librarians whisper

Publishing Evolution #84: Writer Communities & Author Websites

2010-04-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

1. I have searched the websites of several of my favorite authors: Beverly Lewis, Mary Higgins Clark and Jeannette Walls. Beverly Lewis has her own website which provides news of her latest book releases, tour schedules and events, authentic Amish recipes, personal insight into her writing life, and a newletter which I subscribed to. Jeannette Walls has a Facebook account that is updated and maintained by Scribner, her publisher. Mary Higgins Clark has her own website that provides information about her lastest releases, tours, interviews with her and her lastest blog. There is an email alert you can sign up for.

2. The idea of a book being published based on popular vote gives me more faith in the material, however, I need to read the book myself and decide whether it is as entertaining as perceived by others.

Publishing Evolution #83: Paper to Pixels

2010-03-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

1. I prefer paper over pixels for pleasure reading but do not mind reading the news online. In fact, I like getting the lastest breaking news immediately online instead of waiting for the morning edition of the newspaper. If a need arose, I would definitely choose to obtain the material quicker on the computer.

2. Availability influences how I get my books and I would not pay the same price for a digital book as I would for a paper copy.

3. I visited iFiction and discovered a large selection of sci-fi and fantasy titles but continued searching until I found a good romance, Things Change by Lynn Hubbard and read the preview.
I like the idea of being able to "sample" the book and then paying for it. The price listed was
reasonable.

Publishing Evolution #82: Print on Demand

2010-03-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

1. After visiting the six self-publishing websites, I found that their books are priced around the same as books that have been tradionally published. Prices are ranged per format, with the e-book being the least expensive at $4.95-$6.00, paperbacks run between $13.00-$18.95 and hardback copies sell from $18.90-$28.95. I don't think I have read a book that has been self-published, but I found several titles I would be really interested in reading, such as War and Love: a surgeon's memoir of battlefield medicine with letters home by Howard W. Jones, Jr. and Georgeanna Seeger Jones and The Nicholas Effect: a boy's gift to the world by Reg Green.

2. I think self-publishing is an easier, faster and more economical way to get your books in print.
As a reader, it doesn't matter to me how the book got printed. I am just happy it is available to read.

Future of Media #81: Get Out Your Crystal Ball

2010-03-09T15:00:00.001-08:00

1. I have been following the blu-ray but I do not think this format will have much influence on DVDS. I think the additional cost will be the deterrent for most individuals. Now there is talk about 3D television. I get somewhat excited about this feature but there again too I am not sure exactly how well this will be preceived by others. My opinion is that 3D will be more suited for gaming.

2. I am not an early adopter of every gadget that comes along but I do enjoy the large screen high definition television. This gadget enables me to have a front row seat in comfort at every event. You can't beat that!!

The Future of Media #80: Movies

2010-03-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

1. I used Hulu to find a comedy, Just one of the Guys and watched a portion of the film. I have watched an entire film on my computer but I prefer to watch movies on DVD in my HD
television. Being able to watch a movie on a computer is wonderful while you are traveling. It it also a smart way to keep the children entertained on a long road trip.

2. Using the Internet Movie Database, I searched for Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges and found 10 trailers, 8 clips, 4 interviews and 2 promotionals. I was pleased with the information I was able to find and watched one of the trailers. I will definitely continue to use this site to stay informed of upcoming new movies.

3. At this time, I am not interested in using fee-based services to get movies at home. Our library has a good selection of DVDS and if you don't mind the wait, you can see your choice of new movies at no charge.

Future of Media #79: Television

2010-03-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

1. In searching Hulu for my favorite sitcom, The Office, I was delighted to find 5 entire lastest episodes, 249 clips and 23 webisodes to watch. So now whenever I miss an episode on television, I can catch up on the series right on my computer. Wonderful!

2. I haven't watched a television show on a cell phone as my Nokia doesn't have the capability; and I would not be interested as the screen is too small. This would be a great way to entertain a child.

