The Cautious Librarian

Obsessed

2008-12-29T08:20:00.001-08:00

A friend recently asked me for book recommendations, and I sent her two annotated lists - one of bestsellers and "hot" books, and another of weird books I'd recently read and liked. She thanked me, and then laughed (virtually) about how many of the books from my list were about WWII. I'm not exactly sure what this says about me - nothing good, probably - but I think I like that era because there is potential for adventure, intrigue, and everyone has indoor plumbing. (Hey, I can't imagine myself living in an era where I had to put on my shoes to go to the bathroom.)

So for those of you who are curious, I'm including the aforementioned list.

Mainstream Books:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

- totally anti-feminist, but enjoyable reading. Book 2 is okay, but 3 & 4 weren't as good

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

- super-popular, and a book club favorite

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

- loosely based on the life of Mrs. George W. Bush; I heard the author speak, and was impressed

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

- this is one I really want to read, despite the lame title

Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris

- his first book, and in my opinion, his best

Atonement by Ian McEwan

- basis of the movie by the same name

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

- I read this book because the reviews were excellent, and, let's face it, the author is gorgeous. (Check out his picture on the book jacket.) It takes place in the USSR in the early 1950s, and is about a serial killer. Very suspenseful, a bit gruesome, and great if you're at all curious about Russia during that time period.

Kathy's Picks:

I've read all of the following and liked them for various reasons, but because my taste is weird I don't know if you'll necessarily enjoy any of them.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

- Young adult book; vaguely Harry Potter-esque

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

- Young adult book; winner of a bunch of awards; WWII from a child's point of view. Narrated by Death.

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

- WWII; well done

Bonk by Mary Roach

- by one of my favorite authors...may not want to ask for it for Christmas, though, because it's a nonfiction book about sex

A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane

- a south-side Boston P.I.; grim crimes but great dialogue. First in the series, all of which are good

I am America: And So Can You! by Stephen Colbert

- if you like the Colbert Report (and I do), you'll love this book, esp. the audio version (read by the author)

Viewer's Advisory

2008-10-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

I miss movie dialogue. Don't get me wrong - I can appreciate gratuitous violence and/or nudity, but really, I like a movie that I would enjoy just as much if I were blind. Examples: To Kill a Mockingbird, which is enthralling and doesn't contain a single explosion; The Lady Eve, which isn't exactly high brow, but damn funny; The Philadelphia Story, which is sadly anti-feminist but nevertheless excellent; and, in honor of the late Paul Newman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. (The man was brilliant AND beautiful.)

Not to say that there aren't any decent movies being released - hey, Iron Man was a lot of fun, Forgetting Sarah Marshall both delighted and embarrassed me, and I have a deep-seated affection for the Harry Potter films. But where are the movies that you can appreciate as much if you can't see the picture, and have to rely on just the sound?

Suggestions?

You speak Russian?*

2008-09-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

Stuart M. Kaminsky. I've seen his books on the shelf at the library dozens of times, and have never once - not once! - been tempted to pick them up.

But last week I visited my aunt and uncle, and I happened to bring along Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. It was creepy and depressing and extremely readable, plus I was intrigued by the fact that the author graduated from college the same year I did (what have I been doing with my life????)

Anyway, after finishing Child 44, Aunt Jean suggested that I read Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express by Kaminsky. It is one of the later books in the series, and although it took me about three chapters to realize that Rostnikov and Porfiry Petrovich were actually the same person (I've never said that I'm particularly bright), I was fascinated. The book is split into two story arcs: the main one starts in the 1890s on the Trans-Siberian railroad, built by Czar Alexander III and spanning more than 5,000 miles. During construction, a rail crew member stole and hid an undisclosed important something which is of great importance to a number of unsavory individuals. The group includes Rostnikov's boss, who orders him to take the Trans-Siberian Express and retrieve the missing item.

The second storyline follows Iosef Rostnikov and his fiancee as they hunt a schizophrenic young women with serious father issues and a penchant for killing unsuspecting men in metro terminals.

The mystery was all very well and good, but I was more interested in the authors description of contemporary Russia. I listen to public radio and I hear about Putin and politics and social problems, blah, blah, blah, but it is a hundred times more interesting to learn (assuming the author knows what he is talking about) that ordinary Moscow policemen have to wade through a hodgepodge of random/outdated/contradictory laws, and that they cull tips from watching American cop shows...okay, that's a bit of a stretch, I know, but still...

Now I've gone back to the beginning of the series, which Kaminsky started in the early 80's before the fall of communism. Cool.

*When I was a kid, my dad taped The Hunt for Red October off network television. The commercials were annoying, and all the swear words were awkwardly voiced over, but I must of watched that movie a hundred times. At one point Sean Connery - a Russian with an inexplicable Scottish accent - says to Alec Baldwin, "Вы говорите на русском языке?," ("You speak Russian?") It was a moment.

Early-onset Alzheimer's

2008-08-20T18:51:00.001-07:00

Last night I read a ridiculous but pleasant romance novel. I returned it this morning, and tonight I was thinking, "That wasn't a terrible book...I wonder if she's written any others."

