What’s the best way to come up with a name for something on your website that you’re not sure what to call? Ask the website’s users. The WCCLS did just that regarding the its subscription databases/other electronic content after first labeling them “Periodicals.”

The responders chose the term “Online Resources” as their first choice at almost twice the rate
of their second choice “Research Databases.” It hasn’t changed yet, but I’m guessing that WCCLS will respond to this choice.

Trying to come up with the right terminology for a library website isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be all guess work either. Asking even just a few people about a term is better than asking no one. This applies not only to labels on our websites, but also what to call our services. For more on usable library terms, see Library Terms That Users Understand.

Now for the fun stuff. One of the best parts about the report about the WCCLS’ study was an addendum titled “A Casual List Of The Most Creative Names Suggested.” These patron generated terms are presented here for your enjoyment:

• All-encompassing Awesome Information
• Brainfood at Your Fingertips
• Cornucopia of Information - You need it, we got it!
• Dewey’s Concoction
• Everything But the Kitchen Sink
• Everything You Need to Know About Anything
• it is what it is
• Just about everything else category
• Lots ‘a good stuff
• MOC (Misc. online crap)
• Reference Rainbow
• Regular Publications of Just About Everything Useful
• Some of Everything
• Stuff you need to know
• The best info spot around
• TMI - Too Much Info

→ First there was the Aargh Page, a cool infographic of the word’s spelling. Now we have even better graphs for Oh Shiit and Daamn.

→ citation needed shirt

→ earbud JACK keeps your headphones untangled

Ok, so the *last* thing I ever expected to blog about is a children’s book but I came across one in the library yesterday that I liked so much I want more people to know about it. It is titled Not a Box and is about a little rabbit with an active imagination. The story is nice, but I was immediately taken with the design of the book.

Each two page spread consists of a short sentence set in a simple sans typeface accompanied by a minimal line drawing. The way the author uses space really complements the message of letting one’s imagination wander just like the book’s brown paper bag dust jacket is reminiscent of the book’s box.

The book was a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner for 2007 and ALA Notable Children’s Books Winner. Antoinette Portis also wrote Not a Stick which I’m going to put on reserve.

Young babies and toddlers can sometimes be loud in the library. They scream and run around, often disrupting real patrons’ placid library experience. Parents have no control. These little menaces really have no place in our buildings. NO BABIES OR TODDLERS IN THE LIBRARY!!

Is there any library that would dare post this sign or slide down this slippery slope thought process? No library would post a sign like this, but plenty of library think like this, right? Replace “babies” with “cell phones” and see what happens.

Cell phones can sometimes be loud in the library. They ring loudly, often disrupting patrons’ placid library experience. People have no control. These little menaces really have no place in our buildings. NO CELL PHONES IN THE LIBRARY!!

Not too far from what we really see in practice, eh?

The point that I’m sure I’ve written about here before is that if librarians are going to take up this issue they need to concentrate on patron behavior, not specific devices. These devices can be used silently in a multitude of ways, just like babies and toddlers can be in the library without screaming. And if *gasp* on occasion a baby screams or someone’s phone plays the “La Macarena,” so what? It is simply part of this wonderful and sometimes messy existence in the Public. If you wouldn’t dare put up a sign like the one above, you similarly shouldn’t put up such a sign about a phone. After all, more people enter your building with a phone than a baby. Won’t somebody please think of the cell phones?

Note: This morning I had the idea to start a repository of good, positive signage for libraries. I might still make some signs that people can use to replace their crummy, mean signs in the upcoming days but I got sidetracked with this!

→ Zkimmer
Browse magazines with Google Maps controls. It actually works pretty well.

→ The hours of operation are perhaps not the sexiest aspect of a library website, but they are nonetheless a “killer app,” providing a small, crucial bit of information for your users. Great intro to the article Using Google Calendar to Manage Library Website Hours in the Code4Lib Journal

→ Line Game
My favorite time killer since Line Rider. I feel like a lab rat. Every time I fail I get so mad and have to try again. And again.

