Archive for the ‘Oct.09’ Category

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WebJunction Watch: Shortcuts 2 WJ Treasure

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

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Lately, time has not been on my side.  I am always looking for shortcuts and with the massive resources collected at WebJunction, shortcuts are a must.  So this month I am featuring a few shortcuts to help you find the resources that will help you keep your library the best it can be.

  1. Directory of WebJunction Discussion Boards -  Whether you have a specific question or you are just curious about a topic or issue, this directory can save you lots of time.  Browse the list and then hit the link to go straight to the discussion board of your choice.  Just remember:  you have to be logged in to post to WebJunction discussion boards.
  2. Help - Need help navigating WebJunction, want to create a group, learn how to add your documents or post to a discussion board.  Make the most of your WebJunction Kansas membership and use the Help page to guide you.  You’ll find step-by-step instructions, quick answers and personal support through this help page.  One more feature, you can send your suggestions for improvements to WebJunction here also.
  3. Events and Webinars – This is the quickest way to find out what’s going on at WebJunction.  You can track this calendar using RSS or bookmark the page so you can get to it quickly.  Whatever way you get there, check often because I know you will find something that interests you there.
  4. Hot Topics and Crossroads are 2 ways you can find out what’s new at WebJunction.  Hot Topics will give you a short tour of new and popular groups, discussions, documents and courses.  Crossroads is the time-friendly WebJunction newsletter.  Find out what the feature of the month is and get WebJunction news.  You can follow it via RSS, bookmark it or have it delivered to your e-mail box.
  5. The WebJunction Self-Paced Course Experience - This guided tour will help you identify where to look for short courses, library courses and more.  WebJunction Kansas offers access to more than 500 self-paced courses and this guide can help you find the place to start.

Thanks for checking in with WebJunction Watch.  Do you have a WebJunction resource or tip you can share with us?  How about WebJunction questions?   Contact Cindi Hickey, WebJunction Kansas Coordinator at chickey@kslib.info.

Posted in CE & Training, Oct.09, SLK Newsletter, WebJunction | No Comments »

Marketing Column

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

 

For those of you who are starting to dip your toes into the social media pool, here are a few guidelines that you may want to keep in mind.  I’ll keep these brief, as I’m sure you’re aware of the hundreds of horror stories out there on the misuse and mistakes that have occurred using social media. 

 

  1. Be transparent and up front about where you work.  Your honesty will be appreciated.
  2. Never represent yourself or your library in a misleading way.
  3. Post meaningful, respectful comments.
  4. Use common sense and common courtesy.
  5. Stick to your area of expertise, providing a unique and individual perspective.
  6. If you disagree, keep it appropriate and polite.
  7. If you want to write about the competition—behave diplomatically, and have the facts straight.
  8. Never comment on anything related to legal matters or litigation.
  9. Never comment on something that might be considered a crisis situation unless you are the designated spokesperson for your organization.
  10. Be smart about protecting yourself, your privacy, and your library’s confidential information.  Google has a long memory.

Posted in Library 2.0, Marketing, Oct.09, SLK Newsletter | No Comments »

Three Topeka Trustees are Re-certified

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Members of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Board were the first library trustees to qualify for certification in 2008, along with John Flower of the Basehor Community Library.

The Topeka library continues to have an active program of board development. In August of 2009, three members of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Board received their certificates of re-certification, which renews their status as certified trustees for another three years.

Kerry Storey, Elisabeth Ross and Melissa Masoner are pictured below with Library Director Gina Millsap and Assistant Director Rob Banks.

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While it is challenging for Kansas trustees to qualify for certification since they must acquire training credits for five trustee core skills, it is relatively easy for trustees to maintain their status as certified trustees. They may pursue any training that is needed by their library and they need only to note any training they attend and request re-certification within three years of the date on their initial certificate. Five contact hours is the training requirement for re-certification.

In December of 2009, the State Library certification staff will be asking library directors to review training experience with their certified trustees and make sure that they have credit for the events they have attended. Qualified trustees may request re-certification at that time or they may wait until they are closer to their three-year renewal deadline.

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is one of many Kansas libraries that has actively supported the Kansas Trustee Certification Program and contributed to its success. The State Library staff offers its congratulations to the re-certified trustees.

Posted in CE & Training, Oct.09, SLK Newsletter, Trustee Cert. | No Comments »

Cataloging Outside the Box

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

CATALOGING BIOGRAPHICAL ANALYTICS

Tucked away within the volumes of Kansas statewide and local history books in your library are small historical treasures of interest to local historians, social history researchers, and genealogists.

Most county histories, especially those published around the turn of the last century, contain sections with short biographies of prominent local citizens. Besides the names, birth and death dates, these stories offer a glimpse into the settlement and development of a county, city or region. Tribulations and triumphs are succinctly reported, along with religious affiliation, military service, and organizational membership.

