New England Aquarium/EventKeeper

Wow. If you are visiting Boston and wish to find out about all of the very cool things happening at the New England Aquarium, visit their newly designed web site. It’s spectacular.

Their web team worked closely with Plymouth Rocket’s Principal Developer Ric Bailey to create what we call a “branded” calendar, that extends and sustains their brand across their event listing. Check it out by clicking “Events Calendar” on their home page.

Debut of LibraryShowKeeper.com

Since we’re all about helping lots of organizations get the word out regarding events, we figured we’d utilize EventKeeper to help folks keep track of state, regional, and national library conferences. Check out LibraryShowKeeper and find out what’s happening library-wise in your state or region.

Did we miss some? Please let us know!

HTTPS Protocol enabled within EventKeeper

In response to some interest from both existing and prospective subscribers, we’ve enabled the HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, or HTTP over SSL) protocol within EventKeeper. We haven’t noticed any speed or performance changes, but we’ll keep an eye on things for you.

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say regarding https:

https (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer) is a URI scheme used to indicate a secure HTTP connection. It is syntactically identical to the http:// scheme normally used for accessing resources using HTTP. Using an https: URL indicates that HTTP is to be used, but with a different default TCP port (443) and an additional encryption/authentication layer between the HTTP and TCP. This system was designed by Netscape Communications Corporation to provide authentication and encrypted communication and is widely used on the World Wide Web for security-sensitive communication such as payment transactions and corporate logons.

Video games at the library? You betcha…

Libraries in southeastern Michigan are turning the page on peace and quiet.Video game events at public libraries are drawing crowds of teens, including about 100 competing monthly at “Guitar Hero” at the Rochester Hills Public Library.

“Getting teens to come to the library is right up there with getting them to go to church: It’s not exactly the first place they want to go,” Christine Lind Hage, library director, told the Detroit Free Press for a story Sunday.

Link to the entire article here.

Time is Tight…

Library Journal.com posts this interesting article regarding study habits and information searching tendencies among younger library users. The findings can be generalized across all age groups.

A new study commissioned by the British Library and JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) says that the “Google Generation”—youth born or brought up in the Internet age—is not particularly web-literate, and their research traits—impatience in search and navigation and zero tolerance for any delay in satisfying their information needs—are becoming the norm for all age-groups.

The lesson for libraries, according to the CIBER research team at University College London, is that they must step up significantly, “both raising awareness of this expensive and valuable content and making the interfaces much more standard and easier to use.”

 

Link to the entire article here.

 

Babcock CT Library Blog

Blogs are great ways for libraries to connect easily and informally with their patrons. Here is a fine blog published by the Babcock Public Library in Connecticut. And, thanks very much for choosing EventKeeper, our web calendar solution.

SirsiDynix Super Conference

As a long time certified technical partner, we’ll be in the mix in Detroit at the Super Conference. This is a great show with lots of innovative technologies on display, and its always fun to re-connect with SirsiDynix staff, and of course our subscribers.

Russian Business Network

Ever wonder who or what’s behind most of the annoying and unwanted spam, or the destructive malware and spyware that can invade your PC in search of personal information to exploit?

Check out this lengthy but very informative article on the Russian Business Network. These folks are a great argument for smart computing, never opening junk mail, keeping your machines current with the latest security patches, and of course, keeping clear of unknown attached files. Good reading, but very scary.

Gen yers and Public Libraries: Good News

Today’s libraries are definitely not the same places where today’s senior citizens did their homework after school. Indeed, according to the results from a study conducted by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Pew Internet & American Life Project, today’s seniors — and even many baby boomers — probably wouldn’t recognize half the resources available to patrons.

However, younger generations do. Compared to all other demographic groups, Gen Yers — 18 to 30 years old — are flocking to libraries to take advantage of their tech tools and information lode.The survey did not set out to study library usage — at least, not directly.

Rather, it examined how people went about looking for answers or solutions to several common problems that might involve the government: addressing health issues; making a decision about school enrollment; dealing with a tax matter; getting information about Medicare, Social Security or voter registration; or seeking helping on a local government matter, such as a traffic problem.

Go here to read the entire article.

New Construction at The San Diego Public Library

Illustrative of the struggle for funding throughout the public library system. Read about it here.