iHCPL: The Next Generation

You Oughta Be in Pictures #91: Fun with Photos

2010-05-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a simple edit doesn't enhance your photos. Have no fear, image generators and fun online editing tools are here to the rescue!

There are many sites you can use to spiff up your photos. A new favorite of mine is BeFunky. Like other editing sites, BeFunky has basic and premium options. Although the basic features are not as extensive as a paid account, the free finishes are definitely worth checking out and give your photos a new life.

A couple of personal favorites are the Cartoonizer and Lomo. BeFunky also offers Goodies. You can add frames, stickers, speech bubbles and more to your photos. The one drawback of BeFunky is that the free account automatically adds its logo to your image. This may cause a distraction for your photo but if you are okay with that, try it out and see what you can come up with. You can always go to another site and crop out the URL.

BigHugeLabs is another fun site with a variety of ways to present your photos. It was originally known as FDToys and was mentioned in the original iHCPL but its so great, its worth mentioning again! If you have a collection of photos, you can make photo strips and collages. For single photos, you can transform them to motivational posters, "warholize" them, or customize it a la David Hockney!

Image Generators
Apart from adding finishes to your photos, you can plug your image into a scenario to add humor. Most often image generators use your face to plug into an image (using a celebrity body or even an art piece) but you can use the keyword search to find other scenarios. Some use GIF animation which allow your image to move.

FaceInHole and Pho.to offer a variety of scenarios and GIF animations. FaceInHole allows you to search scenarios by number of faces you want to include or by keyword search.

We didn't forget about you pet lovers either. Build your own LOLcat (or any animal or celebrity!) here. You can use a photo from Cheezburger's bank or upload your own. Whatever image you choose to use, have fun with it!

Exercises

FotoFlexer, mentioned in the first post, has effects similar to BeFunky and BigHugeLabs. Choose a photo to edit in FotoFlexer and either BeFunky or BigHugeLabs (Cartoonizer, Warholizer, etc). Compare the two. Were the results the same? Do you have a preference?
Use one of the image generators to spiff up a profile picture. You can search Pho.to or FaceInHole for different scenarios - be creative with your search! Share your newly generated image on your blog.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed posts 89, 90, & 91? Don't forget to submit your Registration of Completion.

This module brought to you by Linda Stevens, Grace Lillevig and Veronica Garza.

You Oughta Be in Pictures #90: Sharing Photos

2010-05-19T12:30:00.001-07:00

Once you have your beautifully edited photos, you'll want to share them with people, or at least put them online as a backup. We have looked at Flickr before, but there are other options for sharing as well. Most sites have some kind of free option and many link to social networks like Facebook and MySpace. Sharing is easy through links or codes you can use to embed the image in Blogger or other sites.

Features to look for:

Free and Pro options: Depending on your needs, you may want to opt for a paid option at some point
Photo editing
Customizable privacy settings
Easy sharing on social networks or via email
Printing options if you want photo prints or products

TopTenReviews provides a brief overview of photosharing sites in this short video. In addition, they provide a comparison of 10 popular services. We'll take a brief look at a couple of the most popular options.

Flickr

This is what we use to store and share HCPL's photos. Flickr's free option limits the number of photos you can upload each month and only shows the 200 most recently uploaded images. However, your images will not disappear from a blog even if they don't show on your Flickr photostream. A pro option with unlimited storage is also available.

Unique features:

Images are permanently stored on the site
Integrated editing with Picnik
Customizable creative commons licenses
Take the Flickr Tour to explore the major features.

The below image is embedded directly from Flickr.

Photobucket

The free option on Photobucket allows for unlimited uploads of photos and videos. The limits are 500 MB of storage and 10 GB of bandwidth (this is when the content is viewed on another site you've shared your content on). This can be an issue if you have a lot of photos and share them. Photobucket does have a paid pro option with unlimited storage and bandwidth.

Unique features:

Create a slide show or build a scrapbook
For details, see the About Us section.

Picasa

Unlike the other options, Picasa is free downloadable software that helps you organize your photos on your computer. It has built in image editing software to improve your photos. Once you're ready to share you can upload your albums to Picasa Web Albums. Information on Picasa features.

Facebook

Have a Facebook account? So do nearly 1/2 a billion other folks. Facebook has become a major player in the photo sharing world. If most of your friends and family are on Facebook, it's a simple matter of uploading your photos to share them. When you create or edit an album on Facebook, you can "Edit Info" and set privacy levels. You can share your albums with non-Facebookers using public links.

Exercises

Watch the video for an overview of photosharing.
If you aren't familiar with any of these sites, browse through the public areas and their features or tours.
What features are important to you when sharing your photos? Are privacy or copyright/creative commons options important to you? Which site do you prefer?

This module brought to you by Linda Stevens, Grace Lillevig and Veronica Garza.

Image: used with permission from Grace Lillevig

You Oughta Be In Pictures #89: Basic Photo Editing

2010-05-11T08:11:00.001-07:00

With this module, will examine images on the web. We will take a basic look at photo editing, find ways to share your photos online, and tour a variety of fun image related sites. Completing all three posts in this module is worth 2 training hours. This module is available through July 31, 2010.

Buying a Nikon doesn't make you a photographer. It makes you a Nikon owner. ~Anonymous

It doesn't matter if you are an excellent photographer or you chop off everyone's head in each picture that you take -- photo editing tools can help enhance or correct any photo. They can help you do anything from adding captions to correcting red-eyes, from cropping to adding special effects. Luckily, there are now a wide variety of free options that are very easy to use.

Picnik

I find Picnik to be very intuitive and it has a wide variety of tools available for free. You don't even have to register, though you receive more benefits if you do. You can also choose the "premium" service to get even more options.

Let's start with Red Eye. The photo being edited is of my dog, Buster. He's looking at me with a heart full of love and the flaming eyes of a demon. Picnik has a quick fix for this. Upload my photo, go to edit, select Touch-up, select Red Eye, and choose "Furball." It also works for non-furry individuals.

Now, we'll move on to cropping. I like the picture of Buster, but I'd like to take out the part where you can see the dust bunnies on my floor. [Cropping is available under Basic Edits.] You can also crop to get rid of the date imprinted on your picture, if you forgot to turn that camera feature off.

Now, to everyone's favorite part: photo bedazzling. We'll change from the "edit" tab to the "create" tab to see what kind of effects are available. You can add visual effects, like sepia or neon, insert text, fix the subject's skin problems (yes, from acne to wrinkles!) or even decorate your photos for a particular holiday. Remember, anything labeled "premium" will require a membership, but I think you'll find plenty to work with free of charge.

We've looked at these effects using Picnik, but there are other quality free photo editing sites out there, it's all a matter of preference.

Photoshop - The free online version of Photoshop has a huge variety of tools and effects (fun effect: Pop Color), but I find it a bit more difficult to use than other sites. Registration is required.
Fotoflexer - Similar to Picnik, but without the many inaccessible premium parts. Very straightforward with nice effects (fun effect: Cartoon).

Tip: To resize photos (file size) for use on the web, Microsoft Office Picture Manager (available as one of your Office programs) is quick and easy to use.

Exercises

Upload a photo to Picnik, Photoshop or Fotoflexer. Use at least one editing feature (red-eye fix, cropping, sharpening, resizing, etc.) and one creating feature (framing, adding text, touching up, captions, etc.). Post the edited photo on your blog.

Which photo editing features are important for your use? Which of the listed sites would best meet your photographic needs? Post your answer in your blog.

This module brought to you by Linda Stevens, Grace Lillevig and Veronica Garza.

The Web According to Google #88: Wave, Buzz, and Mobile

2010-04-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

In this final post we're going to look at two collaborative applications that Google is testing as well as how to take Google with you.

Google Wave, which is currently in preview, is a way for people to collaborate. Waves include:

Discussions
Task Tracking
Meetings
Documents
Brainstorms.

This brief video gives a nice introduction to Google Wave and how to use it.

Will Kelly describes some possible uses for Wave such as document collaboration, team chats, sending feedback, web conferencing, event planning and much more in his article Google Wave: What's It For?.

Google Buzz lets you follow people and people can follow you through an option in your Gmail account. For instance, when you share an item from Google Reader, your Buzz followers will see the items you share. Watch this video for an overview of Buzz and how you can share items with your friends.

So many people are using mobile technology today, so companies like Google are looking for ways to take advantage of that. Google Mobile allows you to access many of Google’s cool features right from your mobile phone! If you have a web enabled phone, you can go to m.google.com to access mobile phone apps for search, maps, Gmail, and more. Google Search allows you to search Google right from your phone, and includes all of the useful search features you can access with a web browser. Search the web, find images, news, products and more.

Some other Google products you can use on your phone include:

Google Calendar
Google Reader
Google Earth
YouTube
Picasa Web Albums

Google Mobile Help has additional information about these and other Google Mobile products.

As we discussed in the first post, Google is always trying out new technologies, especially through Google Labs. Several of the application we've looked at during this module came out of Labs, so keep an eye on it for the next big thing.

Exercises:

How do you think you could use Google Wave or Buzz for collaboration? Do you currently use any online collaboration tools?
Read a little about one or two of the Google Mobile apps available for mobile phones. Which ones do you think you would use the most and how?
Make a post in your blog with your answers.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed posts 85, 86, 87, & 88? Don't forget to submit your Registration of Completion.

This post is brought to you by Grace Lillevig (ADM) & Abigail Buchold (ADM).

Image: Flickr CC: New Google Favicon High Resolution: Tiger Pixel

The Web According to Google #87: Google Reader

2010-04-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Back in iHCPL: A learning Experience, we looked at Bloglines in Thing 8 as a way to subscribe to and read RSS feeds. In this post, we're going to look at Google Reader as a better feed reader.

As a refresher, RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is used to deliver updated information to a feed reader or aggregator. You can usually spot websites that have RSS feeds by the orange icon on the right, or a variation thereof. In Internet Explorer the icon shows up just above the screen and Mozilla Firefox the icon shows up in the address bar if a feed exists. You can click on the icon to subscribe to the feed, or copy the link and add it in your reader.

Why subscribe to feeds? Instead of having to go check your favorite sites or blogs to see if there's an update, the updates come to you. There are thousands of blogs out there as well as newspapers, magazines, and other media that have feeds on just about any topic you can imagine. Using a reader, you'll know instantly when there's something new.

Beyond Bloglines, there are a number of options to read feeds including from within Internet Explorer and using My Yahoo. So why use Google Reader? There are several reasons:

Two options for viewing feeds. The Expanded view shows the complete content of each post. The List view is an overview by blog name, post title and date - if you want a quick view to see if there's anything of interest.
More Sharing Options. At the bottom of each Expanded post, there are multiple ways to share a post.

Email lets you share by email and if you have a Gmail account you can access your address book.
Send to offers posting directly to social sites; set-up where you post through settings. Options include Twitter and Facebook .
Share and Share with Note adds the post to your shared page to which friends can view or subscribe - you decide through settings what is public.

Like. When you click Like, it adds a note to the post that you liked it. If other users have liked a post, it will show you that as well. You can see who liked it - and they can see you, so do be aware of this. This feature is being used in the Google Play, currently being tested in Google Labs. Google Play shows you items of intereste based on what you like.
Mobile. You can read Google Reader on a smart phone at reader.google.com.
Import/Export. In Settings-Reader, you can import feeds from another aggregator, so if you want to switch from Bloglines, for example, export your feeds from there and then import them to Google Reader.

Exercises:

Take the tour or sign-up and try the service out. Do you currently use a feed reader? If so which one do you use? Would you switch to Google Reader if you don't already use it? Why or why not?
Take a look at some of your favorite sites. Do they have feeds? If they do, subscribe to one of the feeds. Hint: Our website has feeds.

This post is brought to you by Grace Lillevig (ADM) & Abigail Buchold (ADM).

Image: Flickr CC: The duckies invade Google: Yodel Anecdotal

The Web According to Google #86: Calendar and Documents

2010-04-12T10:02:00.001-07:00

Web-based office applications have been around for a while now, and more and more people are using these convenient tools to boost their productivity. Not only do they behave just like many of the desktop office tools we all know so well, but you can access them from home, work, school, the library, a coffee shop, anywhere you can get on the Internet!

This post is about two very useful web-based apps: Google Calendar and Google Docs. Google Calendar is a versatile tool for keeping track of where you need to be and when, plus you can share your calendar with family and friends! You can create multiple calendars that allow you to place color-coded events all in the same view—that way your entire day, week or month is easily viewable. If you so choose, you can receive email reminders when an event is coming up. You can also add tasks for yourself—they’ll appear on the calendar and in a task list for you to check off as you complete them.

One very useful feature of Google Calendar is sharing. You can connect with your friends’ calendars and view their schedules along with your own calendar events. This is very useful for coordinating branch schedules, family schedules, gatherings with friends, and more. To share a calendar:

Find the one you want to share in the My Calendars list on the left hand side.
Click the down arrow button next to the calendar, then click “Share this calendar.”
Type in the address of the friend(s) you would like to share with.
Then, select a level of permissions under Permissions Settings and click Add.

Now your friend can see your calendar!

Don’t have time to check your email or your calendar? Not to worry--you can also have reminders sent to your mobile phone as text messages. Never forget another appointment!

Google Documents is basically web-based version of the desktop suites most of us are familiar with, except you can access it from any computer with an Internet connection! You can create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and web forms from a template or from scratch. You can keep your documents private or share them with friends or coworkers.

Also, Google Documents works well as online storage for your files! You can store any file type on Google Docs, with one caveat. Certain types of files can be converted to the Google Docs formats—this allows you to edit them later in Docs if you choose. Some file types cannot be converted, only stored. However, it is still a great way to store and organize PDF files, photos, and more for private use or sharing with friends. To upload a file

Click the Upload button on the left side.
Click "Select files to upload"and choose the file you would to upload to Google Docs.
Once you've chosen one, you can add more by clicking "Select more files" and adding new ones until you are finished.
You can then select a folder in which to upload the files (optional)
Click "Start upload."

Your files will then be saved to your account!

Exercises

Answer the following on your blog:

Create a calendar in Google Calendar and try adding some events or tasks to it. How do you think you would use Google Calendar in the workplace or at home? Do you think you would find it helpful to share calendars with coworkers, friends, or family?
Try creating a file Google Docs and uploading one from your computer. Can you see yourself using Google Docs in addition to or instead of a desktop office application? Why or why not?

This post brought to you by Grace Lillevig (ADM) & Abigail Buchold (ADM).

Image: Flickr CC: Google World Logo: 6S

The Web According to Google #85: Resistance is Futile

2010-04-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

In 1996-1997 two Stanford University students started a little project that became Google. In the 14 or so years since its launch it has added numerous other products, starting with the toolbar in 2000. A major milestone in the creation of new products was the release of Google Labs in 2002. Google Labs is a place where Google tries out beta technologies some of which have gone into production. Because Google has become such an integral part of many people's lives, we're going to take a look at several of the more popular applications over four posts. Completing all four posts is worth 2 training hours. This module is available through June 30, 2010.

Google has a variety of products available. We've previously covered Blogger and YouTube in the original iHCPL. Blogger and YouTube were developed independently and later purchased by Google. Several other applications to be aware of are:

Google Mail or Gmail, the popular email client
Google Books - Search the full text of books. Allows the user to either search or browse by subject. With a Google Account, you can create your own bookshelf with favorites, which you can share with the world. Back issues of some magazines are also available (Weekly World News anyone?) Keep in mind that not all books have full text available due to copyright.
iGoogle - Acts as a launch pad for wide-variety of widgets that you can install. You can also customize the look with a variety of themes. Depending on the widgets you install, you can view and launch Gmail, your Google calendar, YouTube (owned by Google), Google Reader, and get news and weather. iGoogle is an application that came out of Google Labs.

In the past several years, Google has developed several products that require a download rather than being strictly web-based. These include:

Google Earth - A program that lets you explore the earth in detail
Google Chrome - Google's browser that competes with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox
Picasa - Photo editing software.

In upcoming posts we'll be covering Calendar and Docs, Google Reader, and the newer apps such as Buzz and Wave in depth.

Exercises:
In your blog, respond to the following:

What Google products do you use on a regular basis? Why do you use them and what makes them better than a competing product?
Check out Google Labs. Did you see any new products that you want to try?
Search or browse Google Books. Do they have the book or magazine you looked for? Did you find any gems? How can this be used in the library?

This post brought to you by Grace Lillevig (ADM) & Abigail Buchold (ADM).

Image: Flickr CC: Google Logo 50th Anniversary Inspiration: manfry

Publishing Evolution #84: Writer Communities & Author Websites

2010-03-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Writing was once a very solitary experience: the author and a typewriter or computer. If that writer was lucky there was a writers group nearby. Now there’s Writing.com, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month in November), Script Frenzy (April), and many others. The community has connected, sharing their advice. Agents blog, publishers and agencies update their submission guidelines instantly. On top of that, people connect with authors, get feedback on the books, and learn of the authors’ everyday lives. The mystique of the writer is being slowly eaten away. The dream of being published is closer than ever before, but the struggle of success is the same.

Authonomy, a project promoted and supported by HarperCollins, is the American Idol of the publishing world. Present your work, have it read, critiqued, and voted on by others, and perhaps your work will be noticed by the editors of HarperCollins. Is this the wave of the publishing future?

Exercises

Have you contacted your favorite authors or gone to their websites? Do you like knowing more or less about them? Search for your favorite author; do they have a website or blog? Can you interact with them via web?
Does the idea of a book being published based on popular vote give you more or less faith in the material?

HCPL Staff: Have you completed posts 82, 83 & 84? Don't forget to submit your Registration of Completion.

This module is brought to you by Beth Krippel (ATA)

Image: Flickr CC: typing by candle light: Mr. Stabile

Publishing Evolution #83: Paper to Pixels (or e-ink)

2010-03-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Another mode of self publishing is pure digital: blogs, personal web pages, writing sites. Most of these items never see a bound paper format. This material, like vanity press, skips editors and publishers and goes straight to the reader. Pixel and e-ink formats used by popular reading devices like the Kindle, Nook, and iPad are not limited to the mainstream publishing houses. Authors can have their stories processed directly for these devices.

There are also website projects like iFiction that have an iTunes setup. It allows people to read a portion of a story and decide if they want to pay for the rest. With this business model, the author controls the amount of material made free and the cost for the rest of the material. Readers have more control over what books earn their money.

Speaking of money, recent publishing news examined pricing for digital books. Amazon.com set a price at (highest) $9.99, and in doing so took a loss on many of their offered e-books. However, they also established the Kindle as the e-reader with the least expensive e-books. Publisher MacMillan wanted to control the prices set, and after some interesting digital punches, won out. Now digital books are sold based on prices set by the publisher.

Exercises

Do you prefer paper or pixels? Is getting the material faster on the computer or is reading in a paper form more important to you? Why?
Does price influence how you get your books or is it availability? Would you pay the same price for a digital book as you would for a paper copy?
Visit iFiction and look at what it offers. Do you like the idea of preview and then pay?

Publishing Evolution #82: Print on Demand

2010-03-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

This module on the evolution of publishing will have three posts. Completing all three posts is worth 2 training hours. The module is available through April 30, 2010.

Web 2.0 has made the web a social extravaganza. Its impact on the world has transformed local town heroes into major phenomena through YouTube and Twitter. News travels faster than mainstream TV. And like all the major media industries, publishing has been altered exponentially. Now, any person can blog, write stories, and publish without the requirement of finding an agent or publishing house. The electronic readers have improved and access to their materials increases.

In this module, we will be looking at the changes in publishing, from online to self pub services.

Print on Demand

The stigma of self publishing slowly diminishes (but is not gone). Depending on each authors’ goals, there are several methods to transfer writing from words on a computer into a bound book. When the money to publish is invested by the author, it is called vanity press or self-publishing. With the progress of the Internet, vanity press also incorporates print-on-demand (POD). There’s no stock and no storage, but because printing happens when a book is requested, prices per copy tend to be higher. Yet, with the web technology, now every writer with a dream can be published. Learn more about print on demand from Writer Beware sponsored by Science Fiction Writers of America.

Some companies have been focused on self-publishing for years; the major players come down to Lulu, Xlibris, Author House, iUniverse, and Createspace (Amazon.com). Even Harris County Public Library carries self published materials through iUniverse, Author House, and Xlibris.

Exercises

Visit each of the websites listed above and see what they offer. Is it higher or the same as traditionally published books? Look at some of their published books. Have you read any of them? Would you?
What do you think of self publishing? As a reader, do you prefer books that have gone through the traditional route and have the confidence of a company’s financial backing, or do you not care how the book got printed, you’re just glad it did?

This module is brought to you by Beth Krippel (ATA)

The Future of Media #81: Get Out Your Crystal Ball

2010-02-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

Remember When?

