MaintainIT Project--Library technology ideas for librarians, FROM Librarians

Ever wonder what other libraries are/have been doing with technology in their libraries? Librarians "wear so many hats" and time is very precious. But allow me to point you to a "menu" of what I hope will be a very valuable resource. It's called the MaintainIT Project. Quoting from their website "The MaintainIT Project is a three-year project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We are working with public libraries to identify best practices of technical support for public computers. The Project works with libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada...MaintainIT is a project of TechSoup, (www.techsoup.org) a nonprofit with extensive experience helping other nonprofits use technology effectively."

Rodney, why should I take time from my busy day to look at this? Well they have interviewed and sought out from librarians all across the nation about library technology ideas, plans, implementations, and resources that deal directly with where you live everyday while at work. They use key words like "cookbooks" and "recipes" as their theme for these insights.

As of this writing they have 2 cookbooks. The first cookbook, "A Cookbook For Rural And Small Libraries", covers topics such as how to plan a technology plan, discussions about various spyware and anti-virus tools, how to utilize volunteers in your library, and many others.

The second cookbook entitled "Recipes for a 5-Star Library"; examples of topics such as starting a wireless network in your library. Have you thought how much help should your library staff give to patrons with regards to their laptops? Well there is a section that gives some insights on this subject. As well as other valuable topics .

Besides the cookbooks, they offer library spotlight articles on their website. Personally I would like to suggest calling them "appetizers" (hint hint) that you can download articles about. They also have a newsletter that you can sign up for. And much more.

It is nice to have quick library technology resources for libraries FROM libraries and MaintainIT is a great resource to find them. I hope you take some time to go through some of these recipes.

Bon Appetit/Buen Provecho everyone!

Rodney

Can you open this MS office attachment?

This blog posting is one that I had in edit mode and almost deleted. I thought it might be insightful, but then I thought "nah". However this morning a coworker sent me an email asking if I could open an office attachment. It was an office word document, and all other documents worked just fine, but why not this one? Well this was a document created with the newer version of Microsoft Office 2007. And there are some differences. Differences that could cause persons to be in the same situation my coworker was in. I felt now was a good time to talk about the new office format. This format not only looks different in the appearance, but also inside the coding (under the hood so to speak) of it as well. Now I am not going to bore you with many technical differences, but there are a few points I would like to make. The new format saves files using Open XML, the XML stands for Extensible Mark Up Language. According to Microsoft, this format makes files about 75 percent smaller (compression) than older office formats. And XML was created to structure, store and to send information, as well as being compatible with the older formats.

As one of my former college professors use to say "who cares?" (Love ya Boz)
Well you might...someday. You see the problem may be from older formats to the newer one. A large number of AALS libraries are using an earlier version of MS office. Whether this is office 2003, XP or 2000. This is fine if you are sending an attachment to someone who has the latest version. But if they send you an office 2007 file you may have an error message stating that you need to install the Microsoft compatibility pack in order to view the file.

Just a quick blog to hopefully help with getting rid of a small irritant as you do your every day data processing projects.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Rodney

Online storage: Files anywhere at anytime

Ever been without the file(s) you really needed? Allow me to paint a quick picture of what happened to me the other day and see if you can relate.

I was out at one of the AALS libraries doing some PC related changes. The library director was happy that I FINALLY made it out after so many weeks. I was on time, pumped and enthused about starting the work. I popped in my flash drive and then in my brain it was a cataclysmic slow motion sound effect of Ohhhhhh Nooooooooooo!!! The file(s) needed were not on the drive. Frantically, I checked my laptop bag, no not there. Ah my CD case! It has to be on one of these discs somewhere, right? As I flip through all of the CD's, beads of sweat began to pour down my head (OK I am exaggerating here), but no luck there either. I suddenly realized I drove an hour and a half without the files I needed anywhere. Thankfully, I was able to download a trial version of what I needed. Then I thought "Rodney! You have an online storage account, why didn't you have it there?" You see with online storage, as long as you have access to the web, you can get to files that you save there. Don't have one yet? You never know when you might need those important files. You can also inform your library patrons about this. If they have an account it is quite possible they may not even need external storage devices.

