Web-based Applications

Those of you in the JPL Learning 2.0 training should already know about these, but I thought I'd share them with everybody.

A web-based application is an application that is accessed via a web browser over a network. Basically, you do not have to physically posses the software or any storage media when using web-apps. This can be especially helpful for those without floppy disks or flash drives.

I had a customer tonight who needed to print a document that she was typing, but she had already used her five free copies today. And having coins only, she was unable to use our value-add machines that were hewn out of solid iron during the Truman Administration (seriously, why can't they take change or debit cards in 2008?). I suggested that she use Zoho.

Zoho is an online office suite with web-based applications such as word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, etc. (Another similar option is Open Office, while I personally prefer Google Docs myself.) Either way, the whole process is very simple.

She was able to create a user name and password very quickly (almost at the speed of light compared to signing up for Yahoo mail by comparison), and opened a new document in Zoho Writer. She simply copied her document from Word and pasted it into Zoho, and then saved it. Though you can save to portable media such as floppies and flash drives, you can also save the documents to Zoho's server, and access them again by logging in on any computer (had she saved her document through Word on the T: drive, she would have to use that specific computer to access it again).

Anyway, the next time you're on the desk and it's slow, try exploring some of these different web-based applications. I think that they are a good option worth recommending to our customers.

From the Reference Desk

Where has the year gone? It's already the week of Turkey Day -- the week when we take stock in things that we are thankful for.


Of course, the obligatory answer is that we're thankful for the fellowship of kith and kin as we partake nature's bounty in the form of cooked fowl, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie, among others. Then Uncle Frank begins to complain about politics, whilst Aunt Edna skeptically wonders why 17 year old second cousin Jolean has dropped out of school with a "stomach ache" she's had for months, bringing the dinner to a crescendo, before the tryptophan kicks in during the second quarter of the Lions' game and everyone passes out in the den.


But mostly just that first part about fellowship -- that's what we're thankful for. Oh, and the leftovers.


Also, as much as we all love being librarians and helping customers & what not, we're also thankful for those brief respites from human contact, such as the one pictured above. Ahh, can you hear that? No, you can't, because you really can't hear silence. You may be hearing a slight ringing in your ears though, which could be tinnitus -- you might want to get that looked at.


Anyway, have a safe trip if you're traveling, and enjoy your time with family and friends! See you in December.

Comings and goings in Ref

There hasn't bee a whole lot of activity in the way of new materials filtering through Reference lately.

However, we did receive a new addition to the True Crime section.

Congress A to Z is published by CQ Press, and "offers accessible information about the inner workings of the legislative branch...," as well as keeping tabs on America's Most Wanted with "biographies of influential members."

From the Department of Redundancy Department

A special shout-out is in order for Keli from TEEN (Props!). On a recent fact-finding mission that brought her to our collection, she noticed that we had two different sets of the Encyclopedia Judaica. The older set was housed in the 296 area, while the latest edition can be found in 909. The previous edition has been donated to the Friends Group's Book Sale.

Well We're Movin' On Up

In other Encyclopedic news, the Encyclopedia Americana has moved from the 031 area to the Ready Reference shelf, right next to the World Book Encyclopedia. Details for the housewarming party will be made available when known; bookmarks are an appropriate gift.

Phil'er Up Please

I've recently finished my action plan for FY 2008-09: To become the Audie Murphy of ILL awards!

Cat Resources

Some cat resources that I'd like to point out--

The Atlas of Cats of the World (638.8 Kelsey).

The Cat Encyclopedia (636.8 Verhoef-Verhallan).

And when you need the most up-to-date cat information, The New Encyclopedia of the Cat (636.8003 Fogle).

Why do we care? Well, you may not. In fact, this is just a library-related ruse to fulfill a request for pictures of Refman's kittens. So, by popular demand I present Bosco and Toyo:

New Reference Items - 11/15/08

Just a short update -- only two new items to tell you about today.

The latest United States Government Manual, 2008-2009 (353 United 2008-2009) is in, and located on the Ready Reference shelf. There is a searchable version online as well. And though not quite the same thing, don't forget about the Official U.S. Government Web Portal.

The Fall 2008 edition of Work, Live & Play is shelved underneath the Reference desk with the other local and regional publications. From JCC:

As the official relocation guide of Northeast Florida, Work, Live & Play provides the latest information on developments in residential real estate, education, health care and quality of life affecting our community.

Older editions are kept in the Florida Collection.

Digital TV Transition

Since this question came up today, I thought it might be a good time to review the digital TV transition that is taking place February 17, 2009.

The transition will only affect customers who view TV "over the air", or those who receive local channels only through the use of an antenna. Those who subscribe to cable or satellite programming, or who have a newer digital TV will not be affected.

Affected customers' options include:

1. Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that plugs into an existing television. The boxes, which are expected to cost between $40 - 70 will be available for purchase in 2008. Beginning in February 2008, U.S. households can request up to two coupons valued at $40 each. Each coupon can go toward the purchase of a single set-top converter box that will allow you to continue watching FREE "over-the-air" television on an analog set.