3. I do not subscribe to any streaming programs or user "channels" and I have never posted a video to a site.

Searching #78: Video

2010-02-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

I searched the luge Olympic accident in Truveo and found 244 videos. I was very pleased with the information they had available; it had actual footage of the fatal crash. Truveo has videos from news, sports, TV shows, music, and most twittered. They highlight hot searches and popular videos.

On Blinkx, I found 558 videos on this same accident but to view many of the videos I had to go to YouTube.

I prefer Truveo's format and the ease in searching. I was also able to watch my favorite TV sitcom. They have an excellent selection of TV shows to watch and the search is simple.

I went to HCPL'S youtube channel and looked around. Our branch has a fantastic Mother Goose Infant Storytime. A video of this storytime would make a great marketing tool to new parents showcasing programs available to them and their babies.

Searching #77: Images

2010-02-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

Using allfreeclipart, it took me five clicks to get to a Santa that didn't look like a troll and had color.

I looked into bigfoto.com and found pictures from around the world. They have categories which enables you to quickly find pictures in a certain theme. Most of their photos are from amateur photographers. Their copyright is very simple. You have free use of all pictures if you provide a link to their website.

Freedigitalphotos.net is another site on the web to download free photos for use in corporate and personal projects. You can browse by category or search for exactly what you need. The photographer and freedigitalphotos.net must be acknowledged; however, if you purchase a photo, there is no requirement to place a hyperlink. Images cannot be offered for sale, claimed as your own work, or included in web templates for mass distribution.

Flicker.com has my vote as the favorite search engine for photos. Their free site is user friendly with an abundance of images and good tags. You can also upload your own photos to share and edit.

I searched schoolsclipart.com and found an image that we could use on a poster promoting a young adult bookclub at the library.

Searching #76: Sound Effects

2010-02-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

I used FindSounds to find the following animal sounds:
Frogs croaking.
A bellowing cow.
A rooster at the break of dawn.
An a duck.

On SimplytheBestSounds, I found the following three sounds in the public domain:
A drum roll.
Ocean waves.
The sound effect of a plane crash.

Searching #75: Google & Beyond

2010-01-22T14:32:00.000-08:00

In Blindsearch, I typed 3 queries and voted on the columns that best provided the information I was searching for. I voted for my personal favorite, Google, once and Yahoo! Search twice. I will continue to use Google because I like their format better but may dabble with Yahoo! Search occasionally.

Google scored 64.14% visits as top search engine for the week ending 01/23/2010. Yahoo! Search had 10.84% hits and Bing trailed at 9.34%. The usage statistics match my own personal favorite: GOOGLE.

With Google, I can find almost everything I need, including weather, stock quotes, time in cities around the world, sport scores, unit conversions, people profiles, trip planning, package tracking, patent numbers, area codes, dictionary definitions, spell check, local search for stores, restaurants & businesses, movie showtimes, and health conditions.

Recession Busters #60: Food, Fun & Frugality

2009-06-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

I watched one of Clara's videos and then searched the web for depression recipes and found one for pasta.

Savory Spaghetti

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 1 can #2 size tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1/2 green peppers
• 2 onions
• 3 slice bacon, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon rumford baking powder
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1/4 pound cheese

Make sauce of the juice of the tomatoes, strained and seasoned. Chop onions and cook in the fat obtained from frying the bacon. Add bacon cubes, 2 teaspoons flour and blend. Add tomato juice and baking powder. combine with green peppers, celery, and cheese. Add spaghetti, previously cooked. Combine thoroughly and cook in casserole one and half hours.

I found several summer recession busters for families on the local level. Sonic Drive In is offering customers a free Root Beer Float on June 3rd from 8PM to midnight. No purchase necessary. Rave Motion Pictures is hosting a Free Family Film Festival every Tuesday & Wednesday at 10AM beginning June 9. The Houston Symphony brings its Sounds Like Fun! performances this summer. The no charge program offers children a first encounter with classical music. Each program last 1 hour and features pre-concert activities such as the instrument petting zoo. Redbox DVD Rental has changed to a free one movie rental on the first Monday of each month starting today.

