. In response to a call for action issued at a major librarians' conference in this city on Wednesday of last week, over 750 leaders in the field met in the Grand Portland Ballroom of the Oregon Convention Center to found a new advocacy group, the Redeployment of Library Resources for Renewal Round Table, or RDLRRRT, which will be affiliated with a major professional organization.
"As the interest in, and need for, literacy declines in the era of networked information sharing, public libraries must realign their priorities to better match the interests of their communities," said Lucia Ashton, a Seattle-area public library administrator tapped as first chair of RDLRRRT. "Thousands of shelves of books idly occupy millions of square feet of library space across the country, space that can be repurposed for greatly expanded public computing, coffee service, gaming, and suites of study and meeting rooms."
"Today's library patrons want what I call the Three C's -- computers, coffee, and community," noted Edgar Ravenswood, RDLRRRT member and public-relations coordinator. "The Three C's require space -- space now inefficiently occupied by books, few of which circulate at levels high enough to justify their continued existence," he asserted. "The cost/benefit analysis simply no longer supports books, whereas the Three C's show large, measurable social benefits for the space expended on them."
RDLRRRT member-at-large Art Bucklaw concurs. "At my library, entire mornings can transpire with not a single member of the public seen in some ranges of the bookstacks. Imagine that space devoted to computers, gaming, or conferencing, or simply to a good cup of coffee! We do our taxpayers no service by tying up expensive square footage with a medium no one uses or cares about," he observed. "Even Steve Jobs said 'people don't read anymore.' "
Ashton emphasized that there are now excellent alternative channels -- reading devices such as Kindle, Nook, and iPad, and inexpensive book lending services such as BookSwim -- available to the relatively few, representing an older and declining demographic, who still indulge in longform reading. "They can get more of what they want faster and cheaper through those channels, frankly, than through the public library," she remarked. "The public library has never been 'free.' Tax money is involved. Why not deploy that resource in the way our customers clearly want? Reading is moving in the direction of Twitter-size bites, and 'information' is whatever our users want it to be. These are just the kinds of activities we can support and promote with our computers, wifi, space, and tech savvy."
RDLRRRT's initial goal is the launching of several EPLOTs -- Experimental Prototype Libraries of Tomorrow -- around the United States. "We want to get a few libraries interested in the concept of completely clearing their facilities of books," Ashton stated. "RDLRRRT will assist the libraries in using the federal grants process to obtain funding for computers, wifi, game consoles, and coffee bars to fill the space once wasted on books."
"We are confident that the EPLOTs will see usage levels never before encountered in library service," Ravenswood asserted. "The EPLOTs will stand as proof-of-concept projects, and will serve notice as to just how relevant and -- may I say it? -- hip public libraries can be. Once they are book-free, the sky will be the limit."
I find this article interesting - while I agree people are reading less and listening more - MAYBE - the bookstores are awfully full when I go in with people reading and buying books - and many look under the age of 40 and quite trendy..............We certainly have more reference books than are necessary, and I firmly believe in weeding materials, "if in doubt, throw it out!" libraries as a generalization are not responsive to community needs - and some - not just ancient people - want books.......
PORTLAND, Ore., April 1, 2010 (NW Newswire) -- Librarians in your town or city will soon be arguing for the elimination of books from your public library. In response to a call for action issued at a major librarians' conference in this city on Wednesday of last week, over 750 leaders in the field met in the Grand Portland Ballroom of the Oregon Convention Center to found a new advocacy group, the Redeployment of Library Resources for Renewal Round Table, or RDLRRRT, which will be affiliated with a major professional organization.
"As the interest in, and need for, literacy declines in the era of networked information sharing, public libraries must realign their priorities to better match the interests of their communities," said Lucia Ashton, a Seattle-area public library administrator tapped as first chair of RDLRRRT. "Thousands of shelves of books idly occupy millions of square feet of library space across the country, space that can be repurposed for greatly expanded public computing, coffee service, gaming, and suites of study and meeting rooms."
"Today's library patrons want what I call the Three C's -- computers, coffee, and community," noted Edgar Ravenswood, RDLRRRT member and public-relations coordinator. "The Three C's require space -- space now inefficiently occupied by books, few of which circulate at levels high enough to justify their continued existence," he asserted. "The cost/benefit analysis simply no longer supports books, whereas the Three C's show large, measurable social benefits for the space expended on them."
RDLRRRT member-at-large Art Bucklaw concurs. "At my library, entire mornings can transpire with not a single member of the public seen in some ranges of the bookstacks. Imagine that space devoted to computers, gaming, or conferencing, or simply to a good cup of coffee! We do our taxpayers no service by tying up expensive square footage with a medium no one uses or cares about," he observed. "Even Steve Jobs said 'people don't read anymore.' "
Ashton emphasized that there are now excellent alternative channels -- reading devices such as Kindle, Nook, and iPad, and inexpensive book lending services such as BookSwim -- available to the relatively few, representing an older and declining demographic, who still indulge in longform reading. "They can get more of what they want faster and cheaper through those channels, frankly, than through the public library," she remarked. "The public library has never been 'free.' Tax money is involved. Why not deploy that resource in the way our customers clearly want? Reading is moving in the direction of Twitter-size bites, and 'information' is whatever our users want it to be. These are just the kinds of activities we can support and promote with our computers, wifi, space, and tech savvy."
