Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thanks for helping and supporting the Mardi Gras celebration!
I really appreciate you all helping with Tuesday's event. We hosted over 20 interviews, gave out 185 Moon Pies, 225 pieces of cake, 25 pounds of beads, and hundreds of BPL magnets and coasters. Thanks a lot.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ustream.tv Test
Video streaming by Ustream
This is our first attempt to do a Ustream.tv live. We were using the webcam to capture the video and sound. This was recorded today at the Paraprofessional meeting.
This is a work in progress. This test gave us some insights on how to to improve the video quality next time around. For one thing, the picture and audio should be better when the video camera is used.
Ustream.tv will allow live broadcasting over the Internet and recording of library events. This will allow us to cover events as they happen or quickly post video to the Internet.
This is our first attempt to do a Ustream.tv live. We were using the webcam to capture the video and sound. This was recorded today at the Paraprofessional meeting.
This is a work in progress. This test gave us some insights on how to to improve the video quality next time around. For one thing, the picture and audio should be better when the video camera is used.
Ustream.tv will allow live broadcasting over the Internet and recording of library events. This will allow us to cover events as they happen or quickly post video to the Internet.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
L2 "Krewe" celebrates Mardi Gras???!!!
Hello everyone,
This Tuesday, February 24, is, of course, Mardi Gras!
For three hours, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. we're transforming the L2 Crew into the L2 Krewe! According to the mardigrasdigest.com a "krewe" is
So......I'm writing to enlist your help.
We're going to take this opportunity to host a random act of library outreach.
This is how it will shake down:
1) We will need people to cut and pass out King Cake (or a sheet cake decorated in Mardi Gras colors and themes)
2) We will be listening to Mardi Gras music (brass band, zydeco, etc, from the BPL collection)
3) We will be passing out BPL magnets, pamphlets, etc, as well as Mardi Gras beads (which a friend and former BPL employee is shipping from "New Awluns" as I write this very post.)
4) We will have a display shelf with library CDs, books, possibly art prints, and the like relating to Mardi Gras.
5) And maybe most importantly, we will be asking patrons to give brief interviews on camera or podcast recorder about what the library means to them.
I know it will be lunch time and maybe difficult to get away from your department / branch, but if you could make a special effort, I think this would be fun and good for the library (and the Krewe). It will be both a bonding experience and a good way to reach our patrons.
Please let me know if you can or cannot attend. (Again, the festivities will be held in Central's Atrium from 11-2 this Tuesday, Feb 24th.)
Below, I have pasted a short video to get you in the spirit. It features New Orleans' own Rebirth Brass Band. Laissez les bons temps roulez!
This Tuesday, February 24, is, of course, Mardi Gras!
For three hours, from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. we're transforming the L2 Crew into the L2 Krewe! According to the mardigrasdigest.com a "krewe" is
- Any of several groups with often hereditary* membership whose members organize and participate as costumed participants in the float parades, and balls, in the annual Mardi Gras carnival: example “They . . . watched a parade of bands and New Orleans-style floats run by krewes throwing necklaces of colored beads” (Robert Reinhold).
*Today you can join a krewe without being a hereditary pledge. Some krewes accept applications year around, while others limit membership to certain periods.
So......I'm writing to enlist your help.
We're going to take this opportunity to host a random act of library outreach.
This is how it will shake down:
1) We will need people to cut and pass out King Cake (or a sheet cake decorated in Mardi Gras colors and themes)
2) We will be listening to Mardi Gras music (brass band, zydeco, etc, from the BPL collection)
3) We will be passing out BPL magnets, pamphlets, etc, as well as Mardi Gras beads (which a friend and former BPL employee is shipping from "New Awluns" as I write this very post.)
4) We will have a display shelf with library CDs, books, possibly art prints, and the like relating to Mardi Gras.
5) And maybe most importantly, we will be asking patrons to give brief interviews on camera or podcast recorder about what the library means to them.
I know it will be lunch time and maybe difficult to get away from your department / branch, but if you could make a special effort, I think this would be fun and good for the library (and the Krewe). It will be both a bonding experience and a good way to reach our patrons.
Please let me know if you can or cannot attend. (Again, the festivities will be held in Central's Atrium from 11-2 this Tuesday, Feb 24th.)
