QR Codes - The Possibilities Are Endless

I've been doing a bit of research recently in regards to QR codes and their uses in libraries. I first heard about QR codes while listening to a new-to-me podcast this past week. You can find the podcast HERE ... and I do hope you'll take the time to listen. So what is a QR code? Here are a few brief points:

• QR stands for Quick Response
• QR codes are linked to information online
• That information is transmitted through a phone's camera, sending you to the linked website that can be saved to your mobile bookmarks
• The QR code phone application that I'm using with my blackberry is from beetagg. You can find a list of supported phones HERE. You will need this in order to scan the image below.
  

What might be some uses for QR codes?
If you were to grab the QR code to the right, you would be taken to my linkedin online resume. This is just one example of how people are using these codes. Businesses are also linking them to their Facebook pages, and I can see where libraries could do the same. Libraries are also placing these codes in their online catalogs. This is especially beneficial for University libraries that are multi-level. Students can search for a particular item, see the QR code on the holdings page, snap a picture of the code which sends them to the mobile version of the holdings page, and they are able to take their phone with them to find the book/material. No more writing down long call numbers or trying to find pen and paper in the first place. The possibilities are ENDLESS and I'm already formulating ideas for utilizing this new media format in my library. For further reading about QR codes, follow the links below for better explanations:

• What Is a QR Code
  
• Embeddable Information: QR Codes and Libraries
• QR Codes and Books
• LibSuccess Wiki: QR Codes Being Used in Libraries (note: tonight, I'm having trouble accessing this site)

What are your thoughts on QR code usage?

Sony DSLR A-230

The following are some of the better pictures that were taken during the first couple of days of owning this new camera. The colors don't pop...not sure how to make them pop...and the focus isn't great either. Also, the pictures aren't 100% clear (probably because I need to invest in a tripod). Each picture was taken on some sort of auto setting, but I'm giving the specs as well in hopes that some of you may have some suggestions on what could have been done to make the picture better. All specs are taken from Flickr after the upload.



Farm Cat
6/19/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture:
f/5.6
ISO:
400
Focal Length (Lens):
300mm
Flash:
Auto, Fired









Country Lane
6/19/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture:
f/6.3
ISO:
100
Focal Length (Lens):
130mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire












Country Lane #2
6/19/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture:
f/6.3
ISO:
100
Focal Length (Lens):
90mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire













A Peek Through the Trees
6/19/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture:
f/4.5
ISO:
400
Focal Length (Lens):
160mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire












Sunset
6/19/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture:
f/4.0
ISO:
125
Focal Length (Lens):
90mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire




Sunset #2
6/19/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture:
f/4.0
ISO:
250
Focal Length (Lens):
85mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire




Macro - Weeds
6/20/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture:
f/5.6
ISO:
258
Focal Length (Lens):
50mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire






Macro - Dandelion
6/20/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture:
f/5.6
ISO:
258
Focal Length (Lens):
50mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire




Macro - Flower
6/20/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture:
f/5.6
ISO:
258
Focal Length (Lens):
50mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire




Deer (what we bought the camera for!)
6/20/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture:
f/5.6
ISO:
258
Focal Length (Lens):
300mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire



Deer #2
6/20/2010

Sony DSLR A-230

Exposure:
0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture:
f/5.6
ISO:
258
Focal Length (Lens):
300mm
Flash:
Off, Did not fire





I am up for any and all critiques. I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing...I know how to change settings, but still am not 100% sure I understand what to change, and when. Any photoshop tips would be great too so I can maybe make the colors pop a bit more.

New Library Website & Something To Ponder

Here she is folks. A full year and half worth of work has finally come to fruition. I should also mention that I by no means call myself a web-designer, or even a webmaster. While that is part of my job title, I don't think I'm very good at it, and I'm sure if you looked at my coding, you would find ways to do what I've done differently/better/*insert your own words. However, I did learn a TON during this process...and I feel like I've accomplished something worthwhile that will be beneficial to my library. That makes me giddy!

