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...........

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.

BookBook - BookBook - Twelve South

BookBook - BookBook - Twelve South

This is a cool idea................Laptop cases that look like books!

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."

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

'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."

Teaching kids to read from the back of a burro - CNN.com

Teaching kids to read from the back of a burro - CNN.com: "Magdalena, Colombia (CNN) -- To the unaccustomed eye, a man toting 120 books while riding a stubborn donkey would seem nothing short of a circus spectacle. But for hundreds of children in the rural villages of Colombia, Luis Soriano is far from a clown. He is a man with a mission to save rural children from illiteracy.
'There was a time when many people thought that I was going crazy,' said Soriano, a native of La Gloria, Colombia. 'They'd yell, 'Carnival season is over.' ... Now I've overcome that.'"

A $3.5 Billion Effort Aims to Help Tech Start-Ups

February 24, 2010, 5:22 am

Technologists have been worrying aloud for years that America is losing its competitive edge as other countries invest more heavily in technology education and innovation.

To counter that trend, Intel and 24 venture capital firms said Tuesday that they planned to invest $3.5 billion in American start-ups over the next two years, The New York Times’s Claire Cain Miller reported.
In addition, Intel, Google, Cisco Systems, Microsoft and 13 other employers pledged to add jobs in 2010 — specifically by hiring 10,500 graduates of American colleges, largely those with computer science and engineering degrees.

The initiative, called the Invest in America Alliance, is spearheaded by Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, and was announced on Tuesday by the company’s chief executive, Paul S. Otellini, in a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“Unfortunately, long-term investments in education, research, digital technology and human capital have been steadily declining in the U.S.,” Mr. Otellini said, according to a transcript of the speech. “So, too, has the commitment to policies that made us such an entrepreneurial powerhouse for more than a century.”

Sure would be great for librarians to reach out to advanced technology training and ummmmmmmmm get some of these bucks!

Don't Touch That Dial!
A history of media technology scares, from the printing press to Facebook.
By Vaughan Bell
Posted Monday, Feb. 15, 2010, at 7:00 AM ET Slate

A respected Swiss scientist, Conrad Gessner, might have been the first to raise the alarm about the effects of information overload. In a landmark book, he described how the modern world overwhelmed people with data and that this overabundance was both "confusing and harmful" to the mind. The media now echo his concerns with reports on the unprecedented risks of living in an "always on" digital environment. It's worth noting that Gessner, for his part, never once used e-mail and was completely ignorant about computers. That's not because he was a technophobe but because he died in 1565. His warnings referred to the seemingly unmanageable flood of information unleashed by the printing press.

For complete story

HouseCall - Free Antivirus Scan

HouseCall - Free Antivirus Scan

Posted using ShareThis

After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds - Technology - The Chronicle of Higher Education

After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds - Technology - The Chronicle of Higher Education: "After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds
The hype is gone, but not the interest, and professors think some emerging projects may have instructional staying power"

I sure remember when I went to library conferences and every other session was on Second Life. I must admit I created my avatar - tried walking around a few times and just got frustrated and quit.

Just What Do Your Library Users Want??

Just ask them..........check out this web tool to help you ask your community what they would like you to provide...

IdeaScale

From their webpage:IdeaScale is a hosted, turn key solution for collecting ideas - no servers and software to install. Get up and running in minutes by answering a few basic questions.

IdeaScale empowers communities to drive innovation.

Collect ideas from your customers, give them a platform to vote, the most important ideas bubble to the top.

Supporters Conference & Kick-Off Event POSTPONED!!!

Due to inclement weather, numerous registration cancellations and the possibility that the flight of one of our key speakers will be cancelled, we have determined that it is best to postpone the Library Supporters Conference and Kick-Off from tomorrow and Saturday to a Friday evening and Saturday in the summer. The sessions and speakers should not change; only the dates are changing. We will post the new dates as soon as we can get them confirmed.

Everyone registered as an attendee or exhibitor will automatically by registered for the new dates, and payments will be honored as if they were made for the new date. If, when the new dates are posted, you need to cancel your registration for either the kick-off event or the conference itself - or both - we will honor our usual conference cancellation policy:
- cancellation up to 3 business days in advance: 100% refund
- cancellation up to 24 hours before the beginning of the conference: 50% refund
- after that, no refunds

To request a refund, contact Elizabeth at the System Office. If you prefer to have your payment applied to another conference, contact dona at the System Office.