And then I realized I couldn't remember the title, the author's name, any of the character's names, or any major plot points.

Monster of Florence, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Bonk

2008-07-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm puzzled by my affection for nonfiction, because really, I don't usually want to learn anything. (My recurring nightmare is that I've forgotten to study for a test - I'm pushing thirty and that one still wakes me up in the middle of the night.) But sometimes there is an author, or a topic, or both, that I really love. I've come across three in the past week that have educated me against my will.

Right now I'm in the middle of The Monster of Florence (2008), co-written by Douglas Preston and Italian journalist Mario Spezi. It's about a series of murders that took place in Florence during the 1970s and 80s. I'm only about 75 pages in, but it is - so far - fascinating and shiver-inducing.

Also shiver-inducing - this time in sympathy, not horror - is When You are Engulfed in Flames (2008) by one of my all-time favorite authors, David Sedaris. I read the book a week ago, but now I'm listening to the audiobook...and listening to him is so, so much better. I think it's because some of the situations are uncomfortable to read, but less painful coming straight from the author. SantaLand Diaries (1997) set the bar, but WYaEiF is pretty darn good.

Finally, a book by Mary Roach, the author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003). I loved Stiff when I read it three years ago, and I still recommend it to everyone who will listen. About 50% love it, 20% hate it, and the remaining 30% passively-aggressively "forget" to read it when I force it on them. (Hey, who can blame them? I do exactly the same thing when someone says "you MUST read this!") Her latest is a feminist-leaning book titled Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. While I don't generally pick up this particular type of nonfiction, it was funny and well-well written and surprisingly informative.

This week I've learned about serial killers, embarrassing situations, and sex. I feel so much smarter now.

Procreation

2008-07-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

It seems that everyone I know either has a brand-spanking new baby or is expecting one to arrive in the next few months. This means one thing: I've got a lot of knitting to do. I'm not a particularly good knitter, but I like it enough to keep trying, and it is always a thrill when something actually turns out. Over the past few years I've managed to find a couple of books that have relatively simple baby patterns that don't have that "knitted by a baby" - as opposed to knitted for a baby - look.

The best of the lot (in my opinion) are the the appropriately named Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss, and the nauseatingly-sweet-but-still-excellent Itty-Bitty Nursery: Sweet, Adorable Knits for Baby and Beyond by Susan B. Anderson. Give 'em a try.

Sad realization

2008-06-30T10:40:00.001-07:00

Nobody's perfect...not even Nancy Pearl. I don't normally go to individuals for book recommendations - I cull titles from advance mags, Fiction_L, the New Fiction shelf - but when I sat in on Nancy Pearl's RA class, I did take the opportunity to ask her what to give people who loooove Janet Evanovich. I have a list of standard read-alikes, but I'm always looking for more suggestions.

She said that Harley Jane Kozak's mystery series, starting with Dating Dead Men, was a pretty sure bet. So I reserved it and started reading and realized about 15 pages in that 1) I'd already read it before and 2) it wasn't particularly good the first time around. (sigh)

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village

2008-05-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

I took a slight break from my normally scheduled reading program, and picked up the 2008 Newbery Medal winner. I thought it was wonderful...but I'm not sure that the target audience will be as excited about it.

Rhymes with "Park Benches"

2008-04-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

I told my sister that I had a blog, and she said, "Wow. You are now pretentious."

But I told her that it was for work, and I think I got a pass. If I ever start collecting vintage wine or pronounce the "t" in often, though, I'm sunk.

I've been only reading top shelf books lately - if novels were alcohol, the last five books I've read are literary Glenlivet. Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane, the fifth and final book in the Kenzie/Gennaro series, does not break this trend.
I picked up the first in the series in January, for two reasons: when Brian Freeman, author of Immoral, visited by library, a patron asked him about his favorite books. Mr. Freeman replied that we should all read Dennis Lehane's books, because they are impossibly good. The second reason is I saw Gone Baby Gone in the theater, and liked it quite well.
But let me tell you - not that anyone will be surprised - the books are much better. The final installment sees the two main characters Patrick and Angie reconnecting after a prolonged estrangement (see Gone Baby Gone) after a former client of Patrick's commits suicide in a particularly strange fashion. I won't go into further details re: the plot; suffice to say that the dialogue is mesmerizing, the situations occasionally brutal but always interesting, and the characters are, well, not endearing, but at least sympathetic.

Thanks, Brian Freeman.

Sunday at the FMM desk

2008-04-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

I don't really mind working Sundays, which, at my library at least, makes me weird. But really, I have my morning free (we only work 1:15-5:45), I get to take a half day off later in the week, and staff members get time and a half. What's not to like?*

Anyway, we thought that the library would be very quiet today, since the weather is be-u-ti-ful, but if anything we're busier than normal. Go figure. I'm spending time between patrons alternately working on ordering large print titles and thinking about the book Candyfreak, which I re-read a few days ago. I have a notorious sweet tooth, and although that generally manifests itself into a need for baked goods (cake, bread, scones, etc.), I do love candy. So reading this book was heaven because 1) the author is really funny and sarcastic, which I like, and 2) it's about CANDY.

