Recently, I gave a presentation on 2024 technology trends. I always carefully preface this type of session with a disclaimer: I do, in fact, cover trends in technology, and not applications that could (yet) be implemented in libraries. The webinar description even refers specifically to trends in technology, not trends in libraries or especially to technology… Continue reading Libraries, stop asking “how”
Category: Keeping Up
Are librarians the next prompt engineers?
My head is swirling after I read this article in The Atlantic. The title is: Talking to AI Might Be the Most Important Skill of This Century There’s so much in this story that I had some difficulty trying to condense it all. (Mandatory “go read the whole thing, it’s worth it” call to action,… Continue reading Are librarians the next prompt engineers?
The Googly-Eyed Technology test
Years ago, I worked in a library where the administration was intrigued by every new available technological advancement. There were a good number of positive things that came out of this interest, and the IT department had a significant amount of leeway in trying new things. But (and you knew there was a “but”), the… Continue reading The Googly-Eyed Technology test
Libraries: let’s be honest about “emerging technology”
A couple of years ago, I was asked to do a series of this type of workshop for an out-of-state consortium. When the evaluations came back to me a few weeks afterwards, I got very good marks as a presenter, but some comments threw me for a loop. A common complaint was that the technology topics I covered were not being used in libraries. I was stunned.
Is your library ready for mobile payments?
Drive up to almost any McDonald’s drive-through window and you will see stickers proclaiming that the restaurant now takes payments through Apple Pay and Android Pay. Visa has just rolled out a program so that New Yorkers can use their phones to pay for the subway. Even the Girl Scouts are taking mobile payments and,… Continue reading Is your library ready for mobile payments?
Forget Pokemon Go. Your library has real problems
Ok, I admit, that’s a bit of an incendiary headline, and I’m not really advocating that your library forego taking advantage of the viral new trend that is actually pretty advantageous for libraries. But, I do worry that libraries are spending too much time on new, shiny stuff and missing some of the elephants in our room.… Continue reading Forget Pokemon Go. Your library has real problems
Tell me your worst trouble spot right now
It’s still pretty much a new(ish) year, and I’m interested in addressing even more topics that would interest you, the blog reader. This quiz will help (but let’s be real, it’s pretty limited), but please feel free to add your own options in the comments.
Link roundup: things your library should be paying attention to right now
I’ve only listed the three I think are most important right now, because we all get overwhelmed. Fill up on caffeine and get reading, folks. Does Google Think Your Library is Mobile Friendly? If you ignore everything else in today’s post, that’s fine. This one is critical. Too many libraries don’t have websites that are really… Continue reading Link roundup: things your library should be paying attention to right now
3 things you can learn from other websites
Let’s start with defining “other” here: I mean sites that aren’t library websites. If you do nothing else, I want you to get out of the habit at looking at other library sites for inspiration. No, really, I mean it. Why? As a profession, libraries are too insular. Quit looking at your peers; often, they’re… Continue reading 3 things you can learn from other websites
How well do you know your web usability myths?
Learn about more common UX myth at http://uxmyths.com/. [qzzr quiz=”26203″ width=”100%” height=”auto” redirect=”true” offset=”0″]
Are you playing by the social media rules?
As many of you already know, I spend a lot of time looking at research as it pertains to the use of social media. Honestly, it’s a frustrating business. The information changes constantly, and there’s a fair amount of controversy about some of the “rules” of doing social media well. However, some of the most… Continue reading Are you playing by the social media rules?
Carousels: time to go
Carousels have almost become ubiquitous. I am frequently asked about them when I start designing a site for a library. I often. now, make it clear that these don’t represent a good design choice. Yes, they’re convenient. They seemingly solve the problem of how to fit all that “stuff” on the front page. They’re flashy… Continue reading Carousels: time to go
Have you given much thought to browsers?
Lately, it seems that all I, as a web developer, hear, is about mobile web usage. There’s been a lot of posts on the Web about the forthcoming mobile apocalypse (Mobipocalypse?), where people will browse the Web with nothing but tablets, smartphones and whatever the next generation of mobile devices will bring. “The desktop is… Continue reading Have you given much thought to browsers?
