CFLC Currents

CFLC Chronicles: Sad News, Donna Cohen

2010-01-03T23:43:00.001-05:00

The Central Florida library community has just lost a very valued member of same. Donna Cohen, former Rollins Library director, CFLC Board Member, and valued friend and colleague, passed away yesterday. Sad start to a new year. RIP, Donna; you will be sorely missed.

Read Jonathan Miller's blog post The Director's Blog: Donna Cohen for more information and details.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Web Search Stuff: Google Search Updates

2009-10-10T14:52:00.002-04:00

For those of you who love searching and/or Google, here's a treat; a four-part series from BusinessWeek peeking behind the curtain on Google Search. Enjoy!

Part 1: Google's Udi Manber: Search Is About People, Not Just Data
Part 2: Google Search Guru Singhal: We Will Try Outlandish Ideas
Part 3: Google's Scott Huffman: Many More Search Features Coming
Part 4: Matt Cutts: How Google Deals With Web Spam

SUBJECTS: WEB SEARCH STUFF

Tuesday’s Tools: Twitter

2009-10-09T11:35:00.003-04:00

It's not Tuesday, but it's a great time to talk about a particular conversation on Twitter. If you're still not using Twitter (or even if you are), now's a good time to check out what's going on in the #libtwit discussion (http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23libtwit). Pretty interesting conversation about Twitter usage and libraries. Join the fun! (And by the way, follow us @CFLC_FL.)

Samples:

libraryfuture: "Basics of making Twitter useful" http://j.mp/e9QY9 RT @TrendTracker @Twitter_Tips #libtwit Tips & The Why and How of Twitter

garvinfo Twitter is - 24/7 global, self-organizing, real-time news and conversation #libtwit

spcouta: And Archivists! @libraryfuture Being fluent w/ Twitter is a core skill for all librarians #libtwit (Not all librarians would agree however!)

montserratlj Twitter=e-conferences, e-prof dvlpmnt all year round-webinars, seminars, lectures, wrkshps via desktop; addictive! #libtwit

SUBJECTS: TUESDAY'S TOOLS

Training Tactics: NEFLIN Classes Open for CFLC Members

2009-10-01T18:54:00.005-04:00

From Marta Westall, CFLC Executive Director:

During these lean times, the Florida Library Cooperatives are, well, cooperating to offer continuing education and training opportunities to library staff in various regions. Our sister Cooperative, NEFLIN, has stepped up to offer training programs to CFLC members. In a few days you will be receiving an e-mail outlining the opportunities for October through December 2009. Be sure to note that while some of the training is free, or reasonably priced, there is a process for cancellation and/or sending a replacement. If you are registered and don't show up you will be charged. It is gratifying to see that the spirit of cooperation is alive and well in Florida!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; TRAINING TACTICS

Technology Tales: School Libraries & E-Readers

2009-09-05T11:28:00.003-04:00

If you have not already seen this Mashable post, please go read it: Can a School Library Be Replaced by E-Readers? Apparently it Can. Provoking on so many levels.

SUBJECTS: TECHNOLOGY TALES

Friday Fun Things: Cartoon re. Annotating the World

2009-08-31T22:18:00.004-04:00

Okay, it's not Friday, but it is funny...and what Monday couldn't do with a fun thing?!

Check out Cartoon: Annotating the World, shared via AddThis. Interesting blog post, with funny cartoon, from the ReadWriteWeb blog, about "Augmented Reality," the practice of tagging our world, and what might come of it.

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Libraries on Second Life

2009-08-20T20:14:00.003-04:00

From Lorelei Junot, Second Life librarian:

Are you a library doing innovative things in second life? We invite you to take a spot on our New Orleans theme sim through June 2010. Please im me and I will show you some spots. OPLIN has just located here and Alliance library System will also locate here.

SUBJECT: CFLC CHRONICLES

Reference Riches: School Information

2009-08-16T20:54:00.004-04:00

We're looking at the back-to-school season. Need information about ranking, evaluating, and rating schools? Check out this great Kim Komando list of sites to help you do just that, Is your child’s school any good?

SUBJECTS: REFERENCE RICHES

CFLC Chronicles: Cataloging Interest Group Update

2009-08-13T14:56:00.003-04:00

The CFLC Cataloging Interest Group met at Stetson University today for a presentation by Laura Kirkland on Authority Records and Authority Files.

Thanks and congrats to Jeanne Piascik (UCF) for volunteering to chair the CFLC Cataloging Interest Group for 2010!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: Training Workshops for Fall 2008

2008-09-09T12:21:00.010-04:00

From Marta Westall, CFLC Director:

We have some exciting workshops to look forward to this fall! The new schedule will be posted very soon and here are some highlights:

Book Blitz 2 at Leesburg:

Really good cataloging doesn't come easily. It takes commitment to details to figure out how to handle some of the trickier cataloging problems that can arise. In Book Blitz I, we cover the easy rules. In this workshop, Book Blitz II, we move on to some of the more complex cataloging rules; the ones that make you frown!

Once you are comfortable with finding your way around the basic cataloging tools--the Anglo American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2R), Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (LCRI), and the MARC coding standards (MARC21)--you will be ready to tackle some of the harder stuff, for example:
• Parallel titles
• Part titles
• Confusing statements of responsibility
• More on series
• More on personal, corporate, and conference names, and uniform title headings
• Verifying name and title headings against the LC Authority files

N.B., Although the examples in this workshop are all for books, the relevant rules can be applied to all types of materials. However, this workshop does not cover subject headings, classification, or specific details on cataloging non-print materials.

Attendees are advised that they will be expected to have attended Book Blitz I before coming to this workshop.

Safety, Security, and Preparedness for Libraries at Florida Institute of Technology:

This is a day-long workshop that covers the USA PATRIOT Act and other timely matters related to disaster preparedness planning from the security, facilities management, and library perspectives.

Goals are
1) to identify current trends and challenges related to library safety, security, and preparedness,
2) to hear the perspectives of library personnel, security officers, and facilities staff,
3) to learn related tips, recommendation, and guidelines,
4) to understand the basic components of a strong safety, security, and preparedness plan that protects equipment, materials, buildings, people, and data, and
5) to know where to go for additional information and support.

WorldCat Resource Sharing Basics at CFLC:

Are you ready to learn how you can obtain items for your patrons from almost 1.3 billion holdings all over the world? Come learn how to use OCLC’s ILL platform to borrow the items your patrons need.

Topics covered in this hands-on workshop include:
• An overview of the WorldCat Resource Sharing Staff View
• Searching OCLC’s bibliographic database
• The basics of OCLC ILL Lending and Borrowing.

The workshop is designed for CFLC members with little or no OCLC ILL experience.

Cataloging Interest Group at Barry University:

Discussion topics will include a review of the live, online class on the future of AACR2, RDA and FRBR (co-hosted by CFLC and SOLINET on August 12th) and quality control in technical services (bibs, authorities, and physical processing).

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

Reference Riches: Politics and Verification

2008-09-08T15:00:00.002-04:00

'Tis the season to receive political e-mails -- good, bad, and ugly. Save yourself from having to retract mistakes by remembering to check out what you receive before passing it along.

Snopes, Urban Legends, and others of their ilk are always a good starting points, but there are times you will receive things before they do. Case in point was a list of books Palin supposedly wanted banned that landed in my e-mail over the weekend. Only as of today did it appear as False on Snopes, but at the time of receipt, nothing.

In researching it, another very interesting post (Librarian No. 9.7.2008 No. 154) turned up in the biblioblogosphere and it references both a Librarians for Palin and a Librarians Against Palin site. The whole case makes some very interesting reading.

SUBJECTS: REFERENCE RICHES

Reference Riches: Successor to EDGAR Announced

2008-09-07T12:27:00.001-04:00

For those of you who use the Securities and Exchange Commission's "1980s-era EDGAR database" to find key financial information about public companies and mutual funds, check out this official SEC press release, complete with demonstration video, announcing IDEA (Interactive Data Electronic Applications), EDGAR's eventual successor.

SUBJECTS: REFERENCE RICHES

CFLC Chronicles: A Time of Transition - CFLC’s Bedrock Activities

2008-06-12T00:14:00.002-04:00

From Marta Westall, CFLC Director:

CFLC's upcoming 20th anniversary year, fiscal year 2008-2009, will be a “back to basics” year. This comes after a new rule that 50% of the State Cooperative Grant money and 50% of all local funds for Florida's six Multitype Library Cooperatives (MLCs) be spent on bibliographic enhancement activities.

These activities are defined by the State Library as follows:

1. Loading records. Examples include loading a library's bibliographic records for the first time, updating records (adds, deletes, cleanup), creating new records, and/or providing a cataloging utility that adds records to the statewide database such as CatExpress.

2. Training related to resource sharing. Examples of training or workshops include FirstSearch , interlibrary loan, or FLIN (Florida Library Information Network), use of CatExpress, interlibrary loan software, and other training that would simply help develop a library's ability to add and update records on the statewide database.

3. Consultation. Providing guidance, information, and assistance to libraries on the record-loading process; and encouraging libraries to continue to update their holdings.

4. Facilitation. Facilitating services or contracts to assist libraries to load records.

While resource sharing through interlibrary loan has continued successfully throughout the last two decades, investigation into record loading into the OCLC WorldCat database has shown that a number of FLIN and MLC libraries have had difficulty fulfilling their stated intentions to keep their records up-to-date. CFLC will be helping members with these issues in the coming year.

In the meantime, CFLC will still be conducting training sessions at CFLC and at Leesburg and Volusia between now and October 1, 2008. However, because of this anticipated change in emphasis in CFLC services, training offerings will probably reduce in both number and scope after that. As always, CFLC strives to furnish quality training to librarians, staff, and patrons.

A 40% cut in grant funding for 2008/2009 from the State of Florida further complicates matters. We do not know yet the level of federal (LSTA) funding for next year.

As we all face tough budget times, I am reminded of one of the great axioms from Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten:

“When you go out into the world, hold hands and stick together.”

Together we can make it through these rough times; we have a lot of talent right in our back yard that we can tap to learn from each other.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing: The Librarian Song

2008-04-04T00:20:00.003-04:00

This is hysterical for pretty much any librarian, but for those with a public service background, it's particularly amusing. Enjoy!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THING

Technology Tales: Shout Out for the Kids

2008-03-31T23:24:00.004-04:00

We've known for a long time that librarians are the best. Now, let's hear it for librarians' children!