If you're interested in seeing more, especially my Kids and Teens pages (digital scrapbooking came in handy for those), then head on down to:
http://www.elwood.lib.in.us

Comments and critiques are always welcome...although I'll warn you - if you make a suggestion, I may not know enough to even understand what you're telling me. I'm strictly book and self taught here! I'm still learning as I go :-)

And now for something to ponder:
A new book came in today and one of our catalogers brought it back to my office thinking I would get a kick out of the concept. The title is 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam. The idea that we all have the same hours in every day/week/month/year is mind boggling to me, simply because I can never seem to find time for what I want to do! For years I have sacrificed my time/career/life/EVERYTHING to finishing school. Both my husband and I were committed to that challenge of being 100% fully and completely done before starting a family. Just last month, I graduated with my MLS, and this summer, my husband will be finishing up his Doctorate (so our plan has worked!). I give you all of this background to say that I had it in my mind that I would always have more time to really do what I wanted once I finished school. Unfortunately, it seems that my life is even more busy! So this intriguing book crossed my desk and it got me thinking. Where am I putting all of my hours? If you want to do the same, it's pretty interesting to see how much time is being wasted! Here's the breakdown:

168 Hours in a Week

• 40 hrs Work
• 7.5 hrs Commuting back and forth to work
  
• 56 hrs Sleep (8 hrs each night - wishful thinking right?)
• 10.25 hrs Eating (I only take a 15 min. break at work for lunch)
• 4 hrs House Cleaning/Folding Clothes/Dishes/etc...
• 2 hrs Errands (not very accurate, but it will have to do since each week is different)
• 7 hrs Hot Bath every night (SO very relaxing! and too much info I'm sure)
• 3 hrs Church Services

Total: 38.25 hrs left over
Where does this time go? What the heck am I doing to where I feel like I have no time for anything? I will ponder this further...

If you're interested in reading more about the book, the author has a blog located HERE, and there's a challenge beginning Monday, June 14th which can be found on Facebook.

The whole point of this for me is to find out where I am putting my time (and being honest about it) in order to make the necessary changes. I'm willing! Who else wants to join the challenge??

A New Look

I simply don't have the time to design a blog layout for myself, partly because I have devoted so much time for the library website redesign...which hopefully will go live tomorrow. With that being said, I wanted a fresh new look for this blog with the hopes of having it be enticing...therefore making me want to blog more!

Enjoy the design, and check back tomorrow for a link to the library's new website.

What I Learned Today

Today was a Monday, and for me that usually means problems galore will be put on my plate. As I settle in to this job more and more, I am gaining a sense of how to "let things go" if they really aren't top priority. This means fixing the big issues first and moving on to the little things as I can. For anyone who knows me well though, you know how difficult this is for me! I am a person that likes...no, I NEED projects to be completed and checked off of my to-do list. Unfortunately, this job is just one big to-do list that is never ending. I'm dealing with that though...and doing ok.

Now, for what I learned today.

Librarians have a need to keep things in order. We like to have every little piece of paper in its proper spot, usually filed away in a file drawer, or neatly placed in folders on the computer for easy access. Problems occur when those poor files cannot be found! I ended up making a little boo-boo last week that almost cost us our entire long-overdue database. This would have been 5 years of steady, diligent work down the drain. *But*...I learned something!

1. If you are going to copy a file to a different location, make sure you save it as a different file name before altering said file. (I was in such a hurry that I started chopping up the poor database to make a template out of it that I forgot this very important step)
2. If you ever wonder if it's really that important to have a server backup files and e-mails every night...worry or wonder no more. It is DEFINITELY important! (For so long, those poor backup tapes went unnoticed, but today they were very helpful in restoring the data)

Lesson one learned.

Lesson two is that through this process of accidentally deleting data, I learned more about the workings of Backup Exec on our server, and how to recover files if its ever needed. I was oh so nervous to press the restore button in fear that I would wipe the tape somehow, but it loaded, found the file I needed, restored it perfectly, and I feel like the hero at the end of the day.

Lesson three: I think it's about time that we replace our black and white printer. Why this particular model was bought in the first is a mystery, but I'm finding that we can only get through 3 weeks of prints before needing a new printer cartridge. The specks say ink will last for 2,000 prints, or thereabouts, which isn't much for a main branch with heavy printing traffic. So, this lesson will involve learning about different network printers and making sure that I make the right decision when purchasing.

Now, to make another to-do list for the rest of the week that may or may not get done depending on what decides to blow up or break...

