Articles by Liz

One of my favorite nerd comics, XKCD.com had a hilarious comic today outlining the “map of online communities.”

It’s funny, yes. But so, so true. I like the disclaimer: “Do not use for navigation.”

I personally live somewhere near the Sea of Culture, but roam from the Gulf of YouTube to the Ocean of Subculture. I regularly vacation near the Sea of Memes and work near the Blogipeligo.

Where do you live?

I just found Go2Web20.net, the “complete web 2.0 directory.” There are a lot of sites on there that I have never seen before, and I know I’m going to have to wait to explore them until another day. I do think it might be fun to, as a blog readership, check one out and report back what an entry in the directory is, what it does, if you liked it, and how your library might use it (or a technology like it).

What say you, readers? Anything cool in there?

I just found an outstanding tool and tutorial for deleting those undeletable viruses that we all come across now and then (if we use Windows… insert snarky statement about how I use a Mac here).

TechNibble Tutorial on how to delete those undeletable Viruses

Thanks TechNibble!

Here is the best way to describe Web 2.0 yet. If you think you can’t understand what it is, check out this video. I think it will help you “get it.”

YouTube - Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us

Well we now can get downloadable movies from Wal-Mart and iTunes, and now from… the public library!?!

Yes folks, there’s a new company who, for a fee, allows you to have on demand content available from your public library.

From Slashdot:

The service is just beginning, so selection is pretty mediocre, but the sponsors, Recorded Books and PermissionTV, make some big promises. If your library ponies up the dough for the top service, you will be able to download movies on the same day as their dvd release. All you need is a library card.

One early adopter, the Half Hollow Hills Community Library, has a site already in beta. You can find it at http://mldv.permissiontv.com/channels/halfhollow_ny/.” You can get to it from their blog.

Original article, from Slashdot:
Slashdot | Video on Demand From the Public Library

Well, I guess the bell is tolling for the 3 1/4in floppy drive.

Do you still buy them with new computers in your library?

“Computing superstore PC World said it will no longer sell the storage devices, affectionately known as floppies, once existing stock runs out.

New storage systems, coupled with a need to store more than the 1.44 megabytes of data held by a standard floppy, have led to its demise.

Only a tiny percentage of PCs currently sold still have floppy disk drives.”

PC World says farewell to floppy

We get a lot of questions on what libraries should do with old, retired computers. If you’re not going to re-use the machine for something else (a children’s computer, OPAC station, quick e-mail station, open source server, etc.) then it might be a good idea to recycle that resource.
I found the following list of businesses that accept computers for recycling. Some of them may charge a small fee to recycle the computer/monitor for you, but it will be worth it to not have all of that plastic, chemicals, and precious metal go into the lanfill.

It’s just something to keep in mind.

Northeast Kansas Computer Recycling Centers

You may notice that the site looks a little different… or that it looked different five minutes ago when you looked. That’s because we’re upgrading!

That’s right, we finally took the step and moved this blog on up to Wordpress 2.0.5 from (ahem) 1.5, even though we’ve been using the 2.0 series on every other blog we host for months now. Since this was our first blog, and we went a bit plugin happy, it’s a big jump so it may take some time for all of the functionality to be recreated. Don’t worry though, your friendly neighborhood library technology blog will be back and better than ever soon.

Howdy from Internet Librarian 2006! Things are going well here, the weather is lovely and the sessions are so far ok. Just got out of my first session on emerging technologies… and even though they didn’t say anything about any technologies that I would consider “emerging” (Because, lets face it, blogs/wikis/online user collaboration… this is not emerging technology anymore… this is mainstream technology).

Michael Stevens said the same things he always does, so that was ehh… Jenny Levine was banging her same gong as well, so I was a little underwhelmed but I do appreciate their enthusiasm.

BUT… this lovely trainer from the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County had a GENIUS idea for technology training… make it like summer reading for technology training! Give librarians exercises, links to the tools, not a lot of direction, encourage PLAY with the tools (hey, how do you think I learned how to do this stuff… from the manual? HA!), and dangle a carrot (she gave away MP3 players and is going to have a drawing for a LAPTOP! Way, super, extra cool). She has a 1.0 meeting about the week’s exercises (we could do Opal sessions) and gives people a chance to show off. All of this takes place over an 8 week (!) period, just like summer reading. The idea is to get people into the habit of PLAYING with technology instead of fearing it or thinking that they need someone to “tell them how to do it with a handout.”