Technology changes rapidly, but not every new development in media format ends up catching on and making the difference that might have been expected. The Blu-Ray format beat HD DVD in the format war, but has it made a huge difference to most of us? In the audio format, most of us never cared to have a Super Audio CD.

Then there were the changes that had great influence. It might seem hard to believe now, but the personal computer first outsold the TV set in the United States in 1994. DVDs were introduced in 1997 (Netflix started the same year) and became officially more popular than VHS in 2001. Recordable CD technology became part of computer systems in 1999. Napster was created in 2000, changing music distribution and causing the music industry to experience it's first decline in annual sales. The iPod debuted in 2001, followed by iTunes in 2003. The home entertainment industry has been revolutionized in a variety of ways in less than 20 years.

How do you know what is next on the horizon that will make a difference? Keep informed and guess.

The Future Starts Now

I'm sure you've seen statistics or read articles about the death of the newspaper industry. Some business analysts predict that the traditional TV business is set up for the same kind of fall. Basically, since Internet-based distribution doesn't generate the profits TV companies are used to, are they prepared to support themselves when the television and the computer screen are merged? Robert Cringely blogs in this post that network television will go away, cable operators will become ISPs, and content will endure. How will current content change? Will "midtails" bring the best of traditional television and the Internet?
A previous post in this module discussed streaming movies through different gaming systems. Companies like Amazon and Netflix also offer high quality movie streaming. Will we always want a format you can hold in your hand AND the convenience of computer access? Or will the recent announcement that the giant Wal-Mart is buying Vudu accelerate the end of the DVD?

The Look of the Future

One of the most current debates concerns the future look of movies, TV and games. Some of you might have heard of a little movie called Avatar, claimed by it's director to be a movie that will change the way we watch movies through the development of 3D technology. He is not alone -- others are comparing 3D to the switch to color. Now, 3D is poised to come to the TV. What will that mean for the consumer? Will it catch on? Or is it really suited for gaming?

There are a great many questions you could try to "futurecast" regarding home entertainment and media. Will we still go to movie theaters in ten years? Will everything be "on demand?" Will I still get my HBO shows at the nursing home? What do you think?

Exercises

Which of the developments listed above do you think will have the most influence? Is there a new technology you have been following that you think will have more effect? Discuss it in your post.
Are you an early adopter of every gadget or do you have fond memories of technologies from the past? What is your favorite media gadget or which outdated format do you miss the most? Describe it in your post.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Dont' forget to submit your Registration of Completion.

This module brought to you by Linda Stevens (ADM), Grace Lillevig (ADM), Abigail Buchold (ADM), & Mark Haywood (ALD).

The Future of Media #80: Movies

2010-02-15T14:00:00.001-08:00

Watching movies at home doesn’t always mean a trip to the video store anymore! These days the Internet offers a variety of ways to watch your favorite movies without even leaving home.

The popular site Netflix allows you to choose films from their huge collection of titles—for a monthly fee they send DVDs through US Mail right to your front door! In the past year they have also added “Instant” titles that you can stream from their site and watch on your home computer. Not all titles are available for streaming, but the number is growing.

Have an xBox 360 or Playstation 3? Netflix allows you to stream movies through these gaming systems at no extra charge. Recently, Netflix also announced its plan to provide streaming movies through the Nintendo Wii! Streaming content through the Wii should be available by Spring of 2010.

Blockbuster is now offering streaming movies in addition to their storefront rentals. Fees are paid per rental. You can get DVDs delivered through the mail and download “On Demand” titles from their website. Blockbuster also offers downloads for purchase.

You may have heard of Hulu, a site that provides free access to full-length network TV shows. Hulu also has an extensive library of feature films you can watch on your computer. There are thousands of free titles. The site highlights popular films, recently added movies, and films from various genres.

Are you into foreign movies and art films? Check out Mubi.

Mubi “is a web site making great films from prominent festivals around the world accessible to anyone through high-definition video streaming.”

You may have seen the Redbox kiosks in a fast food restaurant, in front of a pharmacy, or in the grocery store. Redbox allows you to rent movies vending machine-style with just the swipe of a credit card. Well, now you can reserve movies through Redbox online before you visit the kiosk. You just choose the movies you want, choose a pickup location, pick up your movies and enjoy. Fees are charged per night, and you can return them to any Redbox kiosk.

Movie trailers have been available online for quite some time. You can find them all over the web, but some of the better quality high definition trailers are available on specific sites. Apple Trailers, for example offers a database of movie trailers for films currently in theaters and for upcoming films. You can watch them online and they are available in HD, as well as on the iPod and iPhone. Internet Movie Database (IMDB) is a well known database of film, actor, director, and production information. IMDB offers movie trailers for many films, both current, upcoming, and from the past. There are also some full-length films to choose from. Hulu, the streaming site mentioned above, also has trailers available.

Exercises

Use one of the film sites above to find a free full-length film (you’ll probably have the best luck with Hulu, The Auteurs, or IMDB). Watch a little of it. Would you watch an entire film on your computer or do you still prefer watching DVDs on your TV?
Find a trailer for an upcoming film. Would you use these sites to keep up on current film information?
Write a blog post about the experience. Would you consider using any of the fee-based services to get the movies you want at home? If so, which one would work better for you and why?

The Future of Media #79: Television

2010-02-08T10:45:00.001-08:00

This module on the future of media consists of three posts: television, movies, and the future of both. Completing all three posts is worth 2 training hours. The module is available through March 31, 2010.

When television was in it's infancy at the end of the 1940s and beginning of the 1950s, I don't think anyone could have imagined that people would be able to record shows, watch TV shows on demand, or even watch a show on the Internet.

Today, changes in the public's viewing habits and the increase in the number of channels and options has forced the television industry to look at other options to reach it's viewing public. One effect is the growing use of product placement in TV shows as viewers increasingly skip over commercials with their DVRs. Another effect is the increase in the number of episodes available on the web for people to watch.

Most of the major networks have some kind of online presence for viewers to find their favorite shows. Availability of episodes varies both by network, site, and show. The major options are:

Hulu.com - Offers recent episodes of popular shows such as Lost, 24, The Office, and Family Guy primarily from NBC and Fox. It also has "classic" shows such as The Facts of Life, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and What's Happening. The number of episodes varies by show and each does include commercials.
tv.com - A one stop shop for CBS shows, either airing on CBS or in some way produced by them. Popular shows include NCIS, CSI, South Park, and Survivor. Classic shows such as Bonanza are also available.
Joost - Has quite a bit of animation in addition to similar offerings to Hulu and tv.com.
viewmy.tv - Watch news from around the world.
CastTV - The site's goal is to index every video, and thus TV show, on the web.
Major Network websites - ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and The CW all offer at least some episodes of their current TV shows online. In addition to current shows, NBC also has a selection of classic shows as well as original online-only shows.

Going Mobile

With the advent of web based mobile phones, especially the iPhone, watching TV on the go is becoming easier and more popular. There are several free or low cost options for taking your favorite programs with you.

The major phone providers including AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all have some kind of Mobile TV option. Charges may apply.
The major networks all have mobile websites: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and The CW. Not all the sites are accessible over a regular internet browser as they are designed for use on smart phones.
For iPhone/iPod Touch users, some of the sites have available apps: tv.com (CBS), The CW, and ABC. There are also a number of mobile TV apps for the iPhone. Mashable has a list with reviews. Note that some apps have a small fee.

Be Your Own TV Star

Why let the networks or cable channels have all the fun? You can be the star of your own program online. There are a number of sites that let you post your own videos, or in the case of USTREAM and Justin.tv, post a live feed. For more on making videos, see the video module from October 2008.

USTREAM - This site host to the popular Shiba Inu Puppy Cam, lets users post streaming video. People can chat about your stream live.

Live Broadcast by Ustream.TV
Justin.tv - Like USTREAM, users can post live feeds.
YouTube, Yahoo! Video, and Vimeo all have options for uploading videos to their sites and sharing your creativity with the world. Many users have "channels" that you can subscribe to, in effect creating their own online broadcast network.

Exercises:

Post your replies on your blog.

Visit Hulu, tv.com, or one of the other TV sites. Search or browse the site to see if your favorite show is listed. Are you able to watch full episodes online? What coverage is available?
Have you ever watched a TV show on your cell phone? If so, did you like it? If not, are you interested? Why or why not?
Are there any streaming programs or user "channels" that you watch? Have you ever posted videos to a site on a regular basis?

This module brought to you by Linda Stevens (ADM), Grace Lillevig (ADM), Abigail Buchold (ADM), & Mark Haywood (ALD).

Searching #78: Video

2010-01-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

Video content on the web is ubiquitous these days. Innumerable methods and tools exist for editing, uploading and sharing it. Moreover, the most compact and inexpensive of digital cameras now have video recording capability, making amateur moviemakers of us all. Not only is it easy create your own clips, it’s just as easy to find others out there thanks to search engines devoted solely to searching for video content.

In 2006, Time Magazine named as its annual Person of the Year not, as is customary, a world leader, scientist, or celebrity but instead selected “You,” the broad base of users of the World Wide Web. This was due in no small part to a then-relatively young site known as “YouTube.” Though it’s likely the most popular video site on the Internet, YouTube is different from other video search engines for the fact that 1) it is primarily a video-sharing site, allowing users to upload their own content for public or private viewing after creating a free account, and 2) it searches only its own user-generated and uploaded content rather than any video out there on the Internet.

Another well-known video search engine is Truveo. Like Google, Truveo utilizes a simple, user-friendly design that disguises depth and a thoroughness about locating Internet content. The no-frills homepage greets the user with a text box for keyword searching and five of the most popular categories beneath for browsing: News, Sports, TV Shows, Music, and Most Twittered. According to its website, some of the most trafficked online presences, notably those owned by AOL and Microsoft, employ Truveo as their video search engine of choice.

Despite also being very capable and comprehensive, Blinkx’s professed uniqueness lies not solely in presentation or in search options as in how it evaluates video content for accurate retrieval. According to its own description, Blinkx, unlike many search engines, looks not only at the text around a particular form of media to determine what it’s about -- a common method that can sometimes retrieve inaccurate results. Instead, Blinkx employs “speech recognition and video analysis software” that does not only scan text surrounding media to acquire a description but also, in a sense, listens and watches content itself to get a better idea about a video or other form of media, thus providing you with a hit that’s potentially closer to your target.

There are, of course, other great video search engines on the web. For comparison or curiosity’s sake, you could also check out Google Video, Clipblast, Yahoo! Video, or Bing, just to name a few. So, play around and see what entertaining, fun, or interesting content you can find. Just be careful – there’s so much out there that it might be difficult to pull yourself away!

Exercises:
1. Search for a particular video using both Truveo and Blinkx. Look for any similarities or differences in the results, and write about them in your blog.
2. Go to HCPL’s YouTube channel and take a look around. Discuss in your blog ideas for how your own branch video could add to the mix of searchable video content on the Internet.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Dont' forget to submit your Registration of Completion.

Image copyright Jupiterimages

Searching #77: Images

2010-01-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

“What does a lupine look like? I need a picture of the El Salvador’s state seal. Where can I find a picture of Davy Crockett?"

We’ve all heard questions like these and can usually find pictures for our use or our customers to use. But how to find one that is free to download and use? Every major search engine has its own image search that is relatively easy to use: – Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Ask.
But how to determine if you can use these images?

What’s the difference between free and royalty free? A "royalty free" image means that the price of the image is the same whatever the time of use and the number of prints. You will still need to buy that image under a royalty free license but then you can use this image without limit of time and without limit of number of uses. There are numerous sites to buy photos from – iStockPhoto or Fotolia to name a couple. "Free" means free - we like our stuff free!

Most of our customers feel the same way. There is a search engine just for pictures called Picsearch. When I searched on “lupine” I got 23,582 hits. Typing in “lupine free” gave me only 32 hits. Further exploration showed that these photos are available for use in “non-commercial website/projects only”. They would like for their website to be acknowledged. The photo used is from © BlossomSwap.com.

Then there is Clip Art – art work that can be used to spiff up any poster. I needed a Santa for our Christmas Blog and got several interesting choices. I tried Microsoft Clip Art (available with the Microsoft Office package), iClipArt, and AllFreeClipArt. I had varying degrees of success with the clip art programs. Harris County Public Library subscribes to a clip art program, called Schools.Clipart for library staff use when making posters, flyers, etc. Each clip from this site must be credited with “@jupiterimages” when used.

Exercises:

1. Using AllFreeClipArt, how many clicks did it take to get to a color Santa that doesn’t look like a troll?
2. Read “10 Places to Find Free Images Online”. Blog about 2 of the sites listed.
3. Try logging in to the clip art program for HCPL use. Each branch has their own login and password you can get from your branch librarian. Find an illustration that could be used for a program at your branch and add it to your blog. Be sure to credit that piece.

Image Credit: www.blossomswap.com/picture/purple_lupines.html

Searching #76: Sound Effects

2010-01-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

Ever thought about spicing up your blog with sound effects? Turn up the volume on your speakers, or plug in your headphones, and consider this scenario that uses Windows Media Player to play the sounds:

The alarm clock rings. You wake up and head to the kitchen for breakfast. You crack some eggs into a pan and make some toast. You have a cup of coffee. You brush your teeth, and head out the door. You jump into the car to head off to work.

There are lots of ways to search for sounds. One useful site is FindSounds, a site that has processed over 35 million sound searches to date. This site also provides tips for searching for sounds on the web.

Sound files come in lots of formats. Examples are Microsoft WAV (.wav; a common audio file for Windows); MIDI (.mid; musical instrument digital interface); MP3 (.mp3; compresses music files without loss of quality to make them more easily used by computers); and RealAudio (.ra; sized to support streaming audio). The Simply the Best Sounds site is another good place to search for sounds. It has a list of formats, together with more detailed descriptions.

Like any web content, sound files may contain copyrighted material. It is the user's obligation to obtain copyright clearance if it is required for the intended use.

Exercises:

Use FindSounds to search for and post links to at least three animal sound effects in your blog. Finding out whether or not these are in the public domain is not easy. Try clicking on "Show Page" to see the site where the sound originated. You may have to go back to the "Home" page of the website for more detail. Or you can try deleting part of the right-hand side of the web address (URL) to work your way back to a page with more information about the rights governing the use of the sounds. A website that is very concerned with copyright will usually have this posted in a pretty obvious manner.
It is much easier on the Simply the Best Sounds site to find what sounds are included in the public domain. Search for three such sounds, and post links to them in your blog. If you can't identify the direct link to the sound, just name the sound and give the link to the page on which it appears.

Image @jupiterimages

Searching #75: Google and Beyond

2009-12-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

This module on Searching will consist of four parts: general search engines; searching for sound effects; searching for images; and searching for videos. Together they are worth two training hour credits.

Are you in a rut when you search the Internet? Maybe you suspect that your bias for a particular way to search could be limiting your results. If so, it’s time to try BlindSearch , developed by Michael Kordahi and described as a “search engine taste test.” The goal of this site is simple: What happens when you remove the branding from the top 3 search engines? How differently will you perceive the results?

Beyond Google, Yahoo!, and the newer Bing (from Microsoft), there are lots of other search engines out there. Which is #1 with users? Check out the stats on Hitwise, which monitors and updates both the volume of traffic on search engines, and the number of visits to each.

Looking under the surface, what really is it that makes a search engine work? The Berkeley Library took a look at the detailed criteria that make a search engine perform well. This includes factors such as: How big is the database that is searched? How current? How fast is the search? In what ways can you limit searches? How are the results displayed? How are they ranked?

Exercises:
1) Type in at least three queries in Blindsearch, hit search, and then vote for the column which you believe best matches what you were seeking. The columns are randomized with each search. How did your favorite search engine rate in the three tries? Do you think this will affect how you search in the future?

2) What search engine was #1 on Hitwise the week that you searched? How did it compare to its closest competitor? Do the usage statistics match your own personal choice of a favorite?

3) Marketing of search engines requires that they continually add new features that they hope will appeal to you. Explore the features of one of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, or Bing). What new things did you discover that you would find useful?

Image Credit: Jupiterimages

This module is brought to you by Nancy Agafitei (CC), Christi Whittington (KW), and Jim Johnson (KW).

Parade of Pets

2009-11-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

It seems HCPL staff households are filled with adorable pets, but here are the official HCPL Cutest Pet award winners:

Here they all are in a Parade of Pets:

Pets #74: Social Petworking

2009-10-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Do you want to tell everyone you meet all about your adorable four-legged friend? Do you carry pictures of your pet in your wallet or have them framed around your desk? Do you drive home from work during your lunch break just to let your puppies go “potty,” even if it means you’ll only have 10 minutes to eat? OK. Maybe the last one only applies to me. But if you love to share your pet’s greatness with the world, you might be interested in a few of these websites. You can sign up for a few depending on what type of pet you have.

Make a profile for your pet
Go ahead; give your furry friends an online presence. There are many pets that have their own blogs. They’ve managed to get their humans typing and uploading their pictures for them.

Do g ster.com is a social networking site for dogs (or Catster.com for cats). These blogs or “doggie diaries” are written as if the pets themselves are writing them. Their profiles include information about the dogs as you would see on human social networking sites. Dogster also has a pet Q & A section available, and you may also find information about your baby’s specific bre ed. Don’t miss the section full of great deals for pet products. Their Vet Blog has lots of useful information for cat and dog owners, as well. And, of course, you can’t have a site dedicated to dogs without a photo gallery. Even if you don’t create an account you can browse through themed photo galleries.

There are many options out there when it comes to creating profile for your pet. Depending on your type of pet, you can try CuteasHell.com, Doggyspace.com, Petster.com, Hamsterster.com, myDogspace.com, PetBrags.com, or PetPop.com.

Social Networking for Pet Lovers

So now that Sparky has his own profile, you should look into creating one for yourself. The great thing about these sites is that you will be meeting other pet lovers -- people who can relate to a lunch break that's 85% pet care and 15% eating.

Animalattraction.com donates $1 to the Petfinder.com Foundation for every person that creates an account on their site. They donate more money for every day you log in to your account. You can find breed specific information on their site and find pet lovers’ profiles in your area. Petside.com and Petdoc.com are great places to join if you want something with a focus on your pet’s wellness. Other sites include FetchaFriend.com, Petcrash.com, YouPet.com, Wuffstuff.com, or Yeepet.com.

Exercise

Take a look at a few of the sites and choose one that interests you. If you have a pet, create a profile and blog about the registration process and site features. If you don't have a pet, blog about the different tools available on that social petworking site.

Pets #73: Losing a Friend

2009-10-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

For many pet owners, their pet is a major part of the family. As such, the loss of that pet can have a very deep impact. However, so few feel justified in feeling that loss. Some find it difficult to express their grief with those who are not pet owners. Perhaps afraid they will hear “it was only a pet,” few share the emotional impact their furry, feathered, or scaled family member's passing. Websites like the Humane Society of the United States have a page to assist pet parents with the loss of a pet, which can be a lonely experience.

Even more difficult, adult pet owners are often faced with making the ultimate decision for a pet because of illness or loss of quality of life. Twice I have been required to make the decision about a pet, and it has been an agonizing struggle. The ASCPA has a FAQ about pet loss as well as facing the choice of euthanasia and recommended reading to help assist in these choices.

As the Internet has with so many things, there are communities and websites to help connect people with similar experiences in pet loss. One of the most extensive websites on pet loss, offering resources in grievance counseling, is the Delta Society. While the organization itself is located on the east coast and its focus is on improving people’s health and well being via interaction with animals, it provides valuable information on pet loss and grieving.

Through the years, people have found ways to help them grieve the loss of their pet. The popular story of Rainbow Bridge has proven a comfort for many people, and is often referred to on many websites that are pet related.

If you, or someone you know, have had to face or is facing such a difficult time in their role as a pet owner, visit these sites for options and assistance in grieving. Also, general searches on Pet Loss and Grieving can bring up a variety of memorial webpages and references to assist.

Exercises:

1. Do a search on pet loss and grieving and pick a few of the websites. Tell about two or three that you found most helpful (i.e. information, ease of use, supportive). Was it a well known organization? Would you recommend it to others?
2. If you have experienced the loss of a pet, please feel welcome to post a memoriam in the comments below or on your blog.

Pets #72: Pet Health Online

2009-10-12T09:29:00.001-07:00

I am pretty sure that my dogs receive better health care than I do. It's certainly more expensive. A little background knowledge and quick sources for pet health research are essential tools to provide the best health care for your pet without turning you into a penniless nervous wreck.

How do you know what regular medicines and vaccinations your animal should have? What symptoms make it necessary to take a trip to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Hospital on a holiday weekend? Is it okay to share my chocolate sundae with a labradoodle? Why was Bob Barker always so fired up about spaying and neutering? Let's take a look!

