News July 28, 2006 (mp3 file, 3:16 min.)
Links from today's podcast
Links for Librarians
SWILSA Videos
Friday, July 28, 2006
News & Views July 28, 2006
News July 28, 2006 (mp3 file, 3:16 min.)
Links from today's podcast
Links for Librarians
SWILSA Videos
Friday, July 21, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
News & Views July 14, 2006
News July 14, 2006 (mp3 file, 4 min.)
Links from today's podcast
State Library CE Catalog
Children's Programming & Services
Thursday, July 13, 2006
LoTP Part IV Using WebJunction's TechAtlas
Dreama Deskins, of DKD Consulting, demonstrates the use of WebJunction's tool for doing technology planning. Those who are getting e-rate discounts are required to have a technology plan (unless getting discounts for just POTS / Plain Old Telephone Service) and this is a handy tool for putting together such a plan.
The steps are: envision, assess, inventory, budget, and evaluate.
There are samples of visions and goals; a questionnaire to help you assess your needs, and other tools to make the tech planning process much easier. The assessment tools, based on your responses to the questionnaire, creates potential objectives for you. You can then review those objectives and delete those that you don't think are relevant, or edit the objective--at which point it suggests activities, lets you assign the activities to someone, set up e-mails to remind them of the activity and when it is to be finished.
The inventory section provides tools to do the inventory. Even if you don't know all the answers, it's a good list of things you *should* have answers to, so you can use it as a worksheet.
Not necessarily related to the technology plan itself, the inventory section also provides an event tracker so you can log problems and solutions you tried that worked and didn't work.
In the budget section you:
The steps are: envision, assess, inventory, budget, and evaluate.
There are samples of visions and goals; a questionnaire to help you assess your needs, and other tools to make the tech planning process much easier. The assessment tools, based on your responses to the questionnaire, creates potential objectives for you. You can then review those objectives and delete those that you don't think are relevant, or edit the objective--at which point it suggests activities, lets you assign the activities to someone, set up e-mails to remind them of the activity and when it is to be finished.
The inventory section provides tools to do the inventory. Even if you don't know all the answers, it's a good list of things you *should* have answers to, so you can use it as a worksheet.
Not necessarily related to the technology plan itself, the inventory section also provides an event tracker so you can log problems and solutions you tried that worked and didn't work.
In the budget section you:
- configure setup options for your technology plan budget
- establish the years covered by the plan
- select a budgeting level
- set objectives to flesh out your technology plan
- fill out the budget worksheet
In the end, it creates a tech plan for you, which you can download as a Word doc. This looks to me like the way tech plans should be done, but seldom are.
LoTP Part III--What you can plug into a USB port--Michael Sauers
Michael Sauers, BCR, and a lot of books that I won't list here, covers the incredible gamut of what can be plugged into a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. (Allows 127 devices to be hooked up to a single computer, and power can be transferred from the computer to the device; designed to be hot-swapped)
Michael is running a contest: choose the item(s) on his list/notes that doesn't really exist.
Two types: USB 1.1 (12 Mbits/sec) and USB 2.0 (faster transmission, backward compatible with 1.1)
Some things to make USB even better:
Michael is running a contest: choose the item(s) on his list/notes that doesn't really exist.
Two types: USB 1.1 (12 Mbits/sec) and USB 2.0 (faster transmission, backward compatible with 1.1)
Some things to make USB even better:
- Passive Extension Cables--available in various lengths--16 ft. length limitation; repeater/active extension cable overcomes the 16 ft. limitation (should you ever need it...)
- USB Hubs (add more USB ports)
- wireless USB hub
- USB Server--allows you to connect a hub via Ethernet so USB devices are connected to a computer, rather than a computer
- well, the extnsion cables and hubs
- the usual peripherals--mouse (incl. mouse with laser pointer and thermometer), keyboards, numeric key pads, floppy drive, printer, scanner
- storage card reader/writer (if you get one for library make sure it's reader writer)
- external drives: hard drives, hard drive enclosure, external optical (CD, DVD) drives
- flash drives
- digital music players
- video capture devices
- fingerprint scanner
- print servers
- wireless presenter
- smartphone
Well, you get the idea: just about anything can be plugged in. Why do librarians care? Because there are many that you can use to make your life or your patrons' lives easier, and/or you will see your patrons bringing this in to use on your computers.
OK, well a few more fun things: (or not??? Remember, one or more of these may not really exist...)
- lava lamp, Christmas tree
- microscope
- Swiss Army Knife with flash drive
- Skype phones, TV via Skype
- Aquarium
- humidifier, hand- and foot-warmers, air-conditioned shirt
Potential security risk? Yes (stress POTENTIAL) but security solutions:
- Deep Freeze or Centurion Guard
- Do not allow booting from the USB port (configure from BIOS...only allow boot from hard drive)
- Password protect your BIOS
- Separate the public computers from the library network
- Run antivirus software (and keep it up to date)
Proper device removal--click on the safe device removal icon in the system tray, select the device and wait for the "safe to remove" message before unplugging
Check out: www.everythingusb.com
LoTP Part II--Wireless with Louise Alcorn
Louise Alcorn, Reference/Technology Librarian at the West Des Moines (IA) Public Library (creator of the World's Sexiest Index) talks about wireless/wireless networking, security options..in addition to why go wireless. Only a couple of librarians in the group do not already have wireless access (which I'm happy to see!)
