BiblioTech Web

Reference Services

pfitz — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:03:51 +0000

At Butler University, we’re changing how we present Reference Services. For the last couple of years, we’ve had a “Reference Team” and shared responsibilities for the department and services. Professional librarians have staffed the desk from 10am to 10pm. As of this fall, we’ll be staffing the desk with a part-time librarian and a few student employees for the daytime hours, but keeping the librarians on during the evening hours. There will be an “on call” schedule where librarians make themselves available during their time, so if there is a question that the person staffing the desk cannot answer, they have a resource to check with.

This is probably not the final stage, but an experimentation in the works. I’ll try to write more about it as we implement this style of Reference Services, to discuss what’s working or not working.

April Fool’s Day Fun

pfitz — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:41:26 +0000

The growth of the internet has really increased the popularity and effectiveness of April Fool’s Day. Now ALL KINDS of pranks can be played online in the guise of “new technologies” or “new services.” Even reputable media companies like CNN or the BBC are getting in on the act.

A big concern for librarians and academics early on was that the internet was going to lead to a loss of credibility. With the possibility of anyone posting anything online and making it sound authoritative, people were afraid that America (and the world) would continue “dumbing down.” Instead, librarians and teachers have stepped up and begun teaching Information Literacy and the need for evaluating information sources.

And creative individuals and companies have become better equipped to play April Fool’s Day jokes on the less-than-critically thinking public. Here are some links to sites that have “celebrated” April Fool’s Day this year. Most of these are pretty clever and funny.

(Okay, that last one was from The Onion, so it’s bound to be funny, even if it’s not April Fool’s Day.)

Feel free to share these with your friends. And even to disguise them like this: Google to Acquire U.S. Government

RSS Feeds as Reminders

pfitz — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:59:04 +0000

ReminderFeed is a free online program that you can use to send yourself reminders that will show up in your RSS aggregator. It can be a one-time thing or repeated every day until the deadline you specify.

Pretty handy for those of us who use RSS feeds very much. Give it a try. It’s FREE!!

MeeboMe and Pidgin

pfitz — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:23:03 +0000

I don’t know how this slipped by me unnoticed for so long, but I just yesterday read Chad Boeninger’s post on Library Voice about the Meebo plugin for Pidgin (used to be GAIM). It’s the answer to our Reference Desk dilemma! Let me explain.

Last fall we implemented Meebo in a test mode as it were, to get the functionality of widgets on our web pages. One of the strengths of Meebo is their MeeboMe widget, which puts an IM window right on your web page, interfacing with the instant messenger at your own computer (in this case, at our Reference Desk). The drawback of Meebo is that it’s web based (a good thing), requiring you to always have a browser window open and dedicated to Meebo (a bad thing). If you’re on another tab in your browser, the only notification was the other tab’s favicon blinking, which is small and easy to miss.

Enter Pidgin. It’s a new and slightly improved version of GAIM, which is what we used at the Reference Desk before Meebo because it allowed us to connect with multiple IM accounts from one interface. And it’s open source.

With this Meebo plugin for Pidgin, you can just use Pidgin the way you normally would (complete with background running when minimized and popups when new messages come in) and still connect with your MeeboMe widgets. It’s the best of both worlds! I’ve tried it at our Reference Desk and on my personal computers and it works great!

As Chad put it, MeeboMe and Pidgin is like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups — two great tastes that taste great together!

Thanks, Chad!

Internet Privacy

pfitz — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:40:51 +0000

Today I read an interesting post on the ACRLog about people’s attitudes toward privacy in this Web 2.0 world. It’s definitely worth a read. You can access it here: Some Thoughts on Privacy 2.0.

There are some insightful references to the latest OCLC report and some related blogs.

Losing the Clipboard

pfitz — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:32:02 +0000

Today I did a presentation at the ILF Annual Conference. It was about using Excel to track Reference statistics (and getting rid of the traditional clipboard). Attendees asked for the code to be made available online so they could copy and paste it rather than retyping all of it and risking mistyping one symbol and having it not work.

So here is the code. Right off my handouts. I welcome any questions you may have.

Reference Macro
Application.ScreenUpdating = False Worksheets("Transactions").Activate ActiveSheet.Range("a1").End(xlDown).Offset(1, 0).Select ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = Date ActiveCell.Offset(rowoffset:=0, columnoffset:=1).Activate ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = Time ActiveCell.Value = ActiveCell.Value - Int(ActiveCell.Value) ActiveCell.Offset(rowoffset:=0, columnoffset:=1).Activate ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "1" Application.CutCopyMode = False ActiveSheet.Range("a1").Select Worksheets("Main").Activate response = MsgBox("Reference Transaction Logged", 64, "Thank you") ActiveWorkbook.Save Application.ScreenUpdating = True

General Macro
Application.ScreenUpdating = False Worksheets("Transactions").Activate ActiveSheet.Range("a1").End(xlDown).Offset(1, 0).Select ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = Date ActiveCell.Offset(rowOffset:=0, columnOffset:=1).Activate ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = Time ActiveCell.Value = ActiveCell.Value - Int(ActiveCell.Value) ActiveCell.Offset(rowOffset:=0, columnOffset:=1).Activate ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "1" Application.CutCopyMode = False ActiveSheet.Range("A1").Select Worksheets("General").Activate ActiveSheet.Range("a1").End(xlDown).Offset(1, 0).Select ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = Date ActiveCell.Offset(rowOffset:=0, columnOffset:=1).Activate ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "1" Application.CutCopyMode = False ActiveSheet.Range("A1").Select Worksheets("MAIN").Activate Response = MsgBox("Email Reference Transaction Logged", 64, "Thank you") ActiveWorkbook.Save Application.ScreenUpdating = True

