Jabberwocky

Task # 10 New Website 2011

2012-01-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

Task #10 New Website 2011

I clicked around the main navigation and looked at the footer items. The Home Page has a lot of places to access directly without having to look for menus. The Search Box is nice to have there, but it is a little confusing because it looks like you have to do a Keyword Search without other options. However, if you do make an entry into the box, it will pick up the other searches on that screen.

The What's New is nice. It would be even nicer if it had the pictures of the covers of the DVDs and CDs.

Having the Event Calendar on the front page is helpful. The calendar view for the month is very nice. If everybody would post their events on the monthly view page, it would sure make finding the events much faster. The Events Organizer is also helpful.

The black menu of links is helpful. Since there are so many more links that can be accessed from the main page, it makes searching much easier.

The Facebook, Twitter and RSS icons make for easy access to these sites.

How nice to have the pages for Kids and Teens according to their age groups. These groups make it so much easier to find their age-specific interests.

Everything is just so much more efficient on the new web page.

Great ideas!

Task 9 Universal Class 2011

2011-12-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

Task 9 - 2011 Universal Class

After I noticed that the courses were not accredited for college, but are approved by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training, I looked at their web site to see if I could find out more about them. They seem to be a legitimate organization, so hopefully their certificates would be accepted by some organizations and employers. I think it is important to make sure patrons understand that they will not be receiving college credit for the courses.

Not all occupations require a college degree. A certain set of knowledge and skills are needed for some jobs and many of the course offerings may just provide what an individual needs for those jobs. There are certainly many to choose from. I would think that a certificate from the courses could be very helpful, if noted on a person's resume. Also, I would think that many of the classes could be taken to "brush up" for a job application or exam, if an employer were to require an exam. For instance, the GED or the General Education could be a good ones, if the employer would accept that. The Test Preparation courses would be good practice. Even if credit is not offered, taking a course may help give a person a better idea of whether or not they wanted to pursue a particular career, before a lot of money would have been spent.

Self- paced is good! Fun is good too! There are courses that would just plain be fun to take.
Free is good! Since the Library is offering this database for free for it's patrons, I wonder how much it is costing the Library. It certainly is a worthwhile benefit.

Task 8 2011 Espanol LibGuide

2011-11-29T10:55:00.000-08:00

Task 8 2001 Espanol LibGuide

I went to the Espanol LibGuide and copied the URL.

I searched for Google Translate and pasted the URL into the boxes that translate from Spanish
to English. The whole site was then in English.

I took the quiz and got 1 question wrong.

The way the LibGuide is set up with links to click on, I think it would be fairly easy to show a Spanish speaking person how to click on the links to find more information.

The information that is in the LibGuide is all very helpful information that would pertain to what our patrons are interested in.

# 7 Cloud Computing 2011 Google Docs & Dropbox

2011-11-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

# 7 Cloud Computing 2011

I read the articles and viewed the videos on Cloud Computing and what Google Docs and Dropbox have to offer.

I think I would be more inclined to use Google Docs because I don't use the portable devices like the Iphone and Blackberry. I would generally create documents, forms, or spreadsheets. It's really nice to have a "Cloud" space to store a document in case you use more than 1 computer and don't want to save to a disk or USB and then have to carry that around.

As far as helping patrons, the Google Docs or Drop Box is great for patrons on the Public Computers downstairs for people who have worked on a document, but were unable to finish it and don't want or to save it to a disk or USB. The only drawback would be that they may not have enough time left to set up the account. Telling them about it may help for the future though. I would certainly recommend it to any patron interested in saving a document. I would explain the advantages of both the Dropbox and the Google Docs so they could use the one they prefer.

Task # 6 2011 Helping Patrons

2011-10-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Task # 6 2011 Helping Patrons

I took the quiz. I got all of the answers right and none of them surprised me.

My example of a multiple choice question follows:

A young person comes to the Library wanting to apply for a job for the first time and wants help to write a resume.

Would you:

a) Refer the person to the Job Center?

b) Look up the dewey number for books on resumes for him?

c) Tell him to look in the Occupational OutlooK Handbook?

d) Show him the books we have on writing resumes and show him our Optimal Resume
Database Templates.

The correct answer is d) Show him the books we have on writing resumes and show him our Optimal Resume Database Templates.

Task #5 2011 Chilton Repair Library

2011-10-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

Task # 5 2011 Chilton Repair Library

I looked up my car in the Chilton Library.

I selected:

Year: 2004

Make: Buick

Model: Le Sabre

Then I looked up repair for:

Brakes

Front Disc Brakes

Brake Disc Rotor

Remove and Installation

Then I went to the Maintenance Tab and got a check list of maintenance information and printed that off to keep handy.
Then I went to Bulletins and Recalls and read over that information.

Then I looked up my Tahoe

I selected:

Year: 1999

Make: Chevrolet

Model: Tahoe

Then I selected Wiring Diagrams

I selected:

Wiring Diagrams

Heating and Ventilating

Manual Air Conditioning

Wiring Diagrams HVAC. This had an icon to click on, but nothing came up.

I tried other system wiring diagrams also and nothing came up.

Most of the information was quite helpful, but not the Wiring Diagram feature. This is unfortunate because we have many patrons who come in wanting wiring diagrams and we have very few in our printed collection.

Task 5 2011 Chilton Library

2011-10-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Task #5 20011 Chilton Library

I selected my 2004 Buick LeSabre to look for repair information. I selected Repair and then Brakes, and then Front Disc Brakes and Disc Rotor, and Remove and Installation. The information appeared to be very helpful to someone doing it themselves. The instructions were printable, so that would definitely be helpful for a patron to be able to take the information home with them. I also went to the maintenance tab which showed a table of regular maintenance to perform on the car. I printed this out to refer to it. I also went to the tab for bulletins and recalls which gave a list of some problems with that car and it explained how to repair some of those things which come up.