RDLRRRT's initial goal is the launching of several EPLOTs -- Experimental Prototype Libraries of Tomorrow -- around the United States. "We want to get a few libraries interested in the concept of completely clearing their facilities of books," Ashton stated. "RDLRRRT will assist the libraries in using the federal grants process to obtain funding for computers, wifi, game consoles, and coffee bars to fill the space once wasted on books."
"We are confident that the EPLOTs will see usage levels never before encountered in library service," Ravenswood asserted. "The EPLOTs will stand as proof-of-concept projects, and will serve notice as to just how relevant and -- may I say it? -- hip public libraries can be. Once they are book-free, the sky will be the limit."
I find this article interesting - while I agree people are reading less and listening more - MAYBE - the bookstores are awfully full when I go in with people reading and buying books - and many look under the age of 40 and quite trendy..............We certainly have more reference books than are necessary, and I firmly believe in weeding materials, "if in doubt, throw it out!" libraries as a generalization are not responsive to community needs - and some - not just ancient people - want books.......
Telecommuting by the Numbers#
Telecommuting by the Numbers#: "Telecommuting by the Numbers
What the U.S. could save if more people worked from home
By Max Chafkin | Apr 1, 2010"
Great article about the impact if people starting working from home..........I like the idea of telecommuting but also feel a bit of dread as it seems everything is moving to non-people contact - stay in your home - work, IM, watch youtube, and keep the DVR going.......
I really like this fact though - as someone who oftens gets caught in traffic........100 hours per person not spent commuting
What the U.S. could save if more people worked from home
By Max Chafkin | Apr 1, 2010"
Great article about the impact if people starting working from home..........I like the idea of telecommuting but also feel a bit of dread as it seems everything is moving to non-people contact - stay in your home - work, IM, watch youtube, and keep the DVR going.......
I really like this fact though - as someone who oftens gets caught in traffic........100 hours per person not spent commuting
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Is Twitter Relevant?
Date: March 29, 2010 10:22:08 PM CDT
Subject: Boom! Tweets & Maps Swarm to Pinpoint a Mysterious Explosion
Source: ReadWriteWeb
Author: Marshall Kirkpatrick
What would you do if you heard a giant boom and you didn't know where it came from? If you're like thousands of people in Portland, Oregon, you might hit Twitter and Google Maps to participate in the city-wide exploration of a slightly frightening mystery. Last night at about 8 p.m., people in a big part of the city felt their windows shake and no one could tell them what caused it.
Was it a sonic boom? An angry deity? Even the mayor himself tweeted this morning that he was looking into the sound. In the meantime, thousands of people were using the hashtag #pdxboom and adding themselves to a hastily configured Google Map showing where they lived and how loud the boom had been there. In just a few hours, a pattern emerged, with reports clustering around one city park. This morning the police found a detonated pipe bomb there and cited the Google Map in their announcement.
Sponsor
Pausing the Stream
Reid Beels is a designer, geo-developer and one of the community organizers of Portland's forthcoming conference Open Source Bridge ("The conference for open source citizens").
Beels says he was sitting in a restaurant in southeast Portland when he heard the boom, and saw tweets streaming in about it within minutes. He searched Twitter for "boom" and "explosion," limiting the results by location. Within five minutes, he says, a hashtag had emerged: #pdxboom.
What was the #pdxboom, people wanted to know? Some people said it sounded like thunder. Lots of people said it sounded like an empty trash Dumpster crashing on the ground. They mentioned their locations in their Tweets and Beels quickly grew frustrated that all this data was just streaming into the ether, lost from analysis.
So he threw up a Google Map with instructions to put a pin in your location and describe how the boom sounded to you.
Within an hour 100 people had placed pins on the map. Beels and developer Audrey Eschright came up with a color coded system to describe the intensity of the sound, and began retroactively coloring in pins based on any comments people left.
Then they found out that Google Maps will only display the 200 most recent pins placed in a public map. Beels' friend Aaron Parecki wrote a script to download the map's data every fifteen minutes. That came in handy when a few hours later someone vandalized the map by dragging a large number of markers outside the town. It was trivial to roll back to the last valid data.
The local TV news and the newspaper ran stories about the boom, and pointed their audiences at the Google Map. Thousands of people visited it, and just under 1,000 added a pin marking where they where and how loud the boom had sounded to them.
