Posted by Steve B. at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Steve B. at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a reminder about tomorrow's NHLA-ITS quarterly drop-in meeting at the Howe Library in Hanover, NH. The meeting begins at 10am, and everyone is welcome. In addition to discussing general IT topics of interest and concern, we will also be given a presentation by the Howe Library staff on their new website and the content management system upon which it is based. We'll also get a chance to take a look at the three new Kindles they have made available to be checked out by their patrons.Kindle

For directions to the Howe Library, visit their snazzy new website, http://www.thehowe.org. Library Director Mary White, an ITS member, will be our host. RSVP by phone, 603-643-4120, or email, mary.h.white at thehowe.org.

p.s. If you arrive early, the library may not yet be open. Mary suggests either waiting for them to open, or try the rear entrance.

Posted by Steve B. at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Steve B. at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you who are Facebook fans, NHLA now is a "group" in Facebook that you can join. Just send me an email from within Facebook (search for Steve Butzel) or send me an email at work, skbutzel at lib.cityofportsmouth.com, and I will welcome you into the fold! If you have any creative ideas for how we might utilize Facebook, please leave a comment on this post and/or leave a note on our Facebook wall. Also, if you are not a Facebook member, why not give it a try. It's free, and it is one of the most commonly used social networking sites on the web. It's also a lot of fun!

Posted by Steve B. at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The next NHLA-ITS quarterly drop-in meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct.28th at 10am at the Howe Library in Hanover, NH. In addition to discussing general IT topics of interest and concern, we will also be given a presentation by the Howe Library staff about their new website and the content management system upon which it is based. We'll also get a chance to take a look at the three new Kindles they have made available to be checked out by their patrons.

For directions to the Howe Library, visit their snazzy new website, http://www.thehowe.org. Library Director Mary White and their technology coordinator Pamela Smith, both members of ITS, will be our hosts.

Posted by Steve B. at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The entire NHLA website is now searchable from the home page. Look for the Google Custom Search form on the right hand side, just below the form for searching the blog. I know that's a bit confusing, so let me spell it out. If you want to limit your search to blog entries, use the top search box. If you want your search to include blog entries and all other pages within the nhlibraries.org domain, including the CHILIS, READS, READS-TO-GO, URBANS and NHLA websites, use the Google Custom Search form.

If you're interested in adding a Google Custom Search form to your library's website, join the Information Technology Section (by sending me an email stating you want to do so, skbutzel at lib.cityofportrsmouth.com) and members of ITS will help you through the process. Remember, joining ITS is completely free. There is no membership fee.

Posted by Steve B. at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You may not know it, but some NHLA sections have created Google Groups for communicating within their section. Here are links to the Google Groups for the Information Technology Section and the Academics Section.

• NHLA-ITS Google Group. If you'd like to join the Google Group, just send me an email (skbutzel at lib.cityofportsmouth.com) and I will send you an invite. Their is no membership fee to join.
  
• NHLA Academic Section Google Group

Posted by Steve B. at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What follows was my attempt to capture the content of the southern NH roundtable discussion on open source software, held at the Manchester City Library. I may add more to these notes in the future, but at least you'll have a little idea of what was discussed. Thanks to Lichen for facilitating this roundtable in Manchester and to Bobbi who facilitated the north country discussion.

Scriblio:

• WordPress plugin, download it into plugins directory and enable.
• Acts as a blog-like interface for content from the ILS.
  
• Availability info for library materials is available for a library using III (Innovative Interfaces ILS), see Plymouth State implementation.
• Using WordPress dashboard to access the needed plugin
  
• http://about.scriblio.net/download
• Example implementation at Tamworth Library, http://tamworthlibrary.org/
• Book discussion via comments on the blog
  

Skype

• Videoconferenced with Bobbi Slossar at the "North Country" open source roundtable discussion using Skype. Skype is free.
  

Ubuntu

• Open source operating system, GUI implementation for Linux

Meebo

• Free accounts
• From one interface, you can instant message with colleagues who may have different IM clients, for example Yahoo IM, Google Chat, AOL Instant Messaging, and more.
  
• Meebo rooms: create a private or public IM room for committee work or chatting with librarians elsewhere in the building
  
• IM widgets on library web pages, allows instant messaging directly from a webpage.

 Flickr

• Online photo sharing
• Flickr badge to put on one's website, example, Manchester City Library home page 

Twitter

• Microblogging tool, limited number of characters in a post
• Create a Twitter account for your library, include stuff that doesn't really merit a blog post, but might be fun to make available nevertheless. Little tips, etc.
• Install a Twitter badge on the library website.

Del.icio.us

• Collect bookmarks online and have access to them from anywhere
• New Firefox extension provides your deliciious bookmarks in a convenient sidebar along with numerous sorting options
  

Joomla & Drupal

• Both are open source content management systems that enable you and multiple staff to update content without needing to go through a webmaster.
  
