Beyond Method 3 -- mapping

Library Technology: Method 3 of Beyond Two-Step examined mapping sites and how to add a map. This is a really useful skill and one I have benefitted from often. I use it often when traveling to an unfamiliar site, or when I need travel distance information. I didn't add a map for the Gunter Library & Museum because there is already a map attached to the library website. Later when I create a netvibes page for genealogy, I will create a map to the Gunter Library.

Local history: For Census information on Gunter residents, up through 1930, go to www.tsl.state.tx.us/texshare/ and use the Genealogy sources there. Heritage Quest will give you Census information. Texas Sanborn Insurance maps will allow you to view detailed maps back to the 1900s.

I plan to create a genealogy website and link it to the Gunter Library & Museum so that I can include local history and family research as well as useful links to other research sites on the Internet. My first contribution will be to donate a couple of personal family histories to the Gunter Library, one for the Roy Hazelton family, long time residents of Gunter, and one for my own family, the James C. McCrain family, as local residents past and present. This will be the beginning of a listing of local family research present in the library/museum. Anyone who has local history or family research is urged to provide a copy for the Gunter Library & Museum. There will also be a local obituary page.

Current Reading: I completed the first book in the George R.R. Martin series "A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire." I enjoyed the fast action fantasy very much and found the writing style interesting. I may have to make a chart to keep track of all the characters. However the ones I am most interested in continue into the second book, "A Clash of Kings." This is an adult book I would recommend to all fantasy readers, with the reservation that it has explicit sexuality that may offend some.

Beyond Method #2: Library technology uses

Customizable webpages! What a concept! Taming the Internet with pageflakes, igoogle, netvibes, smartpage Library virtual reference tool!

Netvibes and pageflakes are two customizable sites that can be used by libraries to provide comprehensive web coverage for patrons. Igoogle is a personal website, not a public. I thought netvibes was too overwhelming for me, too much information clamoring for my attention at once, rather confusing - but, very well in tune with our chaotic life style. For myself, I chose igoogle as a personal home page and intend to use it for some months to see how I like it. If I chose netvibes for a library webpage, I would link it to genealogy as the best overall coverage for any number of patrons, novice to experienced researchers. A library could link to this webpage from Plinkit and open up a tremendous resource for family researchers. Smartpage library virtual reference tool is fabulous. Linking to this site, one would almost be able to find anything! No wonder there is so much concern that libraries are being superceded.

At this point in my library career -- recently retired! -- I find the field changing so rapidly that I think the only way to catch up with it would be to return to school full time and study only internet resources. Or take a catch-up webinar like Beyond Two-Step. Thanks for the introductions!

For any of my non-librarian readers, I advise spending some time with the new tools being developed: www.netvibes.com, igoogle.com, pageflakes.com
Where Web 2.0 will end up, I have no idea. Prepare yourself for an overwhelmingly wild ride.

Netvibes as "A Game of Thrones"

Local history: One of the things the Gunter Library & Museum can contribute to the community is to begin an Obituary File of Gunter residents. Some research into past issues of the Herald-Democrat is needed to begin the historical files. A local volunteer who will begin to clip the current area newspapers can soon provide valuable information.

Books I'm currently reading: "A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. This is the first book in a series of seven. The second book is "A Clash of Kings" and the third is "A Storm of Swords." The author of this immensely popular series has been called "the American Tolkien" by Time magazine.
The series is even being adapted as a graphic novel. Looking at the sketches of characters in the graphic novel on my Kindle, I have decided that I want to read the graphic format, but I think I will finish reading the series first. I have my own images of the characters. After I complete the series, then I'll see how illustrator Tommy Patterson has interpreted them.
I think author George Martin has done a fine job of delineating his characters. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and also the geography of the lands seems to escape me. I presume the book itself has a map, but my Kindle version doesn't show the map. My favorite characters so far are Jon Snow and Arrya his half-sister, and brother Bran. A lot of characters seem to be losing their lives with a swish of the sword and I wonder what will happen to my favorites before the first book is finished.
While the epic fantasy may attract teen readers, the book definitely presents adult situations. There is a lot of violence also. When Hollywood makes a movie of it, they will have plenty of scope to classify it as R rated. Still, the series, as far as I have read it, is quite readable, a grand adventure, and, I presume, a quest will appear, although its outlines are vague at this point in my reading.

Step Two of the Beyond Two-Step Technology Training: I've been experimenting with netvibes as a webpage designer. So far I'm impressed with the comprehensiveness available when one starts adding gadgets and blogs and links. It is rather overwhelming to click on links and find them taking over the page you are designing. I've decided one must proceed cautiously in order not to open up the entire Pandora's box of the Internet at once. I added one link and found I'd drowned myself in more than 4000 connections. A disciplined approach is needed to maintain a useful design of the dashboard. I'll probably go back and delete the genealogy dashboard I've started and build it again one link at a time. I can see where this dashboard approach can help one design a useful and very thorough approach to a topic. Libraries and other entities can definitely make use of this technology. But my first experience with it left me feeling a little bit like the lion tamer in the cage without his whip. Or like the reader of the bewildering details and plot twists of "Game of Thrones." Next I'll have to try out the iGoogle technology and see which one I like the best.

