PB Wiki
I added a favorite restaurant and wiki to the Nebraska Learns 2.0 wiki on PBWiki. I also cleaned up a few things in the sidebar because some of the pages weren't linking correctly. I think PBWiki is a good choice because it allows the wiki administrator to set page level permissions, something I mentioned in my last post about wikis. So I might migrate my work wikis over to that site so the access levels can be more detailed.
A wiki like this experimental one is a great tool for community groups since anyone can edit it. I think the opportunities for public libraries to use these are enormous. Patrons could collaborate and library staff would learn a lot about their customers.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thing #17
Wikis
So wiki means fast. I never bothered to figure out why they were called that.
I guess I haven't ever cared enough to actually use them for contributing information until a few months ago. The first wiki I edited was the Nebraska Library Camp wiki, a wiki for a day-long meeting in November where participants got to brainstorm ahead of time and store the meeting's revelations for later user.
But I think wikis are great places to find information. I'm not a big fan of wikipedia, because of the usual credibility issues cited by academics but it sure can be fun to read and it's a good place to go first instead of doing a blind google search like if you want to find an actor's birthday.
The Web Junction piece neatly outlined the potential uses and their point about private property notions vs. completely open access is important. Also, the idea that a wiki is in theory a consensus was interesting.
The biggest advantage to a wiki is that it makes it easy to throw something up on the web where lots can access it and non-techy people can edit. I took basic HTML coding as a freshman in college and things have changed a lot since then in terms of how easy it has become. It's great to also eliminate countless emails that take up inbox space and are hard to follow after so long.
As far as uses are concerned, I like their application was subject guides because it makes it so easy to just add in a new link or update an existing link on a page. The Library Success wiki is also cool because it is a place to post and get ideas from others and in theory you should be able to contact who the idea originated with since they have edited the wiki and that information is open.
The potential to fix broken links is very useful. Too many older websites have broken links and sure you can email the webmaster but that doesn't mean the link will get updated or removed. As an active user of a wiki you can take responsibility for fixing any dead links you find. I did that today on several pages I was reading.
I've also created a project management wiki at work for our library tutorials and library instruction. I'm in charge of the project and all library staff are members of the wiki although 4 of us make up the core of people working on the project. I've been struggling with how to be the project leader and yet encourage collaboration, particularly with the possibility of varying access levels. Unfortunately my wiki hosting site, Wetpaint doesn't allow you to control access at the item/document/page level. Each user has one set of permissions for the entire wiki. I'm thinking there are some pages I'd only like to be able to edit, while others could be for anyone so I may need to migrate the wiki over to another space.
And we are discussing creating a continuity of operations plan. The wiki format would be a great place to store all the info (in addition to hard copy for safety reasons) and where it could easily be updated as processes change.
Here's one of my favorite non-library wikis for They Might Be Giants fans.
So wiki means fast. I never bothered to figure out why they were called that.
I guess I haven't ever cared enough to actually use them for contributing information until a few months ago. The first wiki I edited was the Nebraska Library Camp wiki, a wiki for a day-long meeting in November where participants got to brainstorm ahead of time and store the meeting's revelations for later user.
But I think wikis are great places to find information. I'm not a big fan of wikipedia, because of the usual credibility issues cited by academics but it sure can be fun to read and it's a good place to go first instead of doing a blind google search like if you want to find an actor's birthday.
The Web Junction piece neatly outlined the potential uses and their point about private property notions vs. completely open access is important. Also, the idea that a wiki is in theory a consensus was interesting.
The biggest advantage to a wiki is that it makes it easy to throw something up on the web where lots can access it and non-techy people can edit. I took basic HTML coding as a freshman in college and things have changed a lot since then in terms of how easy it has become. It's great to also eliminate countless emails that take up inbox space and are hard to follow after so long.
As far as uses are concerned, I like their application was subject guides because it makes it so easy to just add in a new link or update an existing link on a page. The Library Success wiki is also cool because it is a place to post and get ideas from others and in theory you should be able to contact who the idea originated with since they have edited the wiki and that information is open.
The potential to fix broken links is very useful. Too many older websites have broken links and sure you can email the webmaster but that doesn't mean the link will get updated or removed. As an active user of a wiki you can take responsibility for fixing any dead links you find. I did that today on several pages I was reading.
I've also created a project management wiki at work for our library tutorials and library instruction. I'm in charge of the project and all library staff are members of the wiki although 4 of us make up the core of people working on the project. I've been struggling with how to be the project leader and yet encourage collaboration, particularly with the possibility of varying access levels. Unfortunately my wiki hosting site, Wetpaint doesn't allow you to control access at the item/document/page level. Each user has one set of permissions for the entire wiki. I'm thinking there are some pages I'd only like to be able to edit, while others could be for anyone so I may need to migrate the wiki over to another space.
And we are discussing creating a continuity of operations plan. The wiki format would be a great place to store all the info (in addition to hard copy for safety reasons) and where it could easily be updated as processes change.
Here's one of my favorite non-library wikis for They Might Be Giants fans.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thing #16
On Library 2.0 and Web 2.0
I really like the definition given by Tom Storey in the OCLC newsletter piece, "Where will the next generation Web take libraries?"
He says, "In Web 2.0, the Web becomes the center of a new digital lifestyle that changes our culture and touches every aspect of our lives. The Web moves from simply being sites and search engines to a shared network space that drives work, research, education, entertainment and social activities—essentially everything people do."
This really sums it up for me since I'm a heavy web user both personally and at work. Some may call it an addiction, but really I view it as a super useful tool where the possibilities are endless. Knowing where to find information and how to use that information is powerful. Need directions to a restaurant? Check. Need a recipe for dinner? Check. Need opinions from other librarians about a resource? Check. What can't you find?
The problem is how to effectively put web 2.0 to use without getting overwhelmed by the latest thing and making things too overwhelming for the varied demographics you serve.
