a website for the conservative librarian
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Saturday November 12, 2005
I don't normally get into specifics about my job but
since work has been eating up so much brain power lately I might as well
steal a little and relocate some of it here since I haven't been posting.
Video Library
Does you're community have local cable access? Do you use
it? I assist in producing a monthly program for the library. A general show that
talks about various materials, website, and library events. I'm also working on a
one-shot teen version on using the library which has been eating up some of my free
time. The verdict is still out on whether it will be successful or not but if not it
still shows a lot of potential.
When I started doing it 3-4 years ago it was all deck-to-deck
editing. That simply means 2 very high end VCR's where you cut and paste segments
from one tape onto another. Its not stuff you can or would do in-house. That's
changed though. We now work with digital editing. We upload clips to Final Cut Pro
on an Apple computer and cut and paste clips almost as easily as you can cut and
paste text in a word document. The cable station offers access and training to
this equipment as well as some very high end digital cameras and studio cameras.
There is a learning curve there waiting, I won't kid you, and there's always an
intimidation factor involving unknown but the payoffs are going to be huge long term.
{Side note: I understand the cable companies which fund these local cable stations
are fighting to regulate how much they have to pay. 1. These local access stations
are people's only source for local information. Its where you can watch local
government meetings as well as informational programming about your communities
(like libraries!). 2. Yes, TV is changing but the cable companies that offer TV
access are also the ones offering Internet access. The same local information
being offered over TV will eventually be offered via the Internet. Cable companies
should still consider support of these services as a small price to pay for their
monopolies in individual communities.}
Now all that said, if there isn't a cable access station
across the street from you, check nearby communities to see what is available. My
experience has been that membership is not limited to residency. Also check with
your county library system or library consortium and gage interest. For about
$3-4000 you could set up a high-end studio yourself, for 1/5 that you could
experiment with a low-end one. Why? Well...
First, all libraries are unique in look and each has its
own quirks in terms of rules but research is research and databases you have are
probably databases your neighbor has. Investing some time in a video tutorial on
how to use the library and specific tools for your area seems like an easy way to
drum up interest and provide a more dynamic view of the library beyond basic fliers
and handouts.
Second is community flavor. ALA could and probably has done
such videos but bringing this down to a state or even county level offers an opportunity
to personalize. If Massachusetts could convince Bill Belichick on doing
a 2 min. tutorial on how to do good research we'd have the whole state's
attention.
Third, granted the audience for local cable is small but
remember we're not talking VHS anymore. Creating a 30 min. program broken down
into 2-5 min. clips in digital form means they are also web friendly and can be
hosted by yourself, your consortium, or maybe on a state level. I'm not talking
about 'vlogs' but permanent,
practical, and instructional materials.
Video on the web isn't new but we have a chance to be,
if not ahead, at least flowing with the curve. We're always behind aren't we?
Web Library
A while back a thread was going around about
technology
skills every librarian should have. I'm here to tell you that JavaScript is not
one of them. I've put JavaScript in my web pages but its simple code for aesthetic
stuff that I got from the hundreds of free instruction sites out there (and a thank
you to every person who has ever put that stuff on the web). All I had to do was
insert it and tweak where necessary. However I spent the last couple weeks playing
with a couple different books trying to design expanding menus for my library's site.
Not effective. It can be done but its hard enough doing just a basic menu and then
it doesn't even work in Netscape, just IE.
Why try? Well, I have to have the menus at this point because
of the general clutter that comes from a growing website (and if your library is
doing anything you should have something about it on your site, so clutter is
unavoidable). I use FrontPage but I worked with html first and I like keeping
the code clean and I like know how to tweak from the inside. You wouldn't believe
how ugly a page is on the inside when you just use FrontPage. Its like someone
threw-up code all over everything. So I had the same mind-set going into JavaScript.
I knew it was elaborate but I figured doable. Nope. Take my advice, this time its
easier to pay and play.
Its not expensive. There's a nice product I was referred to
called OpenCube and while I am using it I did
find a much cheaper, if simpler version, with
Anoxy. Eventually I'll pony up another
license for SHUSH.
If you're a web novice FrontPage isn't bad but you really
really need to know html and how its laid out. The best starter book ever is
Christopher
Lampton's Home Page. It's a children's book and I really wish all computer books
were written on this level. Plus, if you do ever want to use JavaScript you'll have
to have some idea of where it goes.
Secure Library
Computer security has always been an issue. Its amazing that
people are willing to mess with computer settings for the sole purpose of preventing
the next person to use it. We've used system policies for a long time now and they
work but are a little overkill. We use Deep Freeze now but I really hate the idea of
solving a problem by rebooting a computer, especially when you hope to get 5 years
out of it. That's a lot of wear and tear. So for now I've started using a couple of
specific regedits to cutback on the easier vandalism and we'll see where it
goes:
NoNetHood
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop
NoChangingWallpaper
I have a list of other DWord values for more extreme
lockdowns if necessary. I'm sure the 'NoChangingWallpaper' seems odd but I'm working
on some wallpapers as directions for printing so it would be nice if they weren't
changed on me.
Yes and I know TweakUI will do that stuff but the way I
understand it is its just putting the regedits in only through a windows interface.
You might as well get your hands dirty and try doing it direct. Your computer will
like you better for it.
Two other security type measures we use are rsaci files to
create dumb terminals for book catalog only stations and I also use Library Geek's internet
timer.
LibraryGeek's timer is a clever little program once offered
free on the web that somewhat limits a person's use of a computer in terms of time.
After an hour it closes everything out and locks down for 3 minutes. We let people
log back on if its quite but otherwise they should move on. It does a good job of
encouraging people to move on. If you can't afford some of the software packages out
there that manage computer use this is an ideal alternative. The man who created the
program stopped hosting it, I think it became a hassle. We librarians can never leave
well enough alone and I think he was getting a lot of request to alter the program
this way and that. But anyway, this is what ALA should be for. They should be hosting
this program and other instructional packages on how to manage computers for patron
use. There are a lot of libraries out there that simply can't afford a tech person
or they rely on the town's tech who simply isn't always available. One of these
days I'm going to get it hosted on my library's website (after I've contacted the
creator) but if anyone else is interested in hosting it let me know.
So... that's some of the things that have had my
attention lately. Dull isn't it?
btw a good way to support them...
Books For Soldiers
Friday November 11, 2005
God Bless Every One of Them.
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