The Right Tool for the Job

My Dad always insisted that we use the right tool for the job. You don't open a paint can with a screwdriver, for example. The other day my wife and I got an e-mail invitation to a birthday party. It contained a link to RSVP, but since the invitation was a pdf file (basically a picture) the link was not clickable. We couldn't copy it and paste it into our browser either. Instead, we had to type it in the browser's address bar, but it was something like "www.invitation.com/hbntrxypytragkly/. Several typos were made. Once we reached the site, there was a list of all the other attendees and, in very tiny font, a link to RSVP. But first we needed to create an account with a username and password. Instead, we went back to the original e-mail, clicked once on the Reply button and sent, "Thanks, we'll be there." Done.

That was too much work and too many steps for something that should have been simple and straightforward. And I'll bet that it took the sender longer to create the account, compose the list of addressees, write and send the message than it would have been to do it straight from her e-mail address book.

Technology can often help make things easier and it's tempting to use a new tool because it's cool and different. But don't make me jump through too many hoops. My time is precious.

Don't just blog there -- say something.

The first rule of blogging is "have something to say." For the last two and a half months, I've been thinking about what to say and I've concluded that the purpose of this blog has changed.

Before I started my new job as site manager at Polaris Library Systems, I tried to blog whenever I ran across something that I thought would be useful or interesting to my readers. To find these tidbits, I spent at least half an hour each day doing current awareness activities; reading blogs, newsletters, RSS feeds, listservs, websites, etc. Things move fast in library technology and I felt it was critical to keep up as best I could.

The first two weeks at Polaris were overwhelming. The popular expression is "drinking from a fire hose." The site manager is the primary contact for Polaris customers and is the liaison between technical support and customer sites. I've been told that it takes two to three months just to get a handle on everything and six months to become really productive.

Polaris is a complex integrated library system (ILS) and the site managers come in contact with everything. The public library where I worked had been on Polaris for about a year and half, but I had only used a very small part of the system. Now I was trying to learn several new software programs, figure out the workflow and learn everyone's name. The biggest challenge was Structured Query Language (SQL), a key part of the job. If you want some information from the database, you can't just type in, "I want a list of the library's holds notices for items that are missing." A special computer language has to be used and the query must follow a structure. I was new to this and felt like I was back in high school geometry. But I did a SQL query last week that I couldn't have done two months ago.

For those first two weeks at Polaris, I didn't do my current awareness at all. Partly, I didn't need it for what I was doing and, after working intensively with a computer all day, I just couldn't face one in the evening. As my comfort level with the job has increased, I've gradually been reading my information resources more frequently. But I don't think I'm going to rely on them as a source for my blog posts.

In the past, I found things to blog about as a result of my current awareness activities. Since that's not a big part of my current job, I'm not running into them anymore. So the blog will change. Future postings will not be as frequent as they used to be and will cover other things that I'm interested in, such as folk music, acoustic guitars, books and who knows what else. I think so now, anyway.

A Good Day with Paul Harvey

In my previous career as television cameraman, I sometimes rubbed elbows with celebrities. In 1978, I had barely started my first job at WTAJ in Altoona, PA, when Paul Harvey came to town. While doing genealogical research, he discovered that some of his ancestors with the surname of Arendt came from the nearby town of Hollidaysburg. In front of the Blair County courthouse is a war memorial monument displaying the name of one of his forebears. Paul came to have a look. Since I was working solo that day and had no professional training as a journalist, I didn't know what to ask him. Our assignment editor told me, "Ask him why he thinks his approach has stayed popular even now when more journalism is becoming more investigative and hard-hitting." Paul replied that he always looked forward to coming into work each day and checking the wires to see what interesting things people had been up to. He was very gracious with his time and even posed for a photo with me, grabbing the microphone and, turning the tables, jokingly said, "How about me asking you some tough questions, now, Dave? What about your style of journalism?" I regret that I've lost the picture. But my mother still lives in Hollidaysburg and I sometimes drive past that monument and think about that good day.

