Idaho Commission for Libraries

This last month Open Office release version 3.0. Demand was so high that the openoffice.org website was temporarily disabled, testifying to its popularity and growth. All of our patron computers have Open Office, while only a few have Microsoft Office. Most patrons have had few problems with switching over, with the exception of some incompatibility issues with power point projects. We haven’t upgraded since version 2.0, so it was definitely time. We haven’t tested power point projects in the latest Open Office Presentations, but we’re hoping that the issues have long been solved.

When we upgraded Open Office, we also added the latest versions of Gimp (2.6.1) and Inkscape (0.45). Gimp is the open source version of Photoshop and Inkscape a replacement for Adobe Illustrator. We have had a few patrons ask for the ability to edit photos or create artwork for projects. There was no way our library would have been able to buy the licenses for the Adobe products for all of our patron computers. The open source versions were an easy choice. Both programs are gaining in popularity across the net, though few still know about them. We have yet to have patrons try them out. Hopefully soon so we can gauge the feedback.

There is an unfortunate perception that because these programs are free or “cheap” that they are not of the same quality or standard of expensive, commercial programs. Give them a try and see what you think. You might be surprised.

      

I know we’re focused on all this “Library 2.0″ stuff (or are we already on to 3.0?), but I saw this article in the NYT and had to share. It definitely made me think about how cushy my job is (in a heated or air-conditioned building and without those pesky paramilitary groups interfering) and how this guy gives a whole new definition to the idea of “outreach”.

And… isn’t it still completely optimistic and naive - and accurate - to realize the power that reading a book can have? Maybe there’s hope for the world yet. (Oh, and check out the accompanying slideshow, too.)

      

The social networking site for booklovers may not be new, but it is one of my favorite 2.0 sites out there.  You can file this one with 2.0 sites that make library work easier alongside LibraryThing and LibraryElf, only this one is much better as your own personal reader’s advisory tool.

 

It works like this: you go to www.goodreads.com and sign up with a username and password.  Next, you can use the friend finder to see who you already know who may be on goodreads and add them as a friend if (and this is an important caveat) you think you would like similar books. 

Next, you can search by title, author or keyword to find books you read, are reading or want to read and can simply click once to “add to your books.”  The whole site is intuitive and scalable - you can add as much or as little metadata to the books that you want.  You can simply select the books you are reading to keep track of them, or you can write reviews, rate books, tag them with your own set of keywords, even sit them on certain shelves!  Lots of my library friends have a special shelf for books that they don’t have at their local library and which they want to get through interlibrary loan later.  You can add books to your “to read” list so that you can easily find them later.  No more checking out too may books that I can’t read before the due date!  Now I have one place for all the books I want to read so I won’t forget next time I make a visit to the library.  You get an email digest of what your friends are reading (if you like) and how they review and rate books, and this is the way that I keep on top of all the coolest books that I want to read. It works with Facebook and Twitter, so you can roll all your data right on over to whichever other social networking site you are already using!

You can write reviews of books with a couple clicks (easier than a blogpost) and should you so aspire to clean up the data on the site or add pictures and reviews, you can become a “librarian” - the term they use for end-user site administrators. How can you not love that?

I have a group of friends across the country who send around boxes of books and media to each other as a traveling lending library, and we use Goodreads as a way to keep track of who has what, and who wants to read which book.  Really, the possibilities are limitless. 

If you are already on goodreads (or want a friend when you sign up) then come find me!  My username is gnatalie (at) gmail (dot) com.   Happy reading!

      

I don’t know about the rest of you, but it’s hard to find a reason to stay indoors when the weather is nice and the sun is out past 9 p.m.  Fall and Winter roll in and the daylight wanes along with my inclination to be outdoors. Add an ailing economy, and those trips to the bookstore and eating dinner out just aren’t an option anymore!

Luckily, I have found so many fun things to do at the public library just when I need it most.  Having worked in public libraries up until I came to ICFL, I got to enjoy them from behind the scenes but it’s been a long time since I got to be a customer. Imagine my delight when my empty social calendar is filled with fun things at the Boise Public Library!  I visited the Collister branch and picked up a slew of CDs to keep me occupied on my morning rides and, while I was there, learned about an awesome teen hip hop dancing program they started and which is not only popular with the kids but is also a huge hit with the refugees in the area!  Next, I went to the Hillcrest Branch for craft activities (this month they are decorating Halloween bags) and again the next night for a super cool Winter Bicycle Commuting workshop where I learned about winter riding safety, how to keep warm, and even how to change a bike tire.  Everybody left with free rear lights, carabeeners, booklets (a state publication - my favorite!) and more resources.  The room was packed with cyclists, beginning and new, of all ages and experience levels.  This was one of the coolest programs I have ever attended and was a big hit with the community.