Want a better presence online? Get over yourself
I was recently asked to come up with a session for new library directors, about how to improve their libraries’ online presences. Not just websites, but their social media work as well. At first, a lot of disparate things tumbled through my mind: usability, accessibility, engagement, and all sorts of other related buzzwords. Any one… Continue reading Want a better presence online? Get over yourself
Is it theft? Yeah, it is.
Recently, I had the unpleasant experience of discovering that one of my custom graphics was appearing, without permission, on a library’s website. It appeared that the library had simply copied the graphic from the original site for which it was created and placed it on its own site. I was disturbed by this. It’s 2012. … Continue reading Is it theft? Yeah, it is.
Up to speed? The perils of using online speed testing
If you’re a library network admin, you are probably familiar with complaints concerning slow download speeds on your local network. “The Internet is crawling today! What’s wrong?” At OPLIN, this is certainly familiar to us, too. After all, many times the libraries’ network administrators end up calling us about this kind of issue. Some of… Continue reading Up to speed? The perils of using online speed testing
Lock those virtual doors
What would happen if your library closed up at night and purposefully left the front door unlocked? Every night? Eventually, some unscrupulous individual would figure it out. He/she would have the run of the library at night, and could easily cause damage or property loss at an astounding rate. The reputation of your library would… Continue reading Lock those virtual doors
Ignorantiaphobia
It’s no secret, yet it’s not widely talked about. There’s a divide in library staff. It’s not between degreed and the not, and it’s not digital. It’s not about who uses Twitter and who doesn’t. This divide may not even be a cultural divide or a generational one. I think this one is more… Continue reading Ignorantiaphobia
Web images: TANSTAAFL*
Recently, I heard about how a public library recently found itself in some very hot water. It ran afoul of a very large provider of stock photography. The library used a licensed photograph from a stock photo site without paying for the license. Their copyright infringement came to the provider’s legal team’s attention and, in… Continue reading Web images: TANSTAAFL*
Got a Fiverr?
We all know that libraries are in a major budget crisis. What we don’t always know is how to cut costs. Well, I won’t make any claims that I can answer that question, either. What I will share with you today is an interesting new service that can help your library get some things done… Continue reading Got a Fiverr?
What’s this TokBox thing?
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak about teens, tweens and social networking at the NEO-RLS Youth Services Symposium. One of the newer tools that I mentioned had everyone puzzled–no one had heard of it. That tool is rising in popularity with teens, and it’s called TokBox. Many of you are probably familiar with… Continue reading What’s this TokBox thing?
Nibbling at Lunch.com
You know those sites that have a name that is in no way related to what it does? Lunch.com is one of those. Lunch.com is a reviews site, with the goal of changing the way people think about each other. You rate things (books, games, movies, etc), and the site will tell you how similar… Continue reading Nibbling at Lunch.com
What if you don’t have Photoshop?
What it comes to image editing, for either web or print, Photoshop is arguably the king of the roost. But let’s face it–Photoshop is darned expensive, and has a learning curve shaped like Mount Everest. Not to mention that you have to actually have it installed on the machine you’re working on. Unless you’re a… Continue reading What if you don’t have Photoshop?
Broadcasting with Qik
As more people start using smartphones (e.g., Droids, Blackberries, iPhones, et al), we’re also starting to see a lot more applications that can be downloaded and used on them. One I’ve been doing a bit of experimenting with is Qik (prounounced like “quick”). While the tagline for YouTube is “Broadcast Yourself,” I feel that might… Continue reading Broadcasting with Qik
Figuring out Foursquare
Physical locations in combination with the web are starting to hit it big, and is predicted to seriously take off this year. One example of an application that is rapidly heading that way is Foursquare. From Wikipedia: Foursquare is a location-based social networking website, software for mobile devices, and game. Users “check-in” at venues using… Continue reading Figuring out Foursquare
Considering 2010 for libraries and technology
At the end of every year, lots of media outlets and assorted gurus make predictions about what is going to be happening in the next 365-odd days. But how often do libraries stop to think about what those predictions might mean for the services they offer? I’ve taken a selection of technology-related predictions and offered… Continue reading Considering 2010 for libraries and technology
Webinars that don’t drive people nuts
I’ve had the experience in the past several months of being both a regular presenter and regular attendee of webinars. I’ve learned quite a bit, being on both ends, and I would like to share what I’ve learned here for those who may want to present webinars of their own. Add your own guidelines in… Continue reading Webinars that don’t drive people nuts
[GUEST POST] Can you see me now? (Or, how transparent are you?)
