Category Archives for UNC
Defining what I do: What makes a technology emerging or disruptive?
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“I’m the Emerging Technologies Librarian at UNC.” “So what does that mean?” Every time I meet someone new at work, that’s how the conversation goes. My response usually consists of arm flailing and a disjointed summary of my duties. I’m … Continue reading
Android’s App Inventor: Drag and Drop Programming
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It took a while, but Friday afternoon I finally got an invite to use Google’s App Inventor program. What is App Inventor? It’s Google’s attempt to simplify building apps for Android devices. Apps are built using a drag and drop … Continue reading
Barcode scanning: Closing the app gap
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I still think a lot (some might say too much) about what libraries’ mobile presence should be like. I’m still mostly happy with the decision to make a webapp instead of an app, but every once in a while I … Continue reading
Geolocation at ALA 2010!
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As I’ve mentioned before, summer is often my most productive time of the year at work. Especially when it comes to special projects. Last summer I focused on developing a mobile site, and this summer I’m looking into the potential … Continue reading
eBooks – Who’s doing it right?
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I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking (and writing) about eBooks, usually taking a pretty negative slant toward existing eBook publishers and vendors. DRM, distribution models, even publication timelines – much of it is a huge mess. But I … Continue reading
Mobile apps vs. Mobile web
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Apple loves to tout their 100,000+ iPhone apps. Android recently topped a respectable 20,000. These are both impressive numbers, but how often do we really need an app instead of the good old-fashioned web? Apps lock up data and go … Continue reading
UNC Libraries’ mobile site
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The summer is often my most productive time of year, especially when it comes to special projects. This summer I put my time into developing a mobile version of our website. I’m excited to announce that it went live last … Continue reading
Dept. of Public Information
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Walking out of work recently, I encountered this flyer on the library’s public bulletin board: LOST ourselves. To find, please contact the UNC Department of Public Information and receive your REWARD The pulltabs to take with you have this link: … Continue reading
ALA 2008: What is the future of face-to-face reference?
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This was another panel presentation, each member spoke for a bit about the topic. I neglected to write down the presenters’ names, unfortunately, but did get their home institutions. UC Merced’s setup was particularly interesting to me – as a … Continue reading
Libraryh3lp – Javascript based IM reference service
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My supervisor, Pam Sessoms, has spent years building up the IM reference service throughout campus at UNC. Up until recently, we’ve been using a combination of a custom Pidgin client and Meebo widgets to make the system run. But recently … Continue reading