ECIUG '06: Extra Info from Chit Chat

I asked Beth Whitney (from London P.L.'s Cataloging Dept) re Year End tips for Larry:

• make sure you take all the stats you want before you close the books
• LPL carries encumbrances over to the next year
• 0's out expenditures
• advise us to email III and say this is what we're going to do on X day, is it ok?...can we have a contact person to communicate with directly on that day?
• follow every single word in the instructions

I emailed the listserv with other questions I was given to ask...the day was too jam-packed to get them all in in person!...will post answers here as I receive them...

ECIUG '06: googleanalytics

Dave from LPL (impromptu presentation)

• googleanalytics is a free utility that can tell you all sorts of things about how people use your opac
• copy code to botlogo in wwwoptions to apply to all pages
• (Claudia from E&S added it to our website last week and I'll add to opac)
• includes map of where users are coming from, overlay re what parts of page people are using, info on browsers, screen resolution, sofware (java, flash etc.), connection speed
• nifty...but makes me think 'what is google getting out of this'...check Stephen Ab's blog to see if he has commented
  

ECIUG '06: Re-Indexing Our Database

Raj Jain (Head of Cataloguing) / Karen Marshall (Director of Tech Services)
University of Western Ontario

• Why?...public service request for e-books index and Journal title index
• decided to re-index to achieve this, and solve a bunch of other problems (eg. with RACER)
• indexes can only be build with data from marc records
• check / re-check / check again what you think the system *should* be doing and what it is actually doing
• indexing takes a long time...and there are performance issues while it's going on

ECIUG '06: Use of Preferred Searches

Eeva Stierwalt from London Public Library

• use Preferred Searches and email alerts for home service patrons
• "exclude books I've read" used in conjunction
• nifty
• I need to look in to our email alerts...on OPAC imp. cmte list of things to do
• LPL uses false email addresses which include patron name and route number, so they get info they need from bounced email file
• suggest to SR/JAg/LAK for our home service patrons
  

ECIUG '06: Graphical Self-Check

Eeva Stierwalt, London Public Library

• currently implementing Graphical Self Check at all branches
• previously had CODOCO big self-check machines
• empowring patrons...mirroring retail experience (Walmart, Home Depot etc.)
• free-up staff to provide quality service
• LPL has NO security gates at branches, so easy for them...no desensitizing equipment required
• speed / convenient / fun
• pilot project outline:
• 7 member team
• identified locations
• best practices research
• looks at other iii libs using this...average number of self checkouts = 54%...most not using security systems (theft rate = same)
• reviewed lending policies
• so peeps could cout as much as possible
• equiment and furniture needs assessed
  
• pilot set up
• customization with iii
• roll out
• followed up with stats
• peeps love it
• touch screens
• only need electircal outlet and internet plug-in, computer, hand-held scanner
  
• signage/advertising
• staff simply scan a barcode to log in and out
• market to staff...train them to train the peeps
• periodic survey for feedback
• teach peeps to know difference between library barcode and publisher's barcode, and to *read* the screen re error messages...must bring "lock box" items to the desk
• have a staff monitor for the first while
  

ECIUG '06: Enterprise Backup Development

Fangmin Wang, Ryerson University

• talked about how at Ryerson they use a third-party backup program
• uses Backup API (Application Programming Interface...how one piece of software communicates with another)
• went with alternate method becuase III's standard backup method is not very convenient...labour intensive, routine task...and Ryerson's IT dept. has a huge IBM "tape robot"
  
• on the iug list there's a linux verion of the backup script (contributed by Mike Lynch)
• they use the Millenium tape back up as a secondary back up
  