Library 2.0 to me, at least, means always looking for and considering new ways to help your users, whoever they may be. It's being aware of who your users are and where they spend time online or where they spend it if they aren't heavy users of the Internet and web 2.0 (or why they don't use the Internet). It's about providing ever-evolving content and services and having users be engaged with those services in a way that is easy for them to use and convenient for their lifestyle while not sacrificing quality.
I read most of the pieces and each made me think. Here's some random thoughts, mostly for my own use later.
Anderson's Icebergs: I agree we need to put our services in the daily patterns of our users. If they check Facebook first thing in the morning, then we should be there with some type of message for them.
I disagree with him about there being less of a need to teach research skills. Until there is a computer and Internet access available for every person and each person desires to use it and learn about it, there is always going to be a learning curve that exists for some users. Instead of tossing these tools out at them, someone needs to help them adjust. Eliminating barriers to access isn't enough. Even the simplest designed tools can be problematic for an inexperienced user depending on their interest level, generation, socioeconomic background, etc.
Stephens' Into a new world of librarianship
His statement about projects existing in "perpetual beta" is a fantastic concept. The web isn't static and any projects involving it in any way can't ever be "finished".
Reimers' To Better Bibliographic Services
How cool would it be to have geographic names in subject headings as a way to browse by using a map. I'm obsessed with places. I "google map" any town or city I come across that I've never heard of.
Schultz's To a Temporary place in Time
Commodity-Product-Service-Experience
I think a lot of librarians can take comfort in her opinion that experts will be needed to help people make sense out of the new information explosion that results from web 2.0 and library 2.0 So many people worry about losing their brick and mortar job as more and more goes online. I like her vision that library 4.0 will transcend the "technohustle". Really, that's harnessing the power of information to simplify our lives, which I don't think is a place we are at right now.
Also, the "Debased" piece brings up an interesting point about tagging. Social niches could easily start to "control" tagging and preferences. If an active specific group overwhelming tags library resources, their thoughts could over influence the larger population by skewing the "top tag" lists. This particular niche could drown out other groups. Individuals may only look at what is "top" and not try to find the resources that are best suited for them.
I really like the definition given by Tom Storey in the OCLC newsletter piece, "Where will the next generation Web take libraries?"
He says, "In Web 2.0, the Web becomes the center of a new digital lifestyle that changes our culture and touches every aspect of our lives. The Web moves from simply being sites and search engines to a shared network space that drives work, research, education, entertainment and social activities—essentially everything people do."
This really sums it up for me since I'm a heavy web user both personally and at work. Some may call it an addiction, but really I view it as a super useful tool where the possibilities are endless. Knowing where to find information and how to use that information is powerful. Need directions to a restaurant? Check. Need a recipe for dinner? Check. Need opinions from other librarians about a resource? Check. What can't you find?
The problem is how to effectively put web 2.0 to use without getting overwhelmed by the latest thing and making things too overwhelming for the varied demographics you serve.
Library 2.0 to me, at least, means always looking for and considering new ways to help your users, whoever they may be. It's being aware of who your users are and where they spend time online or where they spend it if they aren't heavy users of the Internet and web 2.0 (or why they don't use the Internet). It's about providing ever-evolving content and services and having users be engaged with those services in a way that is easy for them to use and convenient for their lifestyle while not sacrificing quality.
I read most of the pieces and each made me think. Here's some random thoughts, mostly for my own use later.
Anderson's Icebergs: I agree we need to put our services in the daily patterns of our users. If they check Facebook first thing in the morning, then we should be there with some type of message for them.
I disagree with him about there being less of a need to teach research skills. Until there is a computer and Internet access available for every person and each person desires to use it and learn about it, there is always going to be a learning curve that exists for some users. Instead of tossing these tools out at them, someone needs to help them adjust. Eliminating barriers to access isn't enough. Even the simplest designed tools can be problematic for an inexperienced user depending on their interest level, generation, socioeconomic background, etc.
Stephens' Into a new world of librarianship
His statement about projects existing in "perpetual beta" is a fantastic concept. The web isn't static and any projects involving it in any way can't ever be "finished".
Reimers' To Better Bibliographic Services
How cool would it be to have geographic names in subject headings as a way to browse by using a map. I'm obsessed with places. I "google map" any town or city I come across that I've never heard of.
Schultz's To a Temporary place in Time
Commodity-Product-Service-Experience
I think a lot of librarians can take comfort in her opinion that experts will be needed to help people make sense out of the new information explosion that results from web 2.0 and library 2.0 So many people worry about losing their brick and mortar job as more and more goes online. I like her vision that library 4.0 will transcend the "technohustle". Really, that's harnessing the power of information to simplify our lives, which I don't think is a place we are at right now.
Also, the "Debased" piece brings up an interesting point about tagging. Social niches could easily start to "control" tagging and preferences. If an active specific group overwhelming tags library resources, their thoughts could over influence the larger population by skewing the "top tag" lists. This particular niche could drown out other groups. Individuals may only look at what is "top" and not try to find the resources that are best suited for them.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Thing #15
Slideshare
I don't make a lot of Power Points so for me the main use would be finding presentations from others. Really useful would be seeing presentations from conferences and meetings that I can't attend.
The most useful presentations contain transcripts but it's a shame the transcript comes so far at the bottom of the page. I'd rather have that more prominently displayed towards the top. I missed that on the first several I looked at.
It would be easy to embed Power Points into our tutorials that we build with Lessonbuilder. Then all the tutorial content would be in one place and embedded into the webpage.
I tried to upload the Simpsons themed presentation a coworker and I did for new student orientation last August but I kept getting an error message when I was uploading. I tried on Firefox and IE but no luck. I got the following error:
Conversion failed! Invalid title. Please enter a valid title for your file.
EDIT: Okay I tried again today and managed to get it working. Here is mine:
Here's one about archives that I found to be informative. It had a lot of good practical information:
I don't make a lot of Power Points so for me the main use would be finding presentations from others. Really useful would be seeing presentations from conferences and meetings that I can't attend.