A New Beginning

I have recently been thinking more and more about blogging again. While I always seem to have good intentions, for one reason or another I end up letting the writing fall to the back burner. Life and my work takes precedence (as it should) and I just can't seem to find a good balance for the "extra" things I would like to accomplish. Personally and professionally, I have gained so much from reading other library blogs...particularly those by Bobbi Newman, David Lee King, and even The.Effing.Librarian (just to name a slim few). My GoogleReader account is overflowing with blogs from people that I have come to call my colleagues, and I continue to glean information and inspiration from each of them. I don't expect to have any real cutting edge ideas here, but it will at least come to be a chronology of my work, projects, and the like.

So how have I ended up at this point?
When I began this particular blog, I had just moved into a new library system and was working as a clerk/head of youth services for a small branch in central Indiana. While in this position, I had the opportunity to fully plan and implement an entire Summer Reading program for this very small branch. I remained in the position for one year until I had the opportunity to move into management at the main library branch. I became the Adult Services Manager, overseeing a handful of adult services staff, managing the interlibrary loan department, maintaining the fiction/nonfiction collection, as well as non-print materials, implementing adult programming, coordinating staff scheduling ... all while finishing my MLS degree! It was overwhelming, yet exhilarating because I was finally able to put my schooling to practice. The fun doesn't stop there though. Not six months into this position, a fellow coworker had the opportunity to move on to a new work environment, leaving our library system with an empty Information Technology Manager position. In my head, I thought this was right up my alley. Since taking this position, however, I realize I have SO much to learn! Every work-day feels like I'm back in school...but that's party why I love librarianship. The environment breeds continual learning. To just name a few things that I am now doing:

• Computer hardware selection, installation, and troubleshooting (this includes getting knee deep inside computer cases which was brand new to me...and I have become a reformatting hard drive whiz!)
  
• Software selection, installation, and support
• Network administration and security responsibilities (In 2 months time, I have already assisted in the installation of a new server)
  
• Security and stability of public computing environment (For future reference...don't use Centurion Guard security software. This is a headache and a half when trying to push things from the server to the workstations. Instead, work with group policies)
  
• Web page design and maintenance (We go LIVE with my redesign on Tuesday!!)
  
• General help desk functions
• Computer Class Instructor
• Grant writer
  
• Intranet support and design
• Staff and patron technology training
• Integrated Library System (ILS) maintenance, upgrades, and training
• Project management
• Creating technical documentation (Document Document Document...everything!)
• Overseer of E-Rate Funding

Ok...so that totally turned out to be a laundry list of responsibilities (and I'm sure I'm missing something). If you have made it to the end and are still reading, I welcome you to this new beginning. I have no idea what angles I will take with this blog, but I will make it fun and hopefully informative to anyone who ventures my way.

Happy Reading!

ALA 2009 Part II (Gaming)

...Day 1 Continued...

At 10:30, I chose to attend a session on Gaming, with the official title being Gaming: What Does it Have To Do With Books?. This session showcased 4+ speakers that spoke on gaming in each of their libraries. Their stories are as follows:

• Sarah Corey (sp) New York Public Library | Her take on Gaming..."games make learning fun!" She also gave many positive outlooks for gaming in the library: "games offer a range of solutions just like in Real Life," "games include and encourage experimentation and risk-taking," "games break down language barriers." Sarah also focused on the fact that teens are the gaming experts which creates community involvement, along with a teen-run programming atmosphere. This teen-run programming has positive peer influence! Gaming also generates alternative literacy where teens/gamers are expressing themselves in new ways. All of us need to realize that k-12 children of today are growing up with this "new" technology, therefore these children think in a totally different way than we do. This "new" technology is forcing libraries to adapt to the culture. A programming idea would be to bring in gaming techs to teach teens about careers in gaming.
• Florence, CO | Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of this speaker, but the library is in Florence, Colorado. This public library has tried to set up a "community center" with the idea that if you don't OFFER, they WON'T come! Sometimes libraries have the opposite thinking by saying they WON'T come, so why bother OFFERING? This is most definitely wrong thinking! This Colorado library held its first gaming tournament with borrowed game systems and its gaming motto has been that games offer a different kind of world, just as books offer a magical world.
• Western NY School Library System | Again, another no name for this presentation, but lots of great information on gaming in the classroom. This school system is trying to bridge the gap between games and libraries and is realizing the fact that the foundation has been present all along! Their take is as follows: games connect learning and play increases learning, perseverance and multiple view points are new education standards that can be taught through games (ex: 1960 President Election Game = authentic learning through authentic gaming).
  
