BJORN THE LIBRARIAN

Embed MP3 Audio Files Into Blogger

Always GOOD to try new things!

I wanted to figure out how to play mp3s on my Blog for FREE. Here are the steps I followed:

1) Picked a random mp3 from my iTunes.

2) Setup a Google Group of my own. I can upload 100 MB of total files to my Google group. Click on "Files" after clicking on Manage Group.

3) Went to Digital Inspiration and copied one of their audio player Flash scripts.

4) Stuck the code into the "Edit Html".

That's it!

 

Digital Arts Lab @ Salinas Public Library

Salinas Public Library has just renovated the John Steinbeck Library located in downtown Salinas, California. Changes included a NEW teen space and the addition of a Digital Arts Lab with Mac computers! This is an exciting addition to the Salinas community.


The New Digital Arts Lab includes:

• 4 Imacs (20" Display)
• 4 MacBooks (13" Display)
• 1 Mac Pro (23" Display)
• 1 Mac Server w/ 7 Tb memory

• Final Cut Studio
• Final Cut Express
  
• Adobe Photoshop CS3
• MS Office 2008
• iWork
• iLife
  

I have been give the privilege of helping the Salinas Public Library launch this NEW Digital Arts Lab. This task includes strategic planning, marketing, developing community partnerships, managing volunteers and creating, delivering and evaluating classes, events and programs.

And this is just the beginning!

As Library 2.0 advocate I will be incorporating MANY web-marketing and social networking technologies throughout my involvement with this Digital Arts Lab project.

Please Stay Tuned!

 

BJORN IS BACK (in the library)

Flickr Photo By Gullevek
I have returned form desert journeys and mountaintop discoveries... with NEW ink to display!

No really, this isn't a picture of me. However, I am serious about being back in public library service. I have accepted the exciting challenge of librarianship at Salinas Public library.

I have many responsibilities, so I'd like to sum them up HERE. This way I can easily check back and remind myself what I need to be doing.

Critical Tasks:

1) Ability to understand and successfully meet the library needs of internal (staff) and external customers (public).

2) Ability to effectively work individually and in teams to achieve organizational goals and objectives.

3) Ability to staff Information Desks (Adult & Children) as assigned.

4) Assist in the development, implementation and coordination of programs and services in areas of responsibility including children, young adult, adult or reference services.

5) Ability to understand customer needs and assist them to access popular and/or recreational reading.

6) Knowledge of library technology and Internet to perform librarian duties.

7) Knowledge of collection development's evaluation, selection, and maintenance.

8) Perform other duties as assigned, including monthly reports.

I know the tasks within these general categories will be keeping me busy over the next few months. I'll be posting periodically about specific jobs I'm working on.

So, stay tuned...

 

Prototyping New Library Services

I came across this quote from an older blog post by Helen Blowers. I love reading and applying quotes. Like pictures, quotes are truly powerful adds to your blog.

Helen writes, "In order for customers to be engaged in your development process, you need to provide them with something to react to. Focus groups are good, but prototyping feedback sessions are better!"

I support the idea of prototyping new library services. Let's face it, it's difficult to know what we want! It becomes easier once we have something solid to work with. Guy Kawasaki has a book called The Art of the Start. The premise: get your idea moving. Adapt as you go!

I've located some great quotes about getting things started. The following quotes are taken from The Cheap Revolution Blog by Skip Shuda:

1. I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work - Thomas Edison, inventor and scientist


2. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary - Vidal Sassoon, entrepreneur


3. The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning - to create a product or service to make the world a better place - Guy Kawasaki, entrepreneur, investor, author


4. Failure defeats losers, failure inspires winners - Robert T. Kiyosaki, author, entrepreneur, investor


5. Entrepreneurs average 3.8 failures before final success. What sets the successful ones apart is their amazing persistence - Lisa M. Amos


6. Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life - John F. Kennedy, U.S. President


7. The entrepreneur in us sees opportunities everywhere we look, but many people see only problems everywhere they look. The entrepreneur in us is more concerned with discriminating between opportunities than he or she is with failing to see the opportunities - Michael Gerber, author, entrepreneur


8. An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he'll quickly learn how to chew it - Roy Ash, co-founder of Litton Industries


9. The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer - Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese's


10. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover - Mark Twain, author
    
    

 

Online Photo Sharing

One of my passions is online photo sharing. During my Fall 2007 internship with San Jose Public Library I developed and delivered a class on this topic. Brian Herzog (The Swiss Army Librarian) is an avid Flickr user. He is even one of my Flickr Contacts. Brian has posted an outline on the topic of online photo sharing. Click HERE to check it out!

This introductory video he uses caught my eye. Beginning a technology instruction session with a simple video is a good idea. Give it a play!

From: http://www.commoncraft.com/photosharing

 

LibGuide for Modern Libraries

The goal of Library 2.0 is to use Web 2.0 technology to learn, gather, combine and organize information to better serve customers. Library 2.0 is about distributing the library content and services beyond the library website, and connecting with customers wherever they are.

LibGuide understands the goals of Library 2.0! Using this subscription based service, librarians can create content-rich guides, share knowledge and information, and easily promote library resources. The interface is user-friendly and equiped with Web 2.0 features. Customers are able to directly interact and improve the guides by leaving comments. They can also see and interact with the page-creator (that's you).

The LibGuide widgets are COOL! These widgets (example below) allow your specific content-rich guides to be shared across social networks. They also allow the library catalog to be searched from anywhere. Place the widget in a blog, facebook, myspace, or any website.

Check out LibGuide. This company is on the right track...

 

Change Congress

"Professor Lawrence Lessig, renowned expert in intellectual property, has a new mission: to combat the influence of money in American democracy. Bolstered by the recent “Draft Lessig” movement that almost convinced him to run for Congress, Lessig will further his mission by launching a new “Change Congress” project in a Sunshine Week lecture sponsored by the Sunlight Foundation and Omidyar Network" (Sunlight Foundation).


My purpose for posting this is simple. As a librarian, I am a huge fan of Lawrence Lessig. Lawrence Lessig is a Law Professor and Director of the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. His passionate message about intellectual property rings true. If you don't know about the FREE CULTURE movement watch this IMPORTANT VIDEO.


Lessig will be speaking from Washington D.C. about his CHANGE CONGRESS project at 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Thursday, March 20, 2008.


The event will also be Web cast: http://www.visualwebcaster.com/thepressclub-lessig-032008