Storytelling in Any Medium

As the token librarian in social and familial circles, folks often try to get me to choose sides in the Print vs. Internet debate, or Book vs. eReader kerfluffle. I have to say that I can't choose sides; there are uses and advantages to both print and electronic information. I also can't agree that the internet is just for cat photos and timewasting. For one thing, it makes possible a whole new way to tell stories. For example, I can envision this piece appearing in a print magazine 15 or 25 years ago, possibly The New Yorker, but more likely in National Lampoon or Mad Magazine. However, seeing the "artifacts" reproduced brings something to the tale that a straight text narrative may have not. Also, something about scrolling down through bigger and better punchlines has an appeal.

Oh, the story? It's about two coworkers who just don't get along. If that's not enough to inspire you to click, then check this out:



Yes, that's teen heartthrob Justin Bieber photoshopped onto a pickle.

You're welcome.

p.s. No work time was consumed in the scrolling through these web pages. However, I would not recommend eating lunch while perusing, because you will definitely be at risk of choking on your sandwich.

The New Server and You

Good afternoon!

The new server for the Library catalog has been successfully installed and is zipping along smoothly. It's business-as-usual at all of the Library's checkout and reference desks as well.

Because we were offline for most of yesterday, there may be some glitches involved in check-ins or holds. If you see items on your account that you returned on Wednesday, September 14, please let us know so that we can check these items in for you. You can email circulation@santafelibrary.org or call the Circulation Supervisor at 505-955-6803 to have us check your account.

We thank you for your patience amongst these technical improvements and difficulties.

Batten down the hatches

Since I've subscribed to the Swiss Army Librarian blog, I'm tempted to share his posts several times a week. But since you also have the option of subscribing to this blog, I'm trying to only pass on information that is absolutely essential.

A post that's come through in the past few weeks is about IT security in libraries. That translates to things like choosing hack-proof passwords, making sure your email and Facebook accounts don't get hijacked, and how to test if you're scam-savvy. It isn't just security in libraries, but good privacy tips for all online users. While not all of the resources will be applicable to your internet and computer use, there is just too much here for a handy cheat-sheet or summary. So click on the links above, bookmark them, and go through them bit by bit to make your internet experience safer.

Online piracy graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Today: Catalog down for Maintenance

TODAY: Wednesday, September 14, our catalog server is down for maintenance starting at 7:00 am. We anticipate it being out-of-action for the full day and should be up and running by tomorrow, Thursday, September 15.

How will this affect you?

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will be open regular hours, 10 am - 8 pm. You will be able to check in, check out, and renew materials at any check-out desk if you have your library card. We will not be able to look up your library account by your name or birthday, and checkouts and renewals will not be permitted without your library card. You will not be able to place holds on items, nor will you be able to check your account on the online catalog.

Additionally, the catalog will be down for all patrons and staff. Reference librarians will be able to assist you in finding general locations of materials, but they will not be able to pinpoint an item's whereabouts if it isn't on the shelf. The automatic renewal phone line, 955-6987, will be down, and we will not be sending out hold notices by phone or email today.

Our subscription databases—such as Gale, Chilton's Auto Repair Manuals, Mango Languages, Grzimek's Animal Life, LearningExpress, and Britannica Online—will not be accessible today. You will be able to access OneClickdigital by going directly to their site if you have already signed up for an account with them. You will be able to access most Gale databases through El Portal.

This server maintenance will result in faster searching, improvements in the online catalog, and fewer glitches in record-keeping. All your information will be safe, and we should be back to business as usual by tomorrow, September 15.

Thanks for your patience, and please watch this space for updates!

Server & Catalog Scheduled for Maintenance

On Wednesday, September 14, our catalog server will be down for maintenance starting at 7:00 am. We anticipate it being out-of-action for the full day and should be up and running by Thursday, September 15.

How will this affect you?

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will be open regular hours. You will be able to check in, check out, and renew materials at any check-out desk if you have your library card. We will not be able to look up your library account by your name or birthday, and checkouts and renewals will not be permitted without your library card. You will not be able to place holds on items, nor will you be able to check your account on the online catalog.

Additionally, the catalog will be down for all patrons and staff starting Tuesday, September 13 at 8:00 pm. Reference librarians will be able to assist you in finding general locations of materials, but they will not be able to pinpoint an item's whereabouts if it isn't on the shelf. The automatic renewal phone line, 955-6987, will be down, and we will not be sending out hold notices by phone or email that day.

