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Digital Ads on the Web - Ad* Access by Duke University

Last Updated: November 10, 2012 - 3:31pm — Jezmynne Dene

The Ad*Access Project, funded by the Duke Endowment "Library 2000" Fund, presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Ad*Access concentrates on five main subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II, providing a coherent view of a number of major campaigns and companies through images preserved in one particular advertising collection available at Duke University. The advertisements are from the J. Walter Thompson Company Competitive Advertisements Collection of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History in Duke University's David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Check out all the neat ads here!  http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adaccess/

Useful links for managing your online presence

Last Updated: November 8, 2012 - 5:40pm — Jezmynne Dene

You know that time you asked yourself, "Did I create an account with this website?" Or, "Did I really delete my account, because that was vague." Or have you wondered lately what apps or websites have access to your personal data?  Well, I have, and I found these awesome sites for managing the security of your personal data and online presence.  

Knowem.com

Knowem? is a great website that will search across hundreds of websites by username to tell you if that username is available or taken.  If you use the same username, as many people do, this is a GREAT way to check websites, including social networking sites, that list the username in question.  Lots of us create accounts with that brand new, hot website, but forget about it when it cools down.  This is the place to go to find the accounts you've forgotten about.  It's also a great way to see what sites would have a username available, which is quick and dirty for identifying sites that you could use for library marketing.  

Account Killer

So now that you've made a list of websites you no longer use and want to delete the account, Account Killer will tell you exactly how to go about it.  Account Killer lists major sites' instructions for account deletion, and grades those account for ease of use.  Some websites will keep your information for whatever reason, and this site maintains a blacklist of websites you may not feel comfortable creating an account with.  And, for those blacklisted sites, it will tell you how to try to delete your accounts, even providing email addresses for personal requests.  This is a great place to check to see if you even want to create an account for yourself or for your library.  

Privacy Fix

Privacy Fix is a browser plugin that you run (and can install as a browser extension) which tells you what your privacy settings are for apps, Facebook, Google, and more.  This little goodie offers you a handy "fix" link for you to repair or delete access for these sites, and the browser extension will run and rate the privacy of websites you visit.  Privacy Fix also gives you a list of tracking cookies watching you RIGHT NOW.  

My Permissions

My Permissions is a browser plugin you install and run that tells you what apps have access to your data.  It's a pretty handy tool for seeing who monitors your stuff, and who things they ought to have access to your data.  Run the browser add on and easily remove apps you don't need that think they're entitled to snoop your info!  My Permissions also has a mobile app for keeping your smartphone clean.  

 

A Google A Day

Last Updated: July 9, 2012 - 12:26am — Jezmynne Dene

 

Love the thrill of the information hunt?  Are you a trivia nut?  Have you heard about A Google A Day?

A Google A Day is a neat feature of Google where Google asks you a question that you must research to answer.  The questions are fairly simple, but you've got to put on your thinking caps to figure out how to find the answers that ultimately lead to the final result!   Questions vary across different Google search tools, like the patent search, or the image search, or the news search.  Either way, it's great fun to hunt up the answer to each question.  So what are you waiting for?  Go give it a whirl!

A Google A Day

 

ManualsLib

Last Updated: June 11, 2012 - 4:43pm — Jezmynne Dene

 

Lost a manual?  Do you even keep all the manuals that come with all your stuff?  What about just grabbing a digital copy of that manual so you don't have to worry about storing it in a junk drawer!

ManualsLib is a FREE manual library containing over 45,000 manuals for download or viewing!  The search is effective and easy, and it's a snap to quickly find the manual you need.  Check it out today!