I went online right after reading it and ordered one of every random candy bar that the author mentioned. Or at least, I purchased one of every candy bar that is still available. No Caravelle, but still plenty of other options. I'm now waiting with bated breath for them to arrive so I can see if they're as good as I imagine. (Note: I did find a Clark bar locally, and they are definitely not as good as I remember. Not too bad, because hey, there are very few chocolate-coated foods that are without value, but there are other peanut butter-crunch bars that get higher marks.)

Now I need to find something new to read that will create the same visceral response. Maybe a cookbook...

*Unless I want to go out of town, or have company, or enjoy the first nice day in weeks...

Thing 23: Final Thoughts

2008-04-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've recently been told that the hallmark of a good blog is it's brevity. Which is a good reason to keep this short (aside from the fact that I have to go to the public service desk in exactly 9 minutes).

The tools I was most intrigued by, and the ones that I am guaranteed to make use of on a regular basis, are the image generators. I do quite a few posters, bookmarks, and displays, and some of the options available online to make these posters/bookmarks/displays interesting are absolutely wonderful. Not that other tools - Flickr, del.icio.us, facebook etc - aren't helpful and interesting, but as a person with some computer skills but absolutely no creative ability, my introduction to image generators really made me smile.

Finally, my feelings on 23 Things: "Participating in 23 Things on a Stick is like learning how to drive - sometimes the ride is smooth and you feel confident your abilities, sometimes you're afraid that you can't handle what's coming next, but in the end you're glad you made the effort."

Thing 22: What did I learn today?

2008-04-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

I will devote 15 minutes per day to maintaining my blog and checking out new Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 tools. (Boy, it's in writing now...I really hope I can live up to that statement.)

One of the first things I'm going to do is take a WebJunction webinar. Well, the first thing I'm going to do is take a bit of a breather - trying to get all 23 things done has been a bit of a challenge, esp. since February and March are often the busiest months of the year for me. So the second thing I'm going to do is enroll in in webinar. I've done them before for things like reference and dreamweaver, but maybe it's time to branch out a little further. And goodness, WebJunction definitely has a lot of options to pick from.

I'm also going to make more of an effort to maintain my LibraryThing account. I was aware of this tool before, but until I actually sat down and entered a bunch of titles, I didn't realize how addictive it could be. Uh, and helpful for RA. (Same holds true for many of the other websites out there, esp. YouTube! and Digg, two of my personal favorites.)

This has definitely been an eye-opening experience. On behalf of my fellow Minnesota librarians, let me just say Uf dah.

Thing 21: Beyond MySpace - Other Social Networks

2008-04-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

I liked the WebJunction article well enough to print it off, but I had trouble accessing the Publisher's Weekly story...the link provided didn't work, so I searched instead for any article published in the last year in PW that was about social networking and included the search term "gather."

I really hope I read the right one.*

Regardless, I successfully created an account, left a random message for my coworker Ginny, added a picture of myself, and (drum roll, please) put a badge for Ning on my blog. I also checked out some of the other social networking websites, particularly the movie-related sites. I don't belong to any social networking sites at the moment except for MySpace and Facebook, and they're about as much as I can managed for the time being. But Flixter looked pretty darn interesting...

* I checked the user comments for on the Thing 21, and I did NOT read the right article! But thankfully another member posted a link that worked, so all is well.

Thing 20: Libraries and Social Networks

2008-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm actually already a member of Facebook and MySpace, both for work purposes. First, in order to contact an specific author I wanted to invite to my library, I had to me one of his "friends"...hence the MySpace page. I joined Facebook at the prompting of my supervisor, after we both attended a Minnesota Library Association session on Library 2.0, and the value of networking sites for readers' advisory. I haven't kept my MySpace page updated, but I've actually had several old (read: haven't talked to them in at least 3 years) friends find me on both sites.

After logging on to my Facebook account, I added a new coworker to my Friends (Hi Pam!), joined the ALA Members group - because I'm curious to see what the less-censored ALA chatter is - and wrote on another friend's wall. And I think Facebook is so popular because of the privacy issues, and, frankly, it just seems to be a little more grown up than MySpace. Oh, and I didn't have problems with annoying pop-ups (see MySpace comments below).

When I went to log on to my MySpace page, I found to my dismay that there are tons of pop-ups that obscure my profile - I couldn't even see the SignOut link because it was obscured by an advertisement.

I've checked out Hennepin's page before, and it's colorful and fun and chock-full of information and cool stuff. I don't know how many teens think to check out their local library when they are playing around on MySpace, but if they do they won't be disappointed. (Oh, and I particularly liked the Denver PL's music - it changed the browsing experience significantly.)

Thing 19: Podcasts

2008-04-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

I was most interested in the American Public Media podcasts located on the MPR website, but you needed to download special - though free - software to listen. Again, my work computer is a bit sluggish, plus we have a policy of not downloading any software to our desktops. However, before I gave up I went to Ira Glass's website, and low and behold he a link to Chicago Public Radio's podcasts of his show. So I was able, w/o downloading any software, to listen to an episode of "This American Life" from 1.16.04, which I haven't listed to since...2004. Awesome. I've also added an RSS feed for "This American Life" to my Google reader page.