Arkansas school has an 11-year-old IT department -- no, really, an 11-year-old

SUBJECTS: TECHNOLOGY TALES

Friday Fun Thing: Article on Libraries

2008-03-18T10:46:00.002-04:00

Not Friday, but a Fun Thing nonetheless and I'm demonstrating for a class how to blog...

Check out this cool article from the March 4, 2008 Woman’s Day:

“The library helped me start my business.”

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THING

CFLC Chronicles: Invitation to Public & Reference Librarians

2008-03-01T12:26:00.002-05:00

Posted on behalf of The State Library of Florida:

Invitation to Participate in a Focus Group: Medical and Health Information
Presented by the State Library of Florida
ATTN: PUBLIC LIBRARIANS, REFERENCE LIBRARIANS

The Information Use Management and Policy Institute (College of Information, Florida State University) is collaborating with the State Library of Florida’s Florida Electronic Library (FEL) to assess the use of medical and consumer health information resources offered by the FEL and assist the administrators, librarians, and users of FEL to better utilize the FEL medical and consumer health information. Our assessment includes focus groups of public, medical, and reference librarians. Each focus group will be about 10-12 participants and the session should last 45 minutes. We will be conducting two (2) focus groups in your Region.

Our assessment would benefit from your expertise to help improve the FEL’s medical and consumer health information resources. Your contribution will benefit other librarians and help inform the development of programs that can address the needs of librarians and schools in the provision of consumer health information.

Your participation in this research project is completely voluntary. Please be assured that all of your responses will be kept confidential and any data collected from the focus group will be reported in aggregate form. Only research personnel involved in this project will have access to the data and encoded data will be kept on secure servers at the College of Information for a period of two years after the project ends.

I hope you will agree to participate in the study and I would be pleased to answer any further questions you may have about the study and your commitment. Please contact CFLC (info listed below) to sign up for the focus group.

For more information, please contact Ebe Randeree (eranderee [at] ci.fsu.edu). Thanks in advance for considering this request.

Representatives from Florida State will conduct focus groups at CFLC in Maitland, FL on March 13th at 11:00am and 1:00pm.

To register for either time, please click here to visit our Training Page or call the CFLC office at 407-644-9050.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; REFERENCE RICHES

CFLC Chronicles: Help! Are We Making a Difference?

2008-02-23T10:35:00.001-05:00

It's grant-writing time around CFLC and we need your input, please!

Does CFLC help you improve your library's service to the public (i.e., end user, student, Web visitor, etc.)? If so, how? These are the questions we are striving to answer as we prepare our LSTA grant application this year.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has conducted a review of Florida's LSTA program. Their concern is that the focus of the grants should be on improving service to the end user. We have been directed by the State Library to show how our programs impact the public, something that is very difficult for us as a non-library to ascertain without asking your help.

If you have any stories about how CFLC's services have impacted your users, please let us hear them by the first week of March. Feel free to make your comments on this blog or via e-mail [contactus (at) cflc.net], or more formally, help us by contributing a letter of support to include with the grant application. Details and more information can be found here.

Thank you for your assistance; your input will help us continue responding to your needs!

SUBJECT: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Things: The Book A Month Challenge

2008-02-22T23:00:00.001-05:00

Meant to post this a while back, but if you hurry, you can still get in on the second month! The Book A Month Challenge (BAM) is one of those simple ideas that is so great you wish you'd thought of it yourself. Katie posts:

Welcome to the Book A Month (BAM) Challenge. Right around the first of the month, every month, we’ll be posting a theme. All you have to do is read a book that corresponds to that theme and post a review, either on your own website/blog and comment with a link to it or in the comments for the post itself.

And lest you think she hasn't thought of everything, there's even a LibraryBAM and a way to get advance notice of the theme in order to plan your library exhibits around it.

Even if you don't feel you can post a review, she's got some great reading suggestions built around her themes. You've missed January's "time" theme (playing catch up IS allowed!), but February's "heart" theme is still beating. (Sorry!)

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

"Globe" Trotting: Stephen C. Foster State Park (GA)

2007-11-28T05:19:00.000-05:00

The globe was trotting over Thanksgiving! It accompanied Kathy Turner (Director of Instructional Programs at CFLC-member Evans Library at the Florida Institute of Technology) to the Stephen C. Foster State Park in Georgia.

According to Kathy, "in its world were the Okefenokee Swamp, black bears, and lots of alligators."

Thanks for sharing, Kathy!

SUBJECTS: "GLOBE" TROTTING

CFLC Chronicles: CFLC Annual Meeting

2007-10-29T08:13:00.000-04:00

CFLC Annual Meeting
Friday, December 7, 2007
9:30 a.m - 10:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Program and Lunch
Central Brevard Library & Reference Center, Cocoa, FL
Cost: $20 for CFLC members

Help spread the word:
Click here for a downloadable flyer in PDF format!

Program will include:
Special Guest: Dorothy Blair

Literacy Librarian, Waggin' Tales Coordinator - St. Lucie County

Founder/Training Director of Star Bright Therapy and Obedience Dogs in St. Lucie County

RSVP by December 1, 2007

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: Librarians Serving the Public Scholarship Program

2007-06-25T08:44:00.000-04:00

Posted by request of the College of Information of Florida State University:

The Florida State University College of Information invites applicants for the Librarians Serving the Public scholarship program. The College of Information has partnered with the Central Florida Library Cooperative (CFLC), the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN), and the Panhandle Library Access Network (PLAN) in this program, which is supported through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. With its partners, the College will recruit and select students to earn the MSLIS degree and to meet the diversity and leadership needs of academic, public, and school libraries in northern and central Florida.
The College is currently able to offer 20 scholarships to begin in Fall 2007. The scholarships will pay tuition for 6 credits of master's degree coursework for 3 semesters (Fall 2007, Spring 2008, and Summer 2008). This is a total of 18 credits, or one-half the MSLIS program at the College. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate a commitment to working in public, academic, and/or school libraries in north or central Florida. Acceptance to the program is also competitive based on the materials submitted in application to Florida State University, the College of Information and to Librarians Serving the Public.
For information about how to apply, visit our web site: http://lsp.ci.fsu.edu/

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Workshop Wealth: CCLA Database Vendor Workshop

2007-06-25T08:20:00.000-04:00

This invitation is posted at the request of CCLA, the College Center for Library Automation:

The College Center for Library Automation (CCLA) is offering a database vendor workshop in your area and would like to invite you to participate. Vendors from Gale and EBSCO will be on hand at Valencia Community College, West Campus on Tuesday, July 24, from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. to demonstrate their resources, offer valuable suggestions and tips for effective searching, and answer your questions about features and functionality. The focus will be on the EBSCO medical databases: CINAHL, PsycARTICLES, Clinical Pharmacology, and the Health Source products and the Gale literature databases: Literature Resource Center, LitFinder, etc. and the new Testing and Education Resource Center. Location information is provided below.
Valencia Community College / West Campus
Address: 1800 South Kirkman Road, Orlando
Building: LRC
Parking: Park in the Gamma parking lot - use staff parking area. The LRC is just south of the lot. No permits required.
Local hotels: Marriott Courtyard/International Drive, 407-351-2244
Maps & driving directions here.
Campus map here.
If you would like to register, please send an email to lmccarthy (at) cclaflorida.org by July 9, 2007 with your name and telephone number.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

Workshop Wealth: Summer Training Schedule

2007-06-05T15:51:00.000-04:00

The training schedule for Summer 2007 (July - September) has been posted to the CFLC Web page here.

A new printed schedule should be arriving soon for those of you on the mailing list. Check out the bounty of summer classes!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

CFLC Chronicles: Leadership Development Opportunity

2007-05-29T15:14:00.000-04:00

Posted by request is this item of interest for all Florida library employees desiring to advance and hone their leadership skills:

Applications are still being accepted for the fourth year of the State Library & Archives of Florida's Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute.

The Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute is a year-long comprehensive series of learning sessions that focuses on developing an understanding of leadership within a conceptual framework and practical applications. Participants will attend 10 days of training throughout the year covering
* mentoring and leadership styles
* exemplary leadership
* leadership and diversity
* present state of leadership
* community advocacy
* the future of leadership

The Institute includes sessions relating to various concepts and skills, using supplemental books, articles, and materials based on participants' needs and interests. The leadership sessions are a combination of lectures and informal, interactive discussions. A variety of small group and large group activities with inventories, surveys, and assessment tools are used to stimulate personal development. Participants take part in a formal mentoring process that matches participants and mentors based on career development interests and geographical location.

This year-long Leadership Institute is open to library staff who exhibit leadership potential, including the ability to share with others enthusiasm, optimism, and vision for the library services of tomorrow. The Institute is open to individuals from all types of libraries (public, academic, school, and special). It is designed for professional librarians, as well as those in management positions without an MLS. Candidates should have a minimum of two years professional library experience and a demonstrated successful professional work experience.

Applicants can apply to attend the Institute in either the Tampa or Daytona area.

Deadline for applications - June 13, 2007 postmark
Selection and notification - August 2007

Complete information about the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute and application forms are available at http://www.neflin.org/leadership.

Contact Stephanie Race at NEFLIN (sslli@neflin.org or 904.278.5620) for more information.

The Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute is made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act grant administered by the Florida Department of State, State Library and Archives of Florida. The Institute is managed by the Northeast Florida Library Information Network.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

"Globe" Trotting: Tulum

2007-05-23T17:22:00.000-04:00

This blogger was gently reminded today of the fact that there's quite a backlog of globe trotting photos that need to be posted. Oops...apologies! Given that more are always wanted and encouraged, it behooves me to post what I've got.

The CFLC globe trotted in late October (ahem!) to Tulum, Mexico, with Diane Henderson, CFLC trainer.

For the curious who want to know more about this interesting place, some general and travel information about Tulum can be found here, here, here and here; a heavily illustrated tour here; and, in Spanish, the official information from the INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) here. Some of the most fascinating information, however, allows photographic comparison with the historic Catherwood illustrations from the Stephens and Catherwood expeditions of the 1840's: Castillo photo here/illustrations here and here; Temple of the Frescoes photo here/illustration here and fresco detail here; site plan of Tulum here; and photo of Temple of the Diving God (also pictured below) here.

