A few weeks ago I chatted with a reporter about my ALA TechSource post “An Open Letter to the South Bend Tribune.” Somehow he found it and wanted me to comment on my intent for the post. I confessed I should have taken the post farther and addressed what Alan Gray noted in the TTW comments: economic models for feeds, etc. So the result of that brief conversation with Rick Edmonds is here: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=123&aid=137054 Edmonds actually spoke to the editor of the South Bend Tribune: Tim Harmon, managing editor of the South Bend Tribune, told me by phone that he […]
Monthly Archives: February 2008
50 posts
At Darien Library, staff at the front desk have their own blog. This level of openness and transparency does my heart good. When was the last time someone on your front lines got to do a shout out to the staff? http://tinyurl.com/yut83k Sometimes I lose sight of how wonderful the people I work with are and it takes a patron comment or the observation of an interaction to remind me of that very fact. Last month a patron told Desketeer Alison that they felt we were the ‘Jet Blue of Libraries” for our willingness to go above and beyond.for our […]
Run don’t walk to this incredible presentation and list of resources. http://www.librarian.net/stax/2244/social-software-in-libraries-a-presentation/ I decided that part of really getting the idea of social software or technology generally is that many people confuse tools and brands and examples and I think people will feel more in charge of technology if they know how to explain it. From working with novice users, I know they use turns of phrases like “My Yahoo s broken” and don’t even realize that they’re not really speaking sensically to someone who understands the terms. On the other hand, I can understand how the idea of “a […]
Rochelle writes: http://rochellejustrochelle.typepad.com/copilot/2008/01/never-mind-lega.html Whoa. Wait a minute. Stepping back from my Kindle krush and putting aside the question of whether or not it’s legal for libraries to loan them, I considered the Kindle issue through the eyes of a public library manager who has to make decisions about how to get the most out of a budget. Duh! It’s a no brainer. There is no way I could justify deploying Kindles, given the present model. The machine itself is 400 bucks and can hold up to 200 titles. Let’s say that the average price of a Kindle title is 10 […]
From Computerworld: Why Japanese kids love books Half of Japan’s top 10 best-selling books last year — half! — started out as cell phone-based books, according to the New York Times. The books-on-phones genre started when a home-page-making Web site company realized that people in Japan were writing serialized novels on their blogs, and figured out how to autocreate cell phone-based novels from the blog entries. The popularity of these blog novels on cell phones sparked huge interest among readers in writing such novels. Last month, the site passed the 1 million novel mark. Some of these amateur writers become […]
transparent reference desk and large screeen monitor Originally uploaded by lauren_pressley Thanks Lauren!
I drove back to Indiana Wednesday night (yes, in our awful weather) to work on my Australia talks and get caught up with some outstanding writing. I’ve found I am super-productive in my home workspace! On the drive back, as I often do, I got caught up on my favorite podcasts, including one I’d been meaning to listen to for a while: Merlin Mann’s “In Box Zero” Talk at Goggle from last year. I’m a fan of Mann’s take on productivity, mac use and technology. In the talk he discusses how he manages his email with some practices based on […]
Checkout the just announced video contest at Mississippi Ststae Libraries: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8661499353 Hosted by the Mississippi State University Libraries, the Digital Video Contest is a chance for students, faculty, staff and alumni of Mississippi State to show their creativity and compete for an opportunity to win a fabulous new digital camera. Those interested in taking part are encouraged to create a video, not more than 5 minutes in length, based on the theme “Once Upon a Time at the MSU Libraries…” It is up to the individual or group to interpret the theme.
I can’t believe in just two weeks we leave for my speaking gigs in Australia. I’ve been prepping, reading up on places to visit, and getting a grip on the itinerary. If you are attending any of the talks, please say hello! Two more talks have been added: an afternoon with the Macquarie University library staff on February 26th and “Best Practices for Social Software in Libraries” in Melbourne, Thursday February 28th, 2008 in the afternoon. Thanks to CAVAL for inviting me and putting together such an incredible trip. http://training.caval.edu.au/pdt/show_course.php?CID=285 Dates: Sydney – Macquarie University Tuesday February 26th, […]
http://zenhabits.net/2008/02/17-unbeatable-ways-to-create-a-peaceful-relaxed-workday/ Some favorites: Cut out meetings. If you have the ability to opt out of meetings, do so. They are generally a waste of time. Sure, it’s possible that a meeting is the most productive way to do something, but it’s rarely done. Usually the point of a meeting could be accomplished with email, or an IM. Cutting out meetings could free up a lot of time and make your workday more relaxed. Roll with the punches. There will always be things that go wrong. What is important is how we react to them — do we go all Drama […]