My Brilliant Career, Part 2

Soon I'll be entering a new chapter in my library career. I'll be leaving Liverpool Library and, starting in March, working for Polaris Library Systems here in Liverpool. The position is site manager, which is similar to tech support, for the libraries that use their system. This will be the most challenging thing I've ever done. The job is very fast-paced and requires knowledge of SQL, which will be new to me.

I thought a long time about making this move. When I started my career in libraries, I told myself that I would take advantage of opportunities that presented themselves. Polaris has an excellent reputation among its customers and in the industry. They added 60 libraries last year and are expanding into Canada. I know several people there and they love it.

I feel lucky to have had to chance to work here. Many of the things I learned made me an attractive job candidate. I've experimented with new technologies and worked with some talented people. Daily reference work can be very satisfying and I'll miss the "regulars" who smile and wave when they come in. I've been full-time here for almost ten years. Everyone is happy for me but sorry to see me leave. This will still be my home library so I'll see the staff members regularly.

This blog will probably change, too. My blog content is automatically posted on the Liverpool Library's website, and I've tried to keep it related to libraries and technology. In the future, I may expand my posts into other areas that interest me. It may become more personal, too. Stay tuned!

Using Caution with USB Drives

USB drives, sometimes known as thumb drives or flash drives, are popular for storing and transporting data. They are small, inexpensive, and have much more capacity than floppy disks. But these characteristics also make them appealing to hackers.

An attacker can use your USB drive to infect other computers. He can install a malicious program, or malware, on a computer that can detect when a USB drive is plugged in. The malware then copies that malicious code onto the drive. When that USB drive is plugged into another computer, the malware infects that computer.

To help protect yourself, use passwords and encryption on your USB drive, and make sure that you have the information backed up. Keeping your antivirus and firewall up-to-date can also help you stay safe.

More USB security tips from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team can be found here.

Downloadable Audio Books How-to

On Thursday, January 29, Daveman will demonstrating the OverDrive downloadable audiobooks service. The county libraries offer free audiobooks and music that you can download to your home computer, mp3 player or iPod. This demonstration will show you how to search the digital catalog, download the books, then transfer them to a portable player. We'll meet at 1:00 p.m. in the Carman Room. Please register using the library's online events calendar.

I'm Feeling Good, too!

Last month I told about a mysterious card and photo I received here at the library. I sent that post to the Feel Good Librarian, who uses her blog to talk about the rewards of being a librarian. She was kind enough to put it on her blog. Today I see that one of my heroes, Michael Stephens, has pointed to it from his blog, Tame the Web. I'm glad that story is making the rounds. I still feel good when I reread that post, and today I feel better than ever!

Another Day, Another Scam

Lately I've been getting e-mail messages that claim to be from Classmates.com, a social networking site that helps you contact your high school or college classmates. The senders are different, but they all say the same thing:

"With pride and joy we invite you to share a special day in our lives and join us for the Class Reunion on Friday, January 16th 2009. Bring the gang from Our High School back together again! Great party - from start to finish!"

I was suspicious of these right away because they don't mention a specific high school. Also, I graduated from high school in 1970. That's 39 years ago - not a typical reunion year. Finally, there's a link in these messages for more details that points to a video. It starts with "http://video.classmates.etc." This all adds up to bad news. Clicking this link could open your computer to a takeover. Never click a link in an e-mail message from a stranger. If you want to contact your high school friends, go to Classmates and set up an account.

Airline Ticket E-mail Scam

The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has issued an alert for an e-mail scam targeting holiday travelers. The message looks like it has been sent from a legitimate airline and mentions an airline ticket and credit card balance due. Attached to the message is a file that appears to be a ticket and an invoice. Opening this attachment will install a malicious program on your computer. Always be careful with e-mail messages that contain attachments. There are more details in this article.

Medicine for the Soul

"Medicine for the Soul" -- Inscription over the door of the library at Thebes

Here's a link to a recent story from MSNBC about public libraries. It asserts that, due to the economy, libraries have become busier than ever before. Our library has always been like a beehive. On our first visit (before I started working here) my wife and were stunned to find no vacant seats. It was Sunday afternoon and the place was like a tornado.

