How about a podcast?

What do you think about us producing a podcast or You Tube program for the Library?

We could do it like a news magazine with section about storytimes, programs and services. I think it would be cool, and it wouldn't be that difficult to do...

TI Monthly Report - March 2009

The Tech Illuminati group was formed at the Library with the goal of serving as a liaison between the staff and the wider world of technology. The group made great progress during its first month by reviewing existing databases and trials for potential purchases, as well as investigating social networking opportunities for the Library.

The TI Committee has made recommendations for the reorganization of the Library's Internet databases. These recommendations were approved by the group's advisor, Darren Miguez, and have been sent to the Electronic Resources department for implementation. The group also recommended the purchase of the Biography Resource Center database. This purchase was approved and integrated into the web site for staff and public use - it will be a very useful too in our arsenal, especially for student assignments.

Continuing into the spring the group will evaluate databases the library owns for potential weeding, and make recommendations for further trials and potential purchases. We will also investigate a Facebook page for the Library, Internet message boards for user feedback, and re-implementing instant messaging as a user interface tool. (Tim)

EBSCO Animals

Another database in the EBSCO suite, Animals offers Boolean search, related items and an image search. The results seemed to be brief, concise articles on various animals. I think this website would be of primary use to children and teenagers who are looking for information about animals for projects or pictures for collages. Photographs of animals are either on color or black and white. The toughest part of recommending EBSCO Animals to the public is the relative difficulty in getting to the website, it is buried and required four clicks to get to the search page. I think that if this website was broken out and more prominently displayed on our website I think this database could be moderately helpful especially to children and teens. (Tim)

Message Board; Database Tutorials

A message board hosted by OBPL is just another idea to toss around. It may provide feedback about services and programming and encourage our users to talk about new things they'd like to see offered by the library. Users would probably have to register on the board but the degree of anonymity they'd have might make their comments more candid. We could have a link on our website. This may be a longer-term project to develop.

I also think that the 360 search is interesting but needs more prominence on the site. After taking a look at most of the databases we give users access to, I had the idea that perhaps we can have classes on database use. They could include info on where to go to find information as well as the more technical aspects of searching within the databases. This is pie in the sky but another approach would be to make up CD tutorials which we could give to users. Either or both could be broken down into subject areas or very specific things like biographical research or genealogical research. Needs a lot more fleshing out. (Nancy)

Facebook for Librarians workshop

The second portion of the program was most valuable; during this period we set up a Facebook page for our Library to experiment with (not accessible by the public) and worked on how to include photos, library events and other accessories. This was a valuable workshop, demonstrating the value of the social networking programs that are available on the Internet, and the ways in which we can use them to further out mission. I think the Library should make a public profile page, because if this is managed carefully by the staff and overseen by administration it will an excellent way to reach out to our users and raise the Library’s profile among the public.

Global Issues in Context

Darren asked me to look into something on GIC I had skipped. Apparently you can create a log in and tag articles, create folders to save articles in and, best of all, set up feeds.

The folders and tagging are easy to use once you realize they're there. You have your own dashboard to go to, like we have with the blogs. If people use these there'll be less "I found this article, printed it and lost it. Now I can't find it again!" And now they'll be able to build a collection of articles over time.

The news feeds are interesting, and something I think many people will enjoy once they know we have them. You can get a feed to a newspaper in general (and they of course have papers from around the world) or you can get a news feed on a certain topic or place. You can pretty much just put in a search term and create a feed off of it. So you could get a Child Labor news feed, or a news feed on Burma.

As long as we made sure the public knew about these options, I think it would be a big deal. It would help the high school students, but I think it would be best used by the adults - especially college students.

Mary

General Reference Center Gold

GRCG is a database that offers full text and abstracts of mainstream and some academic magazines and journals. Although it is similar to the EBSCO Masterfile, there are some significant differences. After a search is done, the database offers matching subject headings, subdivisions and related subjects. While this can be confusing to the novice user, it does allow focused narrowing of results for greater accuracy. After the results list is displayed, there are tabs available for easy toggling between formats like magazines, books, multimedia and the like. I think this is a worthwhile database with some intriguing options. If there is not too much overlap with EBSCO, it can make a fine complement to that standard database. (Tim)

EBSCO Student Research Center

The basic search is simple and well designed, offering check boxes for different types of information. Also helpful in assisting students is the ability to restrict results to reading level of elementary, middle and high school. A column on the left hand side of the main screen offers searching by academic subject for quick navigation. The biggest problem with this database is that it is obscured on our web site, needing five clicks or rollovers to reach: OBPL--> Teens --> Databases and Newspapers --> Student Research Center --> Student Research Center (again.) I think this database would receive much more use if it was "broken out" and made more accessible. Despite the accessibility problem, I think this is a valuable database for helping students with papers and assignments, and I think that it should be given a more prominent place on our web site. (Tim)

Hello everyone!

