Fine, no MacBook Air…How about the XO?

Yesterday I got to check out the coolest computer around. No, no, not the MacBookAir (though, if one arrived for me in the mail, I would not complain.)

I saw and used an XO (the 100 dollar laptop.) And was very very impressed.

Briefly, the “$100″ laptop is designed to go to emerging third world countries and help children use technology to improve their lives at a relatively low start-up cost. Now the laptop did not quite reach its goal of $100. In fact it missed it by about 88 bucks. Not too shabby. And it was truly designed for where it would be used. You could get one for$200 for about two weeks last year, only if you bought one to be donated to a developing country. You can donate to them here.

Some cool features:

* Completely sealed keyboard that be spilled on or soiled and it still works just as well.

* Rugged, durable, and yet still incredibly functional. And the screen flips around to work as an E-book Reader and game controller. All with a built in microphone and camera.

* Screen can be seen even in direct sunlight. And uses even less power than the full screen brightness to do so.

* Forms mesh network with other XO laptops for instant communication and sharing between computers.

* Complete access to source code for all programs and different types of code writing software, designed for school aged children.

My only thing is that it should also be made available to children here in the good old USA in places of abject poverty and zero resources. That said, I hope they do the buy one donate one thing again this year. I think I might get me one of these for myself.

PC Magazine’s “Readers Digest” Web

The PC reporting gray beard PC Magazine has compiled two lists worth looking at. First, is their Top 100 “Classic” website list, with the usual web suspects of ESPN, Google and the like. I have to say some of their “classic” sites are very web 2.0 specific and very useful.

They have also just released an article highlighting 100 Undiscovered Websites. I am going to brag and say that I was ahead of their curve, since I use some of these things already, but I also found some very wickedly cool sites via this list.

A great primer for the web as it is and as it could be. And you can import all 100 of each article’s sites into your browser. If you join PC Magazine, which takes about 15 seconds. 2 cool for words.

Learning 2.0 Thing 10 of 23ish things- Image Generators

Thing 10 is the exploration of Image Generators. I have used them before and always find them sometimes the best way to express an idea. Below are examples of error messages, television puzzle game show images, warning labels, and fortune cookies.

The resources are: www.Atom.smasher.org; Warninglabelgenerator.com; and Redkid.net . There is, (no suprise) a very interesting blog about image generators it is here at Free Generator Blog.

The first two are from AtomSmasher.org:

From Warninglabelgenerator.com:

and finally Redkid.net

Dealing with “information overload” at work and play

There are some days that I feel like this.

Everyone I know has those “TMI” days where you feel mind is a teacup and a there is a firehose of blog posts, RSS Feeds, Emails, snail mail, phone calls, and honest to goodness face to face conversations and other stuff constantly filling it up.  (Such as this blog, but I assume that this blog is essential reading to your workday. <g>)

Here are some timely tips to managing your stress and information at work and at play.

First, some tips from the wonderful site Web Worker Daily (one of my daily reads.)
Here are 21 practical steps to avoid “information overload” as information professionals.

Also from Corryn Crosby-Muilenburg, a CSU Humbolt student some tips on keeping current and coping with information. A full copy of the information is after the jump.

Strategies for keeping current in your profession:

• Define your interests;
• Select the two or three most relevant journals and monitor them;
• Attend appropriate conferences;
• Mentor junior colleagues; and
• Exchange information with other professionals who maintain expertise in other areas.

Process techniques to help you cope:

• Do one task at a time;
• Remember to breathe;
• Take stretch breaks every hour or so;
• Exercise–20 to 30 minutes every day to “reset” your adrenalin levels;
• Adjust your “shoulds”–don’t expect yourself to be expert in every aspect of your job;
• Use memory aids such as planners and lists to keep your mental processing space free;
• Schedule demanding tasks for the times when your brain (and body!) are most productive;
• Skim materials and invest your time and concentration only in relevant items; *perhaps using RSS Feeds to do that*
• Develop information exchange relationships with people with expertise other fields important to you; *blogging and reading other blogs* and
• Relabel your “guilt” reading pile the “just-in-case repository.”

Learning 2.0 Project — Numbers 1 and 2 of 23ish Things — 7.5 Habits

(Full disclosure, I am one of the folks running the program for Harford County (MD) Public Library and viewed the presentation below back in April? May? and these are my thoughts from then.) Now onto the post….

The first thing we are directed to do for the program was to read the blog (check) and to watch the presentation created by PLCMC (look for a link to their 2.0 project on my sidebar to the right) about lifelong learning.

