Next Generation of Librarians

Dear Diary,

Meet Ms. Dewey

www.msdewey.com

Call it the anti-Google: the background's a futuristic cityscape, the site's all in Flash, and it's hosted by an animated, wisecracking character named Ms. Dewey.

Ms. Dewey is pre-loaded with clever and often cheeky responses to search queries --ask for her phone number, for instance, and see what happens. Ms. Dewey pulls her results from Windows Live Search, and seems like a big fan of Microsoft's hit video game Halo --not surprising, since she's an employee of Microsoft.

The site, put together by San Francisco-based design shop Evolution Bureau, is part of a Microsoft ad campaign, according to the company, although Microsoft is not currently mentioned anywhere on the site.

Ms. Dewey is reminiscent of previously popular viral ad sites like Burger King's Subservient Chicken, but considerably slicker, and actress Janina Gavankar is a lot more appealing than a guy in a chicken suit. http://blogs.forbes.com/digitaldownload/2006/10/meet_ms_dewey.html

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(We have found a few other shall we say "Ahem...interesting responses" using keywords that will not be posted on this blog) But one cool keyword phrase was "video games" she starts playing one. When I first pulled it up she was jamming to her iPod. Too funny!

Breaking & Entering

Dear Diary,

I am by no means a MORNING PERSON!!! So when I made a concentrated effort to get to work early only to discover the automatic doors were locked; I was a bit miffed. Some other ladies explained they don't open until 7:30? Ugh...ummm...that is over a half hour from now. So I paced back and forth and recalled how when I worked in the Law Library, students and faculty, with an I.D. could get in 24 hours a day. And the same with all of my other library jobs; I could get in anytime day or night with the key and/or alarm code.

Since I am not a morning person, my brain was sleep trying to get 5 more minutes of rest so it was not helping. I paced back and forth and considered returning home. Thought about going over to the Law Library, then remembered a special skill I possess of breaking and entering. I grew up in "Da Hood" it was a survival technique. That is my story and I am sticking to it. So Viola! Once in my office I did leave messages for my managers asking if there is an accepted manner to gain entry after hours to our office.

It would be rather embarrassing to get fired for Breaking into your Job!
I love this place what can I say?

Verbots, Chatbot & African Library Automations

Dear Diary,

Busy busy day. I have learned a lot today and shared a lot of information as well. Most interesting thing I learned today was about Chatbots. This is a 35 minute podcast about a german chatbot service by Anne Christensen discussed at an ACCESS conference. This chatbot is named Stella and has gotten marriage proposals, been asked to remove her clothes to which she asks if the user is a medical student and if they would like to be directed to medical sites? Ha! http://www.access2006.uottawa.ca/?page_id=10
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The above has had been greatly helpful as a MARKETING TOOL even though it was originally planned to help with Information Literacy.
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I had written about Verbots in 2000. So I shared that information with my co-workers. Verbots in the Library" presented by David Bennett of Robert Morris College Library, Pittsburgh. A "verbot" is a verbal robot, and, in this case, the verbot is a computer animation with speech synthesis that understands natural language queries.

Bennett talked Virtual Personalities Inc. into giving his library a free copy of their verbot software, including the character Sylvie, a sassy young woman with attitude. Bennett set her up on a PC with dual monitors near the reference area to answer directional questions.

Because Sylvie can open Windows-based programs, she goes beyond giving verbal replies to queries; she can respond to a policy question by opening a Word document or to a request for a Pittsburgh map by opening a Web page from MapQuest. Bennett showed how easy it is to script questions and answers into Sylvie's database and how to change her facial expressions.

When asked what impact Sylvie has had on his library, Bennett said that no workflow study had been done, but the staff had had a lot of fun scripting Sylvie and the library's image on campus had been enhanced. Click this link for more information.

For more current information on Verbots,
see here: http://www.verbots.com/products.php
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Also, I shared information on a Tanzanian library automation project.
African Countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Tanzania

The Mortenson Center for International Library Programs at the University of Illinois Library at Urbana- Champaign has received a three-year, $499,900 grant from the Carnegie Corporation. Seven African grantee university institutions have been chosen to receive funds and assistance with incorporating fully automated online catalog and computer- based library management system through trainings and set- up of technical support and communication systems: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/mortenson/Documents/Carnegie_Press.htm

One Potato ...Two Potato...

Dear Diary,

I volunteered to test all of the electronic resources using the Internet Explorer 7 Browser. In theory, it seemed like a wonderful idea. I explained that it would be a great learning experience for me to ensure that I get experience with the collection and become more familiar with the available resources.

I would like to stress the "in theory" portion in the above entry.
I checked 50 today. I am starting with the e-journals. I have scheduled a meeting with people in my department to discuss how to go about testing the databases. God help me. I must be insane because outher than my eyes getting crossed...I am actually learning a lot and identifying useful resources.

