TechAtlas for Libraries

Moving into the future

hallje — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 21:23:04 +0000

This blog has been idle for a couple of months, but not because we haven’t been busy (rather the opposite!). The TechAtlas team at WebJunction has now grown to four full-time members, and our plans for moving TechAtlas for Libraries forward continue.

WebJunction and OCLC have recently concluded an agreement with NPower to acquire the TechAtlas asset (lock, stock and barrel!) from NPower, and we’ll soon be re-locating TechAtlas homebase from Seattle to Dublin, Ohio.

Now that TechAtlas is even more a part of WebJunction than ever before, we have decided to discontinue this separate blog, and integrate our future postings into WebJunction’s own BlogJunction. If you’re not already reading BlogJunction on a regular basis, please do so to keep up with the TechAtlas for Libraries project!

Three more years (at least) of TechAtlas!

hallje — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 19:25:56 +0000

We here at WebJunction are just a tiny little part of OCLC, the global library services cooperative headquartered in Ohio. We work together with OCLC’s core staff on many activities, not limited to such things as administration, finance, human resources, payroll, etc.

Every once in a while there are more interesting angles to the relationship, such as the recent signing of a new grant agreement between OCLC and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This grant to OCLC and to WebJunction provides for three more years of work around the TechAtlas software, following up on work that WebJunction has been doing over the past two years.

We’ll be posting lots of additional information about this new grant in the near future, but the good news for TechAtlas users is that use of the tool will remain free for all WebJunction members for at least a few more years. To learn more about WebJunction’s work with TechAtlas, visit our TechAtlas content area.

TechAtlas in Kansas!

hallje — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:04:42 +0000

We were pleased to be invited to make a presentation earlier this month for a group of librarians in Kansas participating in WebJunction’s Rural Library Sustainability program. The presentation was conducted as a webcast, and Cindi Hickey from the State Library of Kansas was kind enough to record and archive the session. If you’re interested in getting an overview of TechAtlas, this recording is a great place to start! Please note that you will need to use the Internet Explorer web browser in order to view this archived recording.

TechAtlas new features webcast archive

hallje — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:04:30 +0000

For those of you who missed the TechAtlas 2.3 new features overview webcast this past Wednesday, we have archived a video (and audio!) recording of the presentation on WebJunction’s TechAtlas Online Learning Materials page. On that same page, you’ll find a link to a brief document listing the new TechAtlas features that we reviewed during the webcast.

Thanks for everyone who did participate in the webcast – we received many good questions and comments from the participants, and we appreciate it!

Cheat sheet for the new TechAtlas

hallje — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:57:05 +0000

Since the latest update to the TechAtlas software included several new features, we’ve posted a handy 3-page “cheat sheet” to WebJunction. This brief article provides a list of the major areas of enhancement in the latest version of TechAtlas, and also provides some helpful pointers on specific functions to check out within each of the new tools.

TechAtlas new features webcast re-schedule

hallje — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 20:24:09 +0000

Due to some technical problems last week, we had to re-schedule the TechAtlas version 2.3 new features overview webcast originally scheduled for November 22.

Now that our technical issues are resolved, we’ll hold the (free) webcast this Wednesday, November 29 beginning at 1 pm Eastern time (10 am Pacific). The webcast will be one hour in duration.

If you would like to participate in this webcast, please register online since space is limited. We hope you can join us!

Thunderbirds are go!

hallje — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 20:42:50 +0000

Well, not the Thunderbirds exactly, but TechAtlas version 2.3 did launch successfully this past Friday. The upgrade process went smoothly, and everything seems to be working great.

A lot of work went into this latest update to the TechAtlas software, and we especially want to thank those TechAtlas users who provided suggestions and feedback on how we can improve these tools. We weren’t able to implement all of the good suggestions in this latest update, but WebJunction has big plans for additional work on TechAtlas over the next few years – watch this space for more details (coming soon)!

TechAtlas 2.3 upgrade begins this evening

hallje — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:36:44 +0000

Just a reminder that the TechAtlas software upgrade to version 2.3 will begin this evening, starting around 4:30 p.m. Pacific time. Once the software update is completed, you will notice some new functions in TechAtlas, as well as some functions that have been moved to make the organization of the tool a little more logical.

While we don’t anticipate any problems with this TechAtlas upgrade, if you do notice anything strange in your TechAtlas account after the upgrade, please drop a note to techatlas@webjunction.org and let us know so that we can investigate!

TechAtlas 2.3 overview webcast

hallje — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 22:42:05 +0000

On Wednesday, November 22nd, WebJunction will be offering a free webcast providing an overview of new and enhanced features in the latest version of the TechAtlas software (version 2.3).

The webcast will begin at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST) and will be one hour in duration. We will be using the Microsoft Live Meeting web conferencing service. The audio portion of the conference will be available via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or a toll-free phone conference. VoIP is recommended if you are unable to tie up your phone line for an hour!

While this webcast is free, space is limited, so please sign up in advance if you would like to participate. You can register from WebJunction’s TechAtlas Online Learning Materials page.

TechAtlas 2.3 launch date

hallje — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 17:34:20 +0000

We are busily working away to prepare for the launch of the new TechAtlas version 2.3 software late in the evening of Friday, November 17. The actual update will occur after 5 p.m. Pacific time, so we expect the impact on our users to be minimal. This will be an update to the TechAtlas interface only, and will not impact data that you have stored in your TechAtlas account, nor will it require you to download any new software to your own computer.

We’ll be posting links to additional training and documentation resources for TechAtlas version 2.3 soon – watch this space for more details!