I also looked up my 1999 Tahoe and looked for wiring diagrams for it. It brought up the wiring diagrams for various parts of the car with an icon to click on, but nothing would come up. I also tried on the Le Sabre, but nothing came up there either. It was disappointing because many of our patrons are interested in them and we have very few wiring diagrams in print. Besides the wiring diagrams, I think the information is helpful to patrons.

Task 4 2011 Download eBooks

2011-10-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

Task 4 2011 Download e Books

1. I used the knowledge I gained about accessing Consumer Reports in Masterfile Premier from Task # 3 to locate a review of e Readers. I found the most recent article in the Consumer Reports periodical, which was in the September 2011 issue. After reading the information, I would be inclined to purchase the Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader. It has excellent ratings for reliability, responsiveness, page turning, and navigation. These are the features I would use most. The 6 inch screen size would work well for me and the $140 price would be acceptable.

2. The first few steps to downloading a book I would choose to the e Reader follows:
1. Be sure the Nook is on and out of Sleep Mode.
2. Connect the eReader device to the computer.
3. In Adobe Digital Editions, Library View, select the title chosen to transfer. Remember that
Wireless won't work.
4. Click on the title (book cover) and drag it to the ebook icon at the left side of the screen.

Task 3 INTRO TO MASTERFILE MAY, 2011

2011-07-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

I watched the Video, paying attention to the notes that popped up along the bottom.

I found the most recent "Best" review article in "Consumer Reports" for smart phones. The article was found in "Consumer Reports", January, 2011, Vol. 76, Issue 1, pp 26 - 29 and pp 30-38.

I had difficulty finding the article on the first page of the 1-9-92 "Rolling Stones", so I'll skip that for now and try to come back to that later.

Discovery Task # 2 2011 Website Scavenger Hunt

2011-06-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

I took the quiz on the Website Scavenger and came up with mixed results due to having interruptions while I was taking it. It kept going back to the original answers in between sessions. Since I am a couple of months behind, some of the information was no longer on the web page.

2011 Discovery Task #1 Create a Blog

2011-06-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

I already have a Blog, so I didn't need to set a new one up.

November 2010 Task "Cloud Computing"

2010-12-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

November 2010 Task "Cloud Computing"

I read the articles from Forbes on Cloud Computing and the concept seemed rather "ethereal". After watching the U Tube, it seemed to be more down to earth. A couple of ways in which I participate in it have been to make online purchases which use companies like Pay Pal for the billing and Marmot email, which provides our email service. Also our wiki provides a place to store our communication needs.

Our patrons benefit from Cloud Computing from such sources as; our online databases, Ask a Librarian, Ask Colorado, and Downloadable Media. The bottom line for libraries using Cloud Computing is "virtually" endless.

SEPTEMBER 2010 ELECTION LIBGUIDE

2010-10-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 2010 ELECTION LIBGUIDE

1. I reviewed the information on the five tabs.

1. The first tab, Election and Voting Information, had online voter registration, forms, sample
ballots and voting maps

2. The second tab, 2010 Candidates and Parties, has a table with all the candidates for the
General Election and their party affiliation and seats on one page. There is a page
for Senators for Colorado U.S. Congress. Clicking on the names brings up complete bio
information,recent key votes, speeches, and ratings.

3. The third tab, Ballot Issues, has the entire Blue Book, full text house and senate bills, their
history, and pro and con comments on issues.

4. The forth tab, Campaign Finance Information, includes a disclosure site for campaign
finance in Colorado, searches expenditures, contributions, loans, complaints, and
searches for candidates.

5. The fifth tab, Media, includes televised debates, television and newspapers online links.

2. I found the Colorado Blue Book. It's nice to have this option available. One booklet is sent per
household, so it is nice to be able to access online as an alternative.

3. I took the quiz and got 5 out of 6 questions right.

4. This site can be used at work to fill out virtually any questions patron may come up with for
voting information. We can answer single questions or refer patrons to the site so that they
may look up the information for themselves.

August Task 2010 Helpful Links

2010-09-21T13:31:00.001-07:00

August Task 2010 Helpful Links

I visited "Critical Past" and looked up what happened on my birth date, March 14, 1951. I got 3 hits for video clips from the US Government Archives. One was a gun mount and gun director being removed fro the US Aircraft Carrier, Langley in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. One was of Cocoons and Armor Plate being removed from around guns aboard the Langley. The last was of a French Naval Officer briefing navy men in a classroom in Philadelphia. It seems like war was still in the minds of people on my birthday. I am a baby boomer.

I visited foodsafety.gov to look up the cooking temperature for fresh pork. It is 160 degrees. I made a copy of the temperatures for meat table to use for a handy reference in my kitchen.

August Task Helpful Links

2010-09-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

July Task - New OPAC

2010-08-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

August Task - New OPAC

1. I did a Title Search in the New OPAC on: "Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II". There was a picture of the book on on the page. Information provided by Amazon was nice. It supplied Subjects, Editorial Reviews, Booklist Review, Publisher's Weekly Review, Reader's Review, and Popular Rating. These are nice to give a person some help in deciding if they want to read the book. From this page, one can find the copies in our library as well as other locations and call numbers and shelf status is given. Availability shows and requesting can be done on this page. One can cite, text, email, export record, save to a list.

2. I logged into my account and placed a hold on "The Shack". The hold placed immediately with successful confirmation.

3. I took the survey and put the following in the following comments:

Very nice response time and ease in placing holds.
Nice to have a picture of the item.
Gives all information one needs to know on the first page.
Options of what one can do with the record are nice.

