Savor the Flavor

Ok  folks, it’s time to get down to the business of food. I’m in Denver now, attending a library conference, so for the next few postings I’ll be concentrating on Denver restaurants.

My first night in Denver I decided to eat at my hotel’s restaurant. The hotel, The Brown Palace, is a grand old historical hotel. Their “fine dining” restaurant is The Palace Arms. It is in the tradition of the hotel itself, elegant and “refined”. The service is attentive, yet not fawning. One of the criteria by which I judge a restaurant is how a woman dining alone, or 2 women dining together is treated. This restaurant passed with flying colors. I was given an excellent table and treated with respect.

On to the food. I started with a crab cake, recommended to me by my server. It was an excellent choice. The cake was probably 98 per cent crab and just enough bread crumbs to hold the succulant crab meat together. One was able to appreciate the full flavor of the crab. It was served on a bed of lemon grass, basil & micro salad, with baby vegetables on the side.

My entree was “Colorado Bison Rossini”. It could have been sublime,  but I think the dish was just over the top. The piece of meat was delicious, well-prepared at medium rare. The fillet was served on a  bed of brioche & swiss chard, in a sea of a wine/berry reduction. That should have  been where the chef should have stopped. But wait – there’s more. The  bison was topped with a piece of foie gras and a light hollandaise sauce. Yes, the foie gras was delicious, but along with the topping sauce, was completely unnecesasary. It made the dish much to rich. More is not always better.

Although I really shouldn’t have endulged, I enjoyed the dessert of fresh fruit sorbets. They were the perfect dessert after the over the top entree.

The wine list at the Palace Arms is extensive and tends to be on the overpriced side. On the plus side, they do have a decent selection of wines by the glass and half bottles. I had a BR Cohn, Olive Hill Vineyards, Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004. It was decent, and after being decanted and left to breath, it opened up. (Wine Spectator gave it an 83).

So – bottom line for The Palace Arms? It’s expensive but an elegant and worthwhile dining experience.

Savor the Flavor – a bit off topic

Before I start blogging about food & food related stuff – I MUST relate this great story that happened to me just a couple of hours ago.

Right now I’m staying at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, attending a library conference. The hotel is great with impeccable service. As I was putting on a new suit this morning, one that I bought back in New Jersey, I noticed that the plastic  security tag was still attached. I went to down to the concierge to find out if there were a Nordstrom around. (The suit was purchased at a Nordstrom in Jersey.) Michelle, the concierge, told that there was one, but it wasn’t local. She first called around to some local stores to see if they could help me out. Then she called Nordstrom at the Cherry Creek Mall. The store wasn’t open yet, but James, one of the security people at the store, told her that he would meet me at the main entrance to the store. Michelle then got a hold of the driver of the hotel’s courtesy car (a Mercedes SUV, no less). I was then driven to Nordstrom where James met me with a portable security “thingie” and detached the tag. I was then driven back to the hotel where I thanked everyone profusely & made my way in to breakfast.

Both the hotel staff and the Nordstrom staff demonstrated what true customer service is. I intend to write to the management of both places to register my complete satisfaction with their staff.

Digipalooza – final chapter – 2.0

As I was going through & adding photos to this blog, I realized I didn’t say anything about the Overdrive “Digital Bookmobile.” This is a fully self-contained 69 feet long (or 74 feet depending on the p.r. handout your read) 18-wheeler outreach vehicle . It’s loaded with HD flat screen tvs; Pcs and premium sound systems & divided into areas that highlight the different downloadable formats offered by Overdrive. According to their flyer, the digimobile “…promote[s] a host library’s digital media collection and ‘Virtual Branch’ download website. This is a great hands-on learning experience. they have their own generator & wifi set-up, and there is no cost to the library. This would be a great thing to have at some of our Listen NJ libraries.

However, there are a couple of problems. First of all, Overdrive prefers that the library have more than one of it’s downloadable formats available (something I’d like to see too). Then there is the size of the truck & where it could best be accommodated.

Anyway, it’s something to think about. I’d like to hear what others think. Here are a few photos I took while touring the Digital Bookmobile:

Digipalooza – the final chapter

The final day started with a wonderful breakfast. (As always, food was an important part of the conference.)

We then retired to the “Gold Room” for the final sessions.

The first session was a panel on converting best practices into results. Each panelist stressed over & over again the need for staff training. Those on the “front line” of patron interaction need to not only know all about Overdrive – the how to’s & the formats – but they need to be comfortable with them. (Don’t forget to get your staff to participate in Training Month in September )

Laura Crowe, Listen NJ’s project manager was the presenter for the second session. She talked about the top 5 new features to improve patron service. (Caveat – no timeline was given for the activation dates.) Here they are:

• A patron wish list where patrons can put in pre-pub titles, place holds, add & delete titles
• SMS text messaging notification (email notification will also still be used)
• The ability to edit email address on current holds (in case your address has changed)
• An “also recommended” suggestion list at the bottom of the page of a title you’re looking at
• Ability for patrons to search by award type.