Our subscription databases—such as Gale, Chilton's Auto Repair Manuals, Mango Languages, Grzimek's Animal Life, LearningExpress, and Britannica Online—will not be accessible on that day. You will be able to access OneClickdigital by going directly to their site if you have already signed up for an account with them. You will be able to access most Gale databases through El Portal.

This server maintenance will result in faster searching, improvements in the online catalog, and fewer glitches in record-keeping. All your information will be safe, and we should be back to business as usual on September 15.

Thanks for your patience, and please watch this space for updates!

Mango To Go!

If you've ever tried our Mango Languages Database, you know that it's an awesome, easy-to-use way to learn a foreign language. Now it's gotten even better by offering the program as a free app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch! So now you can login and work on your lessons from anywhere. Once installed, the program does not require Internet access, you can just download what you need when you need it.

To get this for your mobile device, search the app store for Mango. The full name of the application is Mango Languages Library Edition. You'll need to have your library card handy to login, but it's easy to download and use from there. The only hard part will be learning that language!

Languages include English as a second language, Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, and Russian. Try it out!

Pop Quiz!

Did you know?

• One third of the American public, an estimated 77 million people over the age of 14, used a library computer in 2009.


• Young people between 14-19 were most likely to be using computers for educational purposes, users between the ages 25-54 were focused on employment and training, and older adults focused on health information.


• The majority of library public access computer users (86 percent) reported they had “regular access to a computer and the Internet for your personal use” at home.


• People who lacked home access were frequent users, with 65 percent reporting that they used computers and the internet in the library at least once a week or daily.


• Between 2000 and 2007 alone the availability of Internet terminals in public libraries increased by 90 percent on a per capita basis.

Where have we found all these fun facts? The results of the U.S. Impact Study by the University of Washington have come in. We invited you to participate in this study, and we're appreciative of those of you who did! The results definitely put to rest many of the myths about public library computer use. It's not going away anytime soon, and is becoming a core service to our communities.

Want to know the full story? Check it out here.

More on OneClickDigital

Many of you have already signed up for an account with OneClickDigital and have had varying success with downloading audiobooks. OneClickDigital is still in beta, and they are aware of the issues you're having. Fortunately, we expect a fix for many of these issues to be working by next week!

In the meantime, you can use our catalog to search for downloadable audiobooks. If you go to Advanced Search and type the word oneclick in the first field, you can then search by author, subject, title, or keyword in the other fields. You can also find a full list of our downloadable audiobooks under the Media & Large Print link in the catalog menu.

Thank you for your patience during this transition!

Free Wifi!

If you're traveling around this summer and need free wifi in a strange place, check out the Wi-Fi FreeSpot Directory! You can scroll through listings in all 50 states, and free spots in Canada and Europe are also included. There are also special categories for free wireless in places such as airports and campgrounds.

If you're a business or public place that offers free wifi, add your listing! You'll find that folks looking to use their laptop or smartphone will flock to your place in droves.

And, in case you missed the memo, all branches of the Santa Fe Public Library offer free wireless access. All details can be found here.

WiFi graphic courtesy of Eurobas, accessed via Wikimedia Commons.

New Online Services

If you're like me and consider the telephone to be a Nineteenth Century invention best kept in museums, we're taking steps to help you out. While we've had the general contact email address, library@santafenm.gov for years, we've added two more to help you get to the right person on the first try.

If you have questions about overdue items, holds, your patron record, or lost / damaged items, you can email circulation@santafelibrary.org directly. As always, you can renew your SFPL items online or by calling the Renewal Line at 955-6987.

If you have questions about our Interlibrary Loan services, need to inquire on the status of an interlibrary loan request, or would like to renew your interlibrary loan (ILL), you can email interlibraryloan@santafelibrary.org. Also, you can now submit your requests online! Request forms are available here. You can email these requests as an attachment, or print out the forms and bring them in to any library branch. You can still call the Interlibrary Loan Department at 505-955-6720 to renew items or ask questions and still be notified by phone, email, or postcard when your ILL request arrives.

So now you can do the library business you need to do, all from the convenience of email!

Image courtesy of Roland.

National Academy Freebies

A popular saying among librarians is "information wants to be free". Whether we mean it as free as in unfettered, or free as in no-cost, can depend on the situation. But either way, no-cost, easily-accessible, not-charging-a-dime, click-of-a-mouse information is a wonderful thing.