June 2010 Task Newseum's Front Pages

2010-07-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

June 2010 Task Newseum's Front Pages

1. I visited the Newseum's "Today's Front Pages". I sorted by list to give myself an easier way to browse what was available. It sorted the papers by states, which were in alphabetical order by states of the United States and at the end of that, there were countries in alphabetical order.

I was surprised that there were no papers from France. Although there were some written in the French Language.

This resource would be helpful especially if someone was looking for a foreign newspaper. If someone has moved here, they may be interested in news from their home town and our newspapers would only a couple of big cities.

The map browsing is nice for an overall view of what areas have newspapers available.

May 2010 Task Free E'books

2010-05-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

May, 2010 Task Free E-Books

I downloaded books from Project Gutenburg, Google Books, and Online Books Page.

On Project Gutenburg, I downloaded "Apple Pie" by Kate Greenaway and clicked on the download link and got a publisher's note and text with illustrations. I downloaded "Zadig: Or the Book of Fate: An Oriental History." "Zadig" came with a table of contents by chapter, which comes in handy. All the Project Gutenburg books can be browsed by author, title, or language. They can be downloaded to computer, iphone, kindle, sony reader and more. It is nice because the books are always available and don't require an account.

On Google Books I clicked on "Moby Dick" and got illustrations; introduction; table of contents, which allows to click on chapter or page number; etemology, and extracts. It includes a lot of information and is easy to navigate. I also clicked on "Life Magazine" in the serials section. It is set up as a photographed picture of the whole magazine and comes in color. I looked at the October 23, 1950 issue which had Ed Wynn on the cover. There were lots of ads as well as articles with pictures. This is a nice way to look up articles as they appeared in the issue rather than just a database with the text articles.

On Online Books, I went to the Banned Books Online and downloaded "Lady Chatterley's Lover". This is a great site for students who have to read a banned book. It provides not only a list of books, but they can be downloaded to read right then. It would save tons of time for students with that assignment. I also looked at the "Occupational Outlook Quarterly", Spring of 2010 issue. It is set up just like the book is with an index to occupations. A search can be done of occupations. I used Tellers as an occupation, and was given further breakdown positions, as well as what is needed for education and preparation. It also includes a table of salaries and outlook for needs.

One of the most valuable reasons to use these sites would be that a classic book would be available to any number of students at the same time. Often teachers assign projects for many students to all read the book at the same time, and of course there are never that many available to check out.

April Task: Optimal Resume

2010-05-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

April 2010 Task: Optimal Resume

I went to the website for Optimal Resume and created an account.

I clicked on the Document Center Tab.

I explored the Resume Builder which offers tips to get an interview. It offers a sample resume that can be edited to match a person's content, style, and gives action words that will attract attention. It can be entered into a Resume Bank which can be searched by employers. A copy may be printed.

I explored the Cover Letter Builder which will restate qualifications. A sample can be given which can be edited to personalize it with the experience, action words, and style of the job seeker. A paper copy may be printed.

A portfolio may be created to enhance the resume with uploads of images, documents, and videos. This site gives instructions and guides to create it.

The Website Builder helps a person create a customized web site that can include links to twitter, and linked in index sites that can be accessed by search engines. File lists can be accessed to link to templates. A sidebar provides links to social profile widgets, photo, and blogg. A passkey enables your site to be confidential by allowing you to limit it to only those whom you want to see it.

I clicked on Search Jobs Tab to see what might come up for possible openings. I was disappointed to find no jobs open in Grand Junction for some positions that seem very general. I started with Environmental Assessment Consultant, to be specific. I was not surprised to find no openings there. Then I searched Sales Clerk with Cabela's. No luck there. I broadened my search to waitress, accountant, and bank teller, and had no openings show up there either. It makes me wonder how successful some of our patrons may be at finding a job in Grand Junction using this tool. However, if one is not bound to Grand Junction, it is a good place to look for an opening that might be in another location.

In all, there is valuable information on this site for the job seeker. With Grand Junction's unemployment rate being one of the highest in the nation, and competition fierce, this site can offer an important edge.

March 2010 Task: Print-Friendly Tools

2010-05-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

March 2010 Task: Print-Friendly Tools

I went to printfriendly.com and watched the "How It Works" video.

After watching the video, I opened up a new tab and navigated to gjsentinel.com and clicked on an article with the headline," Hilkey Hopes Escapee Still Within Grasp".

Then, i copied the URL of the article and pasted it into printfriendly.com.

The original article was 6 pages long. After pasting it into printfriendly.com, the article was 2 pages long. Printfriendly took out the headline, 3 images, a directory, comments, share, related articles, an advertisement, job index, site selections, customer service, contact links, and directory of the paper. Then, I removed a paragraph of text, then removed a whole timeline, and then used undo to put the timeline back in.

Then, I went to the print preview of the article on the Firefox browser. I highlighted the text I wanted and left out all the other stuff. I got the same thing that I had ended up with when I used the printfriendly site. The only difference was that I got the headline of the article when I used print preview.

The main advantage I can see of the printfriendly site is that it is quicker. I think, perhaps, there may be other types of sites besides newspapers that would produce more dramatic results. For instance, virtually any site from which online shopping can be done.

February 2010 Task: Learn-A-Test

2010-05-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

February 2010 Task: Learn-A-Test

I registered for an account on the Learn-A-Test database.

I visited the Library Help Center and read all about Finding Help, Accessing Learning Express Library, Finding Tests and Courses, About My Center, About the Learning Centers, Navigating Learning Express Library, What's New in Learning Express Library Version 2.0, Using the Tests and Courses, FAQs, and System Requirements.

I took a Guided Tour of the Learning Express Library.

