]]> Taylor Weinfurter/ Library Services Thu, 02 Apr 2015 13:35:58 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=14452 The Wisconsin Digital Archives. 
 
The Wisconsin Digital Archive provides one stop shopping for all those reports you hear about on the news.  Curious about job growth, school achievement scores, roadway safety or anything else that pertains to Wisconsin government?  Use the search box at the top of the screen to find reports and other documents that provide background, research and figures to help clarify news reports.  The front page also provides links to reports that have been covered by newspapers.  In addition, there are links to the newest material added to the archive. 
 
Overall, the archive contains great resources for everyone from the new hound to the high school student looking for statistics.  Stop by the website and check it out.
 

]]> Julie Kinney / Library Services Tue, 16 Dec 2014 08:35:56 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=14000 The Heartbleed bug, the Internet Explorer security flaw, changes to Facebook’s privacy settings, credit card breaches at major retail stores; all are examples of privacy and security breaches headlining local and nationals news. Since our lives are so connected to the Internet, it sometimes can feel like we don’t have a lot of control over our digital lives, and especially our privacy.

Choose Privacy Week is an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that focuses on digital privacy rights. It’s an invitation for libraries and library users to have a conversation about individual privacy rights in a digital age. While privacy has always been an important part of library services, the Choose Privacy Week is a relatively new endeavor for ALA. 2014 is the fifth year of the campaign.

Choose Privacy Week is also a good time for a refresher on ways you can help keep your information safe, especially if you are using a public computer. It’s good practice to make sure you are completely signed out of your email, social network accounts, or any other services where you enter a password before you log off completely from a public computer. Additionally, when you are selecting a password, make sure you are selecting a complex enough password that is still memorable. One way to do this is to select characters and numbers that will form a memorable statement. For example, "ILmcpl@14" would stand for "I love Marathon County Public Library," using the number 14 as a memorable number and a variation of upper and lower class letters.

Many of us are active on social networks, and while we share our birthdays on Facebook, photos of vacations on Instagram, and check-in to a favorite restaurant on Foursquare, it’s important to remember that we also need to protect our privacy.

Here are some of ALA’s tips for protecting your privacy on social media:

Do you want to set your profile to public or private? You probably want potential employers to see your LinkedIn profile and generate hits on search engines, so a public profile is a good option. You might not want the rest of the world to see your Facebook updates, and generally many users make these profiles accessible only to friends and family.

Review privacy settings on social media. Review your favorite social networks for changes to privacy policies and procedures. Usuall,y these setting are links or tabs labeled Settings, Profile, or Privacy.

Remember, once you put something on the internet, it will remain on the internet. Some sites will archive photos or status updates you delete, so keep that in mind. Often celebrities will delete photos or tweets from Twitter they posted only to see them resurface as a screenshot on a blog.

Want some more information about the Heartbeed bug, the Internet Explorer security flaw, Privacy Week, or Marathon County Public Library’s privacy policies?

Heartbleed Bug

Internet Explorer Flaw (including information on the update to address the flaw)

Privacy Week

Marathon County Public Library’s privacy policies

]]> Kathleen Kosiec / Library Services Fri, 02 May 2014 08:54:52 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=13097
The Digital Public Library of America pulls together millions of items – photographs, manuscripts, books, sound recordings and more – from libraries, archives and museums across the country. Visitors can search by terms, category or year. Looking for a 1880s map of the Upper Peninsula, or a photograph of Billie Holliday? You can find both and much, much more on the DPLA site, www.dp.la.

We also added the Oyez Project, a public, multimedia database of Supreme Court proceedings. The creators of the project assembled an open, searchable archive of court recordings – both arguments and decisions – dating back to 1955. From the landmark 1972 Roe v. Wade case to the 2000 Bush/Gore arguments to the 2009 Citizens United case that reshaped campaign finance and more, the public can access more than 7,000 hours of Supreme Court audio at www.oyez.org.