SUBJECTS: "GLOBE" TROTTING

CFLC Chronicles: Materials Lists

2007-05-23T04:41:00.000-04:00

CFLC's bulletin boards are a slightly underused membership service, which accounts for this blog post. Head over to the CFLC Virtual Book Exchange Bulletin Board to find three lists of materials available from a member library until May 29. Hurry, hurry!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: Alternatives While Server Is Down

2007-04-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

CFLC is having connectivity issues--we aren't connected and that's an issue!

The power surges caused this weekend by the thunderstorms fried our server. What this means to you is that you're not going to be able to get through to us via our Web pages or our e-mail until our server comes back from being repaired. We as yet have no ETA on its return.

In the meanwhile, please call the office to register for workshops and special events (407/644-9050) or if you need us for any reason.

If you're looking for the CFLC Reference Desk page, until we're back up, you can try using the page as it is archived on the Wayback Machine. The most recent revision there is from May 30, 2006 and is found here; the Spanish language Reference Desk page is from February 15, 2006 and is found here.

Thank you for your patience as we work toward resolving our technical difficulties.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; REFERENCE RICHES

Friday Fun Thing: April Fool's Day

2007-04-02T15:00:00.000-04:00

This Friday Fun Thing is a Monday post, just because it's too good to pass up these wonderful April Fool's Day posts.

Check out the Google post about their new wireless delivery system...via your plumbing! Their new TiSP service is announced here. Be sure and click around the site; the puns are too funny to miss.

And on another Google note, the biblioblogosphere is abuzz with the announcement that Google has acquired OCLC...total world domination is near! The announcement (complete with screenshots) began at ALA TechSource with this brilliant collaborative post and it has been equally well analyzed with follow-up posts by Andrew Pace here and Karen Schneider here. Well worth the read. Nicely done!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THING

Friday Fun Thing: Librarian Dress Up

2007-03-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

Okay, she's got the bun, the books, and the finger-shush, but the outfits are anything BUT stereotypical! Check out the 21st century equivalent of a paper doll here.

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Last Call CE Survey

2007-03-21T12:29:00.000-04:00

The time is closing in on the CFLC Continuing Education (CE) Committee survey (previously described here). If you haven't already done so, please take a very few minutes before the end of this month to complete the CE survey found here (http://zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB225TJ7KWU73) and tell us what you REALLY think.

All library staff are encouraged to participate, since the more types of libraries and library personnel are represented, the broader and more realistic the picture of local needs will be.

If you have already completed the survey, thank you for your time, feedback, opinions, and ideas. You are helping CFLC help you!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: Member Profile

2007-03-19T21:11:00.000-04:00

Nice profile of a CFLC member, Deb Ebster of the Universal Orlando Foundation Library at Rosen College (UCF), here in the Job of a Lifetime column of the C&RL News, February 2007, Vol. 68, No. 2.

Congratulations, Deb!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing: Cat in the Hat's Birthday

2007-03-09T13:21:00.000-05:00

The Cat in the Hat is turning 50! (Do you now feel old?)

"For every Cat in the Hat Birthday Card received by mail or online, Random House Children's Books will donate one book to First Book (up to 1,000,000 books). Official Cat in the Hat Birthday Cards can be found in the first printing of The Cat in the Hat Party Edition (on sale 1/9/2007), at participating retailers hosting an NEA Read Across America Event, or online at www.catinthehat.com."

As of this writing, Florida is ranked #43 out of 52, so click here to link directly to the card and send the Cat birthday greetings!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

Blog Business: Comments

2007-02-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

With apologies to readers who wish to leave legitimate comments, this blog has been hit by a rash of spam comments today and I have temporarily turned the comments off. If you have a comment that's honestly related to the content of any of the posts, you may e-mail me at the address listed and I will post your comments. Sorry for the inconvenience!

SUBJECTS: BLOG BUSINESS

Friday Fun Thing Early: Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T07:20:00.000-05:00

Saw a brief news piece this morning that in essence said, "If you've blown Valentine's Day presents for this year, here's something new to consider for next year," and then showed "Rainbow Roses." It is not what you might be thinking, i.e., a bouquet of multi-colored blooms.

Instead, a product of Holland, they are amazing-looking artificially created real roses; the producer's site states, "Due to a unique colouring application, every rose petal receives its own cheerful colour." See them here and here and on the producer's site with other flowers being treated similarly here.

As a related fun aside, don't forget to pay attention to the Google Valentine logo today...yum!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Mandatory Reading

2007-02-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

Last week, the biblioblogospheric buzz belonged to one particular blog post. No fewer than four people (and countless library blogs) pointed out to me that I ought to include in this blog a pointer to Are Librarians Totally Obsolete? 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important at the DegreeTutor site. Boy, were they right! (Thank you, all of you!)

In a reading round-up, here are some of the best substantive pieces I've come across discussing this quasi-manifesto:

For links to a couple of similar pieces, check out Shooting yourself in the foot, arguing about Library issues with patrons on Stotan!
In Public Libraries and Adapting to the Change to Virtual Community at The Shifted Librarian, Jenny Levine provides both great commentary on the 33 Reasons... piece as well as links to some good library role models.
There's also some good back-and-forth conversation on a couple of school library blogs: About our obsolescence at Joyce Valenza's NeverEndingSearch Blog and Librarian-proofing library programs at Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog.
Finally, in a totally different take, the Alloway Library Blog (Canada's Trinity Western University) on MySpace gives quite a bit of ink (or 1's and 0's) to the piece, but under the critical-thinking heading of Question the Sources.

If all this verbiage is too much to tackle, at the very least, read the original 33 good reasons. Read them; share them; take them to heart; and by all means, take them to policy makers and those who fund libraries. (My favorite summary comment about it [here from LibrarianInBlack]: "I would advise keeping this handy for the next time your city, citizens, students, administrations, etc. start rumbling about how there's really no need for libraries any more. Between this article and a stun gun, you should be well set to defend yourself.")

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing Redux: Beauty Without Brains

2007-02-12T16:56:00.000-05:00

I've been asked to post the Mercedes commercial again now that it's slipped off the front page to make it easier to find for a longer period of time. You'll be happy to know this time I've found it as a YouTube file so it won't play automatically and loudly every time the page opens!

For those who didn't see it the first time through, enjoy. For others, enjoy it again!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Kingston Trio

2007-02-11T07:02:00.000-05:00

Kudos to the Mount Dora Library Association for a very nice, very nostalgic, and very sold-out concert last night with the Kingston Trio.

Kudos (big ones!) also to the Kingston Trio who have just celebrated their 50th anniversary! And talk about "the show must go on"...one member had just broken his leg the day before. The concert ended as he ran out of Vicodin. ("But the lights are really pretty!")

Should you be jealous or chagrined for having missed this opportunity, don't despair. Just click on the Association's website for information on the special "back by popular demand" performance scheduled for February 9th next year. It was announced last night that tickets would go on sale March 1st.

Now, if someone could just tell me how to get M.T.A. out of my head...poor Charlie, riding forever 'neath the streets of Boston (and between my ears!).

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing: Ms. Dewey

2007-02-09T08:48:00.000-05:00

This should actually be a Tuesday's Tool, but it's so different that it qualifies as a Friday Fun Thing...

Check out this Flash-based "interactive" search engine, Ms. Dewey. (And be sure you have your sound on!) I have looked it up and read about it and if you want to learn more, there are (currently) 223 blog entries here. Basically, it doesn't add or detract from simply going there and playing, however, so I'll let it go at, "Try it, you'll be intrigued!"

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS; TUESDAY'S TOOLS; WEB SEARCH STUFF

CFLC Chronicles: Continuing Education Survey

2007-02-08T07:20:00.000-05:00

From now until the end of February, CFLC is seeking your input - tell us what you REALLY think and help CFLC help you!

How can we meet your needs as a creative learner? Are there any courses or programs that you would like to see offered? What about times and methods of teaching? Here’s your chance to let us know what you need and want!

The CFLC Continuing Education (CE) committee would love to hear from you during February about your needs for continuing education topics, times, and methods. This will help CFLC plan upcoming workshops and continue to deliver high-quality and useful continuing education classes suited to your needs.

Are you a Librarian, a paraprofessional, a volunteer, or a library board member? Your opinions and requirements will help shape offerings that will meet your needs and represent you properly.

All library staff are encouraged to participate, since the more types of libraries and library personnel are represented, the broader and more realistic the picture of local needs will be.

The CE Committee is conducting this survey online using a company called Zoomerang. It is easy and quick - expect it to take only around five minutes of your time. The survey can be completely anonymous, though you can choose to input your name, in which case, your individual responses will be kept confidential. There's no need to gather any information ahead of time, as most of the questions just ask for your opinion.

Please take a very few minutes to complete CFLC's 2007 Continuing Education Survey, found here:

http://zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB225TJ7KWU73

Help us spread the word to your co-workers and colleagues in other libraries. You can download a flyer in Word document format here and as a PDF here.

Thank you in advance for your time. We appreciate and welcome your honest feedback, opinions, and ideas.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Wednesday's Weblogs: Best of Blogs Award Nominations

2007-02-07T23:11:00.000-05:00

Over at this page, they're accepting nominations in various categories for the 2006 Best of Blogs.

They're designed to recognize small blogs, so think of those hidden gems you read and nominate them by midnight EST on Friday, February 16. Voting will begin Friday, March 2.

There's actually not a form to nominate; you simply post a comment in the appropriate category with the name of the blog you're nominating.

Vote early and often(!).

SUBJECTS: WEDNESDAY'S WEBLOGS

Friday Fun Thing: Antiques Roadshow

2007-02-03T16:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday wasn't much of a day for fun things, so here's one a day late, courtesy of Diane H.'s sleuthing skills...

Wondering about that old "thing" Aunt Tillie has stashed in her attic? Here's your chance to find fame and fortune with it: Antiques Roadshow will be coming to Orlando during its 2007 Tour! See information at their page here about how to submit items and get tickets for the June 30th show. Online ticket application has begun already, so if you want to go, don't dally!