General Health Sites

The pet care section on the ASPCA site gives an excellent overview of different health care topics for a variety of animals and is very easy to navigate. MedlinePlus, the authoritative human site, has a wide variety of articles related to pet health from very reputable sources. PetMD also features a great deal of general information, including travelling needs and first aid by pet type. If your pet is a cat or a dog, you can determine their "real age" through DogAge or CatAge.

Spaying and Neutering

From a humane perspective, a medical perspective, or a behavioral perspective, there are many good reasons to spay or neuter your pet (not just cats and dogs). If cost is an issue, the ASPCA Free and Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Database will help you find an affordable clinic in your area.

What to Eat...and Not to Eat

We're all guilty of giving in to a pleading look and sharing our human food with our pets, but some of the things we eat are harmful to animals. Cats are particularly sensitive to garlic. Dogs can develop kidney failure from grapes or raisins. Chocolate is dangerous, even though it smells attractive to pets. Attention should also be paid to what animals are able to eat when unsupervised. Many common plants can prove to be poisonous to animals, as well as household items, like potpourri.

For basic pet food nutrition, many of the major pet food brands offer informative web sites. Of course their products are listed as the best, like the Iams, Eukanuba or Purina sites. Hill's Pet Nutrition and the American Veterinary Medical Association sponsor a site to help make your pet more fit and avoid the dangers associated with obesity. Many tools are available to help with exercising your dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, reptile or ferret.

Exercise

Find out your pet's Real Age through DogAge or CatAge and post about it in your blog.

Blog about your pet's fitness routine or something you saw on Petfit you would like to try.

This month's module brought to you by Kathleen Green, Linda Stevens, Beth Krippel and Daisy Torres.

Pets #71: Finding a Pet

2009-10-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Adopting a pet can be a rewarding experience that adds love and companionship to your life. But before you adopt a pet you need to make sure you are ready for the responsibility and that you pick the right pet for you and your lifestyle. You may think your sister's Labrador is fun when you visit them at their house with the big fenced in yard. But if you live in an apartment and have to walk the dog several times a day (picking up his Labrador-sized poop as you go) it might not seem fun at all.

Take this quiz to find out what kind of pet might be right for you:
Pet Picker Quiz

If you have children in your home there will be other concerns to address before adding a pet to your family. The Humane Society has an excellent article about things to consider when selecting a pet and introducing it into a home with children.

So where do you find this creature who is going to make your home or family complete? There are two wonderful resources that allow you to search for pets by zip code, type and breed. Pet Harbor searches shelters for the type of pet you select. First you select the type and breed of animal and then you select which shelters you want to search. Petfinder also allows you to search by type and breed and will list the results by distance from the zip code you type in. Listings from Animal Rescue organizations can be found in Petfinder. Petfinder also offers a wonderful section on pet care for a variety of pets as well as pet health and training. Other places to find pets are ASPCA, Citizens for Animal Protection (CAPS), and Harris County Animal Control.

Adopting a pet from a shelter or pound is usually easy involving only an application and small fee. Adopting a pet from a rescue organization is a little more involved and will usually cost more AND will have a home visit with interview to make sure you and the pet are a good fit. You will also sign a contract promising to keep the pet or return it to that rescue agency--no giving it away to someone else! Many pet rescue organizations are breed specific and often use Petfinder for their pet listings. Some local animal rescues are Houston Cat Rescue, Dachshund Rescue of Houston, and Boston Terrier Rescue of Houston.

Before bringing your pet home you will need get things ready for his/her safety and comfort. Pet Proofing is easy if the pet is contained in a cage but is more involved for pets allowed to roam. The ASPCA offers some suggestions for preparing your home for your new pet.

Exercises:

1. Take the Pet Picker Quiz to find out what type of pet might be right for you.
2. Do a pet search in Petfinder or Pet Harbor and discover some animals that need a family and a home like yours.

3. Write about the results in your blog.

October's iHCPL: We'll Make Your Pet a Star!

2009-10-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

This month's module is one for the animal lovers. We'll start the month with submitting entries for the HCPL Cutest Pet contest, then look at finding a pet online, pet health, dealing with the loss of a pet, and end with social petworking. Completion of all four posts in this module will earn 2 hours of training credit for library staff.

With the proliferation of cute animal sites available now, you no longer have to wait for Aunt Betty to send you the latest batch of pictures of dogs dressed up in Halloween costumes for your "awww..." fix. You can visit Cute Overload for the motherload of cuteness from the entire animal kingdom, complete with funny captions. LOL people can go to I Can Has Cheezburger? for cats or I Has a Hotdog! for dogs. Baby animals are always popular, and so are The Daily Puppy and Kittenwar. But, wait, where do we go for local cuteness?

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who's the cutest pet of all?

We know there are many adorable pets in HCPL families and each one of us thinks that ours is the cutest. Just for fun this month, let's put it to a vote! Anyone who would like to participate should put a picture of their pet(s) in the iHCPL Pet Parade folder on the S: drive by October 16th. Please name your file with your pet's name-your name (example: Charlie-Linda Stevens). If you have more than one pet, you can submit more than one entry or you can put them all together in one photo for a big bang of cute. Voting will take place on Harriet from October 19th through the 30th and a winner will be announced at the end of the month. If the number of entries is large, we'll split the voting by type of pet. If not, dogs, cats, birds, fish, lizards, rabbits and hamsters will all compete against each other for the coveted title of "HCPL's Cutest Pet."

The pet contest is for fun, so you can participate without doing the rest of the module and exercises, or you can get credit for the Pets module and exercises without entering the contest.

Please contact Linda Stevens with any questions and check back on Monday for an actual learning post, "Finding a Pet Online."

This month's posts are brought to you by Linda Stevens, Kathleen Green, Beth Krippel and Daisy Torres.
Photos copyright JupiterImages.com

Genealogy #70: Genealogy 2.0

2009-09-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Flickr image by luc legay

What is Genealogy 2.0? Genealogist Kimberly Powell explains that “Genealogy 2.0 sites use advanced social computing and networking technologies like wikis, RSS, mapping, and online family tree building to help people connect with family members and other researchers”. For those dedicated family researchers, they can either purchase genealogy software or subscribe to a free web-based genealogy program such as Ancestry, MyHeritage or Footnote.

MYHERITAGE.COM

MyHeritage is a free genealogical social networking site. This website allows members to make family pages/sites, share multimedia, maintain a calendar, build family trees, and find relatives/ancestors. The Family Pages are online profiles for entire families. On these pages, MyHeritage members can invite other relatives to join and share photos and videos, schedule events, and, like other social networks, connect family members. At this time, a family tree can hold up to 250 people free of charge. More ancestors can be added for a fee.

One attribute of MyHeritage.com is Family Tree Builder (FTB). FTB is available in thirty-four different languages at this time. FTB is software offered by MyHeritage which lets a user put together a family tree, enabling a user to add information about his or her ancestors (i.e. dates – birth, marriage, and death, places lived, professions, and pictures). In addition, FTB can generate charts showing the relationship between two people. A user can build his or her tree online or offline; offline trees can be published to the family page. FTB features Smart Matching, which identifies people appearing on more than one family tree. So, if Jane Doe, 1867 – 1944, happens to be on two different trees, the members of the family page receive notices. Smart Matches contribute to the social networking component. People throughout the world can collaborate and research the same family!

Like many other social networking sites, MyHeritage can automatically tag people’s faces in photos when they are uploaded to family pages. If a picture of a person in the family tree is uploaded and tagged, then the MyHeritage software can also instantly match the two. Photo tagging leads into a fun part of MyHeritage.

One of the MyHeritage’ bells and whistles from is facial recognition technology. Originally designed to help a user spot possible ancestors and/or relatives, the facial recognition technology now enables users to find out what celebrities they look like. By design, this software identifies human faces. An example of such is provided below.

In addition, users can see whether a child looks more like his/her mother or father when using the look-alike meter. Check out the results below on the right.

FOOTNOTE.COM

Footnote takes original documents and mixes it with social networking. This creates collaboration amongst people throughout the world. Footnote has digitized documents dating back to the United States Revolutionary War as well as a place for members to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the document access granted by Footnote.

Exercises

Have you ever wondered which celebrities you most resemble? Do you look like your mom or your dad? Create a free account with MyHeritage. Either make a Celebrity Collage or use the Look-alike Meter to find out whose looks you favor. When you finish, use the widget to add the results to your iHCPL blog.
Go to Footnote and browse the Member Discoveries. What did you think of what people are doing on Footnote?

This module brought to you by Jorie Nissen (FM), Laura Smith (FM) & Rhiannon Perry (LAP).

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Dont' forget to submit your Registration of Completion.

Genealogy #69: Database Researching

2009-09-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

When conducting genealogical research it is necessary to use information found in official records to assist in tracking your ancestors. The records most commonly used for this purpose are federal census records and vital records. Access to these records is limited by privacy guidelines. For example, even though the federal census is conducted every 10 years, access to those records is not allowed until 72 years later. Currently, the 1930 census records are the most recent that can be accessed for genealogical research. The 1940 census records will be made available to the public in 2012.

When working with these records, keep in mind:

Official records are not always completely accurate or available

Handwriting is often difficult to decipher in the years prior to typed records-this provides challenges for indexers and researchers alike

Names and/or their spelling can change over the years, or be recorded incorrectly-a reason for the creation of the Soundex

Due to a fire at the National Archives in 1921, except for fragments from certain states, the 1890 federal census is unavailable

Examine all information provided on a record as you never know what might trigger your next great find – a street address on a census form can lead you to finding that ancestor in a city directory

Questions asked from decade to decade on the census vary, so each time you locate your ancestors you have the potential to learn something new about them; the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota has created a site that lists the census questions from 1850-2000 and another that provides the Census Enumerator instructions from each decade to help with deciphering entries

HCPL Genealogy Databases

The records necessary to genealogical research are more accessible today than they have been in the past due to the digitization of records by organizations like HeritageQuest, Family Search and Ancestry.com. Records which in the past were only accessible via hardcopy or microfilm, often requiring travel and/or expense on the part of the researcher, are now available online and can be accessed for free through public libraries, Family History Centers, or a National Archives Research Room. HCPL subscribes to two different genealogy databases – Ancestry.com & HeritageQuest: Genealogy & Local History.

HeritageQuest

This database is accessible from home with a library card, an advantage over Ancestry.com which, due to licensing restrictions, is only available for use at the library. The index provided by HeritageQuest for the federal census contains only the names of those listed as head of household. However, advanced search features in HeritageQuest allow you to search by series, roll or page number, or by other indexed fields: county, locality, age, sex or birthplace. In addition to federal census records, HeritageQuest contains five other databases that cover:

Records and digitized books or articles concerning people and places as they are mentioned in family, genealogy and local history articles
Selected records from Revolutionary War era
Individuals listed in the Freedman’s Bank (1865-1874)
Select records of the U.S. Congress from the LexisNexis® U.S. Serial Set

As you find relevant items they can be marked for addition to your “notebook” which can be printed, emailed or downloaded once your search is complete.

Ancestry.com

As mentioned earlier, Ancestry.com (Library Edition) is only accessible to users in the library; however it can also be accessed via WiFi for those who bring their personal laptop to the library. As opposed to HeritageQuest’s six searchable databases, Ancestry.com contains over 6,500 databases for searching, some of the most popular of which include:

Federal, state, and some foreign census records
Voter registration records
Military records
Public directories and member lists
Court, land, wills and financial records
Birth, marriage and death records
Immigration and passenger lists

Ancestry.com also provides blank copies of many of the charts and forms used in genealogical research. Records from Ancestry.com can be printed out or saved to a flash drive. For those willing to pay for access to Ancestry.com as opposed to using the free library edition, additional features are accessible:

Create a family tree adding as much or as little detail as you like
Store the records that you find in a “shoebox” or attach them to the profile of the person to whom they pertain
Include stories about or told by members of your family, and attach photos, audio or video
Make your family tree public so that you can make connections with others who might also be searching for the same people as you
Access to webinars and reference tools

Additional Resources

Archives Library Information Center (ALIC): Genealogy – links put together by the U.S. National Archive and Records Administration for learning how to do genealogical research and how to obtain records

Cyndi’s List – one of the most comprehensive lists of genealogy sites on the internet

US GenWeb – collaborative effort by volunteers to list U.S. genealogy websites by state and county

Photos c2009 JupiterImages

Exercises

Conduct a search in Ancestry.com or HeritageQuest for historical records concerning somebody in your family. Were you successful? If not, what difficulties did you encounter? How could you improve your search results?

This module brought to you by Jorie Nissen (FM), Laura Smith (FM) & Rhiannon Perry (LAP).

Genealogy # 68: Detective Work

2009-09-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

There may come a point in your genealogy research when you’ll have to find your inner Sherlock Holmes. Here are several old fashioned methods of obtaining information needed for your family tree.

Oral History

Oral history is a way to capture your family member’s history in their own words and preserve it for both yourself and others in your family. In February 2009, Dr. Louis J. Marchiafava, a prominent oral historian and former archivist for the Houston Metropolitan Research Center and Houston Public Library, presented an Oral History workshop. Below are some of the tips he mentioned:

Plan and prepare for the interview ahead of time
Test your tools (recorder, tapes, microphone, etc.) & take extras with you
Start a framework or theme that reflects the role of that person within the family
Look for diaries, photos, letters or awards as potential talking points
Ask to view bibles for records on family births, deaths, and marriages.
Ask open-ended questions
Transcribe and make copies of recording

After that, it’s up to you how to share with interested family members or even local history groups - email, social networking sites or by mailing out physical copies.

Additional Tips and Guides

Oral History Association, OHA Wiki and Cyndi’s List: Oral History & Interviews have information on reliable recording devices, as well as other resources and tips.

Jelly Jar & About.com have compiled lists of questions to ask when interviewing family members.

Examples of State and Local Oral History Projects

Houston Oral History Project by University of Houston’s Center for Public History
JSC Oral History Project created by NASA
Tejano Voices, the University of Texas at Arlington Center for Mexican American Studies Oral History Project

Local Library

The Genealogy Room
Originally uploaded by Robert Dumas

Locate a library that may contain information pertinent to your family line. Ask about newspaper on microfilm, old maps, or special collections. Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, founded in 1921, has been named one of the top nine genealogical libraries in the nation to visit by Family Tree magazine (July 2008). Check out Clayton Library’s FAQ section to help answer many questions you may have.

Cemetery & Church Records

Little Horwood Grave
Originally uploaded by R P Marks

Do you know the best time to visit a cemetery or the proper etiquette? Tiptoeing Through the Graveyard answers these and lots more questions in regards to conducting genealogy research in cemeteries and churches. If permitted, taking pictures of grave markers is a quick and accurate way to document the information.

Additional Tips & Pitfalls

These online resources offer a wealth of great tips:

Houston Genealogical Forum has tips for searching local directories.
Adoption Research provides information for adopted persons interested in searching their family history
Family Search Research Help allows you sort the information by place, title, subject or document type.

Some of the most common mistakes in genealogy research are assuming that no one else is working on the same family lineage or that your family surname was never spelled differently at some point in time.

Exercises:

1. Look at some of the examples provided of oral history projects and listen to some of the stories, Tejano Voices in particular has some good examples.
Have you ever pursued an oral history project? Would you consider doing one to record your family history? Who in your family would be a good subject?

2. Go to Find-A-Grave site and search for a cemetery location. Pick one cemetery and locate the oldest burial listed, then post the information that is provided about the person onto your blog.

This module brought to you by Jorie Nissen (FM), Laura Smith (FM) & Rhiannon Perry (LAP).

Genealogy #67: Genealogy Genesis

2009-09-08T15:22:00.001-07:00

Many have often wondered about their ancestry, but get discouraged because they are unsure of where to even start. Some have begun the searching process only to reach a block in the road. The goal of this module is to lead the way for those wanting to begin the process and to provide a few suggestions for those stuck at a roadblock. Library staff members who complete all 4 posts in this module (#67, #68, #69, #70) will receive three hours of training credit.

©2009 Jupiterimages

Genealogy Genesis

One of the first things you’ll notice as you begin researching genealogy is the amount of time it takes to gather information. Think of your family history as a complex jigsaw puzzle. While you may never find every piece to fully complete your puzzle, each piece that you do find will bring you one step closer to seeing the big genealogical picture.

Here are the basic steps to get started when researching genealogy. Don't forget to pace yourself. Remember, this process takes time.

First you have to select which family surname to start with. If you decide to work on two or more at the same time try to organize the information separately.
Interview any living relatives or family friends that are willing to share information. Ask open-ended questions. Ask them to share stories from the past with you. Write down every detail and if the speaker feels shy about their every word being documented, just listen and write down everything they said down at a later time.
Take pictures or scan any documents/photos that hold an importance to your ancestry. For example, if Aunt Mary is the only one in the family to have a copy of your great grandmother’s birth certificate and wedding photo, take pictures of these documents for your records. This is a lesson learned from personal experience as my family lost many cherished documents and photos due to a house fire.
Organize your data. You can decide whether to document your family history on a paper or computer format. Here are a few downloadable genealogy charts available. Two free genealogy software programs available for download are Legacy Family Tree (SD edition) and Family Tree Builder. When beginning your family tree, start with yourself and then work backwards in time.
Begin entering your gathered information into the genealogical sites, message boards and databases. Remember to record your sources and keep a research log. Post any queries you have onto message boards.

Once you begin searching through U.S. Census records, it is important to understand that by law a census year cannot be released until the information obtained is 72 years old. During your research you may discover that there are some standard abbreviations used in the field of genealogy. Six Strategies for Finding Roots Online & 10 Steps for Finding Your Family Tree Online provide great online researching guidelines. You may also find it helpful to read the Freedom of Information Act. Visit the actual places where your family lived. Find out what churches, schools, courthouses, and libraries are located in that area that may have stored documents.
Find your inner Sherlock Homes. Do some old fashioned detective work by visiting the places your family lived and locating any large genealogical depository such as Houston Public Library’s Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research that may house large amounts of documentation. The Clayton Library offers genealogical orientations to inform customers about the resources available.
Share your information through social networking.

Additional Resources

HCPL: Genealogy contains links to a variety of genealogical websites on more specific areas: African American, Jewish, Hispanic, and Texas.

Online Genealogy Classes provides free online courses on topics such as beginning genealogy and tracing immigrant origins.

Genealogy Learning Center shows you how to organize your information.

Suggestions for Beginning Genealogists presents a listing of genealogy abbreviations along with suggested standards of recording your research.

About.com: Genealogy provides basic to advanced articles on researching genealogy.

10 things I Could Not Live Without in Genealogy lists tips by a genealogist researching her family history.

Exercise:

Have you studied your genealogy in the past? If so, what advice do you have for those new to genealogical researching? If you have not begun researching, list at least three steps you would take when beginning your research?

This module brought to you by Jorie Nissen (FM), Laura Smith (FM) & Rhiannon Perry (LAP).

Crafts & Hobbies #66: Knitting and Crocheting

2009-07-06T13:49:00.001-07:00

One can knit or crochet almost any type of clothing from necessities to scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, table cloths, etc. In recent years needle crafts have become very popular again with knitting clubs and books about knitting popping up everywhere. Knitting can be fun and relaxing. This post is worth .5 training hours.

The Story of Knitting

Knitting, as defined by Wiktionary, is "Combining a piece of thread with two needles into a piece of fabric." The word is derived from knot, thought to originate from the Dutch verb knutten, which is similar to the Old English cnyttan, to knot.[1] Its origins lie in the basic human need for clothing for protection against the elements. More recently, knitting has become less a necessary skill and more a hobby. [1](Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_knitting)

Wikipedia History of Knitting
History of Knitting
Ezine Articles: An Early History of Knitting
About.com: Knitting

The Story of Crocheting

Crochet (pronounced /kroʊˈʃeɪ/) is a process of creating fabric from yarn or thread using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the Middle French word croc or croche, meaning hook. Crocheting, similar to knitting, consists of pulling loops of yarn through other loops. Crochet differs from knitting in that only one loop is active at one time (the sole exception being Tunisian crochet), and that a crochet hook is used instead of knitting needles.

History of Crochet
Wikipedia History of Crochet
About.com: Crocheting

Many knitting and crocheting groups are making items for vets, chemo patients, hospices patients, and soldiers. Check out some of these sites:

Knitted afghans for vets or hospice patients
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/afghans.php
http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingpatterns/p/lapafghan.htm

Hats for Chemo patients – Head Huggers –Crochet and Knit

Crochet Afghan for Vets or Hospice Patients

Prayer Shawls –Crochet and Knit

Knitted helmet liner for soldiers

There are lots of books (fiction and non-fiction) about knitting itself and knitting groups. See the HCPL online catalog:

Non-Fiction Titles

HCPL online catalog has many books on knitting and crocheting at all skill levels, including the "For Dummies" series. Search here.

