HANDHELD LIBRARIAN III: The State of Mobile Connectivity

Lee Rainie is the Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, a non-profit, non–partisan “fact tank” that studies the social impact of the internet. Since December 1999, the Washington D.C. research center has examined how people’s internet use affects their families, communities, health care, education, civic and political life, and work places. Pew is not about "fixing", "promoting" or "thwarting" the Internet, it just looks at its impact.

Due to the Internet, access to information has changed in four main ways:

1. Volume: information is much easier to find than in the past, but sometimes it's more than you want.
2. Velocity: information comes faster than when waiting for the evening news or the daily newspaper. Also, you can find out stories that are important to you, not just the big news.
3. Vibrancy: information is multimedia and interactive.
4. Relevance: information seeking can be tailored to your interests.

In addition to changing information-seeking behavior, the Internet encourages people to become content creators. 2/3 of adults have created content to share online (3/4 of teenagers):

• 62% belong to social networking sites
• 50% share photos
• 33% create tags
• 32% rank & rate things
• 30% share personal creations
• 14% are bloggers
• 12% use Twitter--mostly young people
• 4% use location-sharing services

85% of Americans have cellphones. It is the fastest-growing technology in history of the world. 57% connect to the internet wirelessly, either by laptop or cellphone or both. Interestingly, African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to access Internet wirelessly and use more functions of the cell phone. 1/3 of Americans don't have broadband Internet-- usually people who are poor, speak English as a second language, rural, or less educated--so the digital divide is still a big issue.


Use of mobile devices:

• 35% have apps, 24% use apps
• 76% take pictures
• 74% text (more text than talk in 2009--frequency)
• 42% browse Internet
• 38% email
• 35% IM

Ownership of devices:

• 55% laptops
• 50% DVR
• 45% Mp3 players
• 42% game consoles
• 7% ebook readers
• 6% tablets

People are stressed by volume of info in their lives--social networks are "sentries" that tell them what is important in the world, evaluate information for them, and give them forums for action. Librarians can be "nodes" in social networks and provide help & information.


What libraries can offer:

• Navigation literacy--as the volume grows
• Connections & context literacy--finding sources and making connections
• Skepticism
• Showing value of contemplative time--multitasking isn't as effective as some people think
• Instruction in how to create content
• Instruction in how to be a good online citizen
• Content for patrons' devices
• Curating information online, not just their own collections

In short, librarians can be digital life/citizenship coaches.


Slides are here and an archived version of the webinar is here (requires latest version of Flash).

--Andrea @Central

HANDHELD LIBRARIAN II: Augmented Reality 101 for Libraries

Presented by Sarah Houghton-Jan and Nate Hill

Augmented reality is like the robot's vision in the Terminator movies or like the future of Minority Report. You point an AR-enabled device at something in reality, and obtain digital information about it. AR requires GPS, a camera and an accelerometer (which tells if you are pointing up or down). iPads and tablets can use Augmented Reality applications, but smart phones are the most common devices.

Some Augmented Reality apps:

• Layar
• Wikitude
• Google Goggles
• Monocle (part of Yelp)

Layar is currently the most popular app. Libraries can make their own apps within Layar. It includes such things as a Beatles tour of Liverpool.

Wikitude connects real world locations to Wikipedia--it gives you historical facts about an area and points to potential areas of interest in the background.

Google Goggles lets you scan books, CD covers, artwork etc. --you can look at an object online or even buy it.

Monocle lets you find local bars and restaurants when you shake your phone 3 times.


Houghton-Jan and Hill decided to create a local history walking tour of San Jose with Layar. They created it as a web app because they couldn't find an iOS or Android developer to help them. The tour itinerary was created by special collections librarians. I especially like the links to old photographs of the locations.

Their tips for Augmented Reality apps:

• Make sure there's documentation so someone else can come in --they used regular html/css code for more sustainability.
• Use low-resolution photos so they load fast.
• You can do almost all the same things in a browser than an app, and it's also cross-platform.
• It helps to have a couple of devices with different OS so you can see what they look like on different operating systems and test them.
• You can do down to a couple of meters, but GPS can't do smaller than that yet--you can't do each floor of a building.
  

Possibilities for the future of Augmented Reality:

• Recognize any object--e.g. point it at an apple and it tells you it's nutritional qualities.
• See who lives in the houses in a neighborhood.
• Hold it up to a person to find their social networks.

Augmented reality assumes being always connected to the Internet. A lot of people still aren't, so it could be a digital divide issue. As you can imagine, their could be privacy issues, so librarians need to provide patrons with information so they can decide what information to share.



Slides are available here and the archived webinar is here (requires latest version of Flash).



--Andrea @Central

HANDHELD LIBRARIAN I: Next Trends in Mobile Technology

Next Mobile trends HHLIB

Click above to view slides. Archived version of webinar is here (requires latest version of Flash).

The presenter, Joe Murphy, says keeping current with mobile trends helps libraries stay relevant. According to this article, smart phones are now outselling PCs. There were 10 billion downloads in Apple's app store, and the iPad is now the most successful mobile device of all time.