BTW, if you can't bring yourself to appear in public (or aren't chosen to do so) with Aunt Tillie's "thing," the page also has an interesting section on tips of the trade for do-it-yourself appraisals. Enjoy!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Weather Aftermath

2007-02-02T12:19:00.000-05:00

As far as CFLC has been able to ascertain, member libraries came through the Central Florida tornadoes last night pretty well. The two counties appearing in the news as the most affected are Lake and Volusia. In Lake County, the library in Lady Lake is closed today because the power is out and there are a few staff members who have damage to their houses. Volusia County reports that all of their buildings are fine and that they have no reports yet of staff members with home damage.

Stetson closed for part of the day because of power outages, but buildings and staff are fine. Embry-Riddle came through last night's events unscathed but updated us on the aftermath of the Christmas Day tornado, saying "The library damage was minor compared to the campus but we still lost 780 books. The repairs have been made except for one so we are good to go." Having been to a meeting there earlier this month, I can tell you how massive and impressive the effort was on the part of the staff to get up and running again in such a timely fashion.

Kudos to ERAU and gratitude that all the recent weather events were not worse. Take an object lesson and make sure your library and home disaster and safety plans are up-to-date! Should you need it, CFLC has a Web page here that references a number of excellent disaster planning and mitigation resources.

Let us know if there are damaged libraries that we missed or that need help from CFLC or its members!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Wednesday's Weblogs: Weblog Awards

2007-01-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

Vote now for the Seventh Annual Weblog Awards, the 2007 Bloggies. Thirty categories (with five blogs each) of some of the best blogs around are presented for your viewing, reading, and voting pleasure.

Voting will close at 10:00 PM EST on Friday, February 2. The winners will be posted at the same site on Monday, March 12.

SUBJECTS: WEDNESDAY'S WEBLOGS

Workshop Wealth: OCLS Technology Webinars

2007-01-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

The CFLC Mailbag has been busy; here's another request for posting, this time from CFLC member, Orange County Library System:

Pushing It Forward:
Taking Your Library to the Next Level!

Our technology series can give you the edge you need. The Orange County Library System is a recognized leader in information technology. Grab lunch (or breakfast!), login and join colleagues from around the country for presentations by OCLS staff, discussion and idea sharing online.

Reserve Your Seat Today!
$75 per session or $199 for entire series

******
Tame the Beasts: Try a little TLC with your Teens
February 13, 2007
1 p.m. EST
Duration 1.5 hours

Learn how the Orange County Library System's Teen Library Corps (TLC) engages teens in the library and the community through volunteer service. Find out how you can develop a similar approach for teens to give back a little "TLC" by volunteering their time, talents and youthful ideas to innovative library projects and programs.

You will hear from:
Danielle King , Youth Programs Coordinator

RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!

******
Get Them with Gaming: Teen Gamers and Libraries
February 20, 2007
1 p.m. EST
Duration 1.5 hours

Gamers are comfortable in the virtual environment but are not gracing the threshold of libraries. Providing gaming services to youths in our community creates the foundation for a lifetime of library patronage. OCLS offers games to check out, game nights and gaming consoles. Come and listen to how we are bridging the generation gap with our gaming initiative.

You will hear from:
Sheri Chambers, Digital Content Manager
Carolyn McClendon, Assistant Manager
Jeff Johnson, Technology & Customer Support Specialist

RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!

******
Library Security Today: Tools Used For a Safe Library
February 27, 2007
1 p.m. EST
Duration 1.5 hours

Join us for a presentation and discussion on security in the library. Orange County Library System uses a number of tools to help protect our patrons, staff and materials from harm. Topics covered include: Rules of Conduct, Incident Reports, Trespass Warnings, Security Camera DVR Systems and staff only card access doors.

You will hear from:
Craig Goetzke, Security & Maintenance Department Head

RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!

******
Registration deadline is 24 hours prior to the webinar.

SUBJECTS: WORKSHOP WEALTH

Workshop Wealth: Information Architecture

2007-01-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

Another posting request from the CFLC Mailbag:

Information Architecture
[A Special Libraries Association
Florida & Caribbean Chapter Workshop]

Friday, February 09, 2007
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Registration: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Largo Public Library, Jenkins B
120 Central Park Drive
Largo, FL 33770

Information architecture (IA) is a new and growing field that deals with the structure, navigation, and findability of information on the Web. Gain an understanding of IA by attending this full-day workshop.

Ms. Diane Austin, Instructor at University of South Florida , will conduct the workshop. Through lecture, discussion and exercises learn more about IA, understanding the user experience and IA tools.

Registration fee (includes lunch):
$40.00 SLA/ALA/FLA/etc
$50.00 Non-member
$20.00 MLS students (Student workshop grants are available)

See the website for more information, registration, and directions.

Registration ends Monday, February 05, 2007. Direct questions to Liz Bumgarner, 813-878-6245, (liz.bumgarner [at] custserv.com).

SUBJECT: WORKSHOP WEALTH

CFLC Chronicles: FAMU Open House

2007-01-29T15:27:00.000-05:00

From the CFLC mailbag, a request to post the following invitation:

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF LAW LIBRARY

INVITES LIBRARIANS AND STAFF
TO OUR LAW LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15, 2007
2 – 4 PM (Light Refreshments will be served)

201 BEGGS AVENUE
ORLANDO, FL 32801
(located across from the Federal Building)

PLEASE RSVP BY 12 NOON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH TO:
OHFAMU [at] EARTHLINK.NET

Parking available in lot under I-4 on Hughey Ave., in front of Federal Building

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing: Beauty Without Brains

2007-01-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks and kudos to Kristen M., a CFLC member who forwarded the following Friday Fun (and FUNNY!) Thing. If you don't have speakers, find somewhere that does, because it's mandatory in this hysterical commercial. If it doesn't play all the way through (and I'm having that problem about half the times I've tried it from the player below), click here for the original site. It's well worth it.

Video and Code Provided by WhoIsTheMonkey.com

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Happy New Year!

2007-01-08T00:51:00.000-05:00

With this blogger back from a very nice long vacation out of town ("globe trotting" pix to follow soon!), the CFLC Currents blog is back from hiatus and wishing you a very Happy New Year and best wishes for 2007!

Aside from several hundred spam messages, also found in my clogged e-mail box were requests to post the following two major announcements about Florida Library Association opportunities.

Registration Desk Opportunities - Conference 2007

The Registration Subcommittee is looking for volunteers to staff the registration desk during Florida Library Association’s Annual Conference 2007. Working the Registration Desk is a wonderful networking opportunity. You will meet FLA Members from all over the State!

If you are interested in volunteering two hours of your time at the Registration Desk during Conference 2007, please email your complete contact information to Chris Barber (cbar2[at]osceola.org).

The days/dates for volunteering are:
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
See you there!

FLA Poster Session and Roundtables

Looking for a great way to start out the New Year? Well, I’ve got the answer for you! Apply for a Poster Session or Roundtable at the 2007 FLA Annual Conference, 10-13 April. Poster Sessions and Roundtables are a great way to let the Florida library community know about your research, best practices, and the hottest topics today. Both are also great ways to network. So get started on those resolutions and apply for a Poster Session or Roundtable today. Applications are accepted until 31 January 2007.

To apply for a Poster Session go here: http://library.ucf.edu/Presentations/FLA2007/PosterSession.htm

To apply for a Roundtable go here: http://library.ucf.edu/Presentations/FLA2007/Roundtable.htm

Please direct any and all questions to Jason Martin (mjmartin[at]mail.ucf.edu).

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; FLA FILINGS

Friday Fun Thing: Holidays

2006-12-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

Need to work on a last-minute holiday display, bulletin board, bookmark, or press release? Don't forget the Census Bureau's Facts for Features & Special Editions can help. The release for 2006's The Holiday Season has been out for some time now. (Actually, the one for Valentine's Day 2007 is out, for those of you who work on the opposite end of the early/late spectrum!)

Now, I'm off to add my cards and letters to the 20 billion "letters, packages and cards the U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year."

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

Friday Fun Thing: Harry Potter #7 Title Announced

2006-12-21T16:06:00.000-05:00

Friday Fun Thing a little early this week: J. K. Rowling has just announced the title for the last Harry Potter book...sort of. (And no, there's no publication date yet.) See this post for an explanation and link to the game she's created to let you discover it yourself. Or, if you can't stand it, look on Amazon for the announcement or search Google News for dozens of articles.

By the way, be sure to notice that Google is all dressed up for the holidays!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Office Closed

2006-12-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

The CFLC Office is closing today, December 21, at noon and will remain closed until Wednesday, January 3, 2007.

We wish you all happy holidays!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: New Direction

2006-12-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

"New Direction" is subject line of this note sent by Daniel Wright, Member Services Librarian, on December 14 to his CFLC mailing list:

Today I submitted my resignation to the Central Florida Library Cooperative, closing the cover of a, wonderful, six year book. My last day in the office will be Thursday December 21, 2006.

I shall be assuming the position of Information & Instructional Librarian at the Palmer College of Chiropractic, Florida campus, in Port Orange starting Wednesday, January 3, 2007. http://www.palmer.edu/PCCF/default.htm They have been a CFLC member since they opened.

If you have any service related question for the time being please contact my long suffering Executive Director, Marta Westall.

Today is Daniel's official last day and we wish him the best of luck in his new position at Palmer. We're delighted that his new library is a CFLC member, so we'll still see him around. The office will certainly be a quieter and duller place without him! Farewell, Dan, and fare well, Dan!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Wednesday's Weblogs: Lifehacker

2006-12-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

No time to do a long post on a single subject with lots of blogs featured, so instead, today I'm listing one of my favorite blogs around: Lifehacker. The tag line for the blog is:

Computers make us more productive. Yeah, right. Lifehacker recommends the software downloads and web sites that actually save time. Don't live to geek; geek to live.

I follow up and save more posts from this blog than almost any other I read. Very useful, very informative, very fun stuff here. Try it, you'll like it!

SUBJECTS: WEDNESDAY'S WEBLOGS

Workshop Wealth: Collaborative Web

2006-12-18T08:51:00.000-05:00

Two objectives here...first, to create something for the Collaborative Web workshop (tomorrow; register here) that would show off Flickr and Bubblr and second, to also share some information about Librarian Trading Cards (mentioned in an earlier Friday Fun Things post here). Okay, it's not great, but it gives you the definite idea that with some creativity and just a small time investment, you could do something clever and a lot better than this. :-)

SUBJECTS: WORKSHOP WEALTH

CFLC Chronicles: Time Person of the Year

2006-12-18T06:02:00.000-05:00

Me! Oh, not me...You! Well, yes, me. All of us! Cool.