It became clear that the boom originated near the Sellwood Bridge; a big cluster of red markers surrounded the area, especially to the east. Thousands of people are still streaming in to look at the map; at the end of the day it's now approaching 70,000 views, even if the mystery, if not the crime, is solved.
Some people thought it was a precursor Earthquake Boom. (I woke up convinced my basement bedroom was underground in an earthquake.) But the Portland police went to a park in the area most filled with red flags on the map and found a large, detonated, pipe bomb. A Portland police spokesperson said the maps and tweets were very helpful.
A topographic view of the map made some inclined to believe that cliffs across the river and low-hanging clouds combined to make the sound travel as far across the city and in the direction that it did.
That Was a Practice Run
Beels says two big lessons came out of the experience for him. First, the tools they used were easy and fast, but they were also quite limited. Google Maps in particular was capable of multi-user collaboration but did poorly when it came to displaying a large amount of data. As Eschright wrote after the action, "It's not the best platform for a couple hundred people, many without prior experience editing maps, to be using all at once."
Inspired by campaigns like CrisisCampPDX and the CrisisWiki, Beels says the community is interested in setting up an installation of open-source, crisis support software Ushahidi on standby in case a real crisis has to be dealt with.
Beels says he's inspired not just by what was done in this situation, but by what it revealed about the future. "The community of people who will search for things online and go out of their way to try to figure out what's going on," he says, "is larger than you might think."
Subject: Boom! Tweets & Maps Swarm to Pinpoint a Mysterious Explosion
Source: ReadWriteWeb
Author: Marshall Kirkpatrick
What would you do if you heard a giant boom and you didn't know where it came from? If you're like thousands of people in Portland, Oregon, you might hit Twitter and Google Maps to participate in the city-wide exploration of a slightly frightening mystery. Last night at about 8 p.m., people in a big part of the city felt their windows shake and no one could tell them what caused it.
Was it a sonic boom? An angry deity? Even the mayor himself tweeted this morning that he was looking into the sound. In the meantime, thousands of people were using the hashtag #pdxboom and adding themselves to a hastily configured Google Map showing where they lived and how loud the boom had been there. In just a few hours, a pattern emerged, with reports clustering around one city park. This morning the police found a detonated pipe bomb there and cited the Google Map in their announcement.
Sponsor
Pausing the Stream
Reid Beels is a designer, geo-developer and one of the community organizers of Portland's forthcoming conference Open Source Bridge ("The conference for open source citizens").
Beels says he was sitting in a restaurant in southeast Portland when he heard the boom, and saw tweets streaming in about it within minutes. He searched Twitter for "boom" and "explosion," limiting the results by location. Within five minutes, he says, a hashtag had emerged: #pdxboom.
What was the #pdxboom, people wanted to know? Some people said it sounded like thunder. Lots of people said it sounded like an empty trash Dumpster crashing on the ground. They mentioned their locations in their Tweets and Beels quickly grew frustrated that all this data was just streaming into the ether, lost from analysis.
So he threw up a Google Map with instructions to put a pin in your location and describe how the boom sounded to you.
Within an hour 100 people had placed pins on the map. Beels and developer Audrey Eschright came up with a color coded system to describe the intensity of the sound, and began retroactively coloring in pins based on any comments people left.
Then they found out that Google Maps will only display the 200 most recent pins placed in a public map. Beels' friend Aaron Parecki wrote a script to download the map's data every fifteen minutes. That came in handy when a few hours later someone vandalized the map by dragging a large number of markers outside the town. It was trivial to roll back to the last valid data.
The local TV news and the newspaper ran stories about the boom, and pointed their audiences at the Google Map. Thousands of people visited it, and just under 1,000 added a pin marking where they where and how loud the boom had sounded to them.
It became clear that the boom originated near the Sellwood Bridge; a big cluster of red markers surrounded the area, especially to the east. Thousands of people are still streaming in to look at the map; at the end of the day it's now approaching 70,000 views, even if the mystery, if not the crime, is solved.
Some people thought it was a precursor Earthquake Boom. (I woke up convinced my basement bedroom was underground in an earthquake.) But the Portland police went to a park in the area most filled with red flags on the map and found a large, detonated, pipe bomb. A Portland police spokesperson said the maps and tweets were very helpful.
A topographic view of the map made some inclined to believe that cliffs across the river and low-hanging clouds combined to make the sound travel as far across the city and in the direction that it did.
That Was a Practice Run
Beels says two big lessons came out of the experience for him. First, the tools they used were easy and fast, but they were also quite limited. Google Maps in particular was capable of multi-user collaboration but did poorly when it came to displaying a large amount of data. As Eschright wrote after the action, "It's not the best platform for a couple hundred people, many without prior experience editing maps, to be using all at once."
Inspired by campaigns like CrisisCampPDX and the CrisisWiki, Beels says the community is interested in setting up an installation of open-source, crisis support software Ushahidi on standby in case a real crisis has to be dealt with.
