TechBits

Ziggi Document Camera

SCLS recently purchased a couple of inexpensive document cameras for use in our office. The Ziggi document camera by IPEVO makes a great addition to your workspace if you do a lot of presentations, training or just want an easy to use camera that can quickly transfer pictures to your PC.

If you’ve borrowed the ELMO document camera or been to an SCLS presentation where it was used you should be familiar with this kind of technology. For those of you who haven’t seen a document camera, it’s like a web cam attached to a stand. It allows you to snap photos of documents, book covers , screens on a smart phone or tablet PC or whatever else will fit under the camera.

For $89.00 this is what you get with a Ziggi:

• 2 megapixel image which is capable of producing high resolution and standard resolution images.
• Really nice auto focus.
• Up to 30 fps live video capture.
• Software package that works with both Mac and PCs.

Below is an image I created using the Ziggi.

Donating and inheriting ebooks

Q: Can a patron donate ebooks they've purchased (and no longer wish to own) to the library?

Short answer: "No, because their use is governed by contract rather than copyright law." For all the particulars and a better explanation than I could ever hope to offer, see this "Ask the ALA Librarian" post on donating ebooks.

Thanks to Denise for passing along this article!

Q: Can ebooks and other digital content be inherited?

There again, the short answer is the same as above—a user does not own a copy of the ebook (emusic, evideo) but instead purchased a limited license to use it in its digital form, which is in most cases NOT transferrable. Some companies are looking into providing legal ways to pass along access ("Who inherits your iTunes library?"), but for now the answer is that content will remain tied to the original account and cannot be transferred to a different account ("Where Do e-Books Go When You Do?" ).

Some Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

There are now a few libraries that use Windows 7 for all of their staff PCs.  So I thought it might be nice to share a few of the many keyboard shortcuts that are available in Windows 7.

These keyboard shortcuts are ones that you can do from your desktop:

• Windows Key + D = Show/Hide Desktop
• Windows Key + E = Launch Windows Explorer
• Windows Key + F = Launch the Search Window
• Windows Key + M = Minimize All Windows
• Windows Key + Shift + M = Restore minimized Windows
• Windows Key + Pause = Display System Properties
• Ctrl + Shift + Esc = Launch Task Manager

These keyboard shortcuts are ones that you can do from Windows Explorer:

• Alt + Up = Go up one level
• Alt + Left/ Right = Back/ Forward

These are just a small sampling of all of the keyboard shortcuts that are available.  There are keyboard shortcuts available for every Microsoft product.  You can search the Internet to find them for the software you use the most.

OverDrive Media Console app update for Android & iOS

From OverDrive's Digital Library Blog:

Earlier this week, we released new versions of the OverDrive Media Console apps for Android and iOS (iPhone/ iPad/ iPod touch). For the first time, OMC is available to Kindle Fire users in the Amazon App Store for Android, making it easier to access eBooks and audiobooks from OverDrive-powered libraries. (Previously, Kindle Fire users could side-load the OMC app).

More info about what to expect from the updated app.

Bonus: Promo materials for the Nook OMC app are available too.

Infographics

Are you in love with infographics? What about infographics that mock infographics? Have you ever wondered how you could use infographics for your library?

I'd like to call your attention to "Communicate the Value of Your Library: Create an Infographic", a wonderful post about infographics from the Winnefox Library System's "Library Sparks" blog. It covers:

• what an infographic is
• why you might want to use an infographic
• examples of inspiring infographics
• free tools for creating infographics 

OverDrive app comes to Nook; new Adobe Digital Editions 2.0

Two bits of welcome news from OverDrive:

The OverDrive Media Console app is now available for the NOOK HD, NOOK HD+, NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color. The app will allow users to browse Wisconsin's Digital Library, check out and download ebooks and MP3 audiobooks wirelessly.

Adobe has released a new version of Adobe Digital Editions (2.0). The UI has been completely redesigned to be screen-reader friendly, and activating compatible eBook readers is simpler. Simply plug in an eBook reader, open Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), then drag a library title over to the device. The software automatically registers and authorizes your device with your computer's Adobe ID.

Get more details from WPLC about the Nook app, Adobe Digital Editions 2.0, and the 2 millionth checkout for Wisconsin's Digital Library.