There was actually a sixth item on the list – a new full text search on the home page; the patron can search by various keyword criteria.

Laura will contact us when these items are up & ready for use.

The final session of the day – and of the conference was Steve Potash’s “Crystal Ball” Report. These are enhancements that the Overdrive staff hope to be able to offer their customers sometime in the future. As Steve stated, he doesn’t have a Powerpoint presentation to accompany his talk because he doesn’t want this to appear in print!

Areas of future development include working in the mobile world. Steve would like to see people being able to download directly to their mobile device, without the “middleman” of the computer.

They are  also continuing to work on finalizing their partnership with the new Sony reader.

Overdrive & their partners are looking into ways to insert themselves in the new Web 2.0 with social networking (blogs, wikis, etc.) and by having libraries use these through their Overdrive web site.

And finally they are looking into new business content models: subscription access for items such as current radio programming & popular digital magazines; creating a portal to a library’s online database where the patron would only have to log-in in one place to access Overdrive as well as subscription databases.

I have to say that Digipalooza (and this is the second one I’ve attended) is an excellent example of how a conference should be run. The amount of information given, the general organization of everything (every session ended exactly on time, thanks to Steve – with the exception of the last presentation which ended 1 minute early!) and the time given for socializing an networking were exceptional. But it was a constant schedule and at the end of it all I’m exhausted.

I hope I’ve given you all a taste of what I experienced. I suggest strongly that you try to get your library to send you to the next Digipalooza. It’s well worth the expense (which is really quite reasonable). Oh – and the vendor giveaways are pretty cool – books, mp3 recordings, dvds, etc.

I’d love to hear your comments, thoughts, etc. on any of the subjects presented in these blog entries.

and you haven’t seen the end of me yet. I still have a bunch of photos to upload. Stay tuned for them.

3rd Day Catchup

When I offered to blog for Digipalooza, I didn’t realize how much work it was going to be. I think part of that (actually all of that) was due  to my need to give too much information. So for the rest of my reporting, I’m just going to summarize what each panel focused on.

The first session of the day concentrated on promotion and outreach. All the panelists mentioned the need to have a clear link on your home page. Have plenty of paper promotional information, not only in the library, but in the community: gyms, public transportation areas, local shops & schools. Periodically put a short article in your local paper – especially when launching a new format. If your library has a presence on any of the social networking sites, post promotional information there too. Having a download station in your library is not only a great way to train your patrons, but it also serves as a promotional tool, since they will be asking what it is. And of course, giveaways are always great – key chains, etc.

The second session was about the long-awaited appearance of the MP3 format now being offered by Overdrive. Steve Potash (Overdrive CEO) presented a little of the background in dealing with Apple & other content providers. the main obstacle was that in order to offer the format, the copyright protections had to be removed. There are now some publishers who have come on board, and Overdrive is still working on the holdouts.

Simon Miller, an Overdrive Project Manager talked about the more technical aspects of the WMA & MP3 formats. MP3 files are 2 times as large as WMA files. WMA files can be offered as a 1 user/1 copy purchase model as well as an “always available” purchase model. MP3 files are only available on a 1 user/1copy purchase model. the new Overdrive Media Console version 3.0 is needed to download the MP3s. This latest console also works with WMA, video & music files.

As far as availability to the libraries & consortia, your project manager will be in touch with you when your content reserve is activated. The library/consortium will then select & submit their opening collection. The site refresh & update will take place in the development version of your site.

Ebooks were also a major discussion point. Publishers are committed to producing ebooks. The formats include Adobe, Mobipocket & the new Adobe Digital format This new format takes advantage of flash technology for rich interactivity. Overdrive is working now to be able to use the new Sony reader in the future.

The third session of the day was the keynote speaker, Sari Feldman, the Executive Director of the Cleveland Public Library & President-elect of PLA. She basically presented a “state of the library” speech.

The fourth session was a presentation by various publishers highlighting new publications.

The evening’s social gathering was a great party at The House of Blues with a live performance by Donny Iris & the Cruisers. Anyone ever hear of them?

Digipalooza – Day 3 7/2608

We’re in the middle of a 1/2 hour break, so I thought I’d try to play catchup with yesterday’s sessions. (By the way, the food here is bountiful!). Continuing with the programs from Day 2…

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

SESSION 3: Maximizing reports & statistics. The Speakers were:

Annie Denison, Overdrive:

Using the activity chart & checking the basic monthly report, try & figure out what caused changes – good or bad month over month.

