Tech Tips: Kwout - Grab a Screenshot and Quote

kwout | A brilliant way to quote via kwout

This is a snazzy way to grab a quick screenshot and add to a website or blog. Kwout gives you the code so that you can embed the screenshot image (with a link - see image above) to a blog or website. All I had to do was add the bookmarklet to my browser, and I now I just click the bookmarklet to grab the screenshot.

Hmmm...now I have to think of some more ways to use this...

Georgia News: Gov Gab Appreciates Georgia

It's always nice for your state to be appreciated for its authors, among other things...

Curl Up With A Good Book This Winter

Tech News: Was Your Grandmother a Hacker?

First Computer Programmers Inspire Documentary

This is just an awesome story. During World War II, the Army asked six women to program ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer (more info about ENIAC here, here, and here). According to the news article, these women were not recognized for their work until now. I can't wait to see the documentary about these women.

Research Tips: Zotero - Wow!

Peter Brantley recently sent an announcement through the DLF-ANNOUNCE list saying that Zotero and the Internet Archive have formed a partnership to encourage online storage of scholarly materials into a "Zotero Commons" and to allow for scholarly collaboration, among other things. Read more here.

Zotero has been on my "trythis" list for some time now, so I decided to go ahead and try it out. Wow! I wish I would have had something like this during college.

As I am searching in my library catalog, many of the library databases, and on the internet, I can save articles, books, and sites in Zotero by simply clicking a document icon that appears in the URL field of my browser window. Then, to view, organize, and tag my saved items, I click the "Zotero" icon that appears in my browser's status bar, which produces an extra window pane at the bottom of the browser window. Then, when I have all my articles, books, websites, etc. organized, I can export them to create a bibliography in a quite a few citation styles and file formats.

Oh, yeah, and it's FREE!

You can download Zotero here and view two brief tutorials here to see an overview and a demonstration.

I've now been pondering ways I can use this, aside from the intended purpose of scholarly research.

1) Database presentations - When I present on particular databases, I often end up bookmarking vendors sites with information, title lists, training materials, and other items related to that database, so now I could keep track of all that in one labeled Zotero folder instead of my spreadsheets and bookmarks.

2) Reading lists - Since I can bookmark items from Amazon and WorldCat.org (and some databases, too), I could start building reading lists that could easily be exported as bibliographies to share with anyone.

3) Genealogy research - You can save images and files as attachments when you save a record. I haven't tested this with some of the genealogy databases yet, but it might help to keep track of all the family records and local histories.

Hmmm...I know there could be quite a few more creative uses. If you can think of anything, please share your ideas!

Tech Tips: Simple Search - with Graphics!

I just took a look at SortFix. It's a simple, Google-style search box, but the neat part is that once you run a search you can choose more terms to add to your search or terms to exclude by dragging and dropping suggested search phrases into a series of boxes labeled "Add to Search" and "Remove." I tried a search and then tried a couple of additional searches by adding and excluding their suggested phrases, and it worked nicely.

The About Us page indicates that they also intend to help build search skills. I have to say, I think being able to move suggested phrases around to refine your search is a great tool. I would love to try this with a school project to see how kids react to it. It would be fun to run a search and then experiment with adding and excluding search phrases to see what happens. If someone out there gets a chance to do that, please let me know!

found via LISNews

Web Design Tips: Color Generators and Color Converters

I used to have a nice MySpace layout - one of those free ones someone else was kind enough to create. Well, it suddenly disappeared, leaving my MySpace profile looking a little sad. I tried to find another free layout - and there are plenty of places to find MySpace layouts online (yep, just Google "MySpace layouts"), but I wanted a layout with nice colors and no large image in the background. I found several plain layouts with no images, but I didn't like any of the colors.

But, I did find a MySpace layout generator that lets you pick your own image and colors. YAY, I say, but now what colors do I choose?

Oh, wait! I remember that I had previously bookmarked a color scheme generator (love those!!). I was able to pick out several shades of purple that coordinated nicely. Oh, dear...the layout generator requires RGB values, but the scheme generator only gives the hexidecimal values!

Determined not to be derailed from my project, I googled again and found a nice Hex-to-RGB converter. YAY!

So, after taking several steps and going the long way around to do it, I finally updated the layout for my MySpace profile. Of course, the next day I found this site with RGB codes and hexidecimal values. That would have been easier. Ah, well...live and learn.

Tech News: Google - Recommendation Friend or Privacy Foe? Or Both?