I browsed the list of Learning Centers and Their Resources.

I browsed the complete library of eBooks.

The tabs at the top of the Learning Center page are a convenient feature, as this makes navigation more streamlined. Many of the new features of the 2.0 version have made navigation more friendly. It is handy to put Practice Tests and Courses in the My Center account that is set up for the individual. That account can be accessed easily if one must stop at any point and return later to continue on. This is especially nice for anyone who may be using our Public Computers, which have a time limit. Viewing All Learning Centers and being able to click on all the subtopics of the particular sections is set up well and easy to use.

I took the Guided Tour, which was helpful because it gave some hints on what can be found as one goes.

I chose to use the GED Learning Center and Test Practice because many people come to the Library requesting GED study guides. I selected the High School Writing Courses, 1 and 2 to review. I took the GED practice test. The guides also included information on what it would be like to take the test and assess how one's own study practices may be helped.

There are lots of occasions to recommend this data base to patrons. One is that our study guides for GED, ASVAB, SAT, and ACT are often already checked out when a patron comes in. This is an alternative they may use on their home computer or the Library's Public Computers. Also, we do not have a number of study guides in book form, such as Cosmetology or Real Estate.

One of the down sides to the Learn-A-Test may be that a number of tests are for tests for state licenses. I'm sure that a lot of the general information can be applicable to all, yet their may be a significant amount of information that is missing. For instance, there are only Real Estate Exams for 7 states and Colorado is not one of them. The same is true of the selection of eBooks.

January , 2010 Task E-books

2010-05-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

For the January Task, I read and familiarized myself with the Information given on our Web Page on the Overdrive Downloadable Books, Videos, Music and E-Books. There is a huge amount of information available on these pages which should answer nearly every question a patron may come up with regarding these downloads. For myself, I found the amount of information a bit overwhelming and I divided it into parts to make it a little more manageable. Having done that, it became easier to direct patrons to the parts of information that pertained to their particular question. The Quick Start Guides and FAQs are particularly useful.

I familiarized myself with the popular e-book readers. They look a lot like books to me! Of course, the advantage is that many books can be downloaded onto it and it still only takes of the space of one book, as well as having features like the ability to adjust print size.

I familiarized myself with the Supported Portable Audio Devices as well. Wow! there's lots of them. How nice to be able to have the ability to download so much on a single device.

For starters, I downloaded the Adobe Digital Editions, selected Agatha Cristie's A Caribbean Mystery. It's nice to have the table of contents and ability of downloading and reading parts at a time. Also font size and bookmark features are handy features.

Task 23 Webolution Wrap Up

2009-11-14T19:05:00.000-08:00

Task 23 Webolution Wrap-Up

Task 22 Blogs We Like

2009-11-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

Task 22 Blogs We Like

Tastespotting: I'm with Cari about the pictures. Nothing that is words printed on a page sounds appetizing. You have to see the picture and the picture has to look appetizing. I looked at "Let's Talk Turkey" because it's that time of year. I found the categories to be usefull. I clicked on "Diet" because my pants are too tight.

"Crooks and Liars": Great title, but I feel a lot of angst toward politics. Neither the Democrats or Republicans can seem to understand deficit spending even while they watch it become a monster. I try to avoid most to keep my sanity.

"Said the Gramophone": "This was fun. I listened to: "Silly Kissers", "Easy Fantasy", "Dune Buggy", "Gobble Gobble", "Wild Thing", and "Sacred Dandruff".

Under Cari's Favorites, I checked out "Make Use of" I looked at:
"Get Deb" -" Manage Personal Accounts at Home"
"Imagination" - "Slide Show Maker" professional looking ways to manipulate pictures to make them look more interesting.

Under "Life Hacker" I looked at "Drive Your Car With Your IPhone". Don't try this at home, no matter how tempting it might be. I can see Mr. Bean thinking up this video and performing it himself. Also Under "Life Hacker" I learned how to use a bungee cord to split wood more efficiently. You know, bungee cords are almost as handy as duct tape. Then there was "Eat Breakfast Like an Olympian With Super Oatmeal". Great for 1 pot cooking, and in 3 minutes.

I searched Google for gardening blogs. "Joy of a Garden had some great tips. " Dave Barry's Gardening Tip of the Day, So Far": I'm afraid you will have to read this one yourself, because of the content. You will not be surprised that it came from his blog.

"November 2009 Garden Blogger's Bloom Day at Helen's Haven": A series of beautiful pictures of flowers that are still in bloom in Raleigh, South Carolina. I want to move into her house.

Google Hiking Blogs:
"Animal Friendly - Fun Hiking in Big Sur": Great pictures of wild life.

"Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Conquering the Chimney Tops video with Smoky Mountain music.

"Dramatic Panoramic Overlook, Hiking Dead Horse Point State Park", UT. After Cliff and I spent some time in the "Arches" we decided we'd like to see Dead Horse Point, but didn't have enough time left. We will definately be doing this in the future.

"'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe."

Lewis Carroll

Task 21 Photo Editing With Picnik

2009-11-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

Task 21 Photo Editing With Picnik

I went to the Picknik site and chose a demo photo. I was a picture of a fruit stand. I tried all of the tabs to manipulate the image. I uploaded to my blog and it appears at the upper right corner. I felt very powerful to have been able to do this.

"And so she slayed the beast she found,
By using blogger talk."

Phyllis

Task 20 Government Websites

2009-11-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

Task 20 Government Websites

I brought up the Mesa County Government web page. I clicked on "Departments" and chose the "Assessor's Office". I clicked on the "Assessor's Lookup" and "Real Property Appraisal Data Entry Sheet".