Beels says he's inspired not just by what was done in this situation, but by what it revealed about the future. "The community of people who will search for things online and go out of their way to try to figure out what's going on," he says, "is larger than you might think."
Friday, March 26, 2010
PLA Day 2 - my feet hurt!
Okay, I am ready to eat crow - the first session I wanted to attend was too full - so I guess there ARE alot of people here. I have to say I have attended really good sessions today.
The first one was "Oh, I Wish I'd Said.....(aka: Dealing With Difficult People by Pam Parr and Gail Johnson - these ladies are funny! They also suggested two sentences can help handle almost any situation.......and they are: 1. I am sorry that happened and 2. I can take care of that for you. Neither of these mean you or the library is at fault - but that you are sorry about the situation and will take care of it - even if that means calling the police. Many people feel upset if they think they weren't treated "fairly". But fairness is in the eye of the beholder.........so ask them what they think is fair.
Next I have attended an update on Paco Underhill's Envirosell and their library study "Why We Borrow" - for those that know me you know I often refer to his book Why We Buy. Very insightful information - I plan to incorporate more of this into the Image Audits that I do with libraries. One comment made is "retail" is not a four letter word! Look at how your users use the library space and respond accordingly.
A side note: I am becoming quite the seasoned transit rider - it is so nice - we need this system in North Texas. The rail police even talked to me this morning - and thankfully I had bought the right ticket! : )
The first one was "Oh, I Wish I'd Said.....(aka: Dealing With Difficult People by Pam Parr and Gail Johnson - these ladies are funny! They also suggested two sentences can help handle almost any situation.......and they are: 1. I am sorry that happened and 2. I can take care of that for you. Neither of these mean you or the library is at fault - but that you are sorry about the situation and will take care of it - even if that means calling the police. Many people feel upset if they think they weren't treated "fairly". But fairness is in the eye of the beholder.........so ask them what they think is fair.
Next I have attended an update on Paco Underhill's Envirosell and their library study "Why We Borrow" - for those that know me you know I often refer to his book Why We Buy. Very insightful information - I plan to incorporate more of this into the Image Audits that I do with libraries. One comment made is "retail" is not a four letter word! Look at how your users use the library space and respond accordingly.
A side note: I am becoming quite the seasoned transit rider - it is so nice - we need this system in North Texas. The rail police even talked to me this morning - and thankfully I had bought the right ticket! : )
Thursday, March 25, 2010
I am at PLA!
I arrived today at PLA and hit the ground running.............and I am proud to say that I have the light rail connections figured out.
I attended a couple sessions and visited several exhibitors - and yes, grabbed some freebies. There seems to be a common thread running tnrough the sessions - survival in tough times. It may also be my imagination but it seems like there are fewer people here - an example of a tough time in library world? One thing I have definitely taken away from the sessions is that it takes the dedication of all of us to keep our libraries relevant and growing. Speakers are building morale and being supportive - truly cheering on all of the hard working staff.
Also discussion of a revolution is prevalent - to dewey or not, support your supporters and tell non-supporters to take a hike, grow civic activities together and so on............
Oh yea, the really important stuff - went to voodoo donuts - the best one I had was the dirty rotten bastard - a concoction of chocolate, peanut butter and I am not even sure what all - yum! Popular local joint as we waited in line for 30 minutes - there is ALWAYS a line apparently.
Hopefully will get more rest and will have a very pruductive day tomorrow.....
No problems.............they seem to say that phrase alot up here.............
I attended a couple sessions and visited several exhibitors - and yes, grabbed some freebies. There seems to be a common thread running tnrough the sessions - survival in tough times. It may also be my imagination but it seems like there are fewer people here - an example of a tough time in library world? One thing I have definitely taken away from the sessions is that it takes the dedication of all of us to keep our libraries relevant and growing. Speakers are building morale and being supportive - truly cheering on all of the hard working staff.
Also discussion of a revolution is prevalent - to dewey or not, support your supporters and tell non-supporters to take a hike, grow civic activities together and so on............
Oh yea, the really important stuff - went to voodoo donuts - the best one I had was the dirty rotten bastard - a concoction of chocolate, peanut butter and I am not even sure what all - yum! Popular local joint as we waited in line for 30 minutes - there is ALWAYS a line apparently.
Hopefully will get more rest and will have a very pruductive day tomorrow.....
No problems.............they seem to say that phrase alot up here.............
New Program
TWDL
The Texas Workskills Development in Libraries, better known as TWDL (pronounced Twiddle), has begun. It is a cooperative effort by North Texas Regional Library System, Big Country Library System, Houston Area Library System, Northeast Texas Library System, Texas Trans-Pecos Library System, and the West Texas Library System. It is made possible by a grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
TWDL was created to help Texas residents obtain information and learn better ways to look for a job as well as providing ways to improve their job skills. The project supports Texas library staff, management and volunteers in gathering job training resources that can be easily accessed and offered to all Texans.
