OverDrive Updates Apps

Head on over to OverDrive's Digital Library Blog to read their post "OverDrive's eBook & audiobook apps for Android & iPhone/iPad updated". They released these updates TODAY!

I'm Enamored with QR Codes

I was so inspired by QR Codes this past year that I included one on our family Christmas Card.

Yesterday I found out about an amazing example of QR Codes. Check out the post with more details at Drew's Marketing Minute. It's called WorldPark and took place last year on Arbor Day at New York City's Central Park. I would have loved to be a part of it.

Here is a video of the event:



Not sure who's using QR codes, check out this infographic the post also mentioned.

So what does this mean for a library? Let me tell you, if I were in charge of a library (thank goodness I'm not!) I would do this inside my building. Create a QR Code scavenger hunt. Help people to discover all the hidden treasures in your library. I think it would be the coolest event! If you're a Lancaster County Public library and you do this you BETTER contact me for help. Looking forward to seeing what QR code gems pop up next in library land!

Did You Know About Key Tips in Office?

WOWZA!! I'm putting together a training about moving from Office 2003 to Office 2007. I then need to create a training about moving from Office 2003 to Office 2010. In my gathering of information, I have just discovered a WONDERFUL hidden gem you may not be aware of in 2007 and 2010. I'm referring to Key Tips!

Key Tips appear whenever you press the ALT key. Little Key Tip bubbles pop up for each tab and then after pressing the key shown in the Key Tip bubble and being taken to that tab you get to see even more Key Tips on the commands in the groups. For someone like me who has NO memory and could never really use keyboard shortcuts to their full potential, this offers much hope! Who knows, if I use these enough maybe they'll become embedded in my brain and I'll move with speed over my keyboard without having to touch my mouse.

See Microsoft's blog for step by step directions.

Thinking of Loaning Kindles?

Don't reinvent the wheel! Thanks to Buffy Hamilton for creating a marvelous LibGuide called Kindles at The Unquiet Library. She is a librarian at Creekview High School in Canton GA. In November of last year they began loaning Kindles to the students. She just posted a great step by step description of her LibGuide on the Learning Round Table's blog. Be sure to read through it and see how it's done!

OverDrive Video Tutorials from KCLS

From the ALA Learning Blog's 2/24/11 post titled: "Video Tutorials for Downloading eBooks From OverDrive"...

"The King County Library System has created a video tutorial to walk users through the process of downloading Adobe Digital Editions and transferring a title to their device. This is useful for staff to familiarize themselves with the process and patrons who can watch the video repeatedly until they successfully download a book on their machine.

Patrons can also watch video tutorials on downloading to Apple and Android portable devices or using NetLibrary. These can be found on the KCLS YouTube channel playlist Using the Library".

This is a great way to SEE how OverDrive works. KCLS has done a great job putting these together. For readers from the Library System of Lancaster County, be sure to check out the page I put together on LILLY where you can watch all of the videos.

My Help Beta is now live in OverDrive!

In OverDrive's ongoing effort to improve the user experience for downloading eBooks, audiobooks, and more, they have released a new tool called My Help. The image above appears on the front page of our OverDrive Site near the top of the left navigation bar. It was added on 2/23/11. Click the image to go directly to the new My Help Beta.

My Help is the first phase of improvements for OverDrive's help system. The My Help wizard provides ‘custom’ getting started information based on the formats that a customer wants to use (audiobooks or eBooks) and the type of computer or device the customers has (Windows, Mac, Android, NOOK, etc). Customers are shown targeted information about the software they need, formats they can use, steps they need to take to get titles, and a list of popular related questions.
If you have feedback for My Help, please email feedback@overdrive.com

For readers from the Library System of Lancaster County, be sure to check out the page I put together on LILLY about My Help Beta.

Filter Your Google Searches by Reading Level

Google has added a cool function to its advanced search. You can now Filter your results by reading level. Go try this out by goint to advanced search and selecting an option from the "reading level" dropdown. I chose the "annotation" option which annotated each result as either basic, intermediate or advanced and put a distribution graph at the top of the results page. You can then choose only the basic, intermediate or advanced results by clicking on those links in the graph. Very nice!

25 Years of Windows

Hard to believe that the first version of Microsoft's Windows was released on 11/20/1985 - 25 YEARS AGO!!! I guess I'm showing my age when I admit the first version I ever used was released in 1990: Windows 3.0. Felt like a time warp as I paged through the photos of this Visual Tour from Computerworld! Did any of the screenshots take you back to a particular moment in time?

Keep Your Eye on Net Neutrality

I've been following the Net Neutrality issue over the last few years, but it has always seemed so confusing. Well, the 12/2/10 episode of Rocketboom, The Case for Net Neutrality, really sums this issue up nicely and makes it understandable. Watch it below and keep your ears and eyes open to this issue.

Boost Morale in Your Library

I was priveleged to attend the Morale Issues in Your Library webinar, a part of WebJunction's Serving the 21st Century Patron Online Conference. This was a wonderful session packed with lots of useful information and ideas. Be sure to watch the archive and see a host of other resources available on the webinar page. Also, make this image your next desktop wallpaper. Thanks to Lori Reed and Maurice Coleman for this well planned presentation!