As for ease of use of the directories, I was able to find the podcast I was searching for on all of the directories...except Podcast.net. And GCast looks like a pretty convenient tool, but I must admit that I haven't had the time to give it a try.

With the help of one of the reference librarians (okay, confession...he does most of the work), I've been podcasting some of the adult programs that we host at our library. When one particularly popular author visited, we digitally recorded the session and put it up on our website; so far it has gotten over 70 individual hits - admittedly not great, but not too bad either.

Thing 18: YouTube & Other Online Video

2008-04-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Let me just come right out and say it: I love YouTube. I love it. I don't often spend much time browsing, which is sad, but if I want to see a clip of Will Ferrell doing his fabulous George W. Bush impersonation, or watch a scene from a musical broadcast from Lincoln Center in 1990 (and NEVER broadcast again or released on video), YouTube is there to help.

And if it can help me, think of what it can do for patrons...if only it didn't suck so much bandwidth. I did check out some of the recommended videos (sadly, I couldn't identify any MN librarians), but I did like the idea of library tours - a live-action version of a second life library experience.

I really don't see how uploading the video to my blog could have been any easier, which is funny because I was a little nervous trying it. I chose to include the song "A Weekend in the Country" from the musical A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim. It was the previously mentioned "Live from Lincoln Center" version, which my mother taped off of PBS in 1990, and which I watched many times during my childhood. Unfortunately, there was a sad incident involving a box of videos and an exploding watermelon, and despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to watch it for half-a-dozen years.

Until YouTube.

Thing 17: ELM Productivity Tools

2008-04-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

1. Gale
RSS feed...crash and burn. I had no trouble searching InfoTrac Student Edition via ELM (I used it quite a bit as a student and when I worked at the reference desk), but every time I tried to add the RSS feed to either my webpage or Google Reader, I got some variation of "Oops...an error occurred." I did try...it's just that apparently http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.elm4you.org/itx/generateRssFeed.do?qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C13%29youth+smoking%24&DB=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=STOM&digest=2f511610d02dd02e918c3b118349add4&userGroupName=mnsminitex
is not recognized as a valid RSS feed.

2. EBSCO
Creating the webpage wasn't difficult, but there are better tools out there...I wouldn't want to have to use this on a daily basis.

3. ProQuest
I sent the "webpage" to myself and my friend Margie - I wish I'd know about this tool when I was still doing research papers!!!

4. NetLibrary
Done and done.

How can these tools be applied to your everyday work? If I ever need to do a presentation (an all-to-real possibility), then these tools are fairly painless research aids. And of course I think students who may not be aware of the functionality of electronic databases at their library would be if not excited, then at least interested. The thing I though would be fun, however, is if, when we do committee work and have to read an article, if we could create a "group" login, and all make notes that everyone could read.

Thing 16: Student 2.0 Tools

2008-04-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Assignment Calculator is interesting, but personally it seems like too much effort and not enough payoff, particularly for non-U students and faculty who don't have access to email reminders. But if a particular student has real time-management issues regarding long-term research projects (impossible!), then having every piece of the process laid out neatly would be of use.

I though that the Research Project Calculator was much more useful, particularly because you could email the page and get reminders, not just be stuck with the option of printing the project schedule. I'd be a lot more likely to recommend this site to teachers and students, not the least because of the added content (support materials in various formats, advice to teachers, etc).

If I were to ever use this professionally, it would probably be either for a long-term project where the steps were clearly defined, or if I were asked to give a presentation.

Thing 15: Online Games and Libraries

2008-04-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Second Life:

I should really remember to never ever watch anything on YouTube in the afternoon. We have a lot of patrons using the Internet at that time, and everything is soooo sloooowwwww.

So I've signed up in second life and created an avatar. However, when I went to create an account, I was asked to download special software, which, as I am sitting at my (as previously mentioned) slow work computer, I am reluctant to do. It's not a requirement so I won't worry, and instead will mention a a couple of possible applications for this service.

If you could create a fairly accurate replica of your library, it would/could be a useful application for giving virtual tours our your facility, and also highlight resources. Since much of the content we provide is now online (not the majority, but still quite a bit), it might help guide patrons to resources that are inadvertently buried in our web page.

Plus I thought the idea of using it for distance learning was great. We offer an eBay class at RPL, and it is always filled to capacity. For those Internet savvy library users out there, it would be an interesting experiment to try offering a class exclusively over the Internet.

Think 14: LibraryThing

2008-04-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

I created an account for myself on LibraryThing a year or two ago, added a few books, then promptly forgot it. When I went to log on today, I find that I no long have an account - or if I do, I have no idea what email address I registered.

So I'm now katherinews (my usual boring handle of kstecher was already taken), and you can learn all about the books I like at http://www.librarything.com/catalog/katherinews And I'm sorry to say that I am now totally addicted to this online tool.