"Person of the Year: You. Yes, you. You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world."

"...for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you."

Here's the whole article, complete with discussion of Web 2.0 and some of its implications. (And if you'd like to learn more, register here for two timely workshops in Volusia tomorrow, Tuesday, December 19, the Collaborative Web and Folksonomies classes.)

Enjoy my your 15 minutes of fame!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

Friday Fun Things: Free Stuff

2006-12-15T09:39:00.000-05:00

In this season of giving, it seems appropriate to feature a page full of free goodies, courtesy of DK Publishing, Inc. (part of the Penguin Group). Features a number of e-cards, screensavers, wallpapers, and quizzes.

While you're there, check out their outrageous Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns! (Doesn't someone on your gift list deserve this?!)

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

Blog Business: WriteToMyBlog

2006-12-15T08:33:00.000-05:00

These early paragraphs are being edited in Blogger after the rest of the post was posted from WriteToMyBlog (described below), in order to tell you what I found after using it. Skip to below the asterisks if you don't want the postmortem.

Above the asterisks is the Blogger default format; below is WriteToMyBlog's. The program inserted a title, which I chose to edit and it instructs you to turn off automatic line breaks in Blogger, which promptly reformatted the whole blog, much to its detriment. Therefore, I'm having to go in after the fact and take out the double breaks. The one thing I can't seem to quite get right, though, without spending an inordinate amount of time trying to figure it out is the spacing before the table. Sorry it looks funny; it looked fine before I published it, but looking at the published table, I see breaks that are inserted as I publish. I can't make them go away if they're not there beforehand and I'm not willing to mess with the formatting of the whole blog for the sake of one experimental table. :-(

*******************************
This is an experimental post written with a relatively new free blogging tool, WriteToMyBlog , which allows creating and posting from their site to multiple blogs simultaneously (if you have more than one). A large number of ~~frmts~~ formats (for example) and symbols (e.g., ♥, £, ¼) are featured (more than I've found on Blogger without having to go into the HTML), and there's a good tour on the site plus an example post that gives you a feel for what is possible. The comments in the example post explain a number of issues.

Want Tables?
WriteToMyBlog	Also	Allows	Easy	Table	Insertion	&
Editing	Without	Having	To	Know	HTML	!

There's a spellchecker... también en otros idiomas (also in other languages) - though it won't correct bad grammar! There is a field for tags (I simply accepted theirs) and it also supports trackback, but be aware that Blogger doesn't support the latter (one of the things explained in the example).

It's easy to post photos from a Flickr account or videos from YouTube, but to post from the C:\ drive, which is normal for me, it's a bit more cumbersome than Blogger, ergo, no photo here.

For those of you who blog, try it out and kick the tires!

SUBJECTS: BLOG BUSINESS

Tags: WriteToMyBlog, blog, blog+client

Web Search Stuff: Patents

2006-12-14T19:51:00.000-05:00

Google has for some time had the ability to link to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database record for a patent when the search was the word "patent" followed by the patent number. (See here for instructions, see results here, and click on the link by the magnifying glass to link out to the USPTO record.)

Today, however, Google announced the availability of its beta Google Patent Search. This allows searching by much more than the patent number and relies on the same technology it uses for the Google Book Search to display the patent itself, complete with abstract, drawings, description, and claims. Drawing on dim and faraway lessons learned when a former job included workshops on how to search various patent databases, I recalled a couple of truly unusual patents to try to find. To test the system if you can't come up with an example of your own, try searching on the terms "hijacking syringe" (horrifying!) or "centrifugal birth" (a mental image of a breathless nurse running alongside with a catcher's mitt or a fishing net ALWAYS makes me laugh!) .

I should also take the time to remind folks that for most Central Florida libraries, the University of Central Florida Library is the closest patent depository library and they have some excellent search aids, tutorials, and tools for inventors linked on their government documents pages.

SUBJECTS: WEB SEARCH STUFF; REFERENCE RICHES

Wednesday’s Weblogs: Reference

2006-12-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

I was recently asked by a CFLC member who has to recapture some e-mail subscriptions if I could recommend some good e-mail lists for reference work. In contemplating it, I felt this might make a useful blog post for others as well.

My first recommendation, having used an RSS aggregator for quite a while now, would be to subscribe to as many lists as you can via a reader rather than via e-mail. (Here and here are good articles on what RSS is all about.) There are a number of good readers/aggregators out there, some requiring downloading software and some available over the Web. There are a couple of good articles comparing readers here and here. My personal favorite (because it was free, easy, and readily available at the time I started reading blogs) is Bloglines. There's a great article by Joy Weese Moll that will walk newbies through how to use it, Bloglines for Librarians in Three (and a half) Easy Steps, and another with a lot of screenshots, Using Bloglines (or How to keep up with dozens of blogs everyday).

Once subscribed to a reader, most of them have lists of popular feeds from which you can select. However, you can also enter the RSS addresses or URLs for specific blogs and lists and subscribe to them that way.

Since the actual question I was asked had to do with reference, here are some excellent choices for staying up-to-date with Web sites useful for reference work:

Librarians' Internet Index New This Week (Weekly listing of "between thirty to sixty websites representing the best of the Web" added to LII.): RSS & e-mail
ResearchBuzz ("News about search engines, databases, and other information collections."): RSS & e-mail both available here
Resource Shelf ("A daily newsletter with resources of interest to information professionals, educators and journalists."): RSS & e-mail
DocuTicker (Daily companion to the above, focusing on "new reports from government agencies, ngo's, think tanks, and other groups."): RSS & e-mail (incorporated into the above newsletter)
Internet Resources Newsletter (From a British University library, a "free monthly newsletter for academics, students, engineers, scientists and social scientists."): RSS & e-mail
Sites and Soundbytes (Blog from the director of a public library in Wisconsin, this also has a great set of similar links under the sideblog header "where i find my sites" [sic].): RSS only
CFLC Currents (This blog...sorry, had to add it! "Tuesday's Tools" feature some Web reference tools, databases, etc.): RSS only
Library Link of the Day ("[P]rovides you a daily link for keeping up to date with the library profession..."): RSS & e-mail
FreePint (Slight British/European and business slant to "a global network of people who find, use, manage and share work-related information."): partial content via RSS & newsletter via e-mail
Stumpers-L ("The Stumpers list is a place for librarians (and others) to discuss reference questions which they are unable to answer using available resources..."): e-mail only
LIBREF-L ("Discussion of Library Reference Issues."): e-mail only

That probably is enough for an introductory post about reference blogs. I'll take on some other topical blogs in future posts.

What other reference-related blogs or e-mail lists do you read and recommend?

SUBJECTS: WEDNESDAY'S WEBLOGS

Tuesday's Tool: YouSENDIt

2006-12-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

Great new tool that can help libraries with patrons who have no e-mail address, don't want to set up a free account, but still want to send files to someone who does have e-mail: YouSENDIt. Read more about it here at the fairly new Library Zen blog/wiki (LISZEN).

NOTE: Post edited to correct case in title.

SUBJECTS: TUESDAY'S TOOLS

CFLC Chronicles: FAME Exhibits

2006-12-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

Here are some belatedly posted pictures of the booth sponsored by Florida's Multitype Library Cooperatives at the recent Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) Conference in Orlando in early November. Pictured here are Daniel Wright of CFLC and Christopher Jones of SWFLN (Southwest Florida Library Network). The real subtitle here should be "With Sponsorship, You Get Eggroll, er, Sombrero!"

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing: Which Famous Novel Are You?

2006-12-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

A very brief, VERY informal survey (complete with some typos, unfortunately) by a teen for teens, but right up the library alley. It could easily be used on a Web page or on a blog to generate some (especially) teen interest and activity...

Which Famous Novel Are You? (Pictures)
Hound of Baskervilles (BY: Arthur Conan Doyle) You love mystery novels and can't turn down a riddle or a predicament. You are mysterious and interesting.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

Tuesday's Tool: Historical Maps on Google Earth

2006-11-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have downloaded the most recent version of Google Earth (Release 4, Beta), among several new features, there's a cool one there that allows overlaying historical maps onto the satellite imagery.

Announcement of the feature is here; a list of available maps is here; and a review from SearchEngineWatch with a number of screenshots is here.

SUBJECTS: TUESDAY'S TOOLS

CFLC Chronicles: SSLLI Kick-Off

2006-11-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

From Marta Westall, CFLC Director:

What a privilege!

SSLLI - I attended the first session of the State Library and Archives' Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute in Ocala earlier this month and Suzi was at the first session in Ft. Lauderdale last week. If you are not familiar with this project, the basics are: "The program identifies strategies designed to assist the State Library and Archives of Florida in helping libraries to develop and maintain leadership skill levels in their organizations and to identify and assist individuals in developing and maintaining self leadership skill development. The Program's goals include a focus on succession planning, talent management, and leadership career development." The head of the program is Janine Golden of the State Library of Florida.

Both Suzi and I were mentors to program participants last year and have been asked to mentor again this year. We each had the privilege of being asked to speak to the participants for the 2006/2007 year. Librarians statewide compete for admission to the program and then select mentors for their year-long participation. I am honored to have been asked to mentor Lisa Taylor of the Osceola Library System, while Suzi will be mentoring Bianca Rodriguez from Indian River Community College. I just wish there had been a program like this when I was fumbling along in my career!

If you are interested in more detail about the program see the Web site at http://www.neflin.org/leadership/.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing: Veterans Day

2006-11-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

As with a couple of previous Friday Fun Things, this may stretch the definition of "fun." I couldn't, however, let Veterans Day pass without acknowledgement (and a thank you to my father and brother for their service, as well as to my CFLC colleague Dawn and her husband for theirs) and passing along information about a worthy and not-well-enough-known project.

For teachers, those making exhibits, and others, there is an official Veterans Day site from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that gives curricular ideas, poster galleries, presidential proclamations, regional observances and ceremonies, and more.