All this winter programming reminds me of a year ago when a colleague and I from the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County were frantically trying to prepare for a series of Library Speed Date programs.  We started with one program, but it was so popular that we soon had a waiting list and had to add more.  We came up with a target age range, developed some inhouse publicity and contacted the paper and soon we were entertaining a group of single adults who came to the library after hours as a way of meeting other single book lovers and enjoying some snacks and cider.  I don’t know that anyone fell in love, but a lot of people made good friends and we hit a market that we had trouble capturing before: adult men.

Another one of my favorites was a craft circle where people brought in needlework projects and we showcased library resources, taught skills and let people show off the cool things they were making while eating cookies and drinking tea.  The best part was that we had whole families, moms and daughters, dads and grandmothers, and everyone was learning new things alongside each other. 

It makes me think that maybe the wintertime engenders the spirit of togetherness.  If so, it’s a great time for libraries to provide special programs that reinforce the Library As Place concept.  I’m looking forward to spending a lot more time at my local branches!

      

It’s Book Fair time in our school library again. What a lot of work it is, but it reminds me of many of the other kinds of reading programs we do. The things I like about it are that the theme is chosen, books about the theme are included in the selections provided by the publisher, there are plenty of support materials, and the children get REALLY EXCITED about the whole event. We even have some kind of costumed character attend and play with the youngsters occasionally.

What I don’t like is the fact that I feel like I’m viewed as a salesperson who is primarily after the money. I also don’t like the responsibility of dealing with dishonest customers–child or adult. I just enjoy getting books into the hands of the children.

At our book fairs I take no cash profit (seldom do I manage to sell enough to earn cash profit anyway.) All of the profit that is made is returned to us in credit to purchase books. This is where the fun comes in. I use this profit from book fair to book fair to give away loads of books (and other paraphernalia). A poster coloring contest gives the best excuse to provide every child with winnings that they have “earned.” Students who turn in a poster that they have worked on automatically get a participation award worth $2.00 for what my rep calls the “foo foo stuff”. However, if they choose to spend it on a book, the certificate is worth up to $5.00 for one book. Students are responsible to get their posters turned in to receive the gift certificate and to try for the first place award in each grade for best poster. The first place award gets an additional gift certificate that is worth $5.00 for the “foo foo stuff” or up to $8.00 if spent on a book. Certificates may be combined with cash or another certificate. Fortunately, most of the children see that they are getting far more purchasing power through buying a book, and every child has the opportunity to own his or her own favorite title.

This fair’s top seller, so far, is Diary of a Wimpy Kid:Do It Yourself. Sales are down compared to this time last year. I don’t know if that is because of the economy, because we also have the 7th and 8th grade classes selling apples to finance their graduation trip, because of the distractions of several funerals involving many of our students, or because of my lack of keeping the ball rolling and the energy high due to additional responsibilities of my own this year. Then, again, we haven’t had parent night yet. Tomorrow promises to be the craziest day of the week with school pictures, a home volleyball game, math night, dinner, and the book fair. It should be exciting!

But whatever the outcome, every student already has at least one new self-chosen book, from the vast array that rivals any bookstore, and some have more than one. It has to be counted as a success!

      

Official registration for SPLAT 101 has closed, but you can still participate in this self-paced online course! Join others and learn about these six technology-based resources that can save you time and money at work and home.

• Week 1 – Blogs
• Week 2 – RSS
• Week 3 – IM
• Week 4 – Online Applications
• Week 5 – Wikis
• Week 6 – Tagging

Still have questions? Read our FAQ, leave us a comment, or contact a SPLAT member directly using the list to the left. We hope you'll join us to learn these technologies the fun and casual way with SPLAT 101!

The school library is the heart of the school. It pulsates with life as the students and staff come and go throughout the day. It is a source of knowledge, but it also provides a place of quiet retreat and re-creation. 

I love working in the library, not just because of the many books, and learning opportunities, but because it allows me to get to know so many of my students more intimately than when in a regular classroom setting.I know every student by name.  Students duck in to visit with me and talk about their interests. They share the latest book they’ve read and beg me to find more of the same kind or by the same author. They sometimes share the difficulties they are having with their peers or ask for help with schoolwork. Sometimes they just like to come in and enjoy the calm atmosphere in the library. I have several young primary students who beg to stay on even after the After School Program, which closes at 6;00 PM.

Teachers, too, take advantage of the library atmosphere to read, research, prepare for classes, grade papers, or just enjoy the plants in the room. Sometimes they open up, sharing their frustrations or joys, and I have the opportunity to mentor and encourage them. Staying in touch with them helps me choose books and materials that support their classroom teaching. I am often picking up things I know they will enjoy using in their classroom teaching and that coincides with the curriculum. 