Below are some notes from the wealth of information in her presentation, but here's the gist of what I wanted to hear from here--and did: This is a terrific service for your patrons; don't make it difficult for them to use.
So, some notes...
You don't need to be a wireless transmisson expert, but want to know that wireless is the fusion of technologies that have been around awhile: networking and radio
Wireless networking takes place in a tiny section of the spectrum, wireless networking takes packe in 2.4 GHz-5.8 GHz range of spectrum--applicable to the equipment involved, and interoperability. One of the jobs of the equipment gets rid of a lot of the noise from other devices that use the same frequency--baby monitors, garage door openers. etc.
If you think libraries have a lot of acronymns and jargon, technology is the king. Just a few key terms/concepts that you'll want to be familiar with:
Below are some notes from the wealth of information in her presentation, but here's the gist of what I wanted to hear from here--and did: This is a terrific service for your patrons; don't make it difficult for them to use.
So, some notes...
You don't need to be a wireless transmisson expert, but want to know that wireless is the fusion of technologies that have been around awhile: networking and radio
Wireless networking takes place in a tiny section of the spectrum, wireless networking takes packe in 2.4 GHz-5.8 GHz range of spectrum--applicable to the equipment involved, and interoperability. One of the jobs of the equipment gets rid of a lot of the noise from other devices that use the same frequency--baby monitors, garage door openers. etc.
If you think libraries have a lot of acronymns and jargon, technology is the king. Just a few key terms/concepts that you'll want to be familiar with:
- Access Point--usually attached to a wired Internet connection, then broadcasts it out; one access point can server several users, but bandwidth is divided among them so too many users can slow it down. Interference can come from books and shelves, which will absorb the signal--make sure access points can transmit to the points in the library that you want to sure are covered.
- WLAN--Wireless Local Area Network
- 802.11 standards--how wireless devices talk to each other; most devices will use 802.11b or 802.11g
Options for wireless networking in the library:
- Extending your wired network to wireless. Make sure that your staff and patron sides of the network should be separate (maybe not physically, but with virtual LAN, so you can be sure that the two can see each other). Talk to your tech person/consultant about securing
- Run a separate line (DSL, whatever) for the wireless network, so wireless users are using a physically separate connection
Wireless Security Options: Wireless doesn't have to be insecure!
- Separate your patron and staff networks
- Separate wireless network
- Encryption key security--often comes with access point; users must get code from the library
- Authenticate--have to create username and password, library barcode (limit to specific set of users)
- "Captive Portal"--"forced" to read user agreement; first thing that comes up when browser opens
How NOT to secure your wireless network
- Never tell anyone you have it (This is a library service, make sure people know you have it)
- Make it impossible for people to use it
- Turn it off (Make sure it's not a non-wireless issue, such as physical issue--like people using it in the parking lot at night. IF that is perceived to be a problem, configure it so
Advantages of wireless
- flexibility
- patrons can use own equipment
- Takes load off your public computers
- allows for many of the traditional security features
- Extend access without expensive cabling
Why go wireless?
- Students bringing laptops
- Additional access needed
- Older building
- Newer building
- The technology Curve
- The Board is asking
- RAGBRAI (if you're reading this from outside Iowa, this is the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa--hundreds and hundreds of people cycling across the state, and stop at night; they use libraries for Internet, e-mail, air conditioning, etc...)
Best reason to go wireless: Because your patrons are asking for it
Potential costs:
- Access points (AP's) $50-$1500
- Software (captive portal, authentication--if you use those)
- Cabling to attach AP's
- Electrical for APs (or Power Over Ethernet)
- Wi-Fi Alliance - www.wi-fi.org
Site Survey (report will tell you where you need access points to get the coverage you want, how many APs, how & where to connect into Internet connection)
- spectrum analysis
- RF Interference (those pesky shelves!)
- Finding someone to do the survey--talk to your ISP, talk to other businesses that have wirelss about who they used
Marketing your Hot Spot
- Tell you staff first
- tell yor lrager organization
- tell your patrons
- make a map
In short: DO IT!!
- tell the library world
- tell the press
Libraries on the Prairie
I'm at the "Libraries on the Prairie" rural sustainability institute, sponsored by the State Library (funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mary Wegner and Mary Cameron are leading discussion on information literacy. Participants are sharing ideas for doing information literacy in the library:
- Email to teachers--work with schools
- provide teacher in-service at public library
- Disucss information literacy with board--library website, pathfijnders, EBSCOhost
- provide info literacy and library role at WIC site
- classes; genealogy
- podcasting
- table tents with website
- own library website taking people to good info sources (library website as home page on library's computer)
- bookmarks, pathfinders
- EBSCOhost classes
- "treasure hunt" for staff--practice finding info: develop skills in staff
Take home points:
Find, evaluate use information
Embrace librarians' unique role
Seize the teachable moment!
State Library's role in helping you:
new section on State Library's website on information literacy
continue to do workshops--EBSCOhost and others
One of the points that the Marys kept coming back to is that librarians should embrace the role of teacher--it may be one-on-one in those "teachable moments" or in formal classes or training, but this is what we do, folks!
Friday, July 07, 2006
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