Local history: Gunter, Texas and more

While researching some Gunter local history, I visited the Gee library page and found some interesting reading about the Gunter family. Go to Northeast Texas Digital Collections at http://dmc.tamu-commerce.edu/cdm/
Type in Gunter as a search term and you will find the Historic Papers of Lillian Gunter. Lilian Gunter was responsible for the Library law that eventually created Texas library systems. She was Director of the Gainesville Library for many years. Within these scanned papers, you will find information about Jot Gunter and the rest of his family, as well as a history of the town of Gunter. The history of the Gunter family is excellent reading, including much about cowboy life and the large ranches of the Texas panhandle as well as Jot Gunter's ranch south-west of Sherman.

Take some time to explore other items in the Northeast Texas Digital Collections. You will find interesting items about Van Alstyne, Gainsville, and Sherman, including photos of prominent and not so prominent citizens. Thanks to the staff of the Gee Library at Commerce for the wonderful heirlooms they have digitized!

Adventuring on to post-two step!

Ok, So I'm still learning! Who thought I would quit just because I'm no longer getting paid for thinking, planning, and learning! I'm volunteering at my local tiny all-volunteer library on Tuesdays from 4:30 - 7:30. So far, no one much has discovered we're open on Tuesday evenings now, so I need to plan some activities to make people aware that Gunter Library and Museum is waiting to serve their information needs.

Thing One: A website that contributes community value by providing information not readily available elsewhere.

Thing Two: A website that provides opportunity for dialog with community members.

Step one is to start a website using the Plinkit template. Then I want to find some freebie sites to promote around town -- connecting through our website.

Ok, so I'm dreaming, hmmm? I have some ideas ... more about that later!!!!

First I need to finish learning the post two-step dance.

Retirement!

Retirement! I finally, actually, irrevocably retired from the directorship of the Van Alstyne Library on June 10, 2011! This was my 4th retirement date. As each one approached, I found I wasn't ready to give up the best job in the world yet. But this time, I actually went through with it. Two days after my retirement date, I became 69. There were other things I wanted to do with my life -- the rest of it. There are some books I want to write. I want to learn to paint. I want to do some house remodeling. I want to visit my grandkids and spend quality time with them. I want to travel with my husband. I have some serious gardening I want to do. I need to work on some family research. I want to volunteer at the Gunter Library and Museum -- just enough to keep me part of the library scene, not enough to tie me down. I want to have time to read books and attend the book discussion group I encouraged to start but seldom had time to attend. I want to explore some of the new gadgets that are being developed, like tablets and Ipads, and phone aps. That's just for starters!

For the rest, I want to change the focus of this blog. I want to link it as a book discussion group. Anyone want to join me? I'll start by talking about two books I've just read on my Kindle: The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch and Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt. Both are about women accused of witchcraft in medieval times. The Daughters of the Witching Hill was based on actual historical accounts of trials and deaths of seven women and two men from Pendle Forest in England in 1612. Belief in familiar spirits, charms and chants from the Catholic religion outlawed by the English Reformation, folk magic, and the attitudes of people from this area and time, all are convincingly presented in the life of Elizabeth Southerns and her family in this book. I understand a lot more about a puzzling phenomenon in history because I read this story. It was well plotted and well written and held my interest throughout.

The Hangman's Daughter approaches the subject differently. The author is writing about his own ancestors. He is a descendant of the Kuisl family which plays the major part in the story. The setting is Schongau, Bavaria, shortly after the Schongau witch trials of 1589. The author reminds us the story is a novel, not a scholarly thesis, but has tried to stick to facts as much as possible. The story centers around the town hangman and his family who not only dispatches torture and death, but also healing with herbs and potions. A woman is accused of witchcraft by townspeople for dispensing similar herbs and potions, and because children who like to visit her home are dying. The hangman believes she is innocent of witchcraft, but must follow his trade of torture to make her confess before the town is visited by the authority who will open up a devastating investigation of witchcraft similar to that in 1589. The characters are well described and interesting. The "devil" in the story is depicted with almost super powers, as is the hangman. The twists in the plot maintain interest. Contrasting the attitudes of characters in both novels, it is interesting to see how the accusations of witchcraft build in intensity in two different countries and situations within 30 years. The first story ends unhappily but the second has a more encouraging ending.

A follow-up reading about the Salem witch trials would be interesting.

Anna GlowFest November 6

The Van Alstyne's Teen Council will have a Library booth at the Anna GlowFest on Saturday November 6. Drop by the booth to listen to stories read by Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White, as well as other familiar book characters. While you're there pick up a treat bag with information about the Van Alstyne Library and its programs. Friends of the Van Alstyne Library supports library activities and helps purchase books for the Library. While you are visiting the Teen Council booth, fill out a membership application for Friends of the Library. They meet on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:00 at the Library.

A few new programs you need to know about: On Thursdays at 4:15, Adrienne Clark provides holiday themed story times for children in grades 1-3. This special story time will continue through mid-December.

At the same time Ms Clark provides the story time, ESL lessons for Latino Moms are given by Laura Hornbeck. If you need practice to improve your English, this informal group is perfect for you.

On Monday afternoons at 1:30-2:30, Juanita Hazelton provides free basic computer instruction in Spanish. If you need help with Microsoft Word, Internet Usage, or E-Mail, attend this class.