Fiction Titles

Debbie Macomber

The Shop on Blossom Street
A Good Yarn
Back on Blossom Street
Summer on Blossom Street

Kate Jacobs

The Friday Night Knitting Club
Knit Two

Maggie Sefton

Knit One, Kill Two
Needled to Death
A Deadly Yarn
A Killer Stitch
Dyer consequences
Fleece Navidad

Mary Kruger

Died in the Wool

Ann Hood

The Knitting Circle

Claire Scovell LaZebnik

Knitting Under the Influence

Beth Patillo

The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society: A Novel

Knowledge Exchange is a multi-generational knitting and crocheting and conversation group that meets at the Barbara Bush Branch Library every Friday from 2:30-4:30. We make lap blankets for Veterans and chemo hats for patients at M.D. Anderson.

Exercises:

1. Check out the above knitting and crocheting websites and discuss your experience with knitting or crocheting on your blog. Do you knit or crochet now? Do you think you will? Would you rather make a prayer shawl, chemo hat, or lap blanket?

2. Does your branch have a knitting group? Think about how you would start one and discuss it in your blog.

Optional: Choose one of the instruction websites given above and cast on 10-20 stitches and knit 10-12 rows and check your gauge as instructed before continuing on to complete a project. Or choose one of the crochet websites and learn to chain stitch. Find a pattern on one of the websites above and make a scarf, hat, or blanket.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post is brought to you by Valerie Sandham and Shawn Howes.

Crafts & Hobbies #65: Coin Collecting

2009-06-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Having finished pumping his gas, the old man walked into the station to pay the clerk. Ahead of him in line at the counter was a young man, who asked the clerk if he would accept a gold coin as payment. The clerk reluctantly agreed. Intrigued, the old man craned his head and caught a glimpse of a small $10 U.S. gold bullion piece being offered. A casual collector for most of his life, and having lived long enough to recognize a fool when he saw one, the old man realized he had an opportunity to capitalize on what seemed an otherwise insignificant transaction. He stepped up next to the counter as the clerk dropped the coin in the register. After paying for his gas, the old man made an offer. “I’ll give you $10 for that coin.” “Sure,” the clerk replied. “Not sure I can do anything with it anyway.” The deal struck and the coin now in hand, the old man had a hard time concealing a self-satisfied smirk as he walked back to his truck. It was the easiest profit he ever made. The unwitting clerk had practically paid the old man for a full tank and a few to follow.

True story.

This post is worth .5 training hours.

You may not know it, but most of the coins you’re accustomed to handling day in and day out have two different values -- one as legal tender and one for coin collectors and dealers. No, you’re not likely to find any single piece of change in your pocket that will instantly alter your fortune, but if you keep a brand new coin in excellent shape it’ll probably be worth at least a little more than face value down the road.

Coin collecting, besides being an investment, is a fun and interesting hobby that you can pursue in a variety of directions depending on your resources and what catches your eye. A good place to begin online to find out which coins strike your interest is the U.S. Mint’s website. There you can learn about all of the coins currently in circulation here in the U.S. along with special and commemorative coins that you can purchase directly from the mint or from a local coin dealer.

One of the most common starting points for a collector is what you’ve got in your pocket or piggy bank. For many—usually the younger ones—it all starts with a curiosity in the ubiquitous Lincoln cent. It just so happens that 2009 marks its 100th year in circulation, and the Mint has seen fit to strike four new designs on the reverse of the coin during the year in commemoration of this anniversary. If, however, the penny holds little curiosity for you, almost anyone would be familiar over the last few years with the state quarters program, which sparked an interest in casual collecting among the general public. All of the designs had been struck and were in circulation by the end of 2008, and you probably wouldn’t be hard-pressed to find someone—maybe yourself—with a complete set in their possession.

Perhaps after a little time you become interested in something other pocket change. You might browse through the U.S. Mint’s Historical Image Library and find something more appealing. Or perhaps you thumb through what’s known as the Red Book, the official annual price guide for U.S. coinage, or other books in the library on the hobby and find something much more lucrative worth collecting. In any case, it definitely pays to do your research before you exchange a stack of hard-earned bills for a few coins, albeit attractive ones. You might even want to take a look at some reputable sites online, such as this one at About.com, which offers quite a bit of valuable info in one place for both new and experienced collectors.

So, once you know what you want and have educated yourself on how to pursue the hobby as a wise investor, how do you find the coins you crave? Well, there’s always Google Maps, where you can simply enter “coin dealers” and your zip code in the search field to find a dealer quick, easy and close. But where else? To find a trustworthy and reputable dealer, you might want to try the Professional Numismatists Guild’s dealer search. If, however, you’re the type who’d prefer to shop at home, there are plenty of online auction and dealer sites, one of the most popular of course being eBay, which boasts a substantial online marketplace for common collectibles. As always, be sure to check eBay seller ratings before making any bid or sealing any deal. Also, another well-known auction site worth looking into for the rarest and most expensive of coins is Heritage Auction Galleries, based in Dallas, Texas.

If you find yourself getting serious about the hobby and decide to deal in rare and expensive coins, you might want to consider having them graded for a fee by a professional coin grading service. Many serious collectors prefer these “slabbed” coins since an official grade can solidify value and effectively narrow a price when selling or purchasing. About.com again offers good info on the subject of coin grading. Among the more well-known and respected services is the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). Other services include the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS), and the Independent Coin Grading Company (ICG).

You’re probably not going find yourself dealing in graded coins anytime soon, and chances are you won’t come across a rare find during a casual trip to the gas station. However, given the chance, coin collecting can be a one of the most rewarding hobbies with lasting value.

Exercises:

1) Spread out some of the change in your pocket, purse or piggy bank and see if you find anything interesting upon closer inspection. If not, ask an older relative if they have something stashed away somewhere, as they often do. See if you can identify them at the Historical Image Library website or with the most up-to-date copy of the Red Book at your library branch.

2) Try to find a local coin dealer using the Professional Numismatists Guild’s dealer search or Google Maps. If you get a chance, make a visit and do a little window shopping. See if anything catches your eye.

3) Blog about your experiences or thoughts on this module or coin collecting in general. Did you run across anything attractive or intriguing? Could you see yourself getting seriously interested in the hobby or would you consider yourself only an occasional collector?

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post was brought to you by Jim Johnson.

Crafts & Hobbies #64: Zines

2009-06-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

In Chip Rowe’s The Book of Zines, the author defines zines (or ‘zines) as “cut-and-paste, ‘sorry this is late,’ self-published magazines reproduced at Kinko's or on the sly at work and distributed through mail order and word of mouth…They're Tinkertoys for malcontents. They're obsessed with obsession. They're extraordinary and ordinary.”

This post is worth .5 training hours.

Perhaps the first zines were science fiction fanzines of the 1940s, providing individuals and communities within the science fiction fan empire an avenue to review, create and organize around their love of the genre. Since that time, however, zines have evolved to represent a variety of subjects and communities: there are zines for fans of specific films, music groups, or genres, autobiographical zines, political zines, DIY zines, zines full of recipes…practically anything and everything one could think of.

Some zines are professionally bound, others stapled and copied in black and white on a Xerox copier. Furthermore, as other interest groups and communities have migrated to the internet, so have zine communities, now publishing e-zines – either an entirely internet-based electronic zine or a website promoting traditional print zines. There are several online directories of e-zines available.

For those of us in the library world, Library Journal will occasionally review zines. There are also a few public and academic libraries around the country that have zine collections, including: Crestline Branch Library of San Bernardino County, Michigan State University Library, New York State Library, Salt Lake City Public Library, and San Francisco Public Library, among others. There are also several librarians who self-publish zines, including the Lower East Side Librarian, a librarian at Barnard College.

Getting Started in Creating Your First (Paper) Zine

Ideas

What do you want your zine to be about? Do you have a special interest that you could talk about all day? Maybe it’s cooking, knitting, motorcycles, reading…yourself?

Materials

Something that prints text (a typewriter, your computer, your hand)
Paper
Something that allows images, if you so desire (that old box of National Geographics, your Microsoft licensed clip art, your hand)
Something that can bind paper (a stapler, a fancy spiral-binding machine, needle and thread)

Preparation Work

I personally like to think out my entire text before beginning anything else. I hand-set all my zines (I physically lay out each item), but you could use software (like Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word) to arrange your text and any pictures you’d like to include.

You will want to determine how many pages you want to make your zine and how large you want the pages to be. I will sometimes use ½ of a regular sheet of paper (making four pages per sheet) or divide the page into fourths (8 pages per sheet) or sixths (12 pages per sheet). I would advise folding your paper and making sure the numbering is correct before laying out your text or pictures. Even if you are using a computer to help you lay out your text, you could still make mistakes in orientation or numbering that you would not notice until it comes time to cut and staple it all together.

I think something important to remember when making a zine is that creating something with a “professional” appearance or being the most amazing artist or the best writer is not integral to making something awesome. As with anything else crafty, the more you practice, the better you can become. In the beginning, just try not to censor yourself too quickly; letting yourself experiment without judgment can result in something surprising – sometimes it is absolutely awful and other times positively wonderful!

Exercises

1) In your blog, discuss whether or not you think you might make your own zine. What would be the topic or focus?

2) Library Journal reviews them, some libraries collect them, and some librarians produce them. What do you think of zines inside the library?

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post was brought to you by Meredith Layton.

Crafts & Hobbies #63: Digital Scrapbooking

2009-06-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

This post is worth .5 training hours.

Scrapbooking refers to a method of preserving personal and family memorabilia and photos in an artistic manner. The art of scrapbooking goes back to the Victorian era. Photos would be mounted in albums using photocorners and would include journaling and bits of memorabilia like newspaper clippings, letters, cards....even hair clippings!

Modern scrapbooking now incorporates a variety of handmade and manufactured embellishments, making it a multi billion dollar industry. The advent of scanners, desktop publishing, photo editing programs and advanced printing options has now made it relatively easy to create professional looking layouts in digital form using the home computer.

Digital scrapbooking offers several advantages over paper scrapbooking. Photos can be moved straight from a digital camera onto a layout...no need to print them first. It is easy to correct mistakes or change a design. A few clicks on the keyboard is all it takes. If you have already been bitten by the scrapbooking bug, you are well aware of the amount of time, space, tools and products required to create a traditional scrapbook page... not to mention the hassle of packing up and cleaning up your work area each time you finish working on a layout. With digital scrapping you no longer need a large work area, nor do you need to pack up supplies. Plus, you can reuse your supplies endlessly. Just think of the money that saves! Digital Scrapbooking is also fast and becomes portable if you are using a laptop, allowing you to be creative whenever and where-ever you want!

But...as with anything, there can also be drawbacks to going digital. Because digital files and graphic editing programs can be quite large, going digital requires a computer with a lot a available memory and a fast processor. Make sure your computer's hard drive has at least 10 GB of free space. If you don't have enough room on your computer's hard drive, you may want to save your layouts to an external hard drive. External drives connect to your computer via a USB port and are a relatively inexpensive way to add more storage space to your computer. If you plan to download digital elements (papers, alphabets, tags andother digital goodies) from the internet then you will also need a fast internet connection and the ability to unzip digital files. (EG: WinZip)

Getting Started

You will need some sort of graphics editing program in order to create layouts. There are many programs available with which you can create digital layouts. The learning curve, features and cost varies from product to product. Fortunately you can find free trials for many of the software programs.

There are several scrapbooking programs available for under $50.00. These programs are fairly easy to use and perfect for the beginner. While they come with preloaded papers and elements, you can also use kits that you download from various websites. Examples of these types of programs include Scrapbook Max, Scrapbook Artist and Scrapbook Factory Deluxe, Desktop publishing programs cost more, but the freedom to learn and create is endless. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and ACDSee are popular choices for the more advanced digital scrapbookers. If you need any help using any of the programs, tutorials are offered on various sites such as The Shabby Shoppe, or Scrapbook-Bytes. There are also some free online services available that are fast and easy. Smilebox allows you to make scrapbook layouts using ready made templates but you need to register and install their software. Through Smilebox, you can use their basic services to create, edit, publish or print scrapbook layouts.

Scrapblog is a free site that does not require you to register or install any software. With Scrapblog, you can create scrapbook layouts from scratch or by using templates. Scrapblog enables you to pull your photos from popular sites such as Flickr, Photobucket and even Facebook or you can upload them from your computer. Whichever type of program you use to create your layouts, once you have finished your scrapbook you can then choose to share it on social networking sites, email it to your friends, or print it out and put it in an album.

Once you get started on the road to digital you will think about other ways to use your new-found skills. You can make greeting cards, invitations, recipe cards, calendars, screen savers and blog banners to name just a few.

Exercise

1. Go to Scrapblog.com and take the 5 minute video tutorial, then create a layout using their free online program. (No registration is required).
-Other online sites you may want to try would be Crop Mom or Scrapbook Flair

2. Post about your thoughts on digital scrapbooking on your blog. Do you think this is something you would like to learn to do? Did you encounter any problems in trying to make a layout?

3. Post your layout.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post was brought to you by Sandy Kippes and Jennifer Nandlal.

Crafts & Hobbies #62: Decoupage

2009-06-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Dictionary.com defines decoupage as “the art or technique of decorating something with cut-outs of paper, linoleum, plastic, or other flat material over which varnish or lacquer is applied” (2009: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/decoupage).

One can decoupage almost anything – ceramics, furniture, plastics, mirrors, cardboard – with almost anything that will adhere to a flat surface with glue or lacquer – paper, fabric, vinyl, and more! Even for those of us who do not feel particularly crafty or artistically inclined, decoupage is fun and can yield amazing results. This post is worth .5 training hours.

For inspiration, one might search Flickr for decoupage. I especially love the decoupage suitcases that pixiegenne does. You could also check out Etsy, an online store of homemade wares, to see what others are doing with decoupage or perhaps to eventually sell your own decoupaged treasures. There are social networking spaces for crafty people as well, such as MyCraft.com or you can share your inspiration and crafts at HGTV online.

Or just do a Google search for decoupage. I love these poster chairs!

HCPL also has several books available on decoupage techniques and project ideas.

Gathering Your Supplies

Mod Podge or diluted white glue

An object you want to practice on

Wrapping paper, magazines, scrapbooking paper, origami paper, construction paper, wallpaper, thin pieces of fabric, etc.

Scissors

X-acto or utility knife (for cutting detailed pieces)

Paint brush

Popsicle stick or brayer (to smooth out any bubbles)

Polyurethane or acrylic spray sealer (this is optional, but for some projects – such as furniture or suitcases – essential!)

Once you have picked an object you want to decoupage, you will want to make sure you clean the item or, in

some cases, apply a sealant to the item before you begin. If you are working with a wooden piece of furniture, for example, you might need to spackle in deep holes or sand down the piece to get rid of phantom bumps. You might want to repaint or refinish a piece before you begin. Some materials (like wood or metal) might best be decoupaged with a fresh coat of primer.

Everyone approaches a craft project slightly differently. Some plan the entire project from beginning to completion. I, personally, plan section by section. Others fly by the seats of their pants and let the choices they’ve made so far guide the end result. For those who do not particularly like to plan, I recommend at least placing your cut-out pieces on your object before making the final decision to glue it all down. Because many decoupage projects involve layering pieces and many of the cut-outs are paper, once they’ve been glued together, second-guessing a decision can lead to ripped paper and starting over from the beginning (yes, I speak from experience).

Ready for the fun?

Follow the instructions on your Mod Podge or dilute white glue with water in a bowl.

Grab your paint brush and apply glue to the surface and (or possibly) the back of your cut-out.

Try to place your cut-out evenly to avoid ripples in your cut-outs. Smooth each cut-out using your brayer, popsicle stick, or your finger, rubbing from the middle out toward the edges. Repeat with each piece. If you are layering pieces, you want to make sure that the glue from previous layers has dried before proceeding.

Once you are happy with the appearance of your decoupage masterpiece, let the object dry completely.

If you wish to add a sealant to your decoupage (which I recommend because it really makes all of your cut-outs and layers appear like a seamless whole), you can use a specialty decoupage sealer, varnish or lacquer. When applying multiple coats of sealant, let each coat dry completely before proceeding to the next.

Sand your sealed object between each few coats of sealant for best results. Obviously you want to make sure your object is completely covered in sealant before sanding.

Enjoy!

Exercises:

Post to your blog a discussion of your experience with decoupage; what kinds of objects did you create? If you have not yet had the pleasure to decoupage, do you think you will? What projects, if any, look interesting to you? What projects did you run across in your search of Etsy, Google, or Flickr?

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post was brought to you by Meredith Layton

Crafts & Hobbies #61: Craftspiration!

2009-06-01T10:56:00.001-07:00

Now that summer is approaching, it might be of interest to take up a craft of some sort and strengthen those creative skills of yours. Not sure where to start or need a little push in the right direction? This summer is a potluck assortment of craft posts. Each post will be worth between .5 and 1 training hours. You'll have until August 31 to complete the craft posts for training credit.

This post is to give a brief introduction of the various online sources that are ready for you to indulge in at any time of day for however long it may take to fill your creative fancy! This post is worth .5 training hours.

Before you delve into source types, please view this little quirky video by Leslie and her entourage. Known for her gem sweaters, this video is to get you inspired and see how easy it is to just start crafting.

Blogs

Since you are doing iHCPL, you should have some sort of blogroll set up, correct? Blogs are a great source for inspirations and tips about crafting, materials, and much more! Here are a few worth mentioning:

Pimpstitch: This blog features free pattern downloads and tutorials for those who like to sew and embroider.

Repurposeful: A blog about "being resourceful, creative, frugal and environmentally sound." Not only does this blog have posts on crafts from recyclables, it also give tips on reusing a number of objects that you may collect (perhaps, detergent containers). You can review the tag list and just search posts dealing with crafts or any other topic.

One Hour Craft: This blog is most ideal for the time sensitive individual. Crafts demonstrated on this site take about an hour to complete.

Online Communities, Forums and Websites

The online craft community loves sharing information (like libraries) and experimenting with materials. Most forums are free but some require registration. Forums usually have categories, online discussion boards, and photo albums of completed projects.

Craftster: a forum for the less than traditional craftster, this site allows you to browse their community for a variety of crafts such as sewing, knitting, jewelry making and more.

Etsy Community: The very popular Etsy (and online store front for artsy business types) has a forum for a number of topics. The Techniques & Materials specifically offers tips and tricks to making things.

Instructables: This site peruses crafts that are more constructive and friendly for both men and women who like to build things with their hands and enjoy DIY (do-it-yourself) projects. Projects are split into categories which include art, craft, food, games and other general topics.

Craftzine: Brought to you by the makers of Make (an electronic DIY magazine), the Craft site has podcast, tutorials and forums on a number of craft topics.

Multi-Media

Did you think you could only read about crafts? Of course not! For the more visual learner (and audial), craftspiring sources are available in multipe formats!

Videos: some websites have embedded videos that show tutorials and there are YouTube channels that focus on crafting and DIY project.

Etsy's YouTube channel has interviews with crafters and also has "How Tuesdays" which are tutorials that are posted on...Tuesday!

TheCraftsChannel is your "online masterclass for crafting techniques." Videos include tutorials of crafts that can be done in 5 minutes or less.

Podcasts: If you are more of an audio person, try out a podcast. Most craft sites have their own links to podcasts so be sure to browse sites for all of their resources.

Photos: Do you remember Flickr? And you thought you wouldn't have to learn about photos again...sheesh. The great thing about Flickr is that people tag their photos or submit them to "pools" that make it easier for the general public (such as yourself) to peruse their photo stock. Check out the Craft pools.

Exercises

1) Check out some of the craft sites listed above. Do you see some fun craft ideas you'd like to try? Pick one to talk about on your blog.

2) Browse around one or two of the sites in the multimedia section above. Do you think you would enjoy learning a craft technique or hobby by watching a video, or do you prefer some form of written instructions?

3) Write a blog post with your thoughts on the above questions.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post was brought to you by Veronica Garza.

Recession Busters # 60: Food, Fun & Frugality

2009-05-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to last month's Money & Finance module, this month's single post focuses on cheap food, fun and frugality. This post/exercise is worth .5 training hours of credit and is available for credit through June 30, 2009.

What exactly is a recession? How is it different from a depression? If you have ever thought about questions similar to these, economist Mike Moffatt has written an article on About.com titled What is a Recession? . Moffatt’s article provides concise answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding this current topic, along with links that offer you more in depth information on this topic.

During these difficult economic times saving money is an essential step in the health of your finances. Since holding on to every penny makes such a difference, here are some great ways to hold on to your money.

Food

There are several ways to save money when it comes to food sources. If you like to cook but find the high price of groceries to be a deterrent, Depression Cooking With Clara is exactly what you’re looking for. Clara Cannucciari is a 93 year-old grandmother living in New York that prepares affordable meals. She was recently featured on Good Morning America.

