Tag Archives: Resource Development and Services

Research and Instruction

Leave a reply

Submitted by Judy Watts

Announcing: MiddTube-lite

This is a very basic interface for managing media on the Flash Media Server, affectionately called MiddTube. This interface allows streaming of .flv, .mp4 and .mp3 files. Thank you to Brett Wilhelm for all of his work in creating this interface.

Because MiddTube does not currently encode, Joe recommends MPEG StreamClip ( http://www.squared5.com/ ) and the Perian ( http://perian.org/ ) plugin.

What can I do now?

Upload a file, delete it, and update it by overwriting.

Integration

Brett has written a MiddTube plugin for our instance of WordPress MU. This will allow anyone to embed a video from MiddTube into our WP blogs using a simple syntax – [middtube username {name of file, no extension}] For the geeks at heart, this short text line will be translated into embed code, using the FlowPlayer. The FlowPlayer will also generate an embed code that can be copied and pasted into other html pages. Adam Franco has created similar functionality for Segue, and Ian McBride is working on embedding for the CMS. Once the media has been embedded, the code in the player can be used to embed the media in any web page.

If you would like a MiddTube account, please contact Joe Antonioli (jantonio@middlebury.edu). For more information, go to the MiddTube page in the LIS wiki – https://mediawiki.middlebury.edu/wiki/LIS/MiddTube.

The Vermont Library Association’s Reference Roundtable took place on Wednesday at St. Michael’s. Look to Jean Simmons or Brenda Ellis for a report on what they learned.

On Monday, Brenda will be doing a presentation at the Mad River Writing Retreat for FYSE faculty that the CTLR puts on each year.

We’re preparing our contribution to the First-Year Orientation Information Center, to be held at the Main Library and scheduled for Wednesday, September 3. The Research & Instruction Section will provide a variety of staffed demos and a video introducing librarians. Take time to look around and to welcome new students and their families.

LIS orientation for New Faculty will take place on Friday, August 29. Watch for the new faculty faces in the afternoon.

The Research & Instruction Group offers thanks and appreciation to Carrie Rampp for able, challenging, enthusiastic, energizing, encouraging, inspirational, innovative, and patient leadership. Carrie, you did it all and you made it fun. We’ll miss your hearty laugh as much as your creative ideas. Our best wishes for success at Bucknell go with you!

Scheduling

1 Reply

Submitted by Judy Watts

As the beginning of the Fall Term steadily approaches, it’s a good time to review LIS policies regarding room scheduling. These are readily available to you in Public Folders in Outlook. Look for Public Folders, then LIS, then Library Room Schedules, then Library Room Guidelines. It is also available in the LIS staff folder on Snowleopard.

It’s especially important during the busy first 2 months of the Term that LIS staff meeting classes have priority in the instructional spaces. Please be firm in applying the guidelines and flexible in moving meetings that could take place in a different space or at a different time. Each room has it’s own guidelines. In LIB 105, for example:
• Scheduling more than 7 days in advance is only for LIS+ instruction/training, otherwise open as a computer lab
• Should be used for meetings/trainings when every individual needs a computer
• Non-LIS+ faculty and staff may reserve for non-recurring classes/trainings (needing computer use) no earlier than 7 days in advance
• Groups smaller than 8 should try and use other rooms (room 221/230 with laptops checked out)
• Be sensitive to academic calendar and student needs for computer labs
• Avoid scheduling during busy student times (mid terms, end of terms, exams)
You will earn the appreciation and gratitude of those of us who are attempting to schedule classes for instruction.