The most useful presentations contain transcripts but it's a shame the transcript comes so far at the bottom of the page. I'd rather have that more prominently displayed towards the top. I missed that on the first several I looked at.
It would be easy to embed Power Points into our tutorials that we build with Lessonbuilder. Then all the tutorial content would be in one place and embedded into the webpage.
I tried to upload the Simpsons themed presentation a coworker and I did for new student orientation last August but I kept getting an error message when I was uploading. I tried on Firefox and IE but no luck. I got the following error:
Conversion failed! Invalid title. Please enter a valid title for your file.
EDIT: Okay I tried again today and managed to get it working. Here is mine:
Here's one about archives that I found to be informative. It had a lot of good practical information:
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Thing #14
Delicious (formerly del.icio.us)
I don't know why I never joined Delicious until today. I have the worst habit of bookmarking anything and everything I find even remotely useful that I *think* I *might* want to view again. Of course I add so many things I never go back and look at those old bookmarks because it seems like too much to wade through. For 5 years it has been around according to the Delicious blog. Wow! I used to think the old spelling was kind of funky. I like that it was unique, but I admit I could never remember what the site actually was and that probably kept me away from it. I can be lazy like that sometimes! I really like Delicious because it allows you to tag and add a greater level of detail. I think that is what is fundamentally missing from saving bookmarks in your browser. Also you can keep all your bookmarks online so you don't have to worry about what happens when you use multiple computers, browsers, etc.
The potential for this helping me organize links I find through various listservs is huge!
You can also see how many others have saved the link. I think that's a good tool for gauging how much people might be aware that a certain site exists. It's fun to see the first person who ever saved a certain site to Delicious. For example, I'm the first one to save a site about ADHD and marriage from about.com
I understand part of the purpose is to make the terminology social and more open to anyone. But it's hard for me to use a consistent tagging scheme. I know I can view what tags I've used but when I'm in the middle of adding something really quickly, I'd rather not have to go looking for tags I've used before so I can keep everything standardized and easy to find later. If only when you start typing in a tag, it could start to auto-fill the tags in based on what you have used before? Also, I wish all the sites you can tag on could work together. I'd love to be able to click on the tag "library" and see content from Delicious, Flickr, Blogger, etc.
I don't know why I never joined Delicious until today. I have the worst habit of bookmarking anything and everything I find even remotely useful that I *think* I *might* want to view again. Of course I add so many things I never go back and look at those old bookmarks because it seems like too much to wade through. For 5 years it has been around according to the Delicious blog. Wow! I used to think the old spelling was kind of funky. I like that it was unique, but I admit I could never remember what the site actually was and that probably kept me away from it. I can be lazy like that sometimes! I really like Delicious because it allows you to tag and add a greater level of detail. I think that is what is fundamentally missing from saving bookmarks in your browser. Also you can keep all your bookmarks online so you don't have to worry about what happens when you use multiple computers, browsers, etc.
The potential for this helping me organize links I find through various listservs is huge!
You can also see how many others have saved the link. I think that's a good tool for gauging how much people might be aware that a certain site exists. It's fun to see the first person who ever saved a certain site to Delicious. For example, I'm the first one to save a site about ADHD and marriage from about.com
I understand part of the purpose is to make the terminology social and more open to anyone. But it's hard for me to use a consistent tagging scheme. I know I can view what tags I've used but when I'm in the middle of adding something really quickly, I'd rather not have to go looking for tags I've used before so I can keep everything standardized and easy to find later. If only when you start typing in a tag, it could start to auto-fill the tags in based on what you have used before? Also, I wish all the sites you can tag on could work together. I'd love to be able to click on the tag "library" and see content from Delicious, Flickr, Blogger, etc.Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thing #13
Twitter
Well I gave Twitter a try. I did like Twitter Vision. I went into it with a pretty negative attitude at first. I also don't use my cell phone for texts or anything data related (I'm a cheapo!) so those features aren't useful for me. I first learned of Twitter through some personal blogs of a few people I follow. I found the concept kind of annoying but I like the potential for posting and seeing interesting links. I'd rather just read people's status updates about what they are thinking or feeling or doing on Facebook and update my status with what I'm thinking or doing. I feel like there is more content there and little on Twitter. I can see photos, videos,cool apps, games, events etc. on Facebook. Maybe that's why people like it? Because of the simplicity?
Facebook with its redesign has turned into a bit more like Twitter and moved more into micro-blogging. With old Facebook you couldn't comment on people's statuses or every little thing they did- you could pretty much send a private message or write on their wall. Now the little things there can become topics for conversation and interaction.
I added a few of the people mentioned in the Library Journal article, a few commission people and a few personal friends who use it. By doing an Omaha search, I discovered that the general manager of Omaha Public Radio uses it. I've enjoyed so far the updates from the commission's reference questions. We don't get a lot of reference questions here since we are rather specialized so that's kind of entertaining.
As far as the library goes in terms of serving our "customers", there isn't much of an active Twitter following here. I've never heard or seen any of our students use Twitter. They're more of a Facebook crowd. I searched for references to our college or the library and got none.
A few possible uses I'd consider trying if there was a Twitter community here:
I don't see us using it at work until we know our students are into it. Personally, I might check it a bit here and there and see if anything interesting comes my way and maybe post interesting links.
You can find me (or not find me) at
http://www.twitter.com/kitschqueen
Well I gave Twitter a try. I did like Twitter Vision. I went into it with a pretty negative attitude at first. I also don't use my cell phone for texts or anything data related (I'm a cheapo!) so those features aren't useful for me. I first learned of Twitter through some personal blogs of a few people I follow. I found the concept kind of annoying but I like the potential for posting and seeing interesting links. I'd rather just read people's status updates about what they are thinking or feeling or doing on Facebook and update my status with what I'm thinking or doing. I feel like there is more content there and little on Twitter. I can see photos, videos,cool apps, games, events etc. on Facebook. Maybe that's why people like it? Because of the simplicity?