Below, I have pasted a short video to get you in the spirit. It features New Orleans' own Rebirth Brass Band. Laissez les bons temps roulez!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Social Networks Leapfrog Each Other in Latest Metrics
Take a look at the top 25 list of social networking sites.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Microphone 4 Videocamera
Thanks to Richard's research and the Business Department's fast ordering we are now the proud owners of a genuine JVC stereo microphone. Yay!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Virtual Tours
Hope wants to know the next three or four branches we will be doing so she can have the floor plans scanned. So what is the plan guys?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Book Reviews on Blog and Catalog
Whenever a review is posted on the blog, should that review also be added to the review section of our catalog? This would increase the reviews being submitted to the catalog.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Creative Twitter Uses
Laundryroom- The laundry room Twitter account helps residents at Olin College’s West Hall check on the availability of washing machines at the campus Laundromat. Anytime a washer or dryer is available, a Tweet is automatically sent out to the local residents following the Laundryroom account.
JetBlue- This airline has different employees man their Twitter account throughout the day. If a customer has any question—whether about potential flight delays or how big their carry-on can be—the JetBlue account will Tweet a quick answer.
These are 2 of the 10 shamelessly lifted from the post linked below. For all 10 see: http://sem-group.net/search-engine-optimization-blog/10-examples-of-creative-twitter-uses/Sunday, February 1, 2009
Minutes for L2Crew Meeting: January 29, 2009
(10:30 - 11:45a.m.)
Group members in attendance were Melinda Shelton, Tressa Fancher, Hunter Murphy, Richard Manoske, Michael Fagin and Leslie Deason.
The meeting began at 10:33 A.M. Melinda had news about the new office for the L2Crew. She said that David and Debbie had finished moving out books. She would like to contact Hope about a desk, chair, and new lock for the room. She also needs to contact IT about making sure the room has Internet connection and phone lines. The room will also need to have a temperature adjustment because it tends to get hot and stuffy.
Ms. Sirmans sent and e-mail to Melinda concerning the L2Crew. She said that she is proud of the group and wants to be kept updated.
Melinda and other group members (Richard and Hunter) began talking about the completed virtual tours of the libraries. Melinda would like to get a professional account of MapWing She would also like to talk to Hope about photography plans for the branch libraries.
The Alabama 360.com adds virtual tours of sites throughout the state to its website. AL 360 uses these tours to market facilities. They will be adding a tour of Birmingham Public Library, beginning with the first floor of the Linn Henley building in the next few days.
Richard Manoske has been creating videos to market BPL and its resources. Richard has created a video of an interview with Jim Baggett and Judge Clemons. He plans to divide this video into eight separate segments that can be uploaded easily to the blog and Intranet. Melinda would like to find a video of last year’s AL Bound event as an advertisement for this year’s event. She will bring her personal editing software to edit videos.
Melinda and Leslie conducted a workshop on website creation for teen librarians. Tressa helped participants with Blogger software. We taught participants how to create a blog entry, including how to add pictures , video and audio. Melinda demonstrated how to create a Delicious account. Delicious allows individuals to create, share and edit links. These links are tagged by subject-type which enables users to search for links on their favorite subject.
Melinda asked for new podcasting ideas. Hunter Murphy made the suggestion to ask patrons “What does the library mean to you?” Richard stated that we could also gather ideas from patron comment cards to use. The group decided that we could include short narration, along with images, music and quotes. Michael Fagin may go to the branches to create podcasts on “What does the library mean to you?”
The group then moves to ideas for marketing the library on Facebook, MySpace and Beebo. Kathy works with Facebook but could not attend the meeting. Michael Fagin has updated pictures from FlickR. Hunter and some other group members stated that we might change the music on the MySpace page. We could add music from bands that also have a MySpace page. Melinda stated that if there was anyone interested in becoming an administrator for the Facebook group page, please let her know.
Melinda invited everyone to think of new ways that we can use Twitter to advertise library events. Kathy already schedules Twitter to send out updates on blog entries, calendar events, etc. Richard updated the group that libraries have been sending in photos to post on the library’s FlickR account. Richard has been answering questions about taking photos and how they should be posted to the FlickR site.
Melinda discussed new ideas for promoting blogging within the library. It was agreed that we do need to look for ways to encourage more staff members to blog. Richard Manoske stated that blog entries could be written on the information discussed during LA training. David might be willing to blog about job hunting skills and business databases. We create more blog entries on current and local events. Richard Manoske mentioned adding book trailers to the blog as well. He said that he wanted to add some trailers for African-American titles, but they contained inappropriate content.
