Loan E-Books on the Nook E-Reader with LendMe service…12.16.09

Excerpted from How to loan ebooks on the nook with LendMe service:

“I have now written a few articles on the B&N Nook (see my first impressions and content article 1 and article 2) and continue to test out and discover how capable this ebook reader is…

The basics of the LendMe service is that you can lend supported books ONE time to ONE person for a period up to 14 days. You can loan multiple books to the same person, but each supported book is only able to be lent out by you once. I understand this is a limitation placed on the books by publishers, but at least it is a step in the right direction and maybe we will see this limitation change in the future.

The books are available to the person who received the loaned book for free for up to 14 days and can be returned by the reader earlier if they finish in just a few days or something. To be clear, the owner cannot then lend that book out again to someone else, EVER.

A member of the Barnes & Noble PR team loaned me an ebook and a notification bubble appeared in the lower left of my nook display. I then went to My Library and saw that there was an offer to accept page (see the screenshot in my image gallery). You then use the touch color display to choose Yes, borrow this or No, thank you. If you turn down the loan then the book rights are returned to the owner and they can read the book or try lending it out to someone else. The lend offer is valid for 7 days so the person can decide if they want to read it or not. If 7 days goes by without a response, then the rights are returned to the lender.

After you accept the offer, then the word Download appears on your bottom color display so you can add it to your device. You will then see the book in your library with the words From a friend after the book title. The number of remaining days of the loan also appears so you know how long you have left to read the book.

You can return the book before the 14 day period expires, but currently only through the Barnes & Noble website and not from the nook….”

Be Careful What You Say or Write or Blog, Etc…12.16.09

Wisdom from the National Archives and Records Administration Archival Research Catalog

Type and Walk iPhone App…12.16.09

“100+ Sites to Download Everything Online”…12.16.09

Excerpted from 100+ Sites to Download Everything Online:

“…

Audio Books

Librivox: One of the most popular audio libraries on the web. The LibriVox volunteers record books that are in the public domain and release them for free.

Podiobooks: Similar to podcast, Podiobooks are serialized audiobooks that are distributed through RSS feeds. You can receive book episodes or download directly from the site.

Oculture (Audio & Podcast): Offers a rich array of educational and cultural media. The site editor scours through the web to find the best cultural and educational media available.

Learn Out Loud: A one-stop destination for video and audio learning resources. You can browse through over 15,000 educational audio books MP3 downloads, podcasts, and videos. The site also contains various free resources.

BitTorrent

Mininova.org : What started as an alternative to the now defunct Supernova that went offline in 2004, Mininova has become the biggest torrent search engine and directory on the web. The site provides easy-to-use directory and search for all types of torrent files.

Torrent Portal : This P2P and file sharing site works like Google by linking only to .torrent metafiles and captures the caches of those files. It does not store files nor transfer data which are content linked to by .torrent files.

Now Torrents: The site scans torrent websites on the internet to provide the best results to users. Now Torrents provides an advanced real-time search engine for bit-torrents while at the same detecting and removing fake or dead torrent sites.

Torrentz: This Sweden-based torrent meta-search engine also indexes various major torrents sites including Mininova, The Pirate Bay and Demonoid. It provides various trackers per torrent that would work when another tracker is not working.

Books and Documents

Scribd: A virtual place where you can publish, discover, discuss, and share original writings and document. With 50 million unique page views per month, Scribd is a great place to learn new things.

Sheet Music Archive: The web’s most popular music web site.  The site contains more than 22,000 classical music pieces and more than 100,000 sheet of music. It offers hundreds of free music downloads and more for subscriptions.

Computer Books.us: The site offers high quality computer related books for free download. These computer books are all legally distributed and their authors have granted permissions for the site to distribute their works.

Docstoc: This is your ultimate resource for free legal and business documents. Docstoc does not only allow you to download documents for free but it also lets you upload and share your own documents.

Tech Books for Free Download: If you’re looking for free books on Java, Perl/Phyton or other computer programming related books, this site might be of help. It offers books covering technology subjects for free download.