• NHLA-ITS is in the process of building a website for the Richards Free Library using Joomla.
  

Open Office

Google Docs

Google Apps

Survey Monkey

Posted by Steve B. at 09:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At last week's ITS quarterly drop-in meeting, we discussed the topic of providing printing services to library customers who are using their own laptop computers. Amongst the libraries represented at the meeting, two libraries were providing such a service, Langdon Public Library (in Newington) and Rochester Public Library. Does your library offer this service, and/or do you know of other NH libraries that provide such a service? If so, please leave a comment including the name and location of these libraries and how the service is implemented at them. As we gather the informtion, we will post the content on the following page at the unofficial NHLA wiki, http://nhla.pbwiki.com/Libraries-Offering-Wireless-Printing-Services. Thanks!

p.s. If you would like to add content to the unofficial NHLA wiki, send me an email, and I will give you the password. Admittedly, there still needs to be a lot of planning done before the wiki becomes an official NHLA resource. If interested in joining a committee to help design and plan the NHLA wiki, send me an email as well.

Posted by Steve B. at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new feature has been added to the NHLA website. It is a widget that displays links to one randomly selected "always available" downloadable audiobook at New Hampshire's OverDrive site. The widget is displayed on the left-hand side of the NHLA home page, so be sure to take a look.

The widget is the product of NHLA's new Information Technology Section. Section members already have ideas for how to expand upon this idea and may have updates sometime down the road. In the meantime, NH librarians are encouraged to add this widget to their own websites. For information on how to do this, visit this NHLA-ITS page, and/or direct questions to Steve Butzel.

Posted by Steve B. at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'd like to announce three upcoming NHLA-ITS events. On June 24th, ITS will hold its first hands-on content management system working group meeting. We will begin building a library website using Drupal, an open source content management system application. The event will be held at the Hooksett Public Library and runs from 10am-12noon. (We thank Mark Glisson and Heather Shumway for hosting us in Hooksett!)

On July 15th at 10am, ITS will hold its first official quarterly drop-in meeting. We will be meeting at the beautiful Portsmouth Public Library, and we've blocked out up to two hours for the meeting. While we will discuss a few organizational issues, the remainder of the meeting will be for open discussion of IT topics librarians are facing, battling, dealing with or considering dealing with. All existing members and anyone who is interested in becoming a member (it's free!) are welcome. If you do plan to come, please email me so I'll have an idea of how many people to expect. And why not plan on going out for lunch in downtown Portsmouth afterwards! (We thank Sue McCann and Mary Ann List for hosting us in Portsmouth!)

On July 28th from 10am-12noon at the Madison Library, ITS will be holding its first North Country Roundtable Discussion on the topic of open source software. The discussion will be facilitated by The Bobbi Slossar of the NH State Library. Everyone is welcome. Please email Madison Library Director Mary Cronin if you plan on attending this meeting, so she'll have an idea of how many to expect. (We thank Mary for hosting us at the Madison Library!)

And if you can't attend any of these events, but are interested in joining NHLA-ITS and perhaps attending future ITS events, just email me, and I'll set you up to join our Google Group.

Posted by Steve B. at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new NHLA Information Technology Section is going to be holding its first Content Management System Working Group meeting on Tuesday, June 24th from 10am-12noon at the Hooksett Public. The plan for the meeting is to begin building a website for an actual library using Drupal. (I will have Drupal pre-installed on the NHLA web server, so we won't have to waste any time installing software.) Ideally, we will all have a hands-on opportunity to build part of the site.

You don't have to be a Drupal expert to participate. I have only dabbled with it myself, but Bobbi Slossar will be there to share with us all that she knows. All that is necessary is that you have some knowledge of web design and that you are interested in learning about content management systems. If you happen to have taken Bobbi's CMS class at the State Library, that would be a plus.

Please let me know if you plan on attending.

Posted by Steve B. at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our next NHLA-ITS meeting is next Tuesday, April 8th, at 10am at the Bedford Public Library. I hope you can all be there, and maybe even bring along a colleague or two!  If you missed our first meeting, you are still welcome to come to this meeting!! Don't feel you will have missed out on too much.

Here is what I have on the agenda so far: (1) Update on Bylaws and Section Committee Structure (or lack thereof), (2) Content Management System group update, (3) Selecting roundtable topics for calendar year 2009, (4) Maybe creating a process and a schedule for electing officers, (5) Setting a time for our next meeting, (6) News and notes from members.

I'd also like to make this offer to the group: At the start of our Tuesday meeting, would anyone like to give a brief 5-15 minute presentation on a project, area of research, or organizational struggle that you and/or your library is working on? If so, that would be great. I kind of like the idea of having one member giving a brief presentation at each meeting.

Hope to see you there,
Steve Butzel

Posted by Steve B. at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)