You can also check your title report to see what titles have circulated the most. See if there is a trend in the titles that you can use with your next selections.

She also stressed press releases & giveaways as best practices for increasing circulation. Training of staff as well as public is crucial.

Annie also talked about a survey Overdrive did with 33 partners

55.6% learned about the service from a link on library home page

47% used service weekly

85% used service for pleasure reading

71% enjoy titles on an mp3 player

Michael Siccone, Collection Development Manager, Hamilton Public Library (ON)

Michael continued to discuss the use of reports & statistics, reiterating the importance of paying attention to these tools.

Amy Terlaga, Bibliomation, Inc (CT)

Amy found the most useful and most used reports for collection development are: Circ activity by subject; circ activity by title and purchased title report – for a complete picture over time. Since weeding isn’t really done with your downloadable collection, learn to identify the “dead weight” – genre or particular age-designated material – and cut down on those purchases. With your maximum access titles, try replacing the low usage classics with more contemporary titles.

Deb Czamik, Tech. Services & Collection Manager, Lee County Library System (FL)

Deb also discussed the use of the reports & statistics & pointed out the need to look at turnover rates rather than just the basic numbers.

SESSION 4: Successful Staff Training & Patron Report. The speakers were:

Deb Halinski, Lead Trainer, Overdrive

Deb couldn’t stress enough the need for staff training. In Toledo, Ohio, circulation increased by 35% after adding videos and providing staff training. (Note from me: Open training month is September & if you haven’t signed up your staff, you should consider doing so. Even if you feel your staff has had adequate training, brush-up training never hurt!) The Overdrive training staff is only too happy to help you find the best method for your staff & will customize it to your needs. Encourage some of your staff to become Overdrive “specialists” who can do outreach and additional staff training. If you have a download station, use that as a training tool for the public (after your staff has become proficient with it.)

Erik Gustafson, Technology Consultant, State Library of Kansas:

He acts as the centralized support for the entire state and has convinced library staff throughout the state that the best way to become comfortable with Overdrive is to play with it!

Scott Duimstra, Capital Area District Library (MI):

If staff isn’t comfortable using Overdrive, public will not be comfortable. This is s simple statement but oh so true.

Andy Hird, Support Manager, Overdrive

Your staff needs to be familiar with the support process. When a patron has a problem, you must get as much information as you can; including a description of the problem & any messages that appear, their computer’s format & operating system, and the specific device they are using.

Okay, truth be told I didn’t get to add that much during my break this afternoon. Most of this has been added after a rousing evening at the House of Blues, courtesy of Overdrive & their vendor partners. So once again I will be a day late in posting information on today’s sessions.

I will add one more thing before I collapse for the evening. One of the things I’ve heard over & over again from Overdrive as well as from many many librarians, is the incredible success of ebooks. I think that as a consortium we should take another look at what we’re offering in terms of downloadable media and think about adding additional formats to our collection.

Digipalooza – real day one – written in real time

Digipalooza 7/25/08

Today was the first full day of sessions. It started promptly (as usual) with a welcome by Steve Potash, CEO of Overdrive. He announced the format of MP3, and teased us about the upcoming introduction of the Sony Reader partnership. We then saw an introductory video of the Digital Bookmobile.

SESSION 1: Overdrive Digital Formats. The speakers were:

Lisa Coreno from Overdrive:
She talked about the (now) two formats for audiobooks offered by Overdrive – WMA & MP3. By the way, audio books are the most popular media form offered. Lisa also introduced the latest version of the Overdrive Media Console (version 3.0). It includes a “burn wizard” for ease of burning cds.

Presently, Washington, D.C., Hamilton Public Library in Ontario, King County Public Library System in Washington & Boston Public Library are live with MP3 offerings. Systems with representatives at Digipalooza will get priority when it comes to bringing up the rest of the Overdrive world.

Megan Greer from Overdrive:

Megan’s presentation was about E-books. She discussed the two formats offered – Adobe Digital Editions & Mobipocket. The total Overdrive e-book circulation last year was 750,000.

Susan Broman, Adult Services Coordinator, County of Los Angeles Public Library.

NOTE: At this point, while I was typing this online on my blog, the WiFi crashed & I lost all my notes on this presenter’s talk. Steve Potash will email her presentation to me so I can include it in a later posting. It was from this point on that I got smart & took notes in Word, later to be copied & pasted in my blog.

