Method (Step) #10 -- Have Web will Travel!

We here at the library have been using web conferencing for some time now.  We belong to HALAN but we are located between 90 - 100 miles outside of Houston.  With gas prices going up and just wear and tear on our own cars, using web conferencing was a logical choice.  The majority of the time we use Go to Meeting.  Also all of the staff can access and attend online webinars from all over the country to continue learning about how the library works and where the library is going. 

We have a few people on staff that have personally used Skype to "talk" to loved ones and friends in different places.  I am not 100% sure that having that as a service here at the library would be an option but I think we could provide a quiet room for people who wanted to use Skype on their personal laptops and not be disturbed. 

Digital World can may you cry!

Photo album created with Smilebox

So I tried to make another Smilebox scrapbook. This one is all about my mom who I lost 2 days after Christmas 2009. She was the cornerstone of our family. She is what helped us keep it together and I miss her everyday. My son misses her more than I do because she was his Mimi!

Method (Step) #9 -- A Digital Story about Us!

Free scrapbooking design generated with Smilebox

This is the digital scrapbook that I made for the Library's Summer Reading using pictures from the last couple of years. I thought it was really easy but I had some questions about how to change some of the things to make it a little more personal. I think it would be a great marketing tool to have embedded on our website but other than that I am not sure what we would use it for. I could possibly see teaching a class on how to do this for parents and maybe even teachers.

Method (Step) #8 -- Capture your screen and teach the world

WOW! I just used screenr to make a little instructional video on how to look for AR books on AR Bookfinder. This is one on the most asked questions in our library at the end of each six weeks.

Screenr was SUPER EASY to use. All you needed to do was plug in a microphone and get to work. The hardest part was figuring out what to make the tutorial about. I can now offically make online tutorials that can be embedded onto our library website to help the public with small questions where the answers get across much better if it is "show and tell" type learning.

Method (Step) #7 -- Next Gen Presentations

"Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its 5-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before. "

-- Captain James T Kirk

This method started up my alley!  I LOVE STAR TREK!  But I regress ... Having been giving adult workshops for the last 3 months, I have been using Google Docs to upload my presentations from my computer in the workroom to the laptop that I use during the actual after hours class.  For this method though, I tried SlideShare.  It was VERY simple to upload one of my own presentations (that I had to download from Google Docs since I am at home today...)  I think that having all of these different options at our hand makes our jobs a little bit easier.  BUT I learned the hard way that you MUST remember to SAVE your work and have a back up plan for when the Internet goes down to be able to have your presentation on hand to present.  I think that having to multitask like most of have to do everyday anything that will make life a little bit easier is a gift! The following is an embedded copy of the presentation that I uploaded to SlideShare. It is on downloading ebooks to your ereader from the library website. I used it originally in my ebook workshop but I have used it in the last few weeks during some informational adult tours of the library. eReaders have been the gifts of choice for the last several big holidays and everyone likes to know their options when it comes to having to either purchase or borrow books especially when they are by authors they have not tried. 

Downloading e books_from_the_library

View more presentations from molli_hall.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Paraskevidekatriaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th, is a fear that grips those who are scared that the 13th day of the month that just so happens to fall on a Friday will be their doom.  If you have this, please stay away from Camp Crystal Lake today! 

Method (Step) #6 -- eBooks, eReaders, and the World of Tomorrow

I really liked this method.  We have been discussing ereaders here at the library for a while now.  I have offered a workshop on ebooks and ereaders called the Ins and Outs of the Digital Book.  In this workshop, we discussed how to access ebooks on the library's website (we use Overdrive), how to check them out, put them on hold, and how to download them into a Nook.  (We have a Nookcolor here at the library.)  My director and I have been discussing getting ereaders to have for patrons to check out.  We have even written grants to see if we could get the funding for the readers and ebooks for the readers.  During the workshop, I went over free sites online where they can download books onto all of the different types of readers.  We went to Project Gutenberg and downloaded this book:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1322/1322-h/1322-h.htm

I showed them that the Project Gutenberg website tries to get the first editions of the classic books and have them uploaded.  I did warn them that the first editions have not been changed in anyway and may offended those that are easily offended. 

Beyond Method (Step) #6 -- eBooks, eReaders, and portable reading...What is the world coming to?