I couldn't find my home until I used the "If all else fails, just put in the address without a street name". I found my address along with the parcel number, owner, account number, legal description, and actual value. The parcel search gave me a map of the lot, as well as lots adjacent to it.

Back on the County web page I clicked on the Budget Brochure, which had pictures of the County Commissioners, how property tax is calculated, and how the tax money is distributed among departments. Our Library receives 4.8 percent. A pie chart shows Revenue Sources and appropriations by critical outcome area.

The following is a list of "Quicklinks" offered by the web page:

I went to the Colorado State web page. The current web page is much improved over the web page of past years. The tabs and subtabs have organized the government information in a way that makes it much easier to find information people are looking for.

The "Maps" button brings up maps with locations of such offices as, Driver's Licenses, Emissions, State Agencies, State Parks, Titles and Registrations, and County Offices. The maps give addresses as well as panning and zooming options.

The "My Neighborhood" button has a place for city or zip code searching as well as bringing up maps for things like Fire Departments, Schools, Hospitals, Law Enforcement Agencies, and Libraries!

Under the "Media Center" button you can find web cams, video, audio, events with Facebook, Flickr, Microformats, Mobile RSS, and Twitter.

Some of the information I have had patrons ask for are: "Where is the Driver's License Office?"; "How can I find the neighborhoods where the sex offenders live?"; "How do I file for Unemployment benefits?" It's all easy to find on the Colorado State Web Page.

"And so did Phyllis find a beast,
Much like the Jabberwock."...

Task 19 Wiki Scavenger Hunt

2009-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

Task 19 Wiki Scavenger Hunt

I answered all the Wiki Scavenger Hunt Questions.

I got them all correct!

I think the exercise was a good one because we have so much information stored there, we really need to know how to access it. I didn't have any trouble finding the answers on the Wiki. I hadn't visited the Schedules page for awhile and it was good to see all those happenings neatly listed in one place. Also I discovered the Branch Procedures altogether and printed them all out so I can be better prepared in advance to recall before I go to one.

"And the mome raths outgrabe".

Lewis Carroll

Task 18 Tiny URL and Zamar

2009-11-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

Task 18 Tiny URL and Zamar

Since we are approaching Thanksgiving, I went to Google and did a search for "how to cook a turkey". After I found a site, I converted the long URL to Tiny URL. My results follow:

TinyURL was created!

The following URL:

http:www.gloucestertimes.com/pulife/local_story_321225141.ht
ml?...

has a length of 66 characters and resulted in the following TinyURL which has a length of 26 characters:

http://tinyurl.com/ye7sfhq
[Open in new window]

Or, give your recipients confidence with a preview TinyURL:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ye7sfhq
[Open in new window]

I went to Zamar browsed from my my file, which was a document written by Cliff. I entered my email and converted the file. I copied and pasted it below.

Cliff’s Column
Tamarisk, what is it and what about
it?
Tamarisk, Tamarix ramosissima, or
Salt cedar, as it is commonly known,
is a shrub or small tree 5 -20 feet tall.
Leaves are small and scale like on
highly branched slender stems.
Flowers are small and pink to white.
Salt cedar was introduced from
Eurasia in the 1800’s as a possible
erosion control plant, and is now wide
spread thought the United States.
Today it occupies more than a million
acres of land in the Southwest. They
have become naturalized along stream
banks, canals and reservoirs. The
entire Rio Grande River corridor
through New Mexico is so thick with
Salt cedar that little else grows in
riparian areas. The Grand Junction
area and Colorado are no exceptions.
Stands form monocultures which
severely limit wild life habitat and
plant diversity. This condition can be
seen along much of our Colorado
River from Dotsero to the state line
and beyond. Large plants can transpire
at least 200 gallons of water per day!
Recently it has been gaining public
attention, due to funding efforts by
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
And Representative Scott McInnis.
The drought conditions have also
given impetus to ideas to save water.
A recent letter to the Editor in The
Daily Sentinel Expressed concern that
we are spending money to control
Tamarisk and my not have studies to
tell us how to wisely use the money.
Well, while the public has not been
aware of the problem and this may be
new territory for them, land managers
have been fussing with the Tamarisk
problem for a long time. Chemical
and mechanical and cultural methods
of treatment are well established and
new biological agents are being tested
in the field as I write. Two insects
appear to be very effective and host
specific. They have been released near
Pueblo, Colorado within the last year.
The consensus is that they could be
too effective too fast. Rehabilitating
the sites is the main concern. Studies
conducted by the Bureau of
Reclamation are on going. The rehab
problem is compounded by the fact
that Salt cedar draws salt from the
water and soils and deposits it in the
surface soil eventually causing the soil
to be too salty for other plants to
tolerate. Finding plants to recondition
the soil so native willows and
cottonwoods can reestablish is the
challenge. Within the last 3-4 years a
group of agency folks and local
governments have gotten together to
form a Tamarisk Coalition. This
group has been organizing efforts,
raising funds and awareness to tackle
the problem locally. They have
worked closely with Senator
Campbell and Representative
McInnis. They hope to encompass the
West slope portion of the Colorado
River drainage.
My own efforts with the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) have
focused on the upper most part of the
invasion from State Bridge to Dotsero.
Over a three year period and $15,000,
BLM has treated approximately 23
miles of Salt cedar along that portion
of the Colorado River and its’ side
drainages. The Grand Valley Anglers
and the Ferdinand Hayden chapters of
Trout Unlimited have helped in this
effort as volunteers, cutting and
treating the cut stump with herbicide.
Currently we are planning another
work day on this project in late
September or early October. I’ll keep
you posted.
Fish on ! Cliff

Where has this been all my life? What a great tool! Hopefully, I won't have to turn another patron, or at least as many patrons away disappointed that we couldn't get their file up no matter what we tried.

