Online Productivity Tools

As to quote from the DCPL blog, online productivity tools are web-based applications that "provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need of installed desktop applications." When I went to PLA Bootcamp in Cleveland for Strategic planning, each of us created an account with Google so that we could access Google Docs. This let us put all of our notes for the bootcamp into a single place. This allowed us to read each other's notes and give input where needed. Anytime I need to refer to those notes, especially with planning coming up in May, I can go to Google Docs at any time. This feature makes web-based applications invaluable because you can collaborate, write papers, or make those last minute files from anywhere. If my co-workers had to make one single document from all the notes, it would easy to make modifications to the documents and to email or print them.

I was very impressed with Zoho and Thinkfree. As they say, the office is on the Internet. I just signed on for thinkfree and you can create HTML documents, spreadsheets and powerpoint. The workspace is also called the dashboard. This can help you create projects and assign tasks and team members. This may be very helpful if we were working on a library wide project or for those on committees and we could put our notes and presentations all in one spot if we did not have a Staffdocs on the server. This could be used as a backup for your files if they aren't on some sort of outside hard drive. That's also the same with flickr or any site that let's you upload pictures. You need to backup everything, (which I am guilty of not doing), and this is a perfect way to do that.

As for the wiki, I really enjoy posting to the sandbox, and creating pages for others to enjoy. I like reading their posts and I feel like I get to know my co-workers a little better. Wiki would be great to do these lessons as well or some sort of web class where you posted to a wiki your responses. What will the web think of next?

Shelf Check

I'll just say it--I really love our profession. And I love anything that emphasizes it including t-shirts, canvas bags and bumper stickers. My favorite comic strip is Unshelved, but now it may have a close second. Shelf Check is posted by Emily Lloyd who is a librarian/teacher from Minneapolis, MN. She also maintains another blog through blogger called poesy galore. Today's strips remined me of some of us who haven't felt that well. Hope you enjoy!

http://shelfcheck.blogspot.com/

Funeral Net

Yesterday, March 23, the KR received two new books. One of them was called The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy by Kimberly Powell. This book is fascinating because it discusses every aspect of genealogy such as how to get started, who to interview, where to look such as libraries and of course what websites to look at and what they offer. One section of the book discusses searching records at funeral homes. Although many funeral homes are privately owned, they may be willing to work with you on finding the information you need in your search such as death and burial dates and maybe a birth date. If the death your searching for is more recent and the funeral home has not changed hands much then the funeral director or employees may remember your family. I know this from personal experience because one funeral home in Valley Station, Hardy's has always been owned by the Hardy family and they know my family very well. I have always found it comforting to be there for those occasions because I know I will be well taken care of. If I had a question about my family I know that one of the Hardys would be able to answer it. (Photo by George*50 posted on Flickr.)

One site that caught my attention was http://www.funeralnet.com/ This is a great information center because you can do many types of searches, which include searches for cemeteries, obituaries, funeral homes and ancestry. When I searched for cemeteries, it only gave me 5 listings in Owensboro because these have offices or a contact number. The Info Center has great search tools. You can look for veterans' information, grief sources and careers in the funeral industry.

My Trading Card

I picked this picture because I thought they were the prettiest flowers that day. It was a wonderful celebration and I'm glad we have all of these pictures to remember it by.

Flickr Image

For those who know, you know I don't have to explain the picture that I uploaded. The picture belongs to Dunechaser. If you do a search for pugs, many hits will pop up. I thought this pug looked the happiest! I am familiar with Flickr because when I am on Twitter, most people who post web pictures use this site. It's very interesting to see what they take pictures of. I think this is a great way to share personal pictures. I also like how people can comment on your photographs if they have an account. This seems like a safe way of sharing your photos.

What do you do?

