facebook video won't play

I had a patron who was having issues watching videos posted on Facebook.  I found this advice through the Facebook help forums:

Enable secure browsing in the facebook security options or just change http to https on the video page. That fixes it.

We tried it and it worked!

the guest pass looks like an ancient scroll...

Sometimes when you print a guest pass you will see a bunch of foreign characters and symbols print out too.  The guest pass number is on there somewhere amid the random characters (I promise).  To make sure it doesn't happen again, you'll need to log out of Citrix (Start >  Log Off [username]) and then log back in. 

file conversion

Ever had someone come in with an ".odt" file and can't open it?  These are files created in OpenOffice, a free program very similar to MS Word.  People who create files in OpenOffice have the option to Save As ".doc" files when they create the file, but many don't realize it and start to panic when the file won't open in MS Word.  Fear not...there is a solution!  I often use a free site called Zamzar to do file conversions.  You browse for the file, choose your conversion file type (.doc), put in a valid e-mail address, and Zamzar will e-mail you a link where you can download the converted file.  This is the fastest method I have found for converting files.

goodreads

I posted this on the general Staff News blog, but I think it's worth mentioning that Goodreads is an excellent reader's advisory tool.  How often do we get patrons who ask us what books they last read and we can't tell them (unless there was a late fee associated with it)?  It's far from perfect when it comes to the read-alike recommendations, but it does add value with customized newsletters featuring your favorite authors (based on your reviews & ratings of read books) AND access to free webinars where you can chat with your favorite authors.

if your citrix computer freezes up...

If you find that your computer freezes up while you're logged in on Citrix, you can try the second "tip" on this list, or you can...

Right-click on the blue Citrix icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.  Select "Application Refresh" at the top of the menu.  You can also try hitting the F5 key.

When all else fails (as it does most often for me), you'll need to call IT and ask them to take you out of Citrix.

filing for divorce cover sheet

We've had several patrons asking for a "cover sheet" that is not listed in the Filing for Divorce handbook we have at the reference desk.  They are supposed to pick up the cover sheet at the office of the clerk of court, or they can download an interactive PDF (can type directly onto form) from the Gale Legal Forms database - the name of the form is Domestic Civil Action Cover Sheet (NC-CV-750).

news & observer index

The News & Observer Index,1926-1992, is now available online for the public to search and browse.

The N&O Index is an alphabetical list of names and subjects, with references to the newspaper articles in which they occur. It is not a database of articles; rather, it is a guide to help find articles with more information about a particular topic.

Indexes that date from 1978-1981 were published in book form and electronically. Over the next year those entries will likely be included as well.

Search the N&O Index yourself at http://statelibrarync.org/noi/