"All mimsy were the borogoves,"...

Task 17 Library Professional Sites

2009-11-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

Task 17 Library Professional Sites

I visited http://delicious.com/mcpldsites/professionalsites.

I visited 2 sites The first site I chose was infopeople.org. This site offers training from which one can chose:

All Training Events
On-Ground Training
Webinars
Archived Webinars and Webcasts
Podcasts
Contract Training
Past Training Materials
Eureka! Leadership Program
General Information
Resources
Search Tools
Partnerships
Blog
Calendar

I went to an archived webcast called Public Library Statistics by Ira Bray. I found this interesting because statistics can be so usefull for planning our quickly changing Library World. The webinar offered a 57 minute download, slides, in ppt and paf format and handouts in doc and pdt format.

The other site I looked at was "Library Success: a Best Practices Wiki". My goodness, this site has everything you need to start your own library. Each Category has sections and subsections: a wealth of information for anyone looking to see the way someone else runs their library. This was my favorite site because it has so much information in such a well organized format. You can go to the table of contents and look up any particular area you are interested in quite easily.

"Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;"...

Task 16 Open Source Software & Open Office

2009-11-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

Task 16 Open Source Software & Open Office

I read the definition of Open Source from the "Open Source Initiative". I downloaded Open Office to a staff computer.

I think Open Office is very similar to using MicroSoft Office 2007 as far as the amenities it offers, and I actually think that it is easier to use. The tool bar and icons seem to me, better named which offers me better understanding. I tried all the elements and found them easy to use.

I created a Text Document and found that it works much like Microsoft Word. The document could be saved to files and printed. I found that I could save the document to My Network Places just like Microsoft Office 2007. This is pretty impressive considering that '07 is not even compatible with '03. Also, the databases are all listed with icons on an index. No hunting through the programs to find the Word and Excel and Publisher as in Microsoft.

After using the Text Doc, I used the Presentation. This is set up with Formats, Graphs and Tables all at your fingertips. Database allows you to create a new database in a way that seems to be fairly easy. Templates is set up well with samples geared to business or private. Open Document was easy as pie. I was able to open a document from my network places that I had written in April of 2008. Spread Sheet looks just like Excel and can be saved in My Network Places. Drawing is like Publisher. I haven't had much practice in Publisher, but the Drawing offers lots of capabilities from: Paintbrush, Hyperlink, Draw, Find and Replace, Backround Colors, and Pictures. Drawing is one place I would like to have more experience using.

As far as the ways of use and promotion of Open Software that would be useful to serving our patrons and our profession, first and foremost is that it can be a real boon to keeping expenses down for anyone who needs software. The very philosophy of Libraries is that of shared resources so that many people can benefit by shared resources. This applies from books to media to computers, to software. For instance, Microsoft Office 2007 Software is pretty expensive for an individual to buy for his own use. The Open Source sure seems to me to do everything the average person could want to do for free!

""Twas brillig, and the slithy toves"...

Task 15 Clipmarks

2009-11-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

Task 15 Clipmarks

I watched the Clipmarks videos. I signed up for the free account.

I signed up for the free account.

I installed the Firefox extension to enable clipping.

Voila!

"O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
He chortled in his joy."...

Task 14 Downloadable Audiobooks

2009-11-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

Task 14 Downloadable Audio Books

At home, I went to the Library's web page and chose "Downloadable Audio/Video" under "Library Services. I went to the Quick Start Guide and downloaded and installed the free software using the Window Media Player". I downloaded "Dave Barry's Greatest Hits". I clicked on excerpt part 1. It stopped and I was unsuccessful to check out another book.

Then, at the Library, I went to the Library's web page and tried NetLibrary. I set up an account. I searched by author for Alexander McCall Smith. I downloaded Media Center to my shared network file. I got "now ready to use Media Center. I chose "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency". I hit the play button and audio started. I listened with earbuds. It worked great.

I'll revisit the Overdrive at a later date.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!"...

Task 13 Music Downloads: Some Free, All Legal

2009-11-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

Task 13 Music Downloads: Some Free, All Legal

I went to the SoundSnap site and set up an account with a user name and password. I went to the Music Loop site and found the "Chicken Dance" right away. I couldn't resist downloading it because it is a classic. People of any age, gender, country of origin, economic status, or faith can appreciate and perform this song and dance and have a whole lot of fun doing so. I downloaded it by clicking the mp3 and loaded it using the windows media player.

On our web page why not use it as a lead in to a tutorial on downloading sound affects and music? How about using it on the Children's web page, it's a great attention getter and happy mood setter!

I visited the "Last FM" music site. I browsed by the Country Music category. I chose Edith Frost as the singer and listened to her song named "Dreamers" I enjoyed it very much and plan to visit it more to expand my horizons. This is a nice site to let patrons know about too.

"He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back."...

Task 12 Novelist Tour

2009-11-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Task 12 Novelist Tour

I viewed "Getting Started in Novelist Plus" Quickguide from the Library's web page under "For Readers". I opened up Novelist under the "Books and More" tab. From home patrons will need to put in their library card number to access the database.

I used the main search box to search for Harry Potter and narrowed the search by clicking on the "Series" search box. I got a list of all the Harry Potter series books in their chronological order.

From the Novelist page, I looked at the links on the left. Under the "Adults" tab, I clicked on author "Readalikes" and searched for Peter Mayle. Elizabeth Adler was the only entry. I'm not surprised by this because Peter Mayle is pretty inimitable. A summary states that her "induring popularity can be attributed to her dedication to telling compelling stories about likeable characters with interesting careers and living in exotic locales". OK, that sounds like Peter Mayles.