I feel like I have my finger on the pulse of the school and can sometimes be proactive as an intermediary between staff and administration keeping the lines of communication open and the machinery well oiled.

The atmosphere that I am able to create in the library seems to permeate the school soothing, exciting, informing, strengthening, etc, as the case may be. Here the students and staff alike grow and prosper because of the resources I am able to provide. What power lies in this little room!

      

How many libraries in Idaho celebrate Banned Books Week?  How many don’t, and why don’t they?  I’ve been creating displays to for Banned Books Weeks ever since I began working with teens at the library.  Several of those years, the YAC (Youth Advisory Committee) helped with theme, design, and execution.  This year, however, the entire staff of the Jerome Public Library worked to make this year’s display the biggest and best we’ve had yet.

It is a self-guided time-line tour of burnings and bannings through history, and we’re very proud of it.  You can see a slide show of some of the time-line stops and hanging quotes at our website.  (The slide show is for you, Liesl) We’re excited because the Times-News is going to print a story about it, hopefully drawing people in to take the tour and start the important conversation.  That conversation usually goes something like this:

Customer: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!  Why in the world is that on the display?”

Me: “A librarian in Boulder, Colorado had placed it in a locked cabinet because she thought it espoused a poor philosophy of life.”

Customer: “How ridiculous!  It is just a fun story.”

Me: “That’s censorship, something that violates our library’s collection policy.”

Customer: “Oh, here’s the Harry Potter Books.  These should be banned!”

Me: “Well, the idea is that each person, and each parent, choose for themselves and their own children what is right for their own family, but not other people.  That way we can serve our whole community, and not infringe on anybody’s first amendment rights.”

Customer: “I never thought of it that way.  You are so right, and I’m going to write a great big check to the library foundation and rewrite my will with the library as the beneficiary and then the library will be the coolest place ever…”

O.K. So that last part, that doesn’t happen.  I can dream, can’t I?

If you haven’t read Jamie LaRue’s book The New Inquisition yet, this week is a good time to get your hands on it.  It is really good info, highly entertaining, and memorable.

      

Don’t you hate the feeling of knowing that you really need something new on your Library News blog, but you don’t know anything new to write about? Here are some ideas for finding news when you think it’s all the same old stuff.

 

1. Open your eyes and ears to what’s happening in your library. Once I saw a new flyer on the front door as I was leaving for lunch, and then did a story about the classes that were mentioned. If the Circulation desk has a sign up about something, it may be a good story—I did one on our last blood drive for the Red Cross. Encourage staff to contribute news and stories about things they are doing, new databases, book reviews, etc.  Some weeks I’ve had enough staff contributions that I haven’t had to do anything, and the diversity of topics is wonderful.

 

2. Open your eyes and ears to what’s happening in your community. I watch the news page that the university has, and have grabbed things about faculty with new books (and mention their old books that are available at the library), information about visiting authors (when Peter Matthiassen came here we had so many of his books that I even did a display of them), and other items of interest that have a library “spin”. I do the same with the local newspaper and community events that are of interest to the library community.

 

3. Watch what other libraries are doing. My two previous posts give you suggestions on finding the blogs other libraries are doing. Some of the basic and creative ideas I’ve seen include: introducing new staff members, listing web sites for finding road information in winter (especially helpful for schools with commuters), pointing out citation format web sites at final paper time, posting a notice when student assistants are needed, and detailing how to get RSS Feed of your library blog, so people can keep up with all the news you’re sharing..

      

My second favorite way to look at what other libraries are doing is to go to the Blogging Libraries Wiki, which is located at this address, and also clickable. http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php?title=Welcome_to_the_Blogging_Libraries_Wiki It has sections for academic, public, school, and other types of libraries. You can find different libraries here from the other list, and you only are referred to libraries that have blogs.

      

In my quest to make the Library News Blog I work on better, I have been visiting Library News pages that other libraries are doing, to see the kind of things that they include, and make sure that ours is comprehensive. One of my favorite sites to use with this is LibWeb, a Web Junction site. Find it here: http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/  It is especially nice because it has sections for public, academic, and school libraries (and more), and then a geographical arrangement, so you can check your region, and even the whole country.

      

Normal
0




false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE













MicrosoftInternetExplorer4














DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>


















UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>

UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>

UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>

UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

 

I am listening to the great Michele Gorman giving a
talk called “Getting Graphic.” She just wrote a book called Getting Graphic!
Comics For Kids This is an excellent guide to help you develop a great
graphic novel collection for kids.  We
can all be super librarians with the help of this book :)

 

More to come from ALSC soon. Stay tuned to the
same bat channel at the same bat time…  

Recently I searched Netlibrary for Howards End, and like so many titles it wasn’t available. One of the biggest complaints from our patrons aside from technical glitches is the selection available from Netlibrary’s service. Since Howards End by E. M. Forster is now in the public domain I searched Project Gutenburg’s Audio offerings and they did indeed have it.