If cooking is not for you, check out the Houston Cheap Eats Examiner. Mike Riccetti, author of “Houston Dining on the Cheap” writes up-to-date articles on local eateries that are easy on the pocketbook. $timulus Dining Deal$ in Houston also has information on the discounts offered by local restaurants. Many local restaurants have been featured on Houston news channels offering specials to bring in more customers, so it’s worth asking your favorite restaurants if they’re offering any special discounts. If you’re a twitter fan, you can now receive Recession Recipes through Twitter.

Fun

There are plenty of free or relatively inexpensive activities offered in the surrounding Houston area. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of these great deals.

Miller Ou tdoor Theater offers professional entertainment performances free of charge.
Many museums in Houston offer free admission at special times. These museums include: Children’s Museum of Houston(Thursday 5-8pm), Houston Museum of Natural Science (exhibit halls only /Tuesday 2-8pm), The Health Museum (Thursday 2-5pm), Museum of Fine Arts (Thursdays 10am-9pm), and Buffalo Soldier National Museum (Mondays 10am-5pm). Click on the links provided for further information on each of the museums listed.
The following museums are always free of charge: Lawndale Art Center, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Rice University Art Museum, Holocaust Museum, Houston Center for Photography and The Menil Collection . The Menil Collection museum features the art collection of John and Dominique de Menil and has been recognized in Patricia Schultz’s book “1000 Places To See Before You Die”.
For those that enjoy nature the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center and the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge are both free outdoor activities. The Houston Zoo has free admission on several na tional holidays throughout the year along with other discounts such as the Houston City Pass. The Port of Houston offers free Boat Tours.
Meetup groups are an informal meetings of people with shared interests, Houston Meetup Groups lists groups that meet locally. Meetup groups are an affordable way to spend time participating in activities that you enjoy.
HCPL owns several books on planning inexpensive day trips from the Houston area. One such book is Shifra Stein's Day Trips from Houston, a great resource when planning a quick get-away.
With summer quickly approaching, you can get some planning ideas from ABC News’ Recession Guide to Cheap Summer Fun.

Frugality

About.com – F rugal Living includes information on frugal topics such as household savings, beauty/heath care, clothing, transportation, and do-it-yourself projects.
Houston on the Cheap - Houston is one of the 40 cities around the U.S. participating in informing Houstonians about “discounts, deals, and freebies on entertainment, restaurants, and family-friendly fun”.
Consumer Reports’ Smart Moves for Tough Times is packed full with useful tips on how consumers can save money.
Local warehouses and outlets (Sears, Mattress Firm, Stretchers, Sealy, Pier 1) are a great place to find big savings on some of your favorite brand name items.
The NACO Free Prescription Discount Card is available at many HCPL locations and can save an individual an average of 20% off on prescription drugs.
Harris County Employees get discounts through several wireless companies (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon). Gym membership discounts are offered through Fitness 19. Half Price Books offers librarians and educators a 10% discount card to use for purchases year round. Insured employees and their dependents are eligible to participate in Aetna’s Employee Assistance Program (EPA) at no additional cost. This program is designed to provide employees with confidential assistance on a wide range of topics such as legal/financial, mental health, and well-being.
Looking for more ways to save or more information on recessions? Check out these informative sites: 101 Ways to Save Money, The Simple Dollar, Surviving a Recession and Your 2009 Recession Survival Guide.

How will Houston weather the Recession? Forbe’s Joel Kotlin says it best, “Houstonians long have displayed remarkable grit and creativity in the face of tough times… Houston is still among the best bets to survive these tough times and come out, in the end, a strong winner”.

Exercises:

Watch one of Clara’s videos or search online for one recession recipe and post the recipe or video onto your blog.
Share a few recession busters that you have heard or seen about in the media over the last few weeks, either on the local or national level.
List any tips you may have recently discovered or have been using for some time regarding saving money during difficult economic times.

This module brought to you by Rhiannon Perry (LAP).

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

All Images (c) Jupiterimages

Money & Finance #59: Credit, Money Management, and Saving

2009-04-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

Now that we've covered banking and budgeting, we'll take a look at credit reports, money management, and your HCPL retirement in the second and final post of the Money & Finance Module. You have until June 15 to complete the module (post 58 & 59) for 2 hours of training credit.

Credit Reports & Scores:

When organizing your finances an essential step in the process is reviewing your credit report and credit score. Your credit report is a document that contains all of your credit history. In this report you and your creditors can view all credit transactions that have occurred under your name, how much credit you’re allowed, and any other relevant credit related information.

In your report, you’ll find a three digit credit score, which is a numerical summary of your entire credit report. There is no set scale regarding credit scores, since each credit bureau has differing credit scoring systems. This credit score does not stay static. When any changes involving your credit occur, this number will adjust to the changes taking place. Credit scores serve the purpose of allowing creditors to better predict if the borrower can repay the loan amount based on their payment history. According to Experian, “paying your bills on time is generally the single most important contributor to a good credit score”.

In December of 2003, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a consumer provision into the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act's (FACTA) law that allows individuals the right to free credit reports. Under this law a person is allowed to obtain a free copy of their credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Trans Union and Experian) once every 12 months. Use caution when obtaining a free copy of your credit report through an online or televised source. Many of these companies offer this service with a hidden catch. The FTC endorses AnnualCreditReport.com site as an authorized source for obtaining reports, but it is unclear if a credit score will also be provided. This site allows you the option to receive a report from all three bureaus at one time or spread the reports into three (one from each company) throughout the year. Also, check with your bank and credit card company to learn if you can access your credit report and/or score free of charge or for a nominal fee.

If you wish to learn more about how to repair a bad credit report, About.com has an informative article. About.com also has an article that aids users through the steps to follow when disputing credit report information. For additional information and to view some interesting examples, read the article Your Credit Scores.

Money Management

Money Grab
Originally uploaded by Steve Wampler

Another great way to keep your finances organized is by fine tuning the art of managing your money. The most difficult part of this process is simply getting started. The US government created the site MyMoney as a resource designed to assist individuals with the basics of financial education. This site provides a wealth of financial information, with features such as finding an FDIC bank, how to read though the trading ads, and the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK). MyMoney also provides a link to access the information found on the site in Español, making this a good resource for Spanish speaking patrons as well. Another comprehensive resource, CNN Money, has a detailed step-by-step guide to aid individuals in gaining control of their personal finances. The page is divided into 23 separate lessons on key topics. These lessons range from setting your priorities to estate planning and every financial topic in between.

Spending plans are a popular first step strategy especially for beginners. The University of Florida created a page designed to educate individuals on the steps needed to create a spending plan. If you’re pressed for time About.com’s Frugal Living Section has a spending plan that only requires one hour of your time to complete.

There are many popular experts in the field of financial advice. It is important to note that each expert has their own particular style and that the names listed below are just a few chosen as examples for this module. These links to Suze Orman, Robert Kiyosaki, David Bach, Jean Chatzky, and Dave Ramsey can be used to access a wealth of free resources, but be aware that most of these experts’ sites are commercial and may try to sell you their merchandise. Many of these experts have authored books on the subject, and most are available through the HCPL Catalog.

The BankRate site has an interesting article in which eight experts were asked to recall the best personal financial advice they have learned. There are many other sites found on the Web that offer financial advice, such as: Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, Money Week Houston, Oprah, and Iowa State University.

HCPL Retirement

Piggy savings bank
Originally uploaded by alancleaver_2000

If you’ve ever had questions about HCPL’s retirement benefits program the Texas District & Retirement System (TCDRS) site will have many of the answers you’re looking for. The TCDRS Employee page provides information on services, benefits, forms/publications, account access, and additional resources.

Each year TCDRS mails each Harris County employee an annual account summary, but did you know that you can access the information pertaining to your retirement account on the Web? The TCDRS Log-In page allows Harris County employees instant access to view this information.

Coming Soon: a pot-luck post featuring recession busters we can all use to save money!

Exercises:

Read the article How Credit Scores Work then take the Credit Score Quiz. Write about any new information you learned regarding credit reports and/or scores.
Have you ever made a spending or budget plan? Is so, did you find the process difficult or easy? Also, discuss any additional thoughts you had about the process.
If you have never made a spending/budget plan, discuss if you are interested in creating one. Also, provide a brief outline of the steps you’d take to begin the process.
What did you find most useful on the TCDRS site to help understand your retirement benefits?

This module brought to you by Monica Norem (CYF), Rhiannon Perry (LAP), & Melanie Metzger (CYF).

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

Money & Finance #58: Banking, Budgeting, and Spending

2009-04-07T10:29:00.001-07:00

In today’s tough times, everyone is watching their money a little more closely. But did you know you can watch it online and find ways to better organize your finances? There are two posts in the Money & Finance module. Library staff who complete both posts will receive two hours of training credit.

Because financial information is very personal and private, before you consider using online financial sites, please review Online Safety & Sharing from the original iHCPL and Internet Safety. Please note that most banks have secure sites.

Many banks nowadays offer traditional banking services online including balance inquiries, money transfers and even bill paying. It’s a great way to check on your bank accounts daily to keep track of purchases and also helps the planet by eliminating paper statements and bills.

Money
Originally uploaded by Tracy O

Some of the more popular banks that offer online services are:

There are also several sites out there that allow you to link multiple bank accounts into one service to see collectively where your money goes. One such site created by the guys at The Motley Fool is called Mint. After setting up your account on Mint and adding your banking information, it can help you see where your money goes each month in relation to several categories. Add your credit card information and Mint will also help you find lower interest rates and set up payment schedules to help you pay off your debt quicker. Mint can also help you set up a budget for your household and gives you many tips and techniques on how to better budget your money.

Other sites offering free budget help like Mint are:

Do you have friends and family that you are always lending money to (or borrowing money from)? There are several services that also let you keep track of those IOU’s so you can truly stay on top of where your money goes. Check them out at:

Walking on a Coin
Originally uploaded by Darren Hester

Once you figure out where all your money is going to, then you can begin to think of ways to cut back or save money.

Check out the Do You Have a Spending Problem? quiz to see if you’re already a savvy spender.

And then check out Spend Less on Everything from Consumer Reports for ideas on how to cut back on your spending without cutting back on your life.

Exercises:

1) Does your bank offer online banking? Is it free or fee based? If so blog about your experiences with online banking. What features do you like or dislike? If your bank doesn't offer online banking, blog why they should or should not consider adding it. What security safeguards does the bank offer when you use online banking? What safeguards can you use when banking online?

2) Take a look at several of the budgeting tools listed above. Do you see any that you particularly like? Can you see yourself using these? Test them out and blog about your reactions.

3) Read the article on ways to cut back on your spending. Blog about 2 or 3 ideas mentioned that you'd like to incorporate/implement into your financial plan.

This module brought to you by Monica Norem (CYF), Rhiannon Perry (LAP), & Melanie Metzger (CYF).

Pot Luck #57: TXT U L8R - Texting

2009-03-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

This module on Texting is required for all staff. It is worth .5 Training hours and will be available through May 31, 2009. For this module only, you do not need a blog. You can do the exercise on the Registration Form.

Flickr CC: Pigeons Sending Texts - Metro
Uploaded by: Annie Mole

Text messaging has become extremely popular. When you send a text message from your phone, you use SMS, which stands for Short Message Service. According to a Nielsen Mobile survey, the average adult cell phone user sends and receives about 357 text messages a month; teens on the other hand, can use up to a couple thousand. You can use text messaging to communicate with friends and family, vote for your favorite on American Idol, or get updates from some websites. With the rise in popularity of texting is it any wonder that people think they can do it while they're driving? The New York Times discusses the danger of driving while texting in this article.

Even if you don’t send text messages very often, it is a good idea to know how to send them. There may be situations in which you must preserve the life of your cell phone battery. For example, when Hurricane Ike passed through and left us without electricity, many people were texting instead of making calls from their phones for the simple reason that texting worked. Sending text messages does not drain your battery as much as making a call would. Another problem was that too many people were trying to make calls from their cell phones and couldn’t get through.

Cell phone carriers charge you for every text message that you send and receive, unless you have a text message package. There are some websites that will allow you to send messages to other cell phones for free (for example txt2day.com and Free Text Messaging). Most cell phone carriers allow you to do this from their site if you have an account with them.

Have you ever seen a text message you can’t understand? There are many websites where you can learn text message lingo. On the website Lingo 2 Word, you can translate the message into plain English.

So how do you send a text message?

Cellular & Mobile Phones: How To Text Message

Mobile Phone
Originally uploaded by incurable_hippie

Select the menu option on your cell phone.
Find and select "messages."
Select "text messages"
Type in the cell phone number of the person(s) you want to text and click "OK" to confirm
Select "write or compose message" or similar from the "messaging Menu"
Type your message using the keypad. Text messages are generally limited to 140-160 characters.
When done, select "OK" or "SEND"

See this step by step guide for more tips. Many cell phones have a traditional phone keypad, which shows numbers and letters. If you press the number 2 you will get an a. If you press it a second time, you will get a b, a third time will get you a c. If you continue you will get the number and capital versions of each letter.

Reading/Receiving a Text Message
When you receive a text message you should have an alert on your phone. It may be in the form of an envelope icon or you may have an alert asking if you want to read the message now or later. To view all messages received:

Select the menu option on your cell phone.
Find and select "messaging."
Select "text messages" or "inbox."
Click on the message to view
Select reply to respond to the message.

Exercise
Write a blog post about text messaging. Include the following in your post:

Have you ever sent a text message?
If you haven't, be sure to watch the video and read through the basics of sending a text message. Using this information, do you think you could send a message in an emergency?
If you have, was it only in an emergency or are you a regular texter?
Do you use text lingo? Did Lingo 2 Word help?
Finally, what are your thoughts on the texting and driving after reading the New York Times article?

This post brought to you by Daisy Torres (FM).

HCPL Staff: When you have completed the module, Submit your iHCPL: Texting Module registration. Remember, you can do the exercise directly on the registration form.

Potluck #56: To Tweet or Not To Tweet...Twitter

2009-03-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

This is the second of three individual potluck posts this month. You can do any or all of the posts to get individual credit. This post is avaialble for training credit through April 30 and is worth 1 training hour.

(c) Bill Barnes & Gene Ambaum Unshelved.com. Used with permission.

If you have yet to hear about Twitter, you are not keeping up with Web 2.0.

The "micro-blogging" sensation is at the top with popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace. According to Compete.com, Twitter is the 3rd largest social networking site (and rising).

What, you might ask, is micro-blogging? According to Wikipedia, it is "is a form of blogging that allows users to send brief text updates (usually 140 characters or fewer) or [items] such as photos or audio clips and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group which can be chosen by the user."

Twitterverse
Twitter is used in various ways. Many use it for personal accounts, promotional purposes, or sharing information about special interests. Popular twitter profiles include profiles that follow celebrities, give news and weather updates, and even give information about freebies. Celebrity twitterers are also a prominent voice in the Twitter community. Celebrity Tweet keeps tabs on celebrities.

You may not have visited the Twitter site; however, Twitter is becoming the talk of town. Some people wonder if Twitter has a shot at being a long term network. Several sources voice their opinion about Twitter's shelf life and the general consensus is that Twitter is here to stay. For information on Twitter's longevity and popularity, see Entertainment Weekly's The Truth about Twitter, Forbes' Yes, CEOs Should Facebook and Twitter, and Unshelved's Twitter Love.

Twitter is not for everyone. To employ Twitter to its fullest potential, a user should tweet at regularly but not overdo it. For other tips on being an effective user, see 10 Traits of Highly Effective Twitter Users.

Twitter Features, Apps, and Tools
Similar to the features of other social networks, Twitter allows users to:

Custom design backgrounds with Twitter templates, non-Twitter sources (such as Twitterbacks), or personal uploaded images.

Mark favorite tweets for easy access and view other users' favorite tweets.

Make your profile private so that only friends can see your information.

Share pics via Twitpic.

Users can perform a keyword search that will search everyone's tweets (EVERYONE!).

Find people by username or personal name or Twitter will give you suggested twitterers.

Also, users can link other sites to their Twitter account by adding a widget or gadget and can share music, pictures, videos, etc. that they like. Applications on sites such as Facebook will allow status updates from their site to be updated on Twitter. There are cell phone applications such as Twitterberry so you can tweet on the go. There are also a number of applications users can download to their desktops to optimize Twitter such as Twhirl and Tweetdeck.

Twitter Related Sites

Twitter Glossary - With the Twitter explosion, new Twitter-specific terms are used. Some examples:
Hash Tag (#): the "#" sign allows Twitters to tag their conversations to make it easier to find. (e.g. #hcpl)
Twaiting: twittering while waiting
Tweeple: Twitter users
Twitterati: Glamorous A-List twitterers everyone wants to follow.

Twellow- An online directory that allows social network users to list themselves and their profile information for sites including del.icio.us, Flickr, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Twitter Elite- Similar to a directory, you can view Twitterati profiles by location that also include their grade or see top cities that have the most users. These ratings provide a small bio as well as a link to follow them.

Twitip- This is kind of like a blog that posts news and information relevant to the Twitter community. This site posts tips on how to be a good twitterer, how to make friends and other guidelines that are useful for Twitter.

Exercises
1) Browse a couple of different Twitter profiles (news, fashion, celebrities) and read through a few updates. Do you think this is something you would adopt for personal use? Is there a particular topic you'd like to tweet about?

2) Use the search feature to find tweets about a topic that interests you. What were the results?

3) Post your thoughts about Twitter to your blog. For help navigating through Twitter, see their support page.

Optional: Create a Twitter account or subscribe to a feed. For help on subscribing to a feed, visit here.

This post brought to you by Veronica Garza (ADM).

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

Pot Luck #55: Getting the Most Out of Facebook

2009-03-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

This is the first of three individual pot luck posts this month. You can do any or all of the posts to get individual credit. This post is available for training credit through April 30 and is worth 1 training hour.
Have you heard of Facebook? I'd be surprised if you haven't received at least one invite by a friend to join the fast growing social network. Facebook now has 175 million active users (an increase of 25 million in 5 weeks) and was the second ranked social media site of 2008 by comScore (#1 was Blogger) and now has 175 million active users (a growth of 25 million in one month).

What is Facebook? Facebook is a Social Networking site that was originally created for college students [for an overview of Social Networking in general see Thing 18 in the original iHCPL] and has since expanded to include anyone over the age of 13. It's easy to join - just visit www.facebook.com - and sign up with your name, email address, and a password (you do need to sign-up to do this exercise.

In the original iHCPL, we discussed the importance of online safety. Being aware of privacy issues is important, especially on a social networking site like Facebook, where by definition, you are sharing information about yourself. 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know by Nick O'Neill is a must read as you get started on Facebook. If you're concerned that your coworker will see that photo of you from high school with the bad hairdo, this will tell you how to limit access to that photo.

So, you have an account, now what?

Find Friends
One of the best things about Facebook - or any social network - is connecting with other people. The more information you enter about yourself, the more opportunities you'll have of finding similar people. For instance, if you enter your high school or college(s) you can then search for people in your class. In the "About You" section, you can click on that book, movie, or hobby to find other people who have the same interest. Join a network (Tip: HCPL has it's own Network) and find people that way.

Just because someone requests that you friend them doesn't mean you have to. If you don't know who they are you can 1. Ignore them (they won't be notified) or 2. send them a message and ask how you know them. The friend request will tell you if you have friends in common, which can be a clue.

Add Stuff
Facebook comes with several built in applications including:

Status - Tell everyone what you're doing right now. If you Twitter, you can have your Twitter status update your Facebook status automatically (on your profile, click Settings just under your status bar then import activity)
Photos - Add photos to your account and tag yourself and/or your friends.
Notes - You can add a note to your account, which is similar to a blog. In fact, you can link your blog to your facebook account. This is where you can post the 25 Things About Me meme that has been going around.
Post Links - Did you find a cool picture on I Can Has Cheezburger or a video on YouTube that you want to share? On your profile, click Post link and paste the copied link to share it with all your friends. Even easier, grab the Share Bookmarklet. (Tip: Through the Settings mentioned above, you can automatically share your delicious bookmarks, Flickr photos, and more.)

Add Applications
One of the fun aspects of Facebook is the Applications you can add. Applications can range from games, to connections, to the bizarre, to the plain annoying. Applications that are installed are available from the Applications menu in the lower left corner of the screen. The six applications you use most often are available as icons to the right of the menu.
When you click Applications, the menu opens up, showing your bookmarks. At the top, you can edit your applications (including removing ones you don't want anymore) or Find More.
You may also get invitations from friends to take a quiz, add flair, join a game, or in general use an application. As with Friend Requests, it's OK to ignore a request. Your friend won't know if you ignore the request.
So, what are some applications to try?

Books, movies, TV shows, restaurants...
Share your favorite books, movies, etc. through several applications including Living Social: Visual Bookshelf and it's related applications for movies, TV shows, restaurants, and more. Related applications: GoodReads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing, Movies by Flixster.

