Web 2.0 Encore at WMRLS: Today Delicious

“Delicious (formerly del.icio.us, pronounced "delicious") is a social bookmarking web service for storing, sharing, and discovering web bookmarks.” (Wikipedia)

We are using it as a tool for staff to push out links to our patrons. Instead of a list of links on our website that is static, we can use tags and a link feed to push out new bookmarks to patrons. Also, the tools for link clean up make dead links easy to maintain.

~ Jennifer Hawkes, Electronic Reference Librarian, Chicopee Public Library

Web 2.0 Week at WMRLS: Today HiTask

“HiTask was conceived as friendly and easy-to-use task management system that anyone can start using right away.  It is designed to satisfy both sophisticated followers of David Allan’s “Getting Things Done” methodology and anyone who just needs a quick and easy tool to manage their everyday tasks.” (HiTask website)





I am using the tool as an individual accountability tool for myself to schedule in appointed projects and appointments. You can have multiple people working together on a task or you can use it for a solo project. It can schedule tasks and link via iCal to other calendar tools such as Google Calendar or Windows Calendar and you can get deadlines for yourself regarding projects. ~ Jennifer Hawkes, Electronic Reference Librarian, Chicopee Public Library

Web 2.0 Week at WMRLS ~ Today: Slideroll

Definition from the Slideroll Website:  "Slideroll™ is online slideshow software that allows people to create smooth, video-like slide shows and publish them on the web. Slideroll™ is unique because it has all of the power of a desktop application, plus all of the connectivity benefits of being online. Slideroll™ even allows you to easily put Flash movies on your site without having to learn Flash."

The Chicopee Public Library created a Video Tour of the Library using the Slideroll software. 

~ Jennifer Hawkes, Electronic Reference Librarian, Chicopee Public Library

Governor Patrick Holds Town Meeting At the Chicopee Public Library

On Thursday evening, August 6, 2009, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick held a town meeting in the amphitheater behind the Chicopee Public Library. It was a beautiful evening and after a few opening comments, the Governor turned the meeting over to questions from those present.

From a library and Regional point of view, the most important question was from a library user from Sunderland. She is concerned that Sunderland rejected an override that included funding for the library and that the library might not be able to maintain its certification. She wanted the Governor to know that being able to request materials from other libraries and have them delivered to Sunderland and being able to return materials anywhere were services that were very important to her. She was very concerned that her library and The Jones Library might lose their certification and thereby their access to materials from all over the state and her library’s membership in the Western MA Regional Library System. The Governor was quite impressed that she could get materials from any library and return them to any library.

The mayor of Chicopee offered that waivers may be available and referred to his education on the matter by Chicopee Director Nancy Contois. The Governor asked Nancy a couple of questions about the state aid grant. Assistant Regional Administrator spoke with Elizabeth Cardona, Director of the Governor's Western MA Office, and will be in touch with the staff of the Sunderland Library and the Sunderland patron.

Governor Patrick is holding Town Meetings across the Commonwealth. This is a good opportunity to see state government up close and get a chance to air your concerns with the Governor directly. Give it a try.

~Jan Resnick, Assistant Regional Administrator