Carolyn Davidson Brewer, Assistant Director at NTRLS, has developed and scheduled a series of more than 52 free workshops thoughout North Texas to provide information about resume writing, interviewing strategies, job searching and much more.
One of the most exciting developments of TWDL is the web site www.twdl.org. In addition to information, another highlight online is the links to self-paced tutorials, lists of agencies offering free training by region and much more. Because each library system offers different programs all over the state, go to www.twdl.org to see what is available in your area. The TWDL web site allows all to access the valuable information 24/7.
At NTRLS we are seeing tremendous success early in this project. Workshops are full and even when a workshop has ended, people stay to talk to Carolyn to try to get additional personalized information. She is often on location an hour after the workshops end.
If a librarian needs help getting information about TWDL to their communities, promotional materials have been developed that are easily personalized for every participating library to use in their community. The materials include bookmarks, flyers, and posters.
The need for this service is great and to quote Adam Wright, Executive Director at NTRLS, “The public library has always been known as a resource for providing quality information and now during these economically stressful times, we wanted to provide work skill information that will help people become employed or improve their skills.”
If you would like more information about TWDL, please call Aera Yoon at the North Texas Regional Library System at 817.377.4440.
The Texas Workskills Development in Libraries, better known as TWDL (pronounced Twiddle), has begun. It is a cooperative effort by North Texas Regional Library System, Big Country Library System, Houston Area Library System, Northeast Texas Library System, Texas Trans-Pecos Library System, and the West Texas Library System. It is made possible by a grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
TWDL was created to help Texas residents obtain information and learn better ways to look for a job as well as providing ways to improve their job skills. The project supports Texas library staff, management and volunteers in gathering job training resources that can be easily accessed and offered to all Texans.
Carolyn Davidson Brewer, Assistant Director at NTRLS, has developed and scheduled a series of more than 52 free workshops thoughout North Texas to provide information about resume writing, interviewing strategies, job searching and much more.
One of the most exciting developments of TWDL is the web site www.twdl.org. In addition to information, another highlight online is the links to self-paced tutorials, lists of agencies offering free training by region and much more. Because each library system offers different programs all over the state, go to www.twdl.org to see what is available in your area. The TWDL web site allows all to access the valuable information 24/7.
At NTRLS we are seeing tremendous success early in this project. Workshops are full and even when a workshop has ended, people stay to talk to Carolyn to try to get additional personalized information. She is often on location an hour after the workshops end.
If a librarian needs help getting information about TWDL to their communities, promotional materials have been developed that are easily personalized for every participating library to use in their community. The materials include bookmarks, flyers, and posters.
The need for this service is great and to quote Adam Wright, Executive Director at NTRLS, “The public library has always been known as a resource for providing quality information and now during these economically stressful times, we wanted to provide work skill information that will help people become employed or improve their skills.”
If you would like more information about TWDL, please call Aera Yoon at the North Texas Regional Library System at 817.377.4440.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
From no library to showcase library!
Almost exactly five years ago, Bedford (TX) residents in favor of a tax rollback won that election by 10 votes. As a result, the Bedford (TX) City Council voted 4-3 to close the Bedford Public Library and several other city services in order to repay 3.5 million dollars collected before the rollback was put in place.
Since then, library supporters have succeeded not only in getting the 17,000 square foot library re-opened but also in urging the City to purchase a former Food Lion building and contracting to have it redesigned as a 40,500 square foot library.
Last night, March 23, 2010, the Bedford (TX) City Council approved the $1.9 million dollar grant for a 244.75 kw solar panel system from the State Energy and Conservation Office for the new Bedford Public Library. The non-roof penetrating solar system will save 343,384 kw annually.
The new library will be a showcase for the community on sustainable and energy efficient green technologies combining geothermal wells, a reflective roof, energy efficient lighting and solar panels. You've come a long way, Bedford!
For more information about the geothermal project, visit http://www.bedfordlibrary.org/assets/PDFs/GeothermalPres.pdf .
For more information about the entire renovation, click on the links in the lower portion of http://www.bedfordlibrary.org/ .
BTW: The floor plan for the new library originated in the focus group made up of Bedford teens.
Since then, library supporters have succeeded not only in getting the 17,000 square foot library re-opened but also in urging the City to purchase a former Food Lion building and contracting to have it redesigned as a 40,500 square foot library.
Last night, March 23, 2010, the Bedford (TX) City Council approved the $1.9 million dollar grant for a 244.75 kw solar panel system from the State Energy and Conservation Office for the new Bedford Public Library. The non-roof penetrating solar system will save 343,384 kw annually.
The new library will be a showcase for the community on sustainable and energy efficient green technologies combining geothermal wells, a reflective roof, energy efficient lighting and solar panels. You've come a long way, Bedford!
For more information about the geothermal project, visit http://www.bedfordlibrary.org/assets/PDFs/GeothermalPres.pdf .