As of 2000, the Veterans History Project (part of the American Folklife Project from the Library of Congress) is actively collecting "stories of wartime service." More information can be found on their About page and on their "Participate in the Program" page. Thank a Veteran by helping tell and forever preserve their stories!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: 2006 National Young Readers Day

2006-11-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

National Young Readers Day for 2006 is Tuesday, November 14. The day was originally "created by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in 1989 as a way to celebrate literacy in schools." This is the 16th anniversary of the celebration and this Web site (actually part of the BookIt! program's site) provides Starter Kits and ideas for promoting the day.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

"Globe" Trotting: Indianapolis

2006-11-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

Take a look over at the entry "New Main - When?" to see not only the latest CFLC globe trotting pix (it went to Indianapolis), but also the fact that the globe "trotted" to another blog, the VCPLBlog! (That's two globe entries now for them...)

Thanks for the entry and heads-up, Sue!

SUBJECTS: "GLOBE" TROTTING

Friday Fun Thing: Blooper Humor

2006-11-04T20:11:00.000-05:00

This Friday Fun Thing is inspired by an e-mail from a colleague who loves editorial gaffes in general and church bulletin humor in particular as much as I do. Noticing that each compilation I've seen forwarded usually has at least one or two unique entries, I went searching to see what I could find and discovered a wealth of slippery-fingered follies. Disclaimer: I did not go beyond the church bulletin pages on any of these sites, so cannot guarantee that the sites themselves are PG or that all the humor therein is appropriate...

For a good time and at least a couple of unique entries per page, see Church Bulletin Bloopers (and its other related blooper sites here), Humorous Church Bulletins, Actual Announcements from Church Bulletins, Bloopers in Church Bulletins, and an article from Christian Century containing bloopers not on any of the above lists, Unconscious pleasures: typographical errors in church bulletins. Finally, if you're still hanging in there, on a not-quite-so-funny note (though referencing some fairly horrifying misquotes) is this editorial from USA Today titled The media, God, and gaffes.

In joy....er, enjoy!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: PLAN Annual Meeting

2006-11-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

Spent an enjoyable if rainy Friday in Niceville, FL, last week participating in PLAN's Annual Meeting. One of the coolest things I learned there is that the College of Information at FSU is considering Second Life as a place to hold "virtual graduations" for their globally dispersed distance education students so that they can actually gather in one place (with their friends and relatives) and "walk" across the stage to receive their diplomas. (Second Life is a 3D virtual online world with some 1.1 million "residents" -- and, by the way, it has a real and vibrant library presence. I've been planning to do a blog entry about it; in light of this posting, I'll bump that up on the list from "eventually" to "soon.")

Way to think outside of the box (or would that literally be inside the box?), FSU!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Friday Fun Thing: Snakes in a Library

2006-10-27T19:09:00.000-04:00

Appropriate to nearly Halloween is this article describing Snake on Lam in Library. (There's a pretty amusing accompanying video on the page, too.)

The (sort of) funny part is the statement "...circulation and visits to the library have been down since [the snake's] escape." Go figure...!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

Library Journal Call for Nominations

2006-10-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

Sort of on the run today, so this will simply point you to more thorough information in the blog It's All Good, where they explain that Library Journal is calling for nominations for the sixth annual supplement to Library Journal's Movers and Shakers issue. Another hurry, hurry, though, as the deadline is November 1. Nominate those dynamic emerging leaders!!

SUBJECTS: ALA ASSORTMENTS

ALA Assortments: "Participatory Networks: The Library As Conversation"

2006-10-25T09:32:00.000-04:00

Coming exactly one month late to this issue, this post describes an opportunity for feedback that remains good for today only...hurry, hurry!

The American Library Association and the Information Institute of Syracuse have put out a public draft of Participatory Networks: The Library As Conversation (see background information in the Library Journal article '"The Library as Conversation" Moves into 21st Century') and have asked for feedback. Putting their money where their mouths are, so to speak, the opportunity for public comment was opened for a month and includes feedback mechanisms of e-mail, an online discussion forum, and a wiki. A "syndication center" keeps track of all the comments and changes in one place.

Although the comments are open only through today, October 25, you can still get a flavor of some of the debate by reading this blog post and comments at librarian.net. and some more musings from this post at Library 2.0: An Academic's Perspective.

SUBJECTS: ALA ASSORTMENTS

Tuesday's Tool: Conference Tracking How-To's

2006-10-24T23:49:00.001-04:00

This week is the Internet Librarian 2006 (IL2006, usually) in Monterey, CA. Sigh. This is the tenth anniversary of a favorite conference (having attended the very first one, a relatively intimate affair!) and this blogger is currently suffering from conference lust. The attempt to slake it uncovered a good model for real-time conference reporting/investigating.

For anyone who hasn't tried to "virtually" attend a physical conference recently, there are amazing numbers of tools that help you do so. Using the IL2006 example, there's a very (so far) underused reporting page on their conference planning wiki (ALA has better models for this, but most IL2006 attendees have their own blogs and are reporting there) and also an official blog from the conference sponsor, Information Today, Inc. However, for tracking the majority of the reporting and other goings-on in all the various unofficial sources, one must be more creative and far-ranging. There's Technorati, tags IL2006 and IL06; there's flickr, tags IL2006 and IL06; there's del.icio.us, tags IL2006 and IL06. There are definitely many more than this, but time is not an unlimited quantity and for now, mission accomplished; conference lust slaked!

SUBJECTS: TUESDAY'S TOOLS; WORKSHOP WEALTH

Friday Fun Thing: Halloween

2006-10-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

How can Halloween and all its spooky goodness on the Web possibly go unacknowledged as a Friday Fun Thing?

First, a reminder of last year's post on same that refers you to appropriate parts of the CFLC Web page with lots and lots of Halloween sites.

Next, a couple of new things that have been added (or at least found) since. Falling squarely into the "Fun Thing" category, Theoworld's virtual Jack-o-Lantern allows you to carve your own pumpkin online (here's my totally untraditional one - yet another reason not to give up my day job!) for a greeting card you can send your friends. [Warning for those at work, it loads with loud music on.] The Dark Side of the Net: Halloween Food, Recipes and Cooking is the ultimate Halloween food resource, providing a huge collection of links to Halloween food sites of all sorts: lo-cal; diabetic; vegan; traditional; more! Need spooky sounds for your presentations, displays, or parties? Try FindSounds under "holidays" for Halloween creaks, laughs, screams, and, and, and... Finally, for just general all around Halloween games, coloring pages, virtual haunted house, and more, check out the Ben & Jerry's Halloween Fun Stuff site.

Bwahh-ha-ha!

CFLC Chronicles: CFLC "Ask a Librarian" Trifecta

2006-10-19T11:20:00.000-04:00

The statewide Ask a Librarian service has just announced the winners of the best transcripts for Summer 2006, viewable here. All three transcripts are from CFLC members! Congratulations to Regina Seguin of Valencia Community College for her detailed chat, to Nicole Heintzelman of Winter Park Public Library for her brief chat, and (I was asked to blog this, honest!) to me for my teaching chat.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

"Globe" Trotting: Paris Redux

2006-10-18T14:35:00.000-04:00

Evidently, the globe likes France! This time, it visited the City of Light (or at least some of its eateries and libraries) with Linda Dahlquist from the New Smyrna Beach branch of Volusia County Public Library. It's blogged about at their blog here. Thanks for sharing, VCPL!

SUBJECTS: "GLOBE" TROTTING

Tuesday's Tool: Internet Public Library

2006-10-17T23:19:00.000-04:00

If you haven't run across the Internet Public Library, or haven't checked it out recently, it deserves a good look or revisit. Aside from being a really good general reference tool, there are several special features that make this even more useful.

Take a look at one of the most comprehensive collections of literary criticism resources (along with an accompanying pathfinder) on the Web. Then there's the Reading Room, with its own magazine and newspaper collections, plus a lengthy list of collections of electronic books. You'll also find Associations on the Net, a categorized list of worthwhile blogs, and a FARQ file, frequently asked reference questions (e.g., what are the "-gry" words and how do you cite electronic sources?).

In the IPL Kidspace, there's not only the excellent Science Fair Project Resource Guide, but there's also the POTUS biographies of the U.S. Presidents.

The IPL TeenSpace has homework help, a poetry wiki, a guide to graphic novels, and much more.

As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."

SUBJECTS: TUESDAY'S TOOLS

CFLC Chronicles: Public Library Director's Conference

2006-10-16T06:30:00.000-04:00

From Marta Westall, CFLC Director:

I just got back from the annual Library Director's Conference which was in Jacksonville this year. Hats off to the State Library of Florida for a very interesting and informative array of programs.

Some of the events are just plain fun, since I see people from around the state that I only see once a year at this conference; sort of a version of Same Time, Next Year.

Programs included: Florida's Future; Future of Libraries; A Vision for Florida's Public Libraries; and Popular Culture, Technology and the Library's Future.

Our sister cooperative NEFLIN did its usual fabulous job on the logistics for the conference.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

FLA Filings: Yet More Belated FLA Annual Conference

2006-10-15T11:39:00.000-04:00

Functional Shift: New Library Services in a Changing World was a presentation by Carla J. Stoffle, Dean of Libraries and Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson, at the Florida Library Association 2006 Annual Conference. [NOTE: As of this posting, the links for FLA are not working, as the Web site is being moved to another ISP.]

The program description read: "Academic libraries are experiencing a seismic shift in how they are used. There is growing evidence that users are no longer coming into the library or requesting traditional services. Circulation and reference numbers are dropping across the country. The academic community demands distant and 24/7 access to information and other library services. Carla Stoffle, Dean of Libraries and Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tuscon, will discuss how libraries are changing to meet this demand."

The program was standing room only; the controversy quota high; the ideas exciting. Having waited too long to really blog from cold notes, this post is possible now exactly because of that delay. It has been a long enough time that a relatively new conference proceedings site has appeared that can give you a real feel for the content and what was discussed. Take a look at the PowerPoint slide show Where Next? Library Transformation, a very similar presentation that Ms. Stoffle gave at Living the Future 6: WOW, Where Next? (April 5-8, 2006), and you'll see what you missed (or get a refresher on what you heard) at FLA.

Enjoy!

SUBJECTS: FLA FILINGS

Workshop Wealth: Free Workshop Next Week

2006-10-14T13:45:00.000-04:00

Do you look forward to coming to work? Do you feel good about what you do? Whether the answer is yes or no, your perspective would be welcomed at this discussion.

