Jamie works so hard at her job!

All 23 things must come to an end

My sentiments exactly!

I did have fun for the last 10 weeks, but I'm glad it's over.
I think the most fun I've had is with the blog - as you can tell. 8-) I didn't get into the RSS feeds or Twitter (except for the cobra's tweets - those were hilarious!). Actually, I haven't had time to even look at Google Reader in a couple of weeks but I also had fun embedding videos. I think this was definitely time well spent and we should do it again in about 5 years - who knows what technology will be out there!
I'm not sure our patrons would be up for this, but who knows?

oops!

I forgot to do #16 and #17 (thanks for reminding me, 23 Luftballons!)

#16. NetLibrary...well...I searched for "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett. I searched for Harry Potter...I even searched for Nancy Drew all to no avail. SO I finally did an advanced search, looked for keyword "mysteries" and found "Poppy Done to Death" by Charlaine Harris. It runs 7 hours, 5 minutes.

#17 Podcasts
Well let me just tell you that I'd rather watch, instead of just listen (i guess I'm part of the TV generation). I listened to a few minutes of the Genealogy Guys and right now I'm listening to the ESPN podcast - open Mike with Mike Tirico. That is very interesting (did you know that 5.9 million people entered their brackets and 2 got their right?) Wow!
I did not see RSS feeds on ESPNRadio...hmmm 8-)

computers circa 1983

In the spring of 1983 library director Ron Kozlowski announced he would ask the board of trustees for $600,000 to buy a computer and other equipment to automate the library system. The computer system would help the library keep track of the more than 1 million books, records, films, videos and other materials. It would also streamline a circulation system that hadn't changed much since 1906.
He said, "We haven't had an inventory since about 1917. If we tried, we'd have to close down for more than a month."
The card catalogs stayed with us until staff had had a chance to catalog alot of the collection.
The 2nd phase of the project was to add computer terminals for the public. These consisted of terminals where the staff (at main, anyway) would load cd-roms from Infotrac each month. This was our first automated magazine index.

I will probably post more on this later!

parking at the Main Library

A note in the CJ in August 1980 reports that:

"A Courier-Journal parking lot on York Street has a rather plebian, but admirably direct, sign: "Unauthorized vehicles will be towed away." A nearby lot, reserved for employees of the Louisville Free Public Library, is marked with a noticed that is considerably more highfalutin, if no more tolerant: "Trespassers' Vehicles Shall Suffer Abrupt Removal."

online reader tools

Thing 20: I recommended Fall of Giants, a wonderful book by Ken Follett. I hope to finish it in the not too distant future. 8-)

Thing 21: I had already subscribed to the mystery bookletter but to date I've not received any...

Thing 22: Novelist. I checked out the mysteries for adults in the "police procedural" and "it's getting very noir in here". I do like the subsections. I am well read in the mystery genre, if I must say so myself, but there are still alot of authors in this database I've not heard of. I don't do readers' advisory very often but for myself I tend to look at the bloodstained bookshelf http://mirlacca.com/Bookshelf.html to find out what's coming out when.

Computers cira 1986

In March 1986 the library unveiled a brand new service; a computer bulletin board! It was called Freeboard and parons could check the current bestseller list, see what videos the library had or leave a question or complaint.
The bulletin board also offered a collection of more than 250 programs for Apple, Atari, Commodore, IBM and other computers. Patrons could also send mail to other users and "someday they may be able to send mail around the world as well as cross town."
It was one of 20 bulletin boards in operation in Louisville at the time (and only one of a few operated by a public agency).
The Freeboard was online from 5pm until 9am weekdays and 24 hours on the weekend and the phone number was 584-4162.

wikis

Hmmm, how do I put this? I do not care for wikis - mostly because anyone can edit one (and that is the point of it, right?). I do not use Wikipedia for reference work - unless it's to look at the sources they used.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I edited favorite authors and favorite actors and actresses and it was very easy!