In addition to offering "free" books, computers, DVDs, and CDs, we've tried to make the library more of a community center. We have music concerts and show feature films. We have a series of storytimes for kids, computer classes, and book discussion groups for all ages. We also partner with several community groups to hold programs here. All this adds up to about 1200 people through the doors every day. It gets a little slower during the holidays, but there are always people waiting outside when the doors open.

One personal note: in my previous career, I used to work with this reporter, Chris Jansing, at a television station in Albany, NY. I was glad to see her do this piece, but I want to go on the record that I had nothing to do with persuading her to do it!

More Grinchiness

Cnet News is reporting that holiday coupon e-mails from familiar companies may be malicious code in disguise. This article, "Worm uses familiar brands to lure people," has a screen shot of one of the messages. The address in the 'From' field appears to be legitimate, but these can be easily spoofed. Always be careful about e-mail messages from people you don't know, especially if they include attachments.

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!

Nothing says 'Christmas' like "Bot-wielding hackers crash eBay holiday giveaway."

Learn to Use the New Library Catalog

The library has a new state-of-the-art online catalog! I'll be doing a demonstration on Wednesday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sargent Meeting Room. I'll show you the catalog's innovative features, including easy-to-use search tools, customized reading lists, RSS feeds and much more. Please join us for a look at the latest in library technology. To register, please visit the library's Events Calendar.

Go ahead, make my day!

Yesterday I received an envelope in my mailbox here at the library. I didn't recognize the name on the return address. Inside was a picture of a young boy I didn't know. His name was on the photo along with a message from his parents welcoming him to their family. Mystified, I opened the enclosed card. A handwritten message read, "Thank you for your notary services. The final documents enabled us to finish the adoption of our wonderful son. We are so glad to have him home and are grateful to the many people who helped us complete the journey." During a typical day, I may perform lots of notaries. I didn't remember this family, but now I'll never forget them.

Mac OS X targeted by Trojan

I switched to a Mac computer because there is very little malware for it. Malware is a catchall term for viruses, Trojans, spyware, Blue Meanies and all sorts of nasty stuff that can get on your computer and make you sad.

But lately, we've been seeing more articles like this one from ZDNet; Mac OS X targeted by Trojan and backdoor tool. According to the article, this bad guy is found on adult websites, posing as a program needed to play video files. (This technique is used to trick the user into downloading and installing the Trojan.) But in the future it could become common on other sites, too. Always be careful about downloading free software, such as a viewer or a game, or agreeing to a free computer scan. These things are almost always big trouble.

Back in May of 2007 I posted about another reason I'm glad I switched to the Mac.

Would Henry Higgins Approve?

Recently, Walter Mossberg wrote an article in his Personal Technology blog about Wi-Fi Internet service for cars titled, "Wi-Fi on Wheels Is Steady, but Has a Speed Bump."

While reading his description of a router that can be installed in car trunks, I was brought up short by this sentence: "This router looks like a military device, because it is ruggedized to survive jolts and vibrations..." Ruggedized??? That couldn't really be a word, could it? It sounded like slangy gobbledygook to me, similar to the term Woody Allen used to describe a rock concert when he said, "It achieved total heaviosity." But this was Walter Mossberg, tech guru of the Wall Street Journal. Surely he wouldn't use jargon like that. And of course he didn't. When I see a word that I don't know or have suspicions about, I go to Google and type "define" (without the quotes) and then the word. In this case, the search results brought up links to several online dictionaries, all of which assured me that "ruggedized" is indeed a word that means, "the act of making a piece of equipment rugged (strengthening to resist wear or abuse)." The Free Online Dictionary listed the related term, "ruggedization," as a synonym. To satisfy my curiosity, I checked the Oxford English Dictionary print edition, which also defined ruggedization as "the action or process of making something rugged."

In a disturbing development, the OED says "heaviosity" is really a word, too.