We want to be sure we reach everyone as soon as possible so, if you know of others who were planning to attend either or both events, please help us by assuring that they know about the cancellation.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause anyone.

Be a member of North Texas Regional Library System

Yay! Finally! Membership is now open for academic, school, government and special libraries to the North Texas Regional Library System through TSLAC. Why be a member? You have a voice at the table - be a part of planning continuing education, have NTRLS staff help with consulting, be a part of consortium pricing in some cases. There is no fee to be a member but you must fill out the application listed on the TSLAC webpage.

For accreditation rules for academic, school, research or special, and governmental libraries, see 13 Texas Administrative Code 1.86. Libraries applying for membership must agree to loan materials without charge to users of other libraries in the system. These standards apply only to libraries that are operated by a public school district, institution of higher education, unit of local, state, or federal government, accredited non-public elementary or secondary schools, or special or research libraries.

Privacy Doesn't Just Mean Secrecy

In a recent article for ReadWriteWeb.com, Marshall Kirkpatrick wrote about the changes in privacy on Facebook. In this article, they write the following about the views of Chris Peterson and his draft thesis Saving Face: The Privacy Architecture of Facebook.

Peterson argues that the idea that anything published ought to be understood as intended for public distribution is an antiquated understanding from the era when publishing was expensive and required a lot of effort. The opposite is true today, it's free and easy to publish - so information at different levels of appropriateness for public eyes is being published. Why not support that?

Instead of what Facebook is doing, Peterson says that a more appropriate understanding of privacy today is based on context. We expect our communication to go on in an appropriate context (no drinking in church or praying in the bar) and we expect to understand how our communication will be distributed.

If a college friend took photos of you drinking in a bar and showed them off to people in church, you might feel your privacy has been violated in both appropriateness and distribution. The bar is a public place, though, and not completely secret. Thus the need for a more sophisticated understanding of privacy that is more than mere secrecy.

We spend a lot of time discussing patron privacy in the library profession. But, like Facebook, we presume that privacy is the same as secrecy. Privacy has the additional component of respect. Patrons discuss their problems with us at the reference desk, with no closed doors to insure secrecy. Yet the expectation of privacy remains. When people use a library, they have an underlying expectation that everyone, not only the library staff, will respect their privacy. This means it is not enough for us to keep records secret. We must also remind people to be considerate and model that behavior ourselves.

The iPhone App Proloquo2go

An online article from ABC news today touted yet another accessibility tool.

The feature describes how an 8-year-old who has a developmental disorder which affects communication and social interaction has begun to communicate and interact socially through the use of a special iPhone app. That app, Proloquo2go, is described as "the best-selling medical and educational app of 2009."

Although few libraries may purchase the iPhone and app for use by the public, reference librarians may want to know about this tool in order to provide information to speech language pathologists, parents and anyone with communication limitations.

The DOJ and ADA Mandate Ebook Readers Be Accessible to All

The DOJ and ADA Mandate Ebook Readers Be Accessible to All: "The DOJ and ADA Mandate Ebook Readers Be Accessible to All
by Nancy Herther
Posted On January 25, 2010

Ebook reader makers received a major reality check earlier this month when, after investigating charges of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced settlements with four major universities that had been part of the Kindle DX project to test the devices in real-life classroom settings."

Blogging is for Old People, Pew Report Finds

Blogging is for Old People, Pew Report Finds Benny Evangelista, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, February 4, 2010

Teenagers and young adults spent less time blogging during the past three years as social networks like Facebook became more popular, according to a Pew Research Center study released Wednesday.

Still, one social network, Twitter, has failed to catch on with the vast majority of younger teenagers, according to the Pew study of social media and mobile Internet use among teens and young adults.

The study conducted by the Washington, D.C., nonprofit think tank was designed to gauge the online habits of America's "millennial generation,"
a demographic group that is considered a bellwether of the nation's future technology trends.

The results indicate blogging has become so 2006, when 28 percent of the two groups studied, teens 12 to 17 and young adults 18 to 29, actively blogged.

By the fall of 2009, that percentage dropped off to only 14 percent of teens and 15 percent of young adults as blogging "lost its luster for many young users," said Amanda Lenhart, one of the report's authors.


---------------------------

Pew Internet
Social Media and Young Adults
Summary of Findings
2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx?r=1>

One of a Kind Conference for Library Supporters

The Future of Libraries

The 2nd annual North Texas Conference for Library Supporters will take place Saturday, February 13, 2010 in southwest Fort Worth.

