Laptops: They're not dead yet

Guess who's in the market for a new laptop computer?

Figure 1. Photo of a Nexus 7 with a keyboard case. Be honest: Would you want to type an entire research paper on this tiny thing?

"But Michelle," you're probably thinking, "why in the world do you want to drop several hundred dollars on a laptop when you just bought a tablet? You must be a complete moron!"

While the latter may be true, I'm going to go ahead and put this out there: A tablet is not a replacement for a laptop.

Think of it this way: Would you type an eight-page essay on a 7-inch tablet – even a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard? Would you search Valdosta's databases and do other in-depth research projects on a tablet? And what about Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and all your other favorite programs? Are you willing to let go of them – or use smaller app-store replacements with fewer features – forever?

I'm not the first person to notice that a tablet isn't the ultimate laptop killer. Consumer Reports (2011) points out that while the less-bulky tablet works great for reading magazines, watching movies, and playing games, a laptop excels when it comes to business activities, transferring data, and typing long documents. Check out the full (and cheesy) video here:

Figure 2. This Consumer Reports video, retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJZDel95WU, highlights the advantages and disadvantages of tablets and laptops (Consumer Reports, 2011).

Additionally, Pew Research Center (2013) reports that 61% of American adults owned laptops as of April 2012, up from 57% in August 2011. Even though laptops aren't experiencing the swift, sharp boom in popularity that tablets have in recent years, laptops are still more common – for now.

At any rate, don't throw out your laptops just yet, librarians (and librarians-to-be). Trust me on this one.

References

Consumer Reports. (2011, October 31). Tablet vs. laptop: Advice from Consumer Reports [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJZDel95WU

Pew Research Center. (2013). Device ownership. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Device-Ownership.aspx

LIS Technology: An Interactive Chronology

Although the term "information technology" often brings to mind images of computers and glossy gadgets, sometimes a technological development can be as simple as a piece of paper. This multimedia timeline details several centuries’ worth of innovations that have impacted the LIS field, starting in 3000 B.C. with the first written records and ending with the gadgets of today.

To view my chronology assignment, click here.

I put together this presentation using a fun interactive tool, TimelineJS. I highly recommend it; the script has even made an appearance or two on our website at work!

(If you are using an older browser that can't handle interactives, you can view the slides in a PDF here.)

Face to Facebook

Ah, Facebook. It's a magical place where you can post a photo of your new Snuggie, spy on the mean-girl clique from high school, and even read a news story about how your annoying ex-principal was arrested for shoplifting a rotisserie chicken (true story).

But schadenfreude and unlimited cat memes aren't the only things Facebook has to offer. Social-networking sites have plenty of practical uses – ones that libraries have embraced.

Figure 1. Screenshot of the Atlanta-
Fulton Public Library System's Facebook
page, https://www.facebook.com/afpls

In a recent South Carolina State Library survey of library staff members across the country, 86.6% of respondents said their libraries use social-networking sites (Rogers, 2012). Respondents also said they use Web. 2.0 tools primarily for the following activities:

• Promotion of "general library services" (87.6%), as well as marketing adult programs (72.1%) and children's programs (62.2%)
• Giving "quick updates" to patrons (75.3%)
• Widening their audience and drawing in new patrons (54.4%)
• Sending press releases (39.5%)

The most popular social-networking site was – you guessed it! – Facebook, with a whopping 88.8% of respondents saying their library has an account. Twitter came in a distant second, at 46.8%.

So, does all that social networking actually make an impact? Are librarians just wasting their time? They don't seem to think so. Those surveyed gave social networks a score of 3.7 out of 5 for "effectiveness toward achieving marketing campaign and/or promotion goals" (Rogers, 2012, p. 4).

Granted, I don't work at a library, but here's my 2 cents: Social networking is a fantastic tool for spreading the word about services, but don't go too crazy with it. Here are some tips I try to keep in mind when I'm posting on behalf of an organization or business:

• Don't be annoying. I tune out whenever someone I follow posts Facebook or Twitter updates every five minutes. Try to gauge what your audience can handle, and stick to that post frequency.
• Engage! If someone asks a question, respond and be helpful. They'll love it.
• Use a conversational tone. (Let's not reinforce any of those ridiculous negative stereotypes about librarians!)
• Use different types of media. Remember, you can post videos and photos on many social-networking sites in addition to the usual text updates.
• Think outside the box. Try posting a photo of something that's going on behind the scenes, or encourage patrons to participate in a fun activity like a contest or quiz.  

How does your library use social networking? Do the South Carolina State Library survey results ring true?

References

Rogers, C. R. (2012, February 29). Social media, libraries, and Web 2.0: How American libraries are using new tools for public relations and to attract new users – fourth annual survey November 2011. Retrieved from http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/docs/pr/201202_com_social_media_survey_dec_2011.pdf

Wi-Fi for all?