NEKLS could SO do this. We SHOULD do this. I’ve been disgruntled lately that traditional training just doesn’t seem to be cutting it for most of our librarians… they keep wanting more but claim that they don’t have time to extend their learning once they get home after the training. Well, I think this might be the answer.

Here’s the link to the blog they are using as the basis for their training. Great, great stuff.
Learning 2.0 - Main

Not yet for the faint of heart, Internet Explorer 7 was released this week. Those of you with hearty constitutions and a penchant for braving the unknown can get it from Microsoft’s website. I’m installing it now and no bad effects yet. Of course, we all know that I’ll use it once every… 2 weeks or so since I use a Mac.

They claim it’ll have better security and more resistance to spyware. I’ll believe it when I see it (which means I may not ever believe it).

IE 7 Released

Congratulations to Sarah at Johnson County Public Library for getting something on Tame the Web.

TTW Mailbox: No Extended Web Surfing

Just to give you an idea, I used to read Memepool back in the day, and I remember when muxway still had a link to “Create your own muxway at del.ico.us.” My, how times have changed.

Anyway, read all about the creator of that nemesis to catalogers everywhere, tagging, and that luscious web application we all know and love, del.icio.us.

/salute!

Technology Review: TR35

Cathy Newland from Morrill Public Library in Hiawatha sent me this gem today: PC cases, mice, and keyboards just for kids! They even have kid sized computer desks!

Too, too cute. I love the big buttons on the keyboard (still in qwerty layout!) and the kid sized, fun themed mice. What a way to spice up your kids computers. Now, if only they had cell phone looking ones for teens… just kidding!

Kid Computers - Computers and Accessories for Children

Become a del.icio.us Power User at David Brunelle: Geek for Life

Some awesome tips on using Del.icio.us. Even I, longtime del.icio.us user learned something.

Technology News: Technology: Kids and Tech: How Much Is Too Much?
“As technology creeps into more and more areas of consumers’ everyday lives, the risk of overexposure to gadgets, content, games and high-tech services rises. How much is too much? This first article in a three-part series on the potential dangers of substantial exposure to technology focuses on the risk to infants and children.

From Baby Einstein tapes for infants to Reader Rabbit software for two-year-olds to Nintendo Latest News about Nintendo consoles given as early as fifth birthdays and beyond, technological advancements designed to stimulate the intellect and entertain the soul are overwhelming many 21st century kids.”

Yep, we got one. Gonna have to figure out why, but stay tuned!

The gist here is that according to recent surveys, people don’t want to work where they can’t have all the access to the internet they want. Security measures at corporations have become so stringent that people are having a hard time getting WORK done, much less having a pleasant and productive work environment (i.e. one where the occasional IM conversation isn’t frowned upon).

Imagine then, how discouraging it might be to your patrons if you have a “secure to the point of useless” computing environment. Or policies that prohibit IM or chat. They can’t do it at work… they can’t do it at the library… suddenly 1000 bucks for a PC and 20 bucks a month for high speed internet access doesn’t look so bad. And hey, why am I paying for the library again?

APC Unlock work internet or risk losing staff: Microsoft

This article relates to World of Warcraft, but could concieveably apply to games like Runescape as well. Organized cyber criminals have their eye on our digital embodiments in games as a way to make money. As always, use firefox, use your antivirus, and do your windows updates.

CNN.com - Microsoft: MMO games face security risk - Aug 15, 2006

Here is a YouTube link to a grumpy old fellow video blogging for the first time.

What better way to prove that this is what people want from the Internet, and who are we to stop them?

What a charming man! I hope he does many, many more video blogs.

Now… imagine if he could have done this from the creation station at your library? How awesome would that be?