This could be a very useful tool for readers' services at my library; patrons are always interested in what the "experts" (oh, if they only knew) are reading, and this would be a good way for us to book talk our favorite titles, and potentially reach a very wide audience. My only qualm about throwing myself into this project is that I know it will end up buried on our library's fiction page, where good reader's advisory tools go to die. How can we make this info more accessible?!?!?!?!?

Thing 13: Online Productivity Tools

2008-04-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

As is becoming my habit, I selected the Google option, not because it is the best, but because I'm having trouble remembering all of my passwords, and it is nice to be able to do one-stop shopping. (Just like Wal-Mart...oh wait, I hate Wal-Mart...)

So iGoogle it is! Pretty slick, I must admit; they only problem I've had so far is when I try to use the Google Calendar gadget it crashes my computer. So that was bad, but I solved it by deleting that particular feature from my brand-spanking new homepage. I didn't like the recommended countdown widget, but I searched iGoogle and found one that was a bit more intuitive and that I liked just as well.

Calendar: according to the article in Wired, "Google Calender sets the standard," which is great for me (see first paragraph of this posting). Seemed clear and easy to manage, although I must admit that I just added a few appointments and didn't delve too deeply into the resource. Still, I did see that you can sync your google calendar with your Microsoft Outlook caldenar...although unfortunately my library relies on GroupWise.

Lists: I am an old-fashioned girl, and I still like paper notes - did you hear me?!? PAPER! However, I realize that while written lists are acceptable for my grocery list, it isn't as practical for my work tasks. I am resigned. I tried ta-da, and while fun, I still prefer the daily task lists on my GroupWise Calendar, mostly because I like putting a task on my calendar and not having to even look at it until a reasonable time before it is due. (If there is a way to do this on ta-da, I didn't see it.) Plus, according to Ta-Da's FAQ section, you can only have ten simple to-do lists before you have to start paying.

I need waaaayyy more lists that that in my life.

Finally, I breezed through backpack, but if I hold electronic tools to the same standard that I have for shoes, I cannot buy a new one (pair) if it isn't any better to the ones I already use (have). Backpack didn't thrill me.

p.s. I did think zamzar was pretty nifty.

Thing 12: Do You Digg?

2008-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

Boy, could I ever waste...er, spend...a lot of time looking at these social media sites, and the stories/pictures/videos they link to. In the past 45 minutes, between patron questions and other tasks, I've read articles on giant Antarctic starfish, the recently discovered salt flats on Mars, some really weird photographs, and, my favorite, a court transcript from Great Britain that was absolutely hilarious (http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~vy203/archives/2005/04/19/the-most-entertaining-trial-ever/).

I particularly liked Newsvine, because you basically have limitless access to AP stories, which is very useful. Not as fun as some of the celebrity trash and crazy videos, but good nonetheless.

I tried to submit the BBC article "Drink age 'could be raised to 21'" to Digg, but it was already added. Not at all difficult, though, and I could still comment on the article if I wanted. (I also tried to submit to reddit, I didn't like it as well because you have to create an account.)

I do fear that in the long run this would decrease my productivity, as it is addictive and virtually limitless. And no, I'd never before read an article because it appeared on one of these sites.

Thing 11: Tagging and Del.icio.us

2008-03-13T14:52:00.001-07:00

I have added three labels/tags to the previous post. I'll also post a few to this post.

I checked out Del.icio.us and, although it took me a minute to figure it out, I was able to view the comments and tags other people have saved (click on "saved by ___ other people" below the link in question).

Right now I'm playing with my brand-spanking-new Del.icio.us account, and good fun it is, too. I'm transferring all of my bookmarks, which means that when we get a computer upgrade here at the library, I don't have to worry about writing down all my Favorites before the old computer goes the way of the dinosaur. And since I work from my office, from the public service desk, and occasionally from the bookmobile, I will never go bookmarkless again!

As for taking advantage of this tool professionally, it might be a fun way to connect books in a Six-degrees fashion...if you like this then try this...or this...or this...

Thing 10: Wikis

2008-03-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

We created a wiki at our library to replace the old "Staffnet" web page, which was cumbersome and difficult to update. Maintaining the wiki isn't one of my primary responsibilities, but we were all given instructions on how to create an account and add, and at the time it seemed quite simple.

It seemed simple because it is simple. I've talked to other librarians, and it generally seems to be that it isn't difficult to teach people how to use wikis; the difficult part is getting them to actually contribute.

The Subject Guides wiki was okay, but I normally do reader's advisory so reference stuff isn't as interesting to me. Which brings us to Book Lovers at PPL. I REALLY liked the Book Lovers Wiki; within two minutes I read about several books that I'd like to read. This tool would be useful for patrons who are particularly interested in what we are reading. (I'm always shocked when someone asks me, "What books do you like?," because I don't have any better taste that anyone else...)

The Library Best Practices Wiki is pretty cool, and I'm bookmarking it for the next time I have to put together a project or implement a new procedure at the library. The Minnesota wikis are interesting, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of comment on one or two of them, and I still have no desire to take up beekeeping.

