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Conferences

Cool Tools for Webmasters

Oct 27th, 2010
by pollyalida.
2 comments

Internet Librarian – Frank Cervone (and Darlene Fichter – who couldn’t be  there)

This is always a very userful session, full of great tips and  tools  Looking forward to  testing out some of these that are new to me. Will blog about the ones that I find particularly useful.

Tools for web site makeovers

Usability testing

  • Gomockingbird.com – wireframes on the fly – web-based, easy to share
  • Pleasecritiqueme.com – social site, ask designers for feedback
  • Userfly.com – usability testing, free version allows 10 tests/month. Install 1 line of js on a web page and record interactions with page?
  • Openhallway.com – create scenarios, get others to test remotely.
  • Crazyegg.com – track what people do on your web-page, view hotspots, etc.
  • Labsmedia.com/clickheat – opensource, implemented on webpage with javascript. Have to install on a LAMP server. (more…)

WordPress in Schools

Oct 25th, 2010
by pollyalida.
3 comments

Thanks so much to everyone who attended our WordPress workshop at Internet @ Schools West. Had a great time  presenting with the awesomely smart Buffy Hamilton. Do let us know what you’re doing with WordPress! Would love to see what you’re working on.  Slides from session posted below.

WordPress in School Libraries
View more presentations from pollyalida.

WordPress Workshop at Internet Librarian

Oct 24th, 2010
by pollyalida.
6 comments

IMG_2967 Had a terrific first day at Internet Librarian yesterday. Taught a preconference workshop on WordPress with Kyle Jones, who skyped in and was the sage voice from behind the screen – very Wizard of Oz! Diana Wakimoto took great notes during the session over on the always interesting Waki Librarian blog.

Did a bit of lobby loitering talking to colleagues, followed by a great meal at Cibo’s with one of the dine-around groups. I love the dine-arounds. If you’re traveling alone or just feel like meeting a whole bunch of new people, these are perfect events. Good meals with a bunch of fellow librarians. I’ve made some wonderful friends and connections this way.

Looking forward to the Gaming & Gadgets event tonight. And another session on Monday on WordPress in School libraries with Buffy Hamilton.  Right now, I should get back to work on workshops coming up when I get home, but the waves, the beach, the birds – all very distracting!

NYLA SLMS Coveritlive

Apr 30th, 2010
by pollyalida.
1 comment

Hoping this will continue to update tweets from the NYLA SLMS meeting. Comparing it to the twitter widget on the sidebar.

Keeping up with Computers in Libraries & Internet at Schools – East

Apr 8th, 2010
by pollyalida.
2 comments

The Computers in Libraries / Internet @ Schools East conference is coming up next week in Arlington, VA.  And I’m very sorry to say I won’t be there this year due to other teaching commitments. But I’ll be following along on the twitter stream, flickr pics, ITI blog posts, attendee blog posts and live video streams from parts of the conference.

There’s also a Slideshare group, set up by Michael Sauers, for presenters to share their slides. (more…)

Digital Library Landscape – Roy Tennant

Oct 27th, 2009
by pollyalida.
4 comments

roy tennant

Digital Library Landscape – Roy Tennant
Internet Library, Session D11
Monday, Oct 26 2009

Scribbled notes from a terrific session. Any misquotes are my own mistakes!

  • Libraries are in imminent danger – if we do nothing – and even if we do  “something”, it may be the wrong thing.
  • OCLC Perceptions Report – the public still sees our ‘brand’ as book, books, books..
  • So the public goes to google & amazon for books? Where are libraries then?
  • In the card catalog days, we were it! The center of the book finding universe.
  • When we first started automating catalogs, they were (and mostly still are)  just cards on a screen.
  • But we are no longer operating in an environment of scarcity, rather one of ubiquity – ubiquitous connections and access to information
  • Users used to build their workflow around libraries, NOW we need to build our services around their workflow, be where they are, when they want it.
  • “if you dislike change, you’re going to disklike irrelevance even more” Gen. Eric Shinseki
  • Network level – concentration – big enough to have value and lots of information to attract users
  • Webscale – diffusion – ie:  get the info OUT – ie: get library links on google books. Get data out to get users to your collections – worldcat date to put that info out in the path of users
  • Eg: blog post w/ link to book – linkedto  record in worldcat, remembers your location, book  on shelf. What’s missing? Deliver it to my door. (ALSO missing  lots of libraries don’t participate in worldcat)
  • Publishers send book metadata to booksellers, etc  – onix – standard metadata format used by publishers.
  • Their metadata isn’t necessarily as complete as ours – so let’s collaboarate
  • OCLC is taking onix data, enriching it and giving it back – “next generation cataloging” project. Helps libraries become “essential”
  • “we must look  at we do through the prism of our imminent demise”
  • Tools we develop need to solve problems that patrons/customers have. Not the problems we have “scratch their itch”
  • Don’t worry too much about crafting perfect portals …. WHY? If you expose your data well, your audience will find your content through other search tools.
  • Have to get our data out to google, flickr, etc. eg: LOC put their pics on flickr and stats went off the charts – even though those photos had been on the LOC site for years (photo)
  • NYPL Live – lib becomes the center of conversation in that community. Be the place “where stuff happens”
  • Not a time to be timid or panic
  • Deserve a destiny of our own making.
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