Danielle Phillips, Maricopa County Library District (AZ):

Danielle is the media selector for her county library system. Her presentation focused on their usageand buying habits. They make heavy use of Standing Order plans & the Holds Manager.

SESSION 2 - Collection Development. The speakers were:

Karen Potash, Overdrive:

Karen’s first suggestion is to set up a Collection Development Profile which is customized show the needs of your patrons & community. Her tips include use of the Marketplace lists; stocking up on the most popular titles. She recommends using keyword searches in the genre field to for selection, as well as using the awards field. View the traffic report to see where patrons are clicking in from to access your Overdrive site.

Cindy Orr, Collections Manager (retired), Cleveland Public Library:

Cindy’s presentation involved an overview of the Digital Selection Calendar used by the Cleveland Public Library. It’s broken down by monthly and then weekly collection development & purchasing tasks. It helps keep a large library ordering for itself on target with their budget.

Michael Santangelo, Electronic Resources Specialist,Brooklyn Public Library:

Michael uses a paradigm which includes collection development & promotion. He mentioned that for selection purposes he not only uses what is covered by traditional sources of review material, but he also checks pop culture sources, web sites, blogs & rss feeds. He suggests getting library staff involved in the selection process since they have direct user experience. You can involve them by allowing them to create lists and suggestion forms. Have them work with user surveys and make them aware of your library’s Overdrive circulation statistics. To promote this service to your patrons, use multiple access points on your web site.

Ruth Ann Copley, Davidson County Public Library System – North Carolina Digital Library, (NC)
Ruth’s consortium decided not to use Maximum Access, since the members felt it was too costly. They did have Net library, but Overdrive’s statistics were much better. They have their individual member libraries do their own purchasing. They developed a circulating “position” of “Holds Patrol” to make sure that additional titles are added in order to maintain a 7:1 holds ratio.

Sarah Redman, Capital Area District Library (MI):

There are 26 libraries in Sarah’s consortium. Two people (one of whom is Sarah herself) do the ordering from member library recommendations. The do not use a committee approach.

In between sessions 1 & 2 there were ½ hour breaks during which time I was able to visit with the exhibitors (Overdrive partners), network & eat. After the second session was over the program broke for lunch.

Since I’m writing this after having been to a ball game (our evening’s entertainment courtesy of Overdrive – & the Indians won over the Twins), the time is fast approaching midnight. Although I don’t plan to turn into a pumpkin, I am slowly losing my ability to type. I will continue with the first day’s program & upload my photos tomorrow.

Digipalooza Day 1 July 24th

Day one was just a travel & registration day. I managed to spend some time walking around the city, taking photos. This evening there was a welcome reception, and as usual, Overdrive went out of their way to make it a fabulous evening; plenty of food and drink and conversation with colleagues. Check out these few photos of Cleveland and the conference. I expect to provide more information as the conference programs get underway tomorrow. (At least they’re civilized with a 9 am start time!)

Getting ready for Digipalooza

I head out for Cleveland tomorrow. I thought that I should preface my upcoming blogs with a little information about this conference. The first Digipalooza Conference was held two years ago. The folks at Overdrive.com prepared an awesome experience with a full calendar of seminars, workshops, lectures and fun. Although everything was carefully scheduled, you never felt rushed or short-changed. This user’s group meeting was the perfect opportunity to meet colleagues and the staff of the company.

Follow this link to see what others said about the last conference. I’m looking forward to reporting the same reactions to this one. Stay tuned.

Blatant promotion

Since Digipalooza is still one week away, I decided to just “blog away” so people will know this is still active. What I want to talk about today is ALA-APA’s CPLA program. For those of you who don’t know, that stands for “Certified Public Library Administrator”. It is a program established as a post-MLS opportunity to educate library administrators. This voluntary certification consists of the completion of 7 approved courses: 4 core or required courses & 3 electives. Many of the courses are offered on line. The classes can be stretched out over a maximum 5 year period. I started last year and have completed 4 courses. I have one more core course and 2 more electives to take to complete the course requirement. It’s a great experience & I’ve gotten so involved with ALA-APA that I am now on the CPLA program committee.  The courses I’ve taken are of a more practical nature than some of the classes I took for my MLS (as if I can remember that far back!). Of course it may not be for everyone, but I encourage you to check out their site (http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplaapplication.html) & see what courses are being offered. The selection changes so if you don’t see anything of interest now, check back again.

Ok, enough of that. I promise this blog will eventually carry all kinds of information about Digipalooza and any new announcements that will be made at the conference. I will also be reporting on an Indians game for those sports enthusiasts among us. And now that I have a fabulous new digital camera (Nikon D40 SLR digital camera), I’ll also be posting photos from the lovely city of Cleveland.