March Madness

I believe the entire month of March deserves credit for any and all strange happenings...lots of odd computer issues that have no credible explanation, for example (receipt printer just spitting out a batch at the end of the day?). Daylight savings time is a possible cause too (why did a few of the catalog computers NOT make the time change?) but since that also falls in March I'm just going to put it all into the March category. Then there is Spring Break! This afternoon a few young males felt the need to climb the stone columns in front of the Library and do chin-ups on the metal cross beams. Very entertaining, and done to impress the young lady accompanying them, I'm sure. A Great Grey Owl is also on spring break and has chosen to perch around the Library this week. She (the Raptor Center came by and said the owl is a female) is quite the local celebrity now: photographers are camped outside all day long. We were concerned the excitement was too disturbing, but she seems to be OK with it, moving to a different area each day. I have more fun watching all the people from my window! Computers in Libraries will probably not be in my future this spring, since the MLA conference is also in April; as Public Library Division chair I need to be at several events, and the conference is in Missoula, so will just go for the entire time. I will start checking on the Internet Librarian conference in October, another event I've wanted to get to. We've discovered keeping the laptops plugged in and charging all the time is probably not the best for the battery life - several are starting to show decreased charging ability. I've purchased a new battery for one, but will probably have to get a few more. We'll also be getting a few Macbook laptops to have for students to use; probably a good idea since those are the kind of computers used in schools here. My dream would be to have a few Chromebooks around too, maybe for staff to use so they could be "out and about" in the stacks helping people. It would be nice to have something in hand when a patron asks if we have a book, instead of having to go to a catalog computer. Spring Break does bring visitors to the Library, and several have stopped to say how much they love it here! That makes it worthwhile.

Still February!

Two posts in one month - a miracle! I'm finally starting to take advantage of the evening desk time; it tends to be fairly quiet for at least the last 2 hours, so I can actually accomplish a few things. I've done laptop updates, am updating express computers tonight, and yes, posting to the blog. We may have figured out DeepFreeze and having the Windows updates happen automatically. For months we couldn't figure out why they didn't work (Mike, the City IT contact thought he had everything set correctly). He recently discovered the entire network shuts off during the night! (I find it amusing that one IT person doesn't tell the others about all network-related things, but that's just me!). So Mike was able to adjust the timing and things seemed to work last time. We still have some minor adjustments (we only want some of the "optional" updates but that doesn't seem to be possible), and I still will do the Flash, Java, etc updates. But this will be a great help for network security, and somewhat of a time-saver. I'm also setting our browsers on the public stations to open to both the library home page and our Facebook page. I'm not sure it will increase our FB audience - so many people aren't even aware of tabs as an option in browsers - but we'll see. Is there another visit to Computers in Libraries in our future? I hope so! It's been 5 years since our last attendance, so it must be time to go again!

Happy New Year!

Yes, I know we are into the second month of the new year, and it's been a few months since I've posted. No good reason, really; probably just the usual holiday distraction. Another February, another Offline! This year we headed to Butte. Our hotel was great (I'd like to go back and spend a weekend!) and the sessions were interesting. I'd never heard about the Chronicling America site from the Library of Congress but it is an incredible project! I'll keep checking that, and remember it when looking for historic newspaper articles. Lots more talk about gadgets, mobile devices, and how libraries can help the public use them successfully. My favorite take-away: "E-readers are like a gateway drug - people who have never used a computer get one and suddenly are searching and shopping online like crazy!" So true. Our BTOP laptops are incredibly popular - a few have circulated over 700 times! They are used for the computer classes (which sometimes if a problem, since people are so used to checking one out - it's always a disappointment to find out they are already being used for a class). The scanner is also a great resource. We just need a fax machine! We've also been helping many people with their new e-readers and other gadgets they received for Christmas. Tomorrow's staff meeting focuses on the situation of a shooter in the Library. When we first moved to the larger building we had a police presentation, with the message of "Not if, but when" some kind of event would occur, and prepare for it. There are limited options for some areas of the building but it does help to have thought about things.

October!