Now, as a trainer and technology Johnny Appleseed, I constantly have to learn about new technologies and how to leverage them for myself and for the staff I work with and train. Tough job, having to play with new technologies and tell folks about them. I learn to suffer through it day after day.

So, I happen to keep most of the seven.5 habits in mind on a daily basis. The habit I am closest to is play, which is the spirit you should have when learning, and viewing problems as challenges. I love to “problem solve” epically applying different or new ideas to solve a problem creatively. I try to bring the “what the heck” attitude toward solutions to problems to create either a great new or better more traditional solution to a problem.

Comic Meditation on Social Networking

From the comic Zits,  What does 2.0 mean to you?

ALA 2007 — Wrap Up and Lessons Learned or Last Call ’til Anaheim

If this is your first time here ...Welcome …and after the jump there are links to all of all of my ALA 2007 related posts. Read away and let me know if you enjoyed them.

First two tips o’ the cap to folks who noticed my continuing experiment of blogging conferences and my job.

At Libraryola, Chris Zammarelli extended a warm shout-out to these Chronicles during ALA. Thanks a bunch for that. And thanks for leading the American Library Association!!! to my blog where they quoted me not once but twice in AL Direct June 27th, 2007 . I am there just over half -way down under Other Events talking about a workshop I attended and my visits to the vendor floor. I am overwhelmed and thankful for the notices.

Now to for Lessons Learned and Wrap Up of tidbits about ALA 2007.

I learned about big conferences. Well, I thought I knew big conferences. I have been to PC Expo in New York City (under one big roof) but have never experienced something quite this darn big.

It was so big, that DC Metro Police had to use a more mobile way to get around.

I learned that ALA in Southern California in 2008 would be a cool thing to attend!! (Thank you for participating in the third in a series of subtle hints to my HR director and supervisor laying the ground work to attend next year’s annual.) Look I would fit right into the SoCal style.

I learned that many vendors are very nice folks. And the vendor showcase is Big. Really Really Big. Wear comfortable shoes.

I remembered that you will see strange sights at these conferences.

I learned that I want to do more with, contribute to and learn more from LITA BIGWIG, LITA OSSIG, LITA Public Library TechnologyIG, and PLA.

I learned that there is a website (http://www.vark-learn.com) to help you identify your learning style.

I learned that even though it is cheaper to commute to these conferences, you miss the really good early morning programs and early and late evening networking and socializing.

I learned that I love being around scads of smart, dedicated and just plain nice folks from around the world.

I remembered not to pick up too much swag from the vendors.

I learned that my library system, even though we may feel behind, is right there or ahead of the curve when it comes to implementing and integrating new and older technologies for staff and patrons.

I learned that I love to blog at big conferences and to appreciate blog salons, outlets and free wifi.

And finally, I learned that even though the MARC train (our local bare bones commuter railroad) has its downfalls, the view coming home to Harford County from the train CANNOT be beat.

So, who wants to sponsor an (almost) Bald Technology Trainer at ALA 2008? Hey, I will blog from your booth…go along on golf outings or Disneyland or San Diego or Tijuana… I am open to talking about details…

Click below for links to all of my ALA 2007 posts.

ALA 2007 — Open Source Systems Interest Group Report

At heart, I am a geek, but a human geek. I did not make it to the LITA Open Source Systems Interest Group on Monday at ALA.To say the least, I was disappointed but sometimes you are in the right place talking to the right person at the right time. Julian Clark was there, ended up in the LITA Sponsored Blogger Grotto, and shared with me his notes on the meeting. Big thanks Julian. Good luck in Library School!

So, I dressed up and linked his notes and here is the report.

by Julian Clark
Serials Assistant
Georgetown University Law Library
Unofficial Chronicles Correspondent and all around good guy

LITA Open Source Systems Interest Group

Resources:

Drupal — Open Source Content Management and Site Development software

LITA Wiki
(Library Information and Technology Association, a division of the American Library Association)

LITA Open Source Systems Interest Group (OSSIG)

You can sign up for the OSSIG discussion list at (ossig@listserv.arizona.edu )
Don’t know about listservs? Click here for Tidewater Community College’s student Listserv instructions.

Software Freedom Law Center — Lawyers for OS and Freeware developers.

Evergreen – Open Source (FREE) Intergrated Library System (website) (blog where the good stuff seems to be!)

