Top Tech Trends for 2012

Pete Cashmore of the blog Mashable (one of my favorite blogs) has listed his predictions for the most popular tech trends for 2012:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/19/tech/innovation/top-tech-trends-2012/index.html

I must admit, I’m already using most of these. My favorite is my brand new (home) 21.5 inch touch-screen monitor. Using a monitor without a mouse just seems right after using my iPhone for several years. Don’t get me wrong, I still use the mouse, however when I’m browsing an online magazine, watching a movie or TV show, shopping…all those fun things, it’s great to just swipe to move ahead or tap to select something.

I have also fallen victim to the tablet wars. I bought the new Nook Tablet and although it has many advantages, I find their android system limiting. Again, I love to read online magazines, read ebooks I borrow from the library, play Sudoku and surf the Internet on the tablet. I’m just disappointed with the small number of apps available and the high prices of the ones that are available. The Apple App Store is so overwhelming B&N’s tablet  just cannot compete .

Happy New Year! — Jill

How to Search Using Google

We really want you to use the library for all of your information needs, however, we know you use Google and Wikipedia just like we do. This infographic from www.hackcollege.com offers some really good tips when doing research. And note under “Further Research Tips” the first tip is to use the library! — Jill

Are you ready for the desk of the future?

The Day Has Finally Arrived

As of 8:30 a.m. this morning DCL now has popular title ebooks! Thanks to a generous grant from the Friends of the Durham Library we now have over 500 ebooks.

To learn how to download ebooks, please check out our Ebook Basics Page.

If you feel like jumping in, just head over to our Overdrive site and get started.

We have set circulation standards at 4 ebooks or eaudiobooks at a time and 5 on your request list. They can be checked out for 7 or 14 days (you may want to go to your account and set your checkout defaults – especially if you are using one of the Kindle or Overdrive apps).

The best news about ebooks is EARLY RETURN. With early return you no longer have to wait for your title to expire like you still have to to with eaudiobooks. You can return early, checkout more and help free up those long waiting lists we are expecting.

Please let me know if you have any issues, problems or questions and enjoy! — Jill

Visionary gone

I can’t help but think today of how Steve Jobs has changed the way we do so many things. The advent of an all-in-one low cost computer altered all of our lives.

When I learned to type on a manual typewriter back in the early 1970s I would never have dreamed that one day my work would take me to a library where I help people access information in a way that was unimaginable back then… at least unimaginable to me, not so much to Steve Jobs.

I used my first Apple computer in 1983 and was amazed that I could type a piece of code into a machine that would show champagne pouring from a bottle and the words “Happy New Year” scrolling across that little screen.  My next big adventure was dialing up with that modem, logging into Compuserve and booking airline tickets online. It was all text and very difficult to move around, but awesome none the less. I now cannot get through a day without that computer in my pocket, my iPhone.

In the library world computers have changed so much of what we do and the services we offer to our patrons. Access to information for all has always been our motto and you can now have that access from anywhere in the world from a device that fits in your hand.

Thank you Steve Jobs. — Jill

Ebook Discovery

This ebook buyers survey is really interesting.  I really thought favorite authors would be the #1 way people discover ebooks. I’d now like to see the ages of the respondents. — Jill

Overdrive, eBooks and Kindles

Yesterday Amazon and Overdrive announced that eBooks offered through Overdrive would now be available for Kindles. I was actually in an Overdrive eBook training session yesterday and saw how it will all work.

So why was I in an Overdrive training if we don’t have eBooks yet? Because we are going to announce the launch date for our eBook collection very soon! Our selectors are selecting titles, our staff will be trained and our Friends of the Durham Library are glowing because they provided us with the funds for our eBook start-up collection.

The Overdrive training also included information about the updates they are making to their interface. The help will be easier and more streamlined, all of that crazy format confusion will be clarified, searching will be better and there are lots of good behind-the-scenes updates for library staff as well. Overdrive has heard us grumble about their interface and they are working hard to fix it.

Please watch for our launch date announcement. — Jill