Project Gutenberg: The most comprehensive repository of ebooks on the web. Project Gutenberg was built by volunteers and now houses more than 27,000 titles of ebooks in its catalog.

Free eMagazine Download – covers a comprehensive collection of free emagazines for free download.

eBooks

KnowFree: The site offers a virtual place to exchange ebooks freely., video training, and other educational materials . Know Free features a very nice search engine which enables users to search for a particular materias fast.

Spotbit:  Providing a paperless solution to publishing and for selling e-books, Spotbit makes e-book available in a different digital format than what is available on the web lately. Spotbit offers a simple Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology for E-books format.

Ebookshare: Provides link to either an e-books torrent files or direct download to the file itself.  E-books are categorized into broader subject and the site has a nice search engine to aid you in finding the e-book you want.

Ebookee: A free book search engine. Ebookee helps you in finding e-book titles that you are particularly looking for.  The E-books listed on the site are organized in general subject categories.

Wowio: The site lets you access legally available high-quality e-books. Wowio lets you read complete books online for free. If you want to download the PDF versions, Wowio charges a minimal fee.

Internet Archive – With the aim of building an Internet Library, this site features texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages in its  collections…”

Public Library Databases…12.16.09

Boolean Search Explained…12.16.09

Electronic Library Resources…12.16.09

Library 2.0 Gang Podcast: Social Software in Libraries…12.15.09

From Library 2.0 Gang 12/9: Social Software in Libraries:

“Social Software in Libraries has been a hot topic for many a month.  Like most of the technologies that we discuss on the Library 2.0 Gang, Social Software covers a broad range of individual components, and can mean differing things to different people.

Our guest for this show is Meredith Farkas, Author of the book ‘Social Software in Libraries‘…

The Gang this month consists of John Blyberg, Char Booth,  Marshall Breeding, Nicole Engard, and Carl Grant.  After exploring the two main categories of social software, the recommendation/tagging/commenting systems and the Facebook/Twitter/blogging, the gang coalesced  around the notion that it is people that interact socially…” 

 Library 2.0 Gang 12/09: Social Software in Libraries [48:03m]: Download

Social Cataloging…12.15.09

Top 10 Library Customer Service Skills…12.15.09

From MLxperience:

“1. Greet every customer 
2. Be aware of non-verbal clues
3. Listen
4. Restate the problem or question
5. Be Empathetic
6. Provide alternatives to “No”
7. Reserve judgment
8. Get (back) to them as soon as possible
9. Follow your gut instinct
10. Thank them for using the library…”

Librarians – Staying Connected After a Layoff…12.14.09

Excerpted from Staying Connected After a Layoff:

“In this downturn, whether having lost their jobs because their company downsized, their government positions were RIF’d, or their organizations were overextended and had to make cutbacks, laid-off workers are using new and innovative tools creatively and successfully to stay connected with their former colleagues and to energize their job searches.

In his article in CIO Magazine ¹, David Ramel points out that electronic social networking tools allow one to get more targeted more quickly. He also points out:

• The closer you are to the IT industry, the more likely you can take advantage of the newer electronic social networking tools, and

• Younger laid-off workers are much more likely to use the newer electronic social networking tools.

Writers for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, however, warn the newly jobless to be careful with their online presence and their in-person social attributes. Jenna Wortham ² (NYT) wants her readers to tidy up their Facebook profiles because potential employers are researching applicants’ content for provocative photos, references to drinking and drugs, poor communication skills, and other “alarming” behavior. Christina Binkley ³ (WSJ) learned through interviews with high-level human resources executives that in the aftermath of a layoff, style is critical. She cautions job candidates to: give themselves time to cool off, prepare to present themselves as physically and mentally upbeat, rein in resentment, be careful what they post to the internet, and update their wardrobes…”

Mobile Libraries Today…12.14.09

What Makes A Library a Library – From Twitter Responses…12.14.09

This Year Try “A Christmas of Compassion”…12.14.09

Christmas of Compassion is provided as a free service to the local and global community. Cross Timbers does not retain any of these donation gifts, but simply forwards each gift to the six charity recipients.

