Building social capital

If your library is on Facebook, Twitter or other social media site, congratulations.  You’ve started down the road to helping your library engage in new forms of communication and public relations.  However, just being there isn’t enough, and it may not help you in the long run.  It’s time to take the next step:  building… Continue reading Building social capital

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

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

CSS Part I: Why you need them

scary words–> CASCADING STYLE SHEETS! <–scary words Are you scared?  Cowering in a corner?  (Okay, I suspected you weren’t.)   How about uncomfortable?  A teeny bit? If you’re a regular user of CSS, you probably think I’m a bit nuts.  If you’re not, you might feel intimidated by the idea of using Cascading Style Sheets… Continue reading CSS Part I: Why you need them

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?

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….

I can haz internet meme?

It’s the day after Turkey Day. Obviously, not a day for deep thoughts or complex topics, since most of us are probably still zoned out from large quantities of comestibles. Therefore, LOLcats are the perfect subject for today’s post. To understand the LOLcat phenomena, you first have to understand the idea of the internet meme.… Continue reading I can haz internet meme?

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

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

[GUEST POST] Everything you ever wanted to know about spyware & adware (but were afraid of the answers)

Shawn Walsh is the Technology Analyst for NEO-RLS. What are spyware and adware, anyway? Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. How did I get this on my computer?… Continue reading [GUEST POST] Everything you ever wanted to know about spyware & adware (but were afraid of the answers)

Lifestreaming, the next social act

I currently know more about the lives and interests of many of my professional contacts than I do about some family members.  This isn’t really on purpose, but it is a direct result of the choice many people I know have made, to keep people constantly abreast of what they’re doing via web services such… Continue reading Lifestreaming, the next social act

Time to talk spam

(With a lot of credit to George Lenzer, blogger at alt.think!) Here’s some facts about email’s biggest annoyance.  Did you know: Spam is largely automated? There aren’t sweatshops full of people typing up those messages at lightning speed in some less developed nation for half a cent per day. In fact, the automation of spam… Continue reading Time to talk spam

The sins of library web sites

Ah, Twitter is a wonderful thing.  I asked members of the Twitterverse to catalog the problems of library web sites, and my followers (as friends on Twitter are called) did not disappoint.  I got responses not only from both library and non-library folks, but even a bit of international participation with a comment or two… Continue reading The sins of library web sites

[GUEST POST] Is your library search bar friendly?

Don Yarman is the Deputy Director of Delaware County Public Library. Probably by now, you’re using a web browser that has a search box in the upper right-hand corner. Do you use it? You should; it’s handy and it’s awesome. I used to hate it. I already had the Google toolbar and Google is my… Continue reading [GUEST POST] Is your library search bar friendly?

The web as social playground: Weblin

For the past several months, I have been experimenting with a little-known web application called Weblin. In effect, it allows you to have a little avatar (Weblin) that appears on any web site you visit. This avatar can then see and communicate with other Weblins it encounters on that site. In essence, Weblin turns your… Continue reading The web as social playground: Weblin

[GUEST POST] Escaping the Brand Trap: Moving Beyond Big Name Software

George Lenzer is a Computer and Network Manager at Cleveland Public Library and blogs at alt.think. Do you exclusively use big name household products like toothpaste, laundry detergent and tissue paper? Not very likely, since they almost always are more expensive than their generic or store-branded counterparts…and generics are often just as good. Then why… Continue reading [GUEST POST] Escaping the Brand Trap: Moving Beyond Big Name Software

To blog or not to blog…is that really the question?

Libraries are often encouraged to blog. By no means, let me discourage your library from blogging! But, because it is so easy to set up a blog, some libraries overlook some important questions they should answer before starting out. Some libraries have jumped into blogging, without necessarily evaluating whether or not it represents the best… Continue reading To blog or not to blog…is that really the question?

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There are no ‘OPLIN databases’

(This is something that even I, who worked with database purchases for the CLEVNET consortium, didn’t really “get” until I came to work for OPLIN.  I’m sharing here in an attempt to clear it up for everyone.) Not every brand of facial tissue is Kleenex. Not every brand of gelatin is Jell-O. And not every… Continue reading There are no ‘OPLIN databases’

[GUEST POST]Ultra Low-Cost PCs: Little Laptops Getting a Lot of Love

Glen Horton is the Technology Coordinator and Assistant Director of SWON Libraries. As convenient as they are, laptops can be a pain to lug around.  They’re heavy, take up table space, generate heat, and need to be plugged into power every couple of hours.  For years the computer industry has tried to develop smaller, more… Continue reading [GUEST POST]Ultra Low-Cost PCs: Little Laptops Getting a Lot of Love

Facebook and public libraries

“Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.” (Official definition.) I think most people have some idea of… Continue reading Facebook and public libraries

Why link collections are dead…sort of

I am hoping, nay, I’m practically praying, that your library does not have either of the following: A collection of links to external websites (often called “Links” or the “Link Library” on the library’s web site, or Bunches of sites bookmarked at the Reference Desk that staff use to find information for patrons. Why do… Continue reading Why link collections are dead…sort of

Tag, You’re It

You may have heard about tagging (AKA folksonomies). If you’re a cataloger, the whole concept might give you nightmares. So, before we even delve into what tagging is, let’s preface the discussion with this: tagging does not replace cataloging. It is a supplement; an additional way to get metadata that may help the end user… Continue reading Tag, You’re It

A short lesson in Netiquette

Everyone has at least one; that person (friend, family member or coworker) who thinks they have to forward every last joke, LOLCat photo or (usually fake) virus warning to absolutely everyone in their address book. And, often they have no clue about how to use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field, so that people you… Continue reading A short lesson in Netiquette

First things first: RSS

RSS (usually standing for “Really Simple Syndication”), is crucial to your career. No, really, I mean it. After all, if you’re a librarian, keeping up with information and current events is your job. Think of it like this: New stuff happens all the time. In technology, new stuff is happening every minute. Who can keep… Continue reading First things first: RSS