Work - It IS All About You!, facilitated by Cynthia Kisby, Personnel Librarian at the University of Central Florida Libraries, is designed to help you explore ways to get more of what you want out of your time at work. Part one starts with the ancient admonition to, "know thyself", so be prepared to do some personal exercises and homework. You will review factors that could affect your work satisfaction and what you can do to increase the satisfiers and decrease the dissatisfiers.

Part two will help you create a framework for situation analysis and improvement. We will look at employee-controlled strategies for specific personal and environmental issues.

Work: It IS All About You! is Wednesday, October 18, 9 a.m. - noon, at CFLC in Maitland. Please click here to register with CFLC.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; WORKSHOP WEALTH

Friday Fun Thing: Breast Cancer Awareness

2006-10-13T10:38:00.000-04:00

Okay, this post is definitely pushing the "fun" part of the Friday "Fun" Thing, but it's a post in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are products galore out there pushing the "think pink" slogan with a portion of purchase price going to research (including M&M's!), but this one isn't going to cost you a cent...just a moment of your time.

Part of the "click to donate" family of sites that many folks know as the Hunger Site, the Breast Cancer Site is one where "[y]our click on the "Fund Free Mammograms" button helps fund free mammograms, paid for by site sponsors whose ads appear after you click and provided to women in need through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation to low-income, inner-city and minority women, whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited."

Check out the site and click on the six different funds (including one for literacy) that take your simple daily clicks and turn them into forces for the greater good!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: LCLS Staff Day

2006-10-12T21:41:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to the Lake County Library System for inviting CFLC to participate in their Staff Development Day this past Monday. Their closing session was fascinating. First, there was a behind-the-scenes look at the detailed and painstaking process that Recorded Books goes through from identifying a title to shipping a finished product. That was followed by a most entertaining session wherein Barbara Rosenblat, award-winning audiobook performer extraordinaire and master of amazing dialects, spoke to the attendees and read several excerpts - though "read" is much too mild a term! Had I not already been a major fan of hers, I certainly would have been after that session.

Unfortunately, you can tell below that my new phone has a camera whose intricacies I obviously have NOT mastered (not planning on giving up the day job!), but nonetheless, the fuzzy person below in the white is Barbara Rosenblat enthralling the group. See biographical information here, an interview with her here, and her audiography here.

Thanks for a very entertaining day, LCLS and Ms. Rosenblat!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

CFLC Chronicles: CFLC Annual Meeting

2006-10-11T05:35:00.000-04:00

From Marta Westall, CFLC Director:

CFLC Annual Meeting
December 1, 2006

Be sure to mark your calendars for the Annual Meeting! We'll have a presentation about the Central Florida Memory Project, as well as greetings from FLA and the Library School Dean of Florida State University. It should be a fun and informative day. During the business meeting, members will be able to discuss and possibly adopt a new CFLC Interlibrary Loan Manual.

Refreshments at 9:30, program starts at 10 am.

Celebration Golf Club
Celebration, Florida

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

"Globe" Trotting: Simmons College

2006-10-10T17:49:00.000-04:00

The globe has been trotting again! It accompanied Kathy Turner, Director of Instructional Programs at CFLC-member Evans Library at the Florida Institute of Technololgy, to ACRL's Institute for Information Literacy's Immersion '06 program at Simmons College in Boston this past August. And a shout-out to Kathy both for the picture (thanks!) and for being selected with her colleague Nancy Cook for the very selective Immersion program (congratulations!).

SUBJECTS: "GLOBE" TROTTING

CFLC Chronicles: Library School Scholarship

2006-10-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

This is a time-sensitive announcement for CFLC library staffers wanting to attend library school next semester. The College of Information at Florida State University has been partnering with several of the cooperatives in an IMLS grant-funded program titled Librarians Serving the Public.

A recent announcement to the partners included this plea for additional participants:

[W]e still have a bit of money remaining and we'd like to use it to fund a few students to start our MSLIS program in January 2007. The admission deadline for spring admits is November 1, 2006, and we'd love to enroll students recommended by you and your member libraries. But time is short, so we need to know quickly if you'd like to recommend some applicants (or not, so we can recruit using other paths). Our intention is to apply for an extension to our current grant for these students and the current second cohort of students. Our hope is that by choosing students recommended by partners and library directors and managers from the multitype libraries we will improve our retention rate from that of our first cohort.

For further information, contact either Michelle M. Kazmer, Ph.D./Assistant Professor, College of Information, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2100, kazmer (at) ci.fsu.edu or Corinne Jörgensen, Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research, College of Information, Florida State University, Tallahassee FL 32306-2100, 850.644.8116, FAX 850.644.6253.

Note that very looming deadline!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Tuesday's Tool: Google News Archive

2006-10-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

You are likely familiar with the Google News Search and probably have used it at some point to find something in the last 30 days of news. Need something older or want to get a sense of the timeline of how something evolved historically? Then check out the new tool Google unveiled on September 6th, the Google News Archive Search, which searches 200 years of news sources.

Google's official description:

News archive search provides an easy way to search and explore historical archives. Users can search for events, people, ideas and see how they have been described over time. In addition to searching for the most relevant articles for their query, users can get an historical overview of the results by browsing an automatically created timeline. Search results include both content that is accessible to all users and content that requires a fee. Articles related to a single story within a given time period are grouped together to allow users to see a broad perspective on the events.

This is certainly not the only tool to search archives, but it is a familiar tool for users. Library staff referring patrons there should know that as of this writing, although results display in a timeline sort of format, there is no straight date narrowing on the results page (though there is a date search feature in advanced search) [see this post from the Tales from the Terminal Room newsletter]. Another important factor is that while not all of the resources returned are available free (and the fees levied are from the information providers and do not go to Google), many libraries will have subscriptions to some of this content already.

For much more information and valuable critiques, this link is to an excellent review of the service by Chris Sherman at Search Engine Watch and this link is to a very lengthy commentary on it by Gary Price at ResourceShelf.

SUBJECTS: TUESDAY'S TOOL

Audioblogger Demo

2006-10-03T14:04:00.000-04:00

This is a demo of Audioblogger for the same class from this morning in Volusia.

Blog Business: Demo in Volusia

2006-10-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

Demonstrating the blog to a class in Volusia. Hi, Mom!

Workshop Wealth: Various Fall Offerings

2006-10-02T22:59:00.000-04:00

Lots of interesting workshops are coming up in Florida this fall.

It's a new quarter of classes at CFLC - all of them free for members! Check out the new schedule here.

CFLC is also offering a number of videos and DVDs for training. Find the list in PDF format here and send any suggested additions (with bibliographic information) to CFLC's Office Manager using the address ljava (at) cflc.net.

Next, there's Techology Alphabet Soup: XML, RSS, CSS on Friday, October 13, 2006 in Tampa. "Join the Florida and Caribbean Chapter [of the Special Libraries Association] as Dr. Stephen Bajjaly ladles out the secrets of HTML, CSS, XML and more." Program, price, and registration information can be found here. Note: Registration deadline is Tuesday, October 10, 2006.

The Florida Association of College and Research Libraries Annual Fall Workshop, Shifting Functions: Changing Roles and Duties in Academic Libraries Today is being held on Friday, November 3, 2006, in Ft. Lauderdale. Program description, price, and registration information can be found here, while hotel information is here. Registration deadline is October 27, 2006.

The State Library and Archives of Florida is sponsoring a free workshop titled Academic Library Survey Workshop intended to allow participants to "[l]earn from the experts how to prepare your library for the NCES Academic Library Survey (formerly IPEDS)." The workshop will be offered in four different areas of the state during October and November. Further program description, locations, and registration information may be found here.

The Florida Library Association and State Library and Archives of Florida are sponsoring a Friends, Foundations, and Boards Workshop in six different areas of the state during November and December. The FLA Web site is currently moving to a different server, but the schedule and further information should appear here shortly and is available on the State Library & Archives site here now. Registration deadline is November 1, 2006.

The CFLC Annual Meeting will be held on December 1, 2006, at Celebration Golf Club. Details will follow, but mark your calendars, as all members are invited to attend.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; FLA FILINGS; WORKSHOP WEALTH

Friday Fun Thing: Diet Coke and Mentos Video

2006-09-29T08:57:00.000-04:00

This is a piece you may have seen on the news recently about what happens when Diet Coke and Mentos are combined, but in case you missed it, it's just too amazing to pass up. If it inspires you to go out and do likewise, at the end of the video is information on how you can enter your own video in a contest.

Just don't try this in your stomach!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Director’s Note

2006-09-27T06:55:00.000-04:00

This post is from Marta Westall, CFLC Director:

This is a busy time of year at CFLC; we are ending one fiscal year and beginning another. Many reports and documents spew forth from my keyboard and our preparation for the annual audit is in full swing. Whew!

Please welcome our two new Board Members, Betty Johnson, Director and Professor at Stetson University's duPont-Ball Library and Diana Long, Assistant Director of Altamonte Springs City Library. Thanks are in order for their willingness to take on this assignment and thanks to all of you for participating in the election.

CFLC’s Vendor Discount program is expanding. Watch our Vendor Discount Page for developments. We have established a partnership with our sister cooperative in Jacksonville, NEFLIN, enabling us to contact more vendors as well as offering vendors a larger customer pool.

Some fun news:
Both Suzi Holler and I will be serving as Mentors for librarians accepted by the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute. Since we each served as mentors last year, I guess we did okay given that we've been asked to take on two more participants.

Suzi Holler will be the keynote speaker at the PLAN Annual Meeting and the Library Association of Brevard's Annual Workshop. [PLAN is the library cooperative in the panhandle.]

Two of CFLC's sessions on Ask a Librarian have been nominated in the "Best Transcript Nominations"!!

It’s an exciting time, with new classes being debuted and many of our other classes assisting library staff throughout the region. We are teaching in more locations than ever. If you are interested in bringing us to your library, please contact me. I am currently working on the 2007 schedule. Over the summer we taught classes at:
Brevard County Public Library System
Florida Institute of Technology
Indian River Community College
Lake Sumter Community College
Lake County Library System
Leesburg Public Library
Osceola Library System
University of Central Florida
Volusia County Public Library
We’ve also welcomed two new members, Daytona Beach News Journal and Christ Community Church of Daytona Beach.

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Happy Birthday, Google!

