spreading the word

Hi everyone! I've had such a great experience working at the Student Multimedia Design Center so far this semester. I feel like I've learned so much about technology and the resources we have.
This information has not only helped me, but I've been able to help some of my classmates and friends find things for their own projects and assignments. Many of my peers don't know the extent of the collection and they also weren't aware that they had access to it. I was really excited to inform my friends about the opportunity to use these things. They also didn't know about the classes we offer to learn different software, like photoshop. A lot of my friends don't have space in their schedule to get design classes, so a few of them were really interested in this workshop. I'm really looking forward to learning a lot more about the kits and technology throughout the rest of the semester.

Applying Information and Skills Learned at the Multimedia Design Center... Outside of the Multimedia Design Center

Hi Everyone!

After completing the first few weeks of orientation and training I can definitely say that I have learned a lot about the Multimedia Design Center, from the array of equipment we have to the services that we offer.

Although I know there is still much more to learn, I thought it would be great to let you know that I have already applied some of the skills and information I've learned here in other areas of my life outside of the Center.

I recently began an internship with WBOC-TV in Salisbury Maryland. As an intern I write bylined news stories for the WBOC website and I also shadow reporters when they go out in the field to report on their stories. I have had to que up cameras, set up tripods and cut and edit video using Premiere Pro, as well as a host of other things while on the job.

 Although some of these skills are basic knowledge for many people, gaining experiences with these few facets of the Multimedia Design Center has allowed me to transfer knowledge and skills to other areas. It has been a great help to me!

Computers for 3D Design

Many visitors of the Multimedia Design Center are familiar with applications such as Photoshop and Illustrator, but why not use the powerful computers for another form of media? You could try something like Blender, a free application for rendering 3D models that offers something for users in any skill level. Blender has tons of tutorials on their website here to get you started. To run the software on Windows computers in the design center, try following the directions for a portable installation here so that you can put the application on a flash drive and take it with you wherever you go!

Visual Hub on the Macs

Hey guys!

A little while back, I was helping a user with one of their video projects. The user had footage from his camera however every time he imported the footage, it would not work. With Diana by my side (meaning she did everything while I watched), we went to go see what we could do. After close review and talking with the user, Diana figured out that the camera being used produced files that would only work with the video editing program that came with the camera.

 On the first attempt we used Media Encoder to try and convert them into files iMovie could work with. Unfortunately this failed. Media Encoder converted the audio of the file fine but the actual video was just one single thumbnail that stayed the same the whole time.

On the second attempt, Diana showed me and the user another media converting program that is on the Macs, Visual Hub. The process of using this is fairly similar to Media Encoder and it was able to handle the original files and successfully convert them into usable videos!

Visual Hub is only on the Macs and so far I haven't found another media converter other than Media Encoder on the PCs. If there is one please comment below!

Value Transfer Station

If you have looked at the back wall, you may have noticed that the Value Transfer Station (VTS) has been removed.

It is now located on the first floor across from the Circulation Desk.  It can dispense copy cards, and library users can add value to copy cards and their ID cards.

Microsoft Office available free for all UD Students

Everyone may already know this, but just in case, I think it is worth mentioning on here.  Over the summer, UD joined Microsoft's Student Advantage Program.  This means that all the Microsoft Office applications are free to download and use on your personal computers and devices as long as you are enrolled as a UD Student.  The deal includes Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS.
The only thing to be aware of is that the newest versions of these programs offer tight integration with Microsoft OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive), but the University of Delaware deal does not include any cloud storage.  But don't despair! To compete with Google, Microsoft is giving away 15 GB free storage just for signing up with them.  I used my personal gmail, and it worked.  Here is the address to sign up if you are interested: http://onedrive.live.com/
It is useful to have this account for other new features of Office 2013, like sharing a PowerPoint automatically to an online audience. 

iMovie, YouTube Imports

Hey guys,

So last night, several patrons were working on a class project that involved importing videos from YouTube onto iMovie as well as pictures from the internet.

