For a
bi-monthly wrap up of NOLA news and information, be sure to check out NOLA Notes!
To receive The Desktop News in your email, go here.
 |
Special
Announcement: NOLA Winter Membership Meeting
Date: Tuesday February 20
Time: Noon - 3:30 PM
Location: G's Golden Gate Restaurant, Warren OH |
|
Join NOLA as we take a look into the future of library technology. Jeff Wagner
from 3M will provide a demonstration of their exciting Digital ID technology and discuss both its present status and future plans for integration with other popular 3M library technologies. Additionally, Jeff will give us a look at 3M Virtual Branch Library, a kiosk system designed to deliver electronic library services and internet access to patrons who can't visit your library. George Kilm, from OHIONET will also be with us to discuss OCLC's vision of the "Future of Library Services", an exciting update on new developments from OCLC and trends within the library community.
For more information or to
register for this event visit: http://www.nolanet.org/cfdocs/EventDescription.cfm?EventID=376
|
| From
the Director's Desk - Paul Pormen |
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has launched a library portal.
The UNESCO Library Portal is intended to enhance access to information related to library resources available on the World Wide Web as well as to issues affecting librarianship. The site provides links to websites of libraries and information centres around the world and will serve as an interactive point for browsing and searching a range of categories including websites of national libraries, government information services, library associations and on-line resources. It will also provide news about conferences and training opportunities. Special emphasis will be given to activities in the Organization's fields of competence such as education, sciences, culture and information.
Special sections will feature news and articles of interest to librarians and will regularly highlight the activities of a selected library as well as providing a literary quote.
Surfers can also add or modify links to help maintain an accurate online resource. All libraries and librarians are invited to participate by providing information on activities, useful links, news and content which they wish to share with others and generally make more widely available.
Visit the site: http://www.unesco.org/webworld/portal_bib/
Library Postal Rate Changes
Here is the website for the new postal rates for library materials: http://www.usps.com/news/2001rate.htm
Award Updates
For a complete update on the Caldecott/Newbery Awards check out Youth Services materials prepared by Sue McCleaf Nespeca at:
http://www.nolanet.org/tdn/issue209.htm
To see all the winners go to: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awards.html
ORE on the Web
Ohio Library Council is pleased to announce that its newest on-line
learning program, ORE on the WEB, is now available at http://www.olc.org/
This interactive program allows users to learn and practice basic reference interview skills and features stories and photos from public libraries
across Ohio.
Electric Choice
Information on how consumers will benefit from the competition in the
electric utility market. How to chose a supplier, what questions to ask....
http://www.ohioelectricchoice.com/
Items submitted by:
Paul Pormen - Email
Interim Executive Director
NOLA Regional Library System
|
INFOhio PREVIEW 2001
Online access to 130+ resources from January 15 to March 15, 2001. This year's program allows Ohio educators, students, and parents to preview electronic resources from numerous vendors via the Internet and at no charge! To visit each vendor's products, follow a path from the INFOhio Web site
http://www.infohio.org/. A link takes previewers to a vendor page with a button to the preview site, any username/password required, product overview, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for technical support and product information.
The ABCs of ABCs:
A look at 26 of the most innovative alphabet books around from School Library Journal
(SLJ)
Best Books 2000:
From the more than 4000 books reviewed in SLJ's pages this past year, the editors selected 60
titles
|
| From
the Field - Brad Stephens |
Website
Accessibility
Due to the recent passage of Federal legislation it is advisable that all schools and public libraries evaluate the accessibility of their web sites for persons with disabilities. One free and very effective way to conduct such an evaluation is using a service called Bobby from the Center for Applied Special Technologies (CAST). By visiting the Bobby page at
http://www.cast.org/bobby/ you’ll be able to enter the URL of a web page and receive an instant analysis of the accessibility of that page for persons using special web browser software, such as screen readers. Included in the analysis will be a series of suggestions to make your site more accessible. Once a site meets the Bobby requirements the Bobby Approved logo can be added to the front page. Be aware that some of the suggestions will be technical and members can contact the NOLA office if there are any questions.
Also be sure to read the upcoming issue of NOLA Notes, which has a lengthy article on increasing accessibility of computer workstations for disabled patrons.
|
Suggested Changes for Public Library and School Web Sites
Due to rapidly evolving legal requirements in Ohio, NOLA suggests that public library members add the following links to a section of their web site. Please be aware that this list of sites will change regularly as more State services are made available electronically. Please email Brad
Stephens [[email protected]] if you have any questions, or would like to be notified about updates to this list.
Information on Gas and Electric Choice Programs
All
about UCITA
If you’re not familiar with UCITA take a few minutes to review Vicki
Gregory’s article in Online “UCITA: What Does It Mean for
Libraries?” which discusses the impact of UCITA and what it means to all
of us as information professionals.
“So
why should library and information professionals be particularly
concerned? They have a very good reason: UCITA applies to and affects many
aspects of contract law as applied to electronic materials. With the
increasing use by librarians of leased, rather than purchased, electronic
materials, UCITA will be as important as, or even more important than,
copyright law to librarians and information professionals. This article
will provide background information about UCITA and the possible
consequences its passage in your state could have on your library or
information center's ability to deliver electronic resources to your
clients.”
Read more: http://www.onlineinc.com/onlinemag/OL2001/gregory1_01.html
Urban Legends and Internet Hoaxes
Wired published a short article discussing the continuing trend of email-based Urban Legends and examines one of the latest variants.
“Computer viruses will just trash your hard drive, but the snail-mailed variety can maim or kill humans, according to an e-mail that's once again making its way around the Internet. And there's no anti-virus program for people yet.”
Urban legends, Internet chain letters and the like described in this article are becoming increasingly common on the Internet, and it seems that a week never passes that some new hoax doesn’t find it’s way into my mailbox.
When something like this does show up in my inbox the first thing I do is visit one of
the following sites to determine the origin and validity of the message. (Please note that as with many email hoaxes these sites may contain content that is objectionable to some
readers.)
The last site mentioned not only contains
lists and descriptions of hoaxes, but also discusses both how people can recognize email hoaxes and examines the impact of such hoaxes. Staff members may want to take some time to review these resources, as they can serve as an excellent source of information to handle questions from concerned patrons; and remember when evaluating any resource; always verify
the source!
Items submitted by:
Brad Stephens - Email
NOLA Regional Library System
|
|