• Academic Library Setting | Book: What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul Gee = games are changing the way patrons want service. Book: Gaming in Academic Libraries by Amy Harris and Scott Rice. Gaming Events in a college setting provide what students actually want to be doing! Gaming events show how coursework and curriculum can be fun with an end result being a gaming career.

Key points to starting a gaming program at your library:

• Have a GOAL! Start with your library mission and consider why you want to start gaming (to draw people in that normally wouldn't enter, extend existing services, become a community hub, supporting curriculum, marketing, etc...)
• Choose games that will meet your goals and then remember to do a thorough assessment.

ALA provides a toolkit for gaming in libraries found HERE.

What about the violence?
It's important to remember that libraries already have materials that would/could be considered violent (books, movies, etc...). The library should already have a collection development policy in place which covers this issue. Games aren't ALL about violence (violence vs. action).

More gaming information can be found HERE
Gaming podcast can be found HERE

ALA 2009 Part I

I have been debating on whether or not to blog my first ALA conference or not...partly because I feel I'm not a great writer and partly because I felt I probably couldn't do the conference justice. Then, I started thinking that I wanted to remember the sessions that I attended, and I wanted to always have documentation of my first ALA experience. I'm not sure if anyone will ever read this, but the following is part one of a series of blog entries detailing events from July 11-14 of 2009.

I attended the ALA conference with two other graduate student classmates of mine: Malissa and Patricia...both fabulous people. Our itinerary (complements of moi) put us in Chicago on the evening of July 10th. Once checking into our hotel (the Hyatt of Lombard, IL and a story in and of itself), we ventured to the Museum of Science and Industry to check out the Harry Potter exhibition. While I was excited about this exhibit, I was a tad disappointed with the overall concept. In my mind I was thinking more set props and the like, but it turned out to be more clothing and wardrobe. The signs seen at each "station" were a little redundant as well if you are one that has read the books and seen the movies. It was still neat, just not what I was expecting.

Day two had us up at 5am in order to beat traffic (even though it was a Saturday) and make it to our 8am sessions on time. We were geared up and ready to learn (although later in the week, the exhibits took a strong hold of us and we just couldn't stop!) with 3 sessions on the books. We each split up to venture to our respective rooms (they being more YA oriented and me being more technology driven).

Enter...8am Digital Libraries Showcase
Emily Gore of Clemson University: Clemson, SC spoke about what her university has done to create a digital library work-space. The following was part of her presentation:

• Scanning Center | One must keep in mind the budget of the department, as well as the staffing and expertise of those that will be working with the equipment. Consider what items the department will be scanning in order to purchase the right equipment. Ask the question about outsourcing...how much outsourcing does the department want to be involved with?
• Outsourcing Debate | It's important to only work with reputable vendors. Also, keep in mind that when outsourcing, things such as weather have a say in when and how materials move.
  
• Inhouse Debate | The disadvantage of doing EVERYTHING inhouse is the larger investment of time and money. It is also difficult to set prices per scan for statistical purposes. 
• Clemson University | They had 100K to work with with one full-time librarian and part-time students helping with the digitization process. A full-time scanning technician is also on staff and there has been re purposing of internal staff as well. Clemson also had to rethink the equipment being purchased based on their space (ceiling height, windows, etc...).
• Clemson University Workstations | They are equipped with both Mac and PC platforms with CONTENTdm (OCLC) being their cms. Each workstation is provided with dual side-by-side monitors that enable better comparisons when entering metadata information. Task lighting is also in place to give true coloring to the items.
• Clemson University File Storage | Clemson uses RAID as their storage back-up system, along with LOCKSS (for more digital preservation tools) and MetaArchive for a community-based approach to digital preservation.
• Clemson University's Scanner Equipment | The favorite scanner for Clemson is the Epson Expression 10000XL. This bad boy has all the bells and whistles and batch scanning capabilities that make for a successful scanning center in any University setting. Clemson also uses the Kodak Creo and iQ3 scanners but unfortunately they have experienced software upgrade troubleshooting problems.
  

Overall, I was intrigued by the presentation and wanted to see some scanning in action.

I decided to leave early and head next door to the Technology in the Developing World session. The following are notes from this discussion:

• http://laptop.org/en/ | One Laptop Per Child | Children in remote locations now have the opportunity to have ownership of their laptops. There are currently 1 million laptops aroudn the world, but the future of this program is varying from country to country.
  