I added the bookmobile cartoon strip to the 23 Things on a Stick wiki. Cake.

I always wonder about the validity of information resources that, by their very nature, cannot be authoritative. Example: a few weeks (months?) ago a coworker walked into my office and told me Heath Ledger had died. I checked wikipedia, which reported (just half an hour after the initial call was made to the police) that before he'd died he'd painted his face like the Joker. Disturbing, and ultimately not true. Good thing I didn't have a grade riding on the information.

Thing 9: Online Collaboration Tools

2008-03-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, didn't have permission to edit the public document...waiting for permission...waiting.

In the meantime, my coworker Margie and I went for the challenge, and are co-editing a shared document in Zoho. Long story short: it was very easy.

Although I cannot edit the public document yet, I have had the chance look at the other options on Google Docs. Both tools have their positive and negatives, but I think that I prefer Zoho, possibly because I used it first. Oh, and I liked that every possible editing button under the sun was listed on the toolbar at the top of the page.

I think the founding fathers probably wouldn't be too concerned about misc. (and temporary) chances to this document, as long as it was in the name of education.

Update: I just edited the Declaration of Independence. I added the word "peppy", because I'm sure those founding fathers had just a bit of cheerleader in them.

Thing 8: Share Your Creations

2008-03-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

The wording was a little vague in the "Thing" description, but I believe that we are to do either a slideshow, a photo montage, OR a database. So, I'll explore all three, but only actually put together one project.

Okay, maybe two...

The first one is a slide show on zoho; I selected this online tool because a coworker said, "You're gonna love it." And she was absolutely right. The formatting was very intuitive, it was easy to save and share; the only downside was that uploading photos was a little clunky from my computer (not necessarily the fault of zoho). We have a staff wiki at my library, but I think this would be a great tool for committee work & various collaboration among staff members.

The second is the database sharing option.
Using lazybase, I created a database of my movie collection, or at least all that I could remember in the five minutes I allotted myself for this purpose. I didn't love the default options for the film database "quick start", but it is all editable, so if a user isn't satisfied it can always be changed. There is also a Book Group template, which would probably be of great use to library patrons (although honestly I prefer Library Thing).

Thing 7: Web 2.0 Communication Tools

2008-02-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

1. Current Email
Like many people of my generation, I have multiple email accounts - gmail (personal), hotmail (old contacts, only checked every couple of weeks), and groupwise. Since groupwise is my primary work email account, I'll review the productivity aspects of this program.

[First, a quick comment on the email productivity article. I would love love love to turn of the auto-check function on my email, but after guiltily considering it, I've decided to leave it on. I know that it would most certainly decrease the opportunities to be distracted by my email, but I generally like to respond to my colleagues & to patrons asap, and I don't want to delay unnecessarily. But maybe I'll turn off the flags...]

I have been quite satisfied with Groupwise, primarily because there are computer techs at my library that can help me resolve any problems/questions I might have. There are options to sort emails into folders, the program automatically archives sent items for several months (I can't tell you how many times I've taken advantage of that feature), I can manage assigned tasks and appointments, and it generally is the place I go to for information on everyone in my (work) world. The spam filter is at times over-zealous and at times far too lax, but that is something I've encountered with all of the email services.

As for IM, the Reference Department at my library (where I used to work part time, and still occasionally sub) does do IM reference. We don't get a whole lot of business via IM, but our users do seem pleased to be offered an alternate method of communication with library staff.

2a. Moderately confused by IM jargon, but I pretended it was an analogy question on the GRE and tried to extrapolate meaning although I had no idea what the acronyms meant.

Apparently old people (like me) use email, and all the young 'uns gravitate toward IM. Faster, better, whatever. The only problem I have with IM is that immediate responses are expected because hey, they KNOW you are still online, and you are forced to sit and wait while the other person responds. In contrast, while you should respond to email promptly, it isn't rude to finish other tasks before responding to an email. And I can do other things while waiting for a response. If I need an answer right now, I still gravitate to that almost-obsolete communication tool, the telephone.

2b. The Library Journal article refers to IMing as "a sped-up email transaction," which seems pretty accurate to me. Some of the chief benefits of IM (emailing articles, instant patron feedback) seem to be a combination of the best of both email reference and phone reference. I am curious about the fact that staff feel that they can speak more freely since there is no "everlasting email trail." This makes me wonder, 1) How can you reference past IM conversations if there is no record, and conversely, 2) As I understand it, every online communication has a trail, and librarians had better not assume that just because something was written via im, if can't come back later to haunt them. And the common usage of YMMV...crazy.

2c. I've set up an account on Google Talk. We'll see how it goes.
Breaking news: it went well. But I think it is a bit of a paradox that we were just instructed to turn off the automatic notify on our email so as to reduce distractions but effectively delaying response, while looking to IM because it is faster and consequently far more distracting.

3a. I wish they'd shown the from the librarian POV - I'm assuming that reference librarians don't have to TM with a phone, but hey, who knows?