Google Reader recently added some updates - most of which I have appreciated so far. One update is that it now makes recommendations based on your current feed subscriptions and your Google web history. Read more about it in this article.

I mostly read library, education, and technology feeds (and combinations of those three subjects). So, Google Reader recommended these to me today.







Clicking on the View All link gives a longer list with number of subscribers to gauge popularity, and - best of all - the number of posts per week. I have to confess that I have unsubscribed to a couple of feeds simply because I couldn't keep up with the number of posts.




Now, I appreciate the recommendations, but this brings up the privacy question. So, how much does Google know about me...and the scarier part, how much is it sharing about me?

Of course, I also have to confess that I subscribed to several feeds that were recommended because they were from blogs that interested me. Google has lured me in with tantalizing (and scarily spot-on) recommendations. But, is Google evil? How long do I continue to trade privacy for customized services?

Firefox Extensions: Read it Later

I read a lot of news, blogs, and discussion lists, but I don't always have time to read some of the great stuff that is out there. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem. So, when I found this extension, I was glad to have something to help!

Read it Later is a Firefox extension that allows you to easily mark any website – a news article, a blog entry, a page with several links you want to visit, etc. – as something to read later.

The extension works by placing two buttons in your browser window that look like this (for me anyway):

To save a site, just click the first button, and it will look like this:

When you finally find time to catch up on reading your articles (if you ever do!), just click the second button for your list of saved items:

After you have read something, just click the first button again to remove it from the list.

IdeaShower has also created a nice YouTube video to show this as well. The buttons are different from mine, but it works the same way.

Updated 12/27/07: IdeaShower released a new update for this extension. I downloaded it, and it still kept the items I had already saved.

Libraries Reduce Clutter and Save Money

Yep, it's true! Marybeth at the GovGab blog says so.

First of all, the GovGab blog was started around the end of September for this year, and I have found it to be full of interesting tidbits about government resources. It's certainly worth checking out if you haven't already.

Now, back to the point of this post, Marybeth writes about the benefits of using her local public library. She notes that she can save money and reduce clutter in her home by using her library. And she also points out that the library's best resource is - drum roll, please - the librarians!

Thanks for the appreciation, Marybeth!

Pardon My Disappearance: No, I'm not dead...

My apologies to anyone, possibly all two of you, that have been kind enough to read my blog. After August, the busiest part of the semester hit and lasted for several months, and I couldn't find time to keep up with reading and news, much less blogging. I was also struggling with whether or not to even continue this blog. It does take a lot of time and energy, but I felt I had a good vision for what it could be. So, I've been pondering the direction of where to go with it.

My original intent of the blog was to provide how-to's and tips related to technologies we are using in libraries to educate users and provide access - with a little related tech news thrown in. I realized I wasn't doing this as well as I wanted. However, I think I now have more clarity about what I want to do. I am also still working to find my voice with blogging, so I feel I shouldn't stop now.

So, here's where I think I should go. I want to do reviews of browser tools and add-ons, social networking tools, educational technology tools, etc. For example, I recently downloaded this great Firefox extension called Read it Later, and I want to tell people about it because I think it would make life easier. I also am pondering a project to create subject guides using NetVibes or PageFlakes, but I am still thinking about how to organize those. I also want to do database tips - search tips, fun features, etc. - in library databases. This blog would actually be a bit Georgia-centric, but my intent is to include things that are - or could be - used in many libraries. I'm setting a goal of one or two postings a week - I mean, we all need goals in life, right? - at least I do to push myself a bit.

Well, what do y'all - or maybe singular you? - think? If anyone is actually still reading, please comment or send me an email at learninglibtech@gmail.com. I'd like to hear any ideas and feedback.

Did We Ever Truly Trust Wikipedia?

WikiScanner Identifies Editors on Wikipedia
http://mashable.com/2007/08/14/wikiscanner/

WikiScanner, which is discussed in the article mentioned above, is a new site that allows anyone to see who is editing what on Wikipedia. It is interesting enough by itself to ponder the potential uses and abuses for this tool, but the New York Times recently published an article on what has actually been discovered through it. It seems most of the "obviously self-interested" edits have come from users in corporate networks.

Seeing Corporate Fingerprints in Wikipedia Edits
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/technology/19wikipedia.html

So, I guess the moral of the story is what we've been saying all along...be careful with information found on Wikipedia. I think it also strengthens the larger argument for the need to evaluate sources of information in the digital age. Where are you getting information? Who did it come from?