Here are 3 different online storage (virtual hard drives) companies that I use. Each offer free storage space. Offering access to files/folders which also includes photos, music, video, and much more. You can also share these with friends, coworkers, or others easily. Each of these services will require a user name and password, so read more as you go to their site.


Box.net--A few neat things about this one should be noted. It allows uploading from your email. What that means is that an attachment you have in email can be uploaded to your boxnet account. Another feature is 3rd party tools which allows you to edit previously stored files. For example, say you need to edit a spreadsheet. Access to the tools allows you to edit while it is in your storage area instead of downloading it to yourself, making changes, and the re uploading it to yourself a second time. You can also access files through mobile devices as long as they have a web browser. With the good comes some bad. It gives you only 1 GB of space. And the file size to upload on the free account is not much (10 MB). So large file uploading is not ideal on the free account.

XDrive--I found this service the most pleasant and user friendly to use out of the three. It is easy to navigate, has an upload accelerator, which allows for faster upload speed in most cases, and it also has a desktop download that makes it seem like you have an external drive attached to the pc. There are many other features, one will allow you to create personalized photos and music. The other thing I really like is that they give you 5 GB for free. Not a trial version either. Xdrive also has email upload capabilities.

Windows Live Sky Drive (Beta)--This one as shown is still in a beta form. It gives you 1 GB of space, but the upload is limited to 50 MB per file. This one offered little to impress me, plus this one does not work with the Linux operating system. But still good for getting files when you need them.

Concerned with security? Each offers security as a high priority. And if you share files you can put permissions on those files as well. Having access to your files regardless of where you are, which computer you are on, or the time or day is most ideal.

Have any stories about this topic or comments in general? Please let me hear from you. I will post them here for all to enjoy and learn from.

Rodney

Does your wireless check out when your library does?

Wireless in libraries...It's becoming more and more popular everyday; and a number of AALS libraries have it. You may or may not be aware of all the management capabilities available today even with the most basic wireless routers. Depending on the router, you quite possibly can set up a number of security features. Some examples can be whether to allow a wireless device to even broadcast that it's even available, encryption, set up dynamic or static IP addresses, setting up multiple wireless channels, and many other features. The feature I want to concentrate on in this blog is wireless availability restrictions after hours. A library may be providing a service to the community and patrons by offering wireless, and that's great. But when your library closes for the day, does your wireless close as well? You may want to ask yourself about all the possibilities occurring in your library parking lot at 3 o clock in the morning. If you go by a wireless hotspot (a place offering wireless to the public either for free or for a charge) and there is a vehicle in the parking lot and the person inside is not leaving the vehicle, chances are that person is using an open wireless connection - which may not be a bad thing. But users can be oblivious to everything else that is going on around them, which could lead to them becoming potential victims of theft or other crimes. We would also like to believe that all people are nice, but in the real world, this is not always true. Those that "wardrive" (those that are looking for wireless access spots in a moving vehicle), can be great persons with no intent or malice towards your facility, but that doesn't mean someone couldn't look up and start to think about something they want out of your library. Be smart, when your library closes, so should your wireless service. Chances are nothing will happen, but that problem will be a moot issue if you stop wireless at the end of business. If you are not sure how to manage the wireless administrative tools, contact your technical liason (which could be me, or another "techie") or read the manual for your particular wireless router. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact me.

That's my comment, let's hear from you. Drop me an email or fill out a comment.

Rodney

Windows SteadyState--The new and improved Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit

Last December I wrote a blog on the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit (MSCT). In fact, I even did some workshops on it. Now there is a newer and more improved version, and with a completely different name. Microsoft has chosen to call it Windows SteadyState.

As a brief recap, MSCT helps to maintain a consistent desktop environment to all patrons who need access to pc's within a public access setting (library). This can be setup to restrict user pc access but at the same time allow patrons to use the internet and applications needed.

Some of the changes are as follows:

• User friendly Gui/Set up screen--Right away I noticed that the Graphical User Interface (GUI) is much easier to maneuver and manage.
  