A few things that we talked about:

- Flickr - NEKLS Photos
- Digital Creation Stations (give people a place to create digital content)
- iTunes Music Store
- Blogs, Podcasts, Video Blogs, and user created content
- Millennials want to connect– Example: I have a myspace page… yes, that’s my cat.
- IM Reference - screw those big companies, just use the free ones. Really. It’s ok.
- Training is key
- Don’t be afraid to fail. Really.
- Don’t be afraid to dream. Where do you think great ideas come from?
- 43 places Are they talking about your library?
- Force those Automation vendors to give you what you want… or create something that works for you, like Lamson Library
Things we might do at NEKLS (if Liz gets her way)
- A podcasting studio for our librarians
- A Gadget Garage (Oooo!)
- The technology sandbox… both online and at the office
- Revisit the technology wiki.
- You do have Liz, Brenda, and all of the NEKLS staff on your IM, right? Right?

More on this later, but please, feel free to comment and add your impressions… our brain is bigger when we all contribute!

From the article:

It’s an emerging rule of thumb that suggests that if you get a group of 100 people online then one will create content, 10 will “interact” with it (commenting or offering improvements) and the other 89 will just view it.

Good thing to know for those of you starting blogs. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get comments or interaction… just keep at it!

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | What is the 1% rule?

Have you ever been in a situation where drawing a picture would have really gotten your point across to someone who’s on the phone and an hour away? I know I have. I can think of many times when just “drawing a picture” would have helped get my point across so much more easily. Now, with this tool, I can do just that over the internet.

Check it out!

Imagination Cubed

Not that many of you would need this kind of instruction, (you can skip this if you’re not uber geeky). But if you’re like me, and you occasionally have to poke at a *nix box, this might help you out on those “my brain’s fried how do I do that again?” days.

learn UNIX in 10 minutes

Finally! An explanation that I think might be workable.

From the article:

RSS is not limited to delivering the news. Any sort of data that can be broken down and organized with a list can be syndicated with RSS. Examples:

* Traffic information
* Airline delays
* Real Estate listings
* Sports scores
* Weather updates

Read More:
A non-technical explanation of RSS

From Metafilter:

“Much like synchronized swimming or a standard drill team, a book cart drill team requires coordination and panache and is complicated enough to warrant its own manual. This year at the 2006 American Library Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, the winners of the “golden cart” in the Second Annual Book Cart Drill Team Competition were the city’s very own Tulane University “Booked on New Orleans”, (YouTube video, no sound) who had only started rehearsing 6 weeks prior and had practiced in the formerly flooded basement of the library.
”

Just a Wednesday funny.

Sweet! I can totally see this having an application in libraries that want to provide wireless. It’s open source (so donation funded), runs on open source operating system, and the hardware required (as I understand it)… well, let me put it to you this way, here’s a use for those retired windows 98 boxes.

NoCatAuth is our original open source “catch and release” captive wireless portal implementation. It provides a simple splash screen web page for wireless clients on your network, as well as a variety of authenticated modes.

NoCatNet

From the Microsoft Security Response Center Blog:

“I wanted to take a moment and mention a couple of things related to security updates and Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), and Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (ME).

First, support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition (Me) ends on July 11, 2006, which is the July 2006 Monthly Bulletin Release date. This means Microsoft will end public and technical support on July 11, 2006. This also includes security updates. As an advance reminder, Windows XP SP1 will also reach a similar end of support date on October 10, 2006. There�s more detail about this and other Support Lifecycle dates on the Support Lifecycle Website: http://www.microsoft.com/lifecycle.”\

So what this really means is: Get rid of your Windows 98 machines because they are so broken and vulerable to today’s internet threats that even Microsoft won’t support them. Do your tech folks a favor and either plan to upgrade or replace those old broken computers you’ve got around.

Read more:
Welcome to the Microsoft Security Response Center Blog! : Windows 98, 98SE and ME: Information about Support Lifecycle and MS06-015

We’ve touched on this before… People just don’t read web pages. Maybe there’s too much information within our grasp, but it seems we rarely read a page from top to bottom before we head away by clicking a hyperlink. Here are some good tips from the Idaho State Library on Writing Concisely for the web.

Idaho State Library Blog — Writing (Concisely) for the Web

Info Lit 2.0

“A recent post on the blog Alt Ref has gotten me thinking about information literacy in the 2.0 world. In his post, Brian stats that info lit is “very Un-Library 2.0 (the ‘proper way vs. your way)”. Why is this and how can it be changed?”