Take care of a fairy, pet, plant...
There are a wide variety of virtual items to take care of on Facebook. One of the most popular is (Lil) Green Patch, which lets you grown items and "save the rainforest." You can "adopt" a fairy or dog (the developer has other apps for cats and horses) instead if you don't have a green thumb.

Get some flair
Pieces of Flair lets you add virtual buttons that demonstrate your interests. You can send flair to your friends and display your flair on a virtual bulletin board on on your wall. Related application: Bumper Sticker

Give flowers and poke people
Do you have a friend who's feeling down? Why not send them some flowers or good karma? Or, if you just want to let them know you're thinking about them, Super Poke them. There are a multitude of applications to send things to people for all sorts of interests (Library Gifts anyone?) - search Facebook to find more.

Go Mobile
You can take Facebook with you on your iPhone or Blackberry. The mobile applications will send status updates and more directly to your phone.

These apps are just the tip of the iceberg, and in some cases aren't even the most popular. For some more suggestions, check out the Facebook Application Leaderboard on ALLFacebook.

Exercise:
1. If you haven't already, sign up for a Facebook account.

2. Search for people you may know and add a friend or two. Two options are the Search box,and the People You May Know tool (on the home page).
Tip: you generally need to have a friend or two for the People You May Know tool to work. Click See All for options to search by school, or to import your mail contacts.

3. Add an application from one of the above suggestions or search using Find More - you can always delete it. Play around with the application for at least 5-10 minutes.

4. Write a post to your blog about your experience.

If you're new to Facebook - what are your initial impressions? Was it easy to sign up? Did you find anyone you knew? What application did you try? Do you think you'll stick with Facebook?

If you've been on Facebook for awhile - are you a regular user? Did you discover anything new? What application did you try, or if you already have a bunch, what are your favorites and why?

Final Tip, you can permanently delete your Facebook account.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

Books, Readers and Beyond: #54 Social Networking Through Books

2009-02-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

You know how popular the books are that have just been returned to the library, but do you know why? People like to see what other people have read, they figure if someone just returned it, maybe it was good. Through social networking - both live and online - you can take this further and get and give recommendations about books.

Let's start with "live" social networking, i.e. book clubs. Book Clubs have been around for years and are a popular way for readers to connect with others. There are a wide variety of book groups ranging from genre discussions to anything goes. So, how do you find a book club that's right for you?

Your first stop should be the list of Harris County Public Library branch book clubs. Do you like mysteries? Cy-Fair, Tomball, and Freeman all have mystery-themed clubs. Like to eat? Octavia Fields' Read It & Eat It book club features books with recipies, which they sample. Are you a Jane Austen fan? You'll find others at Tomball's Jane Austen book club. Just want to connect with other readers? Try West University, Crosby, Katherine Tyra, and many others for general topic discussions.

Other resources for book clubs are:

Houston Great Books Council - The local affiliate of the Great Books Foundation, which promotes the reading of great literature. There are 19 Great Books discussion groups that meet throughout Houston. Barbara Bush Library and Freeman Library hose two of the discussions.

ReadingGroupGuides - This site is one stop shopping for book groups. In their For Book Clubs section, they have information on starting and running a book club. They also include information on how to select books for a group and have discussion guides for a wide variety of titles.

Reading Group Choices - selects discussible books and suggests discussion topics for reading groups. Another great resource for discussion guides.

Readerville Forum - This is an online book discussion site. You can connect with other folks and discuss books by title, author or genre.

Readerville is a good place to jump into online social networking (see Thing 18 in the original iHCPL for an explanation of Social Networking) for books. Online social networks for books go a step further than Readerville, in that users can set up an account, add the books they have read, tag them, friend other users, get and give recommendations, and discuss books. Some of the most popular networks include:

LibraryThing (Discussed in-depth in Thing 11 in the original iHCPL)

Goodreads

Shelfari

LivingSocial: Books on Facebook (you must be a Facebook user to access this site)

So, why would you want to use one of these sites? All of them have the same basic features listed above, but each has it's own special features:

- On Shelfari, if you're not sure if you should read a particular title, you can click "Shoudl I Read This?" (it's on the main entry for a book) to check with users who have read it.

- Goodreads inclues author videos, trivia, quotes, and a forum to share your writing.

- LibraryThing (LT) has several new features since our original overview including LT Local, which lists local book events; LT Early Reviews, where you can sign up to get Free Advance Copies of Books (Tip: You need to consistently review books you read).

- Visual Bookshelf by Living Social on Facebook integrates social networking for books into one of the largest social networks. It has all the basics, the main unique thing here is that it integrates with Facebook. Goodreads and Shelfari also have Facebook applications. You can explore it off of facebook at LivingSocial: Books

Exercise One

Post on your blog whether or not you ever been a member of a book club. Also discuss whether you prefer joining a in-person or online book club.

Exercise Two

After viewing the resources above, what ideas come to mind for implementing a book club into your library. Post your thoughts and ideas onto your blog. Using one of the "live" book club resources, also look for a title that your book club could discuss.

Exercise Three

Search for one of the books you selected in the first post on at least two of the social networks. Do the ratings for the book differ on each site, or are they similar? Did you find anything surprising?

HCPL Staff: Have you completed all three exercises in this module? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

Books, Readers and Beyond: #53 Finding Books Online

2009-02-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Finding a Local Bookstore

There are hundreds of booksellers in Harris County. There are 362 listings for Houston Book Stores in the Houston.com directory. Google returns over 35,000 hits for a search on “bookstores Harris County TX.” You can look for a specialty store, like Murder by the Book, or just find the store that's closest to you.

The larger chains, Barnes & Noble and Borders, have an online search so you can also check the inventory of their stores. If you find what you want in stock, you can request “Store Pickup” or “Reserve in Store” It’s just like the pull-list! The bookseller checks the stock, and sends you an e-mail that the book is ready for pick up. Amazon doesn't have a physical store, but can tell you if an item is in stock to be shipped. Local independent booksellers, such as Brazos Bookstore in Houston and Katy Budget Books also have online search features.

The Best Bargain in Town

Of course, we all know the best place to find books to borrow in Harris County.

Buying Books Online

Most everyone knows about what Jeff Bezos has done and is doing to bookselling, the Internet and reading, but in addition to the largest retailer on the web, Amazon, there are plenty of booksellers online, including the ones mentioned above. Books-A-Million emphasizes bargain books (also known as remainders). Powell's Books is a large independent bookseller in Portland, Oregon. Alibris specializes in out of print books sold by a variety of booksellers, as does AbeBooks, which bills itself as an “online marketplace for books.” It brags that it searches the stock of “110 million new, used, rare, and out-of-print books … from thousands of booksellers around the world.” It was bought by Amazon in December 2008, but still retains its own website, which has information about book collecting and lists in numerical sequence of ISBN numbers – it’s hard to get more exciting than that.

Book Swapping

Economy got you down? Bookcases overflowing at home and your significant other won’t let you even think about storing them on that nice shelf above the stove? Have we got the solution for you! Swap some of your old books for some new ones. Peruse the sites of BookMooch, PaperBack Swap, Swap Tree, and WhatsOnMyBookshelf?

Free eBooks

Still don’t have enough space? Have you looked at your hard drive? Go ahead, click on “My Computer.” How many gigabytes are listed in the Free Space column? Do you have enough for Beowulf in Old English HTML (1.81 MB; 501 KB zipped; 933/376 KB text file also available) at Project Gutenberg? But if dragons, monsters and their mothers aren’t to your tastes, here are some other listings:

Bartleby.com: Great Books Online
Best Places to Get Free Books - The Ultimate Guide an updated directory of online, downloadable, and book swapping sites
20+ Places for Public Domain E-Books
And the ultimate freebee: The Public Library! Harris County Public Library's Digital Media Catalog.

Exercise One

Find and report on your blog the three booksellers that are closest to your branch or facility. Do they have an online presence? If they do, please describe it in twenty-five words or less on your blog.

Exercise Two

Search for one of the books you selected in the previous post. Is it available from a bookstore? Which one, and at what price? (In dollars or in other books.) Can you find an eBook or Audio version online? On which site did your find it? (If you can’t find it online, please list in your blog the sites you searched.)

Exercise Three

Download an eBook. Spend at least half an hour reading it. Write about your experience on your blog. How did it compare with reading a traditional print copy? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of each format?

Books, Readers and Beyond: #52 What to Read

2009-02-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

Do you have any good books to read?

South Bank Book Market 4,
originally uploaded by klbw.

Most anyone who has worked in a library has heard that question. Answering with the right books for that particular person is the ultimate goal of Readers' Advisory. Since most of us aren't able to compete with Nancy Pearl in the quantity and quality of our book recommendations, here are some tips and tools to help with readers' advisory. This module (#52, 53 and 54) is worth 3 hours of training credit.

The Interview

To find out what kind of books someone likes, you first need to ask a few questions. Another champion in the field, Stacy Alesi, offers advice on providing great readers' advisory service:

Start off simply: if they're looking for a best seller that isn't on the shelf, ask if they've read other books by that author or authors who write in a similar style.

Ask them for the name of the last good book they read. This can lead you to the style or author or genre or setting that is appealing to your customer.

Always resepect a person's reading tastes. Just because you liked a book doesn't mean everyone will.

Be familiar with current and popular books and know your collection.

Ask customers to share their opinions about books they've read.

Online Reading Advice

After you've narrowed down what you are looking for, you can consult one of the many websites or databases available to assist you in the quest for that perfect book.

Novelist Plus - Novelist Plus is a library database that is usually your best place to start. It can help find book discussion guides, author read-alikes, series listings and book display ideas, among other things.

Fiction_L Booklists - Morton Grove Public Library provides many ways to search the most popular Readers' Advisory mailing list.

What Should I Read Next? - Enter an author and title and receive a list of recommendations.

Library Booklists and Bibliographies - From Amusement Park Fiction to Murdered by the Toaster, if there's a list for it you'll find it here.

Finding a Series (in order, of course) - the What's Next database can help with adult series or Mid-Continent Public Library can help with series for children.

Other Resources
Librarian in Black: Sarah's Reference Warehouse: Readers' Advisory
Overbooked: a Resource for Omnivorous Readers

Exercises:

How do you find a read-alike? Pick a title by one of your favorite authors. Search Novelist Plus to find a read-alike. Now perform the same search using two of the other sites listed above. Were the results the same? Compare the two searches and the results in your blog post.

Using one of the resources listed above find two books suitable for a fourth grade girl interested in animals and another two books for her thirteen year old brother who is interested in ghost stories. Post which resource you used and the books you located.

A customer tells you that he's read every book written by Dean Koontz and asks you to find an author who writes similar books. Using two of the sites listed above, find three new authors to recommend to your customer. Post the sites you used and the results in your blog.

A customer has read Alanna: the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. She would like to read the other books in the series in order. Using one of the above resources, post the series title, the order of the books in the series, and the resource you used.

This post was brought to you by Bruce Farrar, Sandra Silvey, Rhiannon Perry, Grace Lillevig and Linda Stevens.

Potluck #51: Holidays and Cooking and Recipes - Oh My!

2008-11-17T15:12:00.001-08:00

Mis En Place
Originally uploaded by rainvt

Cooking at the Holidays can be both a fun and stressful experience. To help keep your holiday cooking and baking more on the fun side, there are a number of websites out there that can help you find that perfect recipe, convert your stuffing recipe for four to one for 24, or find you a substitutions for the missing nutmeg. This potluck exercise is worth .5 training hours.

Did you just find out that you have to bring a side dish to Aunt Fanny's for Thanksgiving? Not sure what to make? While you can always do a Google search to find a recipe, a good place to start is one of the big cooking/recipe websites.

Are you a fan of Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, or Sandra Lee, then check out the Food Network website, which has an extensive recipe collection for all of the major personalities, plus many recipes from the Food Network kitchens.
If you prefer cooking magazines, most have recipe sections on their websites including Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Southern Living through MyRecipes.com.
Do you enjoy talking about food, or seeing what other people are cooking? Then try BakeSpace, a recipe swap and social network for food.

If you've never cooked a turkey (like me), you can find out how at several sites:

Butterball has tips on cooking the Turkey on their site as well as a toll-free number (1-800-Butterball) if you get stuck.
Turkey 101, from Kraft, takes you step by step from purchase to the table.

Cannisters
Originally uploaded by prettywar-stl

So now you know where to get recipes and turkey tips, what do you do when you find out you’ve been selected as the person to bring the cranberry relish to the staff Thanksgiving dinner and will need to prepare enough for 45 people. After you curse the “friend” who put your name in that pot, you dig out your recipe books only to find that they all make enough for 8. What to do? There are excellent web sites that will take your recipe and convert it to the number of servings that you want.

That's My Home Recipe Converter is one that is useful when converting family sized recipes to crowd sizes; although it just shows individual calculations. I really like this one because it does all the math for you, provides a spot for the recipe directions and prints it all up in one nice recipe; try: Recipe Ingredient Conversion Calculator.

Then you have the websites that convert individual measures. This site is easy to use in that it is set up by liquid, weight, temperature and length conversions: RecipeZaar Measurement Converter. Some convert international measures along with other less common measures, e.g. wineglass to cup: Recipe Calculator Converter. Here is one that converts “heirloom” measures (your Grandmother’s old recipes) for you, “pinch” or “saucer”, or moderately hot oven: Heirloom Weights & Measurements Conversion Chart.

Some other clever websites give you list of substitutions; for when you have started that Cranberry, Orange & Walnut recipe only to find that someone ate the oranges for snack. This web site is great for showing what you can use instead: Yields & Equivalencies. You may have started that cake and realize that you are out of baking powder, try one of these sites for a substitution: Ingredient Substitutions, Land O'Lakes Ingredient Substitutions, or Joy of Baking Substitutions.

Discovery Exercise:
1. Find a recipe using one of the websites listed above OR use your favorite recipe
2. Covert the recipe either up or down (make it for 20 people or for two)
3. Post the original recipe and the conversion to your blog (be sure to cite where you got the recipe).

HCPL Staff: Have you this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post brought to you by Grace Lillevig (ADM) & Christi Whittington (KW)

Potluck #50: Global Nation

2008-11-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

plane, trains and automobiles aka leaving chicago
Originally uploaded by mehrshad mansouri

Time to travel, whether just the next state over or across the globe, there are some great websites to help you on your way. Grab your passport, and let’s go! This potluck exercise is worth .5 training hours.

First stop – wait - don’t have a passport? I’m afraid that’s a requirement when you go out of the United States (and really, isn’t it just cool to say you have one?) Don’t worry, though, the government has actually made getting a passport easy. Several local post offices now are able to help you, and there is an informative website as well. Visit http://travel.state.gov/passport

Now you’ve gotten that taken care of, let’s visit some great trip planning and sharing sites.

Tripbase.com is guided by your interests. Use the slider bars to indicate how much you want to spend and your interests when you’re traveling (nature lover? Sightseer?), and then let the site suggest global and local destinations for you. Beware of the flight costs being a little sketchy. I know I can’t get from Houston to Fraser Island, Australia on $220. If I could, I wouldn’t be typing this up to you all. I’d be saying, “Bye, mates!” The reason for the error in cost? It was pulling up a flight to Tulsa, OK. The other information offers pretty decent indicators on your spending.
Tripwise.com incorporates some popular social networking sites and gives the overall atmosphere a travel guide feel. According to its About Us, page Tripwise.com is a “Travel 2.0 company with a great vision to create and build a community of travelers…”

IgoUgo.com is another social travel site allowing members to store up travel stories, blogs, and trip tips to share with others. Covering over 800,000 destinations around the globe, you should have plenty of stories to read and inspiration for a great vacation.

Need more of the cultural stops? Want to know the events going on locally? Here are sites that will steer you on the right path.

Simpatigo.com won’t tell you where to go, only tell you how to get there and what you’ll see on the way. The ultimate car trip guide, give it where you start and where you end, and it has a tourist’s cornucopia of sights to see. Like stop by the first J.C. Penny store, the Golden Rule Store, on your trip from Houston to Seattle. It’s in Kemmerer, WY.

ebookerscalendar.com – Ebookers Calendar is a downloadable program to help you see what events are going on around the world. It also has a web version that requires a sign up. As part of the Orbitz.com family of companies, ebookers.com being the European site, there is a lot of information in here, including early travel offer alerts.
For more great sites visit nileguide.com, 43places.com, or the European based sites venividiwiki.eu or Ving Trip Finder .

And always remember most cities and places of interest of a tourist board. Visit their websites to learn about the culture, what’s going on, and the places to stay and see.

Discovery Exercise:

Your exercise is to use one, or more, of these websites and plan your dream vacation. Post your destination and things you’ll be seeing or doing on your blog before you get carried away in your imaginings of sipping exotic beverages on a beach or climbing K2.

HCPL Staff: Have you this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post is brought to you by Beth Krippel (ATA) and Kathy Knox (ADM).

Potluck #49: L'amore di lingue - Love of Languages

2008-11-17T14:33:00.001-08:00

potluck spread
Originally uploaded by foreverdigital

For November, rather than a module on one topic, we have several small topics including language, travel, and recipes. Each post is worth .5 training hours.

Struggling to find a class that will teach you a new language on your time and at your pace? Think such a thing doesn’t exist? The answer does not necessarily lie in handing over your credit card to buy a new instruction series. There are websites online that can help you along, and some even offer tutors – for free! This potluck exercise is worth .5 hours.

Talking in Languages
Originally uploaded by zinjixmaggir

So, before we start our linguistic trip around the world (the next module travel/culture) let’s brush up on our language learning. First stop – LiveMocha.

Livemocha.com – No, this isn’t the latest coffee growing technique. This website offers courses in several different languages, including some difficult ones to find such as Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. Flash cards, speaking, reading, listening, and writing exercises are provided as well as tutors and assistance from native speakers from all over the world. The website has a social networking feature, but doesn’t require participation in that to learn the language of your choice. Sign up is free and free is a good way to start your language exploration.

Mangolanguages.com – From coffee to fruit, it’s another language learning site, though this site’s free course is a bit limiting. However, there is also an enrollment side for a fee. It also offers downloadable MP3 courses. If you like a course that goes slowly, then this one is for you. (In my limited experience, I don’t need 22 slides to teach me how to say “Hello” in Mandarin.) It is great to take your learning on the go.

Wikibooks.org – the imperfectness of Wikipedia in textbooks of learning – including several languages. It does indicate the development of information on each language, Spanish being mature, that can assist you in your studies.

Discovery Exercise:

Explore these sites and others on learning languages. Write a blog post describing your experience. Which one fits your learning style? Is there a language you’re inspired to learn? How could you use this information at work?

HCPL Staff: Have you this exercise? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post is brought to you by Beth Krippel (ATA) and Kathy Knox (ADM).

#48: Check it Out!

2008-10-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

So, you’ve been introduced to the tools and have tried the exercises. How do you apply them in a practical way at your branch? While there are many options and applications for YouTube-scale video productions, this module will demonstrate and describe one branch’s video project and the steps taken to move towards a fun and successful final product.

This summer, the Kingwood Branch Library staff had the idea to put together a monthly video production entitled, “Check It Out.” Modeled after the system’s SRP video reviews, the idea would be to include not only the staff but also members, volunteers, Friends of the Library, and anyone in any way associated with the branch. Materials would not be limited to books or to items only in the Kingwood Branch collection but would be all-inclusive of items in the HCPL system, including A/V titles.

After forming the idea, step two involved, of course, publicity. A few flyers, a poster, and small postcard-sized inserts to place in hold envelopes were created and printed. Personal, face-to-face contact is the best publicity, so book groups, volunteers, and other regular members were approached to inquire if they would be interested in recording a brief review, which would last on average a couple of minutes, give or take. At the outset of the project, staff would initially contribute most of the reviews due to the time it typically takes to make the public aware of new activities and programs. (Note: If involving library members in your video project, be sure to have them complete an informed consent form, just as you would if you were capturing a photo.)

Step three utilized the technical tools, which were essentially a digital camera and Windows Movie Maker. Almost any compact digital camera now features a video recording function, and every camera is a little different. So, getting familiar with this function may require pulling out the camera manual and experimenting. At Kingwood, a simple, compact 2-year-old Sony digicam was all that was necessary. Prior to recording actual reviews, several brief scenes were captured with the camera and then individually trimmed and stitched together in order to create a title/opening for the “Check It Out” program. At this stage, it helps to think like a director in terms of recording several scenes that will later be snipped and edited on a cutting room floor. Think, “Scene three, take two . . . action!”

Selecting audio was step four once the video opening was put together. For this, Jonathan Coulton’s website was visited since his music is copyright-free. The first 18 seconds of his song “Skullcrusher Mountain” provided the perfect sound. The song was downloaded and clipped in the appropriate spot in “Timeline” view in Windows Movie Maker so the music would not continue playing during the reviews themselves. The same 18 seconds were used for what would be the credits video at the end, which consisted simply of a blurred background of the HCPL Knowledge Card. (Note: if you only need a background for text in your video, as in a title or credits screen, you don’t have to shoot seconds or minutes-long video of the background. You need only take a picture of the background, import it into Movie Maker, insert it in the appropriate spot in your movie, and extend the length of the pic in “Timeline” view for as long as necessary.)