I searched Elizabeth Adler and found 33 entries. In glancing at the plot summaries, I can see some similarities in locations. I definately plan to read one of her books.

I went back to the main page and selected "Recommended Reads". I chose Humor for my genre. I came up with 9 hits. I put in Historical Fiction and came up with 5 hits. I frequently get inquiries from patrons who have read all the books by one author and would like suggestions of authors who may have written similar works. I also get requests for other books in the same genre. Many patrons get very excited to learn how to use it so they can look up books for themselves.

"One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!"

Task 11 Author Resources on the Web

2009-11-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

Task 11 Author Resources on the Web

On bookreporter.com, I chose Anne Rice under Author Talk. Her latest release, "Angel Time", was discussed in the interview. "Angel Time" is the first book in the series, "Songs For the Seraphim". The story takes place in 1300 A.D. The Middle Ages is one of my favorite historical time periods, so I was intrigued by the time.

When asked about turning to the angle theme after her vampire theme so popular now, she said that she wants to present the other side, the good side, and brings Christ the Lord in to narrate the book.

Because I like Mysteries, I looked at looked at "The Likeness" by Tana French. A summary of the book sounded very intriguing to me. Detective Cassie Maddox is called in to the crime scene of a murdered young woman. The woman's ID reads Lexie Madison which is the name Cassie used years ago as an undercover detective. Also, the dead woman looks exactly like Cassie. With that lead in, who could resist reading the rest of the story?

I plan to go back to Graphic Novel Reporter to learn more about the popular genre and also Kidsreads and Teen Reads to become more familiar with what young folks are interested in today.

"Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!"...

Task 10 Explore Research Databases

2009-11-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

Task 10

For Task 10, I watched the EBSCO basic search tutorial.

Then I went to Masterfile Premier to search for an article in Consumer Reports. The product I search was vacuum cleaners. I limited by date, Aug. - Oct. 2009. The search showed other terms I could also search by. The search gave me 2 hits with good information. The first was an article from Consumer Reports, which contained contained a text article, chart, graph, and photos.

The second hit was from Canada Extra. It contained 5 charts and other search terms to try. Both contained valuable information which would be helpful to use in making a decision about which vacuum cleaner a person might purchase.

For the second part of Task #10, I searched Biography Resource Center. I used Jimmy Buffet for my search for a musician. I got results for 6 articles. The first article contained a biographical essay as a music writer, a book writer, updates of his music, personal information, works that he has written, career information and the citations for those sources. This source was from "Contemporary Musicians". The other articles were from: "Contemporary Popular Writers", "Contemporary Southern Writers", "Newsmakers", "St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture", and "Contemporary Authors Online".

There were also entries in "Brief Biographies", "Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians", "Writer's Directory, 25th Ed.", and "Almanac of Famous People, 9th Ed." There were 161 articles in newspapers and magazines, and 2 websites. His website, www.margaritaville.com has the most extensive biographical, and personal information about him.

"And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,"...

Task 9 Easy Web Design

2009-11-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

Task 9 Easy Web Design

I studied all the Google Web Design as well as the Weebly information. I experimented with both and could not seem to get anything to publish. I passed over the Task and worked on others. When I came back to try it again, I was able to get the Weebly page to post. The URL is supergarden.weebly.com. There's not much on it at this point, but I will revisit it because this is an important thing to know when helping patrons.

"So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought"....

Task 8 Share, Remix, Reuse, -- Legally

2009-10-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Task 8

On the flicker from Yahoo site I searched for a pink flower (pool) which had the + sign to indicate it was free use. The + offerings were good because it narrowed down the search, therefore eliminating the trial and error process of selection from a regular search engine if the images are to be used in a share or commercial use. This would seem to me to be the point of it's offerings.

I printed a copy of a flower I chose from the offerings as an enlargement. I can see a number of uses that a patron may want to use it for. For example a student might want to turn in a paper about the flower that would be greatly enhanced with a photo. A patron might be a gardener and take the photograph with her to see if she would be able to buy that plant there. A patron might be a musician who is producing a CD and want to use the picture in a cover for it.

This is a good site to use without having the worry of whether or not to seek permission under copyright law.

It's nice to see something like the Nine Inch Nails The Slip would be available on the Creative Commons. It seems like it turned out to be profitable for the producers even though it was free use.

"He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought"...

Task 7 A Sampler of Reading Resources.

2009-10-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

Task 7

www.goodreads.com provides catagories of popular lists that show covers and provides a place to rate the books, an opportunity to win books, and discussions on recently review books. I can see that this could be used for suggestions of reader's advisory staff help, or perhaps the patron would be interested in signing on to the site themselves.

Boulder Public Library site has tabs to find books which is useful. It shows popular lists broken down by some catagories such as Best Books of the 20th Century, Book was Better than the Movie, and Favorite Books from Childhood as well as genres, series,and nonfiction. Clicking on these catagories will bring up more catagories and they all show the book covers. I can see where many patrons would find this easier and more attractive to use than Novelist and would definately recommend it. I could do without the popup ads however.

"Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumios Bandersnatch!"...

Task 6 ORE Tutorials

2009-10-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

Task 6 ORE Tutorials

MCPLD's Mission Statement is: Mesa County Libraries are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all people in Mesa County by providing outstanding and personalized library service, resources, and programming for everyday living.

The services our library provides are listed on our web page. They are:

Library Services Directory

Literacy Center Language learning, literacy tutoring, and citizenship classes.

Ask a Librarian Ask a librarian a question by email, phone, or instant messaging.

Books by Mail Call Homebound Services for more information about the program. 970-683-2420

Community Directory Locate city, county, and government information.

Computer Classes Free computer classes at the library.

Computer Tutorials Computer tutorials, resources, and handouts.