Here are tips that I have discovered to save money: Take advantage of the early bird specials offered at local restaurants; go to an afternoon movie or look for $1 movie special; check Sunday's newspaper for lunch and 2 for 1 dinner coupons; clip store coupons and use them at grocery stores that double and triple the coupons; shop around for the lowest gasoline prices; cut the cost of doing laundry by washing your clothes in cold water; replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient compact florescent bulbs.

Money & Finance #59: Credit, Money Management, and Saving

2009-05-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

I read the article How Credit Scores Work and learned that insurance companies use our credit score to set our insurance rates and that the number of inquiries and new loans actually lower our credit scores. I took the Credit Score Quiz and found it reiterate what I had just learned from the article.

We never had a spending/budget plan, but have always lived within our means, never made extravagant purchases, saved regularly and always paid our bills. This method has worked very well for us.

The TCDRS Service Center has very useful information. Since I do not have a pin, I wasn't able to access my personal account but was pleased to see that my account has predictable security with 7% interest regardless of the market ups & downs and that the account retains its value no matter what happens in the investment market.

Money & Finance #58 Banking, Budget & Spending

2009-05-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

My bank offers online banking and I have been using it for 3 years. This feature has simplified my life and my bookkeeping. I enjoy the convenience of paying my bills online anytime and being able to transfer funds between accounts. I can schedule one time or recurring payments and never have to worry about mail delays or late fees. The online monthly statements are quicker and more secure and are available for up to 7 years. There's no monthly service charge if you have an eligible checking account or keep a combined minimum balance of $5,000 in qualifying accounts at all times, otherwise the fee is $6.95 a month.

My bank online security guarantee begins with a unique username and password, timed log-off, 128-bit encryption, a powerful firewall, technology updates and continuous surveillance.

I can safeguard myself by using a current web browser, changing my username and passwork regularly, protecting my passwords by not writing them down, and closing my browser when I am finished.

I did take a look at the budgeting tools but was reluctant to put personal information on another website; therefore, I would not use them. I feel that we are doing a good job ourselves.

My husband and I engage in many of the ways suggested to cut spending. We watch weekly sales, buy bulk at Costco, clip coupons & redeem them at stores that double & triple the coupons; shop around for lowest gas prices, and my husband is a handy man on doing basic maintenance & repairs. I would like to shop around for insurance rates when our auto & homeowner policies come up for renewal.

To Tweet or Not To Tweet...Twitter #56

2009-04-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

I was clueless to Twitter until this exercise although I had heard the word mentioned numerous times. I now know that it is a communication technology consisting of microblogs of 140 or less words.

After browsing a couple of different profiles, I personally would not adopt Twitter for my use although it was interesting to see what others are saying.

I used the search feature to find hundreds of tweets on the Obamas' new dog and the current swine flu outbreak. The results were varied.

Getting the Most Out of Facebook # 55

2009-04-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Although I did not have a Facebook account prior to this iHCPL exercise, I am familiar with Facebook and its applications as my daughter and son have accounts and have shared information and pictures they have received with me.

It was very simple to sign up for a Facebook account. I decided to search my high school for classmates and since we had graduated in 1963, I didn't expect to find anyone. What a surprise! I was delighted to find 6 of my classmates. I added a friend and received an invitation to take a quiz. My son has been ill, so I used the application to send him good karma.

Facebook is not something that I will continue to use but I did enjoy the experience.

Books, Readers and Beyond: #54 Social Networking Through Books

2009-03-26T16:30:00.000-07:00

1. I have not had an opportunity to join a book club for lack of time. I love to read and our library has several book clubs which seem very interesting, however, I would prefer joining an online book club that I could enjoy at my own leisure.

2. I would like to see our library implement a mothers/daughters book club. I think it would be nice to read books where the relationships between mothers and daughters are a theme and then discuss it. ReadingGroupGuides suggest
THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW by Elizabeth Noble, THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB by Kate Jacobs or THE REST OF HER LIFE by Laura Moriarty. Beverages and lite snacks to nibble on would also be nice.

