From time to time a student asks if we have a bookable discussion room with a computer (and ideally a projector!) where they can practise presentations. Do any of the other branches have something we can point them to?

(If not, do students in other colleges ask for this as well – would it be something the Library should have available?)

Deborah

Google’s got in on Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – after about a year of development, they’ve launched a Māori interface for Google.co.nz called Google Aotearoa.

Google.com in Māori is also available though (at least as I write this) it’s not yet linked from Google Language Tools or Google Preferences.

Deborah

I’ve been talking with a few people about the idea of the database lists linking to instructions for RSS/email current awareness alerts for each database/provider (similar to the way we currently have an “Endnote” line in eg ABI/INFORM global). Each database does something different and frequently non-intuitive so having instructions in a standard place would be very useful.

There are some questions about whether/how best to do this. What do people think about:

1. Is it worth while? (would it make the database record too much more complicated? could it better go somewhere else?
2. If it would go in the database lists where would it go? (as part of the ‘help’ line? as a separate line, similar to the separate ‘endnote’ line? what’s the best way of organising these database records?)
3. what would be the best wording for a link? (“staying current” is used on all the subject guides – should it be the same? is that the most user-friendly phrase?)
4. what’s the best way of sharing the load of creating instructions for each database/provider? (I’ve done Engineering and some multidisciplinary databases at file://K:\information_services\Current_awareness\Current_Awareness_using_Engineering_Databases.doc and would be happy to put instructions from various sources into a consistent format for the web.)
5. what other issues/concerns might there be?

Looking forward to hearing all thoughts….

Deborah

For anyone who hasn’t posted to Counterculture before or wants a refresher:

I was playing with my video software last night and ended up with a 1-minute video covering the very basics (logging in, bold, italics, and linking). The video’s at Q:\Deborah\BasicBloggingNucleus.mp4 — turn your speakers down a bit, double-click, and press play to start.

Happy to do a sequel if there’s any interest…

Deborah