Category Archives: Library

A Couple Funnies From The Field

So I'm on the road doing computer & Internet training and I thought I'd pass along a couple humourous moments from the past couple weeks…– tonight, a woman wants to know an Internet radio station she can listen to while doing housework.  I say that Accuradio is one of my favourites and after loading it […]

Four Things You Should Never Do To Your Users

It's a short list but it cuts to the core with a list of the essential things that are part of successful online usability. 1.  Make Them Log-In By Account NumberThis is a huge one for libraries.  How many libraries have databases and other electronic resources but require patrons to memorize a lengthy barcode or […]

"My computer crashed and I have a CD with all the files – how do I get my e-mail address book back?"

In homage to RefGrunt, here's a sample of some of the topics I addressed and questions I helped people with during my two “Ask The Computer Guru” drop-in sessions and two “Everything You Want To Know about the Internet” presentations today…– how to restore the e-mail address book from a crashed computer to a new […]

Tracking Challenges in Canadian Libraries: 2nd Annual Survey

Please find below direct access to a one page web survey produced by the Advisory Committee on Intellectual Freedom. This second annual survey is intended to help the Committee develop documentation about challenged resources and policies in Canadian libraries in the 21stcentury. This initiative supports Canada's Book and Periodical Council's (BPC) Freedom to Read campaign […]

On The Road Again

I've had a few different jobs in my life.  One of my favourites was my college summer job where I visited various small towns around Saskatchewan as a traveling cable TV salesman.  (Yes, I know a “vacuum cleaner salesman” joke just popped in your head.  Don't bother – I've heard it.)But this job was different […]

Survey on Engagement of New Library Professionals in Leadership

Kathleen DeLong, a librarian at the University of Alberta, is conducting a survey on the engagement of new library professionals in leadership roles and activities as part of her LIS PhD.  If you're a recently hired librarian (within the last five years), why not take a few minutes to help her out by filling out […]

The 5 Most Annoying Programs on Your PC

Download Squad ranks them as follows: 1. Acrobat Reader2. iTunes3. RealPlayer4. Internet Explorer 5. Microsoft OutlookYet how many libraries rely on two or three of these programs, both for their PAC's and for their staff computers? 

Threatened By The Internet? Music Biz Should Rock Like Librarians

Quinn has posted a great article on his site (I've bolded the really fascinating part below):At the risk of jinxing things – I think it’s pretty clear that there’s a historic shift underway between activities we used to engage in offline and things we now do online. It’s no surprise, for example, that CD saleswere down […]

More Than Babble: Baby's First Words May Be Key To Origins of Spoken Language

Pace is babbling up a storm these days (what's the line?  “You spend the first few months of their lives waiting for them to talk and the next eighteen years wishing they would stop!” ) with lots of “da da”, “ga ga”, “blah blah, blah” (seriously!) and grunting noises.  So I did some research (okay, […]

Links From All Over

Housecleaning isn't just a physical activity anymore – now, I find I have to take the time to clear out my virtual detritus every once in awhile too.  So here are some links and articles I've had kicking around for awhile waiting for a good time to post. Amazon: New & Future Book ReleasesLibrarians talk […]