Facebook with its redesign has turned into a bit more like Twitter and moved more into micro-blogging. With old Facebook you couldn't comment on people's statuses or every little thing they did- you could pretty much send a private message or write on their wall. Now the little things there can become topics for conversation and interaction.
I added a few of the people mentioned in the Library Journal article, a few commission people and a few personal friends who use it. By doing an Omaha search, I discovered that the general manager of Omaha Public Radio uses it. I've enjoyed so far the updates from the commission's reference questions. We don't get a lot of reference questions here since we are rather specialized so that's kind of entertaining.
As far as the library goes in terms of serving our "customers", there isn't much of an active Twitter following here. I've never heard or seen any of our students use Twitter. They're more of a Facebook crowd. I searched for references to our college or the library and got none.
A few possible uses I'd consider trying if there was a Twitter community here:
- sending out links of interest to student resources we've found on the web
- reporting glitches in our systems, outages, databases errors, etc.
- sending out reminders about changes in hours, special last minute closings such as snow related ones
I don't see us using it at work until we know our students are into it. Personally, I might check it a bit here and there and see if anything interesting comes my way and maybe post interesting links.
You can find me (or not find me) at
http://www.twitter.com/kitschqueen
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thing #12
Library Thing
I set up a Shelfari a few months ago and think LibraryThing is a similar concept but much more detailed. Shelfari too seems a lot more commercial since it has the links now to Amazon with every book to entice you into buying it.
You can see my LibraryThing here:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/kitschqueen
I like the feature of seeing who you have the most books in common with. I also enjoy knowing how many other people have a book. I see it is a fun challenge to think of the most obscure books I have and then discover how many other people have read it or own it.
The integration of LibraryThing tag data into library catalogs is useful because I think users telling each other how to describe a book is very important. Subject headings mean nothing to some of them. The widget would allow us to put something on our website to display our new books. We could also use it internally to rate, review, tag and keep track of the books the staff uses for copyright, instruction, etc.
I set up a Shelfari a few months ago and think LibraryThing is a similar concept but much more detailed. Shelfari too seems a lot more commercial since it has the links now to Amazon with every book to entice you into buying it.
You can see my LibraryThing here:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/kitschqueen
I like the feature of seeing who you have the most books in common with. I also enjoy knowing how many other people have a book. I see it is a fun challenge to think of the most obscure books I have and then discover how many other people have read it or own it.
The integration of LibraryThing tag data into library catalogs is useful because I think users telling each other how to describe a book is very important. Subject headings mean nothing to some of them. The widget would allow us to put something on our website to display our new books. We could also use it internally to rate, review, tag and keep track of the books the staff uses for copyright, instruction, etc.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Thing #11
A blog about technology
I enjoy technology and I embrace a lot of it. I've spent some time this week brainstorming on a group wiki how we can revamp our website and a lot of the ideas I've come up with would be implemented with "new technology". So I'm excited to get a few things underway.
But I thought I'd maybe mention a few things that annoy me.
1. It's fleeting and migratory.
Sites become popular and amass these huge followings. But then the interest migrates elsewhere. Myspace was hugely popular and now people seem to be abandoning it for Facebook. Constantly moving around and following your friends and contacts and perhaps even your own content can get to be a hassle.
2. 1 ID and password doesn't fit all.
I try to keep a lot of my user names and passwords the same and sign up with the same email address for a lot of these sites. But then you run into the site that has different requirements for setting up a user name and password. Some allow spaces, some don't. Some require capitalization and numbers, some don't. Then you have sites like Flickr that are tied to your Yahoo ID while Blogger is tied to your Google ID. I don't like being forced to have an account with a certain entity in order to access something. I'm okay with having a blanket Google ID since I use countless Google products but I mostly use Yahoo for my junk type email and have a hard time using it for my Flickr.
3. The corporate IT mindset may not get it.
We've had a lot of issues here with the blanket IT department blocking sites that they deem inappropriate or not work related. They used to block things like Myspace, Facebook and YouTube but not sites like Livejournal. Let me tell you, I could waste a lot of work time using Livejournal for non-work related purposes or CNN or most other websites if that was my prerogative. What they choose to block seems arbitrary. Also, a lot of emails such as the confirmation emails to fully register for a site get blocked in our spam filter. We have a spam folder but nothing ever seems to get actually in there- it gets weeded out before that point. So I tend to use a personal account to sign up with these websites.
Since we've managed to get You Tube, Myspace and Facebook unblocked, one of my goals it to find ways for us to use it for "legitimate" purposes. I'm afraid we'll have to defend it down the line and prove again that we should actually have access to it.
I enjoy technology and I embrace a lot of it. I've spent some time this week brainstorming on a group wiki how we can revamp our website and a lot of the ideas I've come up with would be implemented with "new technology". So I'm excited to get a few things underway.
But I thought I'd maybe mention a few things that annoy me.
1. It's fleeting and migratory.
Sites become popular and amass these huge followings. But then the interest migrates elsewhere. Myspace was hugely popular and now people seem to be abandoning it for Facebook. Constantly moving around and following your friends and contacts and perhaps even your own content can get to be a hassle.
2. 1 ID and password doesn't fit all.
I try to keep a lot of my user names and passwords the same and sign up with the same email address for a lot of these sites. But then you run into the site that has different requirements for setting up a user name and password. Some allow spaces, some don't. Some require capitalization and numbers, some don't. Then you have sites like Flickr that are tied to your Yahoo ID while Blogger is tied to your Google ID. I don't like being forced to have an account with a certain entity in order to access something. I'm okay with having a blanket Google ID since I use countless Google products but I mostly use Yahoo for my junk type email and have a hard time using it for my Flickr.
