What Does This Mean to Me, Laura?

All the news that’s fit to email

I love just about anything that will organize my crazy life for me, and I especially love those services that collate and push data, so I don’t have to go chasing after it. A few weeks ago, I wrote about a handy tool that accomplishes this for calendars and schedules, called Sunrise. This week, I… Continue reading All the news that’s fit to email

Head Meets Desk (Part Two)

(You can see Part One here.) Last time on MeanLaura, I shared stories from library IT staff about moments they had with non-tech staff that were frustrating. This week, I’m sharing more stories, this time about some of the…interesting…things that patrons have done. Enjoy, and please post your own stories in the comments–I know you’ve… Continue reading Head Meets Desk (Part Two)

Head Meets Desk (Part One)

A little while ago, I put out a call to the public library IT community to share their best (worst?) “Head meets desk” moments. You know, those times when they drove out to a branch, only discover that the thing wasn’t plugged in, or when someone called them about a broken “cupholder.” (Is that last… Continue reading Head Meets Desk (Part One)

Sunrise: a handy little tool

While there’s lots of ground-breaking technology happening right now, sometimes it’s the little things that catch my attention. I sign up for all sorts of new web things. If it’s in beta, I usually want an invite. I like testing things out as they come along, and I suspect that you may also enjoy tinkering… Continue reading Sunrise: a handy little tool

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2012 edition)

It’s that time again! Time for MeanLaura’s annual collection of fun things on which you could be wasting your workday. Surely, you’ve given up solitaire by now, and there’s only so much Words with Friends or Temple Run you can enjoy before someone sneers about you still playing “that old stuff.” DISCLAIMER: There is probably… Continue reading Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2012 edition)

Why your website layout matters

From a usability perspective, layout has always been important. If the tasks people come to do the most often are hidden, people leave your site, frustrated. Recently, with the advent of mobile devices of all kinds, layout has also taken on a different facet: it now has to not put up barriers to those using… Continue reading Why your website layout matters

“There are no facts inside the building.”

This is one of the rare occasions where I would like to simply take all of the text from someone else’s blog post and simply plunk it here. Since I can’t really do that, I do want to share a relevant portion…in a bit. Gerry McGovern is an author and website consultant. His focus is… Continue reading “There are no facts inside the building.”

What would YOU tell them? [Need help]

I need some help from all of you, this time round. If you are an IT professional in a library, or a staff member who has to deal with technology all day, you have probably had a moment or two when you’ve dreamed of being able to magically insert some nugget of understanding into a… Continue reading What would YOU tell them? [Need help]

Exclamation points. Don’t use them.

“Exclamation points, you see, are evil. “ James Chartrand, Men With Pens I’m fairly certain that I’ve talked about this in nearly every web-related workshop or presentation I’ve ever done; despite this emphasis, I still see exclamation points appearing on library websites. I know, you think it doesn’t matter. It’s just so easy to use… Continue reading Exclamation points. Don’t use them.

Thinking a bit about online advertising

Advertising your library online is tempting. The expertise required to set it up is minimal, and the allure can quickly overwhelm you when you realize that most of it is PPC (pay per click), meaning that you only have to pay for what people actually click on. Why not just do it? Staff time is… Continue reading Thinking a bit about online advertising

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?

Some lines about logos

In my job, I work with a lot of library logos. Especially because, when possible , I design around the logo. I don’t like to just create a template and stick a logo in it. I like the rest of a design to reflect the aesthetics of the logo. Which, I have found, creates a… Continue reading Some lines about logos

Your email signature: good or not? Take the quiz

Recently, a friend complained to me that the email signature of one of her coworkers was ridiculous. It included a quote, a plug for one of the library’s services, a graphic and several other unnecessary elements. All of this detritus was just something she had to visually wade through to figure out what was important. … Continue reading Your email signature: good or not? Take the quiz

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

Getting web images down to size

Generally speaking, most library staff I work with understand that, when you take an image off a digital camera, it’s huge. It’s easy to see that it’s huge; often, the photo may take up more than your monitor. So, most library staff understand that those digital images have to be resized to fit on their… Continue reading Getting web images down to size

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.

