The OPLIN 4cast is a weekly compilation of recent headlines, topics, and trends that could impact public libraries. You can subscribe to it via RSS feed at http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?feed=rss2.
This week’s 4cast:
1. Free (maybe) Help for Your Library’s Website
Glenn Peterson (from the Hennepin County Library) recently started EngagedPatrons.org, a website dedicated to helping libraries improve their web services. If your library would like to improve its web presence but doesn’t have the programming expertise on staff, EP might be the solution for you. Best of all – it might not cost you a single cent.
- EngagedPatrons.org (Home)
- FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
2. Wireless, Not Lawless
Lawmakers in upstate New York have become involved in how commercial businesses secure their private customer data. Public Wi-Fi locations (like coffee shops and hotels) are also affected.
- Westchester, N.Y., Passes Law Requiring Businesses to Secure Wireless Networks (Government Technology)
- Lawmakers Crack Down on Wi-Fi Crime (Wi-Fi Planet)
3. Stick of Dynamite?
Portable USB devices, such as memory sticks and MP3 players, are convenient and increasingly popular. But they’re also easy to misplace, and can be used to spread viruses, install unwanted software, and steal data.
- Warnings over USB memory sticks (BBC)
- New directions for removable USB mass storage (IT Wales)
- Disable USB Drives (IntelliAdmin: Tools & Utilities for Windows)
- Are USB drives a security risk? (a slightly different take from the Travelin’ Librarian)
4. Web 2.0 + Library 2.0 = Service 4.0?
Does all of the “2.0 talk” have your head spinning? Check out the following links to find out what 2.0 is all about, and how it might apply to your library.
- Library 2.0 in Three Easy Steps (by Steve Wilson via a Squidoo lens)
- Web 2.0: A Pattern Library (an extensive background article by Tim Ziegler, via Webmonkey)
4b. Squidoo? Webmonkey? Wha?
