Library Thing

Library Thing has been fun to play with over the last few months. Here is a link to my library. Of course this is not all of my library but it represents the most recent books I have read. If you use Library Thing, send along a link to your library. I love to browse.

I tried to include a cool widget on the blog that would show the book covers that are in my library but I couldn't figure out where to paste the widget html. If any veteran bloggers could assist me I would greatly appreciate it.

Image Generator

I played around with an image generator found at Big Huge Labs which says that it is the home of fd's Flickr Toys. One of their tools allowed me to Warholize a photo I already had in Flickr. You can see the result on my profile information. This was really simple because of the simplicity of Flickr and the automatic nature of Big Huge Labs.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 3-26-08

1:15 p.m. Set up in the campus cafe. Last time I was here the wireless connection didn't work but it seems to be working now. I am not so sure about this location. If I come to early I wouldn't be able to find a seat, if I come to late no one is here. We will see. I tell people that we are simply testing this program out and will make changes accordingly if we even decide to continue. Right now, based on the conversations I have had when I have gone on location I think this could work sooner rather than later.

1:27 p.m. I have put out a new sign. Instead of the sign that says "Librarian on Location" I have put out a sign that says "Need Research Paper Help? Ask Here". A little directness never hurt anything.

1:35 p.m. One idea that I have heard related to this practice of "on the road" librarians is to set up in specific departments instead of more social environments. I have heard of some librarians who have done this with some success. This may be a better strategy because you can work with the departments to promote your visits. Also, you can build relationships with individual students who see you on a regular basis. Right now, I am in mostly social areas like food locations and dorms.

2:00 p.m. A student told me that she does need research paper help but she is working right now. Her initial question was more of a writing center question but she took our brochure and my card and I told her the hours in which the reference desk is staffed. Our writing center has talked about doing something similar to Librarian on Location. Maybe this would be a great way for the library and the writing center to team up.

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 3-19-08

2:15 p.m. We have come full circle. Instead of going to the ends of the campus we decided to choose four or five prime locations and just rotate through them during the semester. This is the second time that I have been to the Soda Shoppe on the top floor of our building. Instead of the other places that I have been which were more student life locations, this location is an academic setting with classrooms all around and faculty offices down every hall. The last time I was here I had some great conversations with both students and faculty. Hopefully, today will be more of the same.

2:30 p.m. One of our student workers had a great idea for Librarian on Location publicity. She suggested that we put out a sign that says "Research Paper Help". Simple and obvious right? This is officially term paper season and if you have students who have these assignments on their mind when they walk by you what better way to make it obvious what you are able to do for them.

2:37 p.m. My eavesdropping skills are in full force today. A female student just walked by and I over heard her ask another student. "Is the library open on the weekends? I was just wondering because I have only been to the library like twice." The funny part is our library isn't in its own building but a part of a three story complex that includes classrooms in the basement and on the top floor. This student probably has walked through the library on the way to class several times. Is the library just a hall or walk way to her?

2:42 I am doing this with a heavy heart today because our Director of Library Services, Peggy Martin, passed away over night from a combination of pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis. This is stunning to us because her sickness wasn't prolonged. She was a great servant librarian, a creative idea person, and a encouragement to all of us.

What I Use...

Every librarian has there own pathway and method to their madness. Certain websites, services, and databases are a common crutch to a reference librarian. Here are the most used web tools and sources on my computer.

Zotero - reference retrieval
Google Book Search - for books that we do not have
Netlibrary eBooks - to expand the search
Google - still the steady and trusty engine that could.
EBSCO Visual Search - I don't like their new design. Too much clicking
Jing Project - Screen capture
Flickr - Easy as pie photo archive source
Google Reader - blog feed reader
Proquest Dissertation - When I have run dry on other databases, this one always comes through.
EBSCO MasterFile Premier - Much more versatile then you might think.
Gale Literature Resource Center - What would literary criticism papers be without it.
EBSCO Business Source Complete - Our school is obsessed with leadership. This is a go-to db.
TDNet Journal Finder - Have citation. Will travel.

Wish list - JSTOR, BioOne, WileyInterscience

Librarian on Location: Live Blogging 3-5-08

1:20 p.m. Today we are in one of the dormitories on campus. I am stationed in the foyer. Wednesdays are the days we do Librarian on Location. This day was chosen at random I guess but it may need to be revisited because Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be busier days on campus. To the right, you will see me with a student. You can see the signage we use and the golf shirt with logo that I wear each week. I also have business cards and library brochures. This shot was when I was outside of our Soda Shoppe.

1:38 p.m. OK...I consider myself a world class evesdropper. I am trying to turn off my evesdropping tendencies while I am in the girl's dorm, but it is hard. The present crisis is a prank involving peanut butter on door handles.

1:42 p.m. Two questions so far today. This is more than the past two weeks. One student asked which books are on the first floor of the library and which books are on the second floor. She didn't understand where the call number break was. Another student asked what I was doing and why I was here. She said she doesn't have much trouble researching. I told her to leave me her email address and I would send some things to her that she might not have seen.

2:02 p.m. I sent some articles to a student on national service requirements. She is working on a debate presentation.

- A professor walked by and cracked a sarcastic joke about us reaching out to the students "because the library is just SO far away." He obviously hasn't been reading articles on millennials and their addiction to the instantaneous and the convenient. Sure, the library is just down the sidewalk but it could be in Turkey for all some of these students know. How many academic librarians can tell stories of students showing up during their last semester before graduation and telling the librarian that this was the first time that they used the library. Every academic librarian has a story like this these days. Why do we assume that a building equals "people will come."

2:50 p.m. It is so nice outside that I almost decided to position myself on the building colonade but it has been so windy lately that I didn't think that was such a good idea. As I get more adventurous maybe I can head to more exotic locations. Next week it is back to the Soda Shoppe.