3. I searched for THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE on Goodreads which gave the book a 3.78 average rating. Reviews gave the first 500 pages a 5 Star and the last 66 pages only 1 Star. Most readers considered the book a tragedy - what you might get if you crossed Hamlet with Old Yeller and they felt cheated by the ending. Shelfari gave the book a 4 Star. Reviews here too said the writing was good but the end was disappointing. They also compared it to Hamlet. As I read these reviews, I agreed with some and since I have not yet finished reading the entire book, the reviews gave the ending away - much too my disappointment.

Books, Readers and Beyond: #53 Finding Books

2009-03-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

1: Katy Budget Books, Half Price Books, and Barnes & Noble are the three booksellers that are conveniently located in my area. All three sellers have very nice online presence but only Katy Budget Books and Barnes & Noble sites have search capabilities. They also offer memberships that give a discount on purchases.

2: I searched for Nicholas Sparks' THE NOTEBOOK and was able to find the book new at Barnes & Noble for $14.40. Katy Budget Books' price for the same book was $20.00. Both sellers had THE NOTEBOOK in compact discs. Neither seller had the title in ebook format.

3: I searched HCPL ebooks online and was able to check out a copy of THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE which I am currently reading in hardback. After installing the software, I downloaded the book onto my computer and read 20 pages of the book online. It was nice to be able to find this bestseller available without a waiting list in the comfort of my own home, although I missed not being able to curl up with a book in hand. Reading from the screen is not quite the same and after awhile the eye strain sets in too.

Books, Readers and Beyond: #52 What to Read

2009-03-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

1. I chose THE NOTEBOOK by Nicholas Sparks to search for read-alike. In Novelist, Sparks' read-alike are: Emily Grayson's THE GAZEBO, James Michael Pratt's THE LAST VALENTINE, and Richard Paul Evans' THE LAST PROMISE.

Fiction L recommended Richard Paul Evans' THE CHRISTMAS BOX, Emily Grayson's THE GAZEBO, and Lorina Landvik's PATTY JANE'S HOUSE OF CURL.

When I tried What should I read next, I got an internal server error 500; so I went to Library Booklist If you like and found read-alike in the HORSE WHISPERER by Nicholas Evans, THE LAST PROMISE - Richard Paul Evans, THE GAZEBO - Emily Grayson, A MYSTIC LAKE - Kristin Hannah, SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS - James Patterson, THE LAST VALENTINE - James Michael Pratt and BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY - Robert James Waller. Recommendations from these three sites were overlapping with one or two new titles. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY and SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS but I now additional titles to explore. I didn't encounter any problems researching this information other than the internal server error. These resources have a wealth of information which will be very helpful in recommending books to library members when they have exhausted their reading list.

2: For the fourth grade girl, I went to Library Booklist Chapter Books Animal Stories and found THE TROUBLE WITH TUCK BY Theodore Taylor, a young girl who trains her blind dog to follow and trust a seeing-eye companion dog; and BABE, THE GALLANT PIG by Dick King-Smith, a piglet that arrives at the farmyard, is adopted by an old sheepdog, and discovers a special secret to success.
Novelist helped me find DEEP AND DARK AND DANGEROUS by Mary Downing Hahn and RESTLESS: A GHOST'S STORY by Rich Wallace for her 13 year old brother who was interested in ghost stories.

3: Dean Koontz writes novels of many genre, combining suspense, horror, fantasy and sci-fi thrillers. I used the Library Booklist to find Stephen King, John Saul and Peter Straub for the customer who needed read-alike for Koontz. Novelist recommends Greg Bear, Dan Simmons, and John Saul.

4: Mid-Continent Public Library helped me with the Juvenile Series and Sequels: Song of the Lioness
Book #1. Alanna: The First Adventure
Book #2. In the Hand of the Goddess
Book #3. Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Book #4. Lioness Rampant

Week 10 / #23 Is this really the end?....