ECIUG '06: Beyond the OPAC - Providing Additional Avenues to the Catalogue

Mike Cunningham
Web Services Librarian
Cambridge Public Library

• web sites vs. opacs...how to drive traffic to your opac and within opac
• RSS feeds, php with mysqul database
• create lists for new items, export to text file, delete field names, save as ANSI, opne in phpmyadmin...etc...
• opac enrichment and reviews...link new movies to imdb...embed relevant booklists from an extrenal ColdFusion aplication
• can reference external javascript files in botlogo wwwoptions...all automated links, slicker than Syndetics
• reviews incorporated into opac...also kids' and teens' sites
• in-house build reviews system...cheaper / simpler than iii's
• can also use javascript to remove stuff from the opac, for eg. "kill call # linking" which confuses patrons...removes the hyperlink tag...nice!
• alternate opac search via z39.50 (eg. Ann Arbour, Plymouth State...OPAC massaged in to a wordpress format...slick)
• Hot Items list at AADL...criteria = # of holds...John Blyber's blog comment re analyzing holds...didn't work for Cambridge...used "view outstanding holds", then:
• sent to email
• save email as text
• Perl script
• retrieve bib # and # of holds
• online form
• Cold Fusion
• access d-base
• Book cover browser...nice...
• inspiration from itunes' cd cover browse
• used Yahoo Carosel and Reflections JS
• hot book cover browser...purple eye icon on "new books, cds, and more" page...check it out here
• thankfully, Cambridge is all about SHARING...has policy to share code for all this nifty stuff
• see his complete presentation here
• check out Mike's blog
  

ECIUG '06: III Company Update

Maruta Skujina (our Customer Support person) and Mary Chevreau (Maruta's boss, oversees all of N. America)

• What's new with R2006:
• ecommerce integration with graphic self-check, also RFID compatable
• teleforms will now "speak" the patron's name
• SUSHI: Standardized usage stats harvesting initiative...use with ERM
• "Tickers"...in Acquisitions and Serials...little reminder notes linked to records to remind another staff person to do something to that record
• WebPAC Pro..."Going Pro"
• check out csdirect for official info
  
• free upgrade from R2006
• place a commitment service request to helpdesk to request
• some new stuff that's coming down the pipe will be based on webpacpro
• one big feature = "Right Results"...relevance ranking...rates title and author hits higher than notes, for eg.
• III offers a "WebPAC refresher service"
• WebPAC Pro options (extra cost?):
• spell check..."did you mean?"...drop-down dictionary
• community reviews (staff can vet before publishing)
• RSS feed builder
• RSS...
• incoming feeds (free in R2006)
• outoging feeds
• via Create Lists
• webPAC Pro
• outgoing 1:1 feed for patrons record events
• my record feeds ... notification of change eg. you have fines (not specific amount)
• CASE
• robust list of electronic packages and titles
• A-Z list
• marc record service
• case.iii.com
• useful for TBPL?...not sure...
• subscription service, updated monthly
• Program Registration Module (similar to events)...cost????!!!
• calendar
• patron self-reg
• integrated with patron dbase and My Millennium
• programs are in OPAC, so show up in searches...nifty
• staff interface: Registration Desk...easy to email registered peeps, can do create lists with reg info
• TODO: compare with e*vents re cost and functionality...would we be able to use for internal room booking?...staff only?...repress from public view type of thing?
• Millennium Load Scheduler
• automate Create Lists
• nifty
• cost?
• can NOT change parameters in saved search strategies though...so, could not use for new/hot...simply runs exactly the same search again...does not even refresh the review file

Coming in 2007: ENCORE (insert fireworks here....)

• III's answer to the callenge of how to make the library a starting point for patrons' searches...support richer content in the results...allow community participation
• ratings, reviews, tags BY patrons, in the opac
• will transform the library's web interface
• will be introduced in R07 (but costs extra...sale on now...)
• "best bets" suggestions to push out recomendations
  
• federated search results (will it work with AGent?)
• runs on apache server...uses AJAX and other new technologies
• Westerville and 12 other libs are deveopment partners
• ENCORE is a "presentation layer"...slick single-search-box and book shelf of new titles' book jackets
• tagging...can be cloud or list
• faceted searchging
• for eg check out Zappos shoes
• can search for all books rated "excellent", search reviews...search non-marc info
• Federated search integration with Research Pro
• SmartLinking for librarian-suggested resources with Pathfinder Pro
• rich in info...easy to use...2.0
• Maruta showed a falshy marketing DVD (can we borrow or download it to show staff?
• it is possible to have ENCORE without having all the other bits
• ENCORE comes WITH a server...set up and ready to go...special introductory pricing now...
  

