Archived Goodies

Posted on November 29th, 2006 by Brenda

Lots of our time gets spent reacting to here-and-now needs — computers that need troubleshooting, printers that need paper, etc…. I think it’s important to take a bit of time now and then to step back from the moment to reflect upon the bigger picture. It can be a refreshing thing. There are some wonderful events happening in the world of online library presentations and even if you can’t make it to the live, scheduled sessions, many are being archived so you can watch at a time that is convenient for you.

Three places with archived goodies:

1. I have been consistently impressed with the SirsiDynix Institutes.  Some of the best and brightest from libraryland are sharing their ideas in these sessions. Recent sessions of interest include; ‘Engaging Youth on their Own Terms: Instant Messaging and Gaming in Libraries’, ‘Networking and Politics: Influencing Action to Get The Right Things Done’, and ‘Google Inc. and Libraries: Our Common Future‘.

2. Many of you attended the WebJunction Rural Library Sustainability workshops that were held throughout the state earlier this year. The InFocus webinar series exists to complement the work done in those workshops. The emphasis, of course, is on the needs of small libraries. Recent topics include; ‘Tech Support and the Rural Library’, ‘Technology Training for Patrons’,  and ‘Grant Writing and the Rural Library’.

3. And don’t forget about OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries). We have several virtual meeting rooms that are being used in Kansas, but there are also archived presentations that are worth checking out. Recent presentations of note include; ‘Libraries and Flickr‘, ‘Sustaining the Rural Library‘ and ‘Libraries Building Community through Citizen Dialogue‘.

If you attend or view a presentation that you think is particularly useful, please let us know and we’ll help spread the word!

In the midst of change…

Posted on November 22nd, 2006 by Liz

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.

YouTube Top Dollar

Posted on November 21st, 2006 by Brenda

You probably have heard that Google recently paid a whopping $1.65 billion to acquire YouTube. They obviously see great potential and a lucrative future for this technology. If you haven’t had a chance to explore YouTube, I encourage you to do so (although I warn you that it can be a bit addictive). It’s a video sharing website and it’s amazing how many strange and esoteric things can be found there. Certain videos seem to capture people’s attention and usually the most popular are not the most professional or polished. See Geriatric1927’s videos, for example. I personally love to look-up comedy clips and favorite bands from the 80s and 90s (and it’s amazing how many are there). There are copyright issues, of course… and it’s going to be one of Google’s big challenges, I think, to work those out.

What does this mean to us as library professionals? What are the implications for libraries? The most obvious implication, of course, is that many of your patrons use and enjoy YouTube. The video format is appealing to people. Are there other ways, creative and innovative ways, that YouTube can be used by libraries? I think there are and so do many others — here’s a list of links put together by a librarian at Austin Community College. She highlights ways libraries are using YouTube for marketing, instruction, and entertainment.

Are you a YouTube fan? How do you use it? Have you used it for professional purposes (as well as personal and recreational)?

TechAtlas

Posted on November 7th, 2006 by Brenda

I spent some time at the Centralia Community Library yesterday, working with Sonny on various things, including getting her library’s equipment inventoried using the free WebJunction technology planning tool, TechAtlas. It was so slick! We ran the automatic inventory tool, which captured information about the hardware (how much RAM? how much hard drive space? what type of processor?) and also about the software versions. We then manually added other details for the computers, including purchase date, service plan parameters, etc…. We also manually entered the fax machine, the hand-held scanner, the printers, and the photocopier. It’s great to have all of that information in one place. As we all know, keeping up with technology can feel overwhelming. I think having an up-to-date inventory is such a powerful step towards feeling on top of things.

If you want to learn more about TechAtlas, there are numerous resources that can help:

• *The TechAtlas for Libraries Blog has current information.
• *A free online course, WebJunction’s TechAtlas for Libraries
• *ME! I would be glad to work with you to take advantage of the TechAtlas tools.

So far, I have seen libraries really taking advantage of the inventory capabilities of TechAtlas. It can, however, also help a library create a technology plan (e-rate compatible). Lots of potential for NEKLS libraries….