He discussed four major trends:

1. Mobile Photos (Instagram, Hipstamatic, Photoshop Express)
2. Location Services (Foursquare, Gowalla, SCVNGR, Mytown, Loopt)
3. Entertainment Check-in (Miso, Getglue, Philo)
4. Social Recommendation Services (Google Hotpot, Bizzy, Foodspotting)
   

Mobile photos involve taking pictures on your mobile devices, editing them on the same device, then sharing them with others. Libraries could use these services to publicize themselves by showing photos of events. Instagram has 2 millions users, but has only been around for 2 months. These services also make it really easy to share to other social media such as Facebook, Flickr or Twitter.

Location services are a form of mobile social gaming--users check in and gain in-world & real-world benefits such as a free coffee. At root, they are a marketing tool--the more users follow, the more they gain rewards. They can also be used to meet friends or even find a lost wallet. Foursquare is the largest, at 7 million users.

Check-in services are similar, except they are about what you are doing rather than where you are going, combining digital and real-world engagement. Getglue lets you "check in" to movies, video games, thinking about a topic, chatting, and reading a book. You can share easily to Facebook and Twitter. The thinking about a topic could apply to the library. Getglue is definitely one to keep our eye on, according to Murphy. Miso and Philo are similar, but only cover television.

Social recommendation services such as Google Hotpot and Bizzy have you rate local business and they will recommend others to you based on your preferences. Foodspotting is specific to restaurants and you can post photos of meals.

Murphy also mentioned an attachment to the iPhone that lets you swipe credit cards and make payments. While not a trend yet, it could become one in the future.

These trends change patrons' expectations, so flexibility is key. For example, don't be too strict with patrons taking photos if it becomes an important discovery tool that can promote the library.



--Andrea @Central

Grantspace

Grantspace is a new website from the Foundation Center. It does not replace the http://www.foundationcenter.org/ web site, but acts as a supplement to it. The latter is a site for everyone (grant-seekers, grant-makers, media, politicians, etc.) while the former is especially geared to grant-seekers and teaching them how best to use the Foundation Center’s resources. So a lot of the links are familiar, but now they are all in one place.

The four main parts of Grantspace are Subjects, Skills, Classroom and Tools. Subjects are divided into the five main areas of grant-making: Arts, Education, Environment, Health Care and Human Services. Grant-seekers can find jobs, RFPs, news, Funder tweets, reports, and podcasts in their area of interest.

The Skills area has information on planning, proposal writing, management, legal issues, and using Foundation Directory Online. It includes sample cover letters and proposals that can be downloaded as pdfs .

The Classroom area has a training calendar with free and paid in-person classes and webinars. A search of the calendar can be limited by location or skill area.

The Tools area has a knowledge base of questions and answers, sample documents, the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (a catalog of all the Foundation Center library’s books and articles, some of which are available online), a collaboration database, and the TRASI database for evaluating the social impact of a program.

Registration at Grantspace is not required, but it allows the patron to make comments, share items, create a profile, and subscribe to free e-newsletters.

If a patron is interested in a Foundation Center class at the library but is unable to make it in that day, or they want to learn more about grant-seeking before they come in to search Foundation Directory Online, please introduce them to Grantspace.

--Andrea @Central

Serving 21st Century Patrons 2010 Online Conference Part Three: TechSoup for Libraries

Techsoup was formed to help libraries and nonprofits and to be a one-stop shop for technology needs. It offers free content, events, resources, and donated products, plus discounts on software and technology from companies like Microsoft, Adobe and Symantec. All public libraries and 501 (c ) (3) nonprofits are eligible for the discounts. Refurbished computers are also available.

Techsoup is based on the idea that libraries shouldn’t have to “reinvent the wheel”--someone else may have done it already. Librarians can learn from articles, webinars (all archived later on the web site), and a blog with guest librarians. Recent webinar topics include cloud computing, open source software, and security basics.

Librarians shared some cool technology ideas in the chat for the webinar, including the following:

1. A technology petting zoo where patrons can “play” and learn about ereaders such as the Kindle, Nook, and Ipad and decide which device if any is best for them (and learn which ones work with the library’s ebooks)
2. A Docsend station that connects to the copier and lets patron scan and edit their resumes and then save them to a flash drive.
3. A flash drive bracelet.

1. QR Codes on the library’s Directions & Hours web page that links to turn-by-turn directions for patrons with mobile phones.
2. Using Libguide software to create pathfinders on different topics.

--Andrea @Central

Serving the 21st Century Patron 2010 Online Conference, Part 2: 21 Ideas for 21st-Century Libraries

Kim Bolan-Cullin and Rob Cullin had some exciting ideas about making libraries “shoppable” without a lot of expense. They call their approach “refreshovation”--more than buying one new couch, but much less expensive than a full renovation.

First, they suggest getting input from patrons in as many ways as possible. A Powerpoint presentation with lots of pictures helps people know what their options are. Patrons may not be aware of new things like downloadables, so they only ask for what they know about already.

A “shoppable” library should be very welcoming, with lots of seating amidst the shelving and materials shelved faced out. Small-group collaboration is of increasing importance, so there should be places set aside for it. Other possibilities include: a coffee shop, a business center, and a library within a shared space.