Update: A blog post about this

Georgia News: America's Most Literate Cities

America’s Most Literate Cities, 2006
http://www.ccsu.edu/amlc06/

Woo-hoo! Atlanta is tied with Washington, D.C. for 3rd/4th place!

found via the Publib list

Update 1/2/08: Jack Miller posted an updated list in December of 2007. ATL fell to 8th on the list. It's funny how you can fall so far so fast. What's up with that?

Georgia Resources: Georgia Library Power!

Georgia Library Power! Book or CD

Book - http://www.lmcsource.com/isell3/product.php?id=59

CD - http://www.lmcsource.com/isell3/product.php?id=60

This was posted to the GA-Media list and is primarily meant for media specialists to utilize in increasing parents' understanding of school libraries. However, I suspect some of the topics could be useful to any library. I like that everything in it is reproducible and can be used for handouts, newsletters, etc.

Database Tips: Browser Toolbar for EBSCOhost

Browser Toolbar for EBSCOhost
http://support.epnet.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=2393

EBSCO offers a browser toolbar for both Internet Explorer and Firefox. Both versions provide a simple search box to start a search in the EBSCOhost platform. EBSCO warns that the toolbars are in Beta - but what isn't these days? ;-) I suspect off-site users may have some authentication issues depending on how your authentication is set up, but it's still a neat little tool.

Using RSS in Libraries - Catalog Feeds

RSS at UTK Library
http://www.lib.utk.edu/rss/newbks/

I love that UTK (my alma mater) is offering RSS feeds of the new books being added to the catalog. I'm even more excited that the feeds are specific to subjects or particular types of books (children's literature, music library, etc.).

It's just a great library application of RSS.

Is anyone using RSS in this manner at their library? Please share!

Library Tools: LibX Firefox Extension

LibX - A Firefox Extension for Libraries
http://libx.org/

LibX allows users to have a search box to find your library's resources right in their browser toolbars. These extensions also include right-click context menus, library branding, and more. Each library can create its own customized extension. There are many examples on the site.

I wish I would have had this when I was in college!

Social Networking: Another Facebook? or a Better Facebook?

Report: Plaxo to unveil social network on Monday
http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9754399-2.html?tag=nl.e776

Webware is reporting that Plaxo, which is a contact and scheduling management service, will be launching Pulse, a new social networking site on Monday. I'll have to look at this next week when it becomes available.

One major difference between Facebook and Pulse is that Pulse will offer the option to have a user's profile open to the public. However, users will still be able to limit who will be able to see their profile. In adding options for more privacy, Facebook has allowed one to have portions of their profile visible to friends or networks, but generally not to the public.

I really appreciated when Facebook introduced its privacy options, and, if I'm understanding this correctly, I think Pulse is broadening options for users. It's a new way to address the privacy issues surrounding social networking by giving the user more control of what level of public and private he or she is willing to allow their information to be.

The other interesting feature I would like to check out is the ability to put friends into custom categories. I'd like to see how I can distinguish between my high school and college friends, former co-workers, professional contacts, and friends from other parts of life.

OK, Pulse, I'll give you a chance...let's see what you can do...

found via the CNET Webware Weekly newsletter

Database Tips: Linking in LexisNexis

URL API Specification for LexisNexis Academic
http://www.lexisnexis.com/academicmigration/viewpage.asp?p=8


The new LexisNexis Academic interface is certainly worth a look if you have access to the database. I recently wrote an article about the new interface for work.

Recently, someone mentioned the availability of directions for linking to items in the database on the LexisNexis Academic discussion list. Directions for how to link to the document level (e.g. article in the Chronicle of Higher Education), source level (New York Times), and search forms can be found at the URL above. This is very nice for creating lists of references for classes to use or adding links in lesson plans.


Have any of you found interesting applications for the ability to link to content within databases?

found via the LexisNexis Academic discussion list

LibraryTech News: Open Library

Open Library (http://openlibrary.org/) was recently launched with 100,000 public domain books available. I love the interface that allows you to see the scanned image of the book and flip the pages just like you would if you had the print version in hand. Even the "History and Vision" section works like flipping pages of a book.


Information Today also has an article with more information:
Open Library Launches with Library as Wiki Service
http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/nbReader.asp?ArticleId=37019

Georgia News: VSU MLIS Receives ALA Accreditation

The Lights Go On in Georgia! Valdosta State Accredited, Giving Georgia a Library School

http://www.libraryjournal.com/info/CA6461544.html?nid=2673#news2


YAY!! Valdosta State's Master of Library and Information Science program received accreditation from the American Library Association, making this program the only accredited library program in the state.


