Google Chrome

Have you heard the buzz? Well, until yesterday I hadn't
either. Yesterday afternoon Google released its new web browser Chrome. I was a
bit hesitant to download it, but after reading about it and hearing positive
reviews from Dylan and my dad I decided to give it a try today - and I'm liking
it! The pluses: it's clean looking, fast, open source (kind of) and so far it's
been playing nice with the computers and the websites I've been using. The
negatives: it isn't (yet) customizable in the way FireFox is which takes away
some functionality for me. It is still in baby beta though, so I'm sure more
good things are on the way. For now, I'm running Chrome and FireFox side by
side - long term, I don't know.

I found the following two website the most helpful in
learning about it:

• Google's Learn About Chrome page
• PC Magazine article "Hands on with Google's Chrome
  Browser

Have you tried it? Will you? What do you think?

SPLAT @ PNLA

SPLAT rushed in to PNLA (in beautiful Post Falls, ID) this morning to do a presentation on "Creative Outreach".  6 of us - Amy, Anna, Memo, Ruth, Stephanie, and Tammy - talked about methods of creative outreach and different things we're doing in our libraries along that vein. Later today I'll post the links to what we each pointed to in our presentations - so keep an eye out if you're interested.

 If you're here at PNLA make sure you come by and see us at our comfy SPLAT couch conveniently located at the end of vendor row by the water, stairs, and doors to the beautiful outdoors.

Coffee Love!

For those patrons and staff members who love their lattes and chai the Ada Community Library now has something to offer!  About three weeks ago we got a stand alone coffee machine that, for a dollar, will give you a small tasty beverage of your choice.  So far it's been great! No spills or people disgruntled with the product, just happy faces and warm tummies. It's cool and fun and our patrons sure enjoy it!

Go ahead, get out there!

On Monday of this week I did my first school outreach for teens. And let me just say, I was NERVOUS! I went to a K-8 elementary and saw roughly 120 6th and 7th graders in chunks of about 30. I asked them about their familiarity with ACL, told them about a program or two (but left most of the informing work to a colorful hand out), did a book talk and played a game with them. My favorite part of the game was throwing candy at the kids - I think this was their favorite part too. Nervous as I was at first, by the end of the day I was feeling fine. And it went well! Really well!

Two days later a familiar looking girl came up to me and asked if I was the lady who came to her school. We ended up getting into a 10 minute conversation about manga, anime, and video games. I made a new connection and so did she. I know she'll come back and feel comfortable talking to me again.

Now I don't really think many would dispute the benefits or importance of getting out into the community to talk to the people we're trying to serve, but sometimes it just seems so much easier not to do it. I know I personally have let time and personal discomfort dissuade me. But with my recent success I have new vigor to get out there and do my thing.

Moral of the story: Stop putting it (whatever it is) off and just do it. You might be really happy with the results.

YA Ramble

I've been in my new position as Teen Center Advisor for ACL for a few months now and I'm settling into the role.  I've still got that "new job uncertainty" but I'm not thrown off track by every question that's asked of me and, thankfully, the teens are starting to accept me and the way I do things.  I thought I'd share some of the things that I'm particularly excited about:

• Teen Center - we've totally rearranged everything to make the space feel more enclosed and distinct from the rest of the library.  We've also got new furniture.
• Anime - my predecessor started an anime collection which I'll keep adding to as it's so popular, but we're also going to start showing anime once a month.  I emailed a couple of the major companies that produce anime to see if they'd give us screening permission and they DID!  It only took them a couple of days to get back to me too.
• Movies, Movies, Movies - my library recently purchased a movie license (pretty darn cheap all things considered) that allows us to show movies from almost every major studio.  This spurred me on to start a Books to Movies club.  We'll be watching movies made from books with YA appeal and discussing differences between the two.
• Gaming Tweens - Dylan and I will be starting a weekly gaming program for kids in grades 6-9.  We're starting with video games but in the future might venture into board games and table top role playing games.

What does this have to do with L2.0?  Everything.  L2.0 isn't just about integrating current technologies into our models of service, it's also about offering great programs and creating a comfortable place for our patrons.