So it's incredibly exciting that the National Academies are making a lot of their information, you guessed it, FREE! Over 4,000 reports and books from the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council will now be available as free PDFs. Topics are numerous and include Biology, Education, Social Sciences, and Environmental Studies. Just head to the National Academies Press website, and see what sort of free information tickles your intellect.

Computer Classes in Santa Fe

The New Mexico State Library is offering free computer classes to Santa Fe residents from June through August. Part of the Fast Forward New Mexico Project, all classes are hands-on and consist of two 3-hour sessions. Half the courses are geared towards beginner computer users, and the other courses are designed to help small businesses utilize technology.

Anyone can attend these free classes. This is an award winning program funded federally cited for excellence in content and teaching. The classes will be held at the New Mexico State Library, 1209 Camino Carlos Rey, not the Santa Fe Public Library.

The classes are:

Basic computer skills:
June 22 & 23

Introduction to internet:
June 29 & 30

Selecting, installing, and maintaining a computer:
July 6 & 7

How to take an online class:
July 13 & 14

Internet tools for business - Reducing costs:
July 20 & 21

Internet tools for business - Increasing sales:
July 27 & 28

Social media for marketing - Choosing the right tools:
August 3 & 4

Social media for marketing - Promoting your business:
August 10 & 11

For information on times and to register, call (505) 216-8834, email SantaFeclass@gmail.com or go to the website http://www.fastforwardnm.org/.

As long as we're on the subject:
If you're helping a friend or family member get online for the first time but they seem to be stuck on how to use a mouse, the Palm Beach County Library System offers an excellent Mouse Tutorial and Mousercise exercises. It might save you a lot of time to sit them down to this page, instead of having to say, "Click, click, click, click...."

You and your family will be reaping the benefits of cyberspace in no time!

Technical Difficulties

For the past week, Blogger, our Icarus blog provider, has been having trouble displaying line and paragraph breaks. We apologize for the ensuing eye-strain, and assure you that we haven't turned over control of the blog to a congress of orangutans. Thank you for sticking with us during this time.

p.s. This is obviously not an April Fool's Joke!

Two-Part Internet Workshop

April 6 & 13

Main Library
Community Room
145 Washington Ave.

Take this two-part workshop to learn the basics about getting online.
This free workshop is limited to ten adults, aged 18 and over.

Participation in Part 1 is required for Part 2.
Registration is recommended and will start on March 23.
Call 955-6781 or register in person at the Main Reference Desk.

Wednesday Mornings
10:15 - 11:45 a.m.

Part 1: April 6
Mouse, Links, and More! –
An introduction to using a mouse, clicking on links, filling out web forms, using search engines, and beginning web surfing.

Part 2: April 13
Get Your E-mail –
Set up a free e-mail account, send and receive messages, forward and reply to messages, delete messages, create folders, and Sign Out.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

eAudiobooks for the Under-18 Set

Our One-Click Downloadable Audiobooks have been so popular that we're now subscribing to books for children and teens. As of this writing, we have 31 titles in Children's Classics, 355 in Children's Fiction, and 18 for Children's Nonfiction. For teens, there are 9 titles in Young Adult Classics, 239 in Young Adult Fiction, and 10 in Young Adult Nonfiction. Just like our Adult eAudiobooks, we'll be adding to these collections every month.

You can find all these listings on our catalog, or you can Browse by Subject on the One-Click Audio site. For step-by-step instructions, be sure to visit our One-Click Audio page.

Two-Part Internet Workshop

February 16 & 23

Main Library
Community Room
145 Washington Ave.

Take this two-part workshop to learn the basics about getting online.
This free workshop is limited to ten adults, aged 18 and over.

Participation in Part 1 is required for Part 2.
Registration is recommended and will start on February 7.
Call 955-6781 or register in person at the Main Reference Desk.

Wednesday Mornings
10:15 - 11:45 a.m.

Part 1: February 16
Mouse, Links, and More! –
An introduction to using a mouse, clicking on links, filling out web forms, using search engines, and beginning web surfing.

Part 2: February 23
Get Your E-mail –
Set up a free e-mail account, send and receive messages, forward and reply to messages, delete messages, create folders, and Sign Out.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Two-Part Internet Workshop

January 19 & 26

Main Library
Community Room
145 Washington Ave.

Take this two-part workshop to learn the basics about getting online.
This free workshop is limited to ten adults, aged 18 and over.

Participation in Part 1 is required for Part 2.
Registration is recommended and will start on January 5.
Call 955-6781 or register in person at the Main Reference Desk.

Wednesday Mornings
10:15 - 11:45 a.m.