• www.inveneo.org | "connecting those who need it most." Partners to bring wireless capabilities to places such as Rowanda, in order to create Refugee Education Centers. 
• www.research4life.org | Another partner in the OLPC project.

The idea of this project is for children to have technology/internet access, both at school and at home in order to spread literacy to family members. Each individual country organizes training and partners with deployment groups. Unfortunately, there are some instances where a top-down approach is had, where total reliance must be on the government of the country. Peru is currently the most government run project.
The flickr group for OLPC is:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/onelaptop/pool/
 
More to come from the rest of Day 1...

Geocaching @ Your Library

WHEN:   July 2009
WHERE: Frankton Community Library

I ♥ Audiobooks!

Denise Johnson's article Audiobooks: Ear-resistible!

• Multitasking with audiobooks (as well as podcasts)

I really think multitasking has become such a part of our culture today that many people, me included, cannot function to get things done unless they multitask. When doing any kind of work on the computer, I either have iTunes open with a podcast going, or I'm catching up on a tv episode online that I may have missed. When doing that, I have 2 windows open side by side and can see my video and still type away. With audiobooks, it's very much the same. I must say though, if I'm really working on something important, audiobooks aren't the way to go for me because I want to pay too much attention to the story as opposed to the task at hand that I am trying to finish. Audiobooks are GREAT though for when you are out and about at the grocery, in a line, at a coffee shop, or while you are doing housework at home. It's definitely a fun way to get some not-too-pertinent things accomplished.

• That's cheating

Some bibliophiles and bookworms out there are under the assumption that listening to audiobooks isn't really "reading" and that audiobooks are a form of "cheating." I must disagree! What exactly is the definition of reading? Is it comprehension? Does one have to "read" the words on a page in order to be in the act of reading? Obviously there will be different opinions, but let's look at a couple of sinarios:
-Take the busy on-the-go business man/woman who doesn't even have time to eat, much less read a book. This business man/woman may have a lengthy commute to work ... via car, bus, train, etc ... What if said person needs to get just a little more work done on this commute, but would still like to read a book every now and then? Enter the audiobook! It's multitasking and entertainment at its fullest!
-Now we have a housewife with small children at home who require her undivided attention. Said housewife would love to relax every now and then with some coffee and a good book ... and maybe have a few minutes all to herself (because we all know how books can take us miles and miles away!). With everything she must accomplish in a day, there's no time for any leisure. Enter the audiobook! She is able to put the kids down to play while she works in the kitchen or folding laundry, or whatever the task may be, and low and behold...she pops an audiobook in the cd player and voila! She has transformed her day-to-day tasks to make them more bearable (isn't housework SO redundant!). Besides, being read to is a treat in and of itself.
-Finally, what about that student, be it elementary, jr. high, or high school student, who may need an added push to help them get more into reading. What if reading is hard for them? Enter the audiobook! Audiobooks house an atmosphere of creativity and pull the "reader" in for more. Because audiobooks are spoken, the speakers' inflection and character differentiation is great to help students relate to the book. This could be just the ticket to instilling a love for "reading!"

• Audiobooks as educational tools

Some audiobooks include insight into the lives of the author and provide foundational material for how the book was created. This can be huge in terms of educational value. I can also see using this part of an audiobook in library programming. Not every library will have funding to bring in an author, but programming around the audio material could provide the same effect.

Audio File Magazine: Audiobooks or Aural Art?

This particular article looks to the future of audiobooks. Will we see an increase or a decrease in the demand for audiobooks? Personally, I think we are looking to expect an increase, especially with today's downloadable options (think audible.com). The author includes a hypothesis of seeing audiobooks turn to original material, as opposed to the redundant re-telling of a book in print. This is an interesting concept and one that could work. With podcasting being such a hot topic, I could see podcasts being turned into a form of "audiobook." Already some podcasts are taking the form and structure of the old radio shows where sound effects were handmade and parts of the show were dedicated to story-telling. It really makes one think of the posibilities and creativity to be had.

So, are audiobooks truly reading? You decide!

The following taken from dictionary.com

read⋅ing

1.	the action or practice of a person who reads.

