Week #3: Discovery Exercises - Reader's Advisory

1. It's hard to determine the accurateness of recommendations on read-alikes and series as several items I was unfamiliar with were presented; however, from what I could gather, they seem to be pretty in line with the books I would enjoy.
2. Several selections were saved to my folder.
3. I'm running Internet Explorer 8 on my computer, and I found that the information on the series tabs in NoveList do not display at all.  I copied the persistent link into Google Chrome and it displayed just fine.  Something to be aware of, I guess - has anyone else had any display problems with NoveList & IE8?

1. The above is a screen shot of the page in IE8.

2. The above is a screen shot of the same page in Google Chrome.
4. In the Readers Advisory Toolbox, I feel like the book discussion guides would be the most useful item to our patrons - especially those in book groups, as long as their was a guide for the book they were discussing. I really feel like the other resources found in the RA's Toolbox and How To Use NoveList support are much more geared to bringing librarian's up to speed so that the librarian can help the patron navigate the database.
5. I enjoyed the article about the seven book recommendation websites - I use GoodReads mobile on my android phone to keep track of books I've read and books I want to read, and I was familiar with Shelfari, Library Thing (I love any web page that includes 'zeitgeist') and Gnooks, but What Should I Read Next? (not at all impressed with this site - I put in The Last Child by John Hart and one of the read-alikes it came back with Room by Emma Donoghue- I've read them both and they are definitely not read-alikes based on appeal), Whichbook (I like the way they categorize - who could resist "Laugh Your Pants Off?"), and The Staff Recommends were all new to me.



Week #2: Discovery Exercises - Genealogy

Well, I didn't find my grandparents - but I did find my great-grandparents in the 1920 census, which makes sense, because my grandfather fought as a young man in World War II, so he wasn't even a gleam in their eyes then. However, I didn't know that my great-grandmother, Anna, was from Michigan, or that my grandfather's father, John, was born in Ireland and that he worked at the depot as an operator.

1920 Census Record

Week #1: Discovery Exercises - Business Resources

1. Peter Klein is Microsoft Corporation's CFO. Before coming to Microsoft, Mr. Klein was involved in corporate finance in the Seattle area.
2. Through the Small Business Resource Center, I was able to find a book chapter about selling handmade crafts online.  The book stated that handmade crafts could be sold through one's website, as well as through a cooperative website, such as http://www.craftmall.com/, http://www.handmadecatalog.com/ or http://www.etsy.com/, or through online auction sites such as eBay.  After several attempts, a lot of time, and increasing frustration, I was unable to locate information on where someone could sell handicrafts or crafts in person.  Yes, there are books/book chapters on starting a crafts business. While at first glance these resources appear to be great, the more you delve into them, the more generalized they seem to be. Good overviews and general information - which, quite frankly, is the type of information I turn to a book for, not a database.  I would send anyone in Alaska who wanted to start a small business or had small business questions to the Alaska Small Business Development Center. They do an excellent job and can give much more personalized information.
3. I used the 'Browse by' feature, and I wouldn't recommend this a patron standing in front of me in the library where I could walk them to a shelf to browse a through a book on the same topic - that would be quicker and less frustrating for the patron. I feel like this database is a really good idea, but until the material becomes more relevant (books from 2007 on home businesses are eons ago in this day and age) and easier to browse (let people download the whole book to their device to read at their leisure/keyword search, instead of breaking it up into chapters) this is just going to be a pretty database without a lot of practical application.
4. Two responsibilities that a landlord has toward a tenant are that s/he must furnish a copy of any rental agreement and that s/he must maintain a fit premises. Two examples of frauds and scams are phishing and pyramid schemes. One can file a consumer report at http://www.law.alaska.gov/consumer/.
5. The community I live in is the Knik-Fairview CDP.  There are, as of the 2010 census, 2,722 female workers in this area and the top employer is the Mat-Su Borough Schools.
6. Think, Launch, Grow, Reinvent and Exit are the stages of the small business cycle. A checklist for starting a small business can be found at: http://aksbdc.org/tools/checklist-for-starting-a-business/.
7. The two publications ISER published about broadband in Alaska in 2011 were entitled, "Broadband Policies for the North: A Comparative Analysis" by Heather E. Hudson and, "Rural Broadband: Opportunities for Alaska," also by Heather E. Hudson. Based on a search of the ISER website, it does not appear that Small Scale Modular Nuclear Power has been considered as an option for Alaska.  Yes, several of the Institute's research areas seem relevant to me.
8. Yes, there is a need for business information in our community, from conception to completetion and these resources, especially the AK SBDC, ISER and ALARI database. I'm not sure I'll use the EbscoHost Small Business Reference Center again, not with the AKSBDC resources available.