Fee: $20 after January 25 or at the door

Lunch will be provided for all paid, registered participants.

Designed for

• Members of Library Boards, Friends of the Library and Library Foundations
• Library Volunteers and Other Supporters
• Library Staff Who Work with Any of the Above

The event will include

• Training Sessions
• Table Discussions
• Dedicated Time to Visit with Exhibitors
• Dedicated Time to Visit Supporters Groups’ Displays
• Time for Networking with Peers, and
• Lunch and Refreshments!

In Addition, free exhibit space will be available to any library support group interested in
• Promoting their events
• Sharing their ideas
• Bragging on their successes, and/or
• Selling whatever products or services they use in fundraising.

To request display/sales space for your library support group, complete the sign-up form.

Register at the NTRLS.org Continuing Education Portal
more registration information

If you have any special needs which may impact your participation in this event, please contact the NTLP office at 817-377-4440 or 800-856-3050 at least 72 hours in advance.

________________________________________

ALSO

A Kick-Off Event for the 2nd Annual North Texas Conference for Library Supporters Friday, February 12, 2010 at the Courtyard by Marriott in southwest Fort Worth
Fee:
$15 if registered and paid by January 25, $20 after January 25 or at the door,
provided space is available

The Friday evening kick-off is a separate event from the Saturday conference. Please register for each event separately.

Register at the NTRLS.org Continuing Education Portal
more registration information

6:30 - 7:00 pm Sign In and Silent Auction
7:00 - 8:45 pm Dinner and Guest Speaker


Your Library's Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the 21st Century
Guest Speaker: Anita Duckor, President of Duckor & Associates, Inc.


“Anita’s leadership helped transform the Minneapolis Public Library standing in the community and with all stakeholders. Anita’s professional background in strategic planning and change management contributed enormously to the Board’s and the Library’s success in meeting our many challenges. She led the Trustees in a strategic planning process in 2006 resulting in long-term sustainable financial solution – resulting in a consolidation with Hennepin County Library. Throughout many tough times, Anita’s positive attitude and can-do spirit buoyed everyone around her.”
~ Kit Hadley, former Director of the Minneapolis Public Library (2002-2007)
________________________________________
A management strategist consulting firm which serves organizations which want to effect managed change, Duckor & Associates combines visionary development and market-oriented planning with practical tactics to help lead, shape and transform an organization in the public, private, nonprofit and government sectors.

If you have any special needs which may impact your participation in this event, please contact the NTLP office at 817-377-4440 or 800-856-3050 at least 72 hours in advance.

FYI - Plan on staying the night - bring your honey!

Here's information about rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott on Bryant Irvin Rd., in case you want to stay in the hotel where the kick-off will be. I'm told that they're expecting to run out of rooms since it'll be Valentine's Day weekend. If they’re out of rooms by the time you contact them, please let me know ASAP.

Here's information provided by the hotel:

Start Date End Date Room Type Rate
2/12/2010 2/13/2010 King $98.00
2/12/2010 2/13/2010 2 Queens $98.00

Hotel’s room rates are subject to applicable state and local taxes (currently 15%) in effect at the time of check-out.

RESERVATIONS

Hotel reservations will be made by individual attendees directly with Marriott reservations at (800) 393-7927 or (817) 294-7600.


BILLING ARRANGEMENTS

Individuals will be responsible for their own charges.

‘Style Show’ benefits Gordon Community Library & Museum

Posted by Julie Elrod on Jan 23rd, 2010 and filed under News.

A ‘Style Show’ took place in the fellowship hall of the First Baptist Church in Gordon last Saturday to raise funds for the soon-to-open, Gordon Community Library & Museum. Fashion models for the style show wore their favorite ensembles, including some designer outfits, that were purchased from the Twice Blessed Shop in downtown Gordon. The Twice Blessed Shop is a second-hand store that is run by volunteers from area churches and organizations.

The event raised nearly $900 which will go towards purchasing children’s books for the library. Door prizes were donated by area businesses and the Harmony Hearts offered some beautiful musical entertainment. After the style show and entertainment, visitors were allowed to take a tour of the library. Board members for the Gordon Community Library & Museum are Lilly Petty – President, Betty Allison – Vice President, Bill Hopkins – Treasurer, Victoria Low – Secretary, Shaye Trigg, Tavia Tiblets, Joel Taylor, Max Wheeler and Jana Morton. 7-R donated cabinets that are being used in the library and Gordon ISD loaned furniture they were not using and donated shelves.