ManualsLib Database

 

Password Management

Last Updated: March 12, 2012 - 2:17pm — Jezmynne Dene

Passwords... we all struggle with them.  The security people in this world say we need to think of aggressive and unique passwords, that we need to make sure that none of our passwords are reused or used for different services... that the weakest link in our personal security is the one site we use with the poorest security.  We've all heard this, and we know the rules below:  

  1. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and punctuation or special characters, like @ or $.
  2. Make some of your letters capital letters.
  3. Avoid using words that are listed in a dictionary.
  4. Avoid using names as your password.
  5. Change your passwords often.
  6. Never, ever use the same password for more than one account.
But even though we know the rules, managing passwords is HARD.  Password cracking software is even getting saavy enough to replace vowels with numbers, which many of us do, like using 3 for E.  And that whole rule number 6 - never use the same password?  Who the heck can remember eleventy billion different passwords for eleventy billion different accounts?  

So what's the solution?  Use a good password manager.  It's that simple.

What's a password manager?  It's software that helps you organize and manage passwords, usernames, and/or logins for all the websites you have accounts.  You use the software, often with an "auto generate" option, to create a unique and challenging password for each and every account you must use on the web.  The only password you have to remember is the password to log into your password manager software.   There are many options for password managers, each with a list of pros and cons.  Lifehacker has a great article on the Five Best Password Managers that you should totally check out.

Personally, I use Last Pass, and I love it.  I chose Last Pass because I am a dedicated Apple fangirl, and I have more iJunk lying around than I should, and Last Pass works across my laptops as well as all my iJunk. Last Pass has a browser plugin that auto generates passwords as well as doing other neat tricks.  Also, it's inexpensive for the premium account (which is necessary for using it on iPads, iPods, and iPhones).

So, password management justgot easier!  Now you can have all those super long and super secure passwords that are totally unique across all web services easily!  The best part - now you can really follow through with what the security professionals say, "the most secure password is the password that even you don't know."  

Have you heard of Flickr?

Last Updated: August 24, 2011 - 3:54pm — Jezmynne Dene

Hi!  My name is Jezmynne Dene, and I'm a member of Idaho's SPLAT!

Have you heard of Flickr? http://flickr.com
 Flickr is a photo hosting website, which you can use for free to host
your pictures, or, you can choose to pay an annual membership.  Free
Flickr allows you to upload up to two videos and 300 MB of pictures each
month.  For 24.99$ a year, you get unlimited uploads and more advanced
organizational features.

Flickr is more than just simple picture hosting.  You have the ability
to tag your pictures with as many relevant descriptors as you like, as
well as write detailed descriptions of the images, and you can even
geolocate your pictures on a map.  So how is this relevant to libraries?
 Well, you take a bunch of pictures of an event you have, and make sure
that when you upload those pictures you describe the fun everyone
enjoyed.  Then, you tag your pictures with your library’s name, the
city, and related keywords to the event.  Finally, make sure to geotag
your pictures so when users search Flickr and find your pictures, they
know where your library is located.

Flickr lets you link to individual images, groups of pictures you make
into a set or a collection, or your entire feed.  Flickr offers widgets
to put your pictures right onto your website, or if you use blogging
software, you can use easily installed and free widgets.  This way,
visitors to your library’s website will enjoy images of special events,
new displays, and/or activities you share.

Flickr is a great tool for picture sharing and has a lot of great
features included with its inexpensive membership or free membership.
Want to learn more about Flickr?  Check out SPLAT’s presentation at ILA
in October, and talk to SPLAT members on the SPLAT couches!  We’d love
to show you more!

I look forward to seeing everyone at ILA!

Anythink Libraries

Last Updated: March 15, 2011 - 5:20pm — Jezmynne Dene

Last week I got the wonderful opportunity to tour the Anythink Libraries in Denver with some of the BEST Idaho librarians!  There were four of us, and we had a blast touring most of the Anythink Libraries and learning from their successes.  What is Anythink?  Anythink is a revolutionary group of public libraries that are working very hard to identify what is relevant and meaningful to their communities, and rise to the task of changing themselves in order to accomodate their community's needs.  I did take copious notes, and they are linked here for your reading pleasure.  Anythink Libraries Notes

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