As a collected genre, these biographies give the reader a view of Kansas often missed by broader state histories or biographical works about the famous and infamous. Within these stories are the social histories of families and individuals of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds. Tales of pioneer days and Civil War experiences are related, along with immigrant stories. Reading through these biographies, the seemingly dull Kansas landscape is revealed to be a multipatterned quilt richly colored with the lives of people from many backgrounds and cultures.

As a genealogical resource, these biographies can be a treasure trove of names, dates, and relationships. The biography of a farmer living in a Washington Township might mention that his cousin lives in town where he runs the hardware store. Unknown information connecting individuals to people and events can bring forth those “squeals of delight” that only other genealogists fully understand.

Online indexes, or short, analytic, bibliographic records within your library catalog, link researchers to biographies within books or periodicals which can greatly expand access to these local community biographies. Here’s a list of three of the biography analytics collections in the Kansas Library Catalog that you can download into your local library catalog using the cataloging module of the KLC.

A STANDARD HISTORY OF KANSAS AND KANSANS
Multiple editions of the Standard History were published around 1918-1919.
(Transcripts of at least two of these editions are available online. Analytically cataloged biographies are statewide, covering people from all walks of life.)

To access the biographies in the KLC do an advanced search for:
standard history kansas kansans using “All headings.” Qualify your search in the right-hand column of the advanced search page under “Misc.” by: Related Resource (URL) Present. You should come up with bibliographic records for over 2,100 biographies analytically cataloged out of this title. These records all include a link to an online transcript of each biography within the book title.

KANSAS ILLUSTRIANA
Hebron, Neb., Illustriana Incorporated, 1933.
(This one volume title contains over 3,300 Kansas biographies, all of which have been cataloged.)

To access the biographies in the KLC, do a keyword search for:
kansas illustriana. Your results will include the record for the book too.

HISTORY OF ALLEN AND WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS
Iola, Kan. : Iola Register, 1901
(A dual county history with over 450 anayltically cataloged biographies)

To access the biographies in the KLC, do a keyword search for: history allen woodson counties. Your results will include the record for the book too.

Bill Sowers
Cataloging and Kansas Documents Librarian

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Posted in Library 2.0, Oct.09, SLK Newsletter, Tech services | No Comments »

Notable Book Review – A Curse Dark as Gold

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Reviewed by Beverley Buller, 2009 Kansas Notable Books Committee

Kansas author Elizabeth Bunce channeled her love of needlework and historical costuming and her curiosity about a popular fairytale into a book, which is not only a 2009 Kansas Notable, but also winner of the prestigious William Morris Award for first-time authors.

A Curse Dark as Gold draws teen readers into the richly detailed world of 17-year-old Charlotte Miller, who is trying to save her family’s woolen mill. Using elements of Rumplestiltskin, Bunce masterfully weaves this tale of determination, mystery, and love. Charlotte is a character worthy of Dickens, and the reader holds their breath to see how Bunce solves her predicament. An author’s note follows the very satisfying conclusion, verifying that the author did her homework.

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This book joins popular books by Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, Donna Napoli, and Shannon Hale. Be sure your young adult collection has this title for fairy tale and fantasy fans, as well as anyone who appreciates a well-woven story.

If you would like to order this book, please consider ordering from one of the Kansas Center for the Book Affiliates: Book Kansas!, Claflin Books, Town Crier, Watermark Books.

Posted in Book reviews, Children's services, KCFB, Notable Books, Oct.09, SLK Newsletter | No Comments »

Consult the Cat – Find a Grave is Fascinating

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

All right, it is October and the Cat is black. But this is an interesting and sometimes useful online resource to know about.

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The Cat was prowling restlessly through the stacks. Plaintively, she asked the librarians at the State Library if they could suggest any new toys for her to play with. The Cat’s friend, Rhonda Machlan, suggested she go look at:

http://www.findagrave.com

Find a Grave is a vast virtual cemetery, where people can visit, gain biographical information, leave tributes, add information and find out where someone is buried, or what happened to their mortal remains. If that is known; sometimes it isn’t.

The site was founded by Jim Tipton, a resident of Salt Lake City, who had a hobby of visiting celebrity grave sites. His stated goal of having a comprehensive listing of the burial places of everyone in the world seems unrealistic. But as of September 2009, the site hosts 36 million records, which is not a bad start.

It is undoubtedly valuable as an online resource for historical, cultural and biographical information. But the Cat is not a reference librarian. She thought it was a great toy.

The Cat proceeded to key in a variety of authors, actors, entertainers and historical figures. She failed to turn up information only occasionally and, in one case, it was because the person wasn’t dead. The articles are not long, in most cases, but they contain good information. It can also be very touching to see the online tributes left to the person, often by people who never knew them.

The Cat was mildly interested to learn where people were buried and to see pictures of cemeteries and gravestones. But she has an endless fascination with human faces. Cats are more beautiful, of course, but they don’t offer the tremendous variety that human faces do. The Cat was delighted to find that there were portraits on almost every record. It might even provide a picture where other sources fail.

Posted in Consult the Cat, Oct.09, SLK Newsletter | No Comments »

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