I was reading the blog of Kimical Smile, and this gave me a great idea. What do you do in your daily job? I know on our wiki we have the page called "The Buck Stops Here" and it gives in few details who is responsible for what. But that doesn't really explain what it is we do. Most of you who know me understand that I work in the Kentucky Room. What does that really mean? What is the Kentucky Room and where is it? Well, the KR is on the first floor of the DCPL near the end where the reading garden is. This room houses our local history collection as well as genealogy materials, county histories and records, Owensboro newspapers on microfilm going back 150 years, the U.S. Federal census, Kentucky Death Certificates 1911-1957 and so much more.

My job is to help patrons trace their genealogy, answer questions about local or Kentucky history, answer queries via phone and email and do the best job I possibly can. I also am a public notary, which means that I witness and verify signatures on documents. I also weed the collection, am a member of the 20/20 Book Club committee, and I plan the adult programs. My latest projects have been researching for scrips for Voices of Elmwood and being a member of the planning committee, which helps with the library's strategic planning.

Being in the KR is a real pleasure because I get to meet a variety of people and learn about their families. I also learn interesting things when researching local history from the newspaper or any of the county history books. (And I have the best view looking out of my window!)If you have a chance to visit the Kentucky Room, please stop by and I will be glad to show you around!

RSS Feed

RSS Feed
To emphasize what's already been said in a few blogs, I had a class on RSS feed back in the fall and didn't quite grasp how it all worked. It just seemed like magic to me and I was satisfied with that explanation. But now that I have subscribed to some RSS feeds and they come straight to the Google Reader, it's very nice to open Google Reader when I check my email and see who has written a new post. I did not want to start a Bloglines account because it would have been another account I would have to keep up with. So in Google Reader I did a search for history blogs or blogs about Kentucky and subscribed to About.com: American History and My Old Kentucky Blog, which is a music blog. I like this one personally because my cousin writes it and he review indy bands. The blog that I wanted to subscribe to but was a Bloglines groupie was one called www.Pajamadeen.com. Pajamadeen is "fighting the good fight in our jammies." It has great news updates and talks about historical items such as the women's hsitory museum in Bardstown, KY and Lincoln's birthday. I highly recommend this blog. As for using these blogs, I can see that I would use it both personally and professionally, but I like to post to the wiki for work.

Twitter--They're even talking about it in Public Libraries magazine

Alright, you knew eventually I was gonna talk about this. I love Twitter! It's a wonderful social networking site that answers the question "What are you doing?" in 140 characters or less. Status updates are made in real time, and the message is delivered instantly to those who subscribe to Twitter, aka your "followers." In the article I'm refering to in Public Libraries, "What Are You Doing Now? And Do Your Patrons Care?" writers Michael Porter and David Lee King believe that this is a viable tool for connecting with patrons. Here is their list of potential uses for status updates:

• Connecting with patrons and colleagues


• Connecting with other organizations


• Advocacy


• Answering and asking questions


• Professional development


• Using it as a listening tool to "hear" what your community says about the library


• Broadcasting announcements


• Throwing ideas around


• Promoting services or events


• Job postings

The article also states that libraries that already use Twitter do a lot of linking--to events, new titles added to a collection, webpages, or blog posts. We could use this service to our advantage by telling our audiences that check our FB and Myspace page to join Twitter and to follow us. This could help us listen to our community.

Our Homework of 71/2 Habits

Ok, I promise I read this. But now I can't remember what I read! And I'm too young to have CRS! But I do try to do the last 1/2 and play. Whatever project I'm working on, if I'm really into it, I try to make it fun and memorable. For example, I had the task of making a powerpoint about people's interests that people may have time for now such as scrapbooking, sewing, photography, etc. and I was really into the spirit of the project once I figured out what to say. I think I had too much caffine that morning and now I'm going to do embroidery like Laverne. I can say that I can sew a hole in my jeans! But back to my original point, whatever that maybe at this point, is that when I bring play and work together, I get alot more out of it then if I tend to do more of one than the other. There is so much to learn by working in the library and if you take everything so seriously, it's going to wear you down in the end.