2. Subscribe to a cable, satellite or telecommunications service provider if all desired local broadcast stations are carried by that service.


3. Purchase a new television set with a built in digital tuner.

Something the customers will need to know about the coupons: it seems that many customers have found that the boxes are out of stock and then their coupons have expired. They should probably check to see if any are available before applying for a coupon.

Unshelved Comic of the Day

More of Bill Barnes' Unshelved here.

Google Advanced Search Update

An update from my previous post.

Google constantly studies how people are using their products and fine-tuning them in response. One aspect they have changed is their Advanced Search feature.

Dan Russell from Search Quality says:

Armed with this insight from field studies, we redesigned the page, simplifying it by removing terms that were unclear to the average user (the word "occurrences," for example, just didn't mean anything to many of the Advanced Search page users), moving rarely used features (numeric range searches, date searches, etc.) into a part of the page that was expandable with a single click. That made them easy to get to for people who knew they wanted to search with those restrictions, but out of the way in a non-threatening way.

One of the other things we noted in the field study was that people often didn't understand how the Advanced Search page worked. So we added a "visible query builder" region at the top of the page. As you fill in the blanks, the box at the top of the page fills in with the query that you could type into Google. It was our way of making visible the effects of advanced search

Read the rest of the article from the Official Google Blog.

Alternatives to Google's Interface

Show of hands please -- how many of you have ever used Google's Advanced Search page?



Since I cannot see anything anyway, I'll presume* that most of you haven't. I know I have only used it a few times myself. Some feel that it is a bit clumsy in its design, which have lead to third parties creating new front-ends for Google searching.



For example, Faganfinder's site includes several different links to Google searches, including their Google Ultimate Interface. It may in fact be just a bit more clear than Google's own advanced page, though if you're already on Google, you're merely a click away from the advanced search, whereas you might be hard pressed to remember the Faganfinder URL.



Another alternative Google front-end -- and one that is easier to navigate to -- is Soople. Soople's designers explain the page:

Soople is an early English dialect, which means 'to soften, make supple'.
That's exactly what I envisioned for this site ; a site that softens all the
fantastic advanced functions Google offers. This site is meant for all those who
are not yet familiar with all the possibilities of Google and all the required
syntaxes.

Instead of having to remember different prefixes used to initiate the various specific searches that Google employs, you can simply use the appropriate search field for the desired results.



Finally, for those of us who work in Reference at the Main Library, this search engine allows users to find information on old brands that are no longer being manufactured, Saab steering wheels and the font used in Momar's logo.

*defensive measure to avoid hearing "you know what happens when you assume..."

Spotlight on the Collection: Health & Medicine

In honor of the nursing class that is gracing us with their presence here this morning (and also the gentleman who just told me he had bedbug bites), I thought it would be a good time to spotlight some of the Reference Department's helpful resources for health & medicine.

If you cannot find a particular disease in JAXCAT, Health & Wellness Resource Center is an excellent place to start. Even though it is considered more of a "consumer health" database (as opposed to Health Reference Center Academic and Medline), many entries include articles from academic and medical journals.

Once you've determined what general areas some of their more specific queries fall within that didn't show up in the catalog (what, you knew that Thromboangitis Obliterans--or Buerger's Disease--was a circulatory disorder?), you can then point them in the direction of broad-based reference books to check the indexes.

Omnigraphics' Health Reference Series are a good choice. For one, they are authoritative and comprehensive, which is nice. But even more importantly, they are bright red and easy to find on the shelf. Simply go to the 600s, look for the eye-catching color and choose the correct malady: respiratory, endocrinological, etc., and let the customer enjoy.

If these don't work, you can always fall back on a good Google search. The Mayo Clinic and WebMD have good, practical information as well.

Google Tips: Boolean & Synonym Searching

Did you know...

Google supports Librarian-approved Boolean operator searching, but just not the way you may be accustomed to?

For example, Google already assumes the AND operator in all searches with two or more words. To use the OR operator, simply use "or" between words or phrases when searching. To use the NOT operator to exclude a search term, choose the minus sign (-keyword). A search for bass -guitar will hopefully yield more results for fish (and beer!) instead of music-related links.

Also, have you ever searched for a keyword but thought that an unknown synonym might be a better choice? By using the tilde character (~), you can perform a similar word search (~keyword).

New Reference Books - 10/27/08

The Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus (R 232.90803 Encyclopedia). Great, I now have Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" running through my head. Anyway, from Amazon:

This "Encyclopedia" brings together the vast array of historical research into the reality of the man, the teachings, the acts, and the events ascribed to him that have served as the foundational story of one of the world's central religions. This kind of historiography is not biography. The historical study of the Jesus stories and the transmission of these stories through time have been of seminal importance to historians of religion.

Disease Management Sourcebook (R 616.044 Disease). Disease Management Sourcebook addresses Americans' growing health concerns by providing facts about navigating the health care system, communicating with health care providers, and finding and evaluating health information. It discusses patient rights and responsibilities, privacy, medical errors, and health care fraud, and also explains assistive technologies available to help people who have chronic illnesses and provides tips for dealing with legal, financial, and health insurance matters. Facts about medications—including prescription, generic, over-the-counter, and counterfeit drugs—are included. The book’s end section features a glossary and directories of resources for patients and their families and caregivers.

