Public Service Announcement

This is an important reminder of why we should all be keeping our software up-to-date and our anti-virus programs functioning:

Hey Reader's Digest: Your site has been hacking people for days

Please make sure all your vulnerable programs are on the latest versions. It seems like the usual culprits in these kinds of attacks are out-of-date Adobe Flash or Java, and things like old versions of Internet browsers in general.

Thank you ars technica for these sorts of alerts!

Some major update sites:

Microsoft

Adobe

Apple

Some free and/or pay virus and malware removal tools:

Malwarebytes (The company mentioned in the ars technica article)

PC Mag 2015 Top 10 antivirus

TechRadar Top 9 antivirus

Tom's Guide Best antivirus 2015

Computers are moving!

We are changing the way we provide public computing here at Hutchinson Public Library. We are moving to the open space on the first floor under the mezzanine area! This does mean some upset and limited or no access during the move, but we'll be back up as soon as we can make it happen.

For years and years we have had a computer lab tucked away on the second floor of the building that served all our public-access computing needs. This was a great way for us to handle a large computing demand and provide some level of assistance in computer use.

We had 21 computers in the area plus a scanner and printing capabilities. There was a staff desk which was manned at all times when the lab was open.

The down sides to this method of computing were how tied the staff member was to the service desk, limiting their ability to help in some cases. Also, because the computers were in such a small space, there was no way to effectively "sit down and teach" a new skill when the lab was even moderately full. The real down side was the fact that the room itself could never be temperature regulated. Way too hot in summer and if the wind blew hard out of the northeast, way too cold in the winter. And let's face it, in the summer the space just smelled bad.

So, the new area is out in the open. This means that our staff (we'll still have a manned IT desk) will be able to get up and have space to help learn new skills. We'll have time-keeping and printing software to take that tracking burden off of the staff members. The computers will be wireless, thus easily movable. The climate will be under control. Basically, we hope that this move will be an improvement.

Those of you with a long memory know that the computers used to be on the first floor. I file this kind of change under the category "what's old is new again" in this case!

I hope you come in to see the changes!

Lynda.com Online Learning at Hutchinson Public Library

My youngest son has been working on Java programming so I thought I would look to see what kind of tools the Hutchinson Public Library has for helping him along. Turns out we have four books of varying "ages" - from 2004 (yikes!) to 2015. Those might help, so I sent him the list.

Then I went to look in one of our new self-paced education tools, lynda.com and found this:

Turns out that lynda.com has 16 different tutorials on Java, 5 beginner, 10 intermediate, and one advanced. Since these are all self-paced and lynda keeps track of your progress, he'll be able to do them as he has time. Also, since the tutorials are indexed and searchable, he can use them to find answers to particular questions if he is stuck somewhere in the process!

As he progresses (he wants to create games with Java), there are more than two dozen video courses in the "Web Developer" section of lynda dealing specifically with games and game design.

This amazing tool is available to him and to you for FREE. All you need is a valid Hutchinson Public Library card.

Accessible Broadband...for real

There has been a lot of talk about access to broadband Internet connections in rural areas here in Kansas.  Mainly because virtually all of Kansas IS a rural area.  The farther west you go from the Kansas City-Topeka corner, the less likely you are to find any ability to connect to a true "high-speed" Internet connection unless you live in the limits of some reasonably sized town.

Now, we can argue until we're blue in the face about why and about who is responsible, but the bottom line remains that the Internet is to modern life what the rail system was to 1890's life.  That is, if the railroad didn't come through your town, your town died.  Plain and simple.  The Internet functions the same way.  Business and opportunity in the information age follow the bandwidth.

I just finished reading this article.  It presents a solution to the very problem outlined above.  It likens the Internet to the system of roadways for which government is usually responsible.  Why not treat the Internet the same way we treat roads?  For institutional customers like us, a public library, this makes especially good sense.  For attracting business to a state like Kansas that struggles at times to compete with neighboring states, the appeal of access to exponentially greater bandwidth might entice people to move here.  After all, in a world that includes easy access to fast Internet, you can live just about anywhere, right?