Luckily, the team has agreed that I can just check groups by providers since the same providers will have the same problems regardless of the journal/database. Phew!

Blogs, Blogs and More Blogs

Dear Diary,

Been cheating on you with other blogs. I am creating a blog for my department and there is a lot more involved in making sure all the users' needs are met and the level of professionalism is guarded and the templates can be customized, etc....

So basically after blogging all day long, I have not been blogging for fun. But these are some of the ones I have narrowed the choices down to:

From Wordpress
On the above website, I like the 2 examples:
Like the TOP images here and
3D effect here.
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The team loves the layout here.
But it is a webpage, and we are more interested in the ease of updating offered by blogs.
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Separately, I have been working on Marketing Ideas for RefWorks. I plan to combine a few concepts the team likes:

We like the puzzle piece ideathat RefWorks uses but they don't allow us to edit the posters:


So instead I want to create my own poster using my theme "Refworks to the Rescue" keeping with our lifesaver theme. So I thought it would cool to use the puzzle pieces concept but have the image be a Life Saver. I found this really cute puzzle piece image on the Web Group's site. We want to do something like this.
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In a separate Blogosphere I found this link that discusses Cost Benefit Analysis of Institutional Repositories. I passed it along to our IDR team, since they are drafting the final report replete with a "Chinese Menu of Choices A, B & C."
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Also, I am working on my focus group. Since I am Chair of the ERSA-Minor Committee, I have been learning a lot about how complex planning is. I have these grand ideas that are labor-intensive. For example we wanted to offer $20 gift certificates for the Bookstore. Well, who knew I'd have to report the names and S.S.N.s of all recipients and then they'd have to pay taxes on them. Good Grief. One alternative is the buy sweatshirts, hats or T-shirts that can be exchanged at the Bookstore, but then that requires deciding on colors and sizes and then they may need to exchange it which is more like a dis-incentive if you ask me. Ugh!!

So now I am trying to figure out the payment methods and delivery options. Again, that seems like it would be a simple task, but if we use a restaurant that is not part of a national chain, I need to complete a Food Permit request that will need to be aapproved by Risk Management to ensure that restaurant has not had any health incidents, etc...I reserved the room, that was about the only simple task so far. Oh well, I am gaining lots of experience. This has been an incredible learning exercise. And it helps to know that a lot of faculty I ask for assistance have not dealt with these issues so it is encouraging to know I can now serve as a resource for someone considering a similar venture in the future.
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In addition, I have to prepare for my annual review. I had to print a copy of my 5 articles I have published since I began here. And I added copies of emails pertaining to future publication dates for 7 more.

It's a Plane...It's a Bird...It's Priests on Trikes!

Dear Diary,

I absolutely love this place and not just because of the impressive season of our Football team, but our priests are pretty impressive.

This article was on the news:

Priests Peddle For Cancer Research

A new twist in the fight against Cancer as people gather for an unusual competition on the campus of Notre Dame.

Those taking part, priests, who put their pride aside to raise money for Relay For Life.

Complete with their own pace car and checkered flag at the finish line, a handful of Notre Dame priests put their peddle power to the test Monday on tricycles.

Fr. Jerry Neyrey says, "I expect to come in last."Neyrey is one of the racers raising money for Relay For Life.

Neyrey says, "I'm a cancer survivor, so I have extra interest in raising money for fighting cancer."

This creative fund raiser called "Priests on Wheels" was quite funny for those in the crowd.

Sister Ann Joggin got quite a kick watching these "holy rollers" cut across campus on three wheels.

Sister Joggin says, "Some of these were my teachers when I studied in Boston that now teach here and some are my colleagues. They're willing to make fools of themselves for a good cause and have fun doing it."

Fr. Dan Parrish, C.S.C. says, "I guess it's rather odd."Parrish, the priest with the fastest feet, says this race will help them connect with students on campus.

Fr. Parrish, C.S.C. says, "They see us around in other things, on the altar in the Basilica, see us presiding mass, and then come and see us on a tricycle, a little disconnect there but it's good. It's for a good cause."

Thomas Mueller, a Notre Dame student says, "It's great entertainment. These are all guys that we see around campus and teaching classes and everything. It's nice to see them outside the classroom."

The woman behind this friendly tricycle competition among fathers, Deb Patterson, is a throat Cancer survivor. The manager of the campus coffeehouse is happy everyone had so much fun while raising much needed money for Cancer research at the same time.

Deb Patterson says, "These priests are the greatest."Patterson says she will continue raising money for Relay For Life the next couple months. But by far, this was her most unique and talked about fund raiser.http://www.fox28.com/News/index.php?ID=5835

1st of Many

Dear Diary,

Reference Reviews
Volume 20 Number 7
2006 pp. 21-22

I got my first review published. Yippee!