Spaces can be updated cheaply with paint, signs, and furniture. New ideas like self-service holds, roving reference, and re-organizing desks to make them more user-friendly (think of Apple “Genius bars” and how they turn the computers towards customers) can be implemented without much expense.

Youth services is sometimes overly focused on zero to 5-year-olds. What about 5-8 or 8-12? Each age group should have areas with interactive items that stimulate their developments. Teens should have a separate area and be given input.

Furniture should be modular so your library can be flexible. Instead of a dedicated training area, how about laptops and furniture on casters so training can be done in different places? In a meeting room, maybe some comfy chairs with little laptop tables instead of hard chairs and big tables. For small-group collaboration, use screens for semi-private areas that don’t need to be monitored.

Signage should be very clear in a shoppable library. Avoid using jargon like circulation, reference, and youth services. Stacks should have words on signs in addition to call numbers. Digital picture frames can be used to create digital signs. Patrons want to be able to navigate on their own.

Another way to give patrons more self-service options is with vending machines. Some libraries use Redbox for popular movies and save their budget for independent, foreign, or educational DVDs. A few libraries have added vending machines with library materials at transit stations or other locations as a sort of “stationary Bookmobile”. There are also vending machines with office supplies for a study area or business center.

Don’t spend your money on things the patrons aren’t asking for. Remember to weed, weed, weed, Think about new, unconventional collections like cake pans, fishing poles, and electric meters.

Patrons want to learn and use new technology in the library. Don’t forbid them. Instead, use QR codes on signs which give patrons information via cell phones. Teach lots of classes and have lots of programs. Staff don’t have to be super-techno-wizards to teach, they can learn about things via web sites such as Instructables or How Stuff Works and teach them to patrons. Hire for attitude, train for skill. Cross-train staff to break down barriers.

With these tips and flexibility to their community’s needs in the future, any library can “change no to yes” and be something to all people.

An archived version of the webinar, links, and slides are available here. Lots of interesting pictures of libraries.

--Andrea @Central

Followup to the Previous Post: Rice Street Comes Through for Their Neighborhood in a Time of Chaos

So......at 2:15p.m. on Friday, the fire alarm went off at Wellstone Elementary (for real) and 600 children, plus their teachers, marched out into the 12 degree cold....... most without coats. We didn't know this was going on until a school staff member came in and told us about the alarm, and asked if some kids could come in to get warm. Karen said sure, and then 600 children poured into the library. We started putting classes in the meeting room, still not realizing how many were coming, and when that was full, they moved into most of the nooks and crannies of the building. The kids were grateful, the teachers were grateful, the principal was grateful.....we were entertained! Anything's more fun than writing an annual report! About 3:30, the buses came to pick up the kids and took them back to school. I guess it was a computer smoking in the administrative offices that set everything off. We were so happy that we could help out. Talk about being an "active center of neighborhood....engagement!"

Mary Margaret (via Karen H.)


Way to Stay Committed to Great Customer Service When Your Library Is in Chaos!

Serving the 21st Century Patron 2010 Online Conference, Part One: Staying Committed to Great Customer Service When Your Library is in Chaos

Pat Wagner has been helping libraries in crisis since 1975, so she knows whereof she speaks. These days, there are more and more staff and patrons in emotional crisis than ever. While we cannot hope for chaos to just miraculously stop, we can use certain project management tricks to help.

Things to remember:

1. Somebody has to be the adult.
2. People get stressed out in a time of change because they lose mastery & status--they have to learn new things--maybe what you were best at isn't as important anymore or has been superseded by technology.
3. When things are crazy, don't forget it's all about the customer.
4. Have compassion for other people.

Things to avoid:

1. Getting addicted to drama--why be obsessed by someone something you don't like?
2. Sarcasm-it’s a barrier to self-knowledge.
3. Venting doesn't work--Our bodies get addicted to the "flight or fight chemicals" that venting releases. Also, venting is too public--it creates an audience for people's mistakes--they can't back off their behavior.

What can help:

1. People should get the same service no matter what time they come in--remember, patrons are used to businesses with 24 hour service by phone and online.
2. Play fair-- no exceptions for people you like.
3. Rules should be written--new staff shouldn't have to guess.
4. If someone has a really long hard question, ask them to write down the steps needed. It will help them understand how tough it is. Maybe a one-on-one librarian session?
5. Use good humor and cartoons for signs--don't point fingers at people.
6. A workplace coach.

Wagner’s thought can be summarized as: “Don’t be a jerk.” A jerk is a person who is indifferent or unaware of their behavior.

Recommended books:

What You Can Change and What You Can't--Martin Seligman

The New Peoplemaking ---Virginia Satir

An archived version of the webinar, links, and slides are available here.

There was also a lively discussion on chat about the similarities and differences between Wagner’s philosophy and FISH! Both are customer-oriented, but the play aspect of the latter could lead to sarcasm and hurtful humor if taken too far.

--Andrea @Central

Help with Microsoft Office 2010

As you may have heard, we’re getting Office 2010 on our public computers soon, and eventually on our staff machines.

With Office 2007 Microsoft made some big changes on the interface which have continued with 2010, and they look a lot different than Office 2003 and have a lot of added functionality.