Librarian / tech nerd nirvana

A colleague of mine (who also happens to be something of a tech nerd AND a great guy) sent me a link to this product  - Boopsie - today.  It's an app for libraries and library users that does a whole bunch of cool things in all-in-one fashion.  Feature description from their site:

• BookLook - Scan the barcode of that new best seller at the bookstore and instantly know whether your library has the book available.
• Publisher Reviews - Integration with book review providers such as Syndetics, Goodreads etc.
• Overdrive Access - search, view, download and read Overdrive titles right from mobile device.
• BookCheck - Mobile checkout from the palm of your hand!  Simply scan, click (check) and go!

They seem to have a reasonable subscription rate for us here in Small Town America!  We've talked about having a mobile app developed for us locally, but why reinvent the wheel?  These folks seem to have thought about how it might be used by patrons, so we'll give it a serious look to see how it would integrate with our systems and network.

Preserving the past with today's technology

A new technology program!  HPL is hosting a collaborative program designed and organized by Kristine, our fantastic technology trainer.  Kristine has drawn together the expertise of the Reno County Genealogical Society, HPL staff, the Kansas Cosmosphere, a professional writer, and more to create this course.  Here's what it is all about:

Four and a half months of programs, classes and help days beginning June 30th and running through November 11th.  The program is divided into 3 modules; Researching Family History, Preserving Family History, and Family Food Traditions.  Each module will have an introductory lecture, training lab classes, online content, and 1:1 assistance through lab workdays and email support.

The best part about this program is that participants can pick and choose what to attend.  One can attend all of the events, some of the events, or do the program completely online.

One of the goals for the project is to provide the opportunity to create a one of a kind family "product".  Some ideas include; a self-published family history book, a DVD with family photos and videos, a family blog or website, or a family cookbook with stories and photos.

I said before that the "best part" about the program is that you can pick and choose what to do.  Actually, the best part might be that the program is free to participate.  All you have to do is sign up at www.preservingthepast.org to attend the kick-off lecture OR email tossieconsulting@gmail.com if you want to participate but can't attend that first session.

"The Web" and "The Internet" aren't the same?

Nope.  They aren't.  The Internet has been around much longer than the World Wide Web, of "www" fame.  The Internet can be thought of as the nuts and bolts - the hardware - that makes the Web possible.  The web is a protocol, a way of transferring information using the Internet.  While the Web dominated for a while, it was never the only means of transferring information on the Internet and now its dominance is clearly on the wane.

I usually avoid Wired articles, but this one is a good summary of what has happened in the past few years.  The world of the web browser is waning ( I love alliteration!)  As the wired article points out, we use the Internet - the wires, routers, servers and other hardware - more than ever.  But we use them with specialized tools for specific purposes.  This is an interesting development for libraries, I think.

It lends a sense of urgency, in my opinion, to the library discussions about how to serve the mobile users in our service areas.  Tools like Seattle Public Library's catalog app will be a "must have" for local libraries.  I think we'll have to come up with something for HPL soon!

The other area of concern I see; one that will hit libraries in the pocketbook, is dealing with online published content.  This article talks about the issues much more succinctly than I can and probably more clearly.  Basically, the Web equals wide-open anything-goes forum and the tailored app-based model equals controlled revenue generation, which is the obvious choice for media outlets.

I guess the real question is not, "What happens to the Web?" but looking ahead, "How do we deal with an apps-based online world and what's going to come after that?"

Share what you are reading

In this world of social networking, many people and organizations use all sorts of tools, like Facebook, twitter and many others to share information.  The world of reading has a number of similar "niche" sites where readers can create an account and share with one another their reading, opinions about books, reviews, etc.

One such site, goodreads, is featured in the HPL 2010 Project.  I like goodreads well enough, but the owner of the Bru Crue sent me an invite to Shelfari, which I have found to be easier to use, in my opinion.  While I have not had the time to add in all of my favorite books, much less add reviews to them, I have been using it to keep track of my current reading.  I like the slightly gimmick-y "bookshelf" display of the book covers in my Shelfari collection.  I also like the nice step-through process for adding reviews, comments and tags to books I have read or am currently reading.  Combined with Wowbrary weekly newsletters, a nice little service provided through the generosity of the Friends of the Hutchinson Public Library, I'm reading a lot more lately and actually having fun sharing my thoughts!

