20 Technology Skills Every Librarian Should Have

T.H.E. Journal posted an interesting article titled 20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have and briefly defined each.

1. Word Processing Skills
2. Spreadsheets Skills
3. Database Skills
4. Electronic Presentation Skills
5. Web Navigation Skills
6. Web Site Design Skills
7. E-Mail Management Skills
8. Digital Cameras
9. Computer Network Knowledge Applicable to your School System
10. File Management & Windows Explorer Skills
11. Downloading Software From the Web (Knowledge including eBooks)
12. Installing Computer Software onto a Computer System
13. WebCT or Blackboard Teaching Skills
14. Videoconferencing skills
15. Computer-Related Storage Devices (Knowledge: disks, CDs, USB drives, zip disks, DVDs, etc.)
16. Scanner Knowledge
17. Knowledge of PDAs
18. Deep Web Knowledge
19. Educational Copyright Knowledge
20. Computer Security Knowledge

Search Koha with a Google Android phone

1. Install Barcode Reader app from the Android store ($0)
2. Open the app and go Menu > Settings.
3. In 'Custom product search URL' and enter http://<your server>/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search.pl?idx=nb&q=%s
4. OK and exit.
5. Scan an item with an ISBN barcode.
6. Enjoy.

Installation of Microvision Flic barcode scanner on Linux

Use Microvision Flic  Laser Barcode Scanner to catalog your Library collection. Just scan barcodes, no typing needed

Installation instructions

These instructions are for Debian based operating systems (like Ubuntu), but the procedure should be quite similar on any Linux system.
Before using this software you should reset your barcode scanner to factory defaults by scanning the barcode in the user manual. Some of the non-default settings available on the scanner are (not yet?) supported by this software.

• Download the latest source
• open a terminal
• unpack the downloaded file to any directory you like

tar zxvf FlicServ.tar.gz

• Make sure the two Perl programs are runnable

sudo chmod 755 FlicServ pop

• Install the required Perl modules and applications

sudo apt-get install libdevice-serialport-perl libthreads-perl  

libthreads-shared-perl xautomation

• Go ahead and add a global shortcut for the pop application. If you don't know how to do this follow the example in Adding universal shortcuts in ubuntu/gnome but add a shortcut to /path/to/pop instead of /usr/bin/emacs 

Tethered use

This has been tested with the serial cable that comes with the Flic and also the serial cable connected via a R232-USB adapter, but any cable from Microvision should work.

• First find out which port the scanner is connected to for example /dev/ttyUSB0. I will use /dev/ttyUSB0 in all of the examples from now on. Just switch out /dev/ttyUSB0 with whatever port your scanner is connected to.
• Open a terminal
• Start the application

./FlicServ /dev/ttyUSB0

• Start scanning barcodes. Every time you scan a code you should see the text

pushed xxxxxxxxx

• in the terminal where xxxxxxxxx is the barcode you scanned.
• You can also disconnect the barcode scanner from the cable, go away and scan a whole bunch of barcodes, come back and reconnect the scanner. All of the scanned codes should be pushed automatically and the scanner gives you a little blipblipblip to let you know that it's memory is empty.
• Now open a text document in your editor of choice and hit the global shortcut key you previously added. The first barcode you scanned should now be inserted.
• The terminal should now show the text

poped xxxxxxxxx

• This can be repeated as many times as you needed.
• Pushing and poping can be done in any order, at any time.

--noserver

If you add the --noserver switch when starting the application the application will automatically pop barcodes as soon as you scan them.

--linefeed

If you add the --linefeed switch when starting the application the software will simulate pressing enter after a barcode is poped. --linefeed works both in --noserver and regular mode.

Adding universal shortcuts in ubuntu/gnome

 Adding universal shortcuts in ubuntu/gnome

• Hit Alt+F2, enter the command gconf-editor and hit Run to launch the Configuration Editor
• Navigate to apps->metacity->global_keybindings
• For each keyboard shortcut you wish to add change the value of one of the run_command_x entries where x is a number between 1 and 12. Metakeys must be inserted between <>. For example the key combination Ctrl+Alt+1 you would enter as <Control><Alt>1. For the winkey use <Super>.
• Navigate to apps->metacity->keybinding_commands
• For each x you changed in the previous step change the value of the command_x key to the command you wish to be run when pressing the keyboard shortcut.
• The keyboard shortcut should start working instantly.

Example: To make the keyboard shortcut Winkey+e start emacs do the following:

• Navigate to apps->metacity->global_keybindings
• Change the value of the run_command_1 entry to <Super>e
• Navigate to apps->metacity->keybinding_commands
• Change the value of the command_1 key to /usr/bin/emacs

Arduino an open-source electronics prototyping platform

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software running on a compute.

The boards can be built by hand or purchased preassembled; the software can be downloadedavailable under an open-source license, you are free to adapt them to your needs.  for free.

Buy an Arduino Board

Download the Arduino Software

 

Spare 1 min for this, friends

Supreme Court has announced, any person who meets road accidents can be taken to the nearby hospital immediately. Hospital must not ask for police report to admit the casuality, its doctors' duty to do First-aid, stabilise the patient and shift him/her to a higher centre if required. Police should be informed by the hospital afterwards.. your reaponsibilty ends as soon as u leave the person in the hospital..

LINUX MANUAL FOR LIBRARIANS

Debian Package management tools

dpkg is a  Debian packaging tool which can be use to install, query, uninstall packages.

dpkg  -i packagename 

e.g. dpkg -i bluefish-2.04.deb

How to remove an installed package

dpkg  -r packagename

e.g. dpkg -r bluefish

Other useful dpkg commands

dpkg -r Packagename

Remove/Delete an installed package except configuration files

dpkg -s Packagename | grep Status

To find out if Debian package is installed or not

apt-get  APT is acronym for Advanced Package Tool. It supports installing packages over internet (ftp or http). You can also upgrade all packages in single operations, which makes it even more attractive.

apt-get install Packagename

e.g. apt-get install samba

This command installs packages.....

How to uninstall a package

apt-get remove Packagename

e.g. apt-get remove samba

Directory and File Manipulation

cd - change working directory. E.g. /Home/koha

mv Helps to rename/move location of files/directories

mv f1 f2 renames f1 to f2

rm -rf dirname Kill off an entire directory and all it’s includes files and subdirectories

mv filename Move the file called filename to the /home/dirname /home/dirname directory