One patron was having trouble importing clear images into her project. To fix this problem, we needed to go back into Google images and narrow our search down to "large" pictures. The images that she had been searching were too small for iMovie resulting in extremely pixelated images. With a more narrowed down search we quickly fixed this issue.

But the problem of importing YouTube videos was not as simple. Mike assisted me in helping the one patron, which allowed me to help others with the same issue.

Videos can be downloaded by highlighting the "Tools" to "downloadhelper" to "media" to "download." But sometimes the videos downloaded in an "FLV" format. This will not be iMovie compatible and users are required to convert the files to MP4.

We opened the program "Adobe Media Encored" located in "applications" on the Mac. We then "added" the downloaded file saved to the desktop (or wherever it was saved to).

You will want to change the "format" from FLV to H.264. This will automatically change "preset" to YouTube. Your file is ready to convert -- so hit "Start Queue."

If this file says it will require an hour to download, it is too big. You may want to try and download a smaller version of the file when you download from downloadhelper.

Once it is converted to MP4 -- you are ready to import into iMovie!

Watching Patrons' Stuff

There are two kinds of people in this world.  The watchdogs and the dogs who, uh, who uh, get watched.  There was probably a better way to say that.  Like maybe, the watchers and the watched.  Yeah, we'll go with that.

There are two kinds of people in this world.  The watchers and the watched.  We at the SMDC desk are the... Wait, no, that doesn't work either.  Because it contradicts the whole point I'm trying to make with this post.  One more time.

Bear with me here, because this payoff is going to be good.

Striking the stalker/voyeuristic vibe that "watchers vs. watched" gives off, this time we're golden (Ponyboy).

There's three kinds of people in this world.  Observers, the disinterested, and those bound by policy.  We at the SMDC desk are the third kind.  There's some red tape keeping us from performing certain tasks.

Red Tape 2: Electric Boogaloo

See, the problem is we're in a convenient place.  "But blog post," you ask rightly, knowing you'll get an answer as long as the question is the exact one I'm typing now.  "How is the unparalleled convenience of the SMDC desk a problem?"  Good question.  Let me tell you.

"Props on your astute line of questioning, kleine Fraulein.  Sit tight while Opa lays it out for you."

Most of the time people on "the Street" (one of the rare times "the Street" doesn't mean Compton) are looking for a laptop or some headphones or a camera, otherwise known as "the reason the university even bothered to hire most of us."  But other times, patrons get up for other reasons.  They use the bathroom, they take a phone call, or maybe they just need to stretch their statistically out of state legs.
That's when things get all tangled up in red tape.

Red Tape 3: Help, Please, All I Want to do is Leave My House

The short of it is, we can't be held responsible for their stuff while they're gone.  Which is great, in a way.  If I wasn't held responsible for stuff, then I wouldn't have to feel so bad about my phone call to my cousin while I was in Atlantic City.  But apparently not being held responsible for stuff begins and ends with watching patrons' things while I'm on the clock downstairs in Morris.

A map of all the places I have to "think of the consequences."

My own casino fueled regrets aside, the overarching theme of today is that when someone asks if we can watch their stuff, the answer, unequivocally is "no."  Find a way to reject them.  Usually a simple "sorry, no can do" will suffice.  But sometimes they argue, oh how do they argue.  Then you just have to take matters into you're own hands.

WE CAN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST OR STOLEN ITEMS.

Free Online Photo Classes through Canvas

Hi  everyone,
I am currently enrolled in a free online photography class that is being offered through Canvas. This class is taught by one of our own UD professors, Jon Cox. I have personally had him as a professor previously, and the man is quite the expert in his field. The online class currently has over 900 people enrolled worldwide, and there is still time to sign up! (Enrollment ends Oct. 31) This is a unique opportunity to be a part of a global network of students with a wide range of skills.

Here is the link to enroll:

https://www.canvas.net/courses/phoneography-the-basics-of-cell-phone-photography

If you would like to learn more, UDaily wrote a great article explaining the class, and Jon's great past experience as a global photographer in greater detail.

http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2015/sep/phoneography-mooc-090414.html


I encourage you to pass this link along to anyone you may know who is looking for some tips on both DSLR photography and phoneography. Non UD students are welcome too!