For more information about the entire renovation, click on the links in the lower portion of http://www.bedfordlibrary.org/ .
BTW: The floor plan for the new library originated in the focus group made up of Bedford teens.
Visit NTRLS.org before March is over!
Be sure to check out the NTRLS website before the end of the month so you don't miss the March news.
Libraries other than public libraries can now become members of NTRLS. It's free and easy for academic, school and special libraries to join the community that determines NTRLS programs and services. See http://www.ntrls.org/membership/ for membership criteria and membership application forms – or look for 'Criteria for Membership' under the 'Members' menu.
Award nominations are open through April 12. See http://www.ntrls.org/awards/ or look for 'Award Nomination Form' under the Resources menu. Awards will be presented at the Awards Luncheon following the System Assembly on May 27.
There's about a week left for this month's theme – Comparing Office Software Suites, in which we compare Microsoft Office, OpenOffice and GoogleDocs in our theme article and podcast. You should also check the column from Adam Wright and Adam Beatty's story about keeping Internet Explorer 8 in good working order.
We're putting together the web theme for April. Come back to NTRLS.org after April 1 to see it!
Libraries other than public libraries can now become members of NTRLS. It's free and easy for academic, school and special libraries to join the community that determines NTRLS programs and services. See http://www.ntrls.org/membership/ for membership criteria and membership application forms – or look for 'Criteria for Membership' under the 'Members' menu.
Award nominations are open through April 12. See http://www.ntrls.org/awards/ or look for 'Award Nomination Form' under the Resources menu. Awards will be presented at the Awards Luncheon following the System Assembly on May 27.
There's about a week left for this month's theme – Comparing Office Software Suites, in which we compare Microsoft Office, OpenOffice and GoogleDocs in our theme article and podcast. You should also check the column from Adam Wright and Adam Beatty's story about keeping Internet Explorer 8 in good working order.
We're putting together the web theme for April. Come back to NTRLS.org after April 1 to see it!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
Librarians may come in contact with homeless Veterans, Veterans at risk of homelessness and/or families and friends of Veterans who may be homeless or at risk. Below is information to share:
While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has not yet made a formal announcement about it, the National Homeless Veteran Call Center and Homeless Veteran Chatline Service are up and running and the telephone number and related information are on the VA website.
To access it, log onto www.va.gov, scroll down to the right hand corner to Special Programs. Click on Homeless Veterans. Once on that page, click the third bullet (left hand side) – National Call Center for Homeless Veterans—under Useful Links.
While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has not yet made a formal announcement about it, the National Homeless Veteran Call Center and Homeless Veteran Chatline Service are up and running and the telephone number and related information are on the VA website.
To access it, log onto www.va.gov, scroll down to the right hand corner to Special Programs. Click on Homeless Veterans. Once on that page, click the third bullet (left hand side) – National Call Center for Homeless Veterans—under Useful Links.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Finding Jobs | Texas Workskills Development in Libraries
Finding Jobs | Texas Workskills Development in Libraries: "If you use Twitter, you can sign up for job notifications with TweetmyJobs.com.
The TweetMyJOBS service lets job seekers receive instant notifications on their phone when new jobs are posted online via the popular micro-messaging service Twitter. The company aggregates the Twitter-based job postings from over 7000 companies and maintains over 8250 specific job channels within those companies, all of which are searchable via their website."
How TweetMyJOBS Works
The TweetMyJOBS service lets job seekers receive instant notifications on their phone when new jobs are posted online via the popular micro-messaging service Twitter. The company aggregates the Twitter-based job postings from over 7000 companies and maintains over 8250 specific job channels within those companies, all of which are searchable via their website.
However, it's the job matching service that makes TweetMyJOBS worth using for those in need of work. Instead of having to follow potentially hundreds of Twitter accounts belonging to companies, the service will match a Twitter user's interests with the available jobs posted to Twitter. Users can also specify a particular geographic region where they prefer to work. They can even use the service to post their resume to Twitter. When a job seeker and a job listing match up, the user is alerted via a text message sent to their phone via Twitter.
For job posters, there are fees involved for adding listings just like there are with any other job board. At present, it costs $4000 to list 500 jobs and $8000 for unlimited job postings. Single posts are $1.99. In return, companies are able to directly connect with qualified candidates while also tracking the clicks on the jobs they list.
Sears Holdings: 7000 Jobs Now, Hundreds of Thousands to Come
At launch time, Sears Holdings has posted 7000 jobs to TweetMyJOBS. The lineup includes everything from cashiers to vice presidents, a company representative tells us. And this is just the beginning. Over the course of the year, the company will continue adding all their available jobs to the service. Since, as noted above, the company posts hundreds of thousands of jobs per year, they will soon have thousands more to post to TweetMyJOBS.
