TechBits

What's in a maker kit?

SCLS recently used LSTA and other funds to put together a variety of maker kits / labs that are loaned out to SCLS member libraries. We thought it might be useful to share the contents of the kits. Click on the link below for each kit type to see the contents and other information about the kits. There is a lot that goes into these kits and we have an awesome group of people who work together to make it all happens. Tasks include: selecting and ordering equipment, organizing documentation, finding containers, scheduling the kits and delivering the kits to libraries. Browse our Mobile Maker Kits page to see everything that goes into this process. One of my favorites is the instructions for packing the scanning kit.

Scanning Kit (purchased with LSTA grant funds)

Stop Motion Animation Kit (purchased with LSTA grant funds)

Lego Mindstorm Labs (purchased with an SCLS Foundation grant)

Mobile Printing Press (purchased with SCLS funds)

 

Merging Barcodes in OverDrive Support is Here!

Yes, you read that right. We've been asking for and waiting a long time for this option in OverDrive Support. Now, instead of filling out a support request and waiting for OverDrive Support staff to merge library cards, you can do it on your own.

And, it's pretty easy. Library staff can log into OverDrive Marketplace* with their credentials and then select Support. You'll see the Merge Barcode Activity option. You'll need both of the patron barcodes - the old one and the new one - to merge the accounts. Be sure to search and review the barcodes before merging as any activity merged with the new barcode cannot be removed afterwards.

As you can see by the screenshot, it's a pretty simple process. And, our patrons won't have to wait to be able to use their new library cards - woo hoo! Enjoy!

Updated 7/30/15

A question came in about searching and reviewing the barcodes before merging that I want to address. Here's what you'll see when you enter barcodes in both fields. Any activity on the original barcode - the checkouts and holds - will be merged with the new barcode.You'll need to select each barcode before the Merge button becomes active. Then click Merge and you're all done.

Note - the authentication name is "south" for all South Central Library System patrons.

I'm sure there will be more new things coming from OverDrive soon. Next week is Digipalooza 2015, OverDrive's International  User Group meeting. Sara Gold from WiLS and I will be attending and will bring back news, updates, and more for you. Join us on August 25 at 10 a.m. for our Digipalooza 2015 Highlights webinar.

*Each library should have credentials to access OverDrive Support in OverDrive's Marketplace. Contact me if you need help accessing it or need an account.

Removing Duplicate Entries in Excel

Say, for example, you had a program sign up and now have a spreadsheet with a list of people to subscribe to an email list but first you want to make sure you're not trying to subscribe the same address more than once.  Sure, you could sort the list by email address then manually pick out and delete the duplicates.  You could even use Conditional Formatting to highlight the duplicate entries to make them easy to find first.  Or you can use the Remove Duplicates function and get rid of them in just a few clicks.

Before you do this, a word of caution.  Removing the duplicates will change how many rows display.  It will either shorten the column you selected making it not line up with other columns in the spreadsheet or it can delete the entire row if you have all columns selected.  Depending on what you need, you may want to copy the data you want de-duplicated to another worksheet.

1. Select the column where you'd like to remove the duplicates.
2. Click on the Data tab
3. Click on the Remove Duplicates column.
4. If you have other information in the spreadsheet that's not selected, you will get a "Remove Duplicates Warning" pop-up box asking if you want to expand the selection or continue with the current selection.
1. If you only want to remove data in the selected column, choose "Continue with the current selection and click on "Remove Duplicates".
2. If you want to remove data from all columns, choose "Expand the selection" and click on "Remove Duplicates".
5. The "Remove Duplicates" window will open.  There will be a list of the columns and a checkbox in front indicating which columns you'd like to use to compare for duplicate entries.
1. If you've selected a single column, there should be a checkmark in the box in front of your column (or column name if your data has headers) and you can just hit "OK".
2. If you've selected multiple columns, choose which columns need to be duplicated for the entry to be removed and click "OK".  For example, if you had a spreadsheet with the first name, last name and email address in separate columns and wanted to remove any entries for the same person, you'd need to have a checkmark in front of all three columns.  That way only an entry with all three the same would be removed.  If you just used the last name and email columns, you could delete other family members using that email address. 
6. Another pop-up window will appear telling you how many duplicates were found and how many items remain.  Click "OK" and you'll be at your now cleaned up spreadsheet.

 

Format Painter tips

You probably already know that you can use Microsoft's Format Painter to quickly copy formatting from one bit of text in a document to another. But did you know..

• you can double-click the Format Painter button if you want to change the format of multiple selections in your document or worksheet? (to stop formatting, press ESC)
  
  video(1:55)
  
  
  
• you can use Format Painter to copy formats and apply them to drawing objects and pictures?
  
  video (selection is < 1min)
  

"Modules Unraveled" Drupal training videos now free

flickr photo shared by cogdogblog under a Creative Commons ( BY ) license

When librarians ask about advanced Drupal training resources, from now on I'll mention the training videos from Modules Unraveled. Modules Unraveled recently changed to an ad-sponsored model, making its high-quality tutorial videos on Drupal modules free. (In the past the site was subscription-based, and that's a big barrier for many. Not anymore!)

Modules Unraveled provides intermediate to advanced coverage of select Drupal modules. You may already be using some of these modules on your library's website. For example:

• "Calendar" powers many sites' calendars.
• "Views" powers Calendar and almost any display that combines text and images from multiple nodes (Articles, Basic Pages, Events, etc.) into one page or block.
• "Views Slideshow" powers image slideshows (aka carousels).
• "Quicktabs" produces tabbed blocks for combined Search LINKcat/Search this website.

Beginner documentation for SCLS's version of these features shows how to use some of them, but falls far short of explaining how to tweak or significantly alter how they work. For the site maintainer who wants to do just that*, Modules Unraveled explains settings and configuration options for Calendar, Views, Views Slideshow, Quicktabs, and more—premium videos that are now available for free (in exchange for watching a 15-second ad).

* Contact me if you need extra permission to tinker with your SCLS-hosted Drupal site.

3 min of Google searching goodness

Have 3 minutes for a little Google searching goodness? Learn how to use Google's site: operator to find pages on hard-to-search sites, and how to narrow your searches to a specific period of time.

Maker Camp!

I just attended ALA annual and the exhibits had an entire section devoted to all things "maker ". It was quite a different to see gizmos and gadgets all designed to provide an interactive experience for library patrons.

One thing that caught my eye in particular, was Maker Camp--makercamp.com.

Maker Camp is a "free summer camp for building, tinkering, and exploring. Online and in your neighborhood."  Kids can sign up for free and participate online or--if there is a physical camp in their area--in person. Several Wisconsin libraries are participating. Organizations can sign up to be a site, but they would need to hurry as camp begins on July 6.

And don't forget, SCLS has an inventory of Mobile Maker Kits that libraries can use for programming, which can be reserved online here.