This year, Cross Timbers asks, “Instead of giving something to someone this Christmas who doesn’t really need anything, why not give a gift to someone who doesn’t have much of anything, and really make a difference in that person’s life?”

What Do You Get?

When you buy your gift for a friend, family member, co-worker or client, three things happen.

First, you receive a receipt that shows your purchase is a donation to a registered non-profit organization, which you can provide to your tax preparation professional for tax deduction purposes.

Second, we promptly email you a color printable gift card that you can customize and give to that person as a physical symbol of your gift. It’s a fillable PDF, so you can type in your name, their name, and the gift you purchased. Some examples are provided for you below.

Third, the proceeds of your purchase are provided directly to the charity associated with the item you purchased (Proceeds = the amount you paid less PayPal transaction processing fees applied at the time of purchase).

To learn more about Cross Timbers or the six charities participating in Christmas of Compassion, please visit the individual websites listed below. By clicking these links, you are leaving the Christmas of Compassion website and gift program. So if you want to buy a Christmas of Compassion gift, don’t forget to come back here and make your Christmas gift donation!  

 Cross Timbers Community Church CrossTimbersChurch.org

Bread For A Hungry World GiveBread.org

Buyamba Uganda God Cares School UgandaBuyamba.com

Community Storehouse CommunityStorehouse.org

The Shepherd’s Hand TheShepherdsHand.net

Solutions of North Texas SONTX.org

Sower of Seeds International Ministries SowerOfSeeds.org

USGS Topographical Maps Downloadable FREE…12.14.09

It’s frequently hard to find printed topographical maps without getting them from a location that stocks them from the USGS.  The United States Geological Survey digital beta maps now provide many FREE downloadable topographic maps.  Today I downloaded one for my next hike to a portion of the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge and printed a magnified portion of it:

Iowa City Public Library Launches New Mobile Catalog…12.14.09

‘The Iowa City Public Library is pleased to announce the launch of a redesigned mobile version of the Library’s catalog. An optional text display has been available for mobile users from the catalog’s main page, but AirCat now provides an updated interface for the newest mobile devices and smart phones, providing a richer experience for using the catalog.

‘It brings more of the experience and functionality people are used to on their computer into the palm of their hands,” said Todd Brown, Iowa City Public Library Electronic Resources Librarian.’…

Smart phones will be automatically detected and directed to the new interface; those with standard cell phones will still be able to access the text display. Visit: mcat.icpl.org (for a direct connection to the graphical interface) www.catalog.icpl.org alec.icpl.org/aircat…”

FREE Screencasting Tools Compared…12.14.09

From Free Screencasting Tools: Guide to the Best Tools to Recore Your Screen

Mobile Librarianship…12.14.09

Mobile Librarianship presentation by Jessica Coates, Wade Stewart and Drew Smith:

What Matters Now – FREE New E-Book from Marketing Specialist Seth Godin…12.14.09

From Seth Godin’s blog:

“Now, more than ever, we need to shake things up. 

Now, more than ever, we need a different way of thinking, a useful way to focus and the energy to turn the game around. I hope a new ebook I’ve organized will get you started on that path. It took months, but I think you’ll find it worth it the effort.

Here are more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head into the new year. From bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert to brilliant tech thinker Kevin Kelly, from publisher Tim O’Reilly to radio host Dave Ramsey, there are some important people riffing about important ideas here. The ebook includes Tom Peters, Jackie Huba and Jason Fried, along with Gina Trapani, Bill Taylor and Alan Webber.

Here’s the deal: it’s free. Download it here…”

Building a Library Digital Collection Interface…12.13.09

Google Phone Release Confirmed – The Nexus One…12.13.09

Photo: Boy Genius Report

Reuters reported:

“Google Inc plans to sell its own cellphone direct to consumers as soon as next year, bypassing wireless operators in a rare strategic move, the Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying on Saturday.

Called the Nexus One and made by smartphone maker HTC, the phone will run on the search giant’s Android operating system — around which Motorola and other cellphone makers have built devices — and will be sold online, the newspaper cited persons familiar with the matter as saying.