Data Collection Code for 8:00 hour, first column
=SUM(IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))>=0.333, IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))<0.375, IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!C$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!C$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))=1,1,0))))

Data Collection Code for 9:00 hour, first column
=SUM(IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))>=0.375, IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))<0.416, IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!C$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!C$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))=1,1,0))))

Data Collection Code for 8:00 hour, second column
=SUM(IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))>=0.333, IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$B$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))<0.375, IF(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!D$3"):INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!D$"&COUNTA(INDIRECT("'"&$H$1&"'!$A:$A")))=1,1,0))))

Averages Code for 8:00 hour, first column
=Totals!B3/IF(OR(LEFT($H$1,2)="01",LEFT($H$1,2)="03",LEFT($H$1,2)="05",LEFT($H$1,2)="07",LEFT($H$1,2)="08",LEFT($H$1,2)="10",LEFT($H$1,2)="12"),31,IF(LEFT($H$1,2)="02",28,30))

Averages Code for 9:00 hour, first column
=Totals!B4/IF(OR(LEFT($H$1,2)="01",LEFT($H$1,2)="03",LEFT($H$1,2)="05",LEFT($H$1,2)="07",LEFT($H$1,2)="08",LEFT($H$1,2)="10",LEFT($H$1,2)="12"),31,IF(LEFT($H$1,2)="02",28,30))

Averages Code for 8:00 hour, second column
=Totals!C3/IF(OR(LEFT($H$1,2)="01",LEFT($H$1,2)="03",LEFT($H$1,2)="05",LEFT($H$1,2)="07",LEFT($H$1,2)="08",LEFT($H$1,2)="10",LEFT($H$1,2)="12"),31,IF(LEFT($H$1,2)="02",28,30))

Formula for Title of Totals Page (cell A1)
="TOTAL REFERENCE TRANSACTIONS for "&TEXT(H1,"mmm yyyy")

ILF Annual Conference

pfitz — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:21:09 +0000

Next week is the annual ILF (Indiana Library Federation) Conference. I get to present TWICE at the conference. My Wednesday presentation is called “Losing the Clipboard: A Hands-On Workshop on Using Excel for Tracking Reference Statistics” and my Thursday one is called “Staying in Touch: Using RSS Feeds to Keep your Finger on the Pulse of Libraries and Technology.”

Nice use of subtitles, eh?

Should be a lot of fun, and hopefully useful to people who attend. There are supposed to be over 1,200 librarians attending and there are a good dozen presentations going on at any one time, so I hope there’s a decent turnout.

More LibraryThing

pfitz — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:30:21 +0000

For what it’s worth, I’m doing a little presentation today at the IOLUG (Indiana Online Users Group) Fall Program called “Reaching Digital Natives and Immigrants: Library 2.0.” They’re having a Science-Fair-style session where different people are “exhibiting” different programs and I get to do LibraryThing! Below is most of what I’ve got in a handout (and will also be in the Proceedings booklets):

LibraryThing
http://www.librarything.com

What can I do with LibraryThing?

Catalog your books online
Find other people who own the same books you do
Check out what other people have in their libraries
Get recommendations for new books to read
Social Networking in all its forms
Discuss books in online groups
Display my library in customizable sort views including a Virtual Bookshelf, which displays the covers
Access my virtual library from my cell phone while standing in a bookshop (point cell phone’s browser to http://www.librarything.com/m)

Why should I use LibraryThing?

It uses the Z39.50 protocol to standardize information.
Fully web based
You can search Amazon, the Library of Congress, and almost 100 other collections to add the exact volume you own.
Who better to recommend a new book to you than someone who owns a similar collection to yours?

Cool Features

Zeitgeist
Groups
RSS feeds for recent books added by your friends or groups
Tag clouds, author clouds, widgets

How Libraries can use LibraryThing

Collection Development
- “People who own this book also own…”
- Search or browse tags
- Find foreign-language books
Book Reviews
Zeitgeist - http://www.librarything.com/zeitgeist
LibraryThing For Libraries - add tag-based browsing, book recommendations, ratings, reviews and more to your OPAC - http://www.librarything.com/forlibraries/
Widgets to display new or featured books on your library website

Presented at the “Blinded Me with Library Science” Fair by Scott Pfitzinger
My LibraryThing profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/spfitzinger

LibraryThing for Libraries

pfitz — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:32:43 +0000

LibraryThing has now gone the next step and allowed integration between its now-massive database of information and your library’s OPAC (that’s Online Public Access Catalog for those who haven’t been through Library School–what people nowadays simply call the online catalog or just “catalog”). Imagine your library patrons being able to add tags and recommendations to the entries for your books, and without you needing to struggle to program it all. LibraryThing’s done the work for you, so you just need to add a few lines of HTML code and that’s it!

http://www.librarything.com/forlibraries/ gives you all the information you need, including a handy “Take the Tour” link.

Zombie Librarians

pfitz — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:49:10 +0000

I just came across this Flickr photo thanks to Library Stuff. What a great marketing tool for libraries! Makes you want to go to your local library and check out one of the “starring roles,” doesn’t it?

I love that! “They are smarter! They are stronger! They are HUNGRY!”

Sure made me laugh. What a fun thing to encounter on a Monday morning. (Click the picture for the original size.)