I've talked to a few people in this program, and they are quite excited about this!

Next Gen OPAC: Snazzy Open Source Demo of VuFind

Andrew Nagy at Villanova University recently announced on several discussion lists that they have posted a demo of their beta stage open source library catalog for people to check out at:


http://www.vufind.org/


This currently works with Voyager, but they are adding drivers for other systems if needed. It looks pretty snazzy, and it's a good peek at what the future of the library could be. I'm interested to see how this project progresses.

Avatars: Yahoo! Now I Have a Reason to Create a Yahoo! Avatar

ALA Graphics announces virtual "READ" T-shirts for Yahoo! avatars
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/july2007/vrtava07.htm

If you have a Yahoo! avatar, you can now dress him or her (it?) in a nice READ! T-shirt.

High Praise for Librarians from the Cranky Geeks

Cranky Geeks: Episode 71: Is America ready for an electronic war?
http://www.crankygeeks.com/2007/07/episode_71_how_vulnerable_are.php


John C. Dvorak (dvorak.org/blog - had to get in the blog plug ;-) ) has a regular vidcast - vodcast? videocast? - to discuss issues and news stories in the technology world. Episode 71 discusses internet security and encryption with some big names in the field.


This particular episode offered some quite sincere praise for librarians. About 24 minutes into the episode, the group discusses the recent case in which four librarians were put under a gag order when they were ordered to turn over some records and they did not comply, as described in the New York Times article, Four Librarians Finally Break Silence in Records Case (this link may require you to log in to your NYT account), and in this Wired blog entry, Librarians Describe Life Under An FBI Gag Order.

Dan Farmer, a security consultant, points out that they won an award and then asks, "Who is against a librarian?"

Whitfield Diffie, VP and Chief Security Officer at Sun Microsystems, noted that when he started doing work in cryptography, he was traveling and asking questions searching for documents, and he was frequently asked "who wants to know?" type questions, but he said he never once heard that question from a librarian. He then noted that librarians have a devotion to getting the information that their clients want and then adds that he thinks they are an incredible asset.

Aw! *sniff*

It means a lot to have someone outside of the library world who recognizes what we do and appreciates that we do it and why we do it.

Do We Need Libraries Anymore?

One Washington Post blogger's question received some attention.

Random Friday Question: Do We Need Libraries Anymore?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2007/06/random_friday_question_do_we_n.html

I am impressed by the sheer volumes of responses. I wasn't able to read all of them, but the good many that I read were heavily in favor of keeping libraries open. Many commenters made excellent points, including their costs savings of checking out books instead of buying them, particularly for their kids; the Internet access for those who can't afford it otherwise; the help the librarians give them; access to better quality, more reliable information; and a peaceful place to read and study.

Hmmm...I see a great marketing campaign somewhere in this...

found via the NexGenLib list

Blogging: Controversy on the Britannica Blog

Like I said, I like the Britannica blog...


Currently, there is a rather controversial Web 2.0 discussion going on there as well. Michael Gorman has made a couple of posts that have received a great deal of attention from the information world.


Have a read...

Web 2.0: The Sleep of Reason, Part 1 and Part 2
http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/06/web-20-the-sleep-of-reason-part-i/
http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/06/web-20-the-sleep-of-reason-part-ii/

Books: Fun Trivia from the Britannica Blog

I like the Britannica blog. The Britannica contributors post articles on a range of topics - current events, sports, culture, history, and they are often quite interesting articles to read.

Here is an example of the interesting things this blog includes frequently.

10 Things You (Maybe) Didn’t Know About Books
http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/06/oddments-from-the-world-of-publishing/

Database Tips: Books Lists in WorldCat

WorldCat Lists

http://scanblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/worldcat-lists.html

Alice from the It's All Good blog reports that WorldCat.org has added a new list-making functionality. She also offers some great suggestions for how to use this feature.

It took me a little while to figure out how to use this. You need a free account to create lists, and it helps if you are already logged in when you run your search. It also helps if you create a list first and then add items to it. Once you create a new list, use the the search box to find items. In your list of search results, you will have a dropdown menu to choose to save it to any list you have created or the Things I Recommend, Things I Own, or Things to Check Out lists that are already created for you.

I did a quick search of other lists (Search > Lists) and found these ideas:

• children's books (I bet you could have lists for grade/age levels or certain themes/topics)
• favorite authors
• books read recently
• books to read soon

You can also search for people who have created profiles under Search > Contacts.

