We are less than a week away from Thanksgiving Day so I thought I would count down 10 things I am thankful for about my library.

10. The Twitter feed that gives me interesting quotes, facts and heads up on library events.

9. The variety of programs that I can attend. (I personally like the musical programs, the new movie series and that the teens are developing some of their own programs.)

8. The DCPL Facebook page (I feel more connected to my community and love seeing some of the dialogue.)

7. The downloadable eAudiobooks some of which can be found in MP3 format. (Check out NetLibrary using GALILEO).  eAudiobooks are only available from outside the library buildings.

6. The number of electronic resources that are available to me for free as a member of the Library. (Check out the Reference Database page.)

5. The e-mail pre-notification that I get when my material is almost due.

4. The variety of movies that are available on DVD.

3. The hold request system. It is great to think of a book, go to the computer, place a request and have the item sent to my current branch. (It usually takes very little time if the item is in. My home library-not this county- takes usually several weeks even with the book on the shelf.)

2.  The wi-fi that is becoming available to more branches. (It works perfectly with my iPod touch and I can surf on my lunch hour.)

1. The variety of books available for my reading pleasure. If the library does not have it, I can suggest that they consider buying a copy for the system or I can use the Interlibrary Loan service to borrow the book from another library system.

What are you thankful about your library? Would you rank my top ten list differently?

“When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books.’’

So says James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing Academy, a prep school located west of Boston with a student population of about 420. It is a radical statement, and one which is being followed to what some would consider a radical conclusion: the gradual transition from a 20,000 volume collection to a mostly bookless, digital library. Despite the small size of the school, the announcement has made waves throughout the library world ever since being reported on by The Boston Globe on September 4. Much of the reaction has been negative. Jessamyn West of Librarian.net writes that she is “skeptical”” of the idea. Commenting on the school’s decision to spend $10,000 to purchase 18 Kindle Readers to replace the library’s collection of books, Keith Michael Fiels, executive director of the American Library Association, worried that “unless every student has a Kindle and an unlimited budget, I don’t see how that need is going to be met.’’ Author Nicholas Basbanes had very little positive to say in an article for finebooksmagazine.com entitled Philistines at the Gate, wherein he suggested that college admission officers might look askance at an application from a student at a school “that does not require its students to read books at all”.

Criticism of the plan is not limited to those outside of Cushing. Liz Vezina, Director of the Fisher-Watkins Library and librarian at Cushing for 17 years, expressed dismay. “I’m going to miss them…there’s something lost when they’re virtual…the smell, the feel, the physicality of a book is something really special.’’

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re with me, you are sick of hearing about Twitter. Scarcely a day goes by that I don’t hear, “Check us out on Twitter”, or “Twitter breaks huge story”, or “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live” (I just don’t know about this one). Not being able to ignore all the fuss, I signed up and found that most people are quite simply answering the question that Twitter asks, “what are you doing?” So when I read that my friend John was “feeling tired this morning” or that my sister-in-law was “so excited for The Bachelor finale”, I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. And don’t even get me started on the personal pressure I feel when trying to come up with something witty and relevant to post, all under 140 characters. I gave up. Until…

Did you know that there are hundreds of authors that you can follow on Twitter? Some of my favorite authors such as Neil Gaiman and Laurie Halse Anderson are twittering tweeting about things that are quite interesting, such as information on their latest books, writing tips, links to cool articles and blogs, etc. And even though these well-respected writers are just as susceptible to posting humdrum tweets, I can’t help but find it really cool knowing that Neil Gaiman hates Delta, or that Karma Wilson also has a dog that likes vegetables. And what’s even better is the opportunity to pose questions to these people. All of the authors that I’m following actually respond to their followers’ questions and comments. Twitter is a great way to interact with people that you would normally have no contact with. Perhaps Twitter will change us all.

You can find a list of authors on Twitter here.

Who are you following?

The internet is full of many fascinating resources which combine educational material with a dynamic and entertaining format that can capture the interest of individuals of all ages. A great example of this is the Universcale. It is an animation which allows us “to view all entities, from the microworld to the universe, from a single perspective. By setting them up against a scale, we are able to compare and understand things which cannot be physically compared.”
Truly epic in the scope of its examination, it begins with the largest objects (the known universe, galaxies, etc.) and descends down to the infinitesimal extremes of the subatomic level. The animation illustrates the incredible range of size across the spectrum of existence, allowing us a unique perspective on the diversity of our reality by going to the edge of and beyond the limits of normal human perception.

In a similar vein, the DCPL catalog boasts materials in a variety of media covering subjects ranging from the microscopic (Life on a Small Scale, Microaliens) to the astronomical (The Universe DVD series).  Expand your mind by exploring our universe.

The Library now offers calendar of events RSS feeds.  This means that you can subscribe to events by age group, event type, or branch just like you would subscribe to a blog’s RSS feed.  You will then get updates on new events in your areas of interest directly in your RSS reader.  If you are not familiar with RSS feeds, watch this video first:

What’s even cooler is that if you have very specific interests, you can now build your own RSS feed.  Simply fill out the form on that page.  For example, if you were interested in movies and also events for kids, then simply click the check box next to Movies and also check the boxes next to the age groups you are interested in.  Once you submit the form, a RSS feed will automatically be generated for you immediately.

This is a great way to keep up with library events, especially if you are already familiar with RSS readers and check your feeds daily.