Wikis for library use? Hmmm, I don't know...oops - forget that. I like what St. Joseph County Public Library has done. Maybe it would be better if our links were a wiki...how 'bout it, 23Luftballoons? 8-)

Marian the Librarian

rss stands for... Rae Shepherd-Shlechter!

Having been introduced to RSS feeds a couple of weeks ago by a Generous Librarian (thank you, Generous Librarian - you know who you are), I have already done this assignment. However, I do not think I will keep up with it. True, I have added some feeds on my iGoogle, but I find it a hindrance, more than a help. When I have a minute I look at Google Reader but there are just too many feeds too keep up with. I had subscribed to Resource Shelf, CNN, CJ, Unshelved and the Library but I have since unsubscribed to the Library. I can't keep up! I would rather just type in the website and glance at the headlines. So there. 8-)

On the other hand, I have subscribed to some useful groups on LinkedIn - webjunction and ALA. Webjunction is more interesting than ALA but they too overwhelming.

Computers - bah!

An article in the CJ in 1972 refers to a letter received by the library. It was addressed to
"Miss Louisville Free, Public Library, Fourth and York Streets."
The letter read, in part, "Dear Miss Free: You have been selected to take part in the 1972 International Graphic Arts Auction...Now, Miss Free, you can take your place in the auction without leaving your home on Public Library."

HAH!

Genealogy Day at the Library

Wow, what a day it has been. We had over 200 people show up for Genealogy Day. We had speakers, tours, the CLC was open for anyone wanting to search our databases without a library card. Joe was magnificent and we could not have this without the help of Carrick and Charlton. The teamwork award goes to MainRef, Circ, OJ, Gene, Lawrence and Nick, without whom this would not have happened.

databases

If I was on a desert island and could have only one database it would be...(drum roll, please) - Worldcat!!!

Not only will Worldcat tell you who has a book, it will also give you a SuDoc number, it will tell you if the item is linked to an electronic site and if our library's catalog is down it will tell you the call number area for other libraries (who use Dewey)so that you can go to the shelf and be reasonably confident that the number is correct.

But if you were on a desert island you most likely have no books or bookshelves. 8-)

Unfortunately, all though our periodical holdings (courtesy of moi) are mostly correct, our book holdings are not.

I always use this when we don't have have a book.

Databases and other fun stuff

1. Betty's obituary was published in the Louisville Courier Journal March 18,
2008 and she had 4 sons.

2. Clinical Medicine and Research is on Academic Search Premier from 2004-December
2010
British Journal for the History of Philosophy is also on Academic Search Premier
1998-January 2011
Telos we do not have in any form. (Ekstrom has it back to 1983 if you want to go
there to get it). 8-)

3. Duane F. Kelly is the manager of Vanguard Target Retirement 2020, it's
stewardship grade says, "This fund makes the grade in most respects", and its
overall rating is **** - 4 stars.

4. Yes, I can pull up an article on LCD TV's in Consumer Reports. There are 2
articles from Masterfile Premier; one in December 2008 and one in December 2009;
both are full text and have graphics. Consumer Reports is also in Academic Search
Premier, Business and Company Resource Center and General OneFile.

5. In Business Reference USA (Under Business and Money) you can pull up all the
coffee shops anywhere. In 402* zip code there are 94 coffee shops and in 40202
there are 10 coffee shops. Not surprisingly your main competitor is Starbucks.

The boardroom at Main

It has been pointed out to me that the Board Room has a sign above it that says, "Leo T. Wolford Room". Now just who was Leo T. Wolford that he got his name on the board room?
He was on the Library Board for about 30 years and was president for part of that (at least in the mid-50's). He was an attorney and community leader and he left he library about $500. I've just been told by Bill Garnar (former assistant director and font of historical knowledge) that, "he either told Skip Graham or noted in his will that the amount of money was small because he firmly believed that Libray should be publicly tax supported."

Until next time...

Do you want an umbrella with that?