Hunter Murphy mentioned that it was time for us to get e-commerce. We could add BPL logos to all types of materials for marketing purposes. Melinda said that she would look further into this possibility.
Melinda mentioned the possibility of an adult summer reading program this year. She has been contacted by a group of young women who would like to see an adult summer reading program created. Melinda will talk to this group further about creating a video in which they will discuss summer reading and what the library has meant to them.
Hunter Murphy mentioned that he would like to have a theme for the new year such as: “BPL: Not Your Average Library.” Everyone agreed that we should organize our ideas around a specific theme.
The meeting ended at 11:45. We will be looking for ways to make the library more relevant to patron’s daily lives.
Group members in attendance were Melinda Shelton, Tressa Fancher, Hunter Murphy, Richard Manoske, Michael Fagin and Leslie Deason.
The meeting began at 10:33 A.M. Melinda had news about the new office for the L2Crew. She said that David and Debbie had finished moving out books. She would like to contact Hope about a desk, chair, and new lock for the room. She also needs to contact IT about making sure the room has Internet connection and phone lines. The room will also need to have a temperature adjustment because it tends to get hot and stuffy.
Ms. Sirmans sent and e-mail to Melinda concerning the L2Crew. She said that she is proud of the group and wants to be kept updated.
Melinda and other group members (Richard and Hunter) began talking about the completed virtual tours of the libraries. Melinda would like to get a professional account of MapWing She would also like to talk to Hope about photography plans for the branch libraries.
The Alabama 360.com adds virtual tours of sites throughout the state to its website. AL 360 uses these tours to market facilities. They will be adding a tour of Birmingham Public Library, beginning with the first floor of the Linn Henley building in the next few days.
Richard Manoske has been creating videos to market BPL and its resources. Richard has created a video of an interview with Jim Baggett and Judge Clemons. He plans to divide this video into eight separate segments that can be uploaded easily to the blog and Intranet. Melinda would like to find a video of last year’s AL Bound event as an advertisement for this year’s event. She will bring her personal editing software to edit videos.
Melinda and Leslie conducted a workshop on website creation for teen librarians. Tressa helped participants with Blogger software. We taught participants how to create a blog entry, including how to add pictures , video and audio. Melinda demonstrated how to create a Delicious account. Delicious allows individuals to create, share and edit links. These links are tagged by subject-type which enables users to search for links on their favorite subject.
Melinda asked for new podcasting ideas. Hunter Murphy made the suggestion to ask patrons “What does the library mean to you?” Richard stated that we could also gather ideas from patron comment cards to use. The group decided that we could include short narration, along with images, music and quotes. Michael Fagin may go to the branches to create podcasts on “What does the library mean to you?”
The group then moves to ideas for marketing the library on Facebook, MySpace and Beebo. Kathy works with Facebook but could not attend the meeting. Michael Fagin has updated pictures from FlickR. Hunter and some other group members stated that we might change the music on the MySpace page. We could add music from bands that also have a MySpace page. Melinda stated that if there was anyone interested in becoming an administrator for the Facebook group page, please let her know.
Melinda invited everyone to think of new ways that we can use Twitter to advertise library events. Kathy already schedules Twitter to send out updates on blog entries, calendar events, etc. Richard updated the group that libraries have been sending in photos to post on the library’s FlickR account. Richard has been answering questions about taking photos and how they should be posted to the FlickR site.
Melinda discussed new ideas for promoting blogging within the library. It was agreed that we do need to look for ways to encourage more staff members to blog. Richard Manoske stated that blog entries could be written on the information discussed during LA training. David might be willing to blog about job hunting skills and business databases. We create more blog entries on current and local events. Richard Manoske mentioned adding book trailers to the blog as well. He said that he wanted to add some trailers for African-American titles, but they contained inappropriate content.
Hunter Murphy mentioned that it was time for us to get e-commerce. We could add BPL logos to all types of materials for marketing purposes. Melinda said that she would look further into this possibility.
Melinda mentioned the possibility of an adult summer reading program this year. She has been contacted by a group of young women who would like to see an adult summer reading program created. Melinda will talk to this group further about creating a video in which they will discuss summer reading and what the library has meant to them.
Hunter Murphy mentioned that he would like to have a theme for the new year such as: “BPL: Not Your Average Library.” Everyone agreed that we should organize our ideas around a specific theme.
The meeting ended at 11:45. We will be looking for ways to make the library more relevant to patron’s daily lives.
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