IM the Library

Instant messaging test
There's a new widget on this blog! We are testing Instant Messaging (IM).

IM, also known as chat, is a form of private communication between two online users. Using the Meebo IM widget on the Blogalogue, we could operate an online reference service for our customers. This would be faster and more interactive than customer emails and provide an alternative to the telephone. One advantage of IM over phone calls is the ability to copy and paste website urls into the IM widget.

Here's some lowdown on IM:

• PC World's article on IM etiquette
• Webopedia's list of chat abbreviations

Among the things that we need to decide as a group is how, when and if we want to use this service. It requires that we log-on to show that we are available, so at what times should we be online or offline during opening hours? Do we treat IM customers just the same as in-person and phone customers, ie, they're in the queue? Which PC do we operate it from when there's 2 Info people about? Things like that.

If you wan to play with it, please feel free to ask me and I'll set up a chat - or "chat" amongst yourselves! You could be the customer or the Info person - your choice. To log in as the ref person, go to Meebo and sign in to the Meebo login with the ID libraryenquires and the password imthelibrary.

Any ?s, just ask: Glenn

Federated searching

Stop blog!

WebFeat has gone public on the Blogalogue.

Please pass on any customer comments.

Hi all,

As we want to make it easier for people to access, search and retrieve from our Gulliver and BRUCE resources, we are currently experimenting with federated searching for our online databases.

We have set up a free trial for WebFeat, which has been customised to our resources. It's still a bit raw, but I'd like people to give it a go, give it some thought and then give some feedback (verbal, email, blog comments, whatever). Note that we can add more categories and change some of the other display settings.

An alternate product is 360 Search. We don't have a live trial for this, but you can access the Yarra Plenty Regional Library Service live version of this using the following ID and password:

Username: 10235000
PIN: bess

Please let us know what you think about the two and which product you would pick. Also, if you are familiar with any other federated searching options, please let me know about those too.

Glenn

Read Alert live

Hi all,

Now that the links work externally, I've Blogalogued our SDI Read Alert service, whereby customers can set up profile searches in their membership and receive emails that alert them to matches. This can range from a list of newly ordered Films or Adult Fiction to a profile for new books by Nora Roberts or J D Robb.

For customers without emails, and to promote things a little bit more by way of a practical demonstration, I've also set up a public Read Alert live service on the blog's sidebar that turns emails into an RSS feed. I'll update this with monthly new stock lists for each of several major collections.

There'll be a What's new link from the front page of the Library website.

We already have the Read Alert brochures available that explain how to use this service. Here's the online pdf version too.

Please, have a play, set up your own if you haven't already, and promote it.

harps

howdy

hi i-help team, how is everyone going with Learning 2.0? i'm only just getting into it and taking it slowly so that i can get to understand a bit more about each type of technology we're being introduced to...it certainly has opened me up to a new way of communicating. it does seem to me to be the same kind of human exchange/ dialogue that we've always done - just using new techology methods, e.g. isn't a blog a journal with extra's? i suppose now we can share what we think with the world - i'm still wondering if that's a really, really good outcome!! anyway it's fun to be able to learn how to use some of these tools (and not to look blank when others refer to them) and it's a refreshing way of saying "hello" to you all and to continue to enjoy the learning expereince! Adios, Beck

Our new branch

Isn't it great that the new reality TV show set in our new branch is now on air - as reported in the Blogalogue!

ALIA even have a blog about it.

harps

The Librarians on TV

The new television show about life in an Australian public library begins next Wednesday night on Channel 2 at 9.30pm. The Age Green Guide this week has a two page article about the new series and the characters. Here is a link to the article about the show: http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/bigotry-by-the-book/2007/10/24/1192941129043.html

It should generate some interesting discussion in library staffrooms. Hopefully it won't be damaging to the public's perceptions of public libraries and library staff.

Share your views and reviews about the show here for your colleagues to read.

Missed Out On Learning 2.0?

