Reference Riches: New to Reference Desk

Quite some time ago, the best holiday and festival calendar site listed on the CFLC Reference Desk page folded and a comparable replacement was not immediately forthcoming.

It's finally turned up! Just added to the Reference Desk page under Time, Dates, Chronologies, & Calendars is this far-ranging resource: Earth Calendar. Earth Calendar is searchable by "today" and by date, country, religion, and more.

So, have a Happy Confucius' Birthday, and enjoy this site!

SUBJECTS: REFERENCE RICHES

Reference Riches: CFLC Referencia Electrónica

CFLC now has a Spanish-language Reference Desk! To enable those library staff members who do not speak Spanish to assist patrons who only speak Spanish, the commands and explanations of the resources are in both English and Spanish. The resources themselves, unless the equivalent English title is also linked, are only in Spanish.

To learn more about this new tool and to have some guided hands-on exploration of it, come to the upcoming workshop, Internet Resources for Spanish-Speaking Patrons, at Volusia on Thursday, September 29, from 9 a.m. to noon.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; REFERENCE RICHES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

CFLC Chronicles: CFLC "Globe" Trotting #2

The CFLC Globe has Trotted again. Cortesy of the husband of one of the CFLC trainers, this is from the second of the two states not part of CONUS, the Continental United States. Now, how about some submissions from "the lower 48"?















These next two photos were taken this month at the Anchorage, Alaska train depot.


























Though it's a bit difficult to tell what's in the background, this last picture actually shows snow-capped Alaska mountains outside of Anchorage.
















SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: "Ya Still Gotta Eat!"

Found yet another opportunity to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina by simply eating out.

The "Southern Hospitality Relief Benefit" will take place on Tuesday, September 27, 2005, and four Orlando restaurants will donate part of their dinner proceeds to Habitat for Humanity. The participants are:

Linda's La Cantina Steakhouse
4721 E. Colonial Dr. (407) 894-4491

Gleason's Grille
4270 Aloma Ave. (407) 673-2342

Casey's Grill
1335 Tuskawilla Rd. (407) 696-0533

Woody's Bar B-Q
1340 Alafaya Trail (407) 365-2995

Again, bon appétit!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: "Ya Gotta Eat!"

Two very easy opportunities to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina involve simply eating out.

The first event is the Restaurants for Relief effort on Tuesday night, September 27, uniting the organizations Share Our Strength, OpenTable.com, and Windows of Hope in donating dinner sales profits to the Share Our Strength's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

The second event is the Dine for America day on October 5. This is a national fundraising effort with some 12,000 restaurants participating to support the American Red Cross and help those affected by Gulf Coast hurricanes. A number of national chains are involved and will be donating all or part of the day's profits to the cause.

Bon appétit!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: Friday Fun Things

Thanks to an attendee in a CFLC class the other day, I was reminded of a favorite old and forgotten Web site friend. It isn't CFLC business, per se, but since CFLC's audience is libraries and their staff, it will likely be appreciated.

Check out the Book-A-Minute family of sites and catch up on your reading (or film viewing) in no time whatsoever. To paraphrase an old commercial, "Betcha can't read just one!" Enjoy!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Blog Business: Comments

With apologies to those readers who have legitimate comments to make about the content of this blog, the word verification feature has just been turned on. What this means is that to leave a comment, you will have to type in a word that you will see displayed as a graphic.

Annoying, yes, but the reason for this is that there have been a few recent changes with the Blogger system that make it extremely easy for automated systems to see what posts have just been added and spam them. The prior post for the Google Beta Blog Search already generated spam comments! This change has just happened within the last week, but it is taking a great deal of time for the administrator of this blog to delete the spam comments. The word verification will prevent automated systems from adding comments since it takes a human being to read the word and type it in. Again, sorry for the additional step for those of you with legitimate comments.

SUBJECTS: BLOG BUSINESS

Blog Business: Google's Beta Blog Search

With Google owning Blogger, you knew it couldn't be long before they'd dive into the blog search business. It's here in beta; try it out, kick the tires, and see what you think!

The basic blog search is here:
http://www.google.com/blogsearch and the advanced mode is here (or choose "Advanced Blog Search" from the main page): http://www.google.com/blogsearch/advanced_blog_search.

SUBJECTS: BLOG BUSINESS; WEB SEARCH STUFF

Blog Business: Demos

Sitting in a CFLC class demonstrating how to blog. Yee-Haw!

Workshop Wealth: New CFLC Workshops

CFLC will be having a busy fall! Check out the new fall quarter's workshops and classes at the CFLC Workshops Page.

Watch for highlights: QuickBooks 2, a new class; the CFLC Annual Meeting; the State Library's Grantwriting Workshop; and these SOLINET offerings:

• Evaluating Technical Services, 10/5, 9 am - 4 pm, Brevard County Libraries, Cocoa
• Demonstrating Value: Evaluating Library Services, 10/26, 9 am - 4pm, Osceola Library System, Kissimmee
• Customer Service and Communication, 10/27, 9 am - 4 pm, Brevard County Libraries, Cocoa
• The Successful Searcher in the Connexion Client, 11/9, 9 am - 4pm, Brevard County Libraries, Cocoa.
  