Microsoft heads into cloud with Office 2010: Rich Jaroslovsky
Business Week
June 9, 2010

Luckily, we have some help with all of this change to one of our basic software tools.

Through MELSA’s subscription to WebJunction Minnesota , we have free access to the following classes on the various components of Office 2010:

Office 2010 New Interface - Word & Excel

Office 2010: New Core Features

Office 2010: New Features for PowerPoint, Publisher, and Access

Office 2010: Web Apps and New features for Publisher and Mobile

To take a course sign up for a free account and click on the Courses button near the top of the page. These courses are under Microsoft Office (general).

Also, as part of Microsoft’s venture into the cloud, they’re offering access to free online versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. These apps are stripped-down versions of the for-pays, but should give you an opportunity to practice some skills you learn in the classes, and help you find where some of the basic functions are in the 2010 interface. You do need a WindowsLiveID or Hotmail email address, but those are easy to sign up for if you don’t already have one.

I will be posting this information on the Information Services Council’s intranet page as well.

Enjoy!

Melissa @ Central.

Inventing the Future by Tinkering with the Past: Roles for Reference Librarians

From the Reference Renaissance Conference.

Presenter: Amy VanScoy, Doctoral Student, School of Information & Library Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

“This paper reviews conceptual papers and research studies on these traditional and emerging roles. Using examples from practice, it also explores how these roles manifest themselves in traditional and emerging forms of reference. The goal of the paper is to articulate the diversity of possible roles, to explore how they might interconnect and to examine how librarians can use them to shape their work.” (Description in the conference program.)

Slideshow:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/documents/VanScoyRefRen10v2004.ppt#256,1,Slide 1
(Includes quotes from the literature that illustrate the ideas of the roles.)

Handout:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/documents/VanScoyRefRen10Handout.pdf
(Includes a bibliography of her sources for this presentation.)

This was an interesting session on the roles a librarian plays as she interacts with patrons, as reflected in the literature. She did a literature review, and then narrowed down her roles as they gelled in her reading.

Two big roles the literature discusses are:

1. Information Provider

2. Teacher - instruction

They are often talked about as if these were the only things librarians do and are often set in opposition - expert v. teacher. Often in essays, but not in research. Much of the research says these roles are both important and need to be played in tandem.

Other roles she found:

Communicator – There’s some talk of putting information provider and communication in opposition.

Relationship development

Counselor - Not discussed a lot, but in a couple of papers. Mediation was used in one of the papers.

Partner (with the patron)

How do these roles work together? Hierarchically? How much does environment affect these roles. How are they balanced? How much is personal style?

Inventing by tinkering:

Examining past roles
Reflective practice
Sharing with colleagues

She used the word “tinkering” because it implies a work that’s never done, as well as working with different elements and reflection, and mixing and matching and introducing new elements.

Melissa @ Central.

Survive & Thrive! Customer-focused Reference “Soft” Skills

From the Reference Renaissance Conference.

Presenters: Keith Unrath, Tamara Grybko and John Vittal of the
Albuquerque / Bernalillo County Library

“Knowledge of resources and search strategies is undoubtedly important to providing reference desk service. It is outstanding people skills that builds customer trust and confidence and takes reference service from adequate to excellent. The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library developed a training to explore a variety of customer service scenarios: lonely customers, sensitive questions and customers who were unsure where to begin their inquiries. This workshop presents the approach and structure of our training so participants may offer it in their own libraries. A mini-version of the training will be conducted in breakout groups and then all participants will reconvene to share their impressions.” (Description in the conference program.)

Overview: http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/presentations/SurviveandThriveOverview.doc

Training Plan:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/presentations/SoftSkillsTrainingPlan.doc

Training Handout:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/presentations/SoftSkillsTrainingHandout.doc

This session was very valuable. They ran a mini-training for us, choosing participants out of the audience, so we really got to see the benefits of this approach to learning/refreshing customer service skills.

The discussion leaders would assemble a group (between 8 and 15 people – any bigger and people start fading into the woodwork, any smaller and there’s not enough fresh discussion). They’d send emails out to the group asking them to come up with scenarios along certain lines. The leaders would also have scenarios just in case, but they rarely had to use any of theirs. Then the group would brainstorm about the various scenarios and how best to approach them. Much of the content was generated by the group. It felt much more like a discussion than a training, and staff learned from each other as well as from the discussion leaders. The leaders said they always came away from a session with something new they could apply to their own reference practice.

The leaders did come up with concepts they wanted to be sure were introduced each session, such as the idea the great customer service could be learned; it’s not inherent. They also wanted to make sure to outline the basic behavior standards of the organization. And emphasize respect, responsibility, and relationships: the 3 Rs that are the basis for good customer service.

They recommend mixing veterans and rookies so you get new ideas as well as institutional traditions in your answers. They deliberately have across-branch trainings which keeps the sessions on task – about customer service skills and not branch issues. They so far have only run the trainings for reference staff, but it would be equally applicable to clerical and other front-line staff.

Praise liberally. Let participants know they’re doing it right.

