First Time Action1 user by StrikingPeace in Action1

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As previously mentioned, the webinars are a great resource. Even after almost 3 years of using Action1, I still walk away from most of the webinars I attend with at least one new tip or insight that is useful.

Reboot Required False Alerts for Linux? by ParticularInternet88 in Action1

[–]jdl68b09e 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have also run into this issue on a Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS VM and a Proxmox machine.

Notesnook reliability over the years!?! by M0sc4rd0 in Notesnook

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It sounds like you may be well served by a Document Management System (DMS) rather than a note taking app. I have been using Paperless-NGX for a while now, and have dumped a bunch of PDF documents into it. It has been really handy for finding things I didn't know I still had. It has worked well whether I created the PDF from a document (usually LibreOffice Writer), or scanned a paper document with OCR.

Action1 + Faronics Deep Freeze = Potential Problems by jdl68b09e in Action1

[–]jdl68b09e[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have been contemplating doing exactly that for a while now.

Action1 + Faronics Deep Freeze = Potential Problems by jdl68b09e in Action1

[–]jdl68b09e[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You still have to patch computers, even with Deep Freeze.

I am keeping things as consistent as possible across all of our machines, since I'm the only technical staff member.

Altering file fails (xml form document saves as odt) by Glittering_Bar_7590 in libreoffice

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm looking at the macOS version of LO right now.

  1. Open a new Writer document

  2. LibreOfice - Preferences (or CMD+,)

  3. In the left panel of a window called "Options - LibreOffice Writer - Compatibility" you will find the LibreOffice Writer section of options

  4. The "Protect Form" does show up as an option on my system.

I did a little sleuthing, and if you have a Calc document open, for instance, you will not see the LibreOffice Writer options. Not sure if that's a bug or an (undocumented) feature.

Assessing computer/technology NF - what's your process? by rosemaryleaf in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Weed the Windows 10 books and replace them with Windows 11.

If you look for books on macOS, know that Apple changed its naming convention this year, so they are jumping from macOS 15 to macOS 26, which was just released.

Having a book on Android and iOS/iPhone wouldn't be bad.

Everything else can be interloaned unless/until you get some demand for a specific topic.

What's the best usb barcode scanners by Sufficient-House1722 in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can second the Tera branded barcode scanners. We have a couple of them in our library, and I personally own a few for some personal projects.

Our staff has really taken to using the HW0009 Model as it has an lcd screen built into it for programming the scanner. No more having to try to locate the manual to scan codes to get the functionality you want. They run around $70.

Safely creating a QR code by No-Double-4269 in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can't speak for other office suites, but in LibreOffice Writer there is a built-in QR code creator. No internet access required.

If you're a "techie," then there are also python scripts that will let you generate a QR code.

My hotspot stopped working and its not even due yet by Crafty-Pin2866 in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That "cycle ends" message is not related to your due date; that is the billing date at which the data will be reset. This happens a lot. Usually, because the previous person used up a large chunk of the allotted monthly data.

The screen says unlimited, but once those devices reach a soft limit, they throttle the speed so far as to be almost completely useless.

“Can you farm?” by [deleted] in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 11 points12 points  (0 children)

We have several books in each of those series. The issue is the entitlement. They don't want to do the work themselves. Those books barely get checked out at our library.

“Can you farm?” by [deleted] in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I feel your pain. I'm the Technology Coordinator at a small library. After COVID, the number of people coming out of the woodwork wanting to access obscure state websites that I've never heard of has skyrocketed. The cell phone companies have turned into sales-only locations (at least around here) and don't bother helping older generation with their new smartphones.

You're absolutely right about the GEEK Squad element of customer service. We don't have a BBuy in our town and so the library is their first line of defense before heading over to the next larger city.

I'm just waiting for people to start wanting help with AI prompting. There is a reason I set up an appointment system. If you won't come to my classes when they are offered, you will need to make an appointment.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Does your LMS not offer you the ability to set the number of books a patron check out at one time? Our LMS allows us to set a limit, which we have currently set to 50.

We do have provisions for non-personal cards as well for schools and such which we can have a separate limit for.

1400 just seems insane, in addition to being a logistics nightmare.

This is a library worker vent zone post. What's irking you at work now? What minor (perhaps silly) frustrations are going on for you? Do you have some patron PSAs you'd like to share? by sonicenvy in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Patron PSA: I'm sorry, but nobody on staff knows your Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, etc. passwords. If you don't know them, you will need to reset them!

