resource of the week: help desk numbers

Jordan Minor writes: “Customer Support is theoretically there to help, but it too can be a disappointingly unpleasant experience. Websites may bury the 800 number, automated systems at the other end of the phone mishear words, and you spend most of your time either pressing buttons or shouting ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ at the phone. To help you avoid all that frustration, we’ve compiled a list of customer support phone numbers and tipsfor navigating to an actual person."  (PC Magazine, Dec. 5 appearing in ALA Direct, Dec. 11)

resource of the week: preservation websites

Have you backed up your favorite photos?  Your phone contacts?  Your tax documents?  These days, many items are born digital, meaning they don't have a physical presence.  Amy attended a Digital Preservation workshop at NCLA and has shared a few of her favorite resources she learned about:

North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources -  Visit http://digitalpreservation.ncdcr.gov/ and click on "I create files" and look at the review on good file naming practices.  Click on "more resources" and then "who to follow" to see interesting blog links. (Alternatively, visit http://digitalpreservation.ncdcr.gov/whotofollow.html)

Library of Congress - Visit http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/

resource of the week: library cat map

Ellyssa Kroski writes: “There are currently over 300 living resident library cats throughout the world, 200+ of which reside in the US according to the Library Cat Map. Library cats have been welcomed as rodent-killers since the early 19th century in Europe and even dating back to ancient times in Egypt in the libraries of temples. Here are six famous library cats, as well as resources to find out about many more.”  (iLibrarian, Jan. 9 appearing in ALA Direct, Jan. 15)  And yes, this one is dedicated to Marissa, Amy, Rebecca, and Carolyn.  : )

tax information

'Tis the season for taxes, and we've been getting lots of questions about when the forms will arrive.  Gardiner says the bulk of the Federal forms are supposed to come in between the end of January and the end of February.  We will not receive any State forms.  All information and links about tax forms is located on our website under Online Tools > Tax Information.

tech tuesday: editing wikipedia

We all use Wikipedia every now and then, but we never fully trust this open-source site.  Now the Wikimedia community and designer David Peters have developed a how-to brochure: Editing Wikipedia: A Guide to Improving Content on the Online Encyclopedia.  This new brochure covers both the how and the why of editing Wikipedia, with special focus on the things that trip up new editors most often. It’s available both online and in print.  Might come in handy for our Wikipedia Edit-a-thon coming up on April 1st at HQ!

resource of the week: copyright article

Next week is national Copyright Week, a week in which librarians and other information professionals are challenged to learn more about copyright laws.  If you don't have time to read a book on the subject, Carrie Russell recommends checking out a short article called The Purpose of Copyright by Lydia Pallas Loren.

tech tuesday: google images

If you've searched for images on Google recently, you may have noticed a new option to search based on "Usage Rights".

Step 1:  Type images.google.com into your address bar

Step 2:  Search for an image (ex. boxer dog)


Step 3:  Click Search Tools

 

Step 4: Click Usage Rights

Anything labeled for reuse would be fair game to use in posters, bookmarks, presentations, and more.

resource of the week: financial aid toolkit

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. The office of Federal Student Aid provides more than $150 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to more than 15 million students paying for college or career school.  The Financial Aid Toolkit is designed to assist organizations and individuals who interact with, support, or counsel students and families making financial preperations for postsecondary education.  It is available on our website under Online Tools > Education > Scholarships and Financial Aid, or here.