For wrap-up & closing thank participants. Mention that there are always new ideas and Encourage folks to continue the discussion.

One of the points of the trainings is to help staff make situation-based decisions in a rules-based organization. Also to try to encourage people to see in shades of gray instead of black & white. Want staff to work to find solutions rather than purely enforcing rules.

Another point/benefit is to create a space for to interact on a more personal level. People make friends and become better colleagues. It builds a sense of team.

A basic assumption of the training is that staff work in libraries because they like people and want to take care of them. Not because they want to follow the rules. Knowing that the library system wants to have this discussion is as important as having the discussion. It sets priorities for the system.

You can use these trainings to monitor the state of reference in your system. Are you keeping up with all the RUSA standards? You can also use them to emphasize important trends you want to enforce with staff – ADA, the etiquette of working with the hearing-impaired, etc.

Measuring outcomes is a little difficult; it’s hard to measure outcomes in attitude-based training. They used feedback surveys. You could also use competencies to help measure outcome.

Melissa @ Central

Education, Wildlife and Cell Phones, Oh My! New State Government Reports for November 2010

Hello!

Here are some recently published state government reports that might be of interest.

Education Statistics Summary 2009-10

K-12 Education Finance Overview 2010-11

Summaries of Wildlife Research Findings 2009

Driver Hand-Held Cellular Phone Use in Minnesota, June and August 2010

Minnesota Safety Belt Use and Motorcycle Helmet Use: August, 2010

Nighttime Safety Belt Use in Minnesota: September, 2010

Adult Inmate Profile and Juvenile Inmate Profile

House Research Department publications on Elections

The entire list is here.

Enjoy!
Melissa @ Central
Government Documents Coordinator

NetLibrary Downloadable Audiobooks Training Notes

Hello!

Much about our NetLibrary downloadable audiobooks has stayed the same, but there have been changes. These notes are a mix of reminders of things you might have forgotten and new information. If something's not talked about, it should work the same as it ever has.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about these notes or the training.

Melissa @ Central
651-266-7000 x5

Types of books:

Multi-access - Always available. No holds necessary. Unlimited use. Multiple patrons can use it at the same time.

Single-access - One patron per book at a time. Works the same way as a physical product. Patrons are put on hold and will be emailed when book is available.

WMA - Windows media audio - no iPods. Has Digital Rights Management (DRM). Refers to access control used by publishers which limits usage of digital media or devices. Publisher insists on the license that corrupts in 3 weeks. It enforces limitations on the usage.

MP3 - compatible with everything including iPods. No DRM. The limitations here are a function of the way the system works, instead of being imposed from the outside, as with DRM. There is no license.

Titles are segmented (tracks) by the hour.

We have the Adult Core Collection (purchased by MELSA).

2340+ titles to start (includes Modern Scholar, Coach in the Box, The Bible, and other specialty imprint titles).

Of those, 1180+ are MP3.

Every month 30 titles added at no additional cost. At least 20 of those are MP3s.

All titles in or added to this collection are Multi-Access.

Some of the WMAs will be retrospectively converted to iPod.

SPPL occasionally purchases additional titles. Those are single-access.


Whether a title is WMA or MP3 depends on what the author and publisher want. It’s a security and access issue. With DRM you have more security from pirating and misuse. With MP3 you have more access.




Downloading & Syncing:
To sync – to load onto your portable device.

Click on Download Options banner and it will analyze your machine and tell you which download method to use. There are 4 possible methods.

1. Media Center

This will be the recommended option most of the time. Still does not work with Macs.

Media Center doesn’t take too long to download - 3 minutes? But it does need to run Microsoft updates for the Windows Media Player (WMP), if the patron does not update regularly. This can take a little bit of time.

Automatically connects with the NetLibrary database. This program won’t work if you’re offline. Your books are stored on your hard drive, and it’s integrated with WMP, which is why WMP has to be properly updated.

It still works pretty much the same way. You can use it as a stand-alone utility that will allow you to search for books and download them with one click (after you attach your device to the computer). You don’t need to go to the NetLibrary website. However, you can still start your session and do your searching on the website, if you prefer, and then NetLibrary will launch Media Center when it’s time for you to do the One-Click downloading. (It’s One-Click because it downloads the book and the license, and syncs to your portable device in one step.)

Media Center can recommence interrupted downloads. Patron can choose to interrupt a download if they don’t have enough time, or just want the first 2 tracks, etc.

If there’s a problem with Media Center – patron gets lost or confused, etc. hit the Home button and it’ll reset.

Note: Some people have trouble with Media Center if they’re running a 64 bit computer and don’t have the latest Windows 7 update. They should try running Windows Update, and see if that helps.

2. Download manager

This is a simplified version of Media Center. It allows you to manage your collection from your desktop.

You can download a book to your portable device, play it on your computer, and delete the file, all while being offline. Recommended for those with no or very slow internet connections, for instance if you have a laptop with WiFi but no home internet connection, or dial-up. You can take your laptop to someplace with WiFi and check out and download the book and then listen to it or sync it offline at home. This takes the place of putting your books on a flash and taking them home and using them there. With this process the license downloads automatically.

First go to the NetLibrary website and find and check out the book. Then go to Download Manager to complete the download.