Last month, my husband and I stopped by a local pub to grab a bite. When I was feeling fat and happy, I had one of those Oh, crud! (well, not exactly my words at the time, but I’d like to keep this blog family-friendly) moments when I remembered I had to check on something for work. Luckily, I had my tablet with me, so I just hopped onto the bar’s free Wi-Fi to read my email. Off-handedly, I asked my husband, “Do you think they’ll ever have, like, free Wi-Fi everywhere?”

A couple days later, this article appeared in the Washington Post. Maybe I’m psychic (or maybe I’m just addicted to the Internet and need to spend more time thinking about other things).

Anyway, here’s the gist of the story: According to Kang (2013), The Federal Communications Commission is looking into building a nationwide Wi-Fi network, though it would take years to make the project a reality. The wireless industry obviously isn’t too pleased with the idea, but Google and Microsoft say such a network “would spark an explosion of innovations and devices” (Kang, 2013, para. 2).

There’s another (big) benefit to having a huge network like this, too.

Last semester in MLIS7700, I did a lot of research on the digital divide, or the “troubling gap between those who use computers and the Internet and those who do not” (Mehra et al., 2004, p. 782). According to a recent National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2011) study, 31.8%  of U.S. households do not have broadband Internet access at home, and 28.9% of U.S. households do not have any kind of home Internet access (p. 28). About one-quarter of respondents said they didn’t have broadband access at home because it was “too expensive” (NTIA, 2011, p. 28). I think public Wi-Fi would have a huge impact on bridging that divide.

That’s not to say that I don’t have any concerns, however. Several questions spring to mind:

• How much would this cost, and where would the money come from?
• How secure would the network be?
• Would my personal data be compromised?
• What would the quality/speed of service be like?
• If I prefer my current private broadband provider, could I keep it?
• Would the current telecom companies go out of business? If so, what would happen to those workers?

What do you think? Is universal public Wi-Fi a good idea?

References

Kang, C. (2013, February 3). Tech, telecom giants take sides as FCC proposes large public WiFi networks. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-03/business/36728627_1_wifi-networks-wireless-industry-wireless-networks

Mehri, B., Merkel, C., & Bishop, A. P. (2004). The internet for empowerment of minority and marginalized users. New Media Society, 6, 781-802.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (2011, February). Digital nation: Expanding Internet usage. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/ntia_internet_use_report_february_2011.pdf

Head in the cloud(s)

I need some space. Well, sort of.

I actually have plenty of storage space on my primary computer, a circa-2007 laptop with Windows XP and a keyboard that shorted out in the great Coca-Cola Flood of 2012. (It’s probably time to take this sucker out behind the woodshed and put it out of its misery, but that’s another story.) My computer came with a measly 100 gigabytes of storage space, but I later supplemented that with a 1-terabyte external hard drive. The latter easily holds all my applications, music, photos, movies, documents — really, just about anything — and I still have about 790 gigabytes to spare.

So what’s my problem? Well, I have a tablet with a 32-gigabyte hard drive and an Android smartphone with a 2-gigabyte SD card. Obviously, most of my important files just won’t fit.

Or will they?

Enter cloud computing, or “computing resources provided on demand from remote data centers and delivered over the Internet” (Sorensen and Glassman, 2011, p. 244). With cloud apps, I can compose and store important files online and access them from any of my devices, provided I have an Internet connection. (Luckily, that seems to be about 95% of the time these days, thanks to the popularity of Wi-Fi and 4G.)

So far, I’ve gotten the most use out of the following three cloud-based apps:

1. Google Drive (with Google Docs)

Figure 1. Google Drive app for
Google Nexus 7.

While Google’s website (n.d.) might be overselling this service a bit with its slogan “Keep everything. Share anything,” Google Drive certainly is convenient. Once you sign up for your free Google account, you get 5 gigabytes of storage and the option of adding more space for about $2.50 a month. The service also includes Google Docs, a set of free Web-based applications for word processing, presentations, drawings, spreadsheets, and Web forms. Better yet, the app allows me to share files with other users — a handy feature for group projects for work or school. Basically, Google Drive has eliminated my need for the pricey Microsoft Office suite.

2. Google Music 
OK, I admit it: I’ve become a bit of a Google fangirl. What can I say? Google’s Music app is really cool. The service lets users upload up to 20,000 songs for free. My entire 47.3-gigabyte music collection — about 10,000 MP3s — is now stored in the cloud, and I can play the songs from a Web browser or the Google Music app on my tablet or phone. Now that’s a space-saver!

3. Carbonite
Carbonite is the only cloud-based application that my husband and I have actually paid for. According to Carbonite’s website (n.d.), $59 a year gets you unlimited cloud space to back up all of your important files. Although I’ve already backed up many of my files on external hard drives and mobile devices, it’s nice to know that I also have everything stored safely online, as well.