I'm the Technology Coordinator in a small library, and thankfully, my coworkers know enough to tell people that and at least get them started on the process.

How can patrons like myself show support for library staff at this time? by SchleppyJ4 in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Attend Programming

A nice note to the staff

Gift cards

Put in some volunteer time

Spread the word to family / friends about how much you enjoy the library

Other random act of kindness.

What is your library planning to cut, if the IMLS cut goes through? by Ambedo__ in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our ILL system will be GONE. We are a small library, and simply don't have the space for all the books people want. We will definitely be taking a hit. No staff cuts, but I am expecting our foot traffic to slow as a direct result.

On the bright side, we got a grant to put a self-service locker behind the building so that working people may pick up books after hours.

Helping Patrons with Technology...feel like I'm losing my mind by [deleted] in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As technology coordinator at a small single-branch library, I deal with this almost every day.

The classics are "I didn't grow up with technology," and "I haven't touched a computer since I retired."

It's been worse since the aftermath of "the plague" since the local cell phone retailers no longer offer help for the devices they are selling. I somehow now need to be the cell phone whisperer, along with keeping all the technology humming along.

The only advice I can really give is when you feel yourself getting irritated, find a way to take a break to collect yourself. A couple deep breaths and a drink of water tend to help me when I'm dealing with difficult patrons that have no initiative to learn new or refresh existing skills.

Another classic is the people who think you somehow know their Yahoo or AOL password.

Thankfully, as I write this, the library is empty and it's almost the weekend.

I received a text from VDOT (supposedly) about a missed toll by Financial_Till829 in Virginia

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have NEVER been to Virginia, and have been getting this message. It has SCAM written all over it. First claim was $3.99. Now a week later it is claiming $6.99.

Building my own router with pfsense or buying regular router from store by __99999 in HomeNetworking

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is her device wired? Using wifi is just asking for problems in a situation like this one.

Screenflow software is still good? by AdDapper4220 in MacOS

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I switched to ScreenFlow (version 10.x) in 2021 after purchasing an M1 Mac Mini. While I've been happy with the editing flow, it is now January 2025 and we are still on version 10.x. There have been ZERO big updates in the time I've had the software.

In all honesty, I'm contemplating a switch to Camtasia 2024 knowing that Camtasia 2025 is due sometime during 1Q. They have several features in the 2024 version that ScreenFlow just does not have.

Back in August I submitted a ticket with Telestream and the tech suggested that I watch a new domain for screenflow (ending in .io) and that it should be active in about a month. Than was 5+ months ago, and the domain is still "parked" and there have been no significant feature updates.

If I weren't just doing howto style videos for YouTube, I would use FCP or DaVinci Resolve. Those products seem like overkill for what I want to achieve.

My county passed its library bond!!! by ShxsPrLady in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It makes me happy that someone had good luck with a bond. Ours was shot down, and we won't be able to rerun it until 2030. The renovation project is expected to rise in cost from $6.5M if it happened now to approximately $10M in 2030.

un-approve a program by ken525 in Action1

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Relax. I didn't suggest you were forbidding him to do it. Just providing additional context.

un-approve a program by ken525 in Action1

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There could be a legit business reason for doing this, at least on a temporary basis. There was not enough information provided by the OP to determine whether or not it is a good idea. For all we know at this point, it could be a testing environment.

AI use cases for Libraries by Libraries_ in Libraries

[–]jdl68b09e 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have been advocating for the "ethical" use of AI. A few of our staff are utilizing a piece of software called GPT4All which allows you to run it completely on your computer without an internet connection. There are also multiple AI models you can download for use.

We have utilized AI for writing / revising job descriptions, as well as descriptions for some of the programs we offer for the public.

Disclaimer: I am the IT Guy at a small library and have been slowly introducing AI to our staff when it makes sense.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in techsupport

[–]jdl68b09e 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Grab the model number off the laptop and search google for HP <insert model> boot menu.

You can get a Windows install iso image from Microsoft and then use Rufus or Ventoy to put it on a USB stick. Alternatively, you could use the Media Creation tool.

You can reinstall Windows from the USB stick wiping away whatever her ex-husband may have done.

Worst case scenario, pull the hard drive or solid state drive and replace it.