PowerPoint Presentation on the Social Web

Gerry McKiernan has his gargantuan and very useful presentation from his Internet Librarian 2008 pre-conference session here:Not Just Facebook: Online Social Networks For Libraries. He covers major online social networks, library uses, successful case studies, and niche networks that most librarians don't know about. Check it out to learn more about this burgeoning area of web librarianship. This file is large and takes a while to download.

The Networked Student

Michael Stephens, library professor and author of Tame the Web found an interesting video on the connected student. It's a theory of education for the 21st century being used by a high school teacher, take a look at it, The Networked Student. It has a lot of implications for our work.

IMAC CD/DVD Compatibility

Dear all,
Here is a list of CDs/DVDs that will work on our IMACs at the library.
Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
Writes DVD-RW discs at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
Reads CDs at up to 24x speed
The CD RWs allow users to rewrite documents after saving them. This is what patrons who are creating word documents will want to use in the future. Hope this helps us field the many help with homework projects we will have this year.

Podcasting Steps

Podcasting on iTunes

 

What is Podcasting?

 

Podcasting is downloading files to a computer that have video or audio content.  These can then be watched/listened to from that computer or put on an mp3 player, like an iPod.  The term combines “pod” from the iPod and “casting” from broadcasting.  It is a new way to send and receive media, just like radio and television when they were created.  This is done using the same RSS feed concept that is used in blogging.

 

1.     The podcasting section on iTunes is located on the left hand side of the application, under Library.

 

2.     To subscribe to a podcast, search the iTunes Store, or link through a website that does a podcast.  Examples.  ALD Live, This American Life.

 

3.     Podcasts will download as much as the “podcaster” allows.  They will do one at a time, or three at a time.  There is a “get all” feature when there is an option to download more than one episode of a podcast.

 

4.     Progress of the download can be tracked by clicking on download on the left hand side of the iTunes application.  This is only available when something is being downloaded.

 

5.     When a podcast is finished downloading it will have a blue dot next to the episode title to indicate that it is a new episode.  The podcast channel will also have a dot, to indicate new episodes.  The podcast button will now list the number of how many new podcasts there are.

 

6.     Double clicking plays a podcast.  Once a podcast is played the blue dot goes away and the total of new podcasts updates.

 

7.     Depending on settings iTunes will download new episodes of the podcast as they come available, or clicking refresh will manually check for new episodes.

 

8.     These can now be transferred to an iPod.  Depending on your iPods settings this can be set up to do automatically, or new episodes can be added by dragging them from the podcast screen to the iPod icon.  This icon only appears when an iPod is attached.

 

9.     It is easy to unsubscribe from a podcast.  Just click “unsubscribe at the bottom of the iTunes application.

Staying Current

Sarah Houghton-Jan, author of Librarian in Black blog, has a good presentation on staying current with technology. Here is the link Tools for Staying Current, take a look, she covers everything from methods of staying current to 8 media types including print. Maybe this will help you to keep your head above water as you deal with technology overload.

Test Your Library Website

As you know we are in the process of redesigning our library website. If you would like to test our current sites' usability try looking at this 57 point checklist for maximum usability by Jessica Hupp. See if you agree with the standards she uses to determine how easy it is for patrons to navigate our site.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held Monday Nov. 10th from 8am to 9:30am at the support services meeting room. Let Bob T, or myself know if you have any questions.

Database Marketing

As our library district seeks to save money, databases are being discontinued and reevaluated on a regular basis. Do we really need more and better databases? Which ones are essential? Many patrons are not aware of these databases, how do we market them online and in the library, or on the web and in print etc.? Even many of our staff members are not aware of the databases on our website, is this because they are not that useful? I find many of them very useful, I wish we had more but the trend is going in the other direction. What do we do now?

Who would like permission to post?

If you are quite a talker, and would like to post to this blog let Bob or I know and we will give you permission. Many of you probably have more questions etc. that we have not looked at or even considered. We will ask you about the future of this blog at our next meeting on Monday November 10 at 8 am at admin.

Crap Detecting on the Internet

One of the qualities that we all need in life is a "built in shock-proof crap detector". It makes for good librarianship, there is an article on the BBC website entitle; Warning sounded on web's future. The author says people need a way to separate rumor from real science. This is where we come in, how do we determine the credibility of a web site? We have all had our web evaluation classes. What do you look for, or have we been lulled to sleep by all the crap that's out there on the web?