Downloadable Audiobooks Download audiobooks, music, and videos to your home computer or MP3 player.

Events and Programs Learn about library events and programs at all our library branches.

For Readers Book Clubs, reading resources, booklists.

Foundation Center Resources for non-profits and grant-seekers.

Homebound Services Library service delivery to homebound and disabled persons.

Interlibrary Loan Request to borrow materials from other libraries

Low Vision Center Magnifiers, better lighting, and an electronic magnifier for the visually impaired at the Central Library.

Meeting Rooms Meeting room space available at Clifton, Palisade, and Orchard Mesa branch libraries.

Public Computer Access Public computer access available at all library branches. Computers include Internet access and Microsoft Office software.

Regional History Room Local history collection including directories, cemetery index, and obituary information.

Research Tools Find resources for homework help, personal, and professional research

Search the Catalog Search the library catalog and request materials

Suggest a Purchase Suggest the library purchase a book, audiobook, or DVD

Wireless Internet Free wireless Internet access at the Central library
and Fruita, Palisade, Clifton, and Orchard Mesa branch libraries.

The statement that the OLC made about perception is reality is true. For us to know what our patrons perception about our library, we need to communicate with them. We need to listen when they complain to us, compliment us, tell us what they need and think that we should have, and tell us what they like and dislike about our library. The staff who work directly with the patrons have valuable knowledge about information from them, and this information should be consulted when the Library makes decisions about how to serve them.

I like the concept of the "whole" library being important. We should consider all aspects of the Library, from parking lot to library materials, to cleanliness, to services, to security, to programming. Truly, the whole thing is important. Different people will see different things that are important to them as an individual. Changing needs of the users must be carefully monitored at all times. In our time we are experiencing rapid change and need to keep up with the needs of our users. The OLC gives us some good suggestions for keeping up with the pace.

Again, the Houston site reminds us that it takes many staff members doing different jobs to make the customer's experience complete and the better we work with each other and understand each other's roles, the better the library experience will be for the customers.

"The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!"...

Task 5 Millennium OPAC

2009-09-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

Task 5 Placing holds in OPAC

I find placing holds in OPAC is easier by logging into my account and then placing each item on hold. The OPAC holds the record at the top of each request so you always know the holds are being placed on your account.

Patrons at home may prefer the Book Bag hold method if they are used to shopping online because it follows that type of format.

I think showing the patrons the two different ways would be a good idea so they can choose the one they like best.

I found this to be a very helpful exercise.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!"...

Webolution Task 4 Face Book

2009-09-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Task 4 Face Book

I chose the MCPLD Facebook to review. The site has lots of nice photos. Photosfun have catchy photo of what's going on. Wake Up is the current marketing theme and was brought out nicely with the Track Items Online, Reserve Items Online, Central Teen Center, Clifton billboard with a great backdrop of Mt. Garfield behind, Summer Programs. Be Creative, and Orchard Mesa Branch Desk.

The Library Profile is very well done. Much easier to find than on the wiki. Information about the Library is easily accessed and the site has lots of fans!

I chose the Josh Penry Facebook to review. Josh has a great photo for us on his page. The set up is crisp and easy to find the information and with lots of pictures to make it more personable. There are many links to newspaper articles and appearances. He has quite a following of supporters and nice use of photos.

"And the mome raths outgrabe"...

Task 3 Website Scavenger Hunt

2009-09-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

Task 3

Task 3 was a quiz based on the Library's website. It provided a good opportunity to learn more about what is available on our website. I missed 1 out of the 15 questions. I would cut and paste the quiz into my blog, but I couldn't figure out how to do it.

I focused my study on two of the sites in particular because they are ones I haven't used frequently. One was the Teen site. It is a virtual treasure trove for the kids this age. It has lots of stuff for their recreational and social interests as well as sites to help them with their school studies.

I was impressed by the Carnegie Library site. There are tons of read resources nicely organized by genres and opportunities to read or write reviews of their choices. There are quite a few choices for research sites that would be helpful to supplement their school work.

The YALSA book and media awards is a nice resource to find a good choice of books as well as media which have been predetermined to be quality. The lists have an infinity of possibilities.

The other site I focused on was the Literacy site with the Learnatest. We have many people who request study guides for GED tests. Since these print resources are so popular they are often checked out and it's nice to have an alternative available. This is a great resource for people who are job hunting too. We have many people looking for employment now and Workplace Skills can be really helpful. The citizenship test is a great thing to have on the website because we have limited print resources for that. A nice thing about having the online resource is that lots of people can access that at the same time, whereas with a book it's pretty much one at a time. Mango is great because we have limited resources for the much sought after Rosetta Stone and Mango is a free use alternative that has no access limitations.

"All mimsy were the borogoves,"...

Task 2 Fun Time - Pandora

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Task 2 Fun Time - Pandora

Today I signed up with Pandora. Very fun!
My stations are:
Jimmy Buffet Radio
Riders in the Sky
Patty Loveless Radio
Delta Blues
Texas Blues
Allman Brothers
Old Time Country
Traditional Country
Folk/Country Rock
Country Christmas
Classical Christmas
Folk Holidays

I listened to some new bands, but none I really liked. I'm excited to do some more of this when I have some time. I showed it to my husband and he's excited too.

"Did gyre and gimble in the wabe"...

Task 1 Create a Blog

2009-09-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Task 1 Create a Blog

Hello,

My name is Super Researcher.
I was born in Denver, CO.
I am older than dirt.
I am a super researcher, hence my name.
I love working in my library, helping patrons find the library materials and information they want: as well as all the backround work necessary to serve them efficiently. It makes me feel really good when a patron thanks me a lot when I've helped them.

"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves..."