Sites and Soundbytes

I love to share new websites, as you know and I have found a great new blog that offers me tons of new websites in handy dandy collections.  Sawse is a blog that offers collections of top sites in themes.  Today's entry is the 12 Top Sites for Photographers and Photo Enthusiasts.  And you will also find lists of the best travel sites, the best sites for color and design, and much more in between the lists themselves.  This site mixes technology and websites in a friendly and accessible way.  I also love the use of nice big photographs.  I am always being told by staff that the photos I use on our website are too big.  Maybe I just need to point them to this blog where the photos are huge and often breathtaking.

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know, I keep on pointing you to NPR stories, but they are some of the best for leading readers to books other than bestsellers.  Now they are doing the same for films, offering a top-ten list that doesn't include many blockbusters at all.  What a nice way to highlight the depth of your own library's DVD collection!  Or you could look at it as a list of ideas for you to purchase for your library and move towards more depth if you don't already have it.

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gridskipper is a site dedicated to urban travel.  You can find out helpful travel details about Berlin, London, LA, NY, Paris, San Fran, Sydney and DC.  Learn about the best places to eat, events not to miss, and travel tips galore.  Don't expect a serious, dry tone.  This site embraces sarcasm and humor.  A fun place to stop by while planning an urban trip.

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nanoscan is a great option in addition to your regular antivirus software.  Occasionally, my computer starts to act strange and turning to Nanoscan works to put my mind at ease that it isn't a new virus messing things up.  I like that it is so very up-to-date and works so quickly.  A handy and easy-to-use program.

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

 

NPR has another list of recommended books!  This group comes from three independent booksellers, so the mix is wonderfully eclectic.

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now here is an online service any librarian could fall in love with.  It puts almost any list of terms into alphabetical order for you.  The site offers all sorts of options to use.  You have the option to add items before or after each term or remove first words before alphabetizing. You can strip HTML, ignore cases, capitalize the first word, reverse the list, or remove duplicates automatically.  Sweet!

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As a library director, I find myself in the middle of conversations I would never have ever thought I would have.  In the last few weeks I have discussed organizational charts more than I would ever have though possible!  And in several different contexts! 

Anyway, Cogmap is an online organizational chart wiki that shows you the org chart for companies.  Because it's a wiki, you can contribute your own information, update entries, etc.  This is the place to come to find out who has what position in a company, whether it is to register a complaint, pay a compliment or network with a peer. 

And if anyone wants to talk about library organizational charts?  I am ready!

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are great places to find free books online, and one of the best lists I have found is done by Librarian Chick on a wiki.  The site has books, audio books, and then breaks the free online books down by categories such as mathematics, foreign language, history, and computers.  This makes it so easy to find the sort of thing you are looking for and then start browsing all the free books you can read! 

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

FirstShowing.net is a site dedicated to movies.  Here you will find trailers, interviews with filmmakers, and upcoming openings.  You can also read reviews and articles all about film.  The heart of the site is their blog where you can find out about new releases, top films lists of the year, and much more. 

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Definr bills itself as an "incredibly fast dictionary."  Just start out typing in your word and Definr will try to guess what word you are looking for.  If it guesses it, just stop typing and click on the term.  You will get a concise definition without a page load to wait for.  Very slick! 

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am involved in two very different long range planning processes.  One is for my library where we are really pushing ahead with new services and changed approaches.  The other is for the library system my library is a part of.  That one has a list of goals that feature a lot of continuations of successful programs. 

Two very different approaches, but I think that each plan could learn a little something from the other.  Our library goals probably need to honor what is already being done in the library a little more.  We need to assure people that we will continue to be all that they have come to love about us even while we strive to be more.  The library system needs to start speculating about what fresh new programs they could offer to meet new or emerging member needs, especially those not yet vocalized. 

The nice thing is that I don't believe that either planning process lost the focus on the member or the customer.  They just ended up in very different places.  Perhaps every plan needs a blend of history and future?

Off to start blending!

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Christian Science Monitor is doing their list of top 2007 books in a wide variety of categories.  So far they have put fiction, short stories and essays, thrillers, biography, memoirs, history and nonfiction lists up on their website.  Any of these lists would make great highlights for your website or library blog.  Think of how much the history buffs alone could get into debating the newest books!

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wild About Math is a blog all about math.  It is filled with great ways to learn about math, mathcasts, and links to the larger online math community.  The blogroll alone is worth the visit if you are looking for mathematical information online. 

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stateline.org is a site from The Pew Charitable Trusts that started as a resource for journalists covering state government.  However, it has grown far beyond that, and is a great resource for citizens looking to keep up with what is happening at a state and federal level.  The site offers daily state news, federal news that impacts state government and policy, and in-depth Backgrounders that offer background information on complex current issues.  One of the best features of the site is the RSS feed section.  You can subscribe to general news feeds, news on specific issues, or to feeds that address only a specific state.  This is really a great resource for anyone to keep up to date on issues that impact their lives. 

Posted by Tasha Saecker at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)