C’mon baby, Kindle my fire?

November 29, 2007 at 6:46 pm (access, Library 2.0, news)

Conversation among the Ref. Services staff today has revolved around Amazon’s new wunder-Kindle. Having exhausted my supply of bad puns, and watched the video demo, I’m forced to admit…I want to try one out. It sounds like a dream come true, but the proof of the pudding is in the playtesting. Anybody have a spare $400?

The feature I really want to test is the NowNow beta, as described by this blog post. A paper-light, comprehensive reading and reference resource with live tech support? Dear Santa: I’ve been a very, very, very good alchemist this year.

How about you? Want a Kindle? Why or why not?

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“First, have something to say.” Also, a brief list.

November 28, 2007 at 6:55 pm (databases, humor, Learning 2.0, Library 2.0, presentations, professional development, website redesign)

With a tip of the hat, and apologies, to Walt Crawford, I blush to admit that I have been far too busy today to blog seriously. Hopefully this will not get me kicked out of Library 2.0.

I suspect not. After all, one danger of blogging without cause is  potential mockery in The Onion. Anybody who winced might want to power down their computers and take a walk.

Projects juggled today included:

  • Putting final touches on our Staff Development Day group presentation
  • Making decisions about the next steps in the website redesign
  • Helping a patron research biotechnology
  • Coordinating renewals, invoices, and budget planning with various database committee members

An alchemist’s work is never done.  Good thing we work in teams.

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Back to work. Also, more interesting web resources.

November 27, 2007 at 7:29 pm (Library 2.0, presentations, social justice, web resources)

It was great to be “LAV unplugged” for a few days, but it’s also good to be back in the business of helping people in multple formats!  I’ve spent most of my day catching up with projects, primarily the staff development day presentation.  After a round-robin of  group e-mails and massive wiki edit sessions, I’m feeling really good about what the group has accomplished.  Stay tuned for a new supporting page, too, which will go live on Staff Development Day (that’s 12/3/07, for the uninitiated).

By way of a “welcome back,” Mary Ellen G. pointed me to survey data from the Medical Expenditure Panel. Housed under the larger umbrella of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, this website contains survey data on various areas of interest, including health care disparities, underserved populations, mental health, and the uninsured, and it’s the newest addition to the Reference Services del.icio.us account.

Of the many gems backed up in my newsreader, Social Actions is a site worth exploring. Although the site design has a few odd kinks to iron out, the principle is sound: Social Actions functions as a social action metasite, so that potential donors and helpers can search multiple sources via one convenient interface. The most intriguing technological feature here is RSSA, or “Really Simple Social Actions.” Based on the principle of RSS feeds, it’s a new way to make online activism easier. For more information, see the official RSSA site. It’s a work in progress, still, but an exciting one.

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Reference works consulted today

November 21, 2007 at 4:43 pm (traditional library services)

  • ValuLine
  • The Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology
  • Davenports
  • World Almanac
  • Granger’s Poetry Index

Even an alchemist needs a break.  Ergo, this blog will be on haitus until Tuesday.  Until then, cite your sources,  add up your stats,  count your blessings, and enjoy your t(of)urkey!

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What happened to 2.5? Also, brevity, soul and wit.

November 20, 2007 at 7:21 pm (humor, Learning 2.0, Library 2.0, traditional library services, web resources)

Sheila J. shared this link today, which leads to a delightful Stephen Abram presentation called “Information 3.0.” Those of you wondering if you missed a decimal point will be relieved to learn it’s a metaphor, though not just a metaphor. The candid language is refreshing, too, in my humble opinion.

In case you couldn’t tell from yesterday’s brief entry, it’s been a busy week so far at the library.  When you share your neighborhood with three academic libraries, there’s bound to be some overlap in kinds of questions asked, and types of materials wanted.  In the interest of concentrating on my research and callbacks tonight, therefore, I’ll leave you with some opinions on the soul and wit of Library 2.0

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Change.org

November 19, 2007 at 7:06 pm (social justice, Uncategorized, web resources)

Yet another article from TechCrunch about Web 2.0 technologies used for socially just ends. To bypass the news and go directly to hands-on exploration, click here.