Cellular service will have to be bought separately…”

Reading Evolving…12.12.09

Hathi Trust Update…12.12.09

From the latest update from the Hathi Trust 

FREE To-Do List — TeuxDeux Demo…12.12.09

“TeuxDeux is a simple, designy, browser-based to-do app and the first collaboration between studio-mates swissmiss and Fictive Kin .

The idea was to build a bare-bones, but visually compelling and highly usable to-do app based on Tina’s personal ideal work-flow. 

Features include:

• - week overview
• - check off done tasks
• - delete tasks
• - move tasks
• - someday bucket…”

Do It Yourself Book Scanner…12.12.09

As Wired reported:

“For nearly two years, Daniel Reetz dreamed of a book scanner that could crunch textbooks and spit out digital files he could then read on his PC.

Book scanners, like the ones Google is using in its Google Books project, run into thousands of dollars, putting them out of the reach of a graduate student like Reetz. But in January, when textbook prices for the semester were listed, Reetz decided he would make a book scanner that would cost a fraction of commercially available products.

So over three days, and for about $300, he lashed together two lights, two Canon Powershot A590 cameras, a few pieces of acrylic and some chunks of wood to create a book scanner that’s fast enough to scan a 400-page book in about 20 minutes. To use it, he simply loads in a book and presses a button, then turns the page and presses the button again. Each press of the button captures two pages, and when he’s done, software on Reetz’s computer converts the book into a PDF file. The Reetz DIY book scanner isn’t automated–you still need to stand by it to turn the pages. But it’s fast and inexpensive.

‘The hardware is ridiculously simple as long as you are not demanding archival quality,’” he says. ‘A dumpster full of building materials, really cheap cameras and outrageous textbook prices was all I needed to do it.’

Reetz went on to upload a 79-step how-to guide for building a book scanner (.pdf)….”

Christmas is About God’s Unfathomable Love…More Than You Can Imagine…12.12.09

Most librarians will agree that the core philosophy of librarianship is ultimately about liberation and the promotion of freedom through knowledge and truth.  

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

The truth is that God is love and He loves absolutely everyone even if we can’t understand it.

Alex Dual Display Android-based E-Reader…12.12.09

Online Marketing For Public Libraries…12.12.09

Kindle DX E-Reader Vs Sony E-Reader Daily Edition…12.11.09

From Kindle DX Vs Sony Reader Daily Edition:

“The Sony Reader Daily Edition arrives December 18th, 2009 and we have a new comparison – Kindle DX Vs Sony Reader Daily Edition. The $399 priced, 7″ screen Daily Edition is a good competitor for the $489 priced, 9.7″ screen Kindle DX. Check out the PDF user guide – Sony Reader Daily Edition Guide (via MobileRead)…

Kindle DX Vs Sony Reader Daily Edition

You have a few options since there’s a refurbished kindle dx (availability varies) -

1. $399 Sony Daily Edition.
2. $399 Refurbished Kindle DX.
3. $489 Kindle DX.

We’ll compare the Kindle DX and the Sony. For the Refurbished Kindle DX just reduce the price and factor in the ‘refurbished’ part.

Kindle DX Vs Sony Reader Daily Edition - Kindle DX advantages

1. A much larger screen at 9.7″.
2. Better prices on eBooks thanks to Kindle Store.
3. Free Internet.
4. Free Wikipedia.
5. Better usability.
6. Read To Me text to speech feature.

If Sony haven’t fixed scene glare then the Kindle DX will have much better readability too.

Kindle DX Vs Sony Reader Daily Edition – Sony Advantages

The Daily Edition has some advantages of its own -

1. $90 cheaper than new Kindle DX (same price as refurbished Kindle DX).
2. Library Finder to get Library eBooks.
3. ePub support.
4. Better PDF support.
5. Touchscreen and drawing.
6. Memory Card Slots.
7. Replaceable Battery.

It’s very close – perhaps even a tie…”

Internet Public Library’s 15 Favorite Online Technologies…12.11.09