3. The corporate IT mindset may not get it.
We've had a lot of issues here with the blanket IT department blocking sites that they deem inappropriate or not work related. They used to block things like Myspace, Facebook and YouTube but not sites like Livejournal. Let me tell you, I could waste a lot of work time using Livejournal for non-work related purposes or CNN or most other websites if that was my prerogative. What they choose to block seems arbitrary. Also, a lot of emails such as the confirmation emails to fully register for a site get blocked in our spam filter. We have a spam folder but nothing ever seems to get actually in there- it gets weeded out before that point. So I tend to use a personal account to sign up with these websites.
Since we've managed to get You Tube, Myspace and Facebook unblocked, one of my goals it to find ways for us to use it for "legitimate" purposes. I'm afraid we'll have to defend it down the line and prove again that we should actually have access to it.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Thing #10
Image Generators1. Speech Bubbler
2. Custom Computer Keyboard
3. Einstein
I really like the Custom Keyboard generator. I think it provides nice, simple graphics and it is endless the types of "tech" words that could go on it.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Thing #9
I've never used the all the different Flickr apps before. From reading some of the other participants' blogs, it seems people are struggling to come up with a lot good uses. I've thought of a few:
- direct students to Flickr for images for Power Point presentations (creative commons material would be ideal) I figure many of them just do a google image search for a photo so they might just want to use Flickr instead to avoid any copyright issues.
- use in library promotional materials to create graphics, signage, presentations, etc. (creative commons photos again)
- use in instructional tutorials
- keep track of colleagues with some of the Flickr mapping tools
- use the Picmarkr application to watermark library photos to "brand" our photos.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Thing #8
This image may not be that interesting from a composition standpoint since it is just a screenshot, but I think Flickr is a great way to record a library's marketing on their website. It looks like this isn't from a library's site but instead references something happening at a library. Having a collection of your marketing would be good to show to other libraries. Or you could document the good (and bad too if you want) press your library receives. Or if you are routinely responsible for marketing at your library, this might be an option for showcasing your work to future employers if you are job seeking.
Also, preserving the library's website's different components and content over time is an interesting way to use Flickr. If you are going to document your library with a Flickr account it makes sense to include screenshots of your online presence since that is how some of our users probably know us the best!
And here's my cat, Aja. I've added her to the Flickr group Pets of Nebraska LibrariansThursday, October 30, 2008
Thing #7
It was rather interesting to use the RSS feed finding tools. In the past I've just googled a topic and sometimes added the word "blog" to see what would happen. Or I've added random blogs from lists of blogs. I know I've seen some lists of blogs by librarians on some listservs before.
I've seen Topix come up a lot in Google searches when I have searched for local information. I don't see much use for it though because I already feel like I'm on news overload.
I found the "discovery" tool within google Reader to be limiting but the Google Blog Search was more comprehensive. You can even include dates in your search parameters and it indexed what seems like an endless number of individual blog posts. For finding feeds with it, I recommend doing an advanced search and searching for something "in the blog title".
Technorati featured too much advertising. It was on the sides but also in the middle of the page and that was a turn off.
Snydic8 seems like an interesting "from the ground up" approach since you can submit your feed for indexing and I liked seeing the stats on the approval status. But when I searched for "Cincinnati" it brought back only 88 results and most seemed like mainstream, commercial sources. Most of the results were from Topix. Some were from CitySearch. Others were from more established sites. Really I am not that into feeds that have huge followings or are from these larger sources. It seems too commercial for me. Though I did like how Snydic8 featured an overwhelming number of feed tags for different readers.
Here's what I added:
Archives Next
The Practical Archivist
The Pondering Archivist
The Video Archivist
Academic Librarian
I also formally added 2 blogs I already read from time to time that I have on my Firefox toolbar:
Library Link of the Day
Reflections from a Small College Library
I've seen Topix come up a lot in Google searches when I have searched for local information. I don't see much use for it though because I already feel like I'm on news overload.
I found the "discovery" tool within google Reader to be limiting but the Google Blog Search was more comprehensive. You can even include dates in your search parameters and it indexed what seems like an endless number of individual blog posts. For finding feeds with it, I recommend doing an advanced search and searching for something "in the blog title".
Technorati featured too much advertising. It was on the sides but also in the middle of the page and that was a turn off.
Snydic8 seems like an interesting "from the ground up" approach since you can submit your feed for indexing and I liked seeing the stats on the approval status. But when I searched for "Cincinnati" it brought back only 88 results and most seemed like mainstream, commercial sources. Most of the results were from Topix. Some were from CitySearch. Others were from more established sites. Really I am not that into feeds that have huge followings or are from these larger sources. It seems too commercial for me. Though I did like how Snydic8 featured an overwhelming number of feed tags for different readers.
Here's what I added:
An Archivist's Miscellania
Archives Next
The Practical ArchivistThe Pondering Archivist
The Video Archivist
Academic Librarian
I also formally added 2 blogs I already read from time to time that I have on my Firefox toolbar:
Library Link of the Day
Reflections from a Small College Library
Thing #6
Well, there is a lot to like with RSS feeds. It makes it easy to follow content on the web and I like it as a better alternative to saving everything into a browser's bookmarks folder. I have the worst habit of adding things to my bookmarks and then never accessing them again. "Oh, I'll want to look at this later" Oh no, I don't... You could even add a mostly static page to a newsreader so it's in a place where you know you can find it later. I also like the feature of being able to import and export from reader to reader. I want my personal collection of whatever, to be portable.
But I sort of feel bombarded with content on the newsreader. I don't like logging in and seeing a ton of bolded items signifying that I haven't read them. To me that sort of feels like a computer program has generated a to-do list for me. Sure, I gave it some guidelines but I guess I feel pressured to keep up with everything I add. I realize this is probably a time management issue or some type of psychological problem on my part, but I can't shake it.
I suppose I could group my feeds in a hierarchy with things I want to always read, things I sometimes want to check and things that I like but maybe don't want to follow constantly. And since it is fluid, I could always switch feeds in and out of the various categories based on what I have going on.