Anyone have suggestions for how to use this list feature?

Vendor News: Good News for History Buffs

EBSCO Publishing and ABC-CLIO Reach Historic Agreement
http://support.epnet.com/support_news/detail.php?id=366&t=h

EBSCO Publishing and ABC-CLIO have formed an alliance. "EBSCO has acquired two of ABC-CLIO’s renowned databases, Historical Abstracts (HA) and America: History and Life (AHL), and will distribute eight additional award-winning history databases in addition to ABC-CLIO’s online history eBook collection, History Reference Online."

Vista Tips: Saving a Search

Find files faster: Save your searches in Windows Vista
http://blogs.msdn.com/tiptalk/archive/2007/04/30/save-your-common-searches-in-windows-vista.aspx

Vista is designed with a much more flexible folder system in that you don't have to save files in a hierarchical manner. You can create search folders to organize your files in any way.

I haven't tried this in Vista and can't give examples, but I certainly appreciate the shift in thinking about how to organize files.

If anyone is already using Vista and would like to share how they found this feature useful, please share!

found via TipTalk: from Microsoft At Home and At Work

Tutorials: Information Literacy

Five Colleges of Ohio Research Tutorial
http://www.denison.edu/collaborations/ohio5/infolit/

These are nice tutorials comprised of text and hyperlinks - no extra plug-ins required.

Does anyone have recommendations for good online tutorials?

Wiki Help: Which One is Right for You?

Which Wiki is Right for You?
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6438167.html?q=which+wiki

School Library Journal has a nice article discussing the advantages and disadvantages of three popular free wikis: pbwiki, Wikispaces, and Wetpaint. There are several other free wiki programs, but these seem to be the easiest to set up and maintain.

Just to give you a visual of what these wikis look like, I've created Learning LibTech wikis for these three. I have purposely not done any editing, so you can see what you get when you first create it.

pbwiki
http://learninglibtech.pbwiki.com/
I like pbwiki because it is *easy* and they do not own your content. You can also choose to have a private wiki (not seen by the public) for free.

Wikispaces
http://learninglibtech.wikispaces.com/
Wikispaces is actually my personal favorite so far. I like the page layout and functions - they just seem to fit my head the best, and creating one is very easy. The problem is that a private wiki costs money, which is fine if you want a public wiki, but if you want a private one for whatever reason, you have to pay or pick another wiki...unless you are an educator - http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers

Wetpaint
http://learninglibtech.wetpaint.com/
Wetpaint wikis are just beautiful and have many functionalities. I think the only complaint I have heard so far is that server response when editing them can be slow sometimes.

Accessibility: ADA Tool Kit

ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments

http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/toolkitmain.htm

This tool kit is for state and government agencies to better understand how to provide accessible services for persons with disabilities. This guide is helpful to anyone wanting to make their library building and services more accessible.

found via Docuticker

Education Tips: Using RSS in Education

RSS and Education
http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-and-education.htm

15 ways that RSS is being used in educational settings = 15 ideas that may work for your educational institution

How are you using RSS personally? How are you using RSS to educate and inform? Please share!!

Book News: There's More than One Way to Digitize a Book

2 Models for Digitizing Collections
http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/06/07/google

A large group of universities, the 12 universities that make up the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, has now partnered with Google to digitize their collections.

However, Emory has chosen a different path. This is discussed in the article, but Library Journal provides a little more explanation.

With Scan Plan, Emory University Takes Control
http://www.libraryjournal.com/info/CA6451403.html?nid=2673#news3

I love the idea of print on demand, and I think this is a great application of that idea. (FYI: I used to be employed by Emory University, and I say YAY! for them.)

Education Resources: Teacher's Corner

Teacher's Corner
http://www.coe.uga.edu/k12/

According to the press release:
"A new website that provides resources for teachers on how to create 21st century classrooms with a focus on technology integration, information literacy and emerging technologies will be unveiled by University of Georgia technology specialists at a national conference this month."

There are pages on this site for information literacy, technology integration, 21st century schools, video, podcasting, multimedia, hardware technologies, e-portfolios, and emerging technologies.

Books: Everything is Miscellaneous Book Talk

Everything is Miscellaneous Book Talk
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2159021324062223592&q=type%3Agoogle+engEDU

This is a link to a video of David Weinberger talking about his book _Everything is Miscellaneous_. It's a hour long, but it's worth the watch - entertaining and informative. The basic premise of the book is that there is no one best way to categorize the world. Libraries have been forced to do this in the print world, but being forced into one organizational scheme is not required in the digital world.

found via STS-L list

Shopping: Books for Purses?

