OverDrive Training Month 2011

September 12 to October 7 is OverDrive Training Month. For this month, OverDrive has offered a few online sessions for those who work closely with the collection to better familiarize them with upcoming changes. During this timeframe, I have taken both seminars, the 2011 OverDrive Experience and eBook Explosion, and would like to share with you some of what I have learned.

OverDrive has recently begun to combine formats into single records within their online collection. Previously, users often had to choose between multiple records that offered differing formats: EPUB or PDF for eBooks, MP3 or WMA for audiobooks. Because readers found these multiple formats confusing, OverDrive has combined them into a single record. Now users can select the record and then select the format of their choice. This also had made purchasing easier in that buyers need only select one record of an an eBook or audiobook, instead of having buy multiple formats.

To give users a better sense of what a book is like before downloading it, OverDrive will soon be offering thousands of DRM-free sample files. By giving patrons a “sneak-peak” they are hoping to decrease the amount of downloaded and unread titles and to mimic the real life, borrowing experience. Soon, you will be able to look inside before checking out a title.

Another feature that I am very excited about is the incorporation of a “Recommend to Library” button. By adding this button to a library’s OverDrive site, a patron can click into a list of potential titles that their library could purchase for them and make recommendations to their library. The Chinook Arch librarians have been talking about adding such a feature to the site in the last month or so, so this addition could not be timelier.

OverDrive has also added better searching, with the ability to offer alternate options for incorrect spelling, is working on a more effective help system, and has added free titles from Project Gutenberg to our site. Many of the features that I have listed here will appear on our website over time, with some of them already available.

Besides these two courses, OverDrive has a number of online tutorials that can be watch whenever you have 15 to 50 minutes. You can access them at: http://www.overdrive.com/learningcenter/viewnow.aspx. If you are interested in either of the above sessions, you can sign up for them here: http://www.overdrive.com/learningcenter/registration.aspx.

CBC: Whither the Library

On Tuesday, August 2, when the debate surrounding the closure of library branches in Toronto was just getting off the ground, the CBC Radio show The Current did a segment on the value of libraries to their communities. The host covers a range a topics, and challenges the interviewees to make clear the pro-library point of view.

Interview subjects include the directory of the Hamilton Public Library, and a Toronto Councillor and Public Library Board Member. While the individuals that are interviewed are quite skewed towards Toronto and area, the ideas and principles are much more universal.

The segment covers the advacement of ebooks, the use of the library as a 'living room and study space' by members of the community, and as a space for the community to gather and host events.

A discussion that caught my ear surrounded the issue of closing a branch versus reducing hours across more branches to save money. It centers on the nature of library services and how they enhance the community around them.

The whole clip, about 20 minutes, is definitely worth a listen:

http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2011/08/02/whither-the-library/

Protect Yourself from Hackers

As many of you probably know by now, my Facebook and Hotmail accounts were recently hacked. Although I am careful to not keep very personal or financial information in these accounts, it was nonetheless disturbing. The hacker started conversattions with a number of my friends, asking for money - luckily, they all realized what was happening, because I was not in England, and I would NEVER have a conversation that did not include capitalization and proper punctuation :)

It took me quite some time to gain back control of my accounts and to clean up the mess he had made. As such, I have become more aware of what I should be doing to help protect myself. Here are some tips for you from the CNBC report "6 Ways to Protect Yourself from Online Hackers" (along with some of the new tricks I have employed):

1. "Don't use the same passwords. Consider creating an excel spreadsheet with your various accounts, usernames and passwords. Just be certain to password protect that file and ensure that your own computer's security is rock solid. "
   
   I am definitely guilty of this one. I have passwords for literally dozens and dozens of websites. As such, I tend to use the same one - or a variation on one - to make them easy to remember. So, after my hacking incident the trick I have employed is to create complex passwords for the sites that I want to keep most secure - those that would contain the most personal information or cause the most harm if hacked (such as my webmail accounts, Facebook, and my online banking). For all the other sites (such as gaming sites, survey sites, etc) where there is no personal or financial information stored, I use one password that can be remembered easily. This way I only need to remember a few different passwords, but am still protecting myself.
   
   


2. "Don't use the same security questions. Just as people use the same passwords, they also tend to pick the same security questions—and thieves can use those to brute force their way into other accounts in your name, even when there's a flag on the account to watch for possible fraudulent activity."
   
   Whenever possible I try and make up my own security questions. This is not as difficult as making up new passwords for every account because as long as you can access the question, you should know the answer. Try and make it something only you would know.
   
   


3. "Beware your history. Online shopping is one of the fastest-growing segments of retail, but people often don't think about what happens after they complete a purchase. One of the biggest problems facing online shoppers is everyplace you’ve done business, you've left your personal information behind. Luckily there are now some tools to help you combat this problem. Services like ShopShield allow shoppers to keep their address, credit card information and more at a single location, instead of multiple e-tailers. And FirstData is experimenting with card readers that are designed to attach to consumer’s computers, letting them swipe credit cards at home and not have to leave that data on file with an online retailer. "
   
   I don't do a whole lot of online shopping, but realized after my email was hacked how vulnerable I was. A number of online retailers will store your credit card information on file so that you don't have to enter it every time you want to purchase. Because I store website logins in my email (another change I have made) I realized that the hacker could easily have used these to do some major purchasing on my credit card. As a result I immediately replaced my credit and bank cards.