ECIUG '06: Overview

Wow. Just got back from spending a jam-packed day at Kitchener Public Library with about 65 peeps from other III libs in Ontario. London, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Western, Brock, Ryerson, U of Ottawa were all there. It was great to meet Eeva Stierwalt from LPL and lots of others who I have been emailling a great deal over the past year. I presented on E-Commerce, which went well even though I was a nervous newbie. SO many ideas and inspirations and things to do!

CIL'06: Can your LIS do this?

David Hook, MDA (manufacturer of the robotic arm of the space shuttle)

• developed a specialized LIS based on inmagic
• very specialized lib
• what's new with a canned search
• keeps a log of queries, reference questions, and how answer found...for FAQs...future plan to post faq's with search results
• needed to communicate with his users
• searchable phone list developed for his intranet
• created an internal blog
• things to make his life as a special lib easier
  

CIL'06: The Web 2.0 Challenge for Librarians

Paul Miller, Techonology Evangelist, Talis Information Ltd.
**one of the BEST speakers**

• has a PHd in Archeology!
• reality = google
• oclc env. scan...library use is down, but peeps are still coming...to use the internet etc.
• only 27% of people visited a lib website recently
• open the lib beyond the walls
• PUSH the lib everywhere
• engage potential user groups
• dismantle your ILS...use the bits that make sense, and build something better...should be like lego*
• shared innovation
• "Talking with Talis"...webcasts...lib 2.0 gang...future of the opac
• how users are doing it themselves:
• WPopac...blogging tool over opac
• aadl.org
• Anne Arbour catalogue with comments
• new ways to reach out...make your data work harder
• shared platforms...nuture a community
• shared set of core peices, shared foundations
• has to cross divide between vendors
• we need to insist that vendors work together
• talis is doing this
• get involved...be a part of it
• challenge all assumptions!
• why are we doing EVERY THING this way?
• share innovation

CIL'06: Search Engines Vs. Libraries: The Role of Librarians on the Internet

Gary Price (a librarian)

• director of online resources at ask.com
• yes, there is a role for libs, but we have to speak up, LOUDLY!
• we can save peeps time, effort and aggravation, but we need to SHOW them...get in their faces...there are bigger and more haystacks out there
• info literacy is VIP
• a lot of services we consider "basic" are unknown to many users
• marketing and branding...tell people...word of mouth..."viral" marketing!
• SHOW people that libraries and librarians are important
• become the info "go to" people
• ask.com
• crawler-based engine
• pre-built Q&A model is gone
• zoom...query refinement
• image database
• maps...with driving and walking directions
• customize stuff on right hand side, or minimize
  

CIL'06: Supporting the Digital World with Gadgets

Hope Tillman, Director of Libs, Babson College

• Questions to consider:
• what gadgets are your customers using now?
• also how staff can use
• trends:
• convergence...multi-purpose...phone/camera/email
• personalization / customization
• miniturization
• zdnet's top 10 gadget must-haves
• changes every few weeks
• pocket scanners
• reading pens
• translations, definitions
• scanning
• docupen
• digital pen
• write on a tablet, and pen records up to 40 pages
• security
• everywhere
• fingerprint scanning
  
• on keyboards (for authentication!)
• on usb drives (bio stick fingerprint reader)
• Naperville Public Lib (ILL) fingerprint id for internet access...WOW!
• RFID
• privacy concern vs. inventory control
• special purpose chips
• usb drivers
• debit card keys
• book locker
• wireless devices:
• mice / keyboards
• cordless presenter
• Game machines
• sony psp
• GPS devices
• scavenger hunts
• geocaching game
• fun way to pull in new users (more folks in tbay might have gps than pdas...the hunting/fishing crowd?)
• library applications:
• podcasting/geocaching/blogs
• operations (inventory control)
• communication/collaboration
• learning/entertainment
• next?
• e-ink, e-paper
• "soft" hardware...eg. fabric keyboard
• wearable computing (eg. ipod controls on sleeve)
• movie glasses
• head-worn display
• Games and Libs:
• embedded librarians
• going where the GenM's are
• play a character in a game who comes to help...guided learning...the M's expect to find faq's / cheats, so give it to them
• "Ambient Findability: What we find changes who we become"
  
