To paraphrase Ethel Merman: "Everything's coming up eBooks!" Love 'em or hate 'em we are answering a lot of questions about them every day. Seems like they're everyone's favorite gift to give too. Can hardly wait for the Monday after Father's Day this year.
I jumped on the bandwagon this past Christmas and bought a Kobo for my father. He had been asking me for large type classics for years and because the Kobo came loaded with 100 classic titles and, like all readers allows for font adjustment, it was perfect for him. After he played with his new toy for a few days, I took it back from him and tried downloading my first e-book. I wouldn't say it was smooth sailing. Thinking back on it, I remember being frustrated by all the steps required -- get an Adobe id, download Digital Editions, find an available book. I ended up installing a parenting book on his Kobo because it was one of the few available. (Rather comical since my father is 88.)
However, like most things in life, after you've done something once, it's easier the second time.
Since Christmas, the librarians at CPH have brought in our various devices and tried them out. So, while I'm not proficient by any means, I've also downloaded eBooks to a Nook and an iPad.
Our patrons love handouts. I guess it's that sense that "everything I need to know is right here in black and white." Natalie did a great job creating some getting started with eBooks handouts that are on our website. I really like the GCPL video on how to download an eBook, and I'm wondering if we can take our handouts one step further and create a video ourselves.
Whether we love 'em or hate 'em, I view eBooks as just one more new technology we need to learn. As with all new things sometimes they're hard to figure out and even harder to explain to someone. But, I think it's our job to learn how to use them and then teach others. We are in the information business after all. That's my justification for why I want a SmartPhone. I don't know how to download an app and I should. I'm past my birthday for this year, and Mother's Day, so I can't put one on my wish list. But, happily our cell plan is up for renewal next month and I can't wait to download Angry Birds all for myself!
I started out thinking that the online list keeping tools like "Workflowy" or "Remember the Milk" would be the perfect thing for me because I'm a big list maker. So, I created an acount in "Workflowy" and started typing away, but the more I typed the more annoyed I got. I kept thinking to myself, "Are you really going to log on and use this list or are you going to flip to where you've kept a 'to do' list for the last umpteen years and then realize what you did with it and then get frustrated because it's one more thing that's online?!" I guess I'm too tactile. I want to hold my 'to do' list in my hand and feel that sense of accomplishment you get by crossing things off -- in pen -- not with a cursor. So, while I think "Workflowy" is very easy to use, it just wasn't for me.
I switched tactics then and decided to try "Instapaper" and was much happier with that choice. I am forever finding articles online that I think are interesting but I don't always have time to read them. So, I created a free account and added a few test articles. Easy peasy. I now have a "Read Later" button on my toolbar so that whenever I find something of interest I can click and save for rainy day reading.
On a side note, I am a big fan of delicious. I use it in conjunction with our evening Book Discussion Group. I store webpages on my delicious account that have interesting information about the author of our discussion book. Then, during Book Group, I can logon to delicous using whatever laptop is in our program room that night and retrieve all of the webpages I found earlier. Pretty nifty.
I attend webinars all the time. I think they're a great way to get information out to people, and it's really easy to connect to one. Just last week I attended Booklist's "High Demand Mysteries" that was offered on April 26th. I'm signed up for both the Library Journal "Christian Fiction Spring Round-Up" on May 5th and a "Universal Class Library Staff Training" on May 10th. The nice thing about the Library Journal webinar is that it will be archived. I actually can't be part of the webinar at 12pm on May 5th because I'll be at a workshop. But, because I've signed up ahead of time, I'll get access to the archive link for a later date. I love that option! If some of the content in the webinar isn't of interest to me, I can "fast forward" to the information I want to hear. Kind of like DVRing your favorite TV show and skipping the commercials!
to learn. As with all new things sometimes they're hard to figure out and even harder to explain to someone. But, I think it's our job to learn how to use them and then teach others. We are in the information business after all. That's my justification for why I want a SmartPhone. I don't know how to download an app and I should. I'm past my birthday for this year, and Mother's Day, so I can't put one on my wish list. But, happily our cell plan is up for renewal next month and I can't wait to download Angry Birds all for myself!