This reminds me - a colleague of mine and I were talking about forming a science fiction book club.  I am inclined to do so if we find enough interest.  I think a survey might be in order!

Happy Independence Day!  Please be safe and have fun this weekend!

2010 Project Wrap-up

The 2010 Project is finally [sot of] finished!  I included the "sort of" because the part that is complete is the initial 10-week roll-out of the program.  The initial group of patrons and library staff who signed up to start in late January / early February had the opportunity to go through the program as it was revealed week-by-week and participate in the contests and receive completion prizes.  Now, however, the 2010 Project website is getting a minor re-vamp and will be made available as a link off of our library website in early May.  This link will remain active through the end of the year.  This will allow participants to go back and explore related resources or try activities they may have skipped the first time through.

Most importantly, opening up the 2010 Project site for the rest of the year will allow people who weren't able to start in the first place a chance to try the program.  Of the 300+ people who initially signed up, 150 (give or take a couple) finished.  The participants generated over 100 pages of comments and suggestions!  Here are a few examples:


"Thanks to the HPL Project Teacher and those who support and sponsor these programs it gives old dogs new tricks…" 

"Thanks for the various topics covered. I would not have known about them otherwise."

"This has been a great resource for the HPL to offer. No where else in Hutchinson would you be able to find such a wealth of knowledge for everyone at no cost. This is especially helpful to us technology challenged senior citizens!"

"The truth is, I have been opened to so many new things that I enjoyed each week for a different reason. Taking this class shows me that although I resist the technology forms of "socializing", I am curious about it and want to join in (on my own terms). What a shame it would be to be left behind in this era of technology.  A great project. thanks, HPL."

"This is a great project and I hope you have more of them in the future. Keeping up with technology is a never-ending process and you're helping us get up to speed on the Information Superhighway - thanks!"


"I would be interested in any other online educational projects you might have in the future. This was quick, fun, and easy and I picked up some information I wouldn't have known about. Learning something new just keeps you that much sharper, and you have to be in this technological world."

"Please keep me on your database list if you do another! Thanks!"

That last comment really gets me to thinking.  When we set out to do this we had NO idea how many people would be interested, nor did we have any way to contact and advertise the project cheaply once we decided to do it.  As it turned out, we were overwhelmed by the response.  So I wonder how people feel about signing up for events with a contact and then having the library, from time-to-time, use those contacts to send out alerts for upcoming events?  Hmm...another new project to work on.

Clouds and my experience with the "Magic Smoke"

No, this isn't a confessional.  The Magic Smoke I am talking about is something that at my old job we called the "Genie" - that smoke that appears when an electronic device burns up or short-circuits.  Proper usage is, "Dave powered on the reference desk CPU, heard a crackling, and saw the genie escape."  Or one might say in a stern, chiding way, "It's definitely down since you let out the magic smoke!"  While I (thankfully) don't have to deal with it, at least on a regular basis anymore at work, the genie escaped from my home PC about 6 months ago causing a mini-crisis in my home.  After some work, all was well and 99.9% of our home network life was restored (the remaining 0.1% was lost saved games - the kids were a little miffed...)

What's the point, you ask?  A good portion of my documents, spreadsheets, etc. and software were not stored on my genie-less PC, they were stored in "the Cloud".  This situation certainly has its advantages.  I could use our other computer to work in the meantime, for one.  Also, there was no fretting over anything but the inconvenience of having to order new guts for the dead computer.  Cloud computing saved me again a couple of weeks ago when my work computer succumbed after a battle with a drive-by virus.  A combination of keeping important and/or currently used documents in the cloud and on a back-up USB hard drive made the whole experience much more tolerable since I lost no data.