• Easier Disk Protection--Disk Protection is used to clear the history and footprints of previous patron usage from the pc. Similar to what a desktop management software such as Deep Freeze does. Under MSCT, a hard drive partition setup was required before using Disk Protection. Under SteadyState partitioning is no longer necessary. It uses what is called a cache or hidden storage space on the hard drive. And automatic updates for Windows patches and virus definitions can be done without having to deactivate the Disk Protection.
  

• Import/Export profiles--It is now easier to set all desired desktop/security settings to one user, then either import or export that user profile to/from other pc's using a storage device such as a thumb/flash drive. This can save valuable time.
  

• Security Settings--You can either custom select any and all security settings within XP, or use an integrated template security settings. Within this template, one can choose from high, medium, and low security settings. This can add flexibility to library or IT staff without spending lots of time on those settings. ( I recommend testing this first before placing it out to everyone. To make sure the desired settings are there).
  

• Can be used in a domain environment--SteadyState can be incorporated into Windows group policy and Active Directory.

To some, these terms sound Greek and you may not even care. But SteadyState now makes it even easier to secure library desktop pc's for patron users. And the best part is, its free! This can be a tremendous help to library staff involved with patron access computers. If you have more questions about Windows SteadyState, visit their website or contact me and I will be happy to help out.

Microsoft will be working on a SteadyState for Windows Vista. But as of this writing there is not an exclusive SteadyState available yet.

If you have any comments about either MSCT or SteadyState, lets hear about them. Drop me a comment.

Rodney

Before you throw out those old slower library computers...consider Edubuntu

Does your library have old computers somewhere in the back room not being used? Don't know exactly what to do with or how to get rid of them? Well before you do that, I would like to talk to you about Edubuntu.




Edu what???

What is Edubuntu exactly? It is a FREE Linux based operating system. But what makes Edubuntu different is that it is geared towards educating our young patrons. To quote the website of Edubuntu specifically, Edubuntu's motto is "Linux for Young Human Beings"


It provides applications, games, and educational platforms to kids of all ages. For example this one to the right, helps young children learn math skills. Some of the games offered are TuxPaint, TuxMath, and TuxTyping, among others.

Again quoting the website of Edubuntu: "For the younger crowd, just starting out with computers, Gcompris offers a fantastic early learning environment. For slightly older pupils, there are a number of games and activities from the Tux4Kids and KDEEdu projects and for those in high school and older, there is a full office suite as well applications for instant messaging, graphics, sound and video. And that is just by default! Edubuntu also includes access to thousands of other high quality open source programs at no cost."


On a personal note: I had heard of Edubuntu, but didn't really look at what it could do. That is until I went to do an annual assessment at the Eagle Pass Public Library! Daniel, the PC tech there, showed me what Edubuntu has done for their library. Being at their library last year they had approximately 7 computers and a few weren't working. Most were very slow and old. I went there last week, and WOW!!! They had an Edubuntu thin client project going which brought their total pc count to approximately 30 working computers now! Running quicker and more efficiently.

Still interested? Here is a great place to get some screen shots of Edubuntu.

The minimum requirements for running a standalone Edubuntu workstation is:

• 500 MHz x86 processor
• 128 MB of system memory (RAM)
• At least 2 GB of disk space (for full installation and swap space)
• VGA graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution
• CD-ROM drive
• Mouse
• Keyboard
• Standard NIC (If want access to the internet)
  

You say big deal. But try running Windows XP Professional or Vista on that, and you will not get far at all.

For those that are interested in installing Edubuntu. I have burned an iso copy and requested additional copies from Edubuntu personally. You can either email/contact me and I will burn you a copy (don't worry Edubuntu has no problems with free distribution of their software), or you can go to their site directly and request copies of it. Would love to hear your feed back and comments.

Rodney

Upgrade from XP to Windows Vista within public libraries?

Well Vista is finally here! This will be one of many articles I will blog about concerning the new Microsoft Windows Vista operating system (O/S).

To be perfectly clear, (for those that view this outside of the AALS libraries) I am writing this with the mindset for public libraries and not the typical corporate world.

