SLA Blog

60 Sites in 60 Minutes: Click on the Links

It's turned into an annual event, and once again it's a standing-room-only one. This year, the speakers are John DiGilio and Gayle Lynn-Nelson. Among the most interesting sites I heard about were drop.io (share files in real time privately), gethuman (talk to a real person at the company you've been trying to reach for days), and Tripit (get your itinerary organized just by emailing your confirmation to the site). The complete list (with clickable links!) is available at drop.io/60Sites.

I've been attending similar sessions at SLA's annual conference since 2005, but this is the first time I've been able to check out each site as the speaker comments on it... thanks to the excellent conference wifi, which has also allowed me to blog about sessions even before they end. And so, it didn't matter that I was sitting at the back of the room =)

Posted by Filipino Librarian

More on CIL

John Latham has already written about his experience in the SLA booth at the recent Computers in Libraries conference, but I wanted to chime in about the fabulous tips I received in the sessions.  Check out my post on the Information Center Connections blog, where you'll find lots of resources and lots of links!

23 Things Update-

By Christian Miller

We are getting close to having 1000 people working their way through the 23 Things!

As of today there are 1019 other SLA members that along with you have also committed to improving their technology skills by completing 23 Things. Keep working at it!

A few updates/reminders/suggestions:

• We have had our first publicly posted completion of 23 Things. Congratulations to Dianna Roberts from New Zealand! See how she did it on her blog.
• If you have completed the program, feel free to send me a link to your blog. I will post congratulations and examples of other completed efforts when available.
• Recently we posted an extension of the deadline for completion of 23 Things, now December 15. This is the cut-off for being recognized with a prize and certificate. The site will remain available for those that aren't able to finish, or who can't start the program at this time. Of course we hope you will be able to complete as soon as you can!
• Finally, please, spread the word and encourage other members to participate. Get a group of people from your chapter to work on it together, and motivate each other!

This really is a valuable program and we want to ensure that every person that feels the need to improve their skills is able to participate. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me

Deadline Extended for Completion of 23 Things!

Over 730 members of SLA have signed up and are working through the 23 Things. Your fellow SLA members are learning about blogs, wikis, and many other new technologies at their own pace and on their own time.

Now they have more of their own time to finish it.

With so many people participating, it has been decided that it would be best to extend the deadline to 15 December. So for those of you that haven’t signed up, do it!

If you have signed up, but between vacations and the beginning of the school year haven’t been able to find much time to continue, you have been given THREE extra months. Either way, finishing before the deadline will qualify you for awards and prizes.

The best thing about 23 Things is that you do it as a community! See how others are progressing and read their thoughts on new technologies and if, when, or how they should become part of a library’s collections and/or resources.

Learn more or sign up now!

What the heck IS this "23 Things" you keep hearing about?

Have you started your 23 Things yet?

Are you scratching your head and wondering what the heck all this talk is about?

To start you down the path to 23 Things, SLA CEO Janice Lachance can shed some light on this mystery with her post on Executive Connections. 

If you just got back from SLA2008 in Seattle, you probably already know what 23 Things is, and maybe you want to get started?

The good news is that it is not too late to sign up to participate in SLA's 23 Things professional enhancement program!

Want to learn more about blogs, wikis, and many other new technologies that will have an effect on how you do your job in the near future? Then go to here and register to join in. Over 220 people have already done so, and they have begun to get first-hand experience in the Web 2.0 world.

For a quick and fun overview of the new SLA program watch this musical video by Richard Geiger and Tom DeWolf (takes about 2 minutes to download).

The best thing about the 23 Things program is that you don’t have to do it alone. When you begin your 23 Things, you can register your participation and follow along and see how others are doing as well. When you complete your 23 Things (or the bakers dozen 13 Things) you will be eligible for a fabulous award recognizing the fact that you have become more technology-enabled. 

iGoogle Features "How to" on Copyright

If you have iGoogle on your desktop, you may have noticed that copyright was featured in the How To of the Day section on July 2. If you aren't familiar with this feature or if you didn't see the mention, this link will take you to wikiHow and How to Understand Copyright Basics. With your expertise, there could be things you want to add you think laymen ought to know.

Speaking of Twitter...

The Wired Campus had a post that links to ideas for using Twitter in libraries.  Original source is College@Home.

Third Annual Technical Support Roundtable at SLA 2008

For the third conference in a row, the IT division will offer an "unconference" session where attendees can discuss technical support issues with each other:

Technical Support Roundtable
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 11:00AM - 12:30PM

Bring your questions and share your ideas at this third annual forum for technical support issues. What are your favorite Web 2.0 apps? How have you dealt with security concerns? Have you upgraded to the latest from Microsoft yet? Whether you are a technical support expert or someone who serves as a de facto support professional, join us in this open discussion to share your experiences and concerns.

In order for this session to be successful, participation is essential. Please spread the word to others who might be interested in attending.

More information about other IT-sponsored programs in Seattle

Not for Tourists - Part 2 (useful stuff!)

I got the actual book of Seattle from Not for Tourists and found that the area we'll be in is covered by Map 3.  Map 3 is online! 

• Essentials
• Sundries & Entertainment

You might also want to check out the section on Internet and wifi.

By the way...

Map 3 includes Pike Place Market.

Map 7 is Pioneer Square.

Map 15 is Seattle Center, Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, etc.

Why are no hotels listed on the maps?  Because this resources isn't for tourists!

And...as a side note...I did the Seattle underground tour years ago and it was great!  It left from Pioneer Square.  I would suspect that the tour still exists.

Information with a twist: Vendors keep the party going with Web 2.0

If you want to see what vendors are doing with Web 2.0, Information With a Twist is the article for you.  Carol Tenopir and her co-authors give their views on what the main players are doing to enhance their interfaces. It includes a useful list by organization showing their signature products, primary library users, content and most used options.  Sadly the column for most used options is cut off in the online version, but perhaps that is LJ's way of encouraging you to subscribe to their journal.