If you missed out on Learning 2.0 complete the 23 Things listed in the Blog it's the same as Learning 2.0 without the prizes. Let us know how you're getting on.

23 Things

Screen gaze and play with intent

At the Library web 2.0 thing I went to at the SLV the other day, I felt that part of my job was justified when a leader in the Library 2.0 field, Helene Blowers, recommended that librarians spend at 15 minutes a day "playing" online (here's her presentation).

The thing is, we all should.

Need more reasons? Try Kathryn Greenhill's 20 reasons why learning emerging technologies is part of every librarian’s job. Kathryn was also at the L2.0 thing @ SLV and I even got to walk around the block with her and some others of local L2 mafia like Michelle Mclean (name dropper).

Don't know where to start? Here's Helene's 23 Things to give your L2 learning some structure.

Glenn

Yourtutor

Yourtutor is operational
Yourtutor is up and running for Frankston Library Service members. It's just been Blogalogued and should be linked from the library website soon (in the page header and from the Online Information page).

It's a free and professionally staffed online tutoring service for students from years 4 to 12.

Yourtutor creates an online classroom where students are connected to qualified, expert tutors for one-to-one help with homework, assignments, exam preparation and study questions. Help is provided for English, maths and science subjects, plus research and study skills.

The tutors are certified teachers, professional tutors, post graduates and advanced undergraduates from Australian universities. They can review specific homework and assignment questions with students online, using features like controlled chat, an interactive white board and shared web browsing.

Students can now communicate with tutors the way they love to learn – via the web - which makes the experience enjoyable as well as educational. Students can also get a print out of their session.

Yourtutor operates from 4 to 8 pm, Monday to Friday and it’s great!

ALIA Internet survey results

ALIA recently released the results of their Internet Filtering in Public Libraries 2007 survey.

For a quick overview, you can also see what was blogged about it on Libraries Interact.

I think that the survey results, observations and conclusions pretty much pan out with our view on why we don't go with web filtering, so reading it might be helpful for when you're asked why we don't have filtering (which happens occasionally).

Glenn

On line databases for 2007-2008

Don't be alarmed! We still will have lots of quality databases to use for reference.

Our final choices for Gulliver and BRUCE databases for 2007-2008 are follows:

Gulliver
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Gale Health and Wellness
Gael Science
Infotrac Onefile (lotsa Aussie content)
Infotrac Masterfile
EBSCO ANZ Reference Centre (newspaper articles, journal & magazine articles and images)
Global Books in Print

BRUCE
Gale Biography Resource Centre
Price-It!
Opposing Viewpoints

Glenda

BRUCE selections

Thanks to those who voted in the BRUCE poll and left comments.

As of July, these are going to be our BRUCE resources:
Gale Biography Resource Centre
Opposing Viewpoints - NEW!
Price-it - NEW!

As they have are poor performers, we will not be continuing with:
AutoRepair Centre
Grove Art Online
Proquest
What Do I Read Next?

Glenn

Zamzar

When you've got a customer with a file type (like something from Windows 2007) that our PCs don't support, help is now at hand.

.

With Zamzar, you can change file types online, for free and in less than a minute. All you need is this link - www.zamzar.com/url - and an email address and your PC using customer will be forever grateful.

.

Give it a burl!

Glenn

BRUCE poll

The poll (maybe the 1st of an irregular several) is about the BRUCE databases. I forget what BRUCE stands for, but basically it's about picking up online resources that aren't in the Gulliver Core. We already have some of those listed in the poll, but do we want to keep them?

We have to make our final decision by the 8th June. There's only so much money for these, so we can probably pick only 3 from this list. So, have a think about what might or might not be useful and vote for the things that we need or would be really, really useful.

Leave a comment to back up any votes if you like.

We'll take a look at the results before we make our final decision.