Free Phones

This has been coming up a lot this week, so I wanted to give everyone a "head's up."

If you haven't already had a customer ask for "free phones," you will soon enough. According to this story, Safelink Wireless is now offering a free phone program for low-income families.

The service is designed for those who are already on government assistance, such as Medicaid, food stamps, etc., though Florida's Public Service Commission offers rebates for qualifying applicants through their Link Up and Lifeline programs.

Most of the customers who have asked about this so far have not been very computer literate, so please be patient while helping them navigate to the application page. Also, as one would expect the free phones seem to be generating lots of demand, so the Safelink page can be slow to load at times.

Refman Receives Coveted Award

Jacksonville, FL (AP) -- A librarian known only as "Refman" was being heralded as a hero by Jacksonville Public Library (JPL) officials today after finding 100% of the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests submitted to the Periodicals Department.

The award was given after it was learned that Refman had found and copied the one article that was being requested this morning.

Heather Campbell, Grand Poobah of ILL, presided over the ceremony, which was attended by many dignitaries, including ILL staff, two visitors and a volunteer of unknown derivation.

"It is my distinct honor and pleasure to award Refman with a "Phil" smiley-face sticker, in a color of his own choosing." Refman chose blue, as it's his favorite color. The smiley face awards given for Outstanding ILL Fill Rates are known throughout the Library industry as "Phils," an obvious and playful take on fill rates. Librarians are of course a rambunctious bunch known for their outrageous sense of humor.

Refman was most gracious in receiving this high honor, and visibly moved.

"There are so many people that I'd like to thank. I don't want to leave anyone out, but this is so unexpected, so please bear with me." His eyes began to mist over as he reflected, "Usually, there is always that one book on knitting dog sweaters that is missing or a Ladies Home Journal partially destroyed by vermin with the requested page chewed in half...." His voice trailed off as he shook his head and tried to regain his composure.

"First, I'd like to thank God, my lovely wife Erin, my mom, my little brother who's always supported me -- Hi Jeff! -- other extended family members, my first mentor GM, boss-ladies Julie Mcneil and Karen Jessee, my friends and colleagues in Reference, Periodicals & Non-Fiction -- I'm sorry I can't name you all -- and indeed, throughout the whole building..."

Someone began to play music on an old cassette deck in the corner to signify that it was time to get back to work, or go to a commercial -- anything. Refman only talked louder and more frantically.

"...all my wonderful sponsors, NEFLIN, FLA, Quaker State, Goody's Headache Powder, the boys back at the shop, the whole crew really, the guy on the elevator who told me 'good luck' when I went for my interview at the old library...."

Finally, Security was called in to politely escort Refman back to the second floor, but not before he got a final word in.

"...and friend and Good Samaritan Jani French, who sat with me while I waited for AAA to come that one time when I had a flat tire and my spare was flat too..."

He was whisked away to his own department where he spent the rest of the day basking in the glory that goes with winning a Phil.

A high-ranking Library official wishing to remain anonymous said that while the award was a great achievement, it was more of a "feather in his cap" rather than being an impetus for a salary increase.

New Reference Items - 10/17/08

There are only a few new items to tell you about today:

First, we have Life Events and Rites of Passage (R 306 Hill). This includes customs and symbols of major life milestones in the US, including baptisms, weddings & funerals. Inexplicably, library milestones such as the first time you caught a customer watching porn or enjoying a smorgasbord of buffalo wings, jelly-bellies and remnants of partially chewed sunflower seeds while browsing Myspace were not included.

Next, we have the Chronicle Financial Aid Guide, 2008-09 (R 378.302573 Chronicle). Includes scholarships and loans for prospective college students, including contact information. Originally we had two copies, but in my never ending quest to attain the elusive 2% increase in printed materials circulated, I put one in Non-Fiction.

[see JPL's FY09 Service Priorities]

Finally, I'd like to present Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia (R 503 Van Nostrand's 2008, v. 1-2). Hey, wasn't Kramer's doctor alter ego on Seinfeld called Dr. Van Nostrand? It all makes sense now.

Refman Welcomes You

Hello everyone.

Since I'm now enrolled in the very time consuming and laborious JPL 2.0 Training (note to managers -- if you can't find me, umm, I'm probably doing homework or something), I thought I would apply my newly acquired skills from said training and bring my previous publication -- This Week in Reference -- into the 21st Century and be a bit more interactive.

I plan on using this space to keep everyone up to date on new arrivals, shifting & weeding, and other things that have something to do with Reference.

Also, various Reference-related rants may be published here at my discretion (or indiscretion as the case may be).

If you have a blog, or use a Web-based aggregator such as Google Reader, you can subscribe to this site to be notified of updates. Or I can just email the link each time I guess.

Alright people! Let's get wiki with it!