Mac Tutorials Available Online

I've heard from many people that they really enjoyed getting a chance to look at the iMacs, but there was one problem:  There wasn't enough time to really get into it.  The good news is that we'll be revisiting the iMacs in future group meetings.  Until then you can whet your appetite by going to the apple website (http://www.apple.com/mac).  You'll notice on the right hand side there is a list of web tutorials for basic mac functions, and many of the iLife programs, like iTunes, Garageband, iMovie, iPhoto, and others.  These are fairly short and don't delve too far into the features of the various programs, but it is a great starting point if you are looking for more info on any of these programs.  Check some out and tell us what you think.  If there is something you want to see more in depth there is a good chance that your suggestion will find its way on a future meeting agenda.

Information Overload

It's obvious to the most casual observer that we all suffer from "too much information running through my brain, too much information driving me insane". Here is an article on how to cope, Being Wired or Being Tried, 10 techniques to manage the overload. It's a step in the right direction to detect sources and methods of delivery, filter, weed, schedule etc. to gain control over the information coming to you. People expect librarians to be the ultimate masters of filtering information, this is hard to do if you are overwhelmed.

Vertical Search Engines

If you want better results from web searching try a vertical search engine. These engines are subject specific, so they get better results than Google or Yahoo. Here is an article from Michael Ross of Computer Edge Magazine that explains what they are and how they work. URL: Vertical Search Engines: A more concise alternative to the major search methods.

The Future of Reference--Part 1

I attended the Reference Renaissance Conference last week (which was great!). I managed to get through all of my notes and summarize thoughts shared on the future of reference. I came up with 7 key tips. Here is the first idea.

Tip #1Focus on the “breaking point” we user can no longer continue on their own…what information is hard to find?
a. Aggregation—provide links between disparate pieces of info
b. Complexity—information that truly requires specialized knowledge
c. Creation—new tools created for our users that helps them access and customize resources…just in time reference.
d. Provision—make sure users have access to information and tools they need
e. Collections—don’t focus on books…but information organization and functionality
f. Become the liaison between aggregators and users

What are your thoughts?

The Kindle goes Down in Flames

Looks like the link did not work for Roy Tennants thoughts on the Kindle. So here they are, what do you think is the Kindle a dog?
"Prediction: The Kindle Goes Down in FLAMES June 9, 2008Someone at the Oxford University Press seems to think that the Amazon Kindle is selling like hotcakes. All I have to say about this is: "are you on drugs?" I know plenty of early adopters and none have confessed to having popped for something that simultaneously looks dorky and costs way more than an iPhone, which is arguably way more functional than a Kindle -- including being able to read books. I mean, come on. Are we that stupid?The Oxford University Press opinion has been picked up by none other than Tim O'Reilly, although it should be acknowledged that he has skin in the game. And we should be clear that this is opinion only. Evan Schnittman, from Oxford University Press, has made some assumptions that lead him to these conclusions. But let us not forget that he has skin in the game as well.Meanwhile, remember that I work for OCLC, which also has some sort of skin in the e-book game too. But I'm here to tell you that the Kindle is not it. It is so not it. But don't take my word for it. Ask your neighbor, ask your best friend, ask the first person you meet on the street, ask anyone at all. Do they have a Kindle? Of course not. If they do, they're probably an Amazon employee.There is definitely a future for e-books. Heck, I have even helped to build it. But am I about to drop $400 on a device that only reads books? I'm a librarian, I'm an early adopter of technology and not on your life will I do such a thing. So, are there really many more sales than Amazon is letting on about? Of course not. Amazon could only lose by hiding the fact that the Kindle is a runaway hit. The only reason they are hiding sales is because it is not. They should have paid me a small fee to tell them they had a dog on their hands. Oh well, a lost opportunity for both of us. Save yourselves, wait for something that makes more sense. "

Here is a post from Suzanne Kallers blog The Roving Librarian, you might want to check her blog out, she has some very practical posts, I like theory, it interests much more than real life.
Here is url if you want to subsribe, http://therovinglibrarian.blogspot.com/ .