Once it’s been checked out and downloaded - you don’t need an internet connection to use the manager. The files are stored on your hard drive.

Download Manager is also good for those who are new to computers or who are having issues with Media Center.


3. Manual Download

This is the basic download method using the NetLibrary website. It involves downloading the book and the license, and then using WMP or iTunes to sync the book to your portable device. Tip: Drag file from desktop or file into the WMP sync list instead of from within WMP.

This is the method that works with Macs.

For the iPad and iPhone 4 you should download and sync with iTunes.

Sometimes the license does not download correctly. First try playing the book on your computer and see if that gets the license to download. If that doesn’t work, then renew the book and that should trigger a license download. (For WMAs renewal means downloading a new license.)


Media Center and Download Manager don’t play well together – Media Center takes over. Can’t have both downloaded on one computer.

4. Smart Phones.

These devices mostly use MP3s, but not exclusively.

Media Center and Download Manager don’t automatically download to the device.

You can do a manual download and sync.

The process automatically creates a folder in Documents called NetLibrary.

OR:

You can change setting for connection to computer from “charge only” to “disk drive.“ Generally defaults to charge only. You can then literally drag and drop the files into the smart phone, just like you would onto a flash drive.

The mobile app’s coming. Right now the app stores are holding it for approval.

JOBVIEW TRAINING

Jobview is meant to be a very simple, keyboard-free way to search a database of 2 million jobs. These jobs are accessible for free elsewhere, but JobView brings together a feed from 25 different web sites, scrubs them for duplicates, and posts them every morning.

Searching is by category only, a keyword option was tried but found to be too complicated. The patron can limit search to part-time and hourly only. A flag next to a job means a preference for veterans. You can limit by city and state and do a radius search, the whole country is included.

In addition to kiosks at Central, Rondo and Sun Ray, the web version of JobView is available on patron Internet computers system-wide and in the 4th floor training room. Patrons can apply for jobs and attach resumes using the web version only. Currently, SPPL is the only MELSA library with JobView. Give it a try sometime!

Andrea @Central

THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY E-TUTORIAL

The American Community Survey comes from a sample of 3 million addresses. It replaces the old Census "Long Form", but is collected every year instead of 10 years. Data is gathered into 1-year estimates, 3-year estimates and 5-year estimates, and released the next year. The ACS is used to determine how funds are allocated by Federal, State and community programs.

The American Community Survey is found in American Factfinder under "Data sets". The most recent data is set by default, but you can go back to earlier data. If you do multiple searches and need to change the geography and/or table, click on "clear all selections" in the upper-right-hand corner. If you want to view the same data type for other places, there should be a "view this table for other geographies" link on the left.


There are seven data sets:

• Data Profiles--This is for finding quick answers to the most common questions.
• Comparison Profiles--These profiles feature data by percent and median.
• Selected Population Profiles--These profiles give snapshots of different ethnic groups. 3-year estimates are better to use because of the larger sample size.
• Ranking Tables--These tables rank states by different characteristics, which are grouped by subject. Only 1-year estimates are available.
• Subject Tables--These tables have popular questions grouped by topic.
• Detailed Tables--These tables get very specific. For instance, transit to work in Seattle would include separate listings for ferry, streetcar or bus.
• Geographic Comparison Tables--These tables let you compare places by different categories. For example, percentage of foreign-born residents in each Minnesota county.

This e-tutorial is part of the ACS Compass Products, which are educational materials on the American Community Survey. I encourage everyone to take it themselves if they can. I found the video sample searches and the quiz especially helpful. If you have more questions, the Census has an 800 number and an online question form.


--Andrea @Central

Disrupting the Pipeline

Disrupting the Pipeline presented by St Paul Youth Services (SPYS)

Seriously, did you know that the 13th amendment to the constitution holds that slavery and indentured servitude are abolished, except as punishment for a crime? You could look it up…. and our first speaker (Prof. Nekima Lyon-Pounds) has done just that. It seems that much of our judicial system is founded upon ways to utilize this “free” labor. If you look back at the progress of the amendment through the ratification process, it becomes painfully obvious that the South saw this as a way of replacing the workforce that they were now unable to access through slavery. And, they were not the only ones. The chain gang concept became a way of creating a ready workforce, with people (mostly healthy teen or adult black males) being convicted of ludicrous crimes (vagrancy, spitting on the sidewalk) and being forced to endure years of servitude for selectively enforced crimes. This inequity has set up distrust among communities of color which is hard to fault them for….would you trust a system that was skewed in such a way?

Once we were all sufficiently depressed by this reality, Joel Franklin (a program manager at SPYS) talked about the statistical realities of growing up at the intersection of race and poverty. Those statistics are included in the power point handout that you can read in the FYI basket in the phone room. To select just a few:

• A black boy born in 2001 has a one in three lifetime risk of going to prison. A Latino boy’s risk is one in six. A white boy’s risk is one in seventeen.
• The percentage of black children in poverty by state showed that only 3 states in the union had a higher percentage of black children in poverty than MN- we were “beaten” by Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
• While MN ranks 36th out of 50 states for white unemployment rates, it ranks 2nd in black unemployment rates in the United States.
• High school dropouts are almost 3 times more likely to be incarcerated as youths who have graduated from high school.
• 89% of black, 85% of Latino and 59% of white 8th graders cannot perform math at grade level.
• 86% of black, 83% of Latino and 58% of white 4th graders are not reading at grade level

This last statistic is particularly depressing, as the state determines how many prison cells it will need based on 3rd grade reading scores. More kids not reading at grade level=more space required in prisons.