3b. I think this would be awesome. We have a real problem sending email notices to patrons; our emails are often filtered by spam blockers and sent to their junk folders. (And they come in a week later and wonder why they were never notified.) Sending text message reminders would help eliminate that problem. Unfortunately, I get charged for every text message I send or receive, but as long as patrons had the ability to choose from several notification methods - text message, email, phone, & snail mail - that wouldn't be a problem.

3c. Text message successfully sent. Nothing new, no problems. I would like to try it from a computer-based system.

4. I've taken webinars in the past, and I have found the the effectiveness varies, as does the level of frustration.

4a. One of the reference librarians did a brief presentation of WebJunction opportunities at a recent staff meeting, and every single person in the room saw something on the class listing that they would find helpful. The only problem is (and I'm starting to sound like a broken record -- sorry) finding the time to fit it into the day.

4b. There aren't any OPAL sessions listed for the next few days (at least, not while I will have computer access), but I'm going to check out the "Meet Me In St. Louis" on Sunday.

Thing 6: Online Image Generators

2008-02-19T17:16:00.000-08:00

This is VERY exciting! I have to do quite a bit of graphic work - posters, bookmarks, brochures - and I have absolutely zero training and no artistic ability, so online image generators sound like a gift from the gods.

Thing 5: More Flickr Fun

2008-02-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

First I went to the Flickr Color Pickr, which was very pretty...but I did not want to upload it to my blog because really, when it comes down to it, it wouldn't be any different from uploading any other picture on Flickr. (FCP's value is in locating images, not necessarily creating something new.) I'd already tried the link for Spell with Flickr (mentioned in the "10 best Flickr Mash-ups" article), so I went on Splashr, which is great fun. I did a tag search for Tower and London, and the results were very interesting; not one of the first few pictures actually have anything to do with the Tower of London.

My Presentation

As for sharing photos online, well, that idea makes me a little apprehensive. Not exactly for myself (who on earth is going to become psychotically inclined looking at pictures of weird art and random audience shots), but the idea that anyone can look at pictures I posted (and yes, I know that you can mark them private) is a little creepy.

Thing 4: Exploring Flickr

2008-02-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, I just tried including a picture from Flickr using the web address. If that doesn't work (will it show just the picture, or the whole stupid webpage?), I'll resort to the tried and true method saving the image to my hard drive and uploading it from there. But let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Well, it worked. But it is irrelevant because I've decided that it would be more interesting to upload a few pictures from a recent author visit...okay, done. It wasn't too bad. But I went back and tried to make sure that all of the photos were properly linked back to Flickr, and faced some difficulties. I was able to find the HTML code to put into my webpage in order to link back to the photo page, but when I tried to cut and paste the code I got the following error message:
Your HTML cannot be accepted: Tags cannot enclose tags

I tried again several times, but ended up having to let it go (a person could allow themselves to spend waaaay too much time troubleshooting).

Regardless, Flickr is cool, and when I have more time (ah, there's the rub), it would be smart to add images to the Fiction Movies and Music page of our library...maybe this summer...

23 Things on a Stick

2008-02-19T15:17:00.001-08:00

23 Things on a Stick
Originally uploaded by kstecher

Okay, this is obviously not 23 of anything on a stick, but it's still pretty cool.

Thing 3: Set Up an RSS Account & Add Feeds

2008-01-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

Where to start, where to start...well, before I address some of the "blog prompts," I'd like to mention my RSS failure. After searching for RSS feed icons on other librarians' blogs, I wanted to add one to The Cautious Librarian, rather than asking readers to scroll all the way to the bottom of my blog to the "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)" link. So I looked and Help'd (neither Help on Blogger or Google Reader were very helpful) and finally found a convoluted answer, which, if I were truly devoted and had unlimited time, would probably eventually be useful.

Back to the prompts:

I used Google Reader, mostly because I already had a Google account and my mind is reeling with usernames and passwords, and I didn't particularly want to add another to the mix. In retrospect, Bloglines it is probably a more useful tool, but oh well. Google Reader was satisfactory; I particularly liked the "bundled" blogs, esp. Fun stuff and News (Jon Stewart and BBC News - gotta love 'em). It was also pretty easy to add other blogs from friends and colleagues and other random stuff (searching was easy, but for the most part I just entered the specific web addresses). I was sad, though, that I couldn't use Roger Ebert's webpage as an RSS.

I also would have liked to put a link to my RSS aggregator on my blog, but I didn't see any instructions on the 23 Things page, Blogspot or Google Reader. (Another one of those "if I had unlimited time" tasks...)

Regardless, it was a pretty easy program to manage, and I think it will decrease my use of Explorer Favorites. Not a huge impact at the moment, but I can see that it will become more of a part of my computer usage as I become familiar with this tool.

Thing 2. What is Library 2.0?

2008-01-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

I think Library 2.0 has a lot of potential applications in the library world. Kids nowadays don't use email because they're too busy communicating on myspace (young whippersnappers). Many don't come into the library to do research because hey, it's all online. We have the obligation to engage this group and provide services for them, not the least because they will be paying our salaries in the near future.