On ths rainy day I am reminded of one of the services the library provided in the 1950's. The story goes that upon leaving the library one day with an armload of books, a patron walked out to a sudden downpour. She turned to Clarence "Skip" Graham, the director, who just happened to be standing there and said, "you should check out umbrellas." a lightbulb went on over Mr. Graham's head and lo and behold, the next time that patron came in there were umbrellas available for checkout!
I have no idea how long this practice lasted - possibly until there no more because they were never returned (and did they circulate for the same amount of time as a book?).

Until next time...

wow this is fun!

I'm really getting into this! Over the weekend I put a background on my blog and cropped an old picture of myself for my profile. This is almost as good as Facebook! 8-)

Yes, the book I'm looking for is blue...

Claudia's travels courtesy of Flickr

Claudia's travels

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

photo sharing

Wow, this is cool! I thought I had a Flicker account but I guess not! This is pretty cool! I will definitely use this in the future, especially since I now have my new digital camera! Nobody's ever asked for help with this. I have helped upload photos onto Facebook but not this. But know I know!

Facebook and other things

Social networking - love it or hate it?

I love it. Facebook, that is. I have reconnected with so many people from my past that I ordinarily would not have found. It's alot of fun and everyone's getting in on the act - even the GPO has a Facebook page!

Twitter, hmmm what can I say? I'm really not sure I would ever use it to answer a reference question, although Charlton begs to differ. If I had a current events question I would go to CNN!

I think the most important thing to know when asked about Facebook is the privacy issues. Pros and cons.
I have a linkedin account and have 28 connections, many of them here at LFPL!

Black History Month

Since it is Black History Month, today's post will be about the "colored branches". There were two, Eastern Colored and Western Colored.



The Western Colored Branch was occupied October 29, 1908 and has the distinction of being the first free public library in America exclusively for colored readers. We have a website dedicated to Western at www.lfpl.org/western/htms/door.htm.



Eastern Colored Branch was built because of the success of Western and was opened on January 28, 1914. The branch was located at Hancock and Lampton streets (the building is now the Presbyterian Community Center) and was closed in September 1975. At that time 8 branches were closed so that the library professionals could have a raise.

FYI - the branches that were closed were: Cabbage Patch, California, Eastern, Eastern Parkway Baptist Church, East Louisville, Jefferson, LaSalle Place and Waverly. I never heard of most of these - have you?

Library logos

Think you know the origin of the old library emblem - the one that is embedded in the floor of the South Building?

The Courier-Journal unlocked the mystery for us in 1954. Mayor Charles Farnsley saw it on the grand stairway at Versailles that summer and staff discovered it's the cipher of kings of France used by Louis XV, Louis XVIII and Louis XIV.

Louis XVI, for whom Louisville is named did not use the cipher but the architect must have thought it was a good decorative piece.

I found this interesting tidbit in an article from the CJ published on September 19, 1954.

So know you know!

Library History circa 1870's

The forerunner to LFPL was The Polytechnic Society. The Polytechnic was a membership library, although the public was invited in. However, there were signs posted that they were not allowed to talk to the librarian (or to each other), nor were they allowed to go behind the counters or cases. That was just one rule of many that members and nonmembers alike had to follow!

Google Rocks!

First of all, I want to say that I love my very own I-Google page. Bugs Bunny is my picture and I can see the weather, news and gmail right on one page.

I wonder why anyone would want to use another search engine when we have Google? Okay, I can see using Yahoo! but I only use it when I want to see what movies are coming out.

I've used all that Google has to offer except for Google Scholar and Google Sites.
I've got about 10 documents in Google Docs (I really like the sharing feature). Google.com/unclesam is a very important feature that I use everyday when helping patrons find a legitimate source of information.
I don't use Google Patents everyday but I know it's there and I appreciate the ease of use.

So, I am very familiar with Google in all it's glory and look forward to seeing what else they come up with.

History of the library in Louisville

I am writing a history of libraries in Louisville. While I am far from done this has been a very interesting project. There have been a number of humorous articles (to me anyway) in the New York Times as well as in Library Journal - all from the 1870's.
Saturday night now - I've gotten into the 20th Century and am discussing how we got libraries from Andrew Carnegie. Boy this is interesting!