2.	Speech. the oral interpretation of written language.

Calhoun's: Taste of Tennessee

Adam and I are just about through with our vacation. Tomorrow we will make the last leg of the trip into Indiana and things pick back up first thing Monday morning. Currently we are in Goodlettsville, TN and to finish off the holiday eating before starting the "healthy" eating, I chose a place called Calhoun's for us to have dinner tonight. Boy am I glad I chose this place!! Here's the rundown of what we ordered:

1. Soft Pretzels with Beer Cheese Sauce (oh my gosh good!)
2. Southern Fried Catfish with Fries and Baked Beans (Me)
3. BBQ Ribs with Coleslaw and Baked Beans (Adam)
4. Key Lime Pie to go

First of all, the pretzels were amazing and the sauce was even better. It was fondue-ish and creamy and the beer wasn't overpowering. Fabulous!
The catfish was great as well with a batter that wasn't too thick and heavy in order to let the catfish taste come through. The french fries were even good with a seasoning that I can't quite place...not a cajun seasoning, but similar. And the beans...almost a chili flavor to them. Really Really good!
Adam's Ribs were something to talk about though! I am normally not a rib person...but I could tell that these ribs had been cooked extra well...not burnt...but well...and so I asked to try one. Man...the flavor! They weren't slathered with bbq sauce, which I liked, and the smokey flavor was tremendously wonderful. We haven't tried the key lime pie yet, but I'm sure it will be great just like everything else.

So...we are remembering Calhoun's for next time...and if you're ever in TN, scout one out! You won't be sorry.

It's Snowing...in my Email!

I realize this isn't fully library related, but it is technology related!

Google recently released a new themed e-mail setting for G-mail, with many themes to choose from. I am currently using the  tree setting and low-and-behold...it's snowing! I didn't even realize it until I confirmed the email setting with a look outside. Google was right!

This snow will make for a very slick drive for classes in the morning...but I'm excited to see if maybe I can get some pretty snow pictures out of the deal.

Happy Winter! (coming from a gal who hates cold weather!)

A Night At The Symphony

I love having a husband who is a professional musician. Adam is a

trombonist with an orchestra here in Indiana, and today was my day

off...so I decided to go hear the concert tonight. I am so glad I did!

This concert started with a Beethoven overture...followed by Strauss.

The 2nd half was my favorite, though with Debussy and Stravinsky.

Adam was able to get loud on the Stravinsky which made for a lively

ending to the evening.

My favorite part of the whole symphony experience is the warm up. Adam

started this when we were dating, but he always plays "you are my

sunshine" if I'm out in the audience. It makes me grin real big!!

So that was my evening with my husband...and it was a night at the symphony.


  ----- Message truncated -----

Community Puzzle

photo courtesy of flickr's public photo pool

I recently read the book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. It was one of those heart-warming, feel-good books that just make you smile. I instantly wanted a cat for my library...or a puppy of my own that I could name Dewey. Neither has happened!

So what does the book have to do with the puzzle?

The small library in Iowa had a chapter fully devoted to the community puzzle. Dewey would often be found in the puzzle box, prohibiting patrons from working on the puzzle...but they didn't mind...it meant petting time for Dewey!
After reading that chapter, I got the hair-brained idea that I wanted to implement a community puzzle for MY library. I am in a very teeny-tiny library where little old ladies like to congregate and talk about their lasted craft project, or recipe. What better way to talk...then over a puzzle? I had the pleasure of starting the puzzle...and I'm hoping it's a big hit for the winter months to come!
 

School Frustrations

How can a person conduct a 2 hour and 45 minutes class...a Reference class which is beneficial to every librarian...talking about nothing at all? Today we have discussed political issues which turned into a major catastrophe, blacks in general because the professor is African American, and more blah blah blah. This is my frustration with paying for a class and then spending time to drive a full hour and 20 minutes to be here for class...and then feeling like nothing was accomplished. I only had my time wasted.

Don't get me wrong, I am loving school...and loving the fact that I am getting closer to the finish line, but frustrations are still there. I am still paying good money for an education, and unfortunately I feel that my money and time is being taken advantage of. *sigh

On the flip side, I am even more convinced that I have done the right thing in taking 3 online classes next semester. I feel like no time will be wasted that way ... because the information is there for you to read on your own time and you can get right to the assignment. We'll see if I'm correct!