According to dictionary.com the word vista is defined as " a view or prospect, especially one seen through a long, narrow avenue or passage; A far-reaching mental view" I find that to be appropriate as I try to explain a little about Vista today. To upgrade or not? It's a good question.

It would be natural for some to ask "I have Windows XP, should I upgrade to Vista within AALS libraries?" My response would be--"you could, but I wouldn't." At least not yet. Of course this is my personal opinion, you can do so if you wish. But here are my reasons why not.

• Windows XP has been for the most part a stable and robust O/S for years now when all the updates and service packs are applied properly. And the adage if it isn't broke, don't fix it should apply.
  

• Existing software or legacy (older) software products may not be compatible with Vista at this time. Most applications and software like anti-virus, Adobe, and Office software are expected to run just fine. And it is possible that your ILS software or other library related software programs will run too. But there is no guarantee on the library related software. Some software companies haven't written or tweaked their programs/code to be Vista compliant yet, so there could be some concern about that.
  

• If you are going to upgrade, I recommend at least waiting until the first service pack comes out. Why? It is one thing to have experienced people at Microsoft conduct tests and betas. But when it is going out to the entire world, there will be things/issues that do come up that will take time to fix(bugs, glitches, tweaks, and etc).
  

• As with any windows new O/S, Microsoft hardware requirements changes some with Vista. For instance, does the pc have a DVD player? You need to know that because Vista ships on a DVD, not a CD. But for the most part, I would make sure you have sufficient memory ( I recommend at least 2 gb) a new graphics adapter with a minimum of 128 MB of video RAM. Click here to see the hardware requirements. Keep in mind this is the minimum requirements. I would scale 20 to 25% higher than what they project to be on the safe side.
  

• From what I understand, most new Windows pc's are being shipped out with Vista and not XP. In other words, like it or not, Vista will be coming to your libraries as you buy new systems anyway. Vista has some exciting options available with this new O/S. But this is not a reason to upgrade existing pc's in itself just yet. It is ok to wait or choose not to upgrade.
  

Only if a product was inferior would I be typing large text letter saying "CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE!" But XP more often than not, is genuinely a good O/S for staff and patrons to conduct work, research, and activities on computers.

In closing, I have downloaded and tested a beta version of Vista Ultimate. I know it's a beta, but for the most part there aren't many differences that I have seen so far. I bring this up because this will allow me to test and give blog insights concerning Vista and your public libraries in the future.

Some topics I will probably cover:

1. Hardware requirements.
2. Versions of Vista (I would recommend Vista Business for libraries) approx $299 for Full package price as of this writing.
   
3. Application compatibility and tools.
4. Windows Aero, which is Vista's premium user interface (Look and feel of desktop features).
5. Flip 3D and Windows Sidebar.
6. What new programs within Vista could help within libraries?
   

These are just a few to hopefully whet your appetite. If someone outside of AALS libraries wants to be added to the blog mailing list, feel free to send me an email at rodney.greensage@sanantonio.gov. You could also just add an RSS Feed to this blog.

Thanks for reading everyone. I covet ALL, and I do mean ALL comments you may have on this subject, both good and bad. This product is still very new and I am learning just like most of the world .

That's my insights, lets hear from you.

Rodney.

