I just installed and configured the Outlook Social Connector (integrations: Facebook and LinkedIn). Well done Microsoft! Over the past few years, the name Microsoft has not come to mind when you think of superb social networking software. However this time Microsoft has hit a home run.

While everyone likes to announce the "death of email" and the rise of "social media software", where do you spend most of your correspondence time during a normal work day? For most of us that's means processing messages in our email client. Take a look at the screen shot given below of my home Outlook installation. Since this blog tends to focus upon professional installations, read LinkedIn's blog post about the connector (with installation instructions).

One can easily click upon any person who is a recipient to a given email and at a glance review:

• Meetings
• Past eMails
• Attachments
• Social Updates (in my case, Facebook and LinkedIn)

(click to open and view full sized)

I'm on vacation in Minnesota near the Canadian border. My northwoods cabin is in a dead zone which does not have cell phone or internet. Every day I drive to the local bait shop and use the wireless hot spot (and also buy minnows, etc!). Taking advantage of the chance to go online, I decided to check my RSS feeds. One short post about libraries intrigued me which was titled "Boomers and Beyond: Reconsidering the Role of Libraries". Being a faithful user of the library at home, I thought … gee … what a great concept for a book (and research).

However, upon following the links I discovered the only way I could read this book was to throw down $55 and purchase the book. Hmm …. Do the authors understand the web? While their topic is a great one, I doubt many folks will spend that kind of money to read the book. While I understand the need to earn money from one's publishing efforts, might not the book also have been made available as a free digital download? Without this kind of more radical marketing effort, the book's opinions and research will be restricted to a very small community.

The owner of my local bait shop (Terry) on the other hand understands the digital age. After all Frontier Sports attracts people from miles around to purchase leeches, use the free wireless hot spot, and even purchase some cappuccino!

Perhaps this is one of the problems for libraries as we head into the future? There needs to be a better understanding of the digital age and how that affects a library's ability to gain customers.

• Boomers and Beyond: Reconsidering the Role of Libraries

I'm hanging out at my cabin this week in northern Minnesota. I often enjoy the northern lights, but I have to admit I would really love to see the Aurora Borealis from an astronaut's point of view. Thankfully, thanks to NASA astronaut Don Pettit, that is now possible. Watch this cool video which utilizes time lapse photography to look down upon the Northern Lights.

I had to laugh at myself this morning. While meeting with my technical support team, I complimented a key individual and referred to him as "my man in Havana". Seconds later, I realized that my comment had no meaning due to our cultural differences! Having grown up in northern Minnesota … deep in the heart of America, I often use cultural phrases. However, my friend and key technical support person lives in Bangalore and grew up in India. He had no idea what I was talking about!

Thus, I quickly took time out from our technical discussions, and gave a short lecture about secret agents, old black and white movies, and why it was a compliment. After our meeting I emailed my friend two links (given below). Welcome to the global work force!

Our Man in Havana:

• Wikipedia
  Article
• Turner
  Classic Movies … Opening Clip

Have you ever wondered what is happening on the engineering campuses of America? If you've never linked to MIT TechTV, you really don't know what's up, or down! (as opposed to MITWorld or MIT Open Course WARE). Enjoy MIT PacMan!