Week 5: Downloadable Resources

For the last several weeks we’ve looked at a lot of great Web tools. Hopefully, your comfort level with tools like RSS, Wikis, and blogs has increased. If a customer came in tomorrow and asked about setting up a RSS Reader, are you in a better position to help them? I suspect the answer is, yes. That’s the most important thing you can take from these exercises. It’s not about using all the tools all the time. It’s about knowing how they work and being able to share that with customers and coworkers.

This week we are going to look at Downloadable Resources. Allegheny County libraries have a wonderful selection of downloadable books, audio, and video available for free. Questions about our electronic and downloadable collections are sometimes few and far between. How long has it been since you answered the question, “How do you download an eAudio title I found in the catalog?” Hopefully, it wasn’t that long ago. If it was, it’s probably time for a refresher.

Amy Ergler and CLP’s Film & Audio Department created a handy guide to Downloadable Audio and Video. You may have gotten a copy at one of the Technology Playgrounds earlier in the year. It’s been updated and worth revisiting.

1. For this week’s exercise, print off a copy and review it (thing #7). You’ll probably want to put a copy near your customer service desk for quick access. To download this document, visit wiki page on week 5.
   
2. After you spend some time learning about the different services, it’s time to download a title (thing #8). You can choose any title from any service. We recommend you begin your search in the catalog. Experiencing library services from our customer’s perspective is always valuable.
3. When you’ve completed the two exercises share your experiences in your blog. Post the URL for your blog in the comments section for Week 5. If you haven’t created a blog yet, you can post your experiences in the comments section. In either case, be sure to include your name and the name of your library.
   

We’ve added some general links about downloadable and online resources to the wiki page for Week 5 for you to check out at your convenience.

A few notes…

1. Some of the downloadable services require you to install software. In some cases this software may already be installed on your work computer. If it is not, call the Help Desk and ask them to grant permissions to that particular machine. If you’re working from a home computer install the software as instructed.
   
2. Be sure to review the help guides that accompany the service you choose.
3. If you are not able to successfully download a title tell us why. Our customers may be having the same experience.