Today’s guest post is by Bobbi Galvin, Customer Relations and Support at OPLIN. The Global Language Monitor has released its list of Top Words 2009. Coming in at #10 is TRANSPARENCY. Transparency in this instance means putting all you do (at least all of the interesting stuff) out for users to see…then welcoming the comments,… Continue reading [GUEST POST] Can you see me now? (Or, how transparent are you?)
HTML 5: don’t get too excited yet
Yes, it’s finally coming. The last official release of HTML was in 1999 (yes, you read that right, 10 years ago) at version 4.01. At long last, the W3C* is almost finished with the specifications for a new version. Pay attention, because it’s a doozy of a revision! What will HTML5 do that old HTML… Continue reading HTML 5: don’t get too excited yet
The Internet of Things
“The idea is as simple as its application is difficult. If all cans, books, shoes or parts of cars are equipped with minuscule identifying devices, daily life on our planet will undergo a transformation. Things like running out of stock or wasted products will no longer exist as we will know exactly what is being… Continue reading The Internet of Things
Crowdsource and engage
I crowdsourced this week’s post. I asked (via Twitter/Facebook) library staff to tell me what their favorite technology is, and why. Here’s most of what I got: “I’m digging on Excel right now because I love turning lots of numbers into interesting little stories.” “My favorite thing ever may be how my iPhone gives me… Continue reading Crowdsource and engage
Unsticking Glue
This week I’m chatting about a web application called Glue . I look at a good number of web applications, and some are useful. Unfortunately, Glue is not one of those. The premise of Glue is that it “shows you things that you’ll like based on your personal tastes, what your friends like, and what’s… Continue reading Unsticking Glue
What is “The Real-Time Web?”
When Michael Jackson died on June 25, millions of people flooded onto Google News to find the latest information about what had happened. The spike in traffic was so massive that Google suspected a malware attack and began blocking anyone searching for “Michael Jackson.” —Clive Thompson on How the Real-Time Web Is Leaving Google Behind… Continue reading What is “The Real-Time Web?”
A tale of social media woe
Recently, a frustrated librarian contacted me because she wanted to discuss a situation that had occurred at her library. After hearing her story, I asked her permission to recount it here (and to keep identifying details confidential). In essence, here is her sad tale: Her library had a MySpace account. The librarian friended anyone who… Continue reading A tale of social media woe
Listen up: you’re in charge!
It’s a pain, but security is each user’s responsibility, not just the tech’s.–Bobbi Galvin, OPLIN One of the most common misconceptions library staff typically have about their email accounts is that nobody would want to hack them. WRONG. Your email account is an extremely valuable commodity, especially to a spammer. Check these stats out: The… Continue reading Listen up: you’re in charge!
Social Media in 20 Bite-Sized Pieces
“Winners take imperfect action while others are sitting around perfecting their plans.” –Kevin Nation Be the voice that is remembered, not just heard. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Be willing to put yourself a bit “out there.” Be human. Corporate speak is unacceptable. Don’t be schizophrenic. Either talk from the perspective of your organization or… Continue reading Social Media in 20 Bite-Sized Pieces
Why it’s time to kill off Internet Explorer 6
(Don’t know if you’re using IE6? You can check by opening up IE and going to Help–>About Internet Explorer. If you’re using anything less than 7 (and really, you ought to be on 8 by now), you need to upgrade. You MUST (yes, I’m yelling) upgrade. You can get the latest version of Internet Explorer… Continue reading Why it’s time to kill off Internet Explorer 6
CSS Part II: a gentle introduction to using it
A few weeks ago, I hopefully provided you with the reasoning behind why library web sites have to move from plain HTML to using CSS for style and formatting. I started to create a tutorial, and got frustrated with WordPress, trying to display code. So, I started looking around the Web, trying to see if… Continue reading CSS Part II: a gentle introduction to using it
5 ways for your library to Fail at Twitter
Twitter has finally hit the mainstream (If Oprah isn’t the mainstream, then I don’t know what is). So we’re finally seeing more and more public libraries putting their feet into the Twitterstream. This is generally a good thing; however, I am also seeing more and more libraries just dipping in their toes without really understanding… Continue reading 5 ways for your library to Fail at Twitter
Technofascists, technophobes and cyborgs…oh my?
