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New Technologies That Save Time & Money | Librarian in Black Blog

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:17:40 -0800

New Technologies That Save Time & Money | Librarian in Black Blog :

I presented at the Hawaii Library Association about technologies (largely web services & software) that are free, open source, save time, and/or save money….Some examples of what I cover: software for public & staff computers, staff scheduling tools, team meeting tools, tech support tools, audio & video services, eLearning tools, reference tools, social network tools, website & website management tools, blogging tools, book display tools, free eBooks, and free article resources (+ a lot more).

The Challenge Of Assessing Digital Library Services

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:15:59 -0800

The Challenge Of Assessing Digital Library Services:

Too often we have simply launched online services “because they’re cool,” without really thinking if they are appropriate for our audiences, whether we have the staffing or funding to support them, and whether or not they match up with our organizational priorities. Hopefully, I have presented a framework that can assist in providing well-thought-out digital library services.

Improve your online community in five easy steps

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:55:34 -0800

Improve your online community in five easy steps:

I get a lot of people contacting me for help with their online community. Most of the time, they are unhappy with the amount of activity taking place – they want to see more. Most of the time, I see the same (or at least similar) problems. Therefore, in this article I want to outline five ways you can easily improve your online community.

Whitehouse.gov re-launches on Drupal

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:45:04 -0800

Whitehouse.gov re-launches on Drupal:

Earlier this month, the Executive Office of the President of the United States of America relaunched their website, Whitehouse.gov, using Drupal….In this video, Macon Phillips addresses how they want to create opportunities for citizens to participate in their government. David Cole talks about why they wanted to change their technology platform, what they actually built, and where they are going with that new platform. Nik Lo Bue addresses how he wanted to use an amazing brand experience to visually communicate with citizens using Drupal.

Community Discussion Guidelines for our Digital Branch

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:01:29 -0800

Community Discussion Guidelines for our Digital Branch:

Remember my post from last summer about comments at my library’s website? Here’s a follow-up post to that earlier discussion.

Because of all those comments (some of which were mean, snarky and personal), we needed a good, fair, “official” way to deal with them. So I started poking around other websites with commenting policies and guidelines, and came up with a library version of commenting guidelines.

Tapping the Power of the Local Library Anytime, Anywhere

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:10:10 -0800

Tapping the Power of the Local Library Anytime, Anywhere :

Doing research in our pajamas is a huge benefit of the Web and modern computers. But committed readers and researchers still want access to local libraries, with their vast troves of books, periodicals, and reference works. The best of both worlds? Tapping into your library over the Web, 24 hours a day.

Drupal wins Hall of Fame Award in the 2009 Open Source CMS Awards

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:38:05 -0800

Drupal wins Hall of Fame Award in the 2009 Open Source CMS Awards:

Drupal has won the Hall of Fame Award in the 2009 Open Source CMS Awards. Drupal previously won the 2007and 2008 Best Overall Open Source CMS Award. As a result of the previous wins, Drupal graduated to the Hall of Fame along with Joomla.

Drupal wins best open source PHP CMS for second year in a row

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:26:44 -0800

Drupal wins best open source PHP CMS for second year in a row :

Drupal has won best open source PHP Content Management System for the second year in a row in the Packt Publishing 2009 Open Source CMS Awards. Drupal won by popular vote and a critical selection by a panel of judges. This award reflects the strong support of the Drupal community and our focus on quality which leads to critical acclaim and rapid adoption for large, high quality projects. Drupal won best overall open source CMS in 2007 and 2008.

What is an online community manager?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:27:07 -0800

What is an online community manager?:

The precise description of an online community manager varies from organisation to organisation. Some companies will describe the responsibilities of an online community manager very differently to others. Some will offer roles with very similar job descriptions but very different job titles. The issue is this – there is no standard definition as to what an online community manager is, or does. We are all still ‘feeling our way’. In this article, I’m going to outline the role and personality of an online community manager.

ricklibrarian: This Book Is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:17:09 -0800

ricklibrarian: This Book Is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson:

In a time of economic stress, when librarians are needed more than ever, yet library budgets are being cut, Marilyn Johnson speaks out in our behalf in her forthcoming book This Book Is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. Her message to anyone who will listen is that librarians are the “authors of opportunity.”