Darren here.

A few reviews seem to be pro-BRC. I'm definitely getting that barring counter arguments at the next TI meeting this week.

Do other folks have any interest in Global Issues in Context?

Also, PriceIt seems a bit wonky. Are there better alternatives?

Masterfile premier database

The Masterfile Premier is the "Big Kahuna" of databases, at least as far as the adult services department is concerned. It contains periodicals in both full text and abstract form, along with full text access to reference books, images and maps. This database becomes most useful when doing advanced searches which allow users and librarians to narrow the search to primary sources, pictures, biographies, government docs, etc.

BRC & GIC

Biography Resource Center - I adore it. It will be good for all ages. The tabs across the top give you choices of longer biographies, short biographies, newspaper and magazine articles, and websites. Each article gives you its own bibliography as well as further readings. It provides pictures and can be a great starting off point for anyone needing to do a more in depth project. It also has recent updates on new people of interest. It even has the Jonas Brothers, as a group and as individuals. And finally, best of all, you can search for people using different parameters. You can look for a woman born before whenever who worked with animals, etc. It also gives the citation for each article.

Global Issues in Context - Definitely aimed at more mature users. You can get a simple article, but the purpose is obviously to help you hone in on a more detailed topic. High schoolers and college students would find it useful. Searching works best when you know exactly what you’re looking for, or when you’re doing preliminary idea catching. Someone going in with a vague idea of what they need won’t be too happy, but I don’t know that there’s anything they would be happy going into then. I give it a thumbs up.

Mary

Database review - Price It Antiques

Price It allows users to search for information on antiques by keyword, date, category or price range. Typing in a search brings up a list of items that meet the query, with varying levels of detail ranging from the very detailed to the monosyllabic. With much of the data taken directly from Ebay and other auction sites that are available for free on the web, it brings into question whether this database is worthwhile for our users. Its one redeeming quality is that there are several articles on collecting in there help section that could be useful to our users.

Meebo

Not sure if IM is the best way to make ourselves and our programs known to younger people after some more investigation with my young contacts. Mostly due to having to be in the mode of receiving the IM when it's sent. However, I had the thought that perhaps we could embed a Meebo link in our web site which would take patrons to a chat room we set up on Meebo. Visitors seem to be automatically added to the buddy list when they enter. Maybe this would help chat up library services and programs.

Websites of Note

Hello all! Darren here.

I'm wondering if you might want to post here any technology related websites or articles that might be of use to us.

One of interest:
http://librarygarden.blogspot.com/

Has contributions by some of the more tech savvy librarians in NJ, and includes:

What Libraries can learn from Facebook

I only have time for one today. Now, to prepare for Dr Seuss!

360 search

Darren was talking at yesterdays meeting about the Las Vegas Library system's integrated library catalog/database search. This is actually available to our users, but it's buried on our site: 360 search. The interface is cumbersome, and the time lag is considerable, but it's good to know we have this resource if it is needed.

Welcome to the TI Blog

The first meeting of the Tech Illuminati group was held on March 5, 2009. Meeting minutes:

Tech-Illuminati Meeting Minutes - March 5, 2009

Attendees: Darren, Mary, Nancy, Tim

New Group's Goals

* Technology Interface: The group is to act as the conduit between the Library staff and the wider world of technology.
* Increased online presence: Raise the Library's Internet profile through social networking, targeted blogs, vlogs, podcasts, vlogcasts and wikis. Determine how to best incorporate user created content into the Library's online experience.
* Revamp the Library's databases: re-organizing, and promoting the Library's databases in functional categories.

Blog and Wiki

* The group's blog address is: http://techilluminati.blogspot.com/
username = techilluminati@gmail.com
password = koalabearhat
* The group's wiki address is: http://techilluminati.pbwiki.com/
username = techilluminati@gmail.com
password = koalabearhat
* Feel free to post to the blog and edit the wiki often, the more information and collaboration we have the better off we'll be.

Projects

* Mary will analyze databases and organization from a teen perspective.
* Nancy will work on re-categorizing databases and brainstorming Meebo.
* Darren will talk to Gail about Gale databases, and research an e-mail distribution list.
* Tim will review databases and attend a "Facebook in the Library" presentation on March 18.

Next Meeting

* Thursday, March 26 @ 2:00 p.m.

Next Meeting Agenda Items

* Review the Library's blog presence.
* Review databases and categories
* Social networking ideas.