Cuil etc

In a followup to yesterday's report about new search engine Cuil, Time magazine mentioned other, cleverer search engines. Ask.com was familiar*, but SearchMe.com was a new one. The Time article says it shows visual images of the search results, in a flippable format "which you can flip like the album covers on iTunes". (Now where have I heard iTunes mentioned before....)

Anyway, I don't know how handy SearchMe will be, but it does have possible uses in finding web pages you have been to before but can't remember the URL to. Just browse through the photos until you find one that looks familiar!

Bridget/SWRef

*I miss Jeeves

KidsFest!

Hi Everyone,
The library will be participating in KidsFest, a project of America's Promise, on Saturday, August 9 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.. We will be accepting applications for library cards and letting kids make their own bookmarks.

This is a huge event--attended last year by more than 4000 kids!

Please let me know if you would like to volunteer to help. Donna has approved comp time for anyone who works KidsFest as long as it doesn't interfere with your regular schedule.
Thanks!
Stacy

Winter Reading Festival Ideas?

Hello Everyone!

Winter may be months away, but planning for the Winter Reading Festival is now commencing, and I am looking for ideas for themes, slogans, events. If you have an idea you think would work, please let me know, either by responding to this posting, or directly at 378-6019 or my e-mail address Cynthia.Hunt@amarillolibrary.org

Thanks for any creative fodder you can muster!

Cynthia

Telephone Number Correction

Oops! My office telephone number is now ext. 4226. Mary Redmond's number is 4245.

Thanks,
Judith

Tuition Assistance

Good Morning to Everyone,

As you may already know, the City recently revised its Tuition Assistance program. This is an excellent time to think about your short-term and long-term career goals. What do you want to become? What kind of work do you enjoy most or find most gratifying and fulfilling? Are you acquiring the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will help you achieve your desires? If not, what courses, training, and experiences are needed to get you on the path to accomplishment? If your answer to any of these questions involves a serious commitment to a library career, the Tuition Assistance program can help.

Here are some of the main points in the program: Donna evaluates all requests for tuition assistance from library employees. This evaluation includes job performance and the employee's potential for promotion or the ability to use the coursework in a current position. Tuition and fees are covered, but textbooks are not included. The employee may be responsible for part of the tuition if the City does not approve the entire amount.

Copies of the program, officially named "Tuition Assistance Procedure," are available to anyone who is interested. Just call me at ext. 4245 or e-mail judith.sample@amarillolibrary.org.

Please feel free to call and discuss Tuition Assistance with Donna at ext. 3050. Your career development is important!

Judith

Which Harry Potter character are you?

As many of you know, the Myers-Briggs assessment test was developed to serve as a tool to determine personality types and is often used in the workforce to assist with team building. Someone has adapted the test methodology and connected the 16 personality types associated with Myers-Briggs to characters in the Harry Potter universe. Are you a Severus Snape or a Hermione Granger? Take the test and find out! Albus Dumbledore was the character my personality type most closely mirrored. Tell us in the comments field who yours is!

http://piratemonkeysinc.com/quiz.php

Got Stuff?

Hello Everyone!

As you know, I am now doing Adult Programming (and anything else Donna wants) for APL.

Prinicipally, this includes overseeing and implementing events, programs and displays/exhibits library-wide, to promote better cohesiveness (less overlap) in what we're offering our patrons.

From time to time, I may be coming to you to ask for assistance in locating possible program presenters, display items, etc, so we don't waste time tracking down presenters (possibly ending up with someone who might not be as good as the person you know), and or Friends funds (by buying things we could have borrowed for a display).

Right now, I'm looking for mountain/rock climbing equipment/apparrel for a display on mountaineering. If you, or anyone in your circle of acquaintance (friends, family, etc) has any such items and might be willing to lend them to the library, please let me know. In all likelihood, we won't need the items until September or October, but once we have them we'll probably need to keep them for a month or two. All items will be kept in a locked display case.

As of this past Monday, I am in a new location, in the Administration Office at Central, and my new phone number is 378-6019. You can also e-mail me at Cynthia.Hunt@amarillolibrary.org

Thanks for helping make APL look its best!

Cynthia

Free Software Cheat Sheets Printing Problem

Greetings!


Melody successfully printed the Excel 2003 sheet on the newer printer in Central's administrative office, and Rob got good copies from the printer at the Central Reference desk. We don't know why the older printer failed to print all the letters; but if you have any difficulty, please let us know. We will be glad to send copies.

Judith

Free Software Cheat Sheets

Hello to All,

The latest message from "Librarian in Black," one of the links on our blogsite, profiles a site offering free software cheat sheets www.customguide.com. Sheets for several different versions are offered, including some dating back to 1997-1998. I looked at the sheet for Excel 2003 which has an impressive number of tips and shortcuts. Posting copies of the appropriate sheets at the reference desks and staff terminals could be helpful to everyone who services the public access computers.

Now for the challenge! I copied the Excel 2003 sheets twice, once from the customguide site and once from the "Librarian in Black," link. Many letters did not print. For example, "Open a workbook," printed as "Open a orkbook." This happened to black-and-white text and some letters printed in color. If anyone has a solution to the print problem, please let us know. We will work on it here as well.

Happy July 4th,
Judith

What I learned on my visit to Hastings

Hi Everyone,
This morning I was at the Hastings on Georgia and ran into a Hastings employee (Pilar) I had met through an Amarillo Reads event. Since I was purchasing something for the library, she asked if I had my institutional account card which would give me a 25% discount. As I was filling out the paperwork she said, "You can use this for your own purchases as well. As long as no one abuses it, we don't mind."
Of course I needed to know more...
It turns out that libraries and librarians are included in Hastings' Community Partner Discounts and anyone who works at the library can sign up for a discount card which provides up to 25% off publisher's list price on books, 15% off list price of CDs and 10% off tag price of DVDs.
(An example of abuse would be buying things with your discount and then reselling them.)
If you want to sign up for a discount card, you should do so at the Hastings on Georgia. Go to the book desk and ask for Pilar or Patrick. They both work Mondays and Pilar is usually there until 6 except on Thursdays and Sundays. You will need your drivers license and a letter on library letterhead stating that you do indeed work for the Amarillo Public Library. Donna has graciously agreed to provide such a letter to library employees. So...let me know if you want one and we will get it to you.
Have fun!
Stacy