A good read, and worth thinking about.

library

Popurls.com is a website that collects the most popular link collectors (del.icio.us, news.google.com, news.yahoo.com, fark.com, flickr, youtube.com, video.google.com, and many more) onto one convenient page.

I happen to visit most of these sites daily individually, but I may start just hitting this one alone since I’m not (I know, gasp) a huge fan of RSS readers. I’m a “get it in one spot” kind of girl.

Anyway, just thought I’d toss that one out there for a little Monday sweetness and light.

Cool! Imagine if libraries could do something similar with their historical collections! Surely if they can do it, we can.

�We are pleased to announce that more than 8,000 digital images depicting more than 7,000 objects from the permanent collection at the Spencer Museum of Art are now available to anyone with Internet access. This digital collection currently represents less than 30 percent of the museum’s collection, which numbers more than 26,000 objects. The digital collection will continue to grow over the next year, and information on objects will be regularly updated as new scholarly research is generated. These digital images provide educators, researchers and art enthusiasts worldwide with unprecedented access to the museum’s collection.

The rapidly growing virtual collection is a collaborative project between the Spencer and the University’s Scholarly Digital Initiatives program. The Spencer is digitally documenting its collection with funding from a variety of sources, including a $149,061 grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Services, an independent federal agency. Supported by KU’s Information Services, this ongoing project will result in access to digital images and electronic records of the entire collection.

The Spencer Museum of Art’s collection is available online through the KU Libraries’ Image Gateway at http://www.lib.ku.edu/imagegateway . Visitors to the site can search for objects through a variety of data, including artist’s name, material and date of creation. Additional collections of images are also available through the Image Gateway, including art historical images licensed from Saskia and from the National Palace Museum, Taipei; artifacts from the Kansas City Hopewell Archaeological Sites from KU’s Anthropological Research and Teaching Collections; historic photographs from the Kenneth Spencer Research Library’s Kansas Collection; and images of wildflowers from the Kansas Biological Survey.�

University of Kansas Libraries - Image Gateway

The internet filtering advocates are at it again… this time it’s not porn that’s the target… it’s social websites.

The Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006 (DOPA) seeks to “require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms.” That means that for kids under 18, those customer reviews of products on Amazon you like to read while shopping… gone. Their favorite hometown blog? Gone. Their Flickr photos? Can’t get ‘em in the library. The way filtering works now is that it’s always on until someone eligible (over 18) ASKS to have the filter removed. To me this has always seemed like a punishment for people wanting to look up sensitive information at the library. Imagine if, in order to look at your favorite blogs, you had to ask the librarian to turn off the filter. No one would come to the library to use the computers anymore. This can’t be good, and is clearly against our mission to provide information access to all.

Here’s an interesting article about the bill, and a link to the text of the bill itself.

If you disagree, or even agree, with this bill, be sure to contact your legislator with your opinion.

No20Space20for20MySpace3F

Text of the bill

library

Here’s one for the school librarians out there. Do you use Moodle or Blackboard? Wouldn’t it be fabulous to integrate your library catalog into that resource for easy access by students?

The Distant Librarian: An Article on integrating library information into Course Management Systems

Get on board! Podcast!

Beginner’s guide to podcasts and podcasting (plus: how to create a basic podcast of your own) at Forever Geek

“MySpace.com, the social networking Internet site that is widely popular with young people but has alarmed some parents and law enforcement officials concerned about sexual predators, announced today that it is hiring a former federal prosecutor to be its first chief security officer.”

Worrying about kids is well and good… but couldn’t these pedophiles be doing this at the local park instead of online? Do we have “Chief Security Officers” for the local playground that do nothing but watch for pedophiles?

It’s something to think about.

You may wonder why I’m on about this… it’s because kids are going to use these tools whether you want them to or not. I say, TALK to your kids about internet safety, get involved in what they’re doing and let them know that they are not working in a vacuum; that anyone, anywhere can see what they post. For that matter, make yourself a MySpace account and make your kid your friend. But don’t, DON’T assume that the companies providing the service will do an effective job of keeping baddies away from your kids. It is your job to teach your kids effective strategies for dealing with baddies wherever they are, be that in the park or online.