One superficial thing though. I don't like the looks of Bloglines. I like Google Reader better but I still prefer pages with more design and colors- something more like a Pageflakes page or iGoogle. I REALLY appreciate good design. I used to do layout and design in my undergrad days and I really like well designed websites that just look appealing. I don't need anything crazy looking like a teenager's Myspace page (okay, so that guy is a bit older than a teenager- here's another one) but I like customizing my colors and interface or I prefer to see how the author has designed the site. So I can't see myself actually reading in the newsreader. I'll still prefer to hit the actual site once I know new content has arrived.
Google Reader appeals to me because I am a heavy Google user. I use gmail, chat and of course their search engine. To me it just makes sense to log into Google and have all my content in one place. I also like how in the Google reader you can add tags to the feeds. Maybe you can do this in Bloglines or other readers but Google seems to make it very easy to do that.
On the topic of libraries....
Well, library blogs are a great way to inform your patrons about upcoming events or new items. Our director started up a blog on our college's intranet but as of now there is no way to subscribe to it and it is only viewable to staff and faculty, no students. Having an RSS feed might bring more regular users to your site since the content is pretty much delivered to them.
But the biggest way this could be used, at least here is the RSS integration in databases. Ebsco and Wilson Web (and probably others) have the option for you to subscribe to your search results list. Your reader will show you new material that fits your search criteria. This is a perfect way to keep up with an emerging topic. So many times students and faculty get only a few results when they search for something specific or timely. It would be great to teach them to use the RSS feed option so when new material on that topic is available, they can easily find it.
This is a great benefit because many patrons struggle with how to effectively search a database to begin with. We do a lot of one-on-one searching sessions with people on an as needed basis but I'm not sure they always retain what we have taught them. I'm afraid once you show them how to search once, some might forget or be intimated and not try to search again and therefore miss new literature in the future. This is perfect for faculty working on a ongoing research project or any other time someone wants to keep up on the current literature in the health care field.
Now I'm ready to make a tutorial on how to use the RSS feed option in the databases.
But I sort of feel bombarded with content on the newsreader. I don't like logging in and seeing a ton of bolded items signifying that I haven't read them. To me that sort of feels like a computer program has generated a to-do list for me. Sure, I gave it some guidelines but I guess I feel pressured to keep up with everything I add. I realize this is probably a time management issue or some type of psychological problem on my part, but I can't shake it.
I suppose I could group my feeds in a hierarchy with things I want to always read, things I sometimes want to check and things that I like but maybe don't want to follow constantly. And since it is fluid, I could always switch feeds in and out of the various categories based on what I have going on.
One superficial thing though. I don't like the looks of Bloglines. I like Google Reader better but I still prefer pages with more design and colors- something more like a Pageflakes page or iGoogle. I REALLY appreciate good design. I used to do layout and design in my undergrad days and I really like well designed websites that just look appealing. I don't need anything crazy looking like a teenager's Myspace page (okay, so that guy is a bit older than a teenager- here's another one) but I like customizing my colors and interface or I prefer to see how the author has designed the site. So I can't see myself actually reading in the newsreader. I'll still prefer to hit the actual site once I know new content has arrived.
Google Reader appeals to me because I am a heavy Google user. I use gmail, chat and of course their search engine. To me it just makes sense to log into Google and have all my content in one place. I also like how in the Google reader you can add tags to the feeds. Maybe you can do this in Bloglines or other readers but Google seems to make it very easy to do that.
On the topic of libraries....
Well, library blogs are a great way to inform your patrons about upcoming events or new items. Our director started up a blog on our college's intranet but as of now there is no way to subscribe to it and it is only viewable to staff and faculty, no students. Having an RSS feed might bring more regular users to your site since the content is pretty much delivered to them.
But the biggest way this could be used, at least here is the RSS integration in databases. Ebsco and Wilson Web (and probably others) have the option for you to subscribe to your search results list. Your reader will show you new material that fits your search criteria. This is a perfect way to keep up with an emerging topic. So many times students and faculty get only a few results when they search for something specific or timely. It would be great to teach them to use the RSS feed option so when new material on that topic is available, they can easily find it.
This is a great benefit because many patrons struggle with how to effectively search a database to begin with. We do a lot of one-on-one searching sessions with people on an as needed basis but I'm not sure they always retain what we have taught them. I'm afraid once you show them how to search once, some might forget or be intimated and not try to search again and therefore miss new literature in the future. This is perfect for faculty working on a ongoing research project or any other time someone wants to keep up on the current literature in the health care field.
Now I'm ready to make a tutorial on how to use the RSS feed option in the databases.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thing #5
Instant messaging.
Background
I had never used the Internet until sometime in 2000 when some of my high school instructors started encouraging its use. But my poor, Catholic high school didn't have it on site so I went to the local public library often and used the computer there. The library blocked chat rooms and instant messengers so I didn't really use IM until the summer of 2000 when my parents broke down and got us dial up Internet at home.
I started on Yahoo because I liked a lot of the chat rooms there and the Yahoo game sites. Then I started using MSN messenger because it turned out that a lot of my friends had that. I then went to college and kept using MSN messenger and Yahoo messenger but met some people there who were using AIM. So naturally I got an AIM account as well. I found out about Trillian at some point and started using it to manage all of my chatting. I was a pretty intense IM user for the first few years. My interest sort of waned though and many of my regular friends I chatted with stopped using it as much. Now I rarely use it. I mostly just stick with Gmail chat to talk to my husband every now and again during the day. We've always chatted a lot because in the beginning we had a long distance relationship and all of our regular interaction was through IM as opposed to phone calls. And for the record, I'm not a person who uses text messages because of the cost. And I hate most abbreviated "net speak" phrases.
Pros
IM has a lot of advantages. It's easy to use once you start. I even got my dad into it when I went away to college. We would chat on MSN once a week and now he uses it to chat with one of his friends he doesn't see as much now that they are both retired.
