AliceBakerBlog

Library of Congress Photos on Flickr

We're huge fans of the photo-sharing and social-networking site Flickr here at the library.  Whether it's artsy pictures of landscapes and interiors, or shots of random cute kids and puppies, Flickr is always absorbing and addictive.

But Flickr also offers weightier fare.  The Library of Congress maintains a Flickr account.  This week, coinciding with the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the LOC has been posting never-before scanned images of Lincoln.  The photos can be viewed enlarged and offer visual insights into the real person that Abraham Lincoln was.

And because Flickr is interactive, viewers can add tags and notes.  The above photo has been tagged 'emo', 'punk', and 'werewolf', due to Lincoln's haircut, no doubt.  And a good deal of additional political discourse is contained in the viewer comments.

The future of library system software?

I've heard about Open Source Software at a couple of recent conferences but I didn't pay much attention to it. Sounded like shareware to me -- free to download, free to use. There's more to it as I recently learned in a meeting where library system software was discussed. And I expect to continue to hear about Open Source Software (OSS) right along with the commercial, proprietary counterparts. Imagine ... software developed in community, a product that is close to the user, a way to just get the software that is wanted. A very interesting model.

Past Future-Gazing

The caption (from 1954) reads: 

“Scientists from the RAND Corporation have created this model to illustrate how a “home computer” could look like in the year 2004. However the needed technology will not be economically feasible for the average home. Also, the scientists readily admit that the computer will require not yet invented technology to actually work, but 50 years from now scientific progress is expected to solve these problems. With teletype interface and the Fortran language, the computer will be easy to use.”

From Stephen's Lighthouse.

I wonder what the steering wheel was meant to do?

Millennial Users

Yesterday I attended a workshop at Brookfield on the lofty subject of Attracting and Engaging the Millennial Patron. 

Those are patrons born between 1977 and 1994. 

The presenter, the vice president for innovation at SirsiDynix (our automation system) threw a furious array of concepts and ideas, MTV-style, at us all afternoon.  I have several pages of notes nearly as scattershot as the presentation.  But I came away with a number of ideas I want to look into and talk about with our staff.

The underlying message was to meet kids where they are.  And where they are is on the web's numerous social networking sites, from MySpace to Flickr to SecondLife.

So with that in mind, Alice Baker Library now has a presence on facebook.  Please friend us if you're on facebook too.  We'd like to get some conversation going.

Ravelry!

If you're an knitter or crocheter with delusions of organization, and if you want to network with the like-minded, you will love Ravelry, a new social networking site for yarn people.  The site is still in beta, but it's been assembling a waiting list since early summer.  People in the queue are being added a few at a time. 

I got my invite last week and have been navigating around, getting to know the site.  You can set up a profile and document your current and future projects.  You can also join special interest groups that are forming like crazy--groups for everything from Dachsund-loving knitters, to Harry Potter enthusiasts.

Patterns and books link intuitively to project information and pictures can be seamlessly imported from Flickr.

One of the coolest things I've seen so far is the ability to link to other knitters and crocheters working on the same projects.  One mouse click turns up a slew of potential friends, who would probably be available for knitting moral support and hand-holding.  That's my kind of social networking!

Dumpr

Dumpr is a site that allows you to create with your photos.  Make artsy, impressionistic designs, make new photos look old, turn photos into sketches--it's all there to play with.  If you're a Flickr member (and if you aren't, why not?) you can vote for favorites and enjoy lots of Flickr fellowship.

DailyLit

Check out DailyLit, a book site that will email you segments of classic literature.  Register, find a book, and DailyLit will do the rest, all for free.  No one can claim to be too busy to read now.

This Just In

We're pleased to be able to offer a new series of Introductory Internet Classes.  Taught by Nancy Fletcher of the WCFLS staff, these classes will cover basic computer use and simple Internet searching, in a casual and stress-free atmosphere.

The classes will be held Thursday, March 1, and Thursday, March 8, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the library.  Spaces are limited and students may register in person or by phone.

If you know anyone who's looking for an opportunity to get going on the Internet, please pass the word about these classes.  Ms. Fletcher will provide assitance for any students with hearing difficulties.  Seniors are especially encouraged to register, but the classes are open to the everyone. 

America's Obituary and Death Notices

For a limited time only:  We have a free trial of Newsbank's America's Obituary and Death Notices finder.  This trial will allow us to evaluate with an eye to possibly subscribing to this service.  It IS accessible from computers outside the library.

From our homepage, click on Databases.  On the Database page, click on Newsbank.  The search link for the trial is at the top of the page.

This would be an interesting venue for checking on more recent obituaries.  But in my tryout, I still had hits from as far back as 1987.  One caveat--there are not a lot of small town newspapers included.  If you are searching major cities, you may have good results.

And if you try this database, let us know how you like it.

BadgerCat Debuts!

New today: a link from our database page to BadgerCat, which makes it possible to do real-time searches of Wisconsin libraries and to widen that search to libraries nationwide.  Power to the people!