• it's all about being user-centric
  

CIL'06: Keynote: The Internet: Enhancing Work and Play

Lee Rainie...Pew Internet and American Life Project

• theloudlibrarian.net
• millennials...
• "Millennials Rising" book
• they are:
• special
• sheltered
• confident
• team-oriented
• achieving
• pressured
• conventional
• "trophy kids"
• tech-embracing
• "digital natives in the land of digital immigrants"
• immersed in a world of media and gadgets
• multi-taksers
• pay "continuous partial attention"
• unaware, uncaring of the results of use of their technology (eg. copywrite)...
• so MEDIA LITERACY big role for libs
• their technology world will change radically in the next decade
• approach to research / work will be shaped by new techno-world...
• tag taxonomies -- shared
• flickr
• individuals as nodes of production
  
• we need to be their "infomation support"...easy to use, there when needed
• we need to react to and shape their environment...
  
• be brilliant!
  

CIL'06: Working and Planning with your IT Department

With Barrett Jones, Joint IMF World Bank Library

• it's never easy!
• good tips for talking / working with anyone
• 1 meeting = 3 calls
• 1 call = 5 emails
  
• (LJ is GOOD at this!)
• use the power of cc in emails
  
• get invited to IT meetings
• always follow up...shows you're on the ball...record of what went down...mutual understanding
• education
• learn about technology
• visit your server (touch it!!)
• learn the basics
• read:
• NY Times technology section
• Wired magazine
• bring your IT guy to CIL!
• Vendors
• use them
• for advice on tech issues
• they work for US!
• (eg. Mike McL has been awesome!)
• strategy:
• typical to have lots of hoopla re strat plan, then it gets shelved...IT strategy...do we have one? (tbpl / city?)...if so, read it, adopt it, reference it
• dream big, plan small...dream about what you want to DO with technology, then make it happen with technology
  

CIL'06: Digital Preservation and the Open Web

• archive of electorial campaigns websites example
• capturing labour history in action
• www.aflcio.com
• history in the making
• need to archive
• labour contracts database
• Institute of Industrial Relations library
• lots of schools use this resource for teaching
• issues / decisions re where to draw the line when archiving web sites
• rights and permission vary according to host
• WERA
• web archives access
• open source tool for viewing crawl reuls
• need to capture new publications as they appear
• collaborative collection deveopment
• Info Management Trends
• latest technology
• networked systems
• across organizations
• heterogrenous collections
• expectations
• quick, acurate, 24/7
• results:
• shift into info management roles
• expanded responsibilities
• multiple initiatives
• Who's tending the store?
• Cornell Digital Preservation Management Workshop
• fabbo resource
• commitment management
• digital preservation management
• organization
  
• technology
• resources

all this made me consider:

• should we establish a digital preservation protocol for TBPL?
• does the City have one?
• collaborative opportunity?
  
• do we have an archival plan for paper stuff? (eg. newsletters?)
• records management...I think we do for offfical stuff, but what about PR / public stuff
• for eg. is our old webpage gone forever?...do we care?!...value to see how far we've come, document history
  

CIL'06: Scanning for Planning

Alane Wilson, Editor, 2003 OCLC Environmental Scan
(another Canuck...MLIS from UBC and undergrad from Waterloo)