In today's tough, competitive hiring market, a service like this can give motivated job seekers an edge. Since it allows for instant notification when a job is made available online, users of TweetMyJOBS can be among the first to apply to available positions. They can also rest assured that the jobs sourced are from reputable companies assures Rich Trombetta, TweetMyJOBS co-founder. Unlike on many job boards today, filled with questionable get-rich-quick schemes, work from home offers and other spam, only legitimate jobs are made available on his service. "We are very careful about the types of jobs we list on the site," Trombettarecently told the Chicago Tribune. "We eliminate the spam."
Interested job seekers can sign up for the service here at TweetMyJOBS.com
The TweetMyJOBS service lets job seekers receive instant notifications on their phone when new jobs are posted online via the popular micro-messaging service Twitter. The company aggregates the Twitter-based job postings from over 7000 companies and maintains over 8250 specific job channels within those companies, all of which are searchable via their website."
How TweetMyJOBS Works
The TweetMyJOBS service lets job seekers receive instant notifications on their phone when new jobs are posted online via the popular micro-messaging service Twitter. The company aggregates the Twitter-based job postings from over 7000 companies and maintains over 8250 specific job channels within those companies, all of which are searchable via their website.
However, it's the job matching service that makes TweetMyJOBS worth using for those in need of work. Instead of having to follow potentially hundreds of Twitter accounts belonging to companies, the service will match a Twitter user's interests with the available jobs posted to Twitter. Users can also specify a particular geographic region where they prefer to work. They can even use the service to post their resume to Twitter. When a job seeker and a job listing match up, the user is alerted via a text message sent to their phone via Twitter.
For job posters, there are fees involved for adding listings just like there are with any other job board. At present, it costs $4000 to list 500 jobs and $8000 for unlimited job postings. Single posts are $1.99. In return, companies are able to directly connect with qualified candidates while also tracking the clicks on the jobs they list.
Sears Holdings: 7000 Jobs Now, Hundreds of Thousands to Come
At launch time, Sears Holdings has posted 7000 jobs to TweetMyJOBS. The lineup includes everything from cashiers to vice presidents, a company representative tells us. And this is just the beginning. Over the course of the year, the company will continue adding all their available jobs to the service. Since, as noted above, the company posts hundreds of thousands of jobs per year, they will soon have thousands more to post to TweetMyJOBS.
In today's tough, competitive hiring market, a service like this can give motivated job seekers an edge. Since it allows for instant notification when a job is made available online, users of TweetMyJOBS can be among the first to apply to available positions. They can also rest assured that the jobs sourced are from reputable companies assures Rich Trombetta, TweetMyJOBS co-founder. Unlike on many job boards today, filled with questionable get-rich-quick schemes, work from home offers and other spam, only legitimate jobs are made available on his service. "We are very careful about the types of jobs we list on the site," Trombettarecently told the Chicago Tribune. "We eliminate the spam."
Interested job seekers can sign up for the service here at TweetMyJOBS.com
Thursday, March 18, 2010
LoKast : The Disposable Social Network
LoKast : The Disposable Social Network
Written by Mike Melanson / March 18, 2010 11:29 AM
Here's an idea for you: instead of slowly amassing followers, like on Twitter, or carefully culling your friends list over time on Facebook, making sure everyone is in their appropriate list and category, collect and dispose of friends like you ask for the time or a spare cigarette on a busy city street.
That's what Lokast, the self-described "disposable" social network lets you do - carry your throw-away lifestyle over into the digital world.
The LoKast iPhone app was released earlier this week at the South By South West festival in Austin and is the perfect app for finding yourself among throbbing masses of the technologically inclined. But what is this disposable thing? From the email we received this week on the app's release:
Disposable? Yes. That means unlike Facebook which is friends and family, this app is about finding random people in close range and being able to share and see parts of their public digital profile including downloading their public-share videos, music and pictures. The best part, is that after you're in that close range, you may never see them again. IE: Disposable.
According to the press release, the name is short for "local casting", as opposed to broadcasting, and "aims to eliminate the need for physical media sharing, thereby eradicating physical CDs, plastic cases, video DVDs or waiting to get back to a PC computer to share and experience content."
Written by Mike Melanson / March 18, 2010 11:29 AM
Here's an idea for you: instead of slowly amassing followers, like on Twitter, or carefully culling your friends list over time on Facebook, making sure everyone is in their appropriate list and category, collect and dispose of friends like you ask for the time or a spare cigarette on a busy city street.
That's what Lokast, the self-described "disposable" social network lets you do - carry your throw-away lifestyle over into the digital world.
The LoKast iPhone app was released earlier this week at the South By South West festival in Austin and is the perfect app for finding yourself among throbbing masses of the technologically inclined. But what is this disposable thing? From the email we received this week on the app's release:
Disposable? Yes. That means unlike Facebook which is friends and family, this app is about finding random people in close range and being able to share and see parts of their public digital profile including downloading their public-share videos, music and pictures. The best part, is that after you're in that close range, you may never see them again. IE: Disposable.