In step five, the reviews were recorded. A simple background was created and set up behind the reviewer, who needed only a chair and the item itself (and a cue card holder, in case they wanted to read from a short script). The camera was set atop a tripod to keep it steady (strongly recommended!) and recording started. (Note: Make sure the camera is close enough so that there isn’t a lot of unnecessary empty space, attention is focused on the subject, and the microphone is able to adequately pick up what’s spoken.)

In the final step, the reviews were inserted in between the opening and credits videos, text was inserted to name the reviewers and their item, and transition effects were selected to smooth out the movement from one clip to the next. After saving and letting ebranch know it was finished, the HCPL symbol was inserted into the video, which was then uploaded for all to see and enjoy on the Kingwood Branch page’s YouTube viewer.

And that, in a nutshell, is how “Check It Out” was done.

Discovery Exercise:

Discuss with your staff possible video project ideas for your branch. Determine what you would like to try and who would need to take part in it.

After deciding what you want to do, figure out how you want to do it. Get comfortable with using your camera’s video function and the video editing tools you want to use. For any content you want to include that is not created by you, make sure it is not copyrighted or that you have permission from the creator.

Stop practicing and start producing! Have fun!

HCPL Staff:Have you completed all three posts in this module? Then Submit your Registration of Completion If you did the extra credit exercise, don't forget to check that too.

#47 Video Challenge: Post Your Video to YouTube

2008-10-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

In post #46 Movie Maker Basics: You Oughta be in Pictures - or Making Them! we successfully created a video. But, the whole fun of videos is sharing them. This is an extra-credit challenge post for the video module. It is not a required part of the module, but if you complete it (along with the rest of the video module) you will get an extra 1 hour of training credit. For this extra-credit challenge, you'll upload the video you created in post #46 to YouTube and then post it to your blog.

There are a number of video sharing sites out there, which were discussed in Week 9 of iHCPL, but YouTube is definitely the king of video sites, so that's what we're going to use for this exercise.

Steps to Upload a video:

Create an Account
Login
Click Upload (it's on the menu bar)
Click Browse - a window will open, find your video
Edit the title, description, and tags. Also select a category for your video. This is also where you can decide if your video is public or private. If you're sharing it on your blog, it should be public.

Click Save Changes

Note: You'll probably have a quick upload, but it takes a little while for YouTube to process your video, so be patient. To find your video again, click Account - My Videos.

Embed your video in Blogger

In YouTube, find your video and copy the text in the "Embed" box.

Log into Blogger
Click the Edit HTML tab
Paste the Embed text you copied from YouTube
Click Publish Post

Here's the video I created, posted to YouTube:

If you created an Animoto video in post #45: Making a Video, you can also upload that to YouTube (this is just FYI):

Login to Animoto
Click My Videos
Click Play on the video you want to upload
Click Export to YouTube (you'll walk through several steps to allow access)
As on YouTube, you'll edit title, description, tags and select if you want the video to be public.
Click Export Now - Be patient the upload and processing can take a few minutes.

Congratulations, you are now a published filmmaker!

This post brought to you by Grace Lillevig (ADM)

#46 Movie Maker Basics: You Oughta be in Pictures - or Making Them!

2008-10-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

As discovered in the last post, Movie Maker is video editing software available on Windows based computers. In this post, we'll see a demonstration of the basics of using Movie Maker and get helpful tips. For most web videos, a great deal of high end technical equipment isn't necessary; just use your digital camera and your computer. The basic thing to remember is to keep your videos brief. No more than three minutes is best!

Fasten your seat belts, this is going to be a long one! For best results, read the notes and watch the demonstrations to help you with this exercise.

First Tip: Organize your files
Once you've moved your files from your camera to your computer, place them in project folders. For example: all of the Reel Reviews created for Summer Reading Programs were placed in a folder under My Documents titled "Reel Reviews." Organization up front is the best time saver while editing your video.

Starting Windows Movie Maker

On the left hand side of the Movie Maker window you'll find most of your options for importing your media and working with that media. Under number 1 on that side is the importing of the media. Under number 2 are the effects, transitions and titles.
On the top menu bar, the two most important buttons are Tasks (to return the side menu to the list of options for getting and working with the media) and Collections, where you can organize your clips for access.

Demonstration - Part 1 (opens in new window)

Story Boarding/Story Timelines

Place your media on the Story Board or Story Timeline area at the bottom of the screen by clicking and dragging. These files can all be interchanged, cut, edited and adjusted for volume at any time, so don't feel you have to get the order correct the first time.

Cutting - Play the clip to the portion you want to cut and pause. Under the "Preview Screen" on the right hand side is a button that splits the scene in two at the place you paused. Once that is done, you can delete the portion of the scene you don't want by right clicking on it and selecting "Delete."
Shortening/Lengthening Clips - You don't have to cut a clip to shorten it, you can select the edge of the clip you want to shorten, then click and drag it to the length you want. This is most useful on the transitions and audio/music tracks, but can be used for still images as well if you want them to be longer or shorter.

Demonstration - Part 2 (opens in new window)

Special Effects

Once you are happy with the order of the clips, it is time to get to the editing and special effects fun. Make sure you have the Tasks listed on the left hand side. If not, select "Tasks" from the top menu bar.

Selecting "View Video Effects" will show you the variety of effects you can add to your visual media clips. To add one of these effects, just click and drag the style to place on top of the media clip you want.
Selecting "View Video Transitions" will show you the selection of transitions in the upper center window that you can place between each of your visual media clips. You can also lengthen or shorten the transitions, as mentioned in the previous section.

Tip #2: Select Transitions to Fit Your Video

Popular transitions include "Fade In" and "Fade Out" and all of the various sweeps. However, if you have an upbeat video, consider some of the more unique transitions, such as "The Flip" and "The Curl."

"Make Titles or Credits" has a list of options where you can add animated text to your video, such as a title at the beginning, credits at the end, or text on top of visual media clips. In each of these you can select from a variety of animation styles as well as a variety of fonts and font effects. Title overlays show up on the bottom track of the Story Timeline, so you can place them exactly when you want them to start and time how long they should last.

Tip #3: Beware of Bright Colors

Some colors on top of others may look very cool, but try to make them contrast as much as possible in order for those who are visually challenged to be able to see the text. White lettering on black background works very well, unless the video genre calls for something else.

Demonstration - Part 3 (opens in new window)

It's Time for Music!

Many factors influence music in video, one of the most important is copyright. Be sure to have permission or look for those artists who create music under Creative Commons licenses. Jamendo is a good website to use for avoiding copyright problems, although some searching is involved.

Click and drag the music clip you imported on to the audio/music track that is visible in the Story Timeline at the bottom of the screen.
Edit this track the same way you edit visual media. Shorten the track by selecting it, the drag or cut using the cut button underneath the preview screen. Be sure only the audio track is selected, or you will cut the visual clip.
Right click on the audio track to select fade in or out or adjust the volume. Cutting and adjusting volume is very helpful if you come to portions of your video that have vocal portions. Cut the sound track at those places and lower the volume just for that segment.

Tip #4: Keep your overall feel in mind.

If the video topic is serious or subdued, don't use a lot of quick cuts or bouncy transitions.

Demonstration - Part 4 (opens in new window)

Saving the Movie File

Once you're happy with your video and have previewed it through its entirety in the preview screen on the right, it is time to save the movie file.

From the Menu Bar, select File>Save Movie File (shortcut Ctrl+P).
Save to your computer -- highly suggested no matter what you do with it afterwards.
Name your movie and select where you want it saved.
The default settings are usually best, but if you have limited computer space, you can sacrifice some quality by making the file smaller.
The computer will process the information and (if you have "Play Movie when Finished" selected) play your movie in Windows Media Player as soon as you click "Finished."

Congratulations, you're almost a filmmaker!

Exercise: Practice with Movie Maker and create a 30 second video from scratch and write about your experience in your blog.

iStar's Filming Tips

2008-10-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

As a budding filmmaker, here are some tips to get the best possible footage.

Filmmaking Tips by Jeremy Cathay
Can't see the video? Check it out on YouTube.

The following are tips compiled from Filming & Editing Tips from the Digital Video Club and Beginners Guide to Video Editing - Basic Filming Tips

Before Filming

Think ahead
Plan a beginning and an end.

During filming

Take lots of footage, you can always edit later
Shoot scenes in a logical manner rather than shooting one long unmoving scene
Limit moving and zooming
Use a tripod, if possible - it makes the camera steady
Change positions for different scenes - it makes it more interesting
Try to frame your subject before filming
Make sure there's enough light before shooting
Keep sounds in mind.

For guidance on specific film techniques (e.g. what a long shot is, getting better sound quality), check out YouTube's Guide to Producing and Uploading Your Own Videos. This guide is in partnership with Videomaker.com and includes filmed examples of techniques to help you make better videos.

Getting the video from your camera to the computer

So, once you've filmed the footage for your masterpiece, you'll need to get it from your camera onto the computer. It will vary based on the type of camera you used, so please check your camera's user manual.

#45: Making a Video: An Overview

2008-10-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

Since sites like YouTube brought user-generated video to the public's attention, folks all over the globe have been creating and posting videos on the web. The videos you can find online run the gamut from professional quality films to fun home movies. With a little know-how, anyone can create a video online, share it with the world, and get feedback from viewers. You want to try right? Right! So let's get started.

We will start with an overview the tools you can use to make and post a video on the web. In this post, we will go over some of the cameras out on the market and review some of the editing software available on your PC or online. The next post will give you step-by-step instructions on making your own short video with Windows Movie Maker. The final post will give ideas and examples for using videos in library projects. Library staff who complete the entire video module will receive two hours of training credit.

Don't worry if you don't have a video camera--most branch cameras do have the capability to take short video clips.

Cameras

The Flip - http://www.theflip.com/

The Flip is a point and shoot camcorder with a built in USB plug. Available with one or two gigabytes of internal memory, the Flip allows 60 minutes of recording time. The rechargeable batteries last about four hours, and the Flip includes it's own built in editing software. You simply plug the Flip into your PC or laptop and you can create a custom mix of the recordings you made. You can also take still shots from your video and a sharing feature allows direct upload to YouTube. Three different models are available: the Flip Mino, priced at $179; the Flip Ultra, priced at $149; and the original Flip, priced at $129.

The Flip is an inexpensive option for libraries who want to incorporate video into their online presence. HCPL owns a couple of Flips which staff can borrow from the eBranch for your branch video projects! For more information on the Flip, please visit their website at http://www.theflip.com/.

Digital Cameras

Digital cameras, sometimes known as digicams, are cameras that can take both still photographs

and video. Some, but not all, will record sound. Many allow you to display your photos or video on a small screen built into the camera--if you aren't happy with what you see, you can delete it and no one has to know you took a bad picture! Images and video are stored on some kind of removable storage technology, most likely some form of flash memory (like an SD card). One downside to digital cameras is that they have very high battery requirements, and many are being designed to be so compact that it is difficult to develop a battery that is small enough to fit, yet large enough to power the camera for a decent period of time. They also tend to only allow you to record 30-45 seconds at a time, though depending on your memory card, you may be able to record several short clips.

Images and video are downloaded to your PC through a cable. You can then resize and manipulate the content as you desire, save it and upload it to the online sharing site of your choice.

There are a huge number of brands and models to choose from, and prices can range from under $100 into the thousands. Buying a digital camera is an investment just like buying a computer, so reading reviews on the cameras in your price range may help in narrowing down your choices. Consumer Reports or CNET Reviews may be helpful in learning more about the digital cameras currently on the market.

Camcorders

Camcorders are recording devices that contain both a video camera and a video recorder, hence the name camcorder (previous video recording technologies had separate devices for recording and acquisition). They record both video and audio, and up until the 2000s they utilized tape as their means of recording. Camcorders these days use "tapeless" recording on a memory card. One advantage they have over digital cameras is that most camcorders allow much longer recording times (usually anywhere from 60 minutes to 20 hours, though some may only allow shorter periods).

As the consumer market prefers camcorders that are portable and easy to use, consumer grade camcorders often sacrifice recording quality in favor of these features. They also often lack manual control for adjusting volume control and other settings. However, they offer many options for downloading your footage, such as through a USB cable or Firewire, and most consumer camcorders come with some light video editing software. Nearly any modern PC can be used to edit video footage taken with a camcorder.

A wide variety of camcorders are available on the market, ranging in price from under $200 to well into the thousands. Just like with a digital camera, it is a good idea to read some online reviews or the Consumer Reports on the models you may be interested in before you buy.

Video Editing Software

Windows MovieMaker

Windows Movie Maker is an excellent choice for editing short videos. It comes with all Windows PCs and is relatively easy software to learn. The drag and drop interface allows you the ability to cut and arrange your footage, add fun special effects, set your footage to music and add title cards to your movies. Once you are through editing, it saves and converts your movie to WMV (Windows Media Video) format and saves it to your computer. You can then upload it to the video sharing site of your choice.

Microsoft's website has a how-to center with guides that explain how to use the various features of Windows Movie Maker to edit and polish your footage: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx

Animoto - http://animoto.com/

Animoto is a simple to use, web-based movie-making service. You just upload your photos, choose the music you'd like to use, and Animoto does the rest. It is a very easy way to make a cool music video using your existing photos. Animoto would be great for making a slide show of a fun program that took place at your branch!

Activities

After reading through the information above, take a look at the websites for the different video editing options and write about what you find. Which one do you think you will find most challenging to use? Which one appeals to you the most? Can you think of some fun library projects that you might do using one of these editing tools?

Use Animoto to make a music video with some of your existing photos. Then post it on your blog. Have fun!

This post was brought to you by Beth Krippel (ATA), Jim Johnson (KW), Abby Buchold (ADM) and Linda Stevens (ADM).

A Consumer's How To #44: How To & Make

2008-09-29T08:18:00.001-07:00

Day 53: Ms. Fix It,
originally uploaded by jk5854.

Have you ever been stuck in the middle of a project without a single solution in sight? Or have you ever wondered how to start a task, but have no idea how or where to begin? Well, help has arrived in the form of “How To” sites that will guide you through just about every problem-solving dilemma you can think of.
Many of the How To sites found on the Web contain different types of formatting, making it easy to locate a format that is compatible with your style of learning.
Sites such as eHow, WikkiHow, HowStuffWorks, and Instructables provide visitors with written articles that guide the user through the selected process step-by-step. The eHow site contains over 250,000 articles many of them are professionally written. With over 17 million visitors to this site per month, articles and videos are constantly being added to their online community.

WikkiHow credits itself as a “high quality How To manual”. This site allows users to receive RSS feeds along with access to wikki manuals in several languages. All of the text shared on the WikkiHow site is under a “Creative Commons License” and the site is going green by operating as a “Carbon Neutral” website.

The HowStuffWorkssite was developed in 1998 by a professor at North Carolina State University. This site is owned by the Discovery Communication, which also owns many of the popular Discovery Channels. The site divides each manual into subjects that allow users to quickly gain access through homepage tabs. The HowStuffWorks site has been recognized with several Webby awards, along with Time magazine, and PC Magazine.

The Instructables site was developed in the MIT Media Lab. This site also allows users to access subjects through tabbing and is the most vibrant of the listed How To sites. Before you exit this site, check out the Instructables online store that sells t-shirts, totes, aprons, caps, shoes and more.

The site Quamut is published by Barnes & Noble. Users have two choices for viewing guides on this site. Users are able to view all Quamut guides free of charge on their computer screen. However, the site charges a small fee for users needing to download and print guides. Guides printed on laminated charts are also available for a fee that can be purchased at local Barnes & noble stores. It is worth noting that there is one free Quamut (How To) guide of the week available for downloading and printing.
If a visual option is your preferred choice Expert Village and Video Jug provide users with video instructions. The Expert Village site states that the information provided can be trusted by users based on the fact that that the acquired information is both “professionally created and researched”. What makes this site unique is that each video guide has a photo and profile of the “Expert” that created that particular instructional video.

Video Jug is described as an online “encyclopedia of life”. The site contains features that allow users to download videos directly onto a Mobile, iPod, and/or MP3 player. This site also allows users to download a Video Jug widget directly to a blog.

Activities:
1. Look at the different types of How To sites listed above, of the choices provided which sites appeal to you? Did any of the sites listed not appeal to you?

2. Select one How To site from the list above and pick a topic to you would like to learn about. Once you have gone through the selected video or article, post about it or link it to your blog and write about what you learned.

HCPL Staff: Have you completed the two posts in this module? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post is brought to you by Daisy Camarillo (FM), Michele McKian (FB), Melanie Metzger (CYF), Rhiannon Perry (LAP), & Sandra Silvey (BC).

A Consumer's How To #43: Buying & Selling Online

2008-09-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Garage Sale In Monroe,
originally uploaded by johnbeagle.

One of the great things about the Internet is it opens up a world of commerce sites and how to sites. In two posts this month, we'll explore buying and selling online and how-to sites. This module is worth 1 training hour.

Remember garage sales, craft fairs, and swap meets as a way to get rid of item you don’t want and make some money in the process. They are all still around, even in the digital age.

Selling online is a great way for anyone to make extra money from home. It is especially good for stay at home moms and people who are retired but still would like to work. It allows you to set your own hours and you can work as hard or as little as you would like. It is also fun to search for treasures that might be worth something. At first selling online is a little confusing, but once your have sold a few things you will understand how to do it.

eBay is a site that allows you to sell your items in two ways; by auction (highest bidder wins) or for a set price. Items on eBay can be from anyone in the world. It’s a wonderful site to find the hard to find, rare, or more global items

Half.com, who recently merged with eBay, focuses on the buying and selling of media. (books, music, videos, and videogames)

Craigslist is a site that focuses on more local items. Generally you place an item for sale and you usually make arrangements with the buyer to either ship or meet with them to complete the purchase.

Even Amazon has gotten into the individual sellers market with their “Sell Your Stuff” section.

If you are more into crafting and selling items you made yourself, then Etsy is the site for you.

How to get started:
A local member of HCPL who sells items on eBay has created the following list of tips for how to get into selling your “treasures” on the internet

Ten Tips for Selling on the Internet

Start with items around your house you no longer use to learn the selling system
Sell something that interests you, or something easily available and cheap in your area that may be harder to get in other places. (ex. Used instruments in Nashville, pottery or turquoise jewelry in New Mexico, etc)
Don't be intimidated, jumping in is the best way to learn
Don’t forget if you don't like one site there are others out there that may work better for you
Make sure photos are clear. A good photo will secure a better sale
Don’t forget customer service is very important
Visit the local Post Office or UPS store to research shipping costs. Ask them what is the best day to ship to avoid the high demand times.
You might want to open a P.O. Box for your own safety. (It’s never good to give out personal information)
Most sellers have a certain niche, keep trying to sell various items until you find yours
When you first start selling offer an incentive like free shipping or a small extra item to encourage customers and entice them to your sales

And of course, all the sites listed above allow you to purchase items from their sites as well. Some even have special features to customize your shopping experience such as Etsy that allows you to request the custom creation of an item through their “Alchemy” feature or Craigslist that allows for the bargaining or swapping of items or services to essentially get your item for free.

Safe Transactions:
Whether you are buying or selling on eBay or other sites, you should become familiar with PayPal; the preferred payment method many online shopping sites. There are many benefits to having an account with PayPal.

By paying with PayPal, you can pay without revealing your credit card number. You simply give PayPal your payment information and they will keep it secure.

If you are only planning to buy online, you can sign up for a personal account. Since this type of account has limited features, it is free. You can pay at many online stores and you can even transfer money to someone's account.

PayPal also has the benefit of a Buyer Protection Program. When first using a site like eBay, you may be concerned that the seller will not ship your item or the item you receive will not be as described. This is where PayPal comes in. They will make sure that you either receive your item or get your money back. Of course, there are a few rules you must follow, but they are very simple. PayPal will give you an allotted amount of time to make your claim after your purchase.

Activities

Take a look at the consumer sites listed above. Search for a couple of items of interest and see what the selling pages look like. Write in your blog what your thoughts are these sites. Which one(s) do you like the best/least? Have you already used one of the sites to buy or sell an item?What was your experience like? If you haven’t could you see yourself using these sites to buy or sell something?
Visit PayPal and watch the short clip titled "What is PayPal?" Blog about ways you could personally use PayPal. Check your favorite online stores to see if they accept this method of payment. If you already use this service, blog about your experience

This post is brought to you by Sandra Silvey (BC), Daisy Camarillo (FM), Michele McKian (FB), Rhiannon Perry (LAP), & Melanie Metzger (CYF).