Several weeks ago I had the privilige of attending the Virtual Worlds: Museums, Libraries and Educators conference held in the virtual world of Second Life. One of the sessions I attended was “Cyborg Learning: How to Engage Young Minds” by Dallas McPheeters, Instructional Technology Liaison for Tucson Unified School District. Because there were hearing-impaired attendees… Continue reading Technofascists, technophobes and cyborgs…oh my?
Laura’s truths about social media
(In case you missed the memo, a lot of folks have replace the label “Web 2.0′ with “social media.” Probably a better, more descriptive label in my opinion. ) I’ve been around the social media block a few times. I was using Twitter long before it hit the mainstream. I’ve experimented with bunches of obscure… Continue reading Laura’s truths about social media
Polar bears, Che Guevara and porn
(Eric Jordan did an update to his first “Webmaster” vignette, and I’m posting it here for collective enjoyment. Thanks, Eric!) Web Master 1.1 (I had enough fun with the first one, I decided to upgrade!) The Programmer approached the Web Master in his cubicle once again. “Web Master, please help me. I am trying to… Continue reading Polar bears, Che Guevara and porn
Who is living in your house?
I count among my good Internet friends a certain Eric Jordan, who can not only outpun anyone I know, but has a talent for taking a humorous approach to making his thoughts known. Although Eric is not a web developer by trade, he shows in his vignette, below, that he well understands the pitfalls of… Continue reading Who is living in your house?
Why web standards matter and why your library (really) has to care
It’s pretty easy to explain to people why their web sites need certain kinds of standards; take, for example, Section 508, which is essentially the ADA for web sites. Section 508 says that any organization receiving federal funds (hmm…bailout companies, take note) must have an accessible web site. “Accessible” is further defined by specific criteria,… Continue reading Why web standards matter and why your library (really) has to care
Intermediate Twitter: #hashtags
(Thanks to Don Yarman for suggesting this topic–I’m always on the lookout for new fodder. Send your ideas to meanlaura@oplin.org.) I have to assume that, by now, your library has finally jumped on the Twitter wagon. (See here for additional info about Twitter for libraries.) If your library is doing Twitter correctly, then you are… Continue reading Intermediate Twitter: #hashtags
Sharing your slides
Whether you do presentations in Powerpoint, OpenOffice or something else, making your slides publicly available can sometimes be a headache. Enter Slideshare, which could arguably be considered the YouTube of presentation slides. Slideshare allows you to create a (free) account, then upload slide presentations easily. You can choose to make the presentations private or public,… Continue reading Sharing your slides
Getting buy-in
I am often asked about how to get buy-in for new web-based initiatives. I ran across this slideshow today, which is fabulous material for demonstrating the usual roadblocks one can run into. Web Tech Guy and Angry Staff Person View more presentations from edsonm. (tags: strategy web)
Cloud computing
What does weather have to do with computers? Well, not much, actually. But cloud computing is a term that has gained in the buzz department recently, although it has actually been around for several years. “Cloud computing” is really just a metaphor for doing your work entirely online. In computer network diagrams, the Internet is… Continue reading Cloud computing
Augmented reality: the future is truly here
First, there was virtual reality. Then there were virtual worlds. Now, we have augmented reality, and it may change the landscape of books entirely. It’s the stuff of many science fiction scenes; open up a newspaper or a book and, instead of 2-dimensional text, 3-dimensional images pop up. Imagine looking at an Ikea catalog and… Continue reading Augmented reality: the future is truly here
Signing in with ONE account
One of the most common complaints I’ve heard about using various web services and social networking sites is the need for multiple accounts; multiple user names, multiple passwords, multiple things to forget. Who hasn’t used those handy “Forgot your password?” links at least once (or fifty) times? The dream of many web users is the… Continue reading Signing in with ONE account
Because you’re probably not getting much work done anyway….