Beware of “smelly” content

Many libraries give a lot of thought to how their website looks, and some even spend a significant time thinking about how people actually use their sites. However, one aspect that often gets overlooked is the content. Content especially gets ignored once it’s actually up on a site; how many times have you run… Continue reading Beware of “smelly” content

Writing so people give a darn

This week, the OPLIN 4Cast took a look at how social media does or does not affect attention. I thought I’d supplement that with something else that tends to lose people’s attention on the Web. All too often, when I look at a library’s website, what I see resembles the following: Lorem ipsum dolor sit… Continue reading Writing so people give a darn

Is this the right word?

Yesterday was a Sunday, which usually means that I can be found sitting at my computer, working on my second book, while the rest of the world enjoys…well, everything else. Suffice it to say, spending a gorgeous day inside working isn’t my favorite activity. Which is why my mind was thinking about all sorts of… Continue reading Is this the right word?

Where’s the payoff?

I’ve been doing a lot of teaching about social media lately, and one of the points I drive home constantly is that human beings are inherently selfish. When presented with anything new, the question in our heads is always and immediately going to be: “What’s in it for ME?” When your library promotes anything, it… Continue reading Where’s the payoff?

Website work starts with education

“Though art may be subjective, Web design is not. In Web design, there is a right way and a wrong way to approach layout, navigation, copy, white space, and other critical website components.”—Andrew Follett A lot of what I do in my job is education. Sure, I spend time actually designing websites, writing code and… Continue reading Website work starts with education

Grown-up Easter eggs

This weekend, millions of children will be searching their yards in search of eggs and goodies allegedly left by the Easter Bunny. Chances are good that, if you’re a parent, you’ve already been noshing on those goodies*. In that case, you’re already hyped up on sugar and your brain may not be entirely on your… Continue reading Grown-up Easter eggs

Why library websites don’t win awards

I wasn’t able to share this at my Computers in Libraries presentation (not enough time!), so I wanted to post it here. What other issues do you see that consistently plague library websites?

Social search & grokking Greplin

Many times, only half-jokingly, I have told people that I have the memory of a sieve. That is to say, none at all. I suspect that, in this age of the information barrage, I’m not alone. How many times have you recalled that someone said something about something, online somewhere, at some time in the… Continue reading Social search & grokking Greplin

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

Phishing: it happens, even in libraries

When the folks I work with at OPLIN suggested this topic, my first reaction was “Isn’t that too basic for MeanLaura to be covering?” All of my colleagues assured me, sadly, that it wasn’t. And then I, too, was sad. You’ve almost certainly heard the word “phishing” before. Chances are you even know what it… Continue reading Phishing: it happens, even in libraries

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2010 edition)

The holiday season is upon us. Yes, you’re still working, but I’m betting that your brain is still curled up in bed (visions of sugar plums optional). The weather outside is frightful and cabin fever may be setting in. It’s time for MeanLaura’s 2010 roundup of interesting and/or bizarre sites you may have missed this… Continue reading Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2010 edition)

Stop putting out the “welcome mat”

The temptation is overwhelming. After all, libraries are friendly places, right? We wouldn’t want our patrons to think they weren’t welcome. It’s so nice and friendly to put a big “Welcome to our library website!” heading at the top of the front page, right? Sorry…no. Remember, every square inch of your library’s website is extremely… Continue reading Stop putting out the “welcome mat”

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 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?

What is Second Life?

I admit it; I’ve put off writing about Second Life for a while. Mostly because I’ve gotten very tired of uninformed people making judgements about it based on the hype, rather than the reality. Last year, an ignorant speaker at Computers in Libraries declared Second Life to be “dead.” The only thing that has died… Continue reading What is Second Life?

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

How are you wasting time?

It’s the week before Christmas. Let’s be honest here…most of us are not thinking about work. If Twitter and Facebook are any indication, most people I know are physically at work, but mentally they’re caroling and gulping eggnog. (I plead the Fifth, myself.) So, today I asked folks what they wasted time on, online (not… Continue reading How are you wasting time?

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

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

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?”

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!