Are you sufficiently depressed yet? No? Read on.

Dave Willms, the Director of Programs at SPYS, gave us all a crash course in recognizing and comparing the differences between the survival mode mindset and the growth mode mindset. When the environment provides youth with basic needs, safety and support for developmental growth the child will generally be in what is called growth mode. When the environment is ambivalent to the needs of youth, or withholds resources that youth need for developmental growth, the child will be generally default to the state called survival mode. Some of the basic assumptions of the two modes are reproduced here:


Survival Mode Assumptions

Individual Needs First: Take what you want or you won’t get what you need.

“The System”: is corrupt and cannot be trusted or counted on

Relationships: are used to get what you want or need….loyalty is extreme, but reserved for select friends/family. (Friends/family are backup in a dangerous situation)

Choices Based on: immediate outcome. Future is almost always uncertain.

Organizational Skills: Organizing things, time and processes is futile because schedule and proximity is unpredictable.

External Locus of Control: Because environment is dangerous and unregulated. What others do or say dictates behavior. Therefore, individual responsibility is not assumed.

Respect (from others) is Primal: Demanding respect from others is critical to not just esteem but also safety. If disrespect is tolerated…exploitation will follow.


Growth Mode Assumptions

Group/Individual Needs: There’s enough for all if we only take what we need.

“The System”: generally works and can be trusted.

Relationships: are used as a demonstration of popularity…loyalty is less critical…(Police are backup in a dangerous situation)

Choices Based on: longer-term outcomes, future is predictable if we learn how to plan for it.

Organizational Skills: learning to keep track of things, time and processes is almost automated. Hoever, boys generally learn these skills later than girls.

Internal Locus of Control: Because most environments are regulated and monitored, self regulation skills are encouraged, supported and taught. Personal responsibility is generally assumed.

Respect based on Internal Processes: Demanding respect is not required…respect from others is assumed. Safety is based on a deep trust of the system as managed by others.


But, let’s be clear….neither mode is either right or wrong. They are what they are. In some instances survival mode is what you would want and need. For example, the special services of the military actually look for kids in survival mode to train as elite soldiers in our fighting units. However, those who live in growth mode generally believe that mode to be the default. That is where huge misunderstandings and complete communication breakdowns can and do occur. And, that is where the SPYS training that has helped turn the relationship in several branches to their teen ‘troublemakers’ from adversarial into a definitely more communicative and peaceful alternative.

One of the ways that is done is by identifying and moderating the style in which these kids are approached. The four main styles are; authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved and authoritative. While we should all be striving for an authoritative style, which fosters growth and maturation through relationships and guidance, the reality is often much different, even for those who have trained for a long time. After all, kids know how to push our buttons, don’t they? Here’s a short list of ‘traps’ to avoid and ‘tricks’ to push some of the right buttons on them:


Traps

• Withholding resources to teach responsibility
• Interpret limit testing as disrespect
• Relationship testing as dislike of the adult
• Assume behavior is only about motivation
• Believe repetitive behavior exhibits resistance
• Withhold respect until teen gives respect

Tricks

• Teach responsibility by giving tools AND incremental expectations
• Interpret limit testing as an attempt to engage/connect
• Relationship testing as fear of rejection, failure, disapproval
• Assume positive behavior needs a combination of skills and reason to succeed
• Understand new behavior is learned slowly/incrementally
• Self-respect is nurtured by adult’s unconditional respect of others

For more information, see the handout in the FYI basket in the phone room,
or speak to any of the staff who were lucky enough to be present at this valuable training.


--Doris

SCIENCE RESOURCES IN ELM

Within ELM, there are three main databases containing science resources. They are EBSCO Science Reference Center, Gale General Science Collection, and Gale Discovering Collection.

Science Reference Center contains periodicals, reference books, encyclopedias, biographies, images and videos. It is currently available as a stand-alone database in the familiar EBSCOHost format, as part of the more high-school friendly Student Research Center, and as part of the elementary- and middle school- level Kids Search. Advanced Search options include curriculum benchmarks and the document type “science experiment”.

General Science Collection contains the full-text of 60+ science journals. It is geared to upper high school and above. Some of the titles have a full-text embargo of six months to a year. In addition to reading, printing or saving text, patrons can listen to articles or download them as sound files.

Discovering Collection is Gale’s database on topics including science for grades 6 - 12. It includes science encyclopedias, topic overviews, multimedia content, biographies, and science experiements. In advanced search, the patron can limit document type to “experiment activity”.

In addition to the above databases, Britannica Online also has excellent interactive science lessons and multimedia guides.

