Having read the 3 part series on Librarian apps - I discovered I was already using some of the suggestions on my own facebook profile.
The ones I'm using are - Iread, Librarian, and MyFlikr - but I will probably be adding the de.lisc.ious and (dare I admit it) kittens pictures.
I've always been a fan of Facebook; Myspace is a mess - and although I do recognize that it can be used to glean information about people for sinister purposes, I think that overall - the good outweighs the bad.
That being said, however - it was informative to read the article about how to use Facebook without losing your job over it. Even more intersting was the post about why you should never have a job in the first place - posted in response... hehehe - Only on the internet!
Facebook is great for catching up with old friends - and doing genealogical research as well. I recently had a second cousin contact me through facebook - and he has since forwarded a lot of information about my family tree to me.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
it was the best of times, it was ... well it wasn't THAT bad :P (thing #23)
Yay! the end is here...
So if you'd asked me a couple of posts ago whether I thought this undertaking was worth it - I would have had mixed feelings; but now that its Dec 23rd, and all my posts are in - I havta admit I did learn alot.
These exercises were a great opportunity to explore new ideas/technologies and revisit things I already knew; including things beyond just connecting patrons with the information and entertainment they need.
Couple of things I probably would never have done without these exercises -
1)Blogging
2)RSS feeds
3)Wikis
4)anything relating to eBooks.
The last one I'm especially grateful for - because as bandwith increases for regular computer users(with fiber optic and cable becoming the new dial-up), I could definitely see a growing need for video on demand. Being able to help to spread the news about Queen's digital collection and encourage usage through having "been there" is something I can now see myself doing.
As for future eSkills courses... I would consider taking more, if offered - with a condition.
Because this was a beginning to intermediate class, I would hope that there would be a mechanism in place for people who have successfully completed this course to not have to start from "the beginning" of a new set of exercises.
Another thing is - I saw a lot of my colleagues start the program and not complete it because of the size of the undertaking. Future classes could be smaller in size - because 23 things is pretty daunting.
It took me entire days in front of a computer to digest, register at this site or that, explore, and formulate my posts; and for people who aren't as tech savvy - it can seem a mountain too steep to climb.
And that should be the purpose of these exercises - getting everyone up to speed. But seeing how tough one of these exercises can be - and then the mental image of another 22 of them to come - most people wouldn't bother with more than 1 or 2 before giving up.
Well - that's everything! Good luck everyone and Happy Holidays!
So if you'd asked me a couple of posts ago whether I thought this undertaking was worth it - I would have had mixed feelings; but now that its Dec 23rd, and all my posts are in - I havta admit I did learn alot.
These exercises were a great opportunity to explore new ideas/technologies and revisit things I already knew; including things beyond just connecting patrons with the information and entertainment they need.
Couple of things I probably would never have done without these exercises -
1)Blogging
2)RSS feeds
3)Wikis
4)anything relating to eBooks.
The last one I'm especially grateful for - because as bandwith increases for regular computer users(with fiber optic and cable becoming the new dial-up), I could definitely see a growing need for video on demand. Being able to help to spread the news about Queen's digital collection and encourage usage through having "been there" is something I can now see myself doing.
As for future eSkills courses... I would consider taking more, if offered - with a condition.
Because this was a beginning to intermediate class, I would hope that there would be a mechanism in place for people who have successfully completed this course to not have to start from "the beginning" of a new set of exercises.
Another thing is - I saw a lot of my colleagues start the program and not complete it because of the size of the undertaking. Future classes could be smaller in size - because 23 things is pretty daunting.
It took me entire days in front of a computer to digest, register at this site or that, explore, and formulate my posts; and for people who aren't as tech savvy - it can seem a mountain too steep to climb.
And that should be the purpose of these exercises - getting everyone up to speed. But seeing how tough one of these exercises can be - and then the mental image of another 22 of them to come - most people wouldn't bother with more than 1 or 2 before giving up.
Well - that's everything! Good luck everyone and Happy Holidays!
digitally Queens... (thing #22)
Took me a while - but success at last...
Ok - so I started off trying to download an audio book at Queens Library's Media Center- but what caught my eye was downloadable video from Queens Library - which I shamefully did not even know we had! hehehe...
But here's the catch - the learning curve for getting that video from the server to my viewing pleasure is pretty steep. First off - had to download the OverDrive Media console - because I was trying to watch Felini's 8 1/2. Second - tried to upgrade the security patch (which necessitated another download of Windows Media Player 10). I chose 10 because 11 looked like it had bugs (considering there was advice on Microsoft's website telling you how you could roll-back to previous versions of the Player.
Then I ran the security patch. Then I was ready for the download... All 750MBs of it :P
The next thing was the Mobipocket Reader download. Pretty straightforward installation - followed the directions on registering my device when prompted at checkout - and voila!
I have to say I was surprised that some audio books are burnable to CD's. Doesnt this result in a permanent hardcopy that's yours to keep? If so... cool!
And while direct video is great in concept - the huge download times and inability to download in chapters makes it pretty time consuming. I guess if you've got your computer up for a while - it can run in the background - but expect to wait at least an hour or more with a DSL line. Which isn't terrible I guess... takes longer than that to motivate myself to go to Blockbuster and its definitely a shorter wait than having Netflix send you a movie - so kudos to you Queens!
Ok - so I started off trying to download an audio book at Queens Library's Media Center- but what caught my eye was downloadable video from Queens Library - which I shamefully did not even know we had! hehehe...
But here's the catch - the learning curve for getting that video from the server to my viewing pleasure is pretty steep. First off - had to download the OverDrive Media console - because I was trying to watch Felini's 8 1/2. Second - tried to upgrade the security patch (which necessitated another download of Windows Media Player 10). I chose 10 because 11 looked like it had bugs (considering there was advice on Microsoft's website telling you how you could roll-back to previous versions of the Player.
Then I ran the security patch. Then I was ready for the download... All 750MBs of it :P
The next thing was the Mobipocket Reader download. Pretty straightforward installation - followed the directions on registering my device when prompted at checkout - and voila!
I have to say I was surprised that some audio books are burnable to CD's. Doesnt this result in a permanent hardcopy that's yours to keep? If so... cool!
And while direct video is great in concept - the huge download times and inability to download in chapters makes it pretty time consuming. I guess if you've got your computer up for a while - it can run in the background - but expect to wait at least an hour or more with a DSL line. Which isn't terrible I guess... takes longer than that to motivate myself to go to Blockbuster and its definitely a shorter wait than having Netflix send you a movie - so kudos to you Queens!
greetings from the pod people... (thing #21)
Soo.. I have a confession - this is my first time listening to podcasts.
I downloaded iTunes a couple of years ago because it is a great way to organize music - and did manage to explore and bookmark some cool internet radio sites - but I never got around to subscribing to podcasts.
Perhaps it's because I never joined the masses in getting an iPod (I always thought it more constructive to read during long commutes). Having an iPod definitely encourages one to follow podcasts (because once you get tired of your music - it's natural to turn to podcasts for some variety).
I was able to find some interesting podcast feeds though - and subsequently added them to the ole Bloglines account. It brought me back to my NPR listening days when I saw Gary Null's podcast - that soothing voice of vegan reason...
My preference was for the Podcast Alley site - because it offered rankings for usage (here's their top 50) - but I could also see how Yahoo's site with their tie-in for podcasting to your Yahoo page could be useful (I already use