Still a beautiful fall in these parts, although today we're having quite a rain event designed to test the new Library roof, I'm sure. So far it's working well, and the sound of rain is much more pleasant compared to previous years and rain on the metal roof. Our staff retreat last week was a great experience. We learned a few things, and spent an afternoon involved in some long-range planning. Sometimes that seems like an exercise in fortune-telling but there were great ideas! I wonder how many we'll see, and how soon. Our Apple iPad was replaced and the new one is working much better! Next week we have training sessions for the public, and recently had a Headwaters Association meeting about e-readers as well. So we're getting much more familiar and comfortable with all this technology. Just in time for the Next Big Thing, whatever that might be! Book ordering has taken on a new procedure, which means I no longer add titles to the catalog when they are ordered. More time for other things, but I miss seeing the new fiction and being able to place holds early on!

September!

Although it doesn't feel like fall - we're having a very warm time, complete with smoke from fires - the calendar says it is. Students are back, football is on, and classes have started. My new schedule is working nicely, although I have to keep it posted to remind me where I should be...Evenings are still quiet, and we've gotten a spine label printer working in the office. That will help keep us productive while working the desk. Now I want to spend some time playing with the gadgets, to become better familiar with library applications people will be asking about! I know how to download an eBook on my own Nook and tablet, but should be able to do that on all the library toys too. One of our iPads has had to go back to Apple a second time - it sometimes would randomly select whatever it felt like choosing, or zoom in and out on a map. Hopefully they can figure that out this time around. Next month we have an all-day staff training day - away from the Library! I'm looking forward to that...

New Schedule

Fall often seems like a time of new beginnings, a habit formed from earliest school days. So this seemed like a good time to try out a new work schedule, thanks to the hiring of Jason at Computer Services. This is the first week, and so far it's been going well, although it hasn't been quite "normal" yet. One day I had a scheduled appointment that altered things, and another day we had to juggle to cover for a co-worker's absence. Even so, I think it will work well - 4 long days and 3 days off! Evenings - I've added 2 - seem to be relatively quiet, so there will be time to work on some projects, and offer extra help to people who might need it. I also will be working with an intern from MSU this semester. Our first staff barbecue is next Friday! Something new, and I think it will be a great time. We usually have a good time at this away-from-work gatherings. Next month there is an all day staff "retreat" too - another new experience! I've been busy helping plan the annual fall retreat at Chico Hot Springs for the ASLD and PLD groups of MLA. We're going with the "Be Prepared" theme - disasters, strange patrons, software are all planned sessions. It's close to Halloween so that seemed an appropriate theme! And, offers lots of decorating possibilities as well...

Winding Down

Summer is fading, school is starting, and I've got a new work schedule. In addition, the roofing project is also finishing, skylights have been replaced (it's no longer dark and gloomy in my area!) and our new person will start this week. He spent yesterday afternoon manning the Computer Services desk - a trial-by-fire kind of day, since we'd been closed for 2 days and everyone came to the library! He handled the commotion very well, dealing calmly with the add situations that only seem to occur when things are crazy. It was a great learning experience, since I could show him how to handle what are rare problems; hopefully he'll be a bit more prepared next time they happen. My new schedule involves 4 longer days and 3 days off - a little experimental, but something I'm looking forward to trying to see how it works. Two evenings - it's been years since I've worked an evening. Fridays are already longer, with our 6 p.m. closing, so Tuesday will be a bit longer too. To adjust to a change in workflow, we've been adding some equipment to my office so both Kari and I can do more processing there, while we're at the desk. We added a scanner and hope to add a spine label printer. An older one started failing so we ordered 2 new ones, and I've spent the past week trying to get it working! Finally a phone call to the dealer's tech support was able to determine that the printer works, but why it wouldn't actually print labels remained a mystery. An additional call by the technician to the manufacturer brought the news that we were just wasting our time: the printer and software will never agree! So we're getting 2 different models that should work. Planning continues for the ASLD/PLD retreat at Chico Hot Springs in October. We've gone with a "Be Prepared - Scary Things Can Happen" theme, appropriate since it will be close to Halloween. My favorite holiday!