But there are some worrisome aspects of cloud lurking always in the back of my mind.  Not least of these is privacy.  Although that is an 18 month-old article, the fight over who can see how much of your info out there in the "cloud" is still raging.  This brings a definite sense of insecurity to privacy-minded folks, like librarians.  Google, Amazon, and those sorts of commercial enterprises already track our searching to serve us targeted ads, ISPs could potentially (and may be already) tracking much more.  Nearly 5 years ago, an agency of the federal government was alleged to have captured data without warrant and with the cooperation of AT&T, (the folks trying to deflect the issue in that "privacy" article above).

Privacy issues aside, cloud computing appears to be gaining considerable, if sometimes grudging, acceptance.  And, as with all new twists in our technological world, our library and libraries everywhere will continue to wrestle with it.

HPL 2010 Project Update

The end is near - but only in a way.  When we started the 2010 Project we always had the intention of leaving the completed project up to be used even after the initial "run through".  Now that we are nearing the end of our 10-week course, it is a good time to take a look at what we have accomplished.

Mainly due to the dedication and hard work of Kristine, our technology trainer, over 300 people have been exposed to scores of useful Internet-based tools and library resources.  On a personal level, I accomplished a change in habit by participating in the 2010 Project.  As I have alluded to in previous posts, I often feel behind the curve regarding the Internet and what tools are the "in" thing.  My new habit, developed over the 10 weeks of the 2010 Project, is to each week try one new tool I've heard about.  Will I ever "be on top of it"?  I doubt it.  But I will be keeping pace, I hope.  Here's one that I just learned about, a radio station locator called Antenna.  This one requires an install and seems to have trouble with Windows Vista - proceed at your own risk!

I've strayed off the topic a bit here, so back to my original thought.  If we assume about half of the 300+ people signed up for the 2010 Project actually complete all 10 weeks, then those 150 folks will have learned a minimum of 10 useful "things" each, hopefully feel much more confident in assessing new tools coming out in the future, and will share their impressions with people they know.  This last bit is important because we will be leaving the HPL 2010 Project website up for the balance of this year.  Although the prizes for completion will no longer be available, the resource will be there for any who want to explore the program.  I will post the web address for the project when it becomes available, so keep it in mind if you didn't get in on the original run-through.

Fiber is your friend

In more ways than one, really.  I am not talking about bran muffins, I am talking about fiber optic cable in this case, although if you are eating something with whole grains right now, more power to you!  Anyway, the library system where I worked prior to the wonderful Hutchinson Public Library was part of a county government.  To their credit, they realized that as their county grew and data demand soared they needed a solution that would get them ahead of the curve.  So about 5 years ago in 2004-5, they started building their own 100Mb (megabit) fiber network.  For comparison, the average home connection speed in Kansas in 2009 was 4.9Mb, not quite 1/20th of what they built.  So this was a pretty progressive and aggressive plan at the time.  In fact, when I left that library system the slowest connection in the county system was the 10Mb pipe to the Internet.

Why am I carrying on about data and pipes and megabits?  Because of this article.  The National Broadband Plan could wire "anchor institutions" such as schools, community centers, colleges and libraries such as good ol' HPL, with 1Gb fiber connections.  A gigabit represents 1 billion bits or 1,000 megabits.  In other words, this FCC proposal would create connection points in communities 10 times faster than the network my old employers built.  The implications are enormous.  A plan of this type could leapfrog the US back into the top tier of nations in the area of Internet connection speed.  Since we currently rank 28th in the world, I think this plan is worth attempting on the basis of lowering our international "Embarrassment-to-Prestige Ratio" alone.

More importantly, it could create the possibility in virtually every rural town for solid, high-speed Internet access.  This quote, from the ArsTechnica article above sums it up for me:  Bob Bocher, who works as a consultant with the Wisconsin State Library, says, "The more than 16,000 public libraries across the country are often the only places in their communities that offer no-fee Internet access to all residents.

This is certainly the case, for better or worse, at HPL.  As our bandwidth needs have grown, an ever-larger chunk of our limited funds have gone toward maintaining a tolerable usability level connecting to the Internet and the library's many paid digital services.  So I am excited about this change.  I wonder if the funding will be found to make it a reality?