Yours,
Cortney

Why can't anyone check out an iPad or iPad Air!?

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share some information about the iPads and iPad Airs. As you may or may not know, Apple released iOS 8 last Wednesday. Due to this new update, all of the iPads and iPad Airs that we have are currently unavailable for anyone to check out. All of the tablets are scheduled to be updated properly at some point during Monday morning. Patrons should be able to check out any of the iPads or iPad Airs by Monday afternoon.

So what's new in iOS 8?
If you're interested in seeing all of the new changes, I suggest visiting Apple's dedicated iOS 8 website or reading this more detailed summary from lifehacker.com.

-Stephen P.

VTC, Why You Should be Interested

Hello everyone!

I thought for my first post ever I would comment on my experience with the VTC (virtual training company). I've been using it to learn how to work in Photoshop CS6 because I have absolutely no experience with it what-so-ever. You do have to request a username and password from information technologies, just make sure under the category drop down menu you click 'request a vtc account'. When I sent in my request I got a response the next day and was able to sign in successfully right away. The site isn't just for adobe products either, ever want to learn how to create modern comics? There's a course on it. Confused about wordpress? There's a course on it. More of a tactile learner? You're in luck! Most courses come with work files that, as long as you have the program, you can use to follow along with the video.

Seriously guys, if you're having some trouble getting started on your projects or even just have one aspect of a program you're confused about, see if the VTC has a course on it, hopefully it'll help!

Changing Due Dates

Nadine suggested a helpful tip today for using WMS to check out items.  When you go to change the due date, rather than typing in a new date and time, you can just copy and paste the date that is displayed at the top of the screen shown in green below.

You can copy the entire date and time after the "3 day loans:" or "4 hour loans:" depending on the item being checked out. This is a quick  method for changing the due date so that you do not have to worry about making sure the date and time match if you change one before the other!

NEW Equipment!

We now have a HDMI to VGA adapter kit. New computers are no longer making VGA ports, so this adapter allows students to connect to screens and projectors through the HDMI port on their laptops. This cable can be used by PCs and newer Macs as long as they have a HDMI port! It's located in the back of the cables and adapters drawer. 

UD Teaches Photoshop!

Photoshop is much more than a simple photo-editing software. It allows for a vast amount of creativity, and has the ability to restore and enhance photographs to make them extraordinary. A ruined family photo can be refreshed to look as good as new, and an overexposed photo can be tweaked to bring out the rich colors lying underneath.

Don't miss the opportunity to learn all about Adobe Photoshop and the ins and outs of working with RAW images in Photoshop. It is recommended that participants have prior knowledge with Photoshop before taking this tutorial. The workshop is free for all UD students, faculty, and staff. A wait-list is available for all those interested.

Join us on Tuesday, September 23 from 10:00AM- 12:00PM in the Student Multimedia Design Center in the lower level of Morris Library, Room A!

It's Stats Week!

So, you're wondering about....

"It's Stats Week!"

Once a month for a week, you are asked to add a mark for each question asked by a user at the service desk.  If it's a question by phone, place the mark on the appropriate section and time.


Any questions, ask a staff member.  Thanks.

DELCAT Discovery Workshops

For those interested in gaining some more information about DELCAT Discovery and navigating through UD's new catalog system, the library is holding three workshops, free of charge for students, faculty and staff.  The dates are: September 23rd, 10-11a.m., September 30th, 2-3p.m., and October 6th, 4-5p.m. all of which will take place in room 116A on the first level.  Here is the link to the UDaily post with information regarding these workshops. 

If interested, you must register. Online registration is available here.

Java in WMS

Hello-
When I logged into WMS today, a Java pop-up came up asking me to run the program in order to make the receipt printer work in WMS. This message didn't seem to come up on every computer, but if you do get the pop-up, just press run and WMS will work normally as it should. If you don't, printing receipts will be difficult.
-Shannon Sizensky

Advice from Ira Glass

I found this advice from Ira Glass (an American public radio personality and the host and producer of the radio and television show, This American Life) beneficial concerning storytelling.

