Statistics

One of the cool features of WordPress is the easily-viewed readership statistics. I last posted to this blog several months ago but am surprised to find that my readership – or people who visit the site occasionally – has changed little.

My reason for not posting here is that I am concentrating on getting the new Library blog for central TAFE up and running. It is called The Fridge (is that cool?) and we are hoping to involve library users more. Though we try to promote The Fridge as much as possible and posts are much more regular, this semi-dormant blog still receives more visitors. Are people more interested in personal blogs?

What do you think might be the reason?

Where in the World?

You may not be looking for Wally, but have you ever looked for a library book that you know is shelved somewhere in your home collection but just cannot be found? The Shifted Librarian has some good suggestions.

Back on the subject of “Where’s Wally?”, we are experimenting with using jigsaw puzzles to attract students to the Library. The first one was a funny with a topical Olympics theme and soon had students and staff hooked – this 1000 piece puzzle was finished in 4 days. Students were torn between doing the puzzle and watching the Olympics live on the big screen set up for the purpose.The new one is a WASGIJ (if you don’t know what that is, find out). It is far more challenging but the students are again finding time to piece it together without the aid of a picture. We may be commanded to take it away soon because “libraries are not supposed to be places for having fun” but in the meantime I hope everyone gets a lot of enjoyment out of the idea.

Jigsaw

Moving House

This morning I transferred my blog to WordPress because I have seen much discussion online about various blogging platforms and want to try some of them out for myself. I have also been given the task of facilitating the library blog when my new website goes live. This is something for which I have been agitating for some time and at last the opportunity arises. Consequently, most of my library musings and discoveries will transfer to the new, as yet unnamed, blog and I can keep this one for more personal commentary.

My personal life has changed dramatically in the past few weeks. My mother, who came to live with me 8 years ago, has moved into a home and my man and I have the house to ourselves at last. Mum resisted and shed many private (and not so private) tears but the stress of having her constantly around was too much for us and our sanity. I found her a room in a retirement village surrounded by attractive gardens. Four other people share the cottage and they have all their needs provided, as well as there being someone to talk to whenever anyone is lonely, and she can keep many of her possessions in her room. At 96 mum is lucky to still have all her faculties and be relatively healthy but the time will come when she needs more care and I think she is lucky to have found such an attractive new home.

My man and I are able to do little things that we haven’t done for years such as go out for a cup of coffee, have a meal alone together at a restaurant and eat spicy foods at home. There are no restrictions on when we can go out, when we must be home or whether we can run around the house naked (though Perth in mid-winter is not conducive to that).

Free !

Free – how I love that word. Whether I’m finding things on the web or scrounging through shops in Second Life I’m always on the lookout for special bargains and freebies.

Sarah Houghton-Jan, Librarian in Black, has posted about free software cheat sheets available at http://www.customguide.com/quick_references.htm . These are useful guides that may be printed out and made available in the library for clients who need assistance with a variety of software applications for Microsoft or Mac.

Now this may not be the type of freebie that everyone is falling over themselves to obtain, but I think most educational libraries will find the cheat sheets very useful and time-saving.

Technology Trends

Librarian in Black, Sarah Houghton-Jan, summarises her contribution to ALA 2008 in Sarah’s Top Technology Trends – virtual presentation for ALA 2008. I would like to draw attention to point #3 in the hope that the comments may filter through to the bureaucracy running our organisation.
I really like the way so much of the technology trends that are buzzed in Library circles were used in this presentation.

Web Taming Ringmaster

Michael Stevens’ blog, Tame the Web, has two articles this week that I find particularly thought provoking.

1. Keys to a Successful Self Check-Out Project (linked from Michael’s blog)
Our new library is under construction (it’s exciting to see progress with the new building across the road) and it would be good to consider implementing a changeover to a fully automated checkout policy. Please don’t argue until you have read the report and its answers to possible objections.

2. Brian Kelly: What if We’re Right? & Libpunk’d
Brian poses questions aimed at the detractors of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 and proposes that there are more risks involved by not accepting such things as social networking and open source technology than by adopting them whole-heartedly.

Web 2.0 Tutorials

As anyone who reads this blog regularly will have guessed I am a great fan of using Web 2.0, particularly its potential for making libraries more “with it”. This list of 100 Free Library 2.0 Webinars and Tutorials from the College@Home blog will help anyone who wants to find out more or give instructors ideas for spreading the word amongst unbelievers. I’m sure that library staff have already been converted but part of my mission is to get others to understand. Any library that hasn’t yet run a variation of the 23 Learning 2.0 Things programme should consider implementing it as soon as they are able.

7 Things You Should Know About

The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative’s (ELI’s) 7 Things You Should Know About… series provides concise information on emerging learning technologies and related practices. If you have ever struggled to explain why various Web 2.0 tools are useful in the library or teaching environments here is a most useful series of explanations about technologies that may demonstrate positive learning impacts.

Currently there are 37 applications in the series which should give you all you need to stay up-to-date on emerging technologies.

Social networking in the library

Jessamyn West on librarian.net has a thoughtful discussion about why libraries should be socially networking. She mentions popular tools such as flickr, facebook and twitter, with helpful links to the ways in which some libraries are using them and recommends that all libraries should be offering 23 Things to help their staff get up to speed with the technology.

Google or Syndetics?

Sarah Houghton-Jan, the Librarian in Black has posted about Google Book Search API: LibraryThing and libraries grab it right up.

Google has released a new API that allows easy linking into any of the books included in Google Book Search. It’s called “the Books Viewability API” and lets you more easily embed links to books on your own website. As an example, Google pointed to the Deschutes Public Library that uses “preview this book at Google” links in their catalog (here’s an example). Tim at LibraryThing used the API immediately to fold Google Book Search content into LibraryThing results and has also released code that lets you fold Google book covers into your catalog too. Ooooh, sweet open goodness.

Does this mean that our library can use this feature instead of subscribing to Syndetics?