Glenn

The big chess set questions

Hi all,

I notice that the big chess board has found a rather neat little hidey-hole in at Info, that space where the feather duster sits just above the drawer with the 'Financial Reviews. Brilliant!

But what about the wooden box with the chess set that goes out with it? It doesn't fit in the same space as the board (it's too tall). The mushroom cabinet doesn't seem right. The bench top is a bit untidy and open. How about the shelf under the scrap paper? It's neat and out of the way, yet accessible to us and just below the blue sign out-sign in clipboard.

Glenn

A book on online bookings

Sam's placed a book at Info for comments, suggestions and observations about the new online bookings system. Please use.

It's in the vertical file at Info under the label Computer Booking System Feedback Book.

Also, stay upto date with this topic in the Blogalogue.

Glenn

Library Link Victoria

I've placed a link to Library Link Victoria (LLV) in the Library Focus links on the front page of the Library's website and in the Favorites menu at Fra Info.

Library Link Victoria is an online federated search portal for Victorian libraries, including public and university library catalogues. It's not a snap shot like Libraries Australia, but a live catalogue search system.

Not all Victorian public libraries are currently live on the LLV. The Frankston Library Service will probably go live in July.

Once we are up and running with it, our members will be able to place reserves and ILLs directly through LLV. The same goes for the members of any other participating library.

Now is probably a good time to get ahead of our customers and have a play with it. We should also think about how we are going to use it, especially with regards to searching and ILL policy.

Glenn

L2 updates

I've made some changes to the sidebar (left).

There is now a Google Reader clip, with headline links from various blogs that specialise in library info and specifically Library 2.0 kind of ideas, discussions, news and tips - things like Library2.0 on under $5 a day, which is a nice intro to things L2.

To facilitate browsing, I've also created a blogroll with links to these and other library blogs. Of particular note at the moment is the Connecting Librarian, written by Michelle McLean from Casey Cardinia, who has just toured the USA investigating best L2 practice over there. It's chockers with fun stuff.

Please read, imagine, vision and share.

Enjoy,

Glenn

Library of the future ideas

Hi all,

Here's some library of the future ideas from a Singapore "liblogrian", the Rambling Librarian. It's base around a video tour of the Geek Terminal, but it may have something in it for us too.

Go wild.

Glenn the Blograrian

Reference Collection Stools!

Hi Glenda,

I think Gas lift stools are good - people can adjust it depending on their height.

Backrest is essential ( I think :)) and pedestal seems better than legs.

Colour... hmm... maybe Red to go with our pillars!

Congratulations

Congratulations to Glenn, Glenda and the i-help team! This is a fantastic idea that gets my "grey cells" working overtime on how to use this technology for my team.
Well done!
Martina

Stools for Reference collection tables

We are trying to choose some stools for the Reference tables. There are lots of different options. Please help us to choose!

• gas lift or not


• pedestal or legs


• just seat or with backrest


• upholstered or not


• colour of seat?


• colour of base or legs?

Your feedback is essential and soon!

Thanks from Glenda

Email subscription

Hi everyone,

Email subscription completed - will be good if it works. Hazel

Subscribe via email

If you've got this far, you can be kept automatically up to date with new posts on this blog by subscribing via email. Just add your email address in the appropriate space at left, click on Subscribe me! and follow the instructions.

Remember to pop in here regualrly to also look at the comments, as these aren't emailed.

I hope it works!

harps the blograrian
Librarian 2.0

WOW

I've never done this before so i hope it works!! Well done Glenn & Glenda for a speedy timeline from idea to action - i'm very impressed!! beck

Fantastic

This is fantastic! Big thankyou to Glenn for creating our very own Blog! And to Glenda for coming up with the idea!
Please post any information to share with the i-help team so we can all keep up with what's happening. Do remember this site is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Bernie

Here it is!

OUR OWN
i-help
BLOG!

Keep upto date.

Create and comment!

Share!

Cool, ain't it?

PS: This is private, but is applicable to Freedom of Imformation, so be careful.