Sharon

I wanted to copy Padma's excellent advice about problems connecting to the wireless network, but when I tried to copy it into a Word document, the white print did not show up. Christina showed me how to highlight the invisible words, choose the black default font, and like magic, they appeared.

How to get your kid to be a fanatic reader

"How to get your kid to be a fanatic reader"
by James Patterson

"Sorry, moms and dads, but it's your job--not the schools'--to find books to get the kids reading and to make sure they read them."
Great programs started by schools to get books into kids' hands because the more they read, the better readers they become!
And don't forget, the role models at home should be reading, too!

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading/index.html

Easy way to format student references in APA/MLA styles

bibme.org
Try this site as it is a free site and allows anyone wanting to organize their references in APA or MLA format if they have all the reference info.
It's a quick, nifty tool to recommend to high schoolers, college students and researchers.

Padma

Why can't I connect to the library wireless network

I know we all encounter this when our patrons are not able to connect to the wireless connection even after we check their network settings and "ald public", shows up.
We have to right click on wireless and find, "enable", and click on it so it enables the computer's wireless function.
Here's what I found on the web-

Click Start.
Click Control Panel.
Double-click Network Connections.
Right-click Wireless Network Connection.
Click Enable.

If a patron recently returned from a trip, check to see if their wireless is in flight mode and follow similar steps-
To do this, click the network menu on the top panel and uncheck Enable Wireless. This will turn off your wireless connection until you switch it back on again.
To turn wireless back on, click the network menu on the top panel and select Enable Wireless so that it has a checkmark in front of it.

Inserting a hyperlink into a post?

Recently, I have had a lot of coworkers ask me how to insert a hyperlink into a post. It's actually very similar to inserting one into email with the same paperclip with world icon. Perhaps this is the universal sign of hyperlink? Up at the top of the post screen, in between the title and the message are many little icons. When you need to insert a hyperlink, highlight the word or words you are linking and then click on the paperclip with the world icon. Then insert the link as directed either by typing it in or copying & pasting from your browser. There are also many other fun icons and buttons in this strip; hover over them with your mouse and it will give a brief description of what they are. I personally enjoy spell check. Feel free to give them a try!

Stuck disk got'cha down?

I wonder if I am the only one that dreads the inevitable, "I was watching a DVD on your computer and now I can't get it out", especially when it is 2 minutes to close, and you are six patrons deep in queries, complaints, concerns, and a crying child on top. I am often tempted to recommend that they give the computer a swift kick in the... , well no, I don't ever suggest that...

But, oh! Salvation! For those really persistently stuck DVDs, CDs, etc., there are some tricks. Thanks to our resident techie (or at least he's at MA enough to be considered resident), Josh, I am proud to share with you some additional tricks. His favorite? Reboot the computer and hold both sides of the mouse down while it powers up! It works, I promise.

I was curious what the collective mind commonly known as the inter-web might have to say about the topic, and found this helpful guide:

The ultimate guide to ejecting a stuck disk from Mac SuperDrive

So, put that paper clip away! No duct tape or Swiss army knife necessary, MacGyver! Good Luck!

Android Apps for IT

In reading Network World an article by Mark Giggs (who loves gadgets) listed a couple of fun looking apps. 1) If you need a flashlight try your phone. He like the free app "Mag Flashlight" and he says it works on screen just like a flashlight with an on/ off selection and you can also dim or brighten. 2) He also liked the free Color Flashlight which he says can control the camera flash 3) He mentioned "Ulysse Gizmos" a free multifunction app that includes a compass, a speedometer, GPS status report, a bubble level etc. More fun stuff.

e books with soundtracks

I just finished reading this article about e book with soundtracks. I thought this was an interesting concept, not a regular e book but not a audio book either.

Smell of Books

www.smellofbooks.com



Now you can finally enjoy reading e-books without giving up the smell you love so much. With Smell of Books™ you can have the best of both worlds, the convenience of an e-book and the smell of your favorite paper book.

Smell of Books™ is compatible with a wide range of e-reading devices and e-book formats and is 100% DRM-compatible. Whether you read your e-books on a Kindle or an iPhone using Stanza, Smell of Books™ will bring back that real book smell you miss so much.

Smell of Books™ is available in five designer aromas. There’s a Smell of Books™ scent for every type of book lover.
• New Book Smell
• Classic Musty Smell
• Scent of Sensibility
• Eau You Have Cats
• Crunchy Bacon Scent

Warnings and Legal Disclaimers
Please use in well ventilated area. May cause dizziness and hallucinations. May cause itching and runny nose. If symptoms persist for longer than eight weeks please consult your physician. Not for use on “real” books. Do not use while riding public transportation. Discard empty container with hazardous waste. Not for use as a room deodorizer. Not for use on burning books. Do not use on a Zune.