Wellness #42: Staying Well

2008-08-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, even when you live a green lifestyle, eat the right foods, and exercise daily, you still need the help of a health professional to stay well. The Internet has many websites that can help you diagnose your symptoms, locate a healthcare professional, manage your medications, and keep track of your medical history.

Use the "Symptom Checker" from the Mayo Clinic to discover the most common causes of the most common symptoms. It can give you an idea for simple self-treatment, or it can help you work with your health care professional for an accurate diagnosis of more serious problems.

This National Library of Medicine website helps you find local resources for health-related issues. Select an area from the map shown to search for health services and topics.

Drugs.com provides free, accurate and independent advice on more than 24,000 prescription drug

s, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. Its many useful features include:
pill identification to help you identify that stray pill found in your child's backpack or in your bathroom drawer;
a drug interaction checker that lets you input the list of medications you take, and alerts you to any possible dangerous interactions.

My Family Health Portrait is a web-based tool provided by the U.S. Surgeon General. Information you provide creates a drawing of your family tree and a chart of your family health history.

A personal health record (PHR) is a collection of important information that you maintain about your health or the health of someone you’re caring for, such as a parent or a child. MyPHR.com gives details about what should be included, and suggests free or fee-based resources that help you create a PHR in print form, using the Internet, or using specialized software.

Activities:

Try out the symptom checker or the pill identifier. Write in general terms about how accurate the results seemed to be.
Pick any medical condition or service and use the local MedlinePlus to see if there are related resources within 10 miles of your home. List what you found.
Create a sample family medical history tree. Discuss how this could this be a useful addition to a genealogy study.

HCPL Staff:

Have you completed all five posts in this module? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post was brought to you by Nancy Agafitei (CC).

Wellness #41 - Going Green - Part 2

2008-08-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

GOING GREEN

Using less gasoline is not only good for the environment, with oil prices reaching all time highs, it has become a necessity for most of us. If buying a smaller car or hybrid or using more public transportation isn't an option, Consumer Reports has tips on getting the best gas mileage with the car you own.

Consumer Reports Mileage Tips

The Green Home

Making your home more energy efficient will save you money and will also help the environment. The city of Houston has set up a web site with 5 easy low cost changes you can make, and a calculator to measure how much energy you can save by making these changes.

Consumer Reports has more suggestions on this website.

Many of the ingredients in our cleaning products are harmful to our health and the health of the planet. A few smaller companies have been making earth friendly products for years but now some of the major companies like Clorox and S.C. Johnson have begun selling natural cleaners. If you want to save money and guarantee less toxic cleaners, this website has recipes for making your own with common household ingredients:

DIYlife.com has more DIY projects.

Recycling

The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide has links for recycling almost anything you can think of from common items such as paper and glass to computer parts and hazardous materials.

A simple way to de-clutter your life and have less recycling is to sign up to stop junk mail including credit card offers, local business flyers and sweepstakes letters. This can be done here.

Activity 3: From any of the other sites above, list one activity in your blog that you think would be quite easy to do to live a greener lifestyle. List a second that would take more commitment, but that you really would like to try.

This post was brought to you by Kathy Knox (ADM).

Wellness #41: Going Green - Part 1

2008-08-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

GOING GREEN

You've probably been hearing a lot about going green the last few years. It's practically impossible to pick up a magazine or newspaper and not read something about climate change or global warming. If that isn't enough, skyrocketing oil prices and poor air quality are daily reminders of some of the challenges we face as individuals and as part of the global community. Going green doesn't necessarily mean you have to make major lifestyle changes or spend a lot of money. The Internet has many websites with tips on simple changes you can make, many of which will save you money. There will be two posts this week, since this is such a big topic.

Let's first look at some energy calculators. These are sometimes called carbon footprint calculators because they measure how much carbon dioxide you create.

National Wildlife Federation

Yahoo! Green

The Green Team

Activity 1: Use one of more of the websites to determine your carbon footprint. Write some notes in your blog about your results.

Greening Our Diet

The choices we make about the food we eat are an important part of going green. Here is an eating green calculator that can tell you the effect some of your food choices have on your health and the health of the planet.

Eating Green Calculator

FoodNews.org provides you with a list of 43 fruits and vegetables that are the best and worst in terms of pesticide residue so you can know which ones to avoid when organic isn't available.

Not only is eating locally grown foods good for the local economy, it's also good for the environment because less fuel is expended to transport it. Also, it usually tastes better because it's fresher. Here are links to some of the many farmer's markets in our area:

Houston Farmers Market

Local Harvest

Urban Harvest

Activity 2: If you have ever visited a local farmer's market, blog about the experience and what foods you found there. If you haven't, select one for a future visit from the websites above, and blog about why you chose that one to visit.

This post was brought to you by Kathy Knox (ADM).

Wellness #40: Fitness

2008-08-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Lumpini Joggers,
originally uploaded by rutthenut.

"Exercise?! What's in it for me?" This is something many of us may ask when physical fitness is mentioned. There are many proven health benefits for even moderate amounts of physical activity. For example, regular walking is good for your heart and helps prevent osteoporosis. You can even exercise while sitting at your desk!

Here are a few health benefits of exercise and physical activity from the website of the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University:

Reduce the risk of premature death

Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease

Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure

Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol

Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer

Reduce the risk of developing diabetes

Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat

Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints

Reduce depression and anxiety

Improve psychological well-being

Enhance work, recreation, and sports performance

"OK, so how do I get started?" you may be asking. Never fear, the Internet is here with helpful websites on how to start and stick with an exercise program.

The Mayo Clinic offers 5 steps to getting started on a fitness program from assessing your fitness level to monitoring your progress.

Familydoctor.org discusses how to start and stick with an exercise program. It touches upon target heart rate and injury prevention.

This helpful site from primusweb discusses how to think F.I.T. and stay motivated.

Treadmill Talk,
originally uploaded by sirwiseowl.

The Walking Site offers information on how to begin a fitness walking program. Start out slow and easy.

Exercise at your desk! This DIY site offers links on how to get a workout while at work.

Exercise Prescription on the Net is a free resource for the fitness enthusiast, coach or fitness professional.

Activities:

Take a look at the fitness calculators on ExRx.net.

1. Check your BMI

2. Calculate your calorie requirements

3. Answer a questionnaire to determine your health age or life expectancy.

Were you surprised by the results? Do you feel motivated to change your eating habits or implement an exercise routine after completing these activities? Write a blog post about your goals after finding out your results.

This post was brought to you by Mark Haywood (ALD).

Wellness #39: Nutrition

2008-08-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

Everyone would like to eat healthier, exercise more, live in tune with the environment, and take better care of their health. However, most of us need encouragement to adopt such lifestyle changes. The Internet is full of resources that can make it easier for people to personalize a wellness plan. These posts are intended to inspire you to make positive changes. If you complete the exercises for these four posts, we hope you will be on a path to greater wellness. You will also receive 2 hours of training credit.

Let's begin with what many of us like to do most: EAT. Check out these two sites that help you look closer at the nutritional value of what you eat:

NutritionData.com examines multiple aspects of the foods you eat and drink, ranging from the components of a family recipe to the fast food you picked up on your lunch hour. The Pantry feature lets you save and analyze your favorites and tracks your personal consumption. You have to register, but use is free. Make sure to enter only required data, and opt-out on any extras you don't want.

Recipes.Sparkpeople.com lets you calculate the nutritional information of a recipe by searching for and adding ingredients, specifying their quantities, entering the the total number of servings that your recipe makes, and clicking the "Calculate Info" button.

Activities:

1) Spend some time exploring Nutrition Data, and write in your blog about features you would find useful. Include something surprising that you learned about the food you have been eating. For example, you may guess that your favorite fast food burger is high in fat and calories, but did you also know that it is also rated as "strongly inflammatory"?

2) Enter a favorite recipe into Recipes.Sparkpeople.com, and calculate its nutritional information. Post the recipe on your blog, along with its nutrition facts. If your recipe is high calorie, experiment with substituting lighter ingredients and see how the bottom line changes.

The iHCPL Wellness posts are brought to you by Nancy Agafitei (CC), Mark Haywood (ALD) and Kathy Knox (ADM).

Games and Gaming #38: Console Gaming

2008-05-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Now that you’ve reinvented a second life for yourself in the virtual world, discovered that you can strut around destroying skeletons and goblins in your rune armor AND earned twelve bowls of rice for some hungry kids…WHERE can you use all these newfound skills if you’re at work at the library all day? Yep, you guessed it: In the library.

Where’s PONG?

Console gaming has found a home in public libraries and from all indications, it’s not going to leave anytime soon. Long before Mario – and even predating Pong – there was the Magnavox Odyssey, released in 1972. It was analog, had no sound, and it ran on batteries but it proved that game systems could be home based and not solely relegated to arcades.

After the Odyssey came Atari’s Pong (1975), Coleco Telstar (1976) and Mattel Intellivision (1980) as well as a number of forgettable forays. Anyone remember the Zircon Channel F System II?? Didn’t think so. As the console systems evolved, so did the consumers, who demanded more sophisticated graphics and greater game difficulty. In 1985 a Japanese company called Famicom (known as Nintendo in N. America) released their NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) console in the U.S. Thanks in part to Nintendo, the video gaming industry took off like…well, a Mario Kart and the rest is history.

Nostalgic for the arcade games you played as a kid? Several websites feature flash or shockwave based online versions of games like Asteroids, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Tetris, Frogger and more. One such site is Arcade Retro.com.

Which Gaming System Should We Get?

If the last time you attempted a video game, you were clutching a joystick and gobbling pac-dots, you’re in for a jolt. Today’s generation of state-of-the-art graphics, Bluetooth technology and high-definition visuals is a far cry from the old Odyssey. According the techno gurus at cnet.com the top contenders are:

Microsoft Xbox 360 – With its extensive digital media features, a superior online service and excellent game library, this is the console to beat. Price: $250.00 - 350.00 depending on model. Games, accessories not included.

Sony PlayStation 3 – Plays all games in high-def, easy to use interface. Pricey but doubles as a Blu-ray DVD player. Limited game selection. Price: $400 – 500 depending on model. Games, accessories not included.

Nintendo Wii – It lacks the graphical prowess of the Xbox 360 and the PS3 but the combination of the Wii’s unique motion sensor controllers and emphasis on fun gameplay make this console hard to resist. Price: $350.00. Games, accessories not included.

Every gamer will give you a different opinion on which is the best console to purchase. Mostly it depends on what kind of games you’re planning on playing. Hard core gamers who prefer “first person shooter” or epic fantasy games like exclusive Halo 3 and Final Fantasy insist on Xbox 360, while sports enthusiasts prefer the family-friendly, remote-focused Nintendo Wii. Others say the PS3’s graphics are hard to beat and as DVD manufacturers choose sides in the high-def war, the PS3 is an inexpensive Blu-ray option. Even if cost is not an object, extreme popularity and perhaps intentionally limited supply only fuels the demand and makes FINDING one of these systems to purchase harder than…..playing Guitar Hero Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and Flames” on Expert level without shredding your fingers to the bone. Totally.

Activities:

Visit the "nostalgic" game site and spend about 15 minutes playing Pacman or one of the other games (you have to create a free account to play). If you played these when you were younger, what skills do you think you’ve gained over people who never played?
Blog about which console game system you think is best for library purposes and tell why you think so. Tell about some of your experiences with console gaming and how you think it adds or detracts from learning. Do you think players come to the library for the game but stay for the books…or just come for the game?

HCPL Staff:

Have you completed all four posts in this module? Then Submit your Registration of Completion

This post was brought to you by Michele McKian and Abigail Buchold.

Games and Gaming #37: Get Your Game On @ The Library

2008-05-19T07:59:00.001-07:00

If your idea of library ambiance is “quiet as a tomb,” you may need to re-think your current model. How about “quiet as a Tomb Raider”? Gaming is making a loud impact on the library scene in a big way. Libraries all over the country (and even here in Harris County) are hosting Game Days, Guitar Hero Parties and Runescape events to generate an interest in what libraries have to offer and also to foster and encourage community partnership. One librarian even offered to waive late fines if a teen patron could beat her at a game of Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)!

Do Games Belong In the Library?

While still a controversial topic, statistics show that introducing video, console and web-based games into library settings promotes an interest in the other traditional services libraries provide. In other words, get the kids in to play and they’ll want to read. Natural progression…or wishful thinking? The other rationale is that games provide many of the same benefits as books:

Games require advanced literacy
Games overcome achievement gaps
Games build critical workplace and life skills
Games teach planning, strategy, goal-setting, competence, personal power, etc.

The New York Times also recently published an article on gaming in the library: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/books/22games.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The Shifted Librarian has devoted an entire web log to technology trends in libraries. You can read more about gaming in her very informative blog: http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/04/21/more-on-how-gaming-promotes-reading-and-library-usage.html

Virtual Reference Desk

In 2000, Librarea, the first virtual 3-D library world was introduced by ActiveWorlds. Like social interactive games of today, users could log on as a character and access web-based reference materials and share professional ideas. Librarea is no longer active but librarians are finding new life in Second Life Library Project: http://infoisland.org

Library Related Games

Okay, so you work in a library and don’t “get” the whole gaming thing. You’re stubbornly attached to the idea that libraries are all about BOOKS. Period. Lucky for you, Carnegie Mellon has developed some on-line games that are right up your alley…or, shelf, as it may be:
http://www.library.cmu.edu/Libraries/etc/index.html

Exercises:
1) Choose one of the articles above on gaming in the library to read.

2) Try one of the library-related games on the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries website and play for about 15 minutes. Was it harder than you thought it would be?

3) Write a blog post on your thoughts regarding gaming in the library and how you think it will evolve. Do you agree that games belong in the library?

This post was brought to you by Michele McKian and Abigail Buchold.

Games and Gaming #36: The Wide World of Online Role Playing Games

2008-05-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Now that we've had an introduction on online games, we'll discuss Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPGs. MMORPGs are computer games that involve large number of players interacting in a virtual world. As with other role playing games or RPGs (you've probably heard of Dungeons and Dragons, which is a good example of an RPG), players take on the role of a fictional character and control that character's actions in the game.

MMORPGs are distinguished from other computer games by the large number of players and the persistent world of the game, which continues to exist even when a player is logged out. Most MMORPGs are set in a fantasy world and contain common themes, some type of progression (developing a character and gaining experience and treasure), involve player interaction, and usually have some kind of in-game culture. Social interaction within the game is common, but usually is not required unless you need assistance from another player.

Let's look at just a few examples of the MMORPGs that are out there:

Runescape

Simpler to learn and play than World of Warcraft, Runescape does not require software purchase or a subscription fee. A good portion of the game is free and it can be played entirely online. Like WoW, the game is set in a fantasy world where players create a character and can interact with other players. With Runescape, however, players can decide what is important to them in play. They can complete quests, participate in combat, build craftsman skills, trade goods, or simply explore the landscape.

Players can choose to purchase a membership to Runescape that allows wider access to the world, but it is not required.

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft, or WoW, is the largest pay-to-play MMORPG at 10 million subscribers. The current edition is the fourth installment in Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft series, and takes place in a world called Azeroth after the events of Warcraft III. In WoW, you create a character avatar and work to gain experience by completing quests throughout the virtual world. When creating a character, you can choose from ten different "races" in two factions, the Horde or the Alliance. The character's race determines your abilities, appearance and starting location within the game. In addition to completing quests, you can join a guild to explore dungeons and fight in battles that allow you to gain more experience and acquire better items. You can also acquire special abilities and helper pets. Player interaction is mainly done by text-based chat, but there is also an option for voice chat that some players use. The rich storylines and complex landscape of World of Warcraft are what keep players coming back.

To play WoW, you must purchase software to install on your computer, and you must pay a monthly subscription fee, which is why we won't be visiting WoW in our exercises.

Chore Wars

Unmotivated at work or with your household chores? Chore Wars may be able to help! Chore Wars combines the drudgery of housework with an online role playing game that allows you to gain experience points or XP for chores you complete. Just like with other online RPGs you create a character, but you also create "adventures" for yourself such as doing the laundry, paying bills, or sweeping the kitchen floor. You can assign a specific amount of XP to each chore and then claim XP for that chore when you complete it. In game, you can also fight monsters for additional XP and treasure. You can turn your household chores or work tasks as a competition with members of your household or coworkers.

Chore Wars is entirely web-based and free to use.

Second Life

While technically not an MMORPG, Linden Lab's Second Life is still worth mentioning as it is a large-scale environment where people from all over the world can interact and explore a virtual landscape. You create an avatar, just like in a MMORPG, only you do not complete quests, fight monsters, or gain experience. The main purpose of Second Life is a higher level of social interaction. Users of Second Life are known as "Residents," and users interact through local chat and global instant messaging. Residents mainly get around by walking, though they can even fly!

The most notable thing about Second Life is its connection with the real world. The virtual world has its own economy and a currency known the "Linden." Residents of Second Life can buy and sell goods and services, own virtual "land," or even run an in-world business. Second Life also consists mostly of user generated content, which is created by Residents. Residents own the rights to content they create, much like copyright. Artists can create works of art in Second Life, and live music performances have taken place in the world. Recently, Second Life has started to offer virtual classrooms for several major universities, and many educators have taken advantage of this opportunity. Libraries are not immune to the Second Life bug. A virtual reference desk staffed by volunteer librarians exists in-world, and library users can visit many libaries on the Info Islands (a zone in Second Life).

Exercises:

1) Spend 15 minutes (not including the time it takes to set up an account) exploring Runescape by going through the tutorial. Did you find it easy to learn how to get around?

2) Write a blog post describing the Runescape character you created. Alternatively, if you are already a gamer and play an MMORPG, describe the character you play with and relate a fun experience you had playing the game.

Take and post a screenshot of your Runescape character, or the character you play in another MMORPG.

This post was brought to you by Michele McKian and Abigail Buchold.

Games and Gaming #35: Games? In the Library?

2008-05-05T09:44:00.001-07:00

Summer is on its way, and summer is a time for fun at the library! When you think about summer fun, games probably come to mind. But games in the library? There has been a lot of talk about gaming in the library world lately, and gaming events for kids and teens are becoming more and more popular. In this post, we'll look at a few benefits of gaming and try a few web-based games. In the second post, we'll explore Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games or MMORPGs. In the third post, we'll take a look at the relevance of gaming in the library. Finally, in the fourth post, we'll look at console gaming. All posts for this module will be made in May, but the module will last through though the end of July. If you complete the exercises for these four posts, you will receive 2 hours of training credit.

Let's get the fun started.

If you can't see the video, watch it on YouTube.

Games aren't just a way to pass the time. When Windows debuted, using a mouse with the computer was a relatively new thing, and Microsoft came up with a way to teach people to learn about pointing and clicking, dragging and dropping. What did they come up with? That's right, Solitaire! If you've used a Windows PC, you've probably played Solitaire or Minesweeper. For first time computer users, these can be a great way to become comfortable with using the mouse!

It may be difficult at first to see the value of games in teaching information literacy. Recently, at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference, Eli Neiburger of the Ann Arbor Public Library gave a presentation about this very subject. He said that common perceptions of gaming are that it is an antisocial activity, that they are a waste of time, that most video games are violent and that they are an enemy of literacy. He went on to discuss that video games actually require advanced literacy, that only 15% of the video games sold are rated M for Mature, and that gamers tend to be more successful in the workplace than non-gamers. He also outlined the critical workplace skills that games tend to help develop, which include comprehension, spatial reasoning, research skills and perseverance.

For quite a while now, we've been talking about all sorts of web-based tools that allow us to increase our productivity. Games are no different--there are a variety of games available online that you can play anywhere without burdening your computer with the huge files required to play them. They can be found almost anywhere online.

For example, FreeRice is a vocabulary game where you are given a word and must choose the correct definition from a group of four answer choices. For every word you get correct, FreeRice donates 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to end world hunger. You can have fun and help others!

WordSplay is a word-building game that first appeared under the name WEBoggle. When you start the timer, you are given an assortment of letters. You form words using adjacent letters and type them in, pressing ENTER or the spacebar to score. After three minutes, the game ends and you receive your final score.

You may have noticed the popularity of the Japanese puzzle game known as Sudoku. In Sudoku, your objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each. Each puzzle is partially completed to get you started, and the degree of difficulty determines how many spaces are filled in for you. The Houston Chronicle offers Sudoku online along with crosswords and other puzzles!

In addition, there are many online games available for kids. The PBS Kids site offers a few educational choices, as does FunBrain. Cool Math 4 Kids offers fun math games and puzzles as well as math lessons from addition and subtraction up through pre-algebra and geometry.

Exercises:

1) Spend 15 minutes trying out one of the web-based games mentioned: FreeRice, WordSplay, online Sudoku, or try one of the games meant for kids.

2) Make a blog post about your thoughts on the benefits of gaming and the game you played. Did you find it easy to learn the rules and get started? Can you think of any skills the game might help you build?

This post was brought to you by Michele McKian and Abigail Buchold.