SMiShed splashed

First there was annoying telemarketing calls, then spam and spyware junk on our personal computer. Now it is on to our cell and smart phones? Thus the day and age we live in ladies and gentleman. A term called "SMiShed" could be something you hear more about in 2007. What is it and what does it mean? Well the actual term SMiShed was birthed by the McAfee anti-virus company. SMiShed was a term to describe phishing by means of text messaging or SMS (short message service). I may have lost some of you, but I urge you to read on. First a simple definition about what is phishing. Phishing is done by someone/persons trying to fraudulently gain access to sensitive information such as passwords, credit card information, or bank account pin numbers. This usually is done by masquerading a web page to look like a bank web site, ebay, or another otherwise credible company. Where SMiShing comes in is through your cell phone. You could receive a text message, for example saying that unless you visit a certain website to subscribe/unsubscribe to something, that you could be charged a certain amount of money. This folks is a scare tactic. Unless you sign up for a service, it's not possible for a company to charge you for something. If someone does go to this site, it is possible that this website could be as innocent as trying to sell you something, or as harmful as trying to download virus and/or software without your knowledge or consent. What should you do? Well first thing I suggest is to contact your mobile phone carrier. Let them know as much information as you can about the message. So don't delete it until after the information has been given. Mobile carriers are involved with lawsuit trying to stop spam and smishing from happening via cell phones. Not only is it annoying, but you the consumer are charged a fee for a text message that you didn't even want or ask for. But by all means DO NOT go to the site given within the smish message. I can even see scenarios where infiltration of your phone lists as a way of making this scam happen. This could make it seem like the message is legitimate because it came from someone you knew, just like an email scam could be done. The smart phone certainly makes our lives easier, but we also have to be smart about a more sophisticated way for persons to be scammed. SMiShing is an example of this. Let's hope this is ironed out with these lawsuits. If you have comments, or if something like this has happened to you please let me know.

This is my post, lets hear from you.

Rodney G.

Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP

A large number of AALS libraries are now using Windows XP Professional computers. There is software available to protect against viruses, spyware, and even software than can keep changes from being permanent. But what about keeping those what I call “creative” users from gaining access to areas on that PC or even worse on your network?

There are a number of ways you can lock down an XP box, but one that is simple for libraries is through a download from Microsoft. It is called the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for XP.

Personally, I can’t think of reasons why not to use this within our libraries. This product was made with the mindset of public libraries, schools, Internet cafés, and any other public computing locations.

Allowing access for the public to computers within the library is essential. But it is important that access is only to the extent of what they need out of your PCS and NOT what they want. Need vs. want can be different for different locations, and that is also the beauty of the download. It can be simple and customizable, yet very effective in locking down or restricting a PC.

Without restrictions, users can change the desktop appearance; reconfigure system settings; and introduce spyware, viruses, and other harmful programs. Not to mention gaining access to resources on other PCs, servers, and network areas within the library. Repairing or monitoring PCs without a tool like this can costs significant time and effort.

And the best part is that it is free to XP licensed users.

Keep in mind that this tool is only available for Windows XP machines and has to have at least Service Pack 2 as well.

Some of the benefits to using the toolkit are as follows:

• Saves you and your staff time;
• Reduces the need for maintenance and repairs;
• Allows for a more robust and stable pc environment for all patrons; and
• If after setup a change is needed, it can be reconfigured.

I plan on giving an introductory-type class very soon on the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit, and I encourage everyone who is interested to attend. I want to gauge interest from libraries and their staff on how many are interested. So please email me at rodney.greensage@sanantonio.gov or call 210-207-2609 and let me know you want to attend or have any questions on this product.

Rodney G.

Interesting sites and gadgets

Hi everyone, this blog post is not related directly to library technology issues per say, but I am sure some of you might find the entry interesting.

Let me start off with a few sites:

When you do an online search, would you like a new approach to web searching instead of google, yahoo, or msn? Try doing a search using http://clusty.com/ You might ask "Rodney why is this one different?" Well it has a whole new way to search the web. To quote their site personally "Clusty queries several top search engines, combines the results, and generates an ordered list based on comparative ranking. This "metasearch" approach helps raise the best results to the top and push search engine spam to the bottom."

But the unique part is what they do with the information to make searches more effective. Again from their site they state "Instead of delivering millions of search results in one long list, our search engine groups similar results together into clusters. Clusters help you see your search results by topic so you can hone in on exactly what you a’re looking for or discover unexpected relationships between items."

If you have wasted time by going through pages and pages of entries only to get no where fast then you will understand. Go to the page and type in something for it to search and see for yourself. I now have it as my top search engine, so tell me what you think about it.

An interesting tool within clusty.com is a site called Shakespeare Searched. This is a search engine designed to provide quick access to passages from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. You can find Shakespeare Searched at http://shakespeare.clusty.com/

And the last site for this blog, is a site which houses an in-depth index of more than 3,350 collections of personal narratives in English from around the world. It is called "In The First Person", which is at http://www.inthefirstperson.com/firp/index.aspx

You can search over 650,000 pages of full-text by more than 15,000 individuals from all walks of life. It also has areas to search 3,500 audio and video files and 30,000 bibliographic records.