Hayward libraries to borrow Netflix mode

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:14:18 -0800

Hayward libraries to borrow Netflix mode:

HAYWARD — City libraries soon will offer a new borrowing system that borrows from Netflix, the mail-based, no-late-fee movie rental service. For a monthly fee, library users will be able to check out a limited number of materials for an unlimited amount of time. The optional system will eliminate due dates and overdue fees, asking for money upfront in return for no worries later. Pricing would begin at $2.99 a month for up to three items out at a time.

Focusing on the Green in Libraries

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:15:24 -0800

Focusing on the Green in Libraries :

Want to get that new book? Need some fresh magazines? Grab your library card and go on a free spree says Tainted Green. According to the Green Press Initiative, it takes around 30 million trees to produce all the books in the U.S. And that’s leaving out all the magazines and newspapers that cycle through the average American home.

Ebooks making libraries popular again, can do nothing about your 80s scrunchie

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:04:30 -0800

Ebooks making libraries popular again, can do nothing about your 80s scrunchie:

A few forward-thinking libraries in the UK have started offering ebook downloads as an alternative to borrowing physical copies of books, and the local public’s reaction has been one of overwhelming enthusiasm. Seemingly attracted by the idea of being able to collect and return books without having to actually attend the library, Brits have been eagerly joining up to the new scheme. Free downloads that last for 14 days before self-deleting can be had either in the library or at home, and transitioned onto your Sony Reader, iRex iLiad, or that new hotness, B&N’s nook. Naturally, the proprietary-format Kindle isn’t invited to this party. We’ve already seen a similar initiative in the USA, and can only hope this kind of convenience becomes mainstream before too long.

Library 101

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:02:55 -0800

Library 101:

David and Michael asked some widely known and respected folks in Libraryland to talk about what they see changing in libraries and what we need to be doing to ensure we remain relevant as technology and society evolve. And these folks have some VERY interesting things to say! Check out the essays below.

How to deal with bad apples in your online community

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:07:21 -0700

How to deal with bad apples in your online community:

No online community is perfect – there will come a time (if it hasn’t happened already) when a member becomes abusive or confrontational. Dealing with these bad apples can be a challenge – they will often stir up emotions and lead to a huge spike in member engagement and discussion. However, it’s unlikely that this is the kind of activity you want to see in your online community.

Library DrupalCamp

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:42:29 -0700

Library DrupalCamp :

Following up on my note to the Drupal4lib list, I propose that we have a library DrupalCamp. Presuming that this would be a one day event, I suggest Thursday, June 24th (ish) immediately proceeding ALA Annual in Washington, DC. Of course, it could be two days.

Formal or unconference?

If anyone is interested in getting involved or, preferably, taking charge of this, please step forward.

Invigorate your online community by closing it down

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:04:46 -0700

Invigorate your online community by closing it down:

Remember that community building takes time. That being said, sometimes an online community just won’t get off the ground. If you are struggling to encourage activity or if you want to build more of a buzz around your site, sometimes closing it down is the best course of action.

Social Network, Blog, and Comment Policies

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:01:52 -0700

Social Network, Blog, and Comment Policies :

Social Media Governance offers a database of Social Media Policies, a selection of corporate and government agency policies regulating their staff use of social networks, the internet in general, email, and more. There are also policies meant for their website’s users, such as commenting policies. These literally run the entire spectrum from the overly-restrictive and horribly unrealistically impractical to the open and modern policies we’re used to seeing in libraries.

The Accidental Library Marketer – a Book Review

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:11:31 -0700

The Accidental Library Marketer – a Book Review:

As Kathy says right in the introduction, “The Accidental Library Marketer fills a need for library professionals and paraprofessionals who find themselves in an awkward position: they need to promote their libraries and services in the age of the internet, but they’ve never been taught how to do so effectively.”

New Book! Drupal 6 Search Engine Optimization

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:17:04 -0700

New Book! Drupal 6 Search Engine Optimization :

Drupal 6 Search Engine Optimization is …. a practical, step-by-step guide that takes the mystery out of Drupal search engine optimization (SEO) by showing you the tricks of today’s top marketing pros to achieve top ranking in the search engines.