Libraries are our future…
Posted by LibConf.com in CIL2010, LibConf News on 24. Jun, 2010 | Comments Off
Explaining why he thought libraries were essential, he said: “We’re now in an age of ‘too much information’. Libraries and librarians are more important than ever.
“Children want stories. They want information. They want knowledge about the strange world they’re in. Saying that the Internet can be that is like setting a child free in a jungle and expecting them safely to find things to eat.”
5 Ways to Make CIL2011 Even Better
Posted by JD Thomas in CIL2010, LibConf News on 08. Jun, 2010 | Comments Off
Computers in Libraries 2010 ran smoothly for both attendees and organizers down in Crystal City, VA back in April. As educational and entertaining as it was, there is always room for improvement.
Like any good conference, Computers in Libraries is all about meeting the needs of you, the attendees! Because of this special focus ,there are five things you can do, every year, to help us make the event better and better.
Twitter@#CIL2010 Wordle
Posted by LibConf.com in CIL2010, LibConf News on 01. May, 2010 | 1 Comment
Jane Dysart messaged me earlier on Twitter and bounced over the idea about using the #CIL2010 TwapperKeeper Notebook to create a Wordle. I took one look at all the tags and abbreviations and realized that would be messy, but her idea sounded fun if we just used the Twitter ID’s of those who used the #CIL2010 hashtag.
This Wordle is made from the Twitter ID’s of everyone who used the #CIL2010 tag 5 times or more whether they were in attendance or not (yea, I mean you Tom Bruno/@oodja).
QR Code Brain Dump by Mark Sprague
Posted by LibConf.com in CIL2010 on 30. Apr, 2010 | 1 Comment
During Computers in Libraries 2010 we used QR Codes as an easy way for attendees to grab the URL’s for the many bloggers at the conference. For some folks, this use of the two dimensional encoding squares was old hat, and for others it was their first time seeing this 16 year old technology in action.
After years of use in Asia, QR Codes use is increasing in the US as a direct result of widespread adoption of smart phones with bar code scanning capabilities like Android powered phones and the Apple iPhone. The simple codes we used are just the beginning of what QR Code technology can express. The code on the right provides a link to the website of one of the Bloggers@CIL2010 – if you don’t have a phone with a barcode scanner, you can use one of the free online decoders like this one from ZXing.
Mark Sprague has written a very comprehensive post outlining QR technology and its many extensions and uses. Some of the designer codes he showcases are very cool. There are even QR codes with embedded graphics or company logos. I’d like to also thank Paula Hane, one of the LibConf bloggers and News Bureau Chief at Information Today, Inc. for featuring Mark’s post on Facebook since that is where I first saw it.
Read it at Understanding QR Codes.
The #CIL2010 Tweet Notebook
Posted by LibConf.com in CIL2010, Computers in Libraries, LibConf News on 30. Apr, 2010 | 1 Comment
Earlier today Karyn Silverman, aka @InfoWitch asked for suggestions on archiving all her Computers in Libraries 2010 tweets. Kate, aka @itsjustkatewondered about the same thing since her method involved using print screen to get hers into reports.
I was about to suggest to them both that they use the TwapperKeeper.com #CIL2010 archive when the alert that @InfoWitch’s export was ready.
While Twitter’s own internal search has improved overtime, its still best suited for small result sets and there are times when it is simply not available or working in a scaled back, near real-time mode. Services like TwapperKeeper are great because they start gathering the archive the moment someone creates the Notebook. In the case of #CIL2010, I create it around noon on December 16, 2009 so it has tweets with that hashtag going back to before the conference, and then through the conference, and right up to @InfoWitch’s request this morning.
Even if all you want are your own Tweets, the TwapperKeeper notebook is a good choice. The Notebook may contain thousands of entries, but the downloaded version is in CSV format so its child’s play to apply a filter in Excel, Open Office, or Google Docs to limit the rows to your own.
If you are going to an event or just want to have easy access to an individual’s Tweets, just head over to TwapperKeeper.com and start a notebook. One of my personal favorites is the @FakeAPStylebook notebook I created to ensure I didn’t miss any of their snarky gems.