The HPL 2010 Project and Ebooks

Typically around this time of year, HPL sponsors a huge number of programs.  This surge in program offerings seems to come from two directions; our own surge in energy following the sometimes-exhausting holiday season, and an urge to try some new ideas.

The HPL 2010 Project is one of those new ideas.  We are now past the mid-point in this experiment in self-paced technology training.  Hundreds of patrons and dozens of HPL staff members have learned about RSS feeds, streaming music, online TV, online newspapers and book reviews, cool library tools, with much more to come.

The responses to this project have been so overwhelmingly positive that I think we will adapt the concept of The 2010 Project for future uses and maybe offer it as an ongoing self-paced teaching tool.

And now a word about ebooks (because I can't help myself).  We receive a variety of questions about ebooks here at HPL.  Most of them revolve around the basic, 'Do you have any?"  the answer to that is, at this point, "precious few".  We have access to more through the State Library's download site, but as is the case with all new formats, it takes awhile to build what one might consider a 'good" collection.  That's not a cop-out, it is simply a function of having the money to do it or not.  One of our considerations is what will become the "standard" so that we don't buy a bunch of titles that are incompatible with the majority of readers.  I read lots about this, having set up a Google news custom section for this topic.  Recently a great article came up that I would like to recommend.  It sums up the current state format standards (or lack thereof) much better than I could do it.

OK, that's enough rambling.  Back to worrying about roof leaks and budgets...sigh.

Computing in the Cloud

Sounds peaceful, even idyllic doesn't it?  For the most part it actually is.  In fact, I think this whole notion of cloud computing (EDIT: this article is a great overview) is the most important increase in Internet usefulness since, well, ever I guess.  I say that because, all the social and interactive tools of the Web 2.0 idea aside, this shift is fundamental.  It moves us away from being tied to a location, i.e. your personal computer / desk / network hardware / building to access your favorite tools.  As long as you have signal, you have access to your stuff on your smart phone, net- or notebook.  Of course, the devil is in the details.

I read this article today regarding the need for privacy and security laws in the realm of cloud computing.  Now, the skeptic in me wonders why Microsoft would be bringing up privacy concerns and security concerns.  Maybe to take the high ground after the whole Google vs. China situation (read about that here and here).  No matter the reason, Microsoft is right.  From my position as a person "in charge" of literally tens of thousands of patron records, data security is pretty high on the list of things to have covered.  Now, we are not anywhere near the stage where HPL could provide an integrated library system in a cloud environment even if we hadn't just purchased a new system and hardware to match.

As an individual, I like the cloud concept and am increasingly becoming beholden to Google.  At this point, using Google Docs / Reader / Calendar / GMail / Chat / Sites / Analytics / etc., I really don't need anything else for work besides access to the library's automation system.  But I also don't really believe that Google can or will live up to its "Do No Evil" slogan if left to its own devices.  And not to pick on Google, they are just the most familiar target for me in this area.

Here at HPL, we have been using various free Google tools in place of internally maintained pieces of software and hardware for various experimental programs.  We are using a lot of shared calendars, for example, in order to keep track of each other and all the events that go on around here.  We are also using Google Docs and forms for our Purchase vs. Borrow program for materials.  But for now, experiments are probably all we will do until the "cloudscape" becomes becomes a little less nebulous.

Beans! (and stuff)

The new year began with some controversy here at HPL, but is shaping up to be a year of positives.  Our new coffee bar proprietor (info here and here) began selling some REALLY good coffee and tasty treats on January 4th.  The Bru Crue Coffee Bar is open a huge number of hours - practically the same as the library's hours and will be adding even more new treats in the coming months.  Stop by and try it for yourself.