2007-11-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

iHCPL was a rewarding experience for me and I am excited about my newly acquired skills and want to continue to expand on them. This program has been an excellent opportunity for staff to work and learn together. Creating a blog, flickr and photo editing, RSS feeds, avatars, Library Thing, Zoho writer and overdrive were my favorite discoveries. I am always ready and willing to learn new things and would appreciate more training like this in the future.

Week 9 / #22 Downloadable Media

2007-11-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

I visited HCPL's digital site and explored the different types of materials available. Wow! A wonderful choice. Then I performed a download of the OverDrive Media to my personal computer and proceeded to check out 2 music audios and a Ronnie Milsap: Live in Concert video to enjoy on my computer. I also looked at LibriVox and Wowio but didn't like them as well. It is good to know these sites are available but the HCPL digital site is the best. What more can I ask for?

Week 9 / #21 Podcasts, Smodcasts!

2007-11-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

I researched Podcast.net and Podcastalley.com for libraries and found an interesting podcast on Harry Potter Prognostications in Podcastalley.com and added the RSS feed to my Bloglines account. There are so may topics to choose from -- I may never get any other work done!

Week 9 / #20 Discover YouTube

2007-11-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

I went to YouTube and watched numerous video clips relating to libraries. Even though Your life work: the librarian was dated, the information it provided was excellent pointing out that an individual who possessed a love for books and a love for people was a good candidate for librarianship. The Adventures of Super Librarian and Ninja Librarian were not only entertaining but educational too. My favorite library video was A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto as it embraces everything that we have been learning. Excellent!!

Week 8/ #19 Web-based Apps

2007-11-11T08:12:00.001-08:00

Zoho writer or Google Docs? Which to use? Choices, choices, choices! I looked at Google Docs and Zoho writer. These fantastic online tools can be used for word processing, spreadsheet, note taking and an organizing planner. They enable us to accomplish our work more efficiently, as we can access our documents from anywhere and we can share them with our friends whereby we can all work on it simultaneously. This eliminates the need to email documents. Zoho writer has many fine features; I especially liked the templates. I created an account with Zoho writer and will use its "publish" options to post this article to my blog.

Week 8 / #18 Social Networking

2007-11-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

Social networking is a convenient and delightful way of keeping in touch with love ones, friends and acquintances in the comfort of your own home. My Space, Facebook and Yahoo!360 are just a sampling of sites that enable you to set up your own account and be able to search for a long lost friend. After looking around these sites, I discovered that I preferred Facebook over My Space and think the Dogster, Catster site is entertaining and may like to post one for my beagle. Wow! you can spend hours visiting with others without ever stepping foot outside your front door.

Week 7 / #17 About Technology

2007-10-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

Digital cameras have taken us to a new level in picture taking. Gone are the days of dropping film off to be developed and waiting in anticipation to see the prints. With a digital camera, you can take hundreds of pictures, delete the ones you do not want and then save them on your computer. Digital cameras have a screen so you can view the picture immediately. You are also able to print them, send them via email to family and friends, upload them to a website like "flikr" or edit the pictures. Digital cameras are loaded with features like sensing when you need the flash, automatic red eye remover, and zooming in and out functions. Even an amateur can be proficient in photography with the aid of a digital camera.

I have posted a comment to participant, My 23 Things, on Any Technology.

Week 7 / #16 So what's in a wiki?

2007-10-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

The wiki is an online tool where anyone can search and access information quickly. Because its contents can be edited by users, it is a good way to gather facts from a large number of people. It can also be a web-based notebook to organize your thoughts. It is easy to use as no knowledge of HTML or other marking language is needed to develop a website.

Wikis are also spaces for quick and easy collaborative editing of documents or posting of agendas for discussion before a meeting. In communities with no newspapers or newsletters, a wiki can become a resource that can position the library as an online hub of their local community. I think that a library wiki in our community would be a valuable resource for all residents especially newcomers trying to get acquainted with the community.

I logged into the iHCPL wiki and added my blog to the list and then commented on a favorite vacation spot.