It's much more dynamic than email. Chat is just like a conversation except you can't see and hear the other person. But it is faster and more interactive than email. Sometimes email becomes kind of awkward when you are trying to iron out something complicated. IM makes it easier to discuss detailed things.
Now that things like Trillian and Meebo exist the compatibility issues have pretty much ceased. It's now not as much of a hassle to have friends using different IM platforms. IM is even on cell phones now so you can still keep in touch on the go.
Cons
I can't really think of that many disadvantages anymore. Many of the programs now don't even have to be downloaded. You can chat from the browser so you don't have to install anything on your computer and that is a plus if you use multiple computers.
Perhaps the biggest issue would be teaching patrons and fellow staff to use it. If most of your libraries' patrons are older or not technologically inclined the interest may be limited. But even if your library has mostly older patrons I think trying it out on the site would be useful because maybe it would spark people's interest and willingness to learn it. Perhaps some patrons would find it impersonal, I'm not sure. Also, teaching library staff who have never IM'ed before might be a challenge. Here, our circulation and reference habits are pretty ingrained and I'm afraid some staff might feel that starting up an IM reference service might add to our workload when perhaps it would just reallocate some of the calls we currently get and maybe replace a few of the in person reference sessions.
Another basic concern would be having to keep an eye on it and not forget about it as phone calls and patrons roll in. If the person keeping tabs on your library's Meebo suddenly walks away and doesn't update their status, patrons could feel ignored or mislead by your online presence. I could see this as being a potential issue at a library when there are few staff members and one gets into doing something away from their desk when they are supposed to be manning the chat based reference. I frequently get called away from what I am doing with little notice or I end up trying to help 2 people at once when I'm the only one on duty, so I would have to be trained to remember to set my status to "be right back" on the Meebo client.
My library and IM
I had never heard of Meebo until a few months ago and now it seems it is on every academic library's webpage that I visit. I'm going to push to have it added to our website but that will be several months off because our site is heavily controlled by the web development company and they like to make every department's page very similar in design and layout and this just might break the mold but I think we can make a good case to have it added especially when our "competitors" have it on their sites.
I hope our patrons would use it. The traditional age students here are pretty saavy with things like Facebook and Myspace and chatting online. I work mostly at night and get a few reference calls here and there but I'm sure more people are at home or in the on campus housing using our resources. We do get the occasional question via our generic library email account. Few students come in at night so I'd be curious to see if we offered IM reference if people would take advantage of it from home because with Meebo they could "see" that we are around to help them. It could increase our visibility by showing on on site that a live person is around. They might know the library is open but not want to come in or even make the effort to call us. I will be more than happy to test drive the service for us in the evenings.
If I was a patron I'd probably use it if I had a question. I prefer email or written contact to phone contact so for a somewhat introverted soul like myself IM reference would be very useful.
Background
I had never used the Internet until sometime in 2000 when some of my high school instructors started encouraging its use. But my poor, Catholic high school didn't have it on site so I went to the local public library often and used the computer there. The library blocked chat rooms and instant messengers so I didn't really use IM until the summer of 2000 when my parents broke down and got us dial up Internet at home.
I started on Yahoo because I liked a lot of the chat rooms there and the Yahoo game sites. Then I started using MSN messenger because it turned out that a lot of my friends had that. I then went to college and kept using MSN messenger and Yahoo messenger but met some people there who were using AIM. So naturally I got an AIM account as well. I found out about Trillian at some point and started using it to manage all of my chatting. I was a pretty intense IM user for the first few years. My interest sort of waned though and many of my regular friends I chatted with stopped using it as much. Now I rarely use it. I mostly just stick with Gmail chat to talk to my husband every now and again during the day. We've always chatted a lot because in the beginning we had a long distance relationship and all of our regular interaction was through IM as opposed to phone calls. And for the record, I'm not a person who uses text messages because of the cost. And I hate most abbreviated "net speak" phrases.
Pros
IM has a lot of advantages. It's easy to use once you start. I even got my dad into it when I went away to college. We would chat on MSN once a week and now he uses it to chat with one of his friends he doesn't see as much now that they are both retired.
It's much more dynamic than email. Chat is just like a conversation except you can't see and hear the other person. But it is faster and more interactive than email. Sometimes email becomes kind of awkward when you are trying to iron out something complicated. IM makes it easier to discuss detailed things.
Now that things like Trillian and Meebo exist the compatibility issues have pretty much ceased. It's now not as much of a hassle to have friends using different IM platforms. IM is even on cell phones now so you can still keep in touch on the go.
Cons
I can't really think of that many disadvantages anymore. Many of the programs now don't even have to be downloaded. You can chat from the browser so you don't have to install anything on your computer and that is a plus if you use multiple computers.
Perhaps the biggest issue would be teaching patrons and fellow staff to use it. If most of your libraries' patrons are older or not technologically inclined the interest may be limited. But even if your library has mostly older patrons I think trying it out on the site would be useful because maybe it would spark people's interest and willingness to learn it. Perhaps some patrons would find it impersonal, I'm not sure. Also, teaching library staff who have never IM'ed before might be a challenge. Here, our circulation and reference habits are pretty ingrained and I'm afraid some staff might feel that starting up an IM reference service might add to our workload when perhaps it would just reallocate some of the calls we currently get and maybe replace a few of the in person reference sessions.
Another basic concern would be having to keep an eye on it and not forget about it as phone calls and patrons roll in. If the person keeping tabs on your library's Meebo suddenly walks away and doesn't update their status, patrons could feel ignored or mislead by your online presence. I could see this as being a potential issue at a library when there are few staff members and one gets into doing something away from their desk when they are supposed to be manning the chat based reference. I frequently get called away from what I am doing with little notice or I end up trying to help 2 people at once when I'm the only one on duty, so I would have to be trained to remember to set my status to "be right back" on the Meebo client.