Yet another great program - perhaps the best yet - from our fantastic technology trainer at HPL is gearing up to start in the next couple of weeks.  The HPL 2010 Project (pdf info here) will kick off January 30.  I can hardly wait for this program to start.  I get so far behind, especially when it comes to the Internet and the flood of new tools that appear seemingly every day.  This program will introduce participants to tools that they might otherwise never try.  Best of all, it is self-paced AND there are chances to win really cool prizes!  All you have to do is explore and complete a minimum of 10 out of the 20 activities presented...20 activities, 10 to finish...2010 - get it?  Clever, eh?  (wink, wink!)  Sign up here and catch up (or just learn about some new thing).

Do you fancy yourself an "animal" person?  I'll bet the children in your family or your neighborhood do.  If so, we have a great children's program lined up next week.  On January 19th at 6:30pm, Lorrie Beck from the Great Plains Nature Center will present a program entitled "Kansas Critters & Symbols".  This program is geared toward school-age children and their families.  Ms. Beck is a great presenter and the animals she brings are sure to be interesting.  I heard that she is bringing a barred salamander (the state amphibian) and a box turtle (the state reptile).

Wowbrary is Live! (Plus a fascinating map)

The new Wowbrary service began yesterday with Hutchinson Public Library's initial email newsletter, which you can view here. This is a great new tool, I think. It features all the new items that come in to the library each week. It provides a view of the end-results of what many consider to be the very core of what a library is: civilization's longest-working knowledge accumulation machine. The Hutchinson Public Library might not be as large or have the same vast resources as some, but we do the same thing here and now that all libraries great and small have done for many centuries. We collect things in one spot, now both on paper and in electronic formats, for the purpose of providing people with a handy "set" of all human knowledge. Specifically, our purpose is of course to provide for the information needs of the citizens of Hutchinson and the surrounding areas. Though that might make it seem like I have a lofty view of what our little library means in the grand scheme of things, I believe it to be true.

Grandiose, lofty ideas aside, I encourage you to sign up for Wowbrary and receive a weekly snapshot of what we are collecting.

On to the "fascinating map" portion of this post. Some people probably know that I am something of a pirate aficionado. (Don't forget Talk Like A Pirate Day, September 19th this year!) Mostly I've read about and studied the 17th and 18th century variety of pirate, but I have been following the current rise in piracy off the Horn of Africa with interest. And one of the reasons I have included the Kansas Government Information blog over there on the right is for posts like their most recent one on maritime piracy. A link they included goes to this "live" map of pirate attacks, both successful and attempted around the world. You can click on a map marker and find out the full details of each incident.

So, thank you for visiting, have fun viewing piracy from the safety of your computer screen, and please consider signing up for Wowbrary, it's useful, I promise!

New Tools!

Several posts back I wrote a bit about learning and using new technology. I have also mentioned in more than one post that HPL is trying some new things, including opening a new technology training lab. Recently, some of our staff members have experimented with what are now practically passe social networking tools, Facebook and Twitter.

These recent additions to our toolset, Wowbrary, Facebook, and Twitter have been undertaken in an attempt to better communicate with you, our patrons. On this blog, I created a group of "HPL Links" just below the subscription area at the upper right of the page to help me (and you too) keep track of these tools. You can go to these links, including the HPL website , and find all sorts of useful information about upcoming events, new items, and other news about your library.

Please help us by letting friends and relatives know about these ways of interacting with the library and try them yourself.

Polaris - A Guiding Star?

The Hutchinson Public Library is in the midst of quite a big transition. You wouldn't know it necessarily, unless you tried to put a book on hold in the past few days, or tried to renew an item on line.

What we are doing is changing what has become the very foundation for every modern library, our "automation system" or from the user's perspective I suppose, the "computer catalog". This is the computerized system that allows us to do everything from keeping track of our new book orders to cataloging, finding, and checking them out to you, our users.

Our trusty old system called "Horizon" had fallen prey to the same situation as Microsoft's Windows XP - it was no longer slated for improvement, rather it was slated for replacement. The new system we have chosen is called Polaris. Polaris offers many searching improvements and a strong staff-use component and is backed by a company committed to serving public libraries specifically.

We hope that you will like the new Polaris system. I hope you will bear with us while we switch over. After March 5th, please ask any of our staff members for a "tour" of the new system or just give it a try, Polaris is quite user friendly!