Librarians: A class on internet ethics and responsible internet use for teens can certainly not hurt. Pair it with pizza and prizes of iTunes music cards and you’re set. Have the kids share their MySpace or Friendster pages… suggest that perhaps if they are not comfortable sharing what they’re posting with their peers over a projector in the public space of the library, that maybe what they’re posting isn’t really appropriate to be posted on the internet. Illustrate to them that the internet is no different from any public space, and that if they wouldn’t do it in the library (read, in public) then it’s probably not appropriate for posting on the internet either.

Let’s get this straight, I don’t want you to censor your kids… I want them to learn to censor themselves.

MySpace.com Names Chief Security Officer - New York Times

Here’s a list of the top 10 reasons you should ask a librarian to be your technology partner.

An interesting read, for sure.

Education World ® Technology Center: Doug Johnson: The Librarian: Your Technology Partner

So, how long is it going to take them to crack your passwords?

Find out here:
Password Recovery Speeds

You’ll have to forgive me for the uber geeky nature of this post, but as I know our readers come from a wide range of comfort with technology, this one is for you folks on the geekier end of the spectrum.

Have you ever needed to know how to make Windows XP do something without using the UI (User Interface)? Or to get specific information quickly without clicking a bazillion times through 5 layers of “Advanced Settings?” I know I have… a lot. This guide (by Microsoft) to command line tools will likely become one of your most used favorite links if you’re like me.

Microsoft Windows XP - Command-line reference A-Z

I alwasy fiind Slashdot to have a wealth of interesting information on technology, and I always appreciate the (mostly) civil discussion of technology topics, especially those related to fair use and copyright concerns.

This particular article covers a proposal in the California Legislature to require teaching of copyright and fair use laws in order to receive state funding for technology education.

An interesting proposition to be sure. We’ve had several libraries asking us about kids using LimeWire in the library (generally considered to not have a lot of legitimate use beyond sharing illegal copies of copyrighted works) and I wonder what tone this required education would take… a very pro-corporate entertainment industry tambre (because I’m sure they’re the ones lobbying for it) or a very “fair use but don’t steal” tambre. I would hope for the latter, but I’m not holding my breath.

Slashdot | Tech-Ed Funding to be Tied to Copyright-Ed?

I know I get a lot of email every day… this blog entry outlines the 12 most important things to remember when crafting an e-mail message to make it more effective at communicating what you want.

A good thing to remember on a Monday.

Let the Good Times Roll–by Guy Kawasaki: The Effective Emailer

BBC News is carrying a story today on libraries in Britain that fear DRM (digital rights management) because it might make it harder or even impossiblee to access materials in their collection.

DRM figures into a few things that are happening in Kansas right now, such as the Overdrive audio book content project (and it’s why you can’t really put overdrive content on iPods), statewide databases, Atomic Learning, and anything related to e-books.

The article is worth reading, and we highly recommend it.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Libraries fear digital lockdown

Maybe you haven’t heard of MySpace yet, but it’s a hot trend among teens to post their diaries and pictures online on a social networking site.

As more and more places restrict teens from hanging out socially after school, teens are going online to re-create those lost spaces. That is what MySpace is about.

Best quote from the show:
“There have been more articles written about online predators than actual cases of predators online.”

Give it a listen some quiet day, you’ll learn a lot about today’s teens.

NPR : Teens Create their Own Space Online

Mike Godwin has written a great primer on DRM for librarians. Librarians are on the front lines of the DRM wars, since DRM so often interferes with lending, archiving and preserving creative works. Librarians are also a technology-savvy bunch. Accordingly, Mike’s paper is thoroughgoing, smart, and highly recommended.

Download the PDF

Don’t know what to do with your old computers? You could bring them to any of these Kansas companies to dispose of them.

Computer Recycling : Lawrence Waste Reduction and Recycling

Oh Wordpress… how do I love thee, let me count the ways:

out 4 days, you work flawlessly
you’ve made it easy for the rest of us
to edit our posts thusly
with icons like Word
and I don’t bet you’ve heard
It’s easy to use,
Even if you’re not a nerd!