April the 22 is Earth Day and nowadays, more than ever, many of us are looking for ways to be more environmentally conscious. Going Green is the popular phrase for all things earth-friendly and eco-chic but the movement to protect and preserve the environment has been going strong for decades.  Today’s the perfect day to consider ways in which we all can do our part to conserve our earth. At the risk of getting all Leonardo DiCaprio-preachy, I’ll stop here and just highlight some of the Library’s great resources on Earth Day and environmentalism in general.

A Few Books That I like:

Living Like Ed: Actor Ed Begley, Jr. has been at the forefront of environmentalism in Hollywood for over 30 years. In his book, he shares his practical and reasonable tips for being more environmentally sound.  Everything in this book is doable but the lickety-split “navy shower” idea is gonna take some getting used to for me. But the planet is worth the sacrifice…I guess (sigh).

Celebrating Earth Day: A Sourcebook of Activities and Experiments: Here’s a good book for any junior ecologist. Author Robert Gardner discusses the impact of enivironmental deterioration and offers insight into how we can perhaps turn the tide. Check it out for great earth-friendly projects and ideas.

Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything:  “Going Green” is a good start, but author Daniel Goleman explores how ecologically unsafe many of our purchases–even the “green” ones–can be. This book encourages consumers to dig deeper and make a greater commitment to environmental consciousness.

There are several other incredible books and resources exploring the environment and the crusade to preserve it.  Even if you don’t drive a hybrid car or make your own compost, there are little, practical and inexpensive things that we all can do.

To quote one of my favorite environmentalists: “The power is yours!”–

(so wise yet so awesome!)

If you haven’t noticed yet, the library now has a podcasting page, where you can listen, download, and subscribe to our Musical Bookings podcasts and our Author Talk podcasts.  Podcasts, as you may or may not know, are basically audio (sometimes video) “shows” that are available on the internet.  Think of it like a radio show, except you listen to it on either your computer or portable MP3 device.  In fact, many radio shows are available as podcasts, including NPR’s This American Life, Car Talk, and Fresh Air.

But because anybody with a mic and a computer can make a podcast, you don’t have to be Terry Gross to have a  show on the internet.  This has resulted in podcasts that focus in on many special niche interests that would never survive on normal radio, shows like Imprint (a show dedicated to the Twilight series), GolfBetter (dedicated to golf), and Manic Mommies (about motherhood).

I’m ashamed to admit that before last week, I had barely listened to any podcasts.  I imagined badly produced shows featuring 14 year old hosts talking about World of Warcraft (no offense).  But because I was in charge of helping coordinate the library’s podcasts, I decided to look around and see what was out there already.  Now I’m totally hooked!  There are many good podcasts.  After the jump, I’ll highlight three that I absolutely love.  Then I’ll give you a few technical tips on how to get started.

Read the rest of this entry »

Finding what you’re looking for on the web can be a daunting task. Now, the folks at Common Craft have created another excellent short video in their “plain english” series that deals with just this subject. Enjoy:

Last year, the library conducted a survey of adults over 55 about their knowledge and interest in services and programs. Can you guess what was one of the top areas of interest? If you said technology, you were right. With the help of the Senior Advisory board, we created an inter-generational program called Tech Talk: Exploring 21st Century technologies with teens. Two of the Senior Advisory board members specifically mentioned that seniors are on fixed incomes and wanted to learn about and how to use new technologies. Often they hesitate in purchasing new technologies unless they know if it will make their life easier or more enjoyable. This program pairs up teens with older adults to explore and learn about new technology.

Members of the Teen Advisory Board volunteered to be trained and then share their knowledge about a variety of technologies. The two hour training involved exploring learning styles, how to communicate technology concepts and included a demonstration between an older adult and the trainer. The training was an eye opener for not only the teens but also the trainer (me!).

Read the rest of this entry »

The Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, is an organization dedicated to serving public libraries and helping public library staff better serve their communities. Their current promotional campaign is “The Smartest Card. Get it. Use it. @ your library.”

In a recent conversation, Michael S, a co-worker, reminded me why I whole-heartedly believe that the Public Library Association is right on with this campaign. Here is Michael’s story: 

A few months ago, my computer crashed and I was devastated. It took some time for me to realize that all of my precious information was lost forever. With the blue screen of death and one little code error, I realized that countless photos, mp3s, and writings were gone.  But, as those feelings of grief passed, I realized that I was at a crossroad with my e-life. I had to decide if I should fix my computer or buy a new one.

Not ready to part with this computer and realizing my limited knowledge of blue screens and code errors, I decided to seek a professional opinion. Off I went with my computer to a repair shop. The expert at the repair shop believed the problem to be a bad hard drive and that a new one should be installed. After a few estimates for a replacement hard drive that included the cost of labor, I decided I would try to replace the hard drive myself. What did I really have to lose if I could not repair the computer?

With the help of internet forums, such as lifehacker.com, a handy instructional video from YouTube, and books from the library – Repairing and upgrading your PC, Troubleshooting your PC for dummies, and Building a PC for dummies, I replaced the hard drive myself and have a functioning computer once again.

I am still working on retrieving all that was lost from my old hard drive, but I am now more comfortable with opening up my computer and trying to repair and upgrade it myself. This experience and all the information that the library offered has given me the “smarts” needed to fix my computer.  With this knowledge and the inspiration from another co-worker who happens to write blogs on open source software, I am thinking about building a computer from scratch.

His experience is a perfect example to me of why a library card is the smartest and most valuable card in a wallet. So, readers, how is a library card the smartest card in your wallet?