I thought I’d give you some more ways to waste time, online. 🙂 Check out some of these sites: Web Sudoku: “Billions of free Sudoku puzzles to play online.” You can play levels from “Easy” to “Evil.” There’s even a downloadable application that you can play offline on your Mac or PC. Lookybook: If you’re… Continue reading Because you’re probably not getting much work done anyway….
Is your library coded?
Well, I am. See that 2-dimensional code to the left? That code contains the following information about me: First & last name Email address Web site URL Phone number Physical address, including country of origin All that is in there? What is it for? And why would you use it? That thing is called a… Continue reading Is your library coded?
Consolidating your Web 2.0 profile
If you’re like me, you belong to more than a mere handful of social networking and sharing sites. Keeping track of your online presence might be a daunting task. And letting people know where you hang out online might entail a rather long list of web sites. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could consolidate… Continue reading Consolidating your Web 2.0 profile
Walking the Web
Virtual worlds are everywhere now, it seems. Their purposes range from socializing and networking to education and conferences. And some just…are. Yoowalk seems to be one of these latter. Well, ok. I guess it has a purpose. I just don’t see that it really is necessary. It seems to be more of a proof-of-concept than… Continue reading Walking the Web
Hulu: TV on demand
If you’ve ever seen my Facebook profile, you already know that I basically don’t watch television (much to the chagrin of anyone who attempts to engage me in conversation about the latest programs). My husband and I used to say that the only reason we had cable TV at all was to watch The Daily… Continue reading Hulu: TV on demand
Firefly: every page a chat room?
Lately, I’ve been checking out a newish web app called Firefly. It’s a simple chat script that enables people to chat with each other directly on a web page, rather than in a separate instant messaging client or Meebo-like widget. You literally can click anywhere on a web page and just start chatting, once you’ve… Continue reading Firefly: every page a chat room?
[GUEST POST] Listening & the pattern
Dan Rockwell is a User Experience Researcher at Lextant. [BACK STORY: I met Dan at BarCamp Ohio and started following him on Twitter. Then I started listening to his soundbytes on Utterli. One of his messages really resonated with me, and I asked him to guest post here on the topic of “getting” social media.… Continue reading [GUEST POST] Listening & the pattern
Yelp: is your library in there?
There are a lot of online review sites. But one in particular is hitting the mainstream and has made the top 500 of all U.S. web sites, with over 3.5 million visitors each month. That site is Yelp. This Web 2.0 service is great for finding and creating reviews of restaurants, salons, all kinds of… Continue reading Yelp: is your library in there?
Short and sweet…URLs
Sometimes, URLs can be insanely long. For example: http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch.com/ Or: http://www.microsoft.com/events/EventDetails.aspx?CMTYSvcSource=MSCOMMedia&Params=%7eCMTYDataSvcParams%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22ID%22+Value%3d%221032301951%22%2f%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22ProviderID%22+Value%3d%22A6B43178-497C-4225-BA42-DF595171F04C%22%2f%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22lang%22+Value%3d%22en%22%2f%5e%7earg+Name%3d%22cr%22+Value%3d%22US%22%2f%5e%7esParams%5e%7e%2fsParams%5e%7e%2fCMTYDataSvcParams%5e Yes, both real. Both annoying. And, if you try to email these, they will not display properly in some email clients. Some people won’t be able to click them at all. But, never fear…URL shortening services are here! There are many free URL shortening… Continue reading Short and sweet…URLs
Grabbing a gravatar
Do you like to use online forums or comment on blogs? If you do, chances are you’ve seen, or perhaps even have, a small icon or picture that often sits to the left of a commenter’s name. These are called avatars (the Weblin service, which I blogged about a bit ago, uses the same concept,… Continue reading Grabbing a gravatar