IO9.com's Great Opening Sentences from Science Fiction
Of course, now that I'm looking at this list, I can't think of any of my own favorites.
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Games Nerds Play
I had a little free time this evening, so I made a game.
Go to http://www.literature-map.com/
Think of two dissimilar authors (say, Arthur C. Clarke and Jodi Picoult), and look one up.
See if you can connect your first author to your second author by clicking on the names of similar authors.
Bonus: Your RA skills get a little boost just from seeing the names and connections.
Go to http://www.literature-map.com/
Think of two dissimilar authors (say, Arthur C. Clarke and Jodi Picoult), and look one up.
See if you can connect your first author to your second author by clicking on the names of similar authors.
Bonus: Your RA skills get a little boost just from seeing the names and connections.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Random weirdness
Today was a weird day for people, for some reason.
A lady came over to the desk to thank me for helping her with her paper. I didn't remember her, but I remembered the subject, and how hard I had to look to find something for her. She said she got a 96 percent on her paper! Go me!
We, like every other library on earth, have a limited number of Internet computers, which means that sometimes people have to wait. What kills me -- KILLS me -- are the people who stand around staring longingly at the computers while surrounded by thousands of books on every subject. Grab one and sit down!
So I saw a lady doing this, standing and staring, for quite a while. I assumed that she had signed in and was waiting for a computer to open up. So I worked and sort of watched her for a while, wondering if she was going to go read something or just stand there, and I notice an open computer. Then I see a kid go up to the circ desk and get a pass. He sits at an empty station and starts typing away. The lady sees him, too... THEN goes to the desk to ask for a pass. Why not just ask in the first place?
A kid about 11 years old asks me for books on how to speak Russian. I looked some up, but alas, they were all checked out. He didn't want to place a hold. However, he asked me if there were any books on how to speak Canadian!
I explained that Canadians speak English, but a lot of them also speak French. Did he want a book about French? He did! We did have books on learning French. We found three for him to take home.
A lady came over to the desk to thank me for helping her with her paper. I didn't remember her, but I remembered the subject, and how hard I had to look to find something for her. She said she got a 96 percent on her paper! Go me!
We, like every other library on earth, have a limited number of Internet computers, which means that sometimes people have to wait. What kills me -- KILLS me -- are the people who stand around staring longingly at the computers while surrounded by thousands of books on every subject. Grab one and sit down!
So I saw a lady doing this, standing and staring, for quite a while. I assumed that she had signed in and was waiting for a computer to open up. So I worked and sort of watched her for a while, wondering if she was going to go read something or just stand there, and I notice an open computer. Then I see a kid go up to the circ desk and get a pass. He sits at an empty station and starts typing away. The lady sees him, too... THEN goes to the desk to ask for a pass. Why not just ask in the first place?
A kid about 11 years old asks me for books on how to speak Russian. I looked some up, but alas, they were all checked out. He didn't want to place a hold. However, he asked me if there were any books on how to speak Canadian!
I explained that Canadians speak English, but a lot of them also speak French. Did he want a book about French? He did! We did have books on learning French. We found three for him to take home.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Print out everything, you say?
A very nice older lady came to the desk looking for information on kidneys and disease. She said she had a friend who had something wrong with his kidneys, but it had not yet been diagnosed. She was a little afraid it might be kidney cancer, and asked about that specifically. I found a reference book with info about diseases of the endocrine system that she copied a few pages out of, then she asked me to pull up some things on the Internet ("I don't know how to use a computer.")
She just wanted some basic info on how the kidneys worked, since she wasn't sure exactly what they did. I did a Google search for "kidneys" and showed her the Wikipedia article, explaining that the site was decent for basic information, but you do have to read with a critical mind. I told her that it was eight pages long and would be 80 cents to print out.
Back to the search results. I asked her if there was anything else she wanted to know.
"I want anything you can find."
"Well," I said, indicating the Google search results. "There's a lot -- a LOT of information here. Would you like to look through it?"
"How much? Like... twenty pages? Thirty?"
"About nine million."
"Ohhhhh."
I sat her down and explained that the best results were usually on the first page or two of results. We found a good site for her to look at, I showed her how to get around it, and she was happy and thanked me profusely for my help.
She just wanted some basic info on how the kidneys worked, since she wasn't sure exactly what they did. I did a Google search for "kidneys" and showed her the Wikipedia article, explaining that the site was decent for basic information, but you do have to read with a critical mind. I told her that it was eight pages long and would be 80 cents to print out.
Back to the search results. I asked her if there was anything else she wanted to know.
"I want anything you can find."
"Well," I said, indicating the Google search results. "There's a lot -- a LOT of information here. Would you like to look through it?"
"How much? Like... twenty pages? Thirty?"
"About nine million."