Wordpress.org

Digiwik is designed to be a repository of digitization information for use by individuals, museums, libraries, researchers, and any other entities with digitization needs.

Very interesting. I know we have a few libraries who are immersed in various types of digitization projects, maybe this will help them!

Main Page - Digiwik: The Digitization Wiki

A win for Civil Rights and Radical Militant Librarians everywhere.

Raise a glass to our senators, ladies and gentlemen.

Senate Rejects Extension of Patriot Act - Yahoo! News

From LISNews:

“The AP Says The National Archives and Records Administration has made it easier to search online through tens of millions of the electronic records it holds. The revamped Access to Archival Databases site - www.archives.gov/aad - allows the public to search for free through 85 million documents in 475 files amassed by more than 30 federal agencies. The updated site went live Monday but remains in test mode, said David Kepley, executive assistant to the assistant archivist for record services at the agency.”

http://lisnews.org/articles/05/12/16/1131240.shtml

Do you have a lot of really old romance novels cluttering up your shelves? Are you weeding and don’t know what to do with your old books?

Make a million bucks with em… turn em into iPod cases.

Bennie and Olive: Scavengers in Space iPod Case

Another good resource if you are thinking of starting a blog for your library.

Life Beyond Code :: Blogging Starter Checklist - Updated

Another reminder to DO YOUR WINDOWS UPDATES.

Thank you for reading.

Slashdot | Trojan Exploits Unpatched IE Flaw

Do you get those faxes that are junk? Do fax spammers waste your paper? This article will give you tips on how to get revenge.

Talking Back To the Junk Fax

Something to think about… if a patron checks out a CD from your library and it has harmful DRM on it, are you liable for any damages that might cause?

The Ann Arbor, Michigan, library system doesn’t seem to think so.

Vacuum - Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104: Sony rootkit music off the Ann Arbor District Library’s purchase list

Interesting article for new and seasoned bloggers. A primer on how to start, maintain, and perpetuate a blog.

Whee!

The Blogger’s Primer [Content]

From the article:
Exploit code for a critical flaw in fully patched versions of Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer browser has been released on the Internet, putting millions of Web surfers at risk of computer hijack attacks.

The zero-day exploit, posted by a U.K.-based group called “Computer Terrorism,” could allow a remote hacker to take complete control of a Windows system if the victim simply browses to a malicious Web site.

Yikes! Good thing we’ve got AVG and Deepfreeze.

This is also a good time to remind you all to not open unexpected attachments to your e-mail. Bad things can happen.

Zero-Day Exploit Targets IE

Looks like some companies have finally realized the benefit of rural America: it’s cheaper to live there, and the people have familiar accents.

“The company charges $35 to $50 per hour for IT expertise, which may cost around $100 in New York City. While this is no match for outsourcing rates in India, clients benefit from local accents and similar time zones — not to mention the absence of stigma sometimes attached to farming jobs out to foreign countries.”

What does this mean for libraries? It means that (if this idea catches on) a lot of smart people are going to be coming to small towns, and depending on their libraries to provide them with resources they find useful, such as fast internet access (as cable might not be available yet) and up-to-date computer books, whether in print form or through something like an O’Reilly Safari subscription. It’s something to think about.

Wired News: Outsourcing to the Heartland

Sorry for the lack of posting… I’ve been busy on a new and fun project! (I won’t abandon you, I promise)

I’ve been saying for months that I’m going to turn the NEKLS Technology website (http://tech.nekls.org) into a Wiki.

Well blast it all I finally got it started and it’s really looking and working great! The Wiki makes an outstanding platform for knowledge base type applications, and so far I’m really happy with it.

We’re using Mediawiki, by the way. (http://www.mediawiki.org)

Any suggestions?

Hm. Wonder if this could be a solution to backup for our very small library automation systems?

Better than a zip disk…

Mozy Remote Backup: Free. Automatic. Secure.

I received the following cartoon in the email the other day. I’m sure the person who sent it wanted me to laugh about it (which I did) but it brought to mind some very important things about designing libraries to fit the changing nature of technology.

Two things struck me… One, the people are not sitting in chairs at all. Clearly, in this library, the chairs are somewhere else, not accessible to the only thing wireless users are chained to anymore: power. Two, the area around the power is not an organized space. It’s just some pillar in the stacks that happens to have an outlet on it!

