DeWitt Library Technology Blog

TechieBlogger

2010-11-26T12:42:00.001-05:00

TechieBlogger is full of web design and tech. tips for web developers and "techies" of all ages and abilities. Listed on its front page, are several helpful articles on trends and suggestions for improving your website. I have found many ideas here that proved very helpful to me. I especially appreciated the article listed below! I never realized that there were so many free repair utilities available. In addition, they have some great web design recommendations.

MP3GAIN

2010-11-03T19:17:00.001-04:00

MP3GAIN is a program that we have used numerous times to increase the volume of our MP3 sound files. For years, we have used our digital camera to make short films and the sound quality is not always the greatest, so this program comes in very handy.

MP3GAIN is a freeware program that can analyze tracks and increase the sound without distortion. Taking only seconds to complete a task, I have yet to find anything that compares to it. If interested, you can purchase MP3GAIN Pro which allows the user to improve the sound volume and quality of individual tracks. So for instance, if you find that a song's volume seems quieter in the middle, you can adjust the volume for just that section.

Wikihow

2010-10-09T08:33:00.000-04:00

During our computer classes, René often mentions a website named Wikihow. Similar in design to Wikipedia, you can find all sorts of how-to information on this site and even develop an account to contribute some of your own helpful tips.

Currently, Wikihow has over 80,000 articles listed and includes photos and even some video instruction.
After having trouble accomplishing even the simplest tasks at home, I find some very useful! For years, I have owned older cars that eventually develop rust and I usually end up trying to do something myself, before stopping after I have created a complete disaster. I am hoping that some of the simple information that I have discovered here will be of help.

Doing the Hulu

2010-09-06T10:39:00.000-04:00

Recently, I discovered Hulu.com, as an online place to view my favorite tv shows and movies. You have to go through a fairly elaborate sign-up process and endure some ads, but viewing is completely free. Yesterday, I was able to watch a few episodes of the Dick Van Dyke show and quite a bit of the classic film, Easy Rider. I don't think that I will be giving up my cable subscription anytime soon, but I definitely think sites like these are our future.

Hulu gives the user the opportunity to subscribe to particular channels and RSS feeds of your favorite searches. If you are interested in classic films for instance, you could subscribe to that particular RSS feed and be notified of updates to the Hulu catalog. I would write more, but I have to get back to viewing my favorite shows and movies!

There's Always Hope :-) - Computer Hope that is!

2010-08-16T21:13:00.000-04:00

Recently, we have been encountering a few computer issues here at the DCL. Now René will tell you that she and I know the technology, but even the best of us have difficult moments.

We pore through our computer manuals and instructions, but on occasion, frustration sets in. Sometimes, it might be a bad hard drive or power supply and at other times, it might be that an old reliable machine needs more RAM. Whatever the reason, this site - http://www.computerhope.com/ can help make our lives a lot easier.

Free computer support! Who doesn't love that? In addition, they include forum discussion boards, links to free drivers, company contact info., a computer dictionary, and all sorts of other neat tech. stuff. I love this site!

Internet Archive

2010-06-30T20:44:00.000-04:00

We have been using Internet Archive to host our podcasts for a number of years. I guess what first drew me to this fantastic site was the fact that podcast hosting was free! There are other great features of course, and they include: the Wayback Machine ( a searchable database of over 150 million websites dating back to 1996), full-text of scanned books, free downloadable software, music and movies.

I would probably recommend this site for the free hosting alone, but there is so much more!

Record Your Screen

2010-06-01T16:39:00.000-04:00

CamStudio is an open source (free!) program that allows users to record video of what is happening on their computer screen. Videos are saved in .AVI format, but they can easily be converted to Flash (SWF) files.In addition to video, CamStudio captures audio from the computer, so descriptions and commentary can easily be added to completed productions.

Recently, I did a post on our bookstore style categories and used CamStudio to record a video that I uploaded to YouTube. So far, it hasn't generated much interest, but perhaps a video on basic computer instruction would. Right now, our computer classes are limited by the amount of computers we own and seating space. CamStudio offers the ability to overcome those obstacles and allow patrons to access our classes from home.

Twitterfeed.com

2010-04-08T16:05:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I set-up a Twitter account for the library to disseminate information about our programs to interested patrons. I enjoyed trying to devise a little announcement within the 140 character allotment, but finding the time to publicize our numerous programs was becoming more and more difficult. Recently, I came across a website called, Twitterfeed that makes this process a whole lot easier.

Twitterfeed can take any RSS feed and send it out to those following you on Twitter. Our online events calendar has an RSS feed, so I was able to send out any event that was loaded on that page as a tweet. I did the same with this blog and some of the other library blogs. If I want to add any more of my personal tweets, I can still do that, but Twitterfeed takes the pressure off. In addition, Twitterfeed allows users to determine the frequency of their tweets. I have set ours to update every hour.