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Booking it online

November 16, 2007 at 5:58 pm (Library 2.0, reader's advisory, social justice, web resources)

I’ve decided to use LibraryThing for my professional reading, and keep my personal picks in Facebook’s Visual Bookshelf application.  I like it much better than iRead, except that VB trips my library’s filter.  All the more reason to save it for personal use.

Renee A., from First Floor, showed me yet another social network for books and reading.  The twist to BookMooch is that you’re swapping rather than cataloging. Post a list of books you no longer want, and people who want them can make requests.   Click here for an explanation of how it works.

The most appealing feature here is, in my opinion, the chance to donate your points. Of course, you could always donate directly to organizations that need your books, such as Book ‘Em. But, however you choose to do it, it’s reassuring to know there are plenty of ways, both traditional and 2.0, to improve others’ lives.

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The Point (and it does have one)

November 15, 2007 at 6:35 pm (social justice, web resources)

Actually, it has many.  As reported via TechCrunch, The Point is a social network designed to create change…but only after a critical mass of people gets involved.   This mirrors the logic espoused by Malcolm Gladwell in his non-fiction bestseller, The Tipping Point.

 The About page is a terrific place to learn more about the theory behind the site, but if you want to dive right in and see what people are doing with the tool, keyword searching for causes is the way to go. A search for “library,” for example, led me to an interesting complaint. Apparently, as institutions, we have a little further to go when it comes to bridiging the gap between service expectations and library realities.

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Library haiku (multitasking)

November 14, 2007 at 6:48 pm (humor)

I have often marveled at library bloggers who have the leisure to craft long essays of quality prose.  Between the barrage of database renewals, the reference callbacks, the valiant struggle to keep up with my 2.0 initiatives, and all the surprises that happen on the daily, I do not think I will be writing any of those entries anytime soon.

I can, however, share my day in haiku between VR patrons.  Ergo, my doggerel:

Where’s that senior kit?
Nobody seems to recall,
But here’s where they’re stored.

Which Army registry?
Here is the year you wanted.
Yes, I can get others.

Did you know you can
Sign up for review galleys
At LibraryThing?

Experts say the sun
Will last five billion years more.
Patron and I, grateful.

Renewal season
Brings many calls from vendors.
Learn to play the game.

Patron’s on her way,
But the book has wandered off.
Race against the clock!

Hunting fennec fox,
I find info at zoos and
EBSCO Animals.

I hope that was as informative and entertaining for you to read as it was amusing for me to write!  Tune in tomorrow for more wild adventures from a multitasking librarian.

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Cross-departmental. Also, Thing and Things.

November 13, 2007 at 6:46 pm (Learning 2.0, Library 2.0, presentations, professional development, web resources)

Met this morning with everyone involved in planning the Library 2.0 session for Staff Development day.  Two of us are from the IT department, two of us are librarians, and all of us are on the same page, which is terrific.  If the group doesn’t object, I’ll be happy to post our presentation here after the fact.

Also spent an hour working at our Customer Service (formerly Circulation) desk, an assignment I feel everybody who wants to understand libraries should do at some point.  Beth L.’s staff should get an award for the yeoman’s work they do, especially when the lines get long, and the goal is to give good service fast.  I’d like to do this again – I can do “good” and “fast,” but I think I need a little more practice to do both simultaneously!

2.0 dabblings have been on the back burner lately, due to database kerfuffle and website redesign.  However, I took the time today to finally create a LibraryThing to document my professional reading habits. There’s only one book in it so far; I”m posting in the hopes that being publicly accountable for the things I create will inspire me to maintain them!

In that same spirit, I’m thinking about signing up with 43 Things; however, I may do this as a personal project and not a work-related one. If you browse the site and see the wealth of things people have pledged to do this year, it might inspire you, too.

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