Week 6 / #15 Library 2.0 & Web 2.0

2007-10-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

I was reluctant about Library 2.0 at first for old habits are hard to die. After reading Rick Anderson's away from the "icebergs", I recognize the need for change and appreciate Michael Stephens' new world of librarianship approach to change. I now am ready for Web 2.0 and welcome all the new adventures in learning I have been experiencing through iHCPL and am eager to share these skills with others. One button commands are the wave of the future.

Week 6 / # 14 Technorati

2007-10-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

I looked at Technorati and searched "Learning 2.0" in posts, blogs, videos and photos and discovered that others too are having fun learning new technologies and are excited about sharing their new skills. Learning 2.0 is a join effort among colleagues.

Week 6 / #13 Tagging & Del.icio.us

2007-10-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Whee! Del.icio.us is the way to go in the 21st century. An excellent bookmarking tool for research and reference -- not only can I keep all my favorites in one place but I can access them from anywhere. I can share my favorite sites with others and discover new sites from them.

Week 5 / #12 Library Elf

2007-10-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

Because HCPL does provide a reminder service for library cardholders and I can always check my account online, I do not need the services of the Library Elf. I did watch the demo of Library Elf and read the FAQ. My concern is "privacy" and once again I do not feel comfortable with registering my account number. The LibraryLaw Blog has an interesting article on the library elf and just how easy it could be for anyone to obtain another individual's records. Food for thought!

A Thing about Library Thing

2007-10-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! Library Thing is a really cool tool. I created an account and then proceeded to catalogue some of the books I either have just read or am currently reading. It was not only fun but very easy to do. As time allows, I would like to try All Consuming to catalogue my music and movies too.

Week 5 / #11 Library Thing

2007-10-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Image Generators

2007-10-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun creating myself as an avatar using Yahoo. The link I used was http://avatars.yahoo.com/. Yahoo provides a fabulous selection to work with. I tried FDToys but I didn't like it. I am subscribed to the Generator blog.

Week 5 / #10 My Personal Avatar

2007-10-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

Week 4 / #9 Finding Feeds

2007-10-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

I have created an account with Bloglines and have subscribed to 15 newsfeeds which include literature, best-sellers, travel, recipes, dictionary words of the day, quotes of the day and world news. I found my most interesting feed on local news in Topix and felt Feedster was too confusing. Wow! all this information should enable me to be a more interesting conversationalist.

Week 4 / #8 RSS

2007-10-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Until now, I had not heard of RSS and didn't know what the small tags were; but I have familiarized myself with "Really Simply Syndication" and am pleased to know that all the latest information can be delivery to me in one central location. Who has the time to go from one website to another website trying to stay abreast of all the fast breaking stories??

Tripper Map: Travel Sharing

2007-10-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

Tripper map is an intriguing tool. What a neat way to share my travels in photos with my relatives and friends. My husband and I enjoy traveling and take several trips each year. Our extended trip to Canada last spring was awesome. The tulips were in full bloom and the falls were majestic. I missed my "iced" tea!

Week 3 - #6 Tripper Map

2007-10-11T08:06:00.001-07:00

Get your own Trippermap!

Photo Editing Tools

2007-10-05T09:19:00.001-07:00

Our beagle
Originally uploaded by mmaryjo63

With the help of a friend, I really enjoyed using Picnik to edit a digital photo of our beloved beagle . I changed it to look as though I had used a Polaroid to snap the picture and I added descriptive wording too. It was very interesting to see how I can alter digital photos with the tools Picnik makes available.

Flickr Posed

2007-10-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

Posed

I set up my account with Flickr and really had to work at getting this photo uploaded and then posted on my blog. Yes, I am elated. This looks good and I had fun.

Online Security and Privacy

2007-09-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

With identity theft on the rise, I am very concerned about releasing any information online about my family and me.

Learning Experience

2007-09-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have arrived! I am the new kid on the block in Bloggerville. This will be a learning experience for this newcomer. I expect to have fun and learn new ways to communicate and share.