Don't toss that old book!!

This is a great way to use old books. I saw a discussion on COLLIB-L about what to do with old copies of the National Union Catalog, and this was a suggestion - along with recycling the pages and letting art students use the covers as canvas.

Rebound Designs - Hand-crafted Bling
http://www.rebound-designs.com

Oh, and this person will have a booth at ALA! They are a bit pricy though... *says the girl who usually buys purses at Target or KOHL's*

What does this have to do with libraries and technology you ask? I don't know, but I figure I can be a little off-topic in the name of good library bling! ;-)

Database Tips: EBSCO RSS Feeds

I had every intention of blogging about the news when EBSCO announced that it would allow RSS feeds for its alert services, but, alas, I didn't. However, I now can attest to the value and ease of this service.

I decided that I wanted to receive alerts when several library and technology journals were issued. Since I have Google Reader as my feed aggregator and I have a MyEBSCOhost account set up already, it made it pretty easy to get this going.

Here are the steps:

1) Log in to Academic Search Premier (for me, this the database that has full-text access to most of the journals I wanted)

2) Click the Publications link

3) Browse for journals

4) Click the desired journal title

5) Click the Journal Alert link

6) Log in to MyEBSCOhost (if you haven't already)

7) Mark options, but choose "No e-mail (RSS only)"

8) Click "Save"

9) The confirmation screen will provide a URL that can be pasted into any RSS reader

Now I get notified whenever these journals are added to Academic Search Premier. I can read through the titles and sometimes abstracts and decide what to read further. It's a happy thing!

Just as an extra tip, you can also set up search alerts and be notified when an article matching your search criteria is added. You just have to run an Advanced Search on the topic, then click the Search History/Alerts tab, click "Save Searches / Alerts," then check that settings you want, click "Save," and you are good to go!


So, what are some things you've saved or would like to save? Do you have some particular searches or journals that yield helpful articles?

Education Resources: Copyright for Kids (and adults!)

The U.S. Copyright Office has launched a site to teach copyright concepts for kids (and I must admit, I appreciate it as an adult, too!).

Copyright Office Launches Website for Kids
http://www.copyright.gov/newsnet/2007/316.html

Here is the actual site:
Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/copyrightmystery/

found via U.S. Copyright Office NewsNet

Accessibility: Digital Libraries for the Visually Impaired

This came across the LITA-L list this morning. This is a great idea for digital libraries, and it addresses a major accessibility issue quite well.

Project Information: Audio Description Illinois
http://www.alsaudioillinois.net/resources.cfm

To see an examples, go to
Illinois Alive!
http://www.illinoisalive.info/

Books: Saving the Books - One Word at a Time

reCAPTCHA
http://recaptcha.net/


So, most of us have had to enter a word from warped text when we sign up for a free newsletter or something else. reCAPTCHA has found a way to use this to help in digitizing books.


The quick, very simple explanation on digitizing books is that you can scan the book and have an image available. In order to make the text searchable, you must do another step using optical character recognitition (OCR) so that all of the text can be read by the system. With older books and odd fonts, the OCR system may have trouble reading all of the characters correctly.


reCAPTCHA helps the system know the correct characters by these words with the warped words to humans so that humans read the text and enter the correct characters for the system to store and add to the text of the book. The human eye is still better at deciphering strange characters than a computer, and reCAPTCHA is taking advantage of that - one word at a time.


Now, that is a crude explanation, but I hope it makes sense. reCAPTCHA has a much prettier explanation on their page.




found via Chronicle: Wired Campus blog
(and Brad Baxter's post to an internal list at work)

Vendor News: ProQuest, yep, just ProQuest now

So, I think I have this straight (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong). CSA bought ProQuest, and they decided to call it ProQuest CSA when the two companies merged. Now, "guided by customer research," they have decided to just call it ProQuest...yep, just ProQuest. And, there's a new logo to go along with the decision:


PROQUEST CSA FINALISES COMPANY NAME; UNVEILS NEW LOGO
http://www.proquest.co.uk/pressroom/pressrelease/07/20070604.shtml


Now, maybe all of the databases will have the same logo every time I log in. I was beginning to feel confused.

Higher Education News: Stanford Imposter

You gotta love a girl for trying to get an education, but this is taking it just a little too far.