A neat gadget or two:

I just think this is really cool and a "why didn't I think of this" type of idea.

How about a battery that can work in all types of application devices and is rechargeable via a running USB port? A USB rechargeable battery??? Take a look below and you can also go here.















Do you get frustrated like I do when you temporarily lose something? Like your keys, wallet, purse ( I don't have a purse, but for the purpose of making a point) or other items? Well here is a gadget that can help you find them easier. Its called a loc8tor. Loc8tor uses a unique combination of audio and visual cues to guide you to your lost item from up to an incredible 600 feet away! Simply tell your Loc8tor what you need to find. But will they have to have a loc8tor to find your loc8tor??? Here is a picture of one





Anyway this is a light hearted blog about some neat things I have seen lately. Hope you enjoy.
That's all for now, look for more interesting blog ideas in the future and if you have comments on today's blog, please send them.

Rodney G.

Internet Explorer version 7

Hi everyone,

I wanted to talk a little about the new Internet Explorer (I.E. 7) that is available for download now. Now we all have our preferences and/or quirks when it comes to a browser. And some of us could care less. But I do think it is worth mentioning since I.E. is still the most widely used browser and does come bundled with Windows operating systems.

I have looked at, downloaded, and reviewed this browser. What I have noticed so far is that (I.E. 7) has definitely had a new makeover. Some of the features that are noticeable right away are as follows:

• A new streamlined toolbar--This can make it easier to save favorites, do a web search, clear history, and more.
• Tabbed browsing--Although this concept is not new to other browsers, it is new to I.E. This can provide an easier way to switch between websites without having to open a new browser.
  
• Search box--Again not new to browsers, but now implemented within version 7. This can help save time without having to open a search provider page.

Some interesting things happened after I downloaded and installed the browser. It brought up a page for optional settings. Those settings are:

• An automatic phishing filter--This feature, if utilized can help alert the user to either potential or direct phishing on a web page. What is phishing? Phishing, without getting too technical, are websites that look legitimate, but are in fact websites that are being impersonated. Usually this is a link in an email, that you click and opens a web page. This could be to try and scam users into putting in sensitive information such as passwords, pin numbers, or credit card numbers, and etc.
• "Clear type" option--This option can make webpage test easier to read.
• RSS Feed Tab--This option can give you the latest feeds concerning news agencies, weather, money market information, sports, travel, cooking, etc.

Although there are good features, there are some changes I found not so good. Here are a couple of examples. On the browser, the default is for no menu bar (File/Edit/View/Etc) buttons. Now you can right click to get to it, but I believe it should be standard. Also, the search bar seems to be permanent at least in the download I have. So you could be stuck with a search bar if your preference is not to have one.

As of today (10/26/06), there has been a security compromise within the browser already. I am sure to the embarrassment of Microsoft. And that is why I would wait a while before downloading (if you decide to) this browser. Usually there are still bugs and/or kinks that need to be fine tuned right after a new Microsoft release. Also it is not as customizable as other browsers such as Firefox or Opera. If you would like to view a tour of the new I.E. 7 browser follow this link http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx and you can watch a video or a web tour.

Again everyone has their preferences, (I personally am sticking to my firefox browser) but I wanted to give you some insights to some news on this new browser. Microsoft is really going to promote this, as they haven't made major changes in the layout of their browser for a number of years.

These are my comments, if you have some as well let's hear from you.

Rodney

AALS New Technology Blog

Well this is my first blogging experience. I wanted to try this out for a few reasons. One is to find out what all the blog hype is about. Two, to give a forum of discussion for librarians and their staff concerning libraries and technology. And last, to find out directly from all of you what is important or questions you might have. It is my intent to peruse through the various aspects of blogging, and see how I can improve on this. Once that is done, I will try to posts blogs atleast once every two weeks on various library and technology topics.


I will be asking for your opinions, so please give me your insights and opinions.

Thanks for viewing,

Rodney