(For SOLINET class descriptions and registration, please go to:
http://www.solinet.net/workshops/workshop_templ.cfm?doc_id=726.)

Hope to see you there!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

CFLC Chronicles: CFLC "Globe" Trotting

First in a new series...CFLC "Globe" Trotting. For this series, we encourage participation by our members. If you spot a CFLC Globe in an interesting new environment (or take one with you somewhere), feel free to send the picture(s), location, and any relevant explanations to the address in the "About" box at the head of this blog and your picture will be published and you will be credited.





These pictures come from the mother of one of our trainers, Dawn Jensen, and document that she and her globe recently visited the top of the crater of Haleakala Volcano on Maui, Hawaii!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Workshop Wealth: Free Dynix Institute Web Seminars

The Dynix Institute is offering free bi-weekly Web conferences facilitated by "industry-leading speakers" focusing on "current topics important to librarians." Topics range from the theoretical to the practical and touch on issues from management to service and beyond.

From the Institute: "Participating in Web conferences is as easy as typing a URL into your Web browser and using our toll-free conference line to dial into the session." Check out and register for the upcoming seminars here or enjoy the past seminars via the archives here.

SUBJECTS: WORKSHOP WEALTH

CFLC Chronicles: Katrina Recovery

Slighly off-topic for strictly CFLC business, but couldn't resist sharing these compelling pictures from the Beyond the Beyond blog at Wired. From the Austin Convention Center come the necessities of life: piles of shoes, piles of diapers, and a library!

Also, should your library be in a position to help, the SELA list has posted this plea for computers from the State Librarian of Louisiana:

If you are interested and able to send computers, here is the request from the Louisiana State Librarian, Rebecca Hamilton.

"To all--we are in desperate need of computers/printers. We are being inundated with evacuees needing to file FEMA applications, unemployment, search for loved ones, etc. and are coming into our public libraries to use the computers. Our libraries have greatly extended their hours to accommodate the people but they need additional computers and printers. If you can please put the word out that if anyone wants to help immediately, this is our greatest need."

The specs for the computers:
* Pentium 3
* Windows 2000, prefer XP
* Laser printers if you can still get toner for them

Computers may be sent to:
State Library of Louisiana
701 North 4th Street
Baton Rouge, La. 70802-5232

If you are able to assist them by sending computers, please let Rebecca know via email: Rebecca Hamilton [rhamilton (at) crt.state.la.us] just to help them plan. This will help her know what to expect and also help us to know (if necessary) when to stop sending them there. I am sure that we will hear from other states about similar needs.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

OCLC Oddments: Katrina Nonsuppliers

This item of interest to members comes from the OCLC Resource Sharing List:

Posted on behalf of SOLINET:

Due to the widespread destruction from Katrina, libraries in Louisiana, Mississippi, and in the Mobile, Alabama area have been set as non-supplier until further notice. Nonsupplier libraries are shown in the OCLC ILL system as lowercase and our [sic] not available for lending material. If you have materials from one of these libraries please contact them before returning the materials to verify their address and if they are able to receive their items. Also, if the libraries in these areas have materials of yours we ask that you are patient with their return.

Libraries in those areas whose ILL operations are continuing to provide service may request a return to supplier lending status at any time by contacting the SOLINET Member Services Help Desk at orders (at) solinet.net or 800-999-8558.

SUBJECTS: OCLC ODDMENTS

ALA Assortments: Katrina

From the American Library Association:

For Immediate Release
September 1, 2005
Statement from ALA President Michael Gorman on impact of Hurricane Katrina

(CHICAGO) The following statement has been issued by American Library Association (ALA) President Michael Gorman:

The American Library Association (ALA) is deeply concerned about the welfare of the people and communities along the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina. We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and widespread damage to homes and communities.

The Chapter Relations Office, which serves as the lead unit in ALA in gathering information on disasters in the United States, already has contacted ALA chapters in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi to get information on damage to libraries in the region. We have just learned that a Louisiana Library Disaster Relief Fund has been established, and monetary donations to assist school, public, and academic library restoration efforts in Southeastern Louisiana can be sent payable to: LLA-Disaster Relief, 421 South 4th Street, Eunice, LA 70535.

American Libraries also is compiling news coverage of library impacts at www.ala.org/alonline. Since many residents, including librarians, library students, library educators and library workers, had evacuated the area and may not be able to return for a few days or weeks, it may be a while before we have a full assessment of the damage.

For individuals wishing to contribute directly to general relief efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides a list of agencies accepting donations at its Web site, www.fema.gov, under "how to help."

While work on mitigating and monitoring the terrible human tragedy must and should take precedence, the ALA also is monitoring the situation in New Orleans as it relates to planning for the ALA Annual Conference scheduled for June 22-28, 2006. We will provide updates on affected libraries, library reconstruction efforts and the 2006 ALA Conference on the ALA home page as we receive information in the coming weeks.

SUBJECTS: ALA ASSORTMENTS