My library and IM
I had never heard of Meebo until a few months ago and now it seems it is on every academic library's webpage that I visit. I'm going to push to have it added to our website but that will be several months off because our site is heavily controlled by the web development company and they like to make every department's page very similar in design and layout and this just might break the mold but I think we can make a good case to have it added especially when our "competitors" have it on their sites.
I hope our patrons would use it. The traditional age students here are pretty saavy with things like Facebook and Myspace and chatting online. I work mostly at night and get a few reference calls here and there but I'm sure more people are at home or in the on campus housing using our resources. We do get the occasional question via our generic library email account. Few students come in at night so I'd be curious to see if we offered IM reference if people would take advantage of it from home because with Meebo they could "see" that we are around to help them. It could increase our visibility by showing on on site that a live person is around. They might know the library is open but not want to come in or even make the effort to call us. I will be more than happy to test drive the service for us in the evenings.
If I was a patron I'd probably use it if I had a question. I prefer email or written contact to phone contact so for a somewhat introverted soul like myself IM reference would be very useful.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thing #4
Whew, that was an easy week...set up a blog and tell the commission about it.
Now I'm officially caught up again!
Now I'm officially caught up again!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Thing #3
I've obviously created my blog so Thing #3 is now completed.
I have dabbled in blogs over the years but my use of them has always been more private and not so much for the whole world to read. I read a lot of people's personal blogs- people I don't know "in real life" and some other blogs as I find them on library topics, politics and anything else that catches my interest.
I have dabbled in blogs over the years but my use of them has always been more private and not so much for the whole world to read. I read a lot of people's personal blogs- people I don't know "in real life" and some other blogs as I find them on library topics, politics and anything else that catches my interest.
Thing #2
Well, I'm already behind in my 23 Things. So now I'm going to get caught up with Thing #2- Lifelong Learning.
"Lifelong Learning" reminds me of one of those buzzwords thats get thrown around. So far, I've spent the majority of my life in the throws of formal education. Ages 5-24 to be precise and really age 4 if you count preschool. I've always pursued other learning activities though of course. I have always been an avid fan of puzzles of all sorts.
The easiest of the 7 and a half habits for me is #6- Use Technology to your Advantage.
It's amazing how many tutorials on any subject imaginable are out there. If you need to figure out how to do something, chances are someone else out there has created a lesson on how to do it for everyone else like you who is struggling with the problem. Recently a faculty member asked me how she could embed a You Tube video into a Power Point presentation. I really had no clue as I don't make a lot of Power Points and because until recently You Tube was blocked at work, I had never a reason to attempt to embed one into a Power Point.
So, I googled this question and to my amusement found a You Tube video on "How to embed a You Tube video into a Power Point". See, a tutorial for everything. This faculty member couldn't believe I actually found an answer by performing a basic Google search.
The hardest of the habits is #1- Begin with the end in mind.
I'm notorious for starting things and never finishing them. Subconsciously I think setting a goal will somehow constrain me. I can visualize the end goal- I mean why else would I even start to pursue something? But it's determining the extent of something being finished that troubles me. What is a good end to something? There is always more that could be done.
"Lifelong Learning" reminds me of one of those buzzwords thats get thrown around. So far, I've spent the majority of my life in the throws of formal education. Ages 5-24 to be precise and really age 4 if you count preschool. I've always pursued other learning activities though of course. I have always been an avid fan of puzzles of all sorts.
The easiest of the 7 and a half habits for me is #6- Use Technology to your Advantage.
It's amazing how many tutorials on any subject imaginable are out there. If you need to figure out how to do something, chances are someone else out there has created a lesson on how to do it for everyone else like you who is struggling with the problem. Recently a faculty member asked me how she could embed a You Tube video into a Power Point presentation. I really had no clue as I don't make a lot of Power Points and because until recently You Tube was blocked at work, I had never a reason to attempt to embed one into a Power Point.
So, I googled this question and to my amusement found a You Tube video on "How to embed a You Tube video into a Power Point". See, a tutorial for everything. This faculty member couldn't believe I actually found an answer by performing a basic Google search.
The hardest of the habits is #1- Begin with the end in mind.
I'm notorious for starting things and never finishing them. Subconsciously I think setting a goal will somehow constrain me. I can visualize the end goal- I mean why else would I even start to pursue something? But it's determining the extent of something being finished that troubles me. What is a good end to something? There is always more that could be done.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thing #1
I took some time yesterday to browse Stephen Abram's list of "43 Things I might want to do this year", from Information Outlook.
While the popular 43 Things site contains a broad range of "things" people want to accomplish, Abram's article is specifically focused on technology.
Most of the things on his list I'm already familiar with. I'll admit that I am of the Facebook generation and I first used Flickr several years ago. I'm typing this blog post through the Firefox browser. But a few items on his list of 43 things stumped me, such as"15. Get a PubSub account and start searching the future" and "23. Play with Blinkx and learn about searching TV shows, video and podcasts."
So if I "already know this stuff" then why am I spending time doing the Nebraska Learns 2.0 program? Well, even though I've been using these types of things in my personal life for years, I'm trying to figure out how libraries can use them. I've seen some good examples in the past but I always wonder if they will work here because of our library's size. Stay tuned.
While the popular 43 Things site contains a broad range of "things" people want to accomplish, Abram's article is specifically focused on technology.
Most of the things on his list I'm already familiar with. I'll admit that I am of the Facebook generation and I first used Flickr several years ago. I'm typing this blog post through the Firefox browser. But a few items on his list of 43 things stumped me, such as"15. Get a PubSub account and start searching the future" and "23. Play with Blinkx and learn about searching TV shows, video and podcasts."
So if I "already know this stuff" then why am I spending time doing the Nebraska Learns 2.0 program? Well, even though I've been using these types of things in my personal life for years, I'm trying to figure out how libraries can use them. I've seen some good examples in the past but I always wonder if they will work here because of our library's size. Stay tuned.
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