• "an accidental futurist"
• "skating where the puck will be" (Wayne Gretzky)
• there are professional futurist associations
• libs need to look OUTSIDE the profession more
• environmental scanning...in reality, like dumpster diving
• no "how to" book...pick landscapes that suit what you're doing
• trend spotting: observing, reading, musing, synthesizing, understanding
• eg. what are peeps doing with handheld devices in other countries
• trendspotters need to be curious
• trends = the momentum in society
• need to do trendspotting FAST...not by committee...need autonomy
• what will you do with the info when it's done...must lead to ACTION
• a library DEPARTMENT could do a scan, and act on it...wow!...what a concept!
• trendwatching.com...a good monthly email magazine
• Wired, Fast Company, Time etc...useful
• read widely outside of lib and info science
• talk to peeps...users and non-users
• collect *stuff* and categorize it...common themes / trends / fit stuff together
• "amazoogle effect"...comprehensive, accessible, immediate gratification, market-of-one...personalization...trends
• GAMING...
• highlighted in scan
• blossomed after its publication
• convenience trumps quaility
• gapingvoid.com...good quotes
• favorville...people helping people
• foldera...peekochat...rallypoint...connecting people to others
• librarything.com...amateur cataloguing!
• Shaping Things...(book by Bruce Sterling)
  
• spimes, blogjets...like FedEx package checking...*stuff* that gathers info as it goes...like people!...new trend
  

CIL'06: Digi Tech Forum: DEAD TECH

• light-hearted, fun panel with:
• Amanda Etches-Johnson (from McMaster...Canuck #1)
• Aaron Schmidt (Thomas Ford Memorial Library)
• Darlene Fichter (Univ of Sask...Canuck #2)
• Marshall Breeding (Vanderbilt Univ.)
• Stephen Abram (Sirsi-Dynix...Canuck #3)
• this session was all about Library 2.0
• gaming nights
• rock the shelves
• provide places to create podcasts, videos
• innovate / implement / dream on!
• plan for your USERS!
• 2.0 is all about the SOCIAL...connecting with your users where they are
• eg. newsletters become blogs
• eg. subject guides become wikis
• interactive and fun opacs
• mashups: combining 2 or more applications
• microsoft oragmi
• The only safe ship in a storm is leadership. -- Fae Wattleton
• Librarian 2.0 survival tips:
• digital read/write participants
• learning WITH others (sociality of everything)
• facilitators...art of convening converstaions online
• Intercultural Antennae...outside of your default culture
• tolerence for ambiguity...
• feel ok with NOT being in control
• we need to improvise
• learn tools...plaly more...observe
• self-awareness
• Lib2.0 = (books n' stuff + people + radical trust) X participation
• opacs look too much like electronic card catalogues
• need to make the library website a place users WANT to explore more
• we need to do it better
• explose lib content and service through other orgs (eg. City website**)...via rss feed / blog...web services
• next gen OPACS / portals...development cycles too slow on vendor side...+ libs move to new software too slowly
• focus on stratigic, not cool!
• we need to provide the TARGET (like a fly painted on a urinal!)...make it easy for people to find stuff
• be IN your end user's social network
  

CIL'06: Creative Visitbility: Toolbars and Gamenights!

Scott Rice, Univ. of N. Carolina at Greensborough

• customized firefox toolbar, so that links to full text holdings in the library are provided for google scholar and amazon hits
• check out thh firefox toolbar tutorial...look at other peep's toolbar code

David "Giz" Womak, Wake Forest University (a small liberal arts univ. in N. Carolina)

• tons of energy, and fun to listen to!
• all (6,717) students get Think Pads!...wow!
• the univ library hosts an "open game night" and a tournament, to get students into the library
• library provides big screens, projectors, connectors, extension cords etc, (and pizza etc., and trophies!) and the students brought their own games and systems
• tons of positive publicity for the library
• posted a survey on zoomerang
• 100% of students did not mind using their own gaming equipment
  