→ The importance of the mobile web
A fantastic post by Fiona Bradley. I like it because the content is valuable. I like it because she lays it all out in a clear and professional way.

→ Adidas no.74 concept store
Here’s a case of a company knowing their market. Adidas is connecting to their community, so to speak, through a low key and underground design aesthetic. Even before customers enter the store they’re being told that Adidas understands them and that they’re on common ground. What does this do? It increases brand allegiance. I’m not suggesting that libraries necessarily open up graffiti covered storefronts with no signage, but rather that we think about connecting with our communities - physical and otherwise - on this level.

What: Gaming (& Gadgets!) Night
Where: CIL 2008, Jefferson Room
When: Sunday, April 6th, 5:30-8:00 pm
How much: FREE
Who: You and other people interested in gaming

Jenny Levine and I have given a few gaming workshops at past Computers in Libraries and Internet Librarian conferences. After the sessions we’ve opened up the room to anyone interested in playing some games and/or learning about gaming. It’s proven to be a popular and really fun time, so this year Information Today has turned the post-workshop gameplay into a featured event. With refreshments even!

We’ve assembled an impressive array of games!

Systems: Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, and Xbox 360. We’ll also have two Nintendo DS handhelds.

Games: Wii Sports, DDR, Hotel Dusk, Guitar Hero III, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Wario Smooth Moves, whatever you bring, and Rock Band.

Since we’ll have three systems going at once, we’re opening up the option of an honest to goodness tournament with prizes. You probably want to know which game, huh? Well, it’s up to you. Sign up in the comments here or at a page we’ve created on the CIL08 wiki titled CIL08 Gaming Night to play Rock Band, Guitar Hero, or DDR. We’ll play whichever game gets the most signups!

In addition, Chris Harris is bringing some modern board games. Bring your own games, bring your latest shiny, new gadgets, and we’ll see you Sunday night!

For Aaron.

Originally uploaded by hilweber

Yeah, I’ve got some deadlines to meet. But you know what? Sometimes taking a break to play in Photoshop is just what I need to get on track.

Ever since Stephen Abram mentioned the 100 best opening lines from novels list from the American Book Review I wanted to put them into some sort of image. Mostly because I enjoy looking at vast canvases of Helvetica.

Today was the day. It looks only okay shrunken down here, but laser printed at its full tabloid size of 11″x17″ [15.21 MB - wow] it looks pretty nice. If you want to print it but aren’t crazy about the background color, I’ve uploaded a Photoshop file for you: firstlines.psd [7.27MB].

If you print of it, I’d love to see a photo of it hanging up.

Jackson County, Oregon needs their library to teach some information literacy classes, that’s for sure.

Earlier this week, a man’s house was ransacked because of a prank and a severe lack of information literacy. Someone posted fake ads on Craigslist informing the world that the man’s possessions were up for grabs:

“I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff back,” Salisbury said. “They showed me the Craigslist printout and told me they had the right to do what they did.”

The driver sped away after rebuking Salisbury. On his way home he spotted other cars filled with his belongings.

Once home he was greeted by close to 30 people rummaging through his barn and front porch.

The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off. “They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was true,” Salisbury said. “It boggles the mind.”[emphasis mine]

If you remember, on April 6th, 2007 Jackson County Library Services closed because of a lack of money. See what happens?

The libraries have since reopened under the management of the private company LSSI.

LISNewster extraordinare Blake asked me to take part in a conversation for LISTen, the LISNews podcast. The topic was the flap caused by downsizing at the Wausau Public Library in Wisconsin and the convo participants included Andrea Mercado and Nate Hill. Here’s a link to episode #12 of LISTen which was a good discussion, if I do say so myself.

I was already familiar with Andrea’s work but hadn’t yet seen Nate’s blog which is titled Catch and Release. After taking a look I subscribed straightaway. He reports on a Brooklyn Public Library fundraiser filled with 20-30somethings and booze, and also shows us his neat looking org chart displaying where a library website could fit:

More, please!