547 days to home...

Hello everyone,

It is Carl, your intrepid Lane Library cataloger, with another book and collection to talk about.  This time I read a brand new book from the Wisconsin's Own Library (WOL) collection.  This wonderful collection is located in the South Reading Room of Lane Library and focuses on authors from, and topics about Wisconsin.  There is no other library collection anything like WOL on the planet.  It will probably come as a shock to some that Lane Library doesn't own the WOL collection.  It is here on semi-permanent loan through the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Wisconsin.

The book I read is titled 547 days to home : the resurrection of a pastor and a small town church / by Daniel L. Bohlman.  I highly recommend this book.  It is the heartwarming story of a despondent pastor named Ed who has been successively fired from his previous churches.  He is given one last chance by his district bishop to fill out his last 547 days and then retire with a full church pension.  Grudgingly, Pastor Ed agrees to give it one last try.  The congregation he is sent to serve is on its last legs.  They have only a few members left and are not bringing in enough offerings to sustain their congregation much longer.  The congregants are set in their ways and don't like change.  On top of this, there is a local mega-church that is looking to force all of the other churches in the area to close.  Pastor Ed has a huge task ahead of him, should he choose to accept it.  He is faced with a choice to fill out his days at Guernsey Community Church and retire, or make a real difference in the lives of those around him.  How he accepts this challenge covers a range of emotions and lends life and humor to this heartwarming story.  Can this once star pastor save a dying small-town congregation?  Can the people of this congregation save him?  Read 547 day to home to find out.  I'm very happy I read it, and I suspect you will be too.  If you do read it, let me know what you think of it.

This is Carl Ziebell signing off.

New workshops underway at Lane Library

Our Digital Makerspace schedule is up and running for the spring semester, and we have a whole new set of offerings to learn new techniques.  Look them over, and mark your calendars to attend.  The workshops are 30 minute sessions, being offered twice each week on Tuesdays at 4pm and Wednesdays at 12:30pm in the Waitkus Lab of Lane Library.  

Below are some brief descriptions:

Visualize Data

Feb 3 @4 pm/Feb 4 @ 12:30 pm

Got data?  Learn how to make data visually accessible by integrating it with Google Maps.  By taking either your own data or free data sets from government information, find out how to create a map that can tell the data's story.  Using Google Fusion tables, you will find out the techniques to plot a table of locations or create an intensity map.  

Record and Edit Audio

Feb 10 @4 pm/Feb 11 @ 12:30 pm

Have you ever needed to record audio or music, be it for a report, music practice, or even an alternate soundtrack for a movie?  Come and learn about FREE, powerful audio software that will meet your basic recording needs.  Do you have the "Audacity" to attend?

Build and Share Collections Online

Feb 17 @4 pm/Feb 18 @ 12:30 pm

Do you have collection that you want to make more accessible?  Find out what will work best for you and how to transform your collection into a digital exhibition.

Edit Images

Feb 24 @4 pm/Feb 25 @ 12:30 pm

Wondering how to take your photos from good to amazing?  Want to add a little text to your photos?  Come explore our pick of free image editing software, and let your photos have their time to shine.

Create a Screencast

Mar 3 @4 pm/Mar 4 @ 12:30 pm 

Want to create tutorials which can be recorded and viewed later? Find out more about a free tool that can be used to make video tutorials from screenshots in order to illustrate how to do something on the computer.

Analyze Texts with Software

Mar 10 @4 pm/Mar 11 @ 12:30 pm

Learn how to use free text analyzing software to do everything from tracking publication trends over time to doing key word analysis.  Find out what you can do when digital technology and communication meet to create new possibilities in scholarly research.  

Create and Edit Videos

Mar 24 @4 pm/Mar 25 @ 12:30 pm\

Looking for a new twist on an assignment? Stop by to learn the best techniques to create a video using the cameras and iPads available to you through the library.  The iMovie app is also available on our iPads, which means you can make the videos the length you need for assignments or promotional materials for your class, club or sport.

Create a Dynamic Map

Mar 31 @4 pm/Apr 1 @ 12:30 pm

Working on a project that is tied to a place? Learn how to create an interactive map where you can provide your historical, statistical or any other research information tied to a location of your choosing.  

Publish and Share Information

Apr 7 @4 pm/Apr 8 @ 12:30 pm

Learn to create a wiki or webpage for yourself, your student organization or class project.  Find the tips and tricks necessary to navigate and create your own web presence using free tools available to you.

If you have any questions, comments, or any suggestions for future Digital Makerspace workshops, please let us know!