Archive for the 'Reference Services' Category

NoveList meets VuFind at Marmot

We’ve done a nice job integrating NoveList content with the new “VuFind at Marmot” OPAC. Take a look at Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.
“Similar Titles” in the upper right is NoveList content in the OPAC, right where readers can use it, instead of parked off on the side in some database of titles that may or may not be in this library catalog.
“Also in this series” shows this title’s position in a series. Most importantly, this is a proper series list from the NoveList database rather than an attempt by OPAC software to make the best of series data which is typically dicey in even the best bibliographic records.
“Similar authors”, under jacket art on the upper left, is more NoveList content.
These NoveList features are now available to open source developers like us as the “NoveList Select” add-on product. We’re still working on the print function, so a page like this will print nice instead of goofy. Watch for that improvement in a couple weeks.

Health Information Resources for Seniors

Posted on behalf of –  Dana Abbey, MLS Consumer Health Coordinator National Network of Libraries of Medicine University of Colorado Denver

William completed the Boston Marathon at the age of 67. Now, in his late-80s he continues to enjoy hiking, skiing and running.  Mildred, 73, hits the step machine after complete knee replacement surgery and daily increases her walking distance. These are just two of the inspirational stories on the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) NIHSeniorHealth website . Often times these stories cross my mind as I watch the seconds painfully ticking away on the treadmill timer. However, William and Mildred’s dedication, along with the other 26 engaging exercise stories, keep me motivated to exercise for life.

Continue reading ‘Health Information Resources for Seniors’

Track your meds – online

Posted on behalf of Dana Abbey.

Did you know that adults in the U.S. average 11.5 prescriptions per year, and persons over 60 average 15.6? Pillboxbeta, provides an easy way to visually identify an unknown tablet or capsule medication based on imprint, shape or color.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is developing two free online tools to assist in identifying and tracking prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. Continue reading ‘Track your meds – online’

Tech & Learning Top Stories For Schools

Here are some school-related stories from Tech & Learning magazine. They may be useful for integrating technology into the classroom, providing guidelines with how to use the technology, and more.

For more information, visit the Tech & Learning home page, or find them on Facebook or Twitter.

Spring is just around the corner — Consider presenting at a CLiC Spring Workshop — Call for Presenters

CALL FOR PRESENTERS!

 

The Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC) invites submissions for presentations at our Spring Workshops in 2010 in the following locations:

Grand Junction, March 1 & 2

Fort Collins, April 8

Pueblo, April 15 & 16

 

Continue reading ‘Spring is just around the corner — Consider presenting at a CLiC Spring Workshop — Call for Presenters’

AskColorado wins over Westword writer

Recently Cory Casciato, a writer for Denver’s alternative newspaper Westword, stepped into the world of AskColorado. What this writer received through the 24/7 virtual reference service was the kind of top-notch service that many of AskColorado’s unsung librarians offer on a daily basis.

The librarian tested by Casciato in this particular online interaction was Martha Durgy, a.k.a. “Marty,” from Pitkin County Public Library. And boy did Martha do AskColorado librarians proud!

Read the Westword story/blog post about this encounter at: AskColorado has the answers

Continue reading ‘AskColorado wins over Westword writer’

Community Connections Inclusivity Bulletin

On behalf of Jean Heilig:

This year’s major effort of the Colorado State Library’s Special Populations Committee is Community Connections. The project continues with a call for recruiting members, the introduction of a seventh statewide partner, involvement with the Denver Foundation Inclusiveness Project, and resources for any library or school working with with immigrants from Somalia.

View complete bulletin (PDF)
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Twittering in the Colorado Library Community

Last week I sent out a message on Libnet asking who was using Twitter. The responses I received have been compiled into a spreadsheet for anyone who is interested. There are Twitter users from Colorado cities, public libraries, schools, and museums, as well as other State Libraries, national organizations, local, state and federal government, and more. Thanks for the wonderful response! Colorado has a growing Twitter community and I can only see it getting bigger and becoming more useful to us all over time.

Results in Excel
Results in PDF
 
If you would like to be added to or removed from this list of Twitter users, please email Michelle Gebhart.

Watch the AskColorado ad!

This is so fun! An homage to the old detective movies. Some of you probably listen to Guy Noir, Private Eye on A Prairie Home Companion?

Kris Johnson, AskColorado Coordinator at the Colorado State Library wants you to know that the credit for the production of the public service announcement (PSA) goes to Dee Vasquez and Danny Walter at Pikes Peak Library District. In addition to helping to facilitate the PSA, the CAL Marketing Committee has been working with AskColorado for the past year on re-branding efforts. Kris said “I can’t tell you how helpful this partnership has been to our organization and I want to express my appreciation to current and former committee chairs Kelly Johnson, Katie Klossner, and Shelley Walchak for all their leadership on this project.”

Broadcast ready versions of the PSA for airing on local TV are available. Let Kris know if your library would like a copy. Email her at johnson_k@cde.state.co.us.

Reference Service – Where is it going?

How critical is reference to the survival of libraries? Should the library profession do more to promote reference services? In less than a minute you can tell us what you think about reference services.

Let us know what you think at: http://surveys.lrs.org/respond.php?sid=50

Why This Topic
The questions on this survey were inspired by a discussion on a national listerv for virtual reference librarians. It was a fascinating discussion with varied opinions being expressed on everything from usage to promotion. Of course, LRS staff were curious about what the folks in library land thought about these issues. So, here is the second LRS 60-Second Survey: Reference Service – Where is it Going?

About 60-Second Surveys
The 60-second surveys are intended to capture respondents’ gut-reactions to questions about narrowly defined, high-interest topics. Taking less than a minute of the respondent’s time, these are truly quickie surveys. This is not a scientific study, but rather a reader poll-style survey (think online magazine survey) that “takes the temperature” of a very specific topic.




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