Revolution Health

2010-03-24T19:24:00.000-04:00

RevolutionHealth contains many features of a conventional health website. If you are looking for articles on particular diseases or ailments, Revolution Health has an ample supply. There are also links to help find nearby hospitals, doctors, dentists, and evening senior housing. What makes Revolution Health different from other sites, however, is its Web2.0 component.

With an account, users can join groups and discuss medical topics that interest them. If they have a particular question that is bothering them about care that they received or treatment options, they can post it to a forum and wait for a response.There are discussion groups on just about every conceivable topic and sometimes, medical professionals provide an answer. RevolutionHealth is a great place to find health information and support from unexpected sources.

iLike - Music

2010-03-13T15:53:00.000-05:00

iLike is a social music website that allows users to share music with others through the Internet. With an account, you can search for artists and bands that you enjoy or develop a list to keep track of new releases, concerts, and recommendations from users with similar interests. In addition, you can listen to samples of new and popular artists and even purchase songs.

I especially enjoy the related artists feature, as it has helped me immensely as I slowly attempt to move beyond my core group of songs and bands. I love iLike!

Bookstore Style Categories

2010-02-28T08:55:00.000-05:00

In 2008, the library implemented bookstore style categories in its adult nonfiction section. Former Director, Susan Reckhow devised a hybrid system which continues to employ Dewey call numbers within subject categories. Some examples of categories include: Health and Exercise, Careers and Employment, Math and Science, and True Crime.

Over the years, it was determined that many of our patrons were browsers and that they would benefit by having like books in the same area. For instance, in the Dewey Decimal Classification system, books dealing with careers might have the call number 331.7 and books on résumés or cover letters might have the call number 650.14. In that system, similar books would be on completely different shelves and in other parts of the library. In our new bookstore style system, they are now together.

Currently, a patron using the electronic catalog will need to write down or remember the Dewey call number and the category shelf location to retrieve a book. Categories are listed on the ends of each book stack in the adult nonfiction section.

For more information on our bookstore style categories, please check out our new YouTube video:

Library Thing

2010-02-10T23:19:00.000-05:00

Library Thing has been around for a while, but is still a great website. Once you create an account, you can keep track of books that you read, add tags and then share your collection with others that may have similar interests.

Library Thing allows users to search for books on Amazon.com or the Library of Congress (they include a radio button, but you cannot select both :-)) After finding your book, you can add it to a list complete with cover art and a general description (which you can edit!). In addition, you can supply your own review and rating for each book. If you are looking for a good book to read, just search by tag and you can find books that others have read that are similar to your own tastes.

All About Food

2010-01-14T13:57:00.000-05:00

Urbanspoon.com is a great website for those looking for quality places to eat throughout the United States. In addition, visitors can open accounts and submit restaurant reviews, photos, and menus. The site also includes maps and driving directions to a wide range of restaurants.

Other websites to consider are imcooked and Look and Taste. Imcooked is similar to YouTube and allows those with an account to submit video content and also search for cooking demonstrations by other users. If you sign-up for an account, you can rate videos and add comments. Look and Taste is a good place to learn how to cook through videos. The website offers nutrition tips, cooking tutorials, and chef videos.

If you're looking for great food, you should be able to find something at these wonderful Web2.0 sites!

Web2.0

2009-12-07T13:41:00.000-05:00

Recently, René and I began a series of computer classes on the second Thursday of the month called Thursday Technology Train. We developed these classes in order to highlight specific Web2.0 issues that are important to public libraries.

We meet again on December 10 from 10:30-12, but we thought you might appreciate looking at our initial presentation.

Ferguson's Career Database

2009-04-13T13:29:00.000-04:00

The DeWitt Community Library subscribes to several online databases and this week, we examined Facts on File's Ferguson Career Guidance Center. In addition to this fine database, we have several books in our Career section that may prove helpful to job seekers.

Widgets, Widgets, Widgets!

2008-12-02T13:22:00.000-05:00

Listen as René explains what a widget is and why they might be important to learn about and include in your website or blog. Widgets!

Creating a Talking Head

2008-12-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

Adding a talking head to your website or blog is a good way to scare off potential patrons. Just kidding! Actually, they are quite a lot of fun and add dynamic content to entice future visitors. We explored this in our podcast called, Create a Talking Head (very creative, no?)

Creating a Free Yahoo! Email Account

2008-12-02T13:04:00.000-05:00

We have taught many classes over the year on basic computer skills and we have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. As a result, we thought that it would be of interest to our patrons to present podcasts that dealt with creating free email accounts. Here from the old podcast vault are our two broadcasts on that topic: Creating a Yahoo Mail Account Part 1 and Creating a Yahoo Mail Account Part 2.

Dubit!

2008-12-02T12:50:00.000-05:00

Our website consists of many, many static web pages, so René and I found this little program called Dubit and we attempted to create a little video presentation complete with audio. The result can be heard here: Dubit Podcast

Researching Roots

2008-06-27T12:11:00.000-04:00

There are several research databases on the DeWitt Community Library Website, but one of our favorites is HeritageQuest, an online genealogy database. Check out our latest podcast and learn how it works!