Archive for the tag 'Ohrstrom Blog'

Ohrstrom’s Groovy Tag Cloud

October 1st, 2008

Lisa Laughy - Archives Assistant

Above is a very groovy tag cloud featuring the most frequently used tags on Ohrstrom Blog. Your everyday tag cloud looks like THIS (in the right sidebar), but this WordPress plugin created by Roy Tanck organizes Ohrstrom Blog’s tags into a 3D whirling cloud of tag related fun (requires Flash Player 9 or better and JavaScript enabled).  It is a dynamic list so it will update as new tags are added. Take some time to explore the tag cloud by clicking on the floating words: the larger the type face the more posts that use the tag.

One of the ways we tag posts here is to use the name of academic classes as tags when a particular bit of information might be helpful to students in the class.  For example, if you click on the Humanities III tag – either in the tag cloud or in the list located at the bottom of a post – it will take you to two posts about new reference books that are good resources for subjects studied in that class.  Any time we add a new blog post with some information pertinent to the Humanities III curriculum, that post will be added to the tag list.

There is a mini version of the 3D tag cloud in the sidebar, and a permalink back to this post for fun and easy tag browsing.

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RSS: Feed For Thought

September 22nd, 2008

Lisa Laughy - Archives Assistant

It is likely that many of you are already aware of the organizational bonus a feed reader provides, but for those of you who have never heard of RSS, XML or ATOM, you may be missing out on a convenience that could change the way you browse online.

RSS stand for Really Simple Syndication, and is a way for websites like Ohrstrom Blog to syndicate online content.  Subscribing to Ohrstrom Blog’s feed through a browser-based feed reader like Bloglines or Google Reader lets you know when there is new content available, eliminating the need of having to visit the site.  Subscribing to feeds from all of your favorite sites in a feed reader provides a kind of one-stop-shopping convenience for getting information online.

The image above is a screenshot of the Bloglines interface.  Once you set up a free Bloglines (or one of the many other feed reader) account you can start tracking your favorite blogs and news sites.  A RSS subscription can be added by clicking a feed link on a blog or website. Most sites use some form of this RSS icon to identify their feed, but there are a number of different ways to subscribe, including entering a web address directly into the feed reader.  There are several subscription options available for Ohrstrom Blog included in the “Have a Chicklet” list in the sidebar on the left.

In Bloglines, your subscriptions are listed on the left side of the screen, and the title and synopsis of the new blog content is listed on the right.  The RSS feed from Ohrstrom Blog contains images and the full text of the blog post.  You can use your feed reader to scan the latest posts from Ohrstrom Blog, read the complete text, or click through to the actual entry in its fully formatted state on the Ohrstrom Blog.  Other feed readers function in the same basic way, it is just a matter of personal preference which reader you use.

Find yourself a feed reader and then subscribe to the Ohrstrom Blog feed by clicking the “Subscribe” link in the header, or by using one of the  chicklets in the sidebar list.  Then you will have an easy time keeping an eye out for the upcoming posts on RSS and feed readers during the next few weeks.

For an extensive list of feed readers available click HERE.

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Care to Comment?

September 15th, 2008

Lisa Laughy – Archives Assistant

One of the most compelling aspects of blogging is the opportunity to interact with readers through the comment section.  Ohrstrom Blog gives the library staff a great new way to share library information with the SPS community, but it also provides community members with a way to share their thoughts with us.  This two-way communication has the potential of making the blog, the library website, and the library itself a more dynamic place for St. Paul’s students and faculty.  To that end, this post is your invitation to open the line of communication by leaving a comment on the blog.

The comments section on this and any blog post can be accessed by clicking on the small pale green words “Click Here to Comment:” positioned below the headline of the post (just underneath “Categories:”).  You can also get to the commenting page by clicking on the headline of the post.  Give that a try now and you can finish reading the post on the commenting page. . . . Now that you are there you can see the commenting form underneath the post.  In order the leave a comment you will first need to fill in the “name” field and the “email” field.  You are welcome to use a screen name, it’s not necessary to give your full name.  Your email address does not show up in your published comment, but a valid address is required to help prove that you are not a spambot.  The third field is optional for including your website address if you have one, and this will be included in your published comment.  Once you get those formalities out of the way you are free to fill the comment box with whatever is on your mind and click on the ‘submit comment’ button.

Comments are moderated by the blog administrator, so your comments won’t show up immediately on the post.  This delay keeps spam out of the comment section and also allows filtering out anything naughty or otherwise inappropriate.  As librarians we are all about freedom of speech – as long as your comments are on-topic and use reasonable language you should make the grade.

Now you are ready to give commenting a try – leave a note to let us know you are out there, simply say hello, or let us know what you think of Ohrstrom Blog.  It will be good to hear from you.

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Ohrstrom Library on Blackboard

September 12th, 2008

Lisa Laughy – Archives Assistant

Thanks to ITG’s Gail Hersey Ohrstrom Library is now an official “course” on the SPS Blackboard utility.  All students, faculty and staff have been enrolled, providing the library with a way to connect with the larger SPS community through Blackboard.  If you are a regular user of Blackboard you can make a quick connection to the library website and blog by clicking on “Ohrstrom Library” in your course list on your home page.  An animated feed ticker lists the most recent Ohrstrom Blog posts, and clicking on the feed box open the blog inside the existing Blackboard window.  A list of quick links gives you access to the library website, the library catalog, and links to the online subscription databases – all without leaving Blackboard.  Next time you log into your Blackboard account, click on your Ohrstrom Library course and see how it looks.

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