Our Young Techies

Do you wonder about our young kids and the use of technology?? I sure do..

This is a lengthy but really interesting draft paper disussing the impact, appropriate choices and uses for technology in early childhood settings. I like it because the authors are really careful to note that though technology is not going away, it should be carefully selected and evaluated for each individual age level, and not ever considered a replacement for creative play, conversations, social interactions and other critical aspects of child development and learning. I'm curious about what you think.


It is the position of NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center that technology and interactive media are learning tools that, when used in intentional and developmentally appropriate ways and in conjunction with other traditional tools and materials, can support the development and learning of young children.

http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSTECH98.PDF

(NAEYC is the National Association for the Education of Young Children)

NL Techie of the Month for August

Hi all, Sorry for the delay in naming the NL Techie of the Month for August. I was in denial that August was over! We had some good conversations in August on the blog, and I hope you learned as much as I did. Based on her good particiption and particularly for trying some next step things with Freegal, I've chosen Sarah Wories of SH as this month's NL Techie of the Month. I love to hear about how people try out what they learn on our blog. A $10 Amazon gift certificate will be headed Sarah's way through the courier. Congratulations, Sarah. Keep on blogging everyone. There could be gem of tech knowledge or a $10 gift card in your future.

What If We Had Facebook and Twitter on 9/11?

Here's an interesting blogpost from GOOD: "I'm Glad We Didn't Have Facebook or Twitter on 9/11." One of the GOOD editors writes about how lucky we were to escape all the misinformation that would have been inevitable, and likely, very dangerous, because we weren't online the way we are today. But the very first comment is from a Norwegian, who claims to be grateful for Facebook and Twitter in the wake of the recent Oslo bombings. What do you think?

Imprimir documentos con Google Docs

I used google docs from my home last night to see if I could print this information on the Bookmobile using a different computer and true to form it works. In fact, the print function I used has to be enabled throught the browser Firefox (it tells you what printer is being used), since I could not use the one from Google Docs (far upper left corner), because you can only preview the document. All in all, as with anything technological, at least for me, I had to try this procedure myself before I even attempted to explain this process to a patron. Suerte!

Interestng article on "Improved Mouse control for users with disabilities

I had read an article by Mark Gibbs in the magazine " Network World" about Improved Mouse control for users with disabilities. AIM Research Group at the University of Washington came up with the free release of two different control systems for the disabled for Windows. Thought it was an interesting idea that some of our disabled patrons might be interested in using on their computers at home if they have a hard time with fine motor skills.

http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/free-software-makes-computer-mouse-easier-for-people-with-disabilities

9/11 Encyclopedia

As 9/11 approaches it gives us cause for remembrance. This is a feature of the New York Guides magazine. It is an interesting site to click through.
http://nymag.com/news/articles/wtc/

Do you use it?

Do you use it?

Kobo - eReading Made Easy
Millions of bestsellers and free eBooks. Read on almost any device!
www.kobobooks.com
http://www.kobobooks.com/desktop
Kobo Desktop
Kobo Desktop lets you read, shop for eBooks, and transfer them easily to your eReader from your computer or laptop. All you have to do is download the Kobo Desktop software and install it on your computer — we support both Windows and Macintosh.

parsed resume?

I learned about a new feature on job application websites while working with a patron recently. There is an option called "parsed resume" on some websites. If the applicant chooses this option, the software will break their resume into different fields such as job history, references, etc. It is recommended that the user check to make sure the software worked as desired.
This worked well for the patron I was assisting and we were both interested to learn about this!

Why do some pages print blank even when content shows up on the screen?

So often, patrons approach us and tell us that the attachment they opened and printed resulted in printing a blank page or a grey block covering the white page.
This may result out of the patron opening the attachment in "view" mode.
This happens with Word attachments as well as Picture attachments.

If the patron has clicked on "view", button, the document comes up on the screen for the patron to view it as a regular word document or a regular picture
But, when the patron goes to print it, the print preview might show a blank document
Closing the current document/view on the screen and reopening the attachment via the "download", option will then open the attachment in a manner in which print option can be selected.

iLibrarian Blog

I want to share this blog with all of you. There are many useful (and fun) technology talk links. I found some very useful add-ons that may make work easier and time saving. Look at the left of the page under "Most Popular." You will find some good stuff.

Enjoy!

http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2007/40-useful-firefox-add-ons-for-librarians-%E2%80%93-part-one/

New Sony E-Reader Wi-Fi

Sony unveiled its latest ereader device today, Reader Wi-Fi, which will be the first dedicated ereader—though not the first device—to offer wireless borrowing of OverDrive library ebook titles. The Reader Wi-Fi, which the company calls "the lightest touch screen 6" eReader device ever" in the announcement, will be available for purchase in October.

For more details, please click on the following link:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/239221/hands_on_with_sonys_lightweight_lowcost_reader_wifi_prst1.html