According to the press release, the name is short for "local casting", as opposed to broadcasting, and "aims to eliminate the need for physical media sharing, thereby eradicating physical CDs, plastic cases, video DVDs or waiting to get back to a PC computer to share and experience content."
Text4baby
Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth.
Text4baby is made possible through a broad, public-private partnership that includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies and non-profit organizations. Founding partners include HMHB, Voxiva, CTIA - The Wireless Foundation and WPP. Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor, and premier sponsors include WellPoint, Pfizer and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. U.S. government partners include the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense Military Health System. The mobile health platform is provided by Voxiva and free messaging services are generously provided by participating wireless service providers. Implementation partners include BabyCenter, Danya International, Syniverse Technologies, Keynote Systems and The George Washington University. MTV Networks is a media sponsor.
Thanks to Tina Hager from Little Elm for sharing this information...........
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Free Personalized Newspaper and TV Listings Service over the Telephone
NFB-NEWSLINE is a free electronic service that gives any blind, visually impaired, or print disabled person access to newspapers, magazines, and TV Listings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using a Touch-Tone telephone.
Notes from the National Federation of the Blind:
* Anyone who cannot read conventional newsprint can qualify for this free service
* Blind children are now able to research their own school assignments and do homework independently.
* Anyone with a physical disability who is unable to turn a page can qualify.
Seeing this service reminded me that there are people that still rely on the newspapers to deliver their daily news and events........especially seniors. This service would provide them the opportunity to stay informed. Take time to check it out.
Notes from the National Federation of the Blind:
* Anyone who cannot read conventional newsprint can qualify for this free service
* Blind children are now able to research their own school assignments and do homework independently.
* Anyone with a physical disability who is unable to turn a page can qualify.
Seeing this service reminded me that there are people that still rely on the newspapers to deliver their daily news and events........especially seniors. This service would provide them the opportunity to stay informed. Take time to check it out.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
BookBook - BookBook - Twelve South
BookBook - BookBook - Twelve South
This is a cool idea................Laptop cases that look like books!
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
IMLSUpNext - home
IMLSUpNext - home: "Welcome to UpNext!
Now Open—Theme #1: Changing Roles with Discussion Leader, Martín Gómez, City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library and Theme #2: Shifts in Power with Discussion Leader, Cassie Chinn, Deputy Executive Director, The Wing Luke Asian Museum
Thank you for taking part in the creation of UpNext, a resource to guide thinking about the future of museums and libraries! From March 3rd until May 12th, 2010, we encourage you and your colleagues to weigh in about the big challenges and opportunities facing these institutions through UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki."
Now Open—Theme #1: Changing Roles with Discussion Leader, Martín Gómez, City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library and Theme #2: Shifts in Power with Discussion Leader, Cassie Chinn, Deputy Executive Director, The Wing Luke Asian Museum
Thank you for taking part in the creation of UpNext, a resource to guide thinking about the future of museums and libraries! From March 3rd until May 12th, 2010, we encourage you and your colleagues to weigh in about the big challenges and opportunities facing these institutions through UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki."
Friday, March 05, 2010
Cute Turtle USB Flash Drive
Posted by: Jeff In: USB Gadgets
It’s a turtle, it’s a USB flash drive. He holds 4GB of data. He’s cute. His name is probably Myrtle. Here he is really coming out of his shell:If you prefer your USB drives to be incredibly adorable, this turtle is the trick. He’ll lovingly store all of your necessary files and look cute doing it. What more could you ask for? Sure, some might claim it’s not the most adult looking USB drive, but not everyone wants to be stuck with a plain looking drive. Plus, if you have any kids they’d probably fall in love with the drive as well. Then again, that might be a bad thing once they start stealing it and hiding it in with their toys.
The drive itself is pretty basic, it’s made out of durable silicone casing to make sure that the turtle will last a little while. After all turtles are supposed to be tough, hopefully it doesn’t have all of the turtle type of characteristics. No one likes a slow USB drive. On the drive it’ll hold a whole 4GB of all of your pictures and random word documents. It doesn’t come at a bad price either. You can pick it up for $20 through USB Geek.
Source: CraziestGadgets
Thursday, March 04, 2010
'Funeral' being held today for aging Web browser - CNN.com
'Funeral' being held today for aging Web browser - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- More than 100 people, many of them dressed in black, are expected to gather around a coffin Thursday to say goodbye to an old friend.
The deceased? Internet Explorer 6.
The aging Web browser, survived by its descendants Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8, is being eulogized at a tongue-in-cheek 'funeral' hosted by Aten Design Group, a design firm in Denver, Colorado."
The deceased? Internet Explorer 6.
The aging Web browser, survived by its descendants Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8, is being eulogized at a tongue-in-cheek 'funeral' hosted by Aten Design Group, a design firm in Denver, Colorado."
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