Imposter Caught
High school graduate pretends to be a Stanford student, even living in the dorms, buying textbooks and ‘studying’ for exams
http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/5/24/imposterCaught

found via The Chronicle: Daily News Blog

Vendor News: EBSCO and the 508 Compliant Interface

For those of you who must deal with accessibility issues with library interfaces, EBSCO is making it a little easier for you.

EBSCO's Advanced 508 Compliant Interface
http://support.epnet.com/support_news/detail.php?id=362&t=h

Just as an added bonus, here is nice website with a great deal of information about Section 508:
http://www.section508.gov/

Do any of you have accessibility stories to share about your library's website? I'd love to hear them!

Vista Tips: Making Vista Easier

Since I see that a migration to Vista is inevitable - and probably sooner than I would like, I've been bookmarking all of the resources I can find to help with Vista.

PC Mag has a nice article to help!

Vista Made Easy: 50 Tips and Tricks
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2114942,00.asp

Georgia News: YAY! GALILEO is in the News!

A Changing Picture: GALILEO System Brings Worlds of Information into
Every Georgian's Personal Orbit

http://www.luminafoundation.org/publications/focus_archive/winter_2007/georgia-libraries-global-links.html

FYI: GALILEO is the state virtual library for Georgia, and it's where I go every day to pay the bills - and I love it!

Web Design Resources: Accessibility Blogs

The WebAIM blog recently posted a list of other good accessibility blogs - with nice, brief descriptions of each.

The Great Accessibility Blog Roundup
http://webaim.org/blog/2007/05/14/blog-roundup/


Just to give my accessibility plug, if you are working on a library website, please do not forget to consider that everyone may not be able to see the screen or may still be stuck with a dial-up connection.

Vendor News: EBSCO Logos Available

For those of you who develop instruction materials or need images to brand your site, EBSCO now allows you to download product logos and buttons.


Download EBSCO Product Logos and Buttons Now
http://support.ebsco.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=3421

Georgia Resources: Collection Development

Elaine Hardy and Peggy Chambliss created a new bibliography for staff development and posted the announcement to the GOLD-L list today. This link also has several good collection development resources.

http://www.georgialibraries.org/lib/collection.html

Mac Tip: Screensaver Showing New Books

I don't have a Mac, so I can't test this (and would be glad if a wonderful Mac person could try it for me!). However, it looks like a great tool for marketing...and it's just fun.

RSS New Books Screen Saver
http://www.rss4lib.com/2007/05/rss_new_books_screen_saver.html

Now, if someone could just do this for Windows. I wonder if you could download book images from Amazon (or get the images from the books cataloged in LibraryThing if you use that) and then create a slideshow screensaver with all of those images. Hmmm...I'll have to find time to try this and see if it can be done...

I would personally love to be able to make my desktop image change each morning with a new photo (or book covers would be great, too!). Alas, I have yet to see something that will do this, but I haven't taken a great deal of time to search for it. Does anyone know how to do this or has anyone heard it can be done?

Courtney

Resource: LibraryThing for Libraries

If you really need a quick, easy solution for an OPAC, LibraryThing may be an option for you. And, the Danbury Library in Danbury, Connecticut, has already implemented this, so you can see how they did it and what they are learning from it.

Danbury, CT kicks off LibraryThing for Libraries!
http://www.librarything.com/thingology/2007/05/danbury-ct-kicks-off-librarything-for.php

I wonder if this may be able to serve as the OPAC for a small special collection at a research center where I used to work, so I want to test this out to see if it would meet their needs.

Oh, the possibilities...

Courtney

Library News: WorldCat Local - oh, it makes sense now!

I've heard several people talking...well, no, I've read several people blogging about WorldCat Local. I've wondered what this is all about. It sounds great, but I need to see how things work.

Sarah Houghton-Jan, the Librarian in Black, posted a review and some screenshots of the first installation of this project at University of Washington Libraries (use the search box in the upper right for an example search).

http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2007/05/first_worldcat_.html


I like this, but I agree that it still needs some work. As a former ILL person, I had worried about libraries using WorldCat without finding a way to emphasize local holdings, but this slightly allays my fears.

Tech Ideas: Defeating Hackers - One Kitten at a Time

Are you human?

The California Polytechnic State University's College of Liberal Arts uses dogs and cats instead of warped letters and numbers to answer this question. Oh, and the images come from the adoption service Petfinder.com - smart and animal-friendly!