I’m sure I must be missing something, though. What are your favorite cloud apps? Are there any others I should try? Feel free to make some suggestions in the comments section of this page. I look forward to hearing from you!

References

Carbonite. (n.d.). Carbonite Home online backup. Retrieved from http://www.carbonite.com/en/v2/online-backup/pricing-plans/home

Google. (n.d.). Google Drive. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/intl/en_US/drive/start/index.html

Sorensen, K., & Glassman, N. R. (2011). From desktop to cloud: A primer on Internet-based computing for librarians. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 8(3), 243-255. doi:10.1080/15424065.2011.601991

Ebrary, quite contrary

OK, maybe I was a little too hard on OverDrive last week. The app itself is easy to use and acts as a one-stop shop for library patrons. Like with other e-reader apps (e.g., Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook), you can search, download, and read books straight from your tablet. As for the gaping holes in my public library system’s offerings … well, I assume those will improve over time.

I learned this week, however, that not all e-book apps are quite so intuitive.

This week’s Burke (2009) reading inspired me to explore what Valdosta State has to offer in the way of electronic reference sources, defined as “a bit of a hybrid of periodical databases and e-books” (p. 128). After checking out this instructions page on Valdosta State’s (n.d.) website, I decided to give ProQuest’s ebrary a shot. There was just one problem, though: The instructions seemed dependent on downloading books from a desktop first, then transferring those books to a tablet and reading them in a separate e-reader app (such as Bluefire). Hoping I could avoid these extra steps, I grabbed my trusty tablet and searched the Google Play store for an ebrary app.

Aha!

I downloaded the application, then signed in using my Adobe and ebrary account IDs. After that, I was able to search the database straight from my tablet. Sweet! I thought, and clicked to download a reference book about geisha.

And then the program crashed. That’s what I get for trying to cut corners! (In retrospect, ebrary’s two-star review in the Google Play store probably should have tipped me off.)

Frustrated, I deleted the app and reinstalled it. Again, I had the same problem: Every time I tried to download an e-book, the application would freeze or automatically shut down. Next, I tried to download the title through my tablet’s Web browser. Sadly, all I got was another error message.

Well, then. Maybe I should've just followed the darn instructions.

I ended up doing just that. I accessed the database on my desktop computer. From there, I downloaded the file I wanted, then transferred the e-book to my tablet via a USB cable. Finally, I loaded the book into Bluefire and was able to read it.

Was it worth all the trouble? I’m undecided. I consider myself a fairly tech-savvy person, but I’m as lazy as the next guy. I’m also confident that a typical patron could figure out how to use OverDrive pretty easily but would give up on ebrary after the first couple of error messages.  

References

Burke, J. J. (2009). Neal-Schuman library technology companion: A basic guide for library staff (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.

Valdosta State University. (n.d.). Downloading Odum Library ebooks. Retrieved from http://ww2.valdosta.edu/library/learn/ebookdownload.shtml

Checking out e-books

Well, I finally did it: I figured out how to check out an e-book from my local library.

The process that the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (n.d.) uses is pretty simple (instructions here). First, you create an Adobe ID and then download a free Android app called OverDrive Media Console. Next, you sign in using your library card number and a special PIN that the library provided. From there, you can download books straight to OverDrive for up to 21 days. Not bad!

The system definitely isn't perfect, however.

A recent Pew Internet & American Life Project (2012) report outlines some of the major problems with e-book lending, which include friction with publishers, long wait times, and limited collections. I've already experienced some of these issues firsthand. For example, the library system has only one digital copy of Julie Otsuka's The Buddha in the Attic. I decided to borrow it, but naturally, someone else had checked it out already. Oh, well, I thought. I'll just put my name on the waiting list. Unfortunately, I'm the 72nd person in line, so I guess I'll get to read it in four years or so. Hooray?

Another problem arose when I finished reading Charlaine Harris' Dead Until Dark, the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I searched the catalog for a digital copy Living Dead in Dallas, the next book in the series, but it was nowhere to be found. I then had to choose between driving to the library and checking out a physical copy or shelling out $7 to buy the Kindle version. Unsurprisingly, laziness won out and I am now the proud owner of one Sookie Stackhouse book (and it's not even the first one).

At any rate, I guess the takeaway from this little experiment is that you get what you pay for. Even so, I hope libraries are able to get the funding – and the cooperation of major publishers – to continue to build their e-book collections. Despite the drawbacks, I think e-book lending is a cool service – and one I plan to use quite a bit.

References

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System. (n.d.). Welcome to the next generation of your library's digital collection. Retrieved from http://afpls.lib.overdrive.com/61043988-2BA7-46D1-A3CB-45B4774C4179/10/50/en/NextGen.htm

The Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project. (2012, June 22). Libraries, patrons, and e-books. Retrieved from http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/06/22/part-1-an-introduction-to-the-issues-surrounding-libraries-and-e-books/