Downloading an audiobook from Project Gutenburg is a bit different than from Netlibrary. Netlibrary provides each of their audiobooks as one extremely large file with DRM. Project Gutenburg’s audio books are a collection of files, one for each chapter. Having the recording broken up into chapters makes it much easier and faster to download. If you are unsure if you will like a book, you can test the waters by downloading the first few chapters. Likewise, you can download chapters all at once or as you go - a benefit to those who have smaller MP3 players. I also found it easier to keep track of what chapter I was on even though my player has a bookmarking feature. Project Gutenburg’s audio books are in the public domain so no need to mess with DRM licenses that expire.

Project Gutenburg’s audio books are available in numerous formats - Apple iTunes Audiobook, Ogg Vorbis Audio, MP3 Audio, and Speex. If you look at the page for Howards End, you will see lots of files listed for each format. The chapters are listed sequentially, though not specified. The actual file you download will be a code with a hyphenated chapter number. It’s very easy to download the files into a separate file folder and then sync them to your device.

I was pleased that each file is encoded so that it organized itself and displayed on my MP3 player with the chapter and book title. I have really enjoyed listening to Howards End - the reader is exceptional. One nagging thing about the audio book is that at the start of each chapter the reader tells you the book is in the public domain and provided by Librivox most likely because each chapter is available separately. And really, that nag didn’t really bother me.

Anyway, give Project Gutenburg audiobooks a try, you just might like it too.

      

So, I’ve been lurking for awhile, and have finally decided to get my feet wet. Fair warning – I am a talker, so I hope you all don’t drown.

I am currently working on some ideas for focusing on one of our underserved populations, seniors, and am convinced that Playaways would be a good investment for this population. For those of you not familiar with these devices, they are basically MP3 players preloaded with an audiobook title. Although they can be pricey, I think these little babies would be great for seniors: they do not involve downloading or computers, do not involve keeping track of dozens of CDs, and are easy to use. (The military is even using these to boost morale among soldiers – what a great way to promote “reading”, too!)

My questions for our collective brain are these:

• How many of you offer Playaways in your library?
• What are some of your security issues?
• How do you deal with the repair/replacement of ear buds and batteries?
• How are patrons liking them, compared to books on CD?

Can’t wait to hear from you (and I’m sure I’ll be back to post and comment, as well!).

Another thing I’ve done to learn more about library blogs is to have the library I work at order this book:

 Academic library blogs : 231 examples / Walt Crawford.

There is also one on Public Library Blogs.

I do the Library News blog at Oboler Library (www.isu.edu/library) and am always looking for ways to make the blog better. One of my favorite is to cruise other Library News blogs, see what others are doing that I’m not, and get more creative with the one I’m doing. My favorite way to find other library news blogs is to go to http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/ and see what other academic libraries around the country are doing for library blogs. I’ve notices quite a few things that I’ve been able to adapt and make my blog more interesting.

A colleague alerted me to the new Google Docs forms and I tested it out. It was really fast, you can embed the survey into web sites, get the responses instantly fitted into a spreadsheet. I sent out a test submission and watched the replies appear magically into the spreadsheet. I can then share the info turning them into pie charts and graphs that look way cool. 

Yet another colleague pointed out that there is no web authentication which means you can fill it out as many times as you want to from your computer, so be on the lookout! Still very useful, I think! Let me know your opinion! See below. This took me two minutes to create!

 

Loading...

Huzzah and congrats to Nampa Public Library on the Board’s recent decision to return the sequestered books to the shelves!  The Idaho Statesman shared the good news today.

I am so pleased that the books are back on the shelves and appreciate everyone’s efforts to keep the library going during this extended controversy. 

My congrats to the staff and community of Nampa.  And special thanks to the ACLU for bringing the muscle.

If you’d like to read more of my take on the controversy (as an insider) this past year, please visit my personal blog.

wedothatinidaho posted back in May about digitizing Idaho newspapers. Now Google has announced a project to digitize millions of newspapers. They are starting with larger newspapers, so it will probably be a long time before they look at Idaho (keep up the good work wedothatinidaho!).

I can remember a specific research question I had - news related. I was hoping it would be in a local newspaper from 10 years ago. I had to travel to ISU and spend a lot of time going through several rolls of microfilm, ultimately not finding what I wanted. My hope is that the google project will make it easier to pin down specific keyword searches so that it takes less time and is more relevant. Other Google projects like the patent search and the book search are both good examples of the power of google to digitize things for the masses.

I hope this announcement will energize, reinvigorate, and build on the many smaller digitizing projects around the country.