"Theory and philosophical perspectives are nice to hear but it all quickly evaporates in my head pretty quickly. As an ex-number cruncher, I value the concrete rather than the ephemeral. Anyway, here are some of the tools and ideas I wish to learn more about or apply:
Creating Custom Search Engines using Google (of course, what else)? At Murray State University, such tools are posted on their web site. Lilia Murray conducted a lively presentation demonstrating how easy it is to set one up.
Kwout is a free web site that allows the user to click screenshots and maintain live links. I learned about that one from Gregg Notess at Montana State University. Two free websites he mentioned to create online screenshots are Jing and MWSnap. He also shared the website, Snipr which shortens URL's in the same way that Tinyurl does plus extra features.
Wayne Bivens-Tatum from Princeton University reviewed the many tools Google offers that may keep you from leaving their web site (if you dare)! I already knew about Shopping (of course!), Docs, Groups, Apps, but we also have Knol ( a challenge to Wikipedia?), Lively and Sketch Up.
Presenters from Penn State University (PSU) and Colorado's very own Auraria Library talked about their own chat reference service. In Colorado, we already have a state-wide consortium called AskColorado that does just that with both public and academic libraries participating in a shared effort. With their own chat reference, the students at Auraria and PSU are assured of communicating with librarians at their own institution unlike the patrons who connect to AskColorado.
Joe Murphy from Yale University discussed the use of text messaging reference service. He using an Apple I phone to do it. He claims he can demonstrate how to use his library's databases and get it done in just a few minutes on his little phone. Wow!
I learned about how the libraries at SUNY Stony Brook is experimenting with various virtual formats including Adobe Connect in novel ways from Susan Lieberthal.
As I mentioned on an earlier post, Orange County Library System in Orlando, Florida, is connecting with patrons using videoconferencing. Their system is called OLIVE, or the Orange County Interactive Virtual Experience. Plus, they're also doing chat and texting.In conclusion, it was an invigorating experience to hear how both public and academic libraries are moving forward into in the twenty-first century of technology. We're not going to allow the information age, leave us behind are we? Heck no!"

List of Feeds

Here is a list of a few of my favorite blogs that others might want to add to Google Reader. Not everyone likes the same blogs, so these are blogs I like, you might not like them at all, you can use a Google blog search to find ones that you like, something you find relevant to your work, adult services and personal interest.

USA Today Top Tech Stories - rssfeeds.usatoday.com/usatoday-TechTopStories
Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology - www.tametheweb.com/iblog/B143020931/rss.xml
The Shifted Librarian - www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/rss.xml
Pew Research Organization - http://feeds.feedburner.com/pewresearch/all
Library Link of the Day - http://www.tk421.net/librarylink/
Librarian in Black - http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/
I Cringely the Pulpit-PBS - http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/

Bob T.

Patron Questions about the Mac's

As we met yesterday, it occurred to me that this might be a good place to address questions staff receive about the Macs. Both the regular computers which are running Windows, and the iMacs that patrons can use.

What questions have you received since the Macs arrived at your branch?

How do libraries meet the needs of our 50+ year old patrons?

Aesta pointed out one of the great challenges that face libraries today.  This certainly pertains the adult services aspect of our group so we can have this conversation easily without bringing in the technology aspect.  However I do see the two as connected.  Many of our older patrons that I've talked to seem put off by technological advances in the library world from the online catalog to the self check out machines.  Whenever we adopt any technology there are positive and negative consequences and in this case perhaps some of our loyal patrons may feel left behind, that the library isn't as friendly a place as they remember.  At the same time it isn't just the library that goes through technological overhauls, it is the entire world.

I see this as an opportunity to help educate our patrons, start giving them an idea of the positive effects of the tools we use, the tools they can use, so they aren't as put off by the drawbacks of technology.  I mentioned in the meeting today the computer classes we offer, and the positive experiences that come out of those.  What else can we do to bridge that gap?  I encourage you to check out a video on our website http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhw-qIRWld0.  Rita Gretschmann came up with a great idea of the use for the multimedia macs that allow her to have more contact with her grandchildren.  What other advantages of the library can we show other patrons who feel left out?  How can we train them to participate comfortably?  Mollie wanted some ideas about technology being used to enhance programming and I feel this fits right into that same stream of thought.  Lets hear what you guys have to say.

Prediction: The Kindle Goes Down in FLAMES

Prediction: The Kindle Goes Down in FLAMES: "

Someone at the Oxford University Press seems to think that the Amazon Kindle is selling like hotcakes. All I have to say about this is: "are y...

"

Social Media in Plain English

Greetings and Welcome. Web 2.0 or Social Media is all the rage. So what is it exactly? Social Media in plain English is a video that focuses on basics of social media: the new technology that makes everyone a producer and tools that give everyone a chance to have a say. Take a look at it, http://www.commoncraft.com/socialmedia. As you all know this is our present and future.

Let Us Know You Found Us!

Please enter your name here so we know you located the blog!