So, recognizing how important this technology is, let me say that Wow, watching the assigned video was kind of awful. I'm referring mostly to the experience of viewing it online, because the program kept choking, but also because the subject of the video, while expressing relevant ideas, is not a particularly engaging public speaker. But to be perfectly fair, neither am I. I was interested in point he made about how if you are passionate about something, like smoking (smoking?!), you can always make the time for it in your daily life. I agree with this statement, but realistically, in the long term you can only cram so much in your day before you hit overload (more comments on this topic below).

A lot of the information in John Blyberg's blog post was covered in Jody Wurl & Michelle McGraw's MLA presentation (Reader's Advisory 2.0) which I was lucky enough to sit in on last fall, but Mr. Blyberg did have some interesting insights. I particularly liked the comment that "In order to be adept at navigating L2 waters, the old fiefdoms need to disappear," and not just because I like the word fiefdom. Loosening the boundaries is difficult concept in today's compartmentalized library systems. I wouldn't say that our library has a daily gladiator match ("Tuesday: Reference Librarians v. Technical Services!"), but our respective job descriptions do mean that we occasionally have very different - and sometimes opposing - agendas. It would be fantastic if we could have more overlap of duties among divisions; if the overlap could be combined with innovation, all the better.

I do wonder, however, how we can drastically increase our services to the millennials while at the same time providing the same level of assistance to patrons that may have some computer skills, but have little or no interest in facebook or youtube. Obviously this group is dwindling, but they they are still a very important subgroup of our user population. (Some of my concerns were mirrored in one of the posted comments: "We haven’t just been ignoring the young and the tech-savvy...what about everyone else?")

According to one article, if we host collaboration resources, we need to trust our patrons to stick to guidelines like those at Ann Arbor..."Keep it factual, simple, direct and about library related business." I commend Ann Arbor for their optimism, but boy, after seeing some of the comments posted to our teen page, I shudder a bit at the idea of unmoderated library blogs. On the other hand, I was a bit nervous re: express reserves, and as far as I know we've not had any problems with people checking out someone else's materials. Shame on me for being a Negative Nancy.

Note: if there is one thing I'd like to see added in the short term, it is the conversation feature that Hennepin County added to their catalog entries. Too cool!

And finally back to the subject of time, sweet, fleeting, elusive time.
I don't think I've ever heard a librarian say, "I'm sooooo bored. I really wish that my supervisor would give me more work to fill my increasingly empty day." Libraries are all busy and understaffed (admittedly many libraries in the state are much worse off than mine, so I have NO complaints), but I do think if we are expected to incorporate Library 2.0 tools in our daily activities on a permanent basis, then something - some task or tasks - will have to fall by the wayside. Of course, I have no idea which ones should get the ax...

Thing 1: Set Up Your Blog

2008-01-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

I didn't have too much trouble when it came to creating this blog; no worse than putting together a profile on facebook. Actually, since I didn't have to compile lists of my favorite music, activities, etc., it was probably easier, particularly in light of the detailed instructions provided for participants of 23 Things on a Stick. As warned, the hardest part was coming up with a name; my favorite blog, sporadically updated though it may be, is The Ornery Librarian, so I blatantly pirated that idea and tried to find the most applicable adjective. (A coworker suggested The Diabolical Librarian, which is extremely cool, but unfortunately I'd already registered this blog :-(

The templates were quite similar to ones provided in Microsoft Publisher, which I use frequently for creating fliers, bookmarks, and postcards, so no major barriers there. Note: I liked the option of changed the default colors.

No problems to report re: creating an avatar, except that yahoo had a tendency to freeze up when I was scrolling through different options, and of course the guilt I experienced doing this task on work time. It brought to mind the paper doll obsession I had during my pre-teen years - different clothes + different hair styles + fun accessories = hours of fun.

Exporting was pretty simple, although I know it would have taken me a lot longer if I hadn't had step-by-step instructions, and adding a picture was a snap.

Last night

2008-01-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to disappoint anyone anticipating a lascivious posting, but last night, in my quest to become a more accomplished life-long learner, I watched public television (it's sad, I know).

I don't normally watch much TV (except House MD and Pushing Daisies - @*&$* writer's strike, grumble grumble) but The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow and The Lobotomist both caught my attention...the latter also managed to trigger my gag reflex.

I grew up on a farm in northeast Iowa; my dad grew corn and beans like all the other farmers in the neighborhood, and also had beef cattle. Not one of the disturbingly huge factory farms, but one of the now-almost-extinct small operations that he was able to manage on his own. Before leaving for college, I periodically helped out with the livestock, and often listened to the cows bellowing while they were inoculated, de-horned, or castrated (oh, the memories). It was very interesting to learn that some of the the distress they were feeling was caused by anxiety rather than pain, which according to Dr Temple Grandin, the subject of TWWTLAC, can be alleviated with some very simple changes.

As for The Lobotomist...ugh. The title says it all; check out the 2005 biography of the same name by Jack El-Hai if you want to learn more, while I try to purge the details from my memory.