A couple of news items that signal trends in the way the web will evolve:

Internet Explorer has lost a significant amount of market share recently. This is good news in a couple of ways.  First, it signals growing diversity among web browsers, and the people who use them.   This strengthens the concept of web standards, and encourages design that is browser agnostic.  The other way in which this is good news is that IE6 use has dropped below 10% and IE7 is heading that way as well.  Internet Explorer 8 is superior to either one, and it is great to see people upgrading.   There are also many fantastic browsers not made by Microsoft, including Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari, Google’s Chrome, and Opera.  Whichever you choose (and why limit yourself to just one?), make sure you are using the most current version.  Otherwise the only thing you aren’t missing out on is the security problems.

XHTML 2 will disappear at the end of this year.  That I think this is good might surprise those who know that I have been designing using versions of the XHTML standard since around 2005.  I like the separation of content from design, and some of the features of XHTML 2 look fantastic.  However, I think HTML 5 is going to take the internet by storm, and it is better to incorporate as many of the good features of XHTML 2 in HTML 5, eliminate the problematic issues, and let one standard guide the design of general web pages.  This requires that HTML 5 be as good as it looks.  I have high hopes for it.

On a lighthearted, and non-library, note:  here is a screenshot of what the Google Chrome browser shows when a web page goes kaploee:

Exciting news in the browser wars:  Google is releasing has released a beta version of a web browser that it is calling Chrome.

Why does this matter?  The open-source browser will feature:

1. Every tab running in isolation from the other tabs – if something goes kablooey, you only lose that one particular tab.
2. Streamlined code designed for efficient running of online software, which translates into faster speeds and greater stability.
3. A new Javascript engine designed with future web applications in mind (and optimized versions of Google Apps, I bet).

Even if Chrome doesn’t become a contender (and you won’t catch me making that bet) these and other features will certainly set the stage for advancements in other web browsers.

Google has released a 40 page comic book (web version) (Pdf version) detailing their reasons for creating Chrome and highlighting its features.

Why should this excite libraries?  Just remember that the most exciting integrated library system out there, Evergreen, uses the XPCOM framework from the Mozilla project, and Chrome can likely be used in similar ways.

Here is a screen capture of Chrome’s logo (which reminds me a bit of the alien camera thingy in the 1953 version of War of the Worlds).

thanks to CNet News for reporting the leak…

Understanding the Web Browser Threat is an essay that details web users and the browsers they use.  The primary focus is on how current one’s browser version is, as opposed to evaluating one browser against others.

It is too little understood how dangerous using an older version of a browser can be for a user.  If you are using a current version of a browser, any of the main varieties will do, you will be much, much safer than using an older or unpatched version.

Check not only your own computers for this, but also your public access terminals.  Older browsers put all of your patrons at greater risk, as well as your library’s network.

My own recommendation:  Firefox (currently at version 3.01).  Not only has Firefox been quick to fix security issues, it has automatic updating built into the program.  It also works on any platform (as well as from a Flash Drive), so it is about as universal a program as you willl likely find.

thanks to Jessamyn for the link!

Making a Business Case for Open Source ILS is a column by Marshall Breeding that appeared in the March 2008 issue of Computers in Libraries.

You may remember Marshall from his annual survey of Integrated Library Systems (the words behind the ILS acronym). If you think the idea of using an open source ILS is interesting, then you should read this column.

His comments highlight one of the interesting aspects of how libraries approach technology : we tend to hang on to technology, even if it causes us added work and grief, until there is a critical mass of other libraries that switch. Part of this is human nature and a healthy dose of conservatism. Part of this, however, is a symptom of what has been holding us back.

On a small scale (i.e. within our own libraries and/or systems), we need to be inventive and creative. We need to be constantly trying new technology and ways to improve our services. This can be as simple as trying a different web browser, or altering our work flow. It can be as complex as trying out a new OPAC or ILS to see how they compare and contrast to the current offerings.

With Open Source, the primary cost in all of this is time. What you gain, both individually and as an institution, is the broader understanding of what exists and what is possible. You better appreciate what you currently have, and you discover the possible improvements (and/or trade-offs) that come with the new.

Am I saying that your library needs to download and install the latest version of Evergreen or Koha, or set up an alternate OPAC like Scriblio or vufind? Nope. You should learn what they can do, play with their OPACs, and then decide if you want to experiment a bit. This will cost time, and you have to decide what amount of time you can afford. You also have to decide what amount of time you can afford not to learn and experiment, and what that will cost your library in the long run.

found via GuidePosts

This will be the eighth post today, possibly a record. Not that I was trying… there were just too many interesting bloggable items, and for once there was enough time to post them all.

In addition, and the purpose of this post, I did some work on the back end of the blog:

• Updated to the latest version of WordPress
• Installed a decent blog statistics program
• Upgraded to a more powerful search tool

The last is something that might directly benefit you, the reader. The small search box is now more than simply a keyword search tool. You can:

• Search using wildcards (i.e. librar* to find library, librarian, libraries, etc.)
• Search for phrases (i.e. “web browser”)
• Use Required and Excluded terms in your search (+support -staff to get posts with the word “support” but not the word “staff”)

As this blog approaches its 500th post, finding information in past entries becomes more important, as well as more challenging. Tags are decent for rough groupings, but a good search tool becomes critical. Hopefully this upgrade makes LibrarySupportStaff.org a bit more useful.

For those of you using the Firefox web browser (and if not, why?) here is an add-on that is currently impressing me to pieces : Add to Search Bar.

It isn’t flashy, or obvious, but it does one thing that makes it highly recommended in the library world : you can visit an OPAC search page, right-click in the search box, and add that search to your built-in Firefox toolbar. It’s that easy.

I have tested it on Millenium and Voyager with 100% success. I don’t know how it will handle other OPACs or search tools, but the ability to search my workplace’s collection without having to go through the multiple layers of our web site will save a great deal of time and effort.

Add to Search Bar web site.

found via ResourceShelf

WebRunner is a project derived from Mozilla’s Firefox web browser that lets you install a site-specific browser on a computer.  The browser would be lacking the usual menus and toolbars, and would open everything within one browser window.

This is designed for online applications and such, but I suspect that this could be turned into a fairly good kiosk for many library OPACs.  This is definitely something to consider when you are looking into creating a single-purpose workstation.

from Linux.com

From the folks at Google and a team from MIT comes YouOS, an experimental “web operating system” which basically gives you a computer desktop that you access through your web browser.

Why is this significant? This is more than your basic web 2.0 site, or a remotely hosted application: this could mean a change in how we approach public access computers. With stripped down hardware (motherboard, processor, minimal memory, monitor, mouse, keyboard, high-speed internet access) you can have a full-fledged system without needing to maintain the operating system and related software at the computer itself.

Check it out. Sign up for an account and see how it works. Remember that this is not only experimental software, but they are at the alpha stage of development… don’t expect Windows Vista visual quality or Linux stability.

By the way… this may settle the debate going on for the past few years about whether Google has an interest in developing operating systems and competing in that arena.

from OSDir