4. "Share less. As social media grows, people have become a lot more open with personal information. You've probably heard not to announce on Facebook when you'll be out of town (it's an open invitation for thieves). But too many people don't realize they could be handing out their passwords without meaning to.
   
   Here's how it happens: People often choose a favorite pet or their child's name as a password, to help them remember it (and thinking that a stranger wouldn't know that sort of thing). But on their Facebook page, they've got all that information available and may not block access to it adequately via the site's security settings."
   
   I have always tried to use passwords that I thought very difficult to guess - certainly not something that would be even remotely available on my Facebook page. But somehow the hacker got in anyways. I see a lot of my Facebook friends sharing information that I wouldn't dream of - putting up their work schedules, or announcing they are leaving on vacation. Some Facebook users even like to announce that they'll be away from Facebook for a while. I've advised against this for 2 reasons: 1) It indicates that you are likely to be away from your house too. 2) It lets hackers know that they can probably take over your Facebook account for a while without you even noticing.
   



5. "Read the fine print. Living our lives online has made us a much more fast-paced society. So fast, in fact, that most people don't bother to read the policies they agree to at many sites. Most assume the language is basically the same everywhere and is meant to protect them, but often they're signing away their rights.
   
   Major corporations, for instance, might include a clause noting that by accepting the terms of their agreement with one subsidiary, you give them the right to share that with all of its holdings, meaning all of a sudden, your data is at dozens, hundreds or even thousands of sites without your knowledge.
   
   Read privacy policies closely and see with whom the companies you do business with share their data. "

I would suggest also ensuring you have anti-virus software on your computer and up-date it regularly. After my hacking incident I had my computer scanned for any malicious software that might have enable the hacker to read my keystrokes (nothing, by the way).

Also, be aware of using public computers. When I am away at conferences or on vacation I am constantly looking for computers to check my email and Facebook. I may rethink that now.

I have also looked into the security measures I can take on all my accounts. For example, with Facebook you can choose to have it notify you when someone logs into your account from an unrecognized computer. For bank accounts, you can choose to be notified when your bank or credit cards are used for over a certain amount of money.

One last tidbit of information for you. After I finally regained access to my accounts (no easy feat), I had to really do some cleanup. If you're not careful you could continue providing the hacker with personal information without even knowing it. Here are some of the changes I had to make:

Email:

• The hacker had set all of my emails to forward to his account. Hotmail notifies you with a bar across the top of the screen if this is happening. Thank goodness I noticed it so I could stop the forwards.


• The hacker's email address was added to my hotmail account as an alternate - giving him easy access to change my password at anytime. Obviously I had to remove it after changing my password.


• I also ensured that I checked all of my sent mail and notified those friends that had been contacted by the hacker to let them know what had happened. I also sent a warning to my entire address book - the hacker now had their email addresses.

Facebook:

• I had to add back Friends who the hacker had blocked and removed from my account. These were the friends who recognized what was happening and tried to warn myself and my other Facebook friends.


• I had to change my settings back so that my posts would again be visible to other people. This one took me a while to figure out. He had changed my defaults so that my friends could not see any posts that I made warning of the scam.


• I contacted any of the friends he had contacted via Facebook to let them know, again, that I was okay, and that I did not require money to be sent.

I don't think it's possible to not have an online presence these days. After this incident I was tempted to quit Facebook altogether - but realized that doesn't keep me completely safe; my email account contained more personal information than my Facebook did. Instead, I am even more diligent in ensuring that I don't post personal information that is not otherwise easily accessible anyways, and that I follow the advice above. Lesson learned.

(Source: "Six Ways to Protect Yourself from Online Hackers", CNBC.com, Accessed September 16, 2011. Available at:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/43098448/Six_Ways_to_Protect_Yourself_From_Online_Hackers)

Library Board Basics: A Workshop for You

On Saturday, August 20th, Pat Wauters and I attended a “Library Board Basics” workshop presented by the Public Library Services Branch at the Taber Public Library. The day-long workshop was attend by board members, staff and member library staff from within and outside the Chinook Arch Regional Library System. Although still in development, this workshop was extremely useful to me as it helped understand how a board should effectively function and work with their library manager.

The workshop focused on four key areas: a general overview of library service and values in Alberta and beyond, the roles and responsibilities of the library board, funding and finances, and board effectiveness. Kerry Anderson, Ken Feser, and Patricia MacNamee clearly explained each of these topics and answered all questions. Attendees were provided with helpful literature, such as a guide to The Alberta Libraries Act and Regulation. (Note: I have found it a bit tricky to view these documents online and have notified them.)

If you are a board member or a library manager, I would highly recommend attending one of these workshops. Being aware of how a board should work is an important step in delivering effective library services to your community. As a board member, you are legally responsible for your actions, so knowing the ropes is in your best interest as well. The Public Library Services Branch holds these workshops at interested libraries across the province when asked.

If you would like to attend a future workshop, keep an eye out for announcements and notifications from Chinook Arch or contact the presenters through their website: www.albertalibraries.ca.

P.S. For anyone else having problems with the documents, Kerry Anderson emailed me direct links to the files. You can get to them by clicking on the below linked words:

• Libraries Act
• Libraries Regulation
  

Thanks Kerry!