This made me think, well hey, maybe we should design libraries to be more usable for our wireless patrons. We’ve given them convenient Internet access, now let’s make it convenient for them to use it. Put comfy chairs and tables near power sources so these wired (wireless!) patrons can “get off the floor,” or at least congregate in a space that is better suited to their wireless endeavours.

I must admit that this is something I’ve neglected to suggest when presenting about wireless access in libraries, and I was struck this morning by the reality that I’ve put in many wireless access points without suggesting to my librarians that they might want to rearrange a bit to make the new service more functional and comfortable for patrons to use.

Any thoughts on this? Any libraries making an effort to organize the space in a “wireless patron friendly” manner?

If you’ve been following the Sony DRM rootkit debacle (like I have) the news has been so fast and furious that it’s hard to keep up. Here’s a concise timeline and quick summary of what’s happened so far.

The basich gist is: Revelations relating to Sony’s DRM systems, which show jaw-dropping contempt for their customers, for copyright law, for fair trading and for the public interest.

Sound like a juicy read? It is.

Boing Boing: Sony anti-customer technology roundup and time-line

Hehe… if the kids in your library like Dance Dance Revolution, here’s a way for you to provide that without buying the game… Legally! I’d suggest a dance pad, a laptop, a big wall, and a projector. Let those kids show their stuff.

How fun.

StepMania: What is StepMania?

del.icio.us, flickr, and many other online services use visitor created tags to classify information. Oh the alarm! Oh the humanity! It’s not a fixed system!

That’s ok, and he can tell you why:
adaptive path » metadata for the masses

Excellent article on “what is web 2.0″ for those of us who were confused about this new bit of web terminology.

O’Reilly: What Is Web 2.0

I know we have some library web developers in our midst (they’re quiet ones, those library web developers) so this one is for you guys. It’s a collection of blogs and resources for web 2.0 development. More on web 2.0 later

Web 2.0 Workgroup - A network of Web 2.0 resources

Are you thinking of starting an IM reference service? Do you want to be on more than one IM service at once? The Trillian IM client might be for you, but how the heck do you use it? Here we have a “Trillian Training Guide” for your perusal.

Trillian training materials

This is probably old news to all of you, but I just love finding resources that have the potential to make my life better. That’s what bartleby.com does, it allows me to look up many out-of-copyright books and read them online. At the very least, i can skim and look up references.

Fascinating, and a service I didn’t realize existed (and much easier to navigate than the Gutenberg Project)

Fiction. Bartleby.com

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project:

“Sixty-eight percent of American adults, or about 137 million people, use the internet, up from 63% one year ago. Thirty-two percent of American adults, or about 65 million people, do not go online, and it is not always by choice.”

Yay libraries! I can’t help but think that this has something to do with our work!

Check out the full study:
Pew Internet & American Life Project Release: Two-thirds of American adults go online and one-third do not

Director of a library? Having trouble selling your staff on technology projects? Here’s ten steps to insure they’ll be hyped about the new tech project.

Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology: Ten Steps to Insure Staff Buy-In for the Technology Projects

We’ve had quite a bit of discussion on an article from our earlier days, this discussion of e-messenger.net. It’s turned into quite a fight between the IM loving Millenials and their teachers at school.

From David Warlick’s Two Cents Worth (found in Technology and Learning, October 2005):

[Students] talk, text message, and Google with their mobile phones, IM on their laptops, access the World Wide Web, [play] Net-based video games like Halo [and] MMORPG (did I get that right?) games like EverQuest and Second Life. These gadgets represent intellectual appendages to our children. They are the hands and feet that carry children to new experiences, and cutting these links is like cutting an appendage — and that makes no constructive sense to these children and their world view.”

A lot of libraries and schools block the usage of IM for students and patrons, and for varying reasons. We’ve heard a lot from the kids, and their responses directly point to the truth of the above statement. We’ve heard only a little from the teachers. Any school technology folks out there that would like to present the “opposing viewpoint?” Please submit your responses to me, lrea@nekls.org, I plan to post (with your permission of course) the best rationale I receive for blocking IM at school.