MCPL is not involved in the creation or funding of these sites, but we include them in our online resources because of the substantial amount of historical information offered. We also include them to complement our expansive list of online resources covering topics from genealogy to auto repair and foreign language – all free and accessible online.

We know not all of our patrons have computers or Internet access at home, which is why you’re always welcome to use our computers. We can help you learn more about them and the Internet, and our staff can get you started on searches. Patrons also can plug in headphones to listen to audio and video; print material to take home; or just stay and read.

Navigating technology and the web may seem daunting, but we’ll help you get past that because no one should be without access to the wealth of history, literature, science and other knowledge waiting to be discovered on the World Wide Web.

(from the MCPL Newsletter, May-July, 2013)

]]> Chad Dally / Library Services Wed, 29 May 2013 19:08:34 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=11833 Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Are you ready to vote? The following resources will help you answer some common voter questions and concerns.

• Where should I vote? -- Visit My Vote Wisconsin (myvote.wi.gov), a new website created by the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB). Pick the option that best describes you -- most likely, "Regular Voter" -- and select "Address Search" on the following screen. Type in your current address to determine where you should vote.

• I've never voted before. How do I register? -- In general, you may be able to register by mail, with a municipal clerk, or in person on Election Day. The GAB offers a quick-reference sheet that explains your options: http://gab.wi.gov/...19989.pdf. Additionally, you should determine if you are eligible to vote in Wisconsin:http://gab.wi.gov/...18552.pdf.

• What if I recently moved?

• What if I changed my name?

Other voting resources from My Vote Wisconsin:

• Voting via absentee ballot
• Voters with disabilities
• College students
• Convicted felons or in jail
• Older Wisconsin voters
• Homeless voters
• Spanish-speaking voters
• Voters with more than one residence

• General Resources for Voters: Pamphlets, Guides and Detailed Information

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]]> Ben Krombholz / MCPL Customer Services Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:34:46 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=10095 Many of you use the Library to research products before you buy, using resources such as Consumer Reports and the N.A.D.A. vehicle price guides. These and other resources are available at the Reference Desk, but did you know you can access Consumer Reports from home via our website? Here's how:

1. Go to the MCPL website (www.mcpl.us), click on "Research," and choose"Online Resources." (...or, the direct link: www.mcpl.us/research/online)
    
2. Click on "Consumer Reports" in the "Library Resources A-Z" list.
    
3. Login using your 14-digit Library Card barcode and PIN.
    
4. Do one of the following:
   • View individual issues using the "All Issues" menu. Click the desired year and choose an issue.
     -- OR -- 
   • Search across multiple issues by clicking "Search within this publication," choosing "Advanced Search" from the next screen, add your keywords to the search blank(s) at the top of the screen (i.e. "televisions," "vacuums," etc.), and click "Search." (Do not remove "JN "Consumer Reports".)
      
5. You will get a list of article summaries. Click the "PDF Full Text" link for any article to view a digital version of the relevant Consumer Reports article. (... if necessary, you may further refine your search using the options to the left)

]]> Ben Krombholz / MCPL Customer Services Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:53:40 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=7979 (instructions updated: click here)

]]> Ben Krombholz / MCPL Customer Services Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:39:08 GMT http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=1769&BlogID=112&BlogPostID=7525 If you have not been contacted and would like to participate in the consumer survey, please submit your contact information or take our secure online survey.

All individual responses, whether obtained through telephone or online survey, will remain confidential. Collectively, responses will provide important feedback as we move forward with the planning phase of this statewide project.

If called to participate in the survey, we hope you will take a few moments to provide open and honest feedback on your broadband needs. Your input will provide critical insights into how and why Wisconsinites use high-speed Internet, as well as what needs may exist within your community.

This quantitative study will be available to regional planning teams in the fall of 2010.

]]> Ben Krombholz / MCPL Customer Services Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:42:43 GMT