Webware Awards

I checked out Webware and tried out the Search category. I'm always thrilled to uncover a new, fabulous search engine. BTW, I tried out a new search engine touted in American Libraries webzine they send out weekly called Ms. Dewey. It doesn't seem like a great search engine, but it is hellarious to watch Ms. Dewey in action -- turn up your sound too for the full effect!

I looked at Google Web History -- web history info is good for when you want to remember exactly how you got to that really cool site, but can't remember what it was called or the web address (sometimes it is a very circuitous route finding information). But, I read some of the postings and tended to agree it's a little creepy keeping track of where you've been -- one poster was wondering "how do you turn this thing off?!"

Google Labs

Niiiiice -- I seriously love Google. They do nothing but try and try to make my life easier. They care about what I care about. They find me what I need when I need it with no hassle, no grief. They help me if I've spelled something wrong and don't make me feel stupid or inadequate. I'm seriously in l-o-v-e.

I tried Google Transit right away. It's fantastic living in Seattle because we're included in all the latest technology tests, and Seattle is one of the test markets for Google Transit. I'm trying to figure out how to take the bus from my house in Bellevue to my job in North Bend because gas prices are getting so high, and I'm trying to be kind to my wallet and the earth. Google Transit told me the same thing Metro KC tells me but without all the hassle and frustration. Thank you Google!

Online software!

Hey, I like it! Both Google and Zoho make my little blogger tools look puny and unimaginative.

I wanted to go with Google, since (as I've stated before) I am a Google girl through and through, but Zoho kinda kicked Google's a** on this particular test. Oh, don't get me wrong, Google was good, but Zoho stepped up the game offering more tools and stuff. Zoho had - what looked to be - a more professional looking set up. At first glance, I might use Google for more casual situations, and Zoho for more professional. I liked Zoho's digi-signature, the email, and export as features. But Google had some of this stuff too.
Oh, I can't decide, they're both awesome! And I will let patrons know about these wonderful free products. In fact I had a gal in this morning that would have found this useful. If only I'd done this exercise earlier!

Here's what I think

I've been reading other KCLS bloggers and there are lots of thoughtful comments on the topics of these articles we've been asked to read. Definitely a timely, tasty topic for our library world. Lots of directions we can go, lots of different needs to serve.

I had a couple thoughts on the Iceberg article. The "just in case" collection. I'm thankful that KCLS is a large enough system, a well-funded enough system to be able to have a "just in case" collection. I understand Anderson's point that books aren't circulating as well as they once did, there are other places to get this information. But it is nice, it feels good, to be able to pull up an obscure title a patron is searching for and KCLS owns it. So no, libraries don't need to be the print warehouses they were in the past, but if we've got them and space to keep them, it's a great service to provide our patrons this variety of informational materials. Not everything is online . . . yet.
And I agree whole-heartedly on Anderson's statement, "if our services can't be used without training, then it's the services that need to be fixed -- not our patrons." I mean, our KCLS catalog is NOT easy to use for the uninitiated. It takes practice and a good amount of wading to find exactly what you're looking for. Kudos to the Admin for exploring creating our our system with a consortium of other libraries and the intermediary step of redesigning our web page. Millennium is not the answer for KCLS. It's an awful, cumbersome system - not user friendly at all. It makes me think of discussions in library school about how, before, librarians were the tool makers of our trade -- librarians developed the Dewey Decimal system, card catalogs, systems to help people find information. Nowadays we are merely tool users -- we use the tools developed by software developer non-librarians and force them to fit our system as best they can. But libraries need to step back into that tool-making roll. We know our patrons, we know information, we need to develop systems that are user friendly and will link up our patrons with the information they are looking for with the least amount of effort. The new Explorer feature in our catalog is a nice step in that direction. You can actually get some pretty decent hits using as a patron, but it's still not perfect.


Finally . . . I got into library service because I love connecting people with the information they need. We have a diverse public that wants their information in different ways -- in person, on the phone, in the catalog, email, texting, virtually -- I am grateful for this web 2.0 training we are receiving because it is going to make me a more flexible provider. I've always thought of web 2.0 technology as being a variation of a different language. My language of choice is email. In my personal life, and in backroom worklife, I prefer communicating via email before the telephone and before face-to-face. I need time to carefully compose my thoughts and message and can communicate best if I can write it, re-read it, and send it. Even though I'm a librarian, if I'm a civilian in a library, I would prefer to email the librarian my question than go up to the desk and "bother" them, risk looking stupid in front of them, or risk not understanding their answer. If I don't have that email option, I probably won't contact the librarian at all. When I worked for Answerline it was not uncommon for us to get calls from people that had just left a library, or were actually still in the library, looking for items they weren't able to find. While working the desk at North Bend I actually watched a patron log-in to our Live Chat service at the computer right by the desk and ask virtual librarian a question. I promise you I was available, smiling, not busy, approachable, I had even made contact with her earlier, saying "hello", but this teen gal felt more comfortable chatting online than asking me even though I was five-feet from her.
If we can communicate with someone in the language that they are most comfortable using, then we are making ourselves and our services so much more accessible to them. Thanks to KCLS for recognizing and supporting this need for us to branch out to reach our patrons to provide them with information in a variety of ways.

Trade ya a Rollyo for a Rolo

I'm a Google Girl all the way -- anything Google makes, I buy (except for their stock, of course, nobody can afford that!) Google definitely brought back superior results when playing with the Libray Neighbors set up. I didn't like that Rollyo's ad placement was at the top of the screen, and I actually had to scroll down to see the results. Scrolling is for chumps! The results didn't seem as clear, as concise as Google's.

Here is my Custom Google Search engine on
Health Topics not very exciting, but it was the best I could think of :-( I'm not a big fan of customized search engines, at this point. I'm more of a general searcher and can't really think how custom search engines would be relevant for myself or libraries. I'm trying not to be a hater . . . I'm glad to know about custom search engines. Maybe in the future I will come across a situation where I'll think, " Ah-HA, a custom search engine would be perfect for this!" Maybe someday . . .

Triki Wiki

Wikis would absolutely be useful at work to keep folks updated on all the latest going on at our branch. Did anyone MapCon for that broken toilet in the Ladies room? Why are those strange men here nosing around in the HVAC area? Why is that patron asking me about a program I know nothing about that's happening this afternoon?

Communication with staff members that work full-time, part-time, at different libraries at different times is difficult. Email communication is a good method, but not everyone reads their email regularly, or they're so swamped with email it is easy to let one slip by. A wiki for each branch would be an easy way to let staff log in and see the most up-to-date info and not have to worry about digging through email for something that was sent last week.