CIL'06: Cool Tools Update for Webmasters

• with Darlene Fichter (U. of Sask.) and Frank Cervone (N.W. Univ.)
• PHP editor, PHP expert debugger
• Firefox extensions...lots of fab ones...eg. coloured tabs with X to close on each
• eyeonsite...monitor another server
• link popularity checker
• widgets
• nifty!
• like icons, but 2.0!
• exactmapper lite (free)...automatic site map updater
• web-based organizers:
• www.rememberthemilk.com
• some have free trials, then buy
• www.backpackit.com
• password keepers:
• KeePass -- open source
• Agatra -- web-based
• Roboform -- $29.95
• superglu.com
• several feeds on one page...glue all your blogs together
• Wink
• online tutorial application...flash animation for library instruction
• powerbullet presenter...free
• file exchange utilities...neat-o
• yousendit.com
• sendthisfile.com
• mailbigfile.com
• Thumbshots
• liven up web links with thumbnails of front pages of linked sites
• Tag clouds
• zoomclouds.com
• tagcloud.com
• Map web visitors...neat-o!
• site users can map where they're from (put a pin in the map!)...
• clustermaps.com
• gvisit.com
• tinyurl.com

CIL'06: Failing to Innovate: Not an Option with Jill Hurst-Wahl, Hurst Associaties

• libraries HAVE to compete with the internet and bookstores...we NEED to innovate
• generations:
  
• 1925-1942: Silent
• 1943-1960: Boomers
• 1961-1981: GenX
• 1982-now : Millennials (GenM) (also for MEDIA)
  
• all gens have used technology from the previous gen to develop new
• GenM will outlive us
• GenM:
• always connected / hyper connected
• multi-taskers, info abundance
• we need to help them through the copyright maze in a way that works for them
• want to do things on their schedules
• we have to offer them something that's valuable to them now
• Five Types of Innovation:
• product/service (eg. podcasts)
• process/delivery method (eg. virtual reference)
• marketing/promotion (product / price)
• organizational / social (myspace, sattelite libraries, innovating with users: asking what they want to do / use)
• business model (eg. being everywhere all the time)
• innovation must be continuous
• How do we innovate? (the process...neat...I think we could use this irl)
  
• idea generation ("ideation" / brainstorming)
• concept feasibility (what could we do?)
• capability development (what can we do?)
  
• ram up (develop the idea)
• launch (make it happen)
• start again!
• test throughout, ask users
• it takes time to innovate
• everone wants to be creative...make space (in real life and online) for people to be creative...content and tools (to write, make videos etc.)
• be on the "bleeding edge" (where have I heard that before?!)
• libraries as town squares ONLINE...safe meeting places
• strategically, we need to think 20 years ahead
• www.hurstassociates.com (powerpoint will be on Jill's site)
• connect with GenM online...
• ask what they like to do
• tools they need
• spaces they like (in real life, and virtual)
• they like gaming (mimic / incorporate games)
• gaming to bring them in (YEAH TBPL!)
  

CIL'06: Opening Keynote: Search Engine Report, Chris Sherman, Associate Ed., SearchEngineWatch

• check out www.searchenginewatch.com
• check out www.ask.com
• AskJeeves has evolved into ask...working with Gary Price (a LIBRARIAN...WOW!)...good ready reference tools, natrual language searching, toolbars, fabbo maps and directions (walking and driving)
• google has become more of a media advertising company than a search engine...Google Mars, Google Moon, Google video
• MSN also advertising, search, virtual earth, search result clustering (src), onfolio ("bookmarks on steroids"!), streetview -- race cars etc.
• Yahoo "people mediated" search...tagging, personalization, mindset (slidebar to narrow topic)
• Google and Books "vcr" myopia factor...publishers freaking out aka movie industry and vcr's
• google print library = full text of public domain
• will be adding "Find in a Library" link to OCLC worldcat
• also concept of "giving" the books to the google brain to learn from
• The Dark Side of Personalization:
• convenience vs. confidnetiality
• over time change your search results based on past searches
• "trust, but verify"!

CIL'06: overview

• 2,386 attendees from almost every state, and a whole bunch of countries
• conference presentations are available online...click on the link on the side over there...
• I also have a print copy of collected presenations if you would like to borrow
• this blog is to provide a more in-depth report, further to the quick and dirty one-pager I handed out at Chief's Council on March 27th!
• It was a really amazing conference, and I am thankfull to TBPL for supporting my participation