Celia’s ninth blog for Library Systems class--Colorado (Wyoming) Experience

This week I was proved again how wonderful the librarian profession is. For my other class, I was to interview a webmaster. One of the webmasters, I chose to try to interview was the Denver Public Library's. Their webmaster not only answered my questions, she also offered me an inside tour of the library while I am there over spring break. I can't wait!

I also found out that other professions have great people too. March is disability month. To celebrate that, my library has a guest storyteller and the local developmentally disabled group (Pathfinders) come and give a talk. During this story time, I take pictures as my assistant runs most of our story times although I do get the guests and help her plan. We had this special story time on March 3, 2008. I took my digital camera and took about 5-6 pictures. I then went home and downloaded them to my computer. I thought that all went well but when I went to find the pictures on my computer they weren't there. Since I am planning to take the camera on vacation with me I had cleared it thinking all was well. The pictures were simply not there. All I can figure out is that something went wrong with the download. I have learned that I should erase the pictures from the camera until I am positive that they are on my computer and that I know where to find them. Luckily for me the Pathfinders organization sent a lady to take pictures for their own publicity so I asked them to send me those pictures so I could add them to my article to the newspapers to publicize the event. They were happy to help me in this way as both of our organization will get some good publicity out of it.

We also had problems with one of our computers and the printers. We have a 4500 color LaserJet printer that is our default printer. Computer 4 would only print to the 2300 b&w LaserJet printer though. Even when the 4500 was chosen, it would print to the 2300. I had to reset the 4500 printer into computer 4 and finally got 4500 printer working correctly from computer 4. What really bothers me now is how the computer lost those settings in the first place. My board has had me set restore points on all the patron computers. One of the board members has a portable DVD drive he is going to use make back-up disks. We are also planning on putting SteadyState from Microsoft on all the computers also. This program is supposed to take the computer back to its starting point every time that it is restarted. I will be putting that on the computers when I get back from vacation. We are hoping with all this protection the patrons will not be able to add or change things like they are now.

Denver was great! I was surprised as I thought Denver would be more mountainous but we did drive out to see them a little closer than you can from Denver itself. I did get my tour of the Denver Public Library. I took my new flip video camera and took a video during it. We were specially allowed to go into the room where a G7 summit was held during President Clinton's term of office. It was neat to see where the heads of state sat and the special nameplates placed inside the table. They also have a wonderful display of Colorado artworks from the neighboring art museum. We were also shown the genealogy and children's sections of the library. It is a 64 million dollar library that is a showplace as well as a functioning library. It was definitely being used and was a vibrant place so it was proof that libraries are necessary.

I repeatedly took a group of pictures in Denver on my digital camera and then went back to the hotel and downloaded them to my laptop. I have quite a video slide show now of Colorado and even some of Wyoming which we spent a little time in. I was lucky as the hotel gave us complimentary "wired" Internet service. I would have had to pay for "wireless" Internet. I was thus able to connect from Denver and work on the wiki project a little. I copied off maps from the internet before we left which show Denver in squares grids and then part in diamond grids. We thought it was a mistake but once there found out it was actually set up that way. It was confusing! We were often relying on my nephew's phone as he was able to get Google Maps on it. It is incredible to me how phones have changed. Who would have believed 20 years ago that we would be getting Internet, able to take pictures and texts or talk to people on our phones from almost anywhere. My nephew could often be seen in during the "vacation" making sales calls from his phone in the middle of our touring walks of Denver while we females shopped. I left my niece use my cell phone to call her husband and such since I have nationwide coverage and only use it for emergencies. I thought that I had 500 whenever and 75 weekend minutes. It turns out that it was actually the opposite and she talked for 96 whenever minutes so I will have to pay extra since I have an overage. Luckily it isn't that much!