It's a Book!

Beyond Method #5

  Examining the different sites, I decided against LibraryThing because of the 200 book limit (unless you pay).  And although I usually go to Amazon.com for reviews, I wasn't overly impressed with Shelfari.  Plus, I already had an account at Goodreads.  So I revisited it and found new things to like:

• Way to mark books "to read"
• Other people's rating (and the rating frequency chart)
• Like-minded readers, reviews & recommendations

  So I think this would be an excellent reader's advisory tool -- to advise me what I want to choose next.
   I like the idea of LibraryThing for Libraries (a lot) but, I don't think enough of our patrons would use this online resource to justify the cost.

For Kearsten

Beyond Method #4

   I really, really like Goodwill Community Foundation’s Learn Free Site.  I plan to add a tab to my library's Plinket site for computer basics / job search that includes:

• Mouse tutorial 
• Goodwill's Computer Basics page
• Goodwill's Internet Basics page
• Finding Jobs on TWDL
• ResumeMaker

   Individuals must be at least somewhat computer literate to navigate the Finding Jobs page on TWDL, mostly because there are so many steps in 1) getting to and then 2) using these sites.

Beyond Method #3

View Larger Map

   I was so proud of myself when I put a map link on our Plinkit site and then 'claimed' my workplace to link Google Maps back to our website.  But being able to put the acutal map on the website is even cooler.
   I looked at Google Maps : 100+ Best Tools and Mashups and added Gibbs Memorial Library to hotspotr, a map of places to find WiFi.

Beyond Method #2

Netvibes - Customizable Homepages

I love the idea for using the same library-created homepage for all our patron computers.  I would include

• Google search box
• Links to Facebook, Yahoo!, and Hotmail
• Local weather forecast gadget
• TexShare Databases
• Super-basic "How to use a Computer" tutorial link
• Texas Law Help that has free divorce forms
• as well as other frequently asked-for websites, like the link to a local business people often print their check stubs from.

  This would be the perfect way to put this information at our patron's fingertips. All of these links are on our website, but buried - you have to click, click, click to get to them.  Customizable homepages are perfect and I'm happy to know how to create them.

Spiffy New Look

Beyond Method #1

I was going to take a screen shot so you could see the changes I've made, but......I forgot