June, 2009

[The TechSoup for Libraries blog frequently features guest posts from library writers around the US.  With this post, however, we are excited to move beyond that to include the ideas and expertise of international library writers, too. Agnieszka Koszowska is a librarian and instructor at The Silesian Library in Katowice, Poland.]

"This is how we got an idea to involve the community members in creating and developing digital resources."

TechSoup has two new and exciting updates to Adobe donations that affect libraries and (c)(3) friends of libraries:

First, the regular Adobe donation program through TechSoup has just opened up their eligibility to include 501(c)(3) friends of libraries. The change is subtle on the surface and none of the language on the Adobe restrictions and eligibility info has changed, however, if you work for or with a 501(c)(3) friend of a library, you are now (likely) eligible to request the newest, hottest Adobe donated products through TechSoup.

Second, TechSoup has a limited-stock, limited-time-only special donation program with Adobe. The products available are largely for Mac users and they are still brand new products, however, they are not the latest version.

I coordinate the NetMaster program for the King County Library System. NetMasters are volunteer computer instructors who lead classes in the community libraries based on existing curriculum. Potential volunteers apply via our website and I contact them for orientation and training—this process is manageable, but does keep me pretty busy. Here is how it goes:

Earlier today, we had a question asked in the TechSoup community forums about whether donated and discounted products through TechSoup were available to organizations if they weren't a registered, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The person was looking for Adobe's Photoshop Elements for their work. I know many folks are familiar with TechSoup's donation program already but for those of you who aren't, here was my response:

Earlier this week, Sharon Moreland blogged about the success the crew at the Northeast Kansas Library System has been having with Jing, a tool that allows you to capture content from a computer screen to create videos. It sounded so good that Cindi Hickey (at the State Library of Kansas) and I decided to try the tool out, too!

According to Liz (our system administrator), everything good comes from Lifehacker.com...and that is where she found Jing (http://www.jingproject.com/).  As the Web site says, "Use Jing to capture anything you see on your computer screen and share it instantly...as an image or short movie."  

Thanks to Brenda for the nice welcome earlier today! As she mentioned in her post, I'll be hanging out a bit in these parts -- lurking behind doorways, butting in to virtual conversations, and blogging -- all in the interest of learning more about what libraries need from us and hoping to share info about other TechSoup programs that might be useful to the library world.

Starting today, there will be a new voice regularly heard here on the TechSoup for Libraries blog. Becky Wiegand is a staff writer with TechSoup, where she writes and edits articles, manages the TechSoup Blog team, and presents for area nonprofits about technology needs.

Lori Reed is most likely a familiar name to you. She's a regular contributor to TechSoup for Libraries and MaintainIT. She recently facilitated an online class for NEFLIN, "Gaming in Libraries", which was based on content from the MaintainIT Cookbook, Planning for Success. I talked to Lori after the session and asked her how it went. Here's her reply.

Winston Churchill said, “There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction”. If you're a regular visitor to this site, you may have noticed a few changes. You'll now find even more resources, in addition to the MaintainIT content. 

Chris Peters is a writer for TechSoup, the main writer of MaintainIT's Cookbooks, a librarian, a voracious reader, an impressive thinker, and a friend.

Outdated technologies have a certain appeal. My fiancé collects 8-track tapes. He has over 1000 of them. He sees them as a snapshot of another time and collecting them is a mission to recapture a piece of bygone days. With computers, I’ve found that almost everyone likes to talk about the equipment they used back in the day (Commodore, Apple IIe, Atari, etc). The Sweetwater Library System’s (WY) “On the Same Page” blog recently included a humorous take on a gadget graveyard article, analyzing technologies that are about to become extinct. In a culture in which it feels like we’re rushing to keep up with the latest and greatest, it’s refreshing to remember things that feel simpler.

There's a lot of excitement brewing here at TechSoup about new projects and new directions. You may have noticed some changes on our site that are just the beginning. But there are some other changes that are less techie, less project-focused, too.