2006-09-27T06:10:00.000-04:00

Google turns 8 today. Check out the celebratory logo!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Tuesday's Tool: WorldCat

2006-09-26T23:32:00.000-04:00

As of August, WorldCat, the OCLC database with 1.3 billion items in more than 10,000 libraries worldwide, became available as a standalone site on the Web in beta test mode.

WorldCat has been available in the Open WorldCat project for some time, making it searchable through the Google, Yahoo! and Windows Live search bars using the phrase "find in a library" plus the title.

To look at what each of the versions of WorldCat offers (including via FirstSearch) see this comparison table of the various features. One of the major differences between the two sites is that the standalone version searches the entire WorldCat holdings, where the Open WorldCat participants only access a subset of the data. WorldCat.org also shows an additional screen where users can narrow their search by various fields (e.g., author, format, language).

An additional feature from the new beta site is "a free modularized version of the WorldCat.org search box" that anyone (or any library) can download to place on a Web page or blog. Two other tools, the WorldCat Search Toolbars and the Create a WorldCat Link for an item, have been available for some time.

When you take it for a spin and kick the tires, you may find that some library catalog links work better than others. If you find yours is one that does not connect directly to the item's record and you'd like to see one that does, in the CFLC service area both the Orange County Library System and the Volusia County Public Library catalog links do go directly to the appropriate record.

Try it, you'll like it!

SUBJECTS: TUESDAY'S TOOLS; OCLC ODDMENTS

ALA Assortments: Banned Books Week

2006-09-25T16:46:00.000-04:00

September 23 to 30, this week, is Banned Books Week. Not only is it Banned Books Week, but this year is also the 25th anniversary of same.

Everything you are likely to want to know about it can be found at the American Library Association site here, including a Kit, text for public service announcements, a history of the week, how to defend against book challenges, lists of challenged books, and much more. The ALA Store also has quite a bit of Banned Books merchandise to sell here.

Also, this year, the public is invited and encouraged to vote for their favorite banned book from a selected list, found here.

Additionally, Celebrate Your Freedom To Read, a blog entry by ALA President Leslie Burger on the Official Google Blog, describes a joint venture where visitors to http://google.com/bannedbooks can use Google Book Search to explore 42 banned or challenged books that appear on the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century. Interested readers can search or see basic information about these books and can then check for them in their local library or buy them online.

SUBJECTS: ALA ASSORTMENTS

Friday Fun Thing: Pangrams

2006-09-23T14:16:00.000-04:00

From my CFLC colleague Diane comes this great Friday Fun Thing on Pangrams, or "holoalphabetic sentences"- those which use every letter of the alphabet at least once. "Pangrams are used, like lorem ipsum [pretty interesting history there, too!], to display typefaces and test equipment."

Thought this might be a Friday Fun Thing sometime in the future - I was reminded of these in an e-zine and didn't know there were so many examples. Heck with the quick brown fox! My favorite is:

"Jackdaws love my big sphinx of quartz." closely followed by "Two driven jocks help fax my big quiz."

As for me, I'm pretty fond of "How quickly daft jumping zebras vex." Indeed!

SUBJECTS: FRIDAY FUN THINGS

CFLC Chronicles: Wednesday Welcome to the Biblioblogosphere

2006-09-20T07:09:00.000-04:00

No, a "Wednesday Welcome" is not going to be added to the regular features; just too much in keeping with the rest of the alliterations to resist...

This post is to welcome to the biblioblogosphere (see here for earlier explanations from this blog) several new CFLC member participants.

An unofficial and inconclusive survey reveals the following new (or relatively new) CFLC member blogs:

VCPLBlog - from Volusia County Public Library
The Director's Blog - from Jonathan Miller, the newly appointed Director at Olin Library at Rollins College
Library Leader - from Mary Anne Hodel, Director and CEO of Orange County Library System (OCLS)

Also from OCLS are two slightly longer-standing blogs:

Here are some RSS News Feeds (meant to be subscribed to using a news reader or aggregator):

Main Library News - from the University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries
UCF CMC News - from the UCF Curriculum Materials Center
Several RSS feeds and Podcasts - from OCLS

Apologies if this post missed any blogs or RSS feeds from member libraries. Let us hear from you if yours isn't here!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES

Tuesday's Tool: CFLC's Reference Desk

2006-09-19T16:46:00.000-04:00

No, this isn't a standard Tuesday's Tool overview, especially since this is a tool that many of you know and already use. It's actually a plea for some feedback.

CFLC is considering a facelift for its Reference Desk page. No content change, just cosmetic surgery to update the look and functionality. (And by the way, there's a workshop centered on that page at CFLC tomorrow morning [description here], if any of you can get there last minute!)

Following is a list of some model virtual reference collections out there, presented in no particular order. (Consider them all Tuesday's Tools and add them to your own collection of bookmarks!) Most of all, however, look at them with an eye toward their structure and organization, and please give us feedback (just click on "Comments" below or e-mail me at the address in the right-hand column header) about what features you would like to see or which model you would prefer as part of the CFLC page. No promises about the whats, wheres, or whens, but we really would like and greatly appreciate the feedback.

And for a completely different take, check these out for structure only, not for content.

Looking forward to your input! Help us make this more useful for you by spreading the request for comments among your colleagues!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; REFERENCE RICHES; TUESDAY'S TOOLS

CFLC Chronicles: Hispanic Heritage Month

2006-09-18T15:15:00.000-04:00

¡Bienvenidos! Welcome!

September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month/Mes de la Herencia Hispana. The background is explained by the Evergreen State College (WA) Library, "The U.S. Government, in wanting to recognize the accomplishments of Hispanic-American citizens created by [sic] Public Law 90-498 National Hispanic Heritage Week on September 17, 1968. The law was later amended by Public Law 100-402 expanding the event to National Hispanic Heritage Month on August 17, 1988." More background is found in this article from Hispanic Heritage Plaza, more on the legislative history, including excerpts from the relevant legislation, can be found here and this year's Presidential Proclamation here.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Facts for Features, more than 42.7 million people, or 14% of the U.S. population, are now of Hispanic origin. See also some of their related multimedia releases (not all of which are current) and check out the Pew Hispanic Center for some of the latest "research and surveys on the U.S. Hispanic population."

Schools, classrooms, and libraries across the U.S. will be featuring displays, lessons, activities, and more to celebrate this diversity. In investigating how to do so, along with some of the "expected" kinds of lesson planning, game, and reading links (explored below), there are a few surprises, as well. Check out Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the National Register of Historic Places, a fascinating list of links that provide virtual tours of places "that deal directly with the ingenuity, creativity, cultural, and political experiences of Hispanic Americans." The Smithsonian Institution, with Ford sponsorship, presents OJOS, Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement, a virtual exhibition. For a local (Florida) flavor, see La Florida: Honoring Our State’s Spanish and Latin American Influences.

Also, the History Channel's site, Hispanic Heritage Month (NOTE: from 2005) announced a student photo contest which will be repeated in some form this year, though the rules are not yet posted. Click here and you can sign up for an e-mail to remind you of the contest (and its up-to-$2000 prizes).

Libraries will find the following to be especially useful:

CFLC's Referencia Electrónica (a bilingual virtual reference desk; for resources for English speakers to use in helping Spanish-speaking library patrons, see in particular Para Bibliotecarios de Habla Inglés / For English-Speaking Librarians)
Montgomery County (MD) Public Library's Hispanic Heritage Month Web Resources
Springfield (MA) Library's Hispanic Heritage Month [2004]
County of Los Angeles (CA) Public Library's Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

Lesson planning assistance can be found here:

Education World's Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Thomson Gale's Hispanic Heritage
Smithsonian Institution's Hispanic Heritage Teaching Resources
Teachervision.com's Hispanic Heritage Month (some free; some fee)
Montgomery County (MD) Public School's Hispanic Heritage Month

Activities for kids and families can be found here:

Fact Monster's Hispanic Heritage Month
InfoPlease's Crossword Puzzle, Theme of the Week: Hispanic Heritage Month
Girl Power! Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Scholastic's Celebrate Hispanic Heritage!

¡Que disfruten de estos enlaces! Enjoy these links!

SUBJECTS: CFLC CHRONICLES; REFERENCE RICHES

FLA Filings: More From Annual Conference

2006-09-16T16:30:00.000-04:00

It having been a very busy few months, it's been difficult to keep up and catch up with blogging all the interesting goings-on around libraryland. This post was begun real-time and has been worked on several times since...herewith, then, some very, very belated Florida Library Association program notes and links to materials in no particular order from the 2006 Annual Conference.

In the Technology Training Interest Group program, Carol Bean, Ginny Howerton, and Kate Todd presented Seniors in Cyberspace, a well-attended active learning session with plenty of object lessons about what it's like to have to learn with some of the "nasty aging tricks" that our bodies are wont to play as we grow older. The program included some surprising statistics and numerous suggestions about how to present computer concepts effectively to a senior audience. Click to see the accompanying handouts, bibliography, and PowerPoint slides. Some of you may have gotten to hear Carol Bean present a session with a similar theme (I Feel So Stupid - Old Age Meets New Technology) at the Technology Training To Go conference in Orlando (August 10 and 11).

Yours truly had a scheduling conflict and missed what was purported to be a lively and engaging panel presentation cum discussion for the LINCC User Group, the 3rd Annual Ask a Librarian User Forum. According to an e-mail to the Ask a Librarian (AAL) group from Diana Sachs-Silveira, the Virtual Reference Manager for AAL, "The main themes that emerged at the meeting included: the need for easy to use, reliable software; maybe a new simplified interface that would work with cell phones and PDAs; more marketing to librarians, and prospective users (both in and out of the library); expanding hours of service and a possible academic desk." The detailed discussion questions and meeting notes are available in the public part of the Ask a Librarian site here.

Diana Sachs-Silveira also commented upon a related program saying:

At FLA, the Telephone, Email and Chat Reference Services interest group hosted a session Let's Provide a Chat Service that They Want! A Focus on Teens to Twenty-Something's with Joe Thompson, the project Manager of Maryland's AskNow.

The program was very interesting and focused on chat reference and younger users. I thought the Ask a Librarian Community as well as those in the FLA Interest Group would like to view the presentation. It is now online at: http://askusnow.info/presentations/

There's another program that may or may not eventually get its own entry, but for now, in the interest of actually getting this posted before the next annual conference rolls around, this is a wrap!

SUBJECTS: FLA FILINGS; WORKSHOP WEALTH