"Ohhhhh."
I sat her down and explained that the best results were usually on the first page or two of results. We found a good site for her to look at, I showed her how to get around it, and she was happy and thanked me profusely for my help.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
It's due WHEN?
Right at 9:00 -- when we open -- Lady called to find out if we could find her a picture of David Livingstone's tomb and print it out for her. I did a quick Google Image Search and found one, and asked if she had internet access. She claimed that because she was a senior citizen, she didn't know how to use a computer (I should address this in a future rant). I told her that she could come in and we could show her how to do it. She said she'd be in around 11.
Then she asked me if we had any books on him that might have his picture in them. If I could do this for her, it would save her some time because...
SHE HAS TO GIVE A TALK ABOUT THE DUDE AT 1:00.
Nothing like waiting until the last minute! I told her I would look, and we'd see her at 11. Thank goodness we had one kids' book at our branch with a photo of Livingstone. There is also a small, rather grainy-looking painting of him in Encyclopedia Britannica. And, of course, on the Internet. I almost wanted to inform her that all the books on Livingstone were at other branches. Seriously, people.
Yesterday some library science student wanted me to answer his homework questions for him. Research questions. Over the phone! HELLO. This is going to be your JOB one day. I pointed him to some databases the library subscribes to. I should have gotten his full name so I could remember it if I ever have to hire somebody. I'd hire somebody else.
And the day BEFORE yesterday. A high-school-aged girl came in needing to do a paper on art in the renaissance period. When I took her to peruse the section where we have art books, she hummed to herself while looking at a completely different part of the shelves. I realized that she didn't seem to care much about what she got, so I handed her a couple of circulating art encyclopedias that had some general info in them. She took them without even glancing at them. I said, good luck!
Then she asked me if we had any books on him that might have his picture in them. If I could do this for her, it would save her some time because...
SHE HAS TO GIVE A TALK ABOUT THE DUDE AT 1:00.
Nothing like waiting until the last minute! I told her I would look, and we'd see her at 11. Thank goodness we had one kids' book at our branch with a photo of Livingstone. There is also a small, rather grainy-looking painting of him in Encyclopedia Britannica. And, of course, on the Internet. I almost wanted to inform her that all the books on Livingstone were at other branches. Seriously, people.
Yesterday some library science student wanted me to answer his homework questions for him. Research questions. Over the phone! HELLO. This is going to be your JOB one day. I pointed him to some databases the library subscribes to. I should have gotten his full name so I could remember it if I ever have to hire somebody. I'd hire somebody else.
And the day BEFORE yesterday. A high-school-aged girl came in needing to do a paper on art in the renaissance period. When I took her to peruse the section where we have art books, she hummed to herself while looking at a completely different part of the shelves. I realized that she didn't seem to care much about what she got, so I handed her a couple of circulating art encyclopedias that had some general info in them. She took them without even glancing at them. I said, good luck!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Internet fun
Lady comes to the desk:
"I'd like to borrow the Internet."
Different lady, a few days later:
"I'd like an Internet, please."
The sign next to my head that says, "Computer sign-up at the front desk" (in other words, not my desk) does not help.
"I'd like to borrow the Internet."
Different lady, a few days later:
"I'd like an Internet, please."
The sign next to my head that says, "Computer sign-up at the front desk" (in other words, not my desk) does not help.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Internet fun
Lady comes in and wants help looking at a particular brand of purse online. Choice snippets of the hand-holding session:
Click in the address bar.
I don't have an address. (Wait, what?)
Click with the left mouse button.
What? I don't understand.
And on and on for about fifteen minutes. I show her how the mouse cursor turns into a little hand when it's on a link ("something you can click on"). I show her how the purses are grouped under these little descriptions on the Web site (Click on "girly" to go to that line, click on "signature" to go to that line, etc.). She doesn't get it. ("I want to see all of them!") Unfortunately, hand-holding is not my job. I don't mind helping you get started, but I have to be available for other people to ask questions.
Would you be interested in signing up for our beginning computer class?
Later, a (different) lady comes to my desk and says, "I'd like to borrow the Internet."
Click in the address bar.
I don't have an address. (Wait, what?)
Click with the left mouse button.
What? I don't understand.
And on and on for about fifteen minutes. I show her how the mouse cursor turns into a little hand when it's on a link ("something you can click on"). I show her how the purses are grouped under these little descriptions on the Web site (Click on "girly" to go to that line, click on "signature" to go to that line, etc.). She doesn't get it. ("I want to see all of them!") Unfortunately, hand-holding is not my job. I don't mind helping you get started, but I have to be available for other people to ask questions.
Would you be interested in signing up for our beginning computer class?
Later, a (different) lady comes to my desk and says, "I'd like to borrow the Internet."
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