Bibliocommons... So far my experience with the "new catalog" has been great! During our test run I ran into a few questions that I was able to e-mail to Pat. Here they are with her response:
1. If I rate materials will the system generate a list of recommendations for me? Is this based on other user ratings?
You get recommendations from other users you choose to “follow”. If you look at other users’ comments and collections and find someone who’s taste agrees with yours, you can follow them. After that, whenever they rate something with 4 or 5 stars, it will appear in your list of recommendations. This is sort of a one-way street. You can follow them but they don’t know it. When you choose to follow someone, you can limit what kinds of recommendations you want to get from them--everything or different categories based on what’s already in their collection.
2. What happens to a bibliocommons account if a patron loses their library card and needs to get a new number?
Good question. It automatically re-links to the new card no.
3. Is there a way to sync bibliocommons with other book networking sites, like Visual Bookshelf or Shelfari?
Not right now. I understand they have future plans to include the ability to import collections (and lists?) created on other sites.
4. Is there a way to make an entire account private?
Not exactly. The only parts that are ever not private are lists, comments and collections. However, there is the ability to make lists or items in lists and collections or items in collections private. You can make them private individually or all at once.
5. I also ran into an error... I was searching for some children's books and on two occasions the catalog said there was a copy available, but when I looked under availabilty details all copies where marked checked out.
The Find it at DBRL sidebar does not show real time availability info. I talked to the programmer at Bibliocommons this morning and they are not updating it but every 3 hours. I told him we really want it to be more current--we do a high volume and it helps to have that as correct as possible. He’s going to gradually decrease the amount of time between syncs and monitor the system for any negative effects. In the meantime--the availability details are the ones you can take to the bank.
Some of these may be antiquated by now, but I thought I would share them nonetheless... just in case anyone else came across similar questions.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
I Don't Have Time for This...
I picked four blogs off of Brandy's list: Information Wants to be Free, The Librarian in Black, Library Garden, and The Unquiet Librarian. I picked these mostly because of their rebellious titles... I found that the two I looked at offered some interesting ideas. Such as: creating a mobile website, and steps to encourage innovation and creativity in libraries as a work place.
I am glad I know what this is all about. It is great being able to help patrons with the most up and coming technological information. I am sure that if I explore this more It could be really useful. I need to see if google reader has an iphone app... I would really use it then.
I am glad I know what this is all about. It is great being able to help patrons with the most up and coming technological information. I am sure that if I explore this more It could be really useful. I need to see if google reader has an iphone app... I would really use it then.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Uncle Brother
The discussion of an uncle brother came up
in a conversation with Liz yesterday over a steaming pile of Navratan Korma and Gulab Jamun. While trying to understand the complexities of the rural mid-western family, this is what I came up with: The son is your uncle-brother through your mother (his and your step-sister) and Dad (your father)... thus making him your uncle brother... Please note that the 1st wife must be either deceased or divorced, freeing up Dad to marry his step-daughter... this would in fact make your mother your sister too... however more disturbing that little fact is.
In honor of this discussion I am also including the little ditty written and composed by Shel Silvertein:
Now many many years ago when I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow who was pretty as can be
This widow had a grown-up daughter who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her and soon they too were wed
Oh I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own granpa
It sounds funny I know,But it really is so
Oh I'm my own grandpa
This made my dad my son-in-law and changed my very life
My daughter was my mother 'cause she was my father's wife
To complicate the matter even though it brought me joy
I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy
My little baby then became a brother-in-law to Dad
And so became my uncle, though it made me very sad
For if he was my uncle, then that also made him br'ther
Of the widow's grown-up daughter who was also my stepmother
Father's wife then had a son who kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild, for he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother and it makes me blue
Because altho' she is my wife, she's my grandmother too
Now if my wife is my grandmother, then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it, it nearly drives me wild
For now I have become the strangest case I ever saw
As husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa
... Just in case you were curious
in a conversation with Liz yesterday over a steaming pile of Navratan Korma and Gulab Jamun. While trying to understand the complexities of the rural mid-western family, this is what I came up with: The son is your uncle-brother through your mother (his and your step-sister) and Dad (your father)... thus making him your uncle brother... Please note that the 1st wife must be either deceased or divorced, freeing up Dad to marry his step-daughter... this would in fact make your mother your sister too... however more disturbing that little fact is.In honor of this discussion I am also including the little ditty written and composed by Shel Silvertein:
Now many many years ago when I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow who was pretty as can be
This widow had a grown-up daughter who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her and soon they too were wed
Oh I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own granpa
It sounds funny I know,But it really is so
Oh I'm my own grandpa
This made my dad my son-in-law and changed my very life
My daughter was my mother 'cause she was my father's wife
To complicate the matter even though it brought me joy
I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy
My little baby then became a brother-in-law to Dad
And so became my uncle, though it made me very sad
For if he was my uncle, then that also made him br'ther
Of the widow's grown-up daughter who was also my stepmother
Father's wife then had a son who kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild, for he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother and it makes me blue
Because altho' she is my wife, she's my grandmother too
Now if my wife is my grandmother, then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it, it nearly drives me wild
For now I have become the strangest case I ever saw
As husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa
... Just in case you were curious
Monday, December 21, 2009
Web 2.0 Awards
Today, I browsed the Web 2.0 awarded sites. I was very familiar with some of the sites (i.e., facebook, craigslist, urbanspoon, etc...). To my surprise, there were more that I had never heard of. I suppose this has more to do with my age and the way that I use the Internet, than their popularity. That being said, most of the ones that I do not already use, didn't interest me.
I was able to find two sites that were interesting enough to browse through. I looked at Myxer first... hoping to score a nice, new and free ringtone for my phone. I signed up and while the site seemed user friendly enough, I couldn't complete the process from my phone. Since the only computers I use are public/shared, this final step made the site virtually useless to me.
After this I stumbled across Last.FM. While I am an avid Pandora user, this site ranked higher, so I decided to give it a shot. After a quick search, I found an application for my phone. It was free, so I didn't hesitate to add it. I have not had the chance to use it yet, but I look forward to many hours of music listening in my near future!!
I was able to find two sites that were interesting enough to browse through. I looked at Myxer first... hoping to score a nice, new and free ringtone for my phone. I signed up and while the site seemed user friendly enough, I couldn't complete the process from my phone. Since the only computers I use are public/shared, this final step made the site virtually useless to me.
After this I stumbled across Last.FM. While I am an avid Pandora user, this site ranked higher, so I decided to give it a shot. After a quick search, I found an application for my phone. It was free, so I didn't hesitate to add it. I have not had the chance to use it yet, but I look forward to many hours of music listening in my near future!!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
First Aid Kit
Check out this beautful duet by two Sweden teenagers! First Aid Kit covers "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song," by Fleet Foxes.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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