Part 1: January 19
Mouse, Links, and More! –
An introduction to using a mouse, clicking on links, filling out web forms, using search engines, and beginning web surfing.

Part 2: January 26
Get Your E-mail –
Set up a free e-mail account, send and receive messages, forward and reply to messages, delete messages, create folders, and Sign Out.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Hi-Tech Gizmos

Because librarians are just brilliant overall when it comes to just about everything, we often have people ask us for recommendations of all stripes. While I feel very comfortable recommending a George Orwell book to a like-minded reader, I'm hesitant, nay, skittish about giving advice about devices such as laptops, MP3 players, or E-book readers. For technology, I compare myself to a driving instructor. I can show you where the tools are to make them work, but I'm not the best person to tell you what to buy.

Since this question comes up quite often, there are a couple of places you can go for help. First, Consumer Reports is the gold standard for pretty much most purchases. Also, you can always ask a salesperson about what you intend to use the technology for, and he or she can tell you which makes and models have those features. But in my humble opinion, the best place to start is a website like CNET. They have well-arranged product and software reviews, as well as downloads of various software. In addition to editor's ratings, they also have a techy (read: geeky) readership that contributes their own reviews and ratings that are also valuable.

While there are other sites of this type out there, (and you should definitely consult a few more, and we encourage you to post which sites you like,) CNET is a great place to start, and can definitely help you narrow down what can be overwhelming choices. Most importantly, have fun with your new hi-tech toy!

Ten Things You Can't Do with an eBook

We present a guest post by James McGrath Morris, author of Pulitzer : a life in politics, print, and power, and creator of the blog, Santa Fe Literary News.


While descending toward Chicago on a recent flight it came to me that eBooks don’t hold every advantage over the doddering old-fashioned book. There I was lost in a dark and brooding scene of a P.D. James mystery when many of my fellow passengers were instructed to power down their Kindles and iPads and were left to twiddle their thumbs while we circled, touched down, and cruised the endless tarmac of O’Hare Airport.

The experience got me thinking. Are there other things that eBooks can’t do that paper books can? I soon came up with ten. Before I share my list, one disclaimer: I don’t dislike eBooks, so please spare me the accusations that I am Luddite. Just because I mourned the passage of album covers doesn’t mean I don’t play CDs.

Here’s the list:
1. As I mentioned, one can’t read an eBook during take off and landing. Here’s a case where the written word is literally dangerous.
2. eBooks can’t hold bookmarks. Gone will be the days when a child comes home from school with one.
3. You can’t press a four-leaf clover between the pages of an eBook. A book can be a treasure trove of forgotten memories. Who has not had a faded ticket stub fall out of a favorite tome ushering in a remembrance of, say, a Fillmore West concert?
4. You can’t donate an eBook to the library sale. The stock of those sales, with their stacks of John Gunther books, will be frozen in time.
5. You can’t tear out the pages of an eBook. No better way to share a paperback on a backpacking trip through Europe with your traveling companion.
6. You can’t use the cover of an eBook to start a conversation with a stranger. Do you like [fill in the blanks]? I read her previous book.
7. eBooks are spineless. A bookshelf will reveal nothing about the tastes, passions, and education of its owners.
8. One can’t crack the spine of an eBook. The sound is an audible commitment to the book.
9. You can’t smell the pages of an eBook. Ink is an intellectual aphrodisiac.
10. You can’t inscribe an eBook. The saddest of all.

MP3 CD Audiobooks

The Santa Fe Public Library is starting a pilot project, and is now adding some Audio Books in MP3 format. MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3) is a standard technology and format for compressing a sound sequence into a very small file, about one-twelfth the size of the original file, while preserving the original level of sound quality when it is played. For example, an unabridged MP3 audiobook fits onto one or two CDs, whereas the regular CD audiobooks can sometimes be as many as 10 discs.

The MP3 format has been around since 2001. Most NEW car stereos, CD players, boom boxes, PC CDROM drives, DVD players, etc. are MP3 compatible. However, if you try to play an MP3 disc in an older player it will not work. We will be placing bright yellow MP3 stickers onto the cases to alert you of the file format. Also, the call number will start with MP3 to make it easy to identify in the catalog.

The MP3 Audiobooks will be housed next to your branch's regular CD Audiobook collection, but not interfiled. Please be aware that the cases look like DVD cases – but the contents are Audiobook. At this time, our MP3 audiobook collection is small and in a test phase, so please check them out and let us know what you think of them.

Enjoy the convenience!

by MB @Main