1.  Cut out the crap.
2.  Put yourself on a deadline.
3.  Force yourself to complete something every week.
4.  No shortcuts for excellence 

If you're interested in viewing this four part series, you can find it on YouTube.

Printing on the Mac computers

This is the second occurrence of this problem that I have seen so far since the beginning of the semester. I have had two separate users try and print in color on the Mac and when the print comes out, it either gets printed incorrectly, or a blank page prints out with an error message. This has occurred when printing from the "preview" application that opens up most documents and photos on the Mac. What you should do is save the file and open it in the appropriate program, or save it as a PDF and then open it in adobe reader.

As a quick summary, do not print in color on Macs straight from the preview window. Download the file and open it from the appropriate program whether that be adobe reader or Microsoft office, and then proceed to print in color.

We do not have full confirmation yet on whether or not this will work on the Mac, as the user just printed it from a PC, but there is a good chance this will fix it. If this should occur in the future, follow the above steps and if it does proceed to print correctly then we have found a solution.

Reminder: Bose headphones have been relocated!!

Since it's important to keep up to date on where things are located, I thought I'd share this: Today a student specifically asked for the Bose sound-canceling headphones. I went to the back and checked on top of the black cabinet where they have been previously held. However, after asking Nadine if they might have been relocated she showed me we are now keeping them in the same drawer at the desk with the rest of the headphones. So keep this in mind for next time!

Don't let students run away! (While checking items in)

Hey everyone!

Today there was an issue when a student was checking in a tripod and it was missing the plate that attaches to the camera. The plate to the tripod was accidentally left on the camera (which he was still using). The student was in a hurry to leave and walked up the stairs before we could fully check in the item; he had to be chased down so we could get the piece back!

Moral of the story, make sure the patron stays at the deck while you check in each part to the kit so we can avoid chasing them down!

Dont assume, just check!

   Hello wonderfuls,

     Today we had a student come in for a mini-display adaptar and when we looked in the drawer there were none. Then, Micheal followed the proper protocol and checked WMS to see if there were any. Lo and behold, there was actually one left. We looked in the drawer again and it was hidden in the back. The moral of the story, dont assume, just take the extra second to check properly.

Have a fantastic day :)

Photocopier update

Located on each floor of the library are two photocopiers.  The Lower Level has a photocopier/scanner, and five new scanners that replaced the older photocopier/scanners.  These new machines will print directly to the Print Release station. 

Direct any questions about these machines to a supervisor.  Thanks.

Checking Out a Laptop?

Hi all,

I am currently at the center and a patron recently approached the desk asking to loan out a laptop, my automated response was, "of course, would you also like to loan out a power-cord for the laptop?" Hannah kindly informed me that the laptop cords are no longer an optional part, they are now a part of the laptop loan and it is mandatory for the patron to receive both the laptop and the power-cord. I was unaware of this new policy and so I thought it might be helpful to share with you, in case you were also uninformed.

NB

UDeploy and Software Not Found in the SMDC

After reading Nadine's post about Mathematica, I visited the UDeploy site and under Scientific and Research Software included download links for some of the software we list as unavailable at the Student Multimedia Design Center. 

Today, a patron asked if we had SPSS available , and my instinct was to say "Sorry, we do not but Smith, McDowell and Purnell do," a la our cheat sheet on the receipt printers at each of the desk PCs. However, it struck me that maybe he could visit UDeploy and download the software himself.

It turns out that some of theses resources are not accessible to students for their own computers but can be downloaded on a UD-owned computer for student use.  For instance, SPSS would still be available to students in Smith, McDowell and Purnell but could also be downloaded on a UD-owned computer, such as one of ours.  As usual, to download, the student would have to ask someone at the desk to log them in.

Are there any issues that could arise from this, such as limited amounts of licenses?