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2043/kittens-yes-kittens-take-on-web-hackers

Thank you, Cal Poly!

For Media Specialists: I Wish My Job Came with a Handbook!

Guess what!

For some of us, it does!!


YOU ARE THE KEY...

A Handbook for Georgia School Library Media Specialists

http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/instruction/mediaservices/handbook/

Library News: Library of Congress Ventures into the Blogosphere

In case you haven't heard yet, the Library of Congress now has a new blog at:

http://www.loc.gov/blog/

I've been watching it since it started, and so far, I like it. I'm interested to see what type of information and what issues will be discussed on this blog.

Stay tuned, folks!

Courtney

Education/Library Resource: Book Central

OK, I got sucked into this site. As soon as I saw it, I felt a compelling need to find a good book to read (but that could be near-graduation mania!).

Scholastic's Book Central is a fun site for book news, reviews, and book recommendations for kids. Oh, and the rest of the site looks pretty interesting, too!

http://www.scholastic.com/titles/index.htm

Does anyone else have great sites to help kids find books?

Courtney

Vendor News: Browse a Book in MySpace?

Oxford University Press is looking toward social networking sites as places to sell books. See the full story at:

http://blog.oup.com/2007/04/widget/

This sounds like a great idea to me, but I wonder if they can provide "suggestions" based on the interests or hobbies listed in my profile. Hmmm, that would be nice...

Courtney

Technology Tip: Cite This Item in WorldCat

Bill Drew (Baby Boomer Librarian) is glad to see the "Cite This Item" feature added to WorldCat.

http://babyboomerlibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/04/firstsearch-worldcat-cite-this-now.html

I am, too! Wow! I just tried this out, and it works nicely. Thank you, OCLC! And our patrons who don't have software like EndNote and RefWorks thank you, too.

(Of course, then I had to add the book Bill uses as an example in his post to my Amazon wishlist, which just keeps getting longer and longer.)

Has anyone had a chance to use this in their library? Any great success stories?

Courtney

Technology Resource: Why Netcasting to Teach?

I like this quick and easy overview of podcasting - well, netcasting (?). There are several good ideas for how to use them to teach, and I like the brief explanation of how to "do it yourself." Nice, simple explanation!

http://www.k12handhelds.com/podcasting.php


So, why did I say netcasting?

Ever since Apple started claiming trademark infringement for using the term "podcast," I have heard some interesting discussion about it. Leo Laporte has started using the term "netcast" to refer to all of the shows on the TWiT Netcast Network. Robert Scoble suggests using the terms "audiocast" and "videocast" instead.

I personally have been trying to say "netcast" as a general term, but I like using the other terms to differentiate between the two - because it matters to those of us who only have time to listen or to those of us who like the visual. I listen to audiocasts while I've driving to work, but I can watch videocasts on my home television, so I like to know the difference before I download it.

Of course, it doesn't matter what you call them, they can be a wonderful tool for teaching and library instruction!

So, are any of you using netcasting to teach your users? If so, please tell me all about it!

Courtney

Georgia News: _New York Times_ Librarian of the Year

Since I live in Georgia, I am quite proud to see that this year's New York Times Librarian of the Year is one of our own Georgia librarians!

Board of Regents Salutes Thomas County Librarian on Being Named New York Times Librarian of the Year
http://www.usg.edu/news/2007/041707.phtml

YAY for Nancy Tillinghast!

Courtney

My First Post - Graduating and Blogging

I graduate May 10th (YAY!) with a Master of Science in Information Sciences from The University of Tennessee.

So, what does a new IS grad with an interest in technology do as soon as she isn't drowning in schoolwork? Attempt to blog. Yep, this is my foray into the blogosphere. We'll see how it goes. ;-)

I am fortunate to have a job that allows me the chance to learn about technology and how we are using it to "create a more educated Georgia," and I wanted a place to share what I am learning on my own and through my job. So, here we are.

But, I need a little help from my friends. I know there are many media specialists, public librarians, academic librarians, special librarians, and non-traditional librarians (and forgive me if I've left you out!) out there courageously facing this new world of tech. Many of you have learned a great deal "out in the trenches," and I want to provide a place to share your experiences as well.

So, if you want to share a great technology resource or technology tip related to education or libraries, or to discuss a technology-related issue, or brag about a technology project, please send me an email at learninglibtech@gmail.com, and I will post so everyone can learn from your experience.

And off I go, "carrying on through blind courageous ignorance" as one of my UT SIS colleagues has called it.

Learning LibTech