The browser wars are far from over, though some have gone by the wayside, but for the most part there are strong contenders you should consider to be your top choices. This is, of course, my own personal picks, but I think you will come to agree based on the sheer number of useful applications these two beauties bring to the table:

Firefox: without a doubt one of my all time favorites. Not only can load it like a Christmas tree with your own set of adornments, but you can make it blink prettily at you
because of the thousands of add-ons ("installable enhancements to the Mozilla Foundation's projects") available at its Christmas shop, Add-ons for Firefox. These add-ons allow you to take control of just about every aspect of the web page you visit: from ways to stop annoying ads (check Adblock Plus), to making things disappear (like my all-time favorite Nuke Anything Enhanced). These are two examples of the thousands available at their Add-on site. It's like the iPhone app saying: there's an app add-on for that. It is nothing short of the "make it mine" browser: configurable, stable, updated, able to be loaded on a thumb drive, and free.

Chrome: Google's Chrome browser is swiftly making mincemeat of other browsers. It's also quite fast, has a super clean interface, and until recently, it also comes with its own way of taming websites based on your preferences. Like Firefox, Chrome has add-ons, though they're referred to as "extensions." Don't like advertising cluttering your screen? Get Adblock! See? The Chrome browser has similar applications too; thousands, actually. The "most popular" extensions on the Chrome extension page is 2,386!

There are dozens of browsers out there to fit your particular tastes, but for the casual yet discerning user, Firefox and Chrome have the technical support and framework to ensure consistent development and experimentation; they will make your browsing/searching experience that much better.

And what are these browsers (and their companies) learning about us users? One, we like to make things conform to our own unique specifications. Two, we're picky, and the more choices we have about something the better. Three, we see the web as a highly mutable environment different, but each one of us wants to control our own little slice of web real estate, no matter what that piece looks like. Four, we like to have our say about what we like and what we don't like. And that extends to what we use to view the web. What's in your computer?

In an effort to connect with the freshmen in my class, I polled them about what they do with their phone, and what they do on the web. Well, all of them text and send texts, so here's the assignment I came up with.  

They need to take their initials (mine would be A and V) and go to a part of the library with the As or the Vs and then text me what subject that is. They can, for a bonus, tell me what their initials together stand for, but mine, AV, doesn't exist.  

I am hoping that they will learn the "browsing" technique of information behavior and that they will learn more about the Library of Congress subject heading.  

Also, you're probably wondering if I am using my cell phone for this. I am not! I am using my Google Voice account. Also, all of our students can send an SMS message from their google chat (in their campus mail account).  

Cool stuff! Are you using texting in the classroom or library?

I am currently having an online discussion with some of my wonderful librarian friends about whether or not the newest generation of youth/young adults are the harbinger of the BOOK. What is the future of the book? Here are some perspectives I've heard:

• books look old, like microform readers look old to the 20s and 30s generations
• books are necessary and young adults are just not looking at them enough
• young adults don't consider reading online reading
• students may not be motivated to look beyond the screen
• "whether it's paper or a screen, what matters is whether or not the information needs of these students are being met"
• that abandoning books is like abandoning crucial infrastructure in a city
• information is changing so rapidly that as soon as a book is published that information is now obsolete
• growing up with the screen has changed the way we think

I personally believe that we will be bookless within the next ten years compared to how many books libraries currently do have.  Here are some other places this conversation is taking place, too:

• The iPad tablet replaces (reboots) the book: http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/09/rebooting-the-book-one-apple-i.html
• This group is documenting the progress as we shift from the book to the screen: http://www.futureofthebook.org/

I can see a future where we'll have the "book room" for access to information not available on the web that will look like the "Microfilms Room" or "Microfims area."What do you think? 

Stephen Abram recently posted his slides from a presentation entitled "It's 2010: 20 Technologies to Watch, and How to Cope."  Even without his inimitable live comments, these slides are a goldmine of thought-provoking information, ideas, and humor.  Enjoy!  http://www.slideshare.net/stephenabram1/click-u2010

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported that Stanford is offering the public a peek into its iPhone App development course.  By the way, it's one-way communication, and the professor and students will not take questions from observers.  Here's the link to the article:  http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Wanna-Make-an-App-for-That-/20512/?sid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en Are any Idaho librarians developing custom Apps for their library services?  Is it time to move beyond Twitter?  Just wondering ...