Extensible Catalog (XC)

Ubuntu A complete open source system

Zotero ( a Firefox “a truly wonderful open source browser’ extension) -Grabs citation information right from the electronic source.

“We’re not married to open source; we’re just dating.” Great quote by someone at the meeting.

More content after the jump…

ALA 2007 — Trade Show Travelogue II: Unfinished Business

First some corrections and additions from yesterday’s trade show post.

Addenda

The cartoonist that pointed out the very funny blogs to me was Jane Irwin. She and her husband are graphic novel creators from Michigan, (hold out your left hand, they are from just under the ring finger knuckle.) They shared a book next to Unshelved with a Jim O from from U of M that writes non fiction graphic novels.

BWI – Lynne, the very nice rep from BWI yesterday is actually Senior Vice President Customer Services at BWI. It is nice to see that one of the biggest library vendors had nice folks running the show. And she described me to two of my colleagues without using the works black or large. I thank her for that very much.

Finally, this is Unshelved’s store manager Jana. I only got a small picture of her head in the background of another picture an wanted to correct that oversight.

Now the report.

First some HCPL sightings. First Wendie Old, Joppa, (Harford Co. MD) Librarian  and Book Author (she is on the right) was wearing her Author hat signing books with her illustrator, Paige Billin-Frye (l.) here at ALA.

Jen. F, Cathy A. and Nancy B. from my system here on the show floor.

Some WOW assistive technology from Ablenet. This is Flip..

They even provide a list of assitive technology funding resources on the back of their pamphlet.

An oak sculpture from Naturemaker.com

Greenwood Publishing has very cool bobble heads.

This is Darwin. Note the monkey.

If in the future Harford County wants to purchase Chinese Language translations and original works,

Starmark International Inc. was there with a very cool poster/t-shirt. I will bug them to make it in my size.

And there is bingo/wheel of fortune everywhere at ALA. Seems to be the popular “get them in the door” technique.

As I make my way to the MARC train, finally, yes I do READ.

This is a shot of my READ poster. They would not give it to me digitally…<frown> Luddites.

ALA 2007 – Open Source Meta Data Creation

LITA- Library & Infromation Technology Association of ALA
Open Source Software Interest Group
10:30 am to Noon
Saturday June 23rd, 2007
Automating Meta Data Creation with Open Source Software:
Meta Data creation using open source tools and XML to catalogue and preserve digital objects.

Presenter:

Patrick Yott (website)
Brown University Library — Center for Digital Initiatives
Email: Patrick_Yott@brown.edu
He offered to send slides of presentation to anyone who email’s him.

(If you are like me coming from the Open Source world, not the cataloger world, check out this PPT presentation by Patrick Yott, Creating and Sustaining a Digital Collection)

Resources (presenter’s resources listed above):

MODS, MARC, and Metadata Interoperability on LITA Blog
CPAN Comprehensive Perl Archive Network – Find cool tools for perl users.
JHOVE – A java standard program for image cataloging.
Brown uses the METS standard – for Metadata bundling.
PERL Open Source programming language

Presentation Summary:
Presented overview of Digital Record Meta Data standards in the Digital Library and what you should be thinking about when preserving digitized information. He then went on to describe how Brown uses METS records to capture data by using a free PERL Scripts from CPAN and other open source tools.

During Lunch or later today, I will try to create a fuller description of the presentation.

BTW: I am trapped and I DO mean trapped…here as a non Cataloger, but I am learning about other creative ways to use open source software for non”internety” purposes.

Technology Fair Part Deux — Second Post

This post is about the second group of folks that came through the Technology Fair this morning. This group, starting at 10 am, was very lively in our training session. Shows what a couple of cups of group coffee can do for you.

Technology Fair Part Two First Post Here…

Live from the HCPL Technology Fair — Day One

Annette and I are in the middle of training and coordinating the Harford County Technology Fair.

So far we have trained over 130 of  our fellow Harford County library staff members.

Here are some pictures of the presentation and the people upstairs at the different stations.

So far, so good.

More pictures are on the flickr account at later today or Friday.

Who Are You?

In the wake of the Web 2.0/We Web buzz, The Pew (Charitable Trust) Internet American Life Project conducted a survey designed to classify Americans into different groups of technology users. Makes for very interesting reading. Pew has a great reputation in the non-profit world.

Here is the link to the Publication Abstract and a link to the very quick to complete survey. In less than five minutes see who has some of the same characteristics as you do.

I classified as an Omnivore. And I am shocked, shocked I say.