I love my workplace

Since leaving MUNPL, I have been a happy camper at my job in Frankton. I can now say that I will be an even happier camper during the Fall and Winter months...all because of this lovely fireplace. It just makes me so stinkin happy!...and warm (always a plus).
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Internet Librarian 2008

This weekend, many of the online library bloggers are attending the conference Internet Librarian. This conference is being held in Monterey and is the only conference for "information professionals who are using, developing, and embracing Internet, Intranet, and Web-based strategies in their roles as information architects and navigators." I would LOVE to be there! Bobby of Librarian by Day is attending as well as Iris from Pegasus Librarian.

Instead of being able to attend IL, I am in Gulf Shores, AL this weekend for my brother's wedding. It has been an adventure to try and find Wi-Fi access for submitting multiple school assignments. Our hotel just happened to have a down period of wi-fi access all day yesterday and today, so I am at a lovely Books-A-Million where I have to relogin every five or so minutes due to connection interruptions. This has been one heck of a trip to say the least! We travel home tomorrow and hopefully the weather will remain beautiful for the afternoon wedding today.

Endnote = Headache For Mac Users

One of my online buddies recently wrote an entry on her BLOG about the software Endnote. Her frustrations are from a research teacher perspective and stem from a lack of Endnote updates. My frustration with the software is from a Mac standpoint. My argument is as follows:

Endnote is primarily a PC software product. Even though there is a Mac version available, there is a steep learning curve.
I recently had an assignment that required me to work with Endnote. I was excited because of the bibliography convenience Endnote offered. It was handy-dandy in theory, but the work-arounds that I had to do with the Mac version was a bigger headache than it should have been. The same online buddy that wrote the blog entry, spent time with me online trying to figureout why I wasn't able to import a list from an online journal site intoEndnote. In the end, together we spent about 2 hours working andreworking the software, and tweaking it with her Endnote knowledge inorder to get the results I needed. Headache city!
After this assignment, I was in search of a better way for Mac users to get the same bibliography convenience. I found it in a Firefox extension called Zotero. Taken from their website;

Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh] is a free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, and cite your research sources. It lives right where you do your work — in the web browser itself.

I'm all about free and easy! It may not have the bells and whistles that Endnote has, but I am thoroughly impressed with its ease of use. For now, I am sold on Zotero and will be keeping all my pdf files right at my fingertips.

Google Reader Vs. Bloglines

A recent school assignment was to create a Bloglines account and start adding RSS feeds to it. I have been a blog reader for a very long time and currently have over 150 feeds in various categories set up in my reader of choice. So what reader might that be?

First, there are many debates out there about which reader is the "best" and "most user-friendly." One such posting can be found HERE.I must admit that I started off with an account at Bloglines, and I agree with the above post when Gina states:
I'm not exactly an easily-offended aesthete, but Bloglines' design mademe wince from the get-go. It's just plain ugly. The color, the font, the boxiness of it all - and after awhile a design youdon't like starts to drag on you, becomes work to look at and use.
In addition to the aesthetics, in my case, my work library got on a kick with filtering nearly EVERYTHING that had anything to do with social networking. Because blogs have a social aspect to them through the comment feature, bloglines was blocked. I could no longer get my feeds and read my daily library blogs.I was on a search for a new reader!

Enter Google Reader. Luckily, the title is pretty general and therefore wasn't blocked, but I knew it would be a pain to try and get all my feeds switched over. In my mind I thought I would have to import them one by one which I just didn't have the time to do.In my searching, I was happy to find a nifty tool that would allow me to export my entire "library" of feeds as an OPML file which I could in turn import into Google Reader. Fast and painless!

Overall, I don't have a love/hate relationship with either of the feed readers, but for my situation, Google Reader has done its job nicely. I am moving more and more in the direction of Google's many free tools and have been very happy with everything I have tried (Blogger, Gmail, Google Reader, Google Docs, Google Notebook, etc). The other cool thing about many of the Google tools is that there are usually Firefox extensions that will allow you to work with those tools right in your browser!

So which RSS feed reader is for you? Leave me a comment with your thoughts!

Cute Overload

One of my favorite blogs is Cute Overload where there are always adorable pictures of animals. This one in particular makes me want a puppy so badly! I even have the name picked out for the new puppy...

~What's that? You want to know the name?

Well...because I am a librarian, and I love books, one title that I'm reading currently is entitled Dewey: The Library Cat That Touched The World. I realize the story is about a cat...but the name could definitely work for a dog!

For more cute overload goodness, be sure to check out their blog HERE!