--Andrea





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Locating Consumer Information in ELM

Many of our old favorite databases in ELM are excellent sources of consumer information. For example, Masterfile Premier features Consumer Reports in addition to specific periodicals on computers, electronics, home repair, etc. which also have product reviews. Business Source Premier is a good source for investment and money management tips. ProQuest contains reviews of films, books, plays, and restaurants. Consumer Health Complete is a good source for information on medications and medical tests. Netlibrary contains searchable online books on travel, legal self-help, resumes, and over 360 books in the Complete Idiots series (no titles are more recent than 2007, so keep that in mind if currency is an issue).


To search for product reviews in Masterfile Premier, click on “advanced search”, then go down to “document type” and choose “product review”.

Consumer Health Complete has the Lexi-PALS Drug Guide where patrons can look up what a medication is for, side effects and contraindications (the latter includes herbs and supplements as well as prescription and OTC medications). For medical tests, just type in the name (e,g, CT scan) and a fact sheet should come up telling the possible reasons for the test and what to expect.

ProQuest Newstand Complete has a plethora of search options for patrons looking for reviews. In “Advanced Search” one of the options is “document type”. If you click on “Look up document types”, you will get options such as film review, book review, theater review, restaurant review, etc. If you scroll down and click on “More Search Options”, then “Any document type”, under “Reviews--More review options”, you can choose Favorable, Unfavorable, Mixed, or Comparative. This would be very handy for travelers looking for things to do in a new city. They could look for “Chinese” in document text, “New York City” in location, then limit to only favorable restaurant reviews for good Chinese restaurants to try.


The Star Tribune is in ProQuest Newstand Complete back to 1986. The presenter said that the indexing could be better, but there are search options that don’t exist in Minnesota Newspapers. In the course of this webinar, I discovered that the Pioneer Press was added to ProQuest on April 22, 2010.



--Andrea

Lino Lakes Transition Fair Outreach Event

On Tuesday, July 20, Barbara M. and Doris ventured out to the Lino Lakes Correctional Facility for their annual Transition Fair. It was, in many ways, an amazing experience and an event that I hope we can continue to attend in the coming years. This was an opportunity to fulfill one of the missions of our library, to serve a largely unserved population, and a unique opportunity to spread the word about libraries to these offenders and their families who might not know of us and what we provide to the community.

We were welcomed with open arms, along with armed guards and metal detectors, as one would expect in a medium security penitentiary. It turns out that the process of getting into a prison is almost as laborious as getting out. But, once in the hall where the 65 tables of community service providers were being set up, there was a surprising ‘reward’ awaiting the presenters. The Lino Lakes facility has a teaching program where they teach the inmates to bake. And do they ever! The cinnamon rolls they provided us were fantastic! The old timers who had been to this fair before joked that one of the reasons they kept coming back were visions of these rolls.

Once the fair began, the offenders were brought in four groups for approximately an hour to talk to the people at the different tables. Across from us was the FreedomWalk table (a Christian group that helps offenders reacclimatize to the outside world), next to us was the Salvation Army, and on our left was the Father Project. All kinds of providers were there, from faith based organizations to union labor groups to community service organizations. And, as is often the case, we brought home as much information as we disseminated. In fact, you will soon be seeing the link to Twin Cities Community Voice Mail on our employment pages. This service is free to the phoneless in our community and its usefulness is immediately apparent. After all, if you need to give a prospective employer a means to reach you, how would you do that without a phone? This is one answer to that vexing question.

The coordinator of this event, Joe McCoy, was delighted that the library had come to this event. He maintains that this fair is one of the highlights of the year for the offenders in their care. It is an opportunity for these men to speak to outsiders about what they will find when they leave the facility, and is a countermeasure to the negativity that might otherwise overwhelm them as they try to normalize their lives. And his assertions were proven by the men themselves. The offenders were, without a doubt, some of the most polite people I have dealt with in a very long time. I don’t remember a time when I heard that much “please” “thank you” and “excuse me” in one place. They were invariably polite, patient and engaged as they roamed among the providers. They were alternately surprised and pleased to hear about the classes we provide, the materials that they had access to, and services they could access with their library card.

In fact, we knew we had made a difference when one of the offenders dragged his buddy over to our table exclaiming “You gotta hear what the library’s got!”, and another was thrilled to learn of the many free programs available to his children. Joe mentioned later that several people had come to him saying, “Did you know about all that stuff the libraries do now?” Well, if they didn’t before, they do now!


--Doris

Postal Exam Books.

Hello!

I found this entry on one of my Government Documents lists, and thought it might be of interest.

Subject: FW: [Publib] PRESS RELEASE: Sweeping Revisions Call for Immediate Purging of Postal Titles

Just in case anyone else was getting ready to pitch all their postal exam books.....

I was curious about this message, since it seems to be from an author who's trying to sell a new book. I contacted the USPS and eventually got through to a very nice, live, gentleman. He checked and said that the USPS will give anyone a free copy of the official study booklet, or they can download it themselves.

I noticed that the booklet was published in November 2004, so I asked him about the whole issue of "All the exams were revised over a period of months ending in mid 2009". He said the USPS is still using this edition of Pub 60a and anything else is not official.

Enjoy!
Melissa
Government Documents Coordinator.