Thing #63. Foxit reader

I don't like downloading stuff onto my laptop - mainly cos the hard drive is almost full and the replacement twice-the-capacity hard drive is sitting on my desk staring at me as i type this (Note to self: must install new hd)

I've downloaded foxit reader onto my usb drive of portable apps (aka as the surfboard if you are rifling thru my usb drives for any reason)

I suspect this could be another useful tool if I need to fill in a PDF form online.

Once again I tried the US Postal Service- online job application and found foxit a little more 'tapsister friendly' than pdf escape when filling in the form. It's hard to pinpoint why I preferred foxit - I think it's probably just a 'personality' thing, no real reason just personal preference.

I did wonder whether zamzar (my favourite conversion tool) would be useful for these online pdf forms?

(wanders off to upload us post office job app to zamzar...)

Thing 62. PDF Escape

This could be a very useful little program. I couldn't think of a site that I'd accessed recently that I'd use it on so I followed Mary's example and used the employment form from the US Postal Service.

I also followed Mary's advice and registered with PDF escape from the getgo.

I found PDF escape easy to use, although I did get a little annoyed by having to 'insert text' for each line I wanted to enter info into.

Mind you if it had been a real job application I would have been obsessively resizing text boxes and the like.

I'll have to try and remember this one for when I do come across pdf forms that can't be filled in online.

#61 Facebook & libraries

I've done the whole search for library on fb previously and friended and fan'd several - some because I'm interested in them- they're located close by, I work for them, I went to uni there etc, others I follow to get a feel for how they are using fb to promote their library service.

Our ILS vendor is, I think, almost ready to 'unleash' a fb application to search our catalogue which I think would be great.

The libraries that to me have the most effective fb presence are those that have a catalogue search widget/application rather than just a link on their page.

In the realms of fantasy (or way outside my programming league) I'd love to see library patrons being able to do most everything from our facebook page (think library elf meets e-resources).

I'd like to be able to do things such as renew my books from the fb page - the catalogue search app is a good start but how about being able to join online via fb?

Something to think about?

#60. Facebook

I was watching tv yesterday morning (breakfast tv - I feel so ashamed) and the 'Today' show was 'interviewing' a technology guy who was basically saying that fb was on the decline - that the number of people signing up was decreasing, the number of regularly active accounts was decreasing, and so on.

I found that interesting as a couple of days ago I read a blog post that said that there were more applications currently being written for bebo than any other SNS.

I think Facebook and other SNS sites are great for libraries - it gives us a presence where our users (and potential users) may be, it enables us to publicise and promote our events to a wider audience, and it enhances our virtual library.

I've been on fb for a while now - I'm not the most active of participants, but I do check it most days, and I like to experiment with different applications.

I only wish more staff would get involved with the online tools available and see them as an opportunity, not a threat.

#59 Authors on the web

I have used Authors on the Web previously and whilst can be a useful resource I seldom use it anymore.

One of my most visited websites is Fantastic Fiction which answers pretty much all my book related queries such as series order, forthcoming books by favourite authors, and the like.

Authors on the web seems to be very US author based.

For example I searched authors on the web for 2 of my favourite British authors (Danuta Reah, Hilary Norman). Neither of them were listed. On FF I got a list of their books in series order and a link to their homepage/s.

AoTW is a useful website but for me I find FF to be more useful at home and at work.

#58 Being green

Last month I blogged on the library ning about a list of green resources that I'd come across on the virtual hosting blog.

As I worked my way thru the (mainly American focused) list I came across one little gem of a program that I blogged about here.

One resource I really, really, did like - I've downloaded it and use it at home all the time - is greenprint.

When you click on print a document you get the normal print screen but with greenprint as the printer.

It then displays the document in a print preview format with what it thinks is unnecessary pages highlighted in red (you know when you're not paying attention and you print something and the last page is just an ad?)

If you want the page printed you just 'unhighlight' it and the document prints in the usual way. You can also remove logos, banner ads etc before printing.

If you don't need a hard copy of a document you can save it as a pdf.

There is a free version of greenprint or a pay version. I use the free version at home and find it quite useful.
It also keeps track of the money you've saved (in ink, paper, energy, terms) by using greenprint to stop printing the extra pages/logos.

If you're the type of person who always looks at print preview before printing then you may not need this but for the rest of us it is useful.

#57. Feeding my addiction - Tastespotting.

Sandy via Jamie warns us not to visit Tastespotting if we are hungry - so true.

Much as recipe sites/blogs/whatever are not my cup of tea (or should that be homemade biscuit), how can you not like a site where the first picture is of homemade marshmallows with 100s & 1000s on top?

I added the widget fairly easily to my blog, the hardest part was finding the widget to add.

I used my standard cookery search terms - corned silverside and chocolate mousse (separately, not together) and found several photographic recipes for each. (and as a result I am now seriously hungry).

I much preferred Tastespotting to I'm cooked (Thing 50) as I like to look at the pretty piccies of the food rather than the video. In fact I've already looked up several recipes that I plan to cook in the future.

I like that the site's not just about the recipes, there are blogs from people, some about food, some about recipes.