I really enjoyed this method.  I have presented a workshop here at the library about eReaders and eBooks.  I called it the Ins and Outs of the Digital Books.  It was a nice size crowd that I got and many of them already had their own personal eReaders.  Many had questions of how to download ebooks from the library's website (we are in an Overdrive consortium) to their ereaders.  We went step by step through the process of finding an ebooks, checking out an ebooks, and then downloading the ebooks into a Nook.  (We have a Nookcolor and a Sony ereader here at the library.)
We also looked at Project Gutenberg during the workshop and explored how to find and download one of these types of books.  The one that I looked at for this Method was http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2591/2591-h/2591-h.htm#2H_4_0017 .
I think that Project Gutenberg is very easy to use and I think that it can be helpful to for patrons that are searching for a long lost book that is no longer in print or a first edition of a particular book.  Sometimes the first edition is much better at telling the story than the reprints or edited editions that we now see that are change as to not offend anyone.  Explaining to the patrons and trying to get them to understand how to "check out" and then download ebooks to their personal ereaders can be hard or easy.  It all depends on the patrons and the staff member.  If the staff member doing the teaching is not a patient person or if the patron is one that wants the staff member to do it all for them and does not want to learn anything new, then the whole process will be tough.  If the person teaching and the person learning both take their time and understand each other, the process will be smooth sailing. 
Even thought I personally prefer a paper book, I can see the draw to the ereader and ebooks. I think that all libraries should investigate having ereaders in the building to at least be able to "show and tell" the porcess to the patrons.  It may even be in the near future that we as libraries begin to check out the units like books to patrons.  I know that the future is going to be leaning more toward the electronics but I hope that we never lose the old fashion paper books.

Matthew Gray Gubler and Jackson Rathbone: One of the best episodes of Criminal Minds EVER!

So, I have been super busy in the world of libraryland, but last night was Wednesday.  Wednesdays are when I sit down and watch one of my favorite shows ... Criminal Minds.  I love the characters and the suspense that it has.  I love the complexity of the storylines and how sometimes there is not a happy ending.  But my favorite episode has to be the one where Jackson Rathbone (aka Jasper Hale) guest starred as the unsub.  His character becomes entangled with Dr. Spencer Reid (aka Matthew Gray Gubler) and their dynamic is amazing.  I think that both of them are really great actors.  So here is a little behind the scenes of that episode.

Beyond Method (Step) #5 -- Tag! You're It!

I have used virual bookshelf on Facebook for about a year now.  I like it but you have to be signed into and be my "friend" to be able to see what I am reading.  It does not give me a real feel for discussion.  On Good Reads, I feel that it would give patrons a chance to discuss what they are reading and find something new to read through discussion.  I LOVE to talk about books.  It is something I really LOVE to do but I do not read some types of books that many of our patrons want to know about.  I think that having an outlet for patrons to be able to have a "book club" type forum would be great for those that have simillar taste in books.  I like the set up of Good Read and LibraryThing and I think that trying either one on the library's website would be a great idea.

Every Child Ready to Read -- Version 2.0

Today I attended PLA's preview of the new version of Every Child Ready to Read.  I am not totally sure that it should change if it has been taught to many of us the other way.  Some of the moms and caregivers will wonder if what we have taught them is no longer good information.  The majority of the webinar sounded like the same kinds of information just worded or named differently.  Then there were some new things to talk about with parents such as home environment, singing, and playing.  It was a good webinar but I think I need to listen to it again before I make a decision on whether or not I am loving the changes.

Beyond Method (Step) #4 -- Employment 2.0

How do we as librarians help those who are looking for a job in this economy?  There are several ways.  Our library has now been offering beginning computer classes 2 weeks each month and a job hunting class the last week of the month for the last 2 months now.  I have personally been the "teacher" at each of these classes.  The job hunting class has been an interesting one to teach in that all of the people attending it really have a need.  Some do not understand why they have to apply online; some have never had to have a resume; and still some have been out of the work force for a period of time and have no idea how to get back into it.  I am working on a resume writing class using Word templates and also Google Docs.  I think that being able to use both of them will be able to help some of the public that do not have their own computers and have to use public computers to access everything. 
I have mentioned Linked in when teaching the class but I have not personally used it.  We have worked on some other social networking in the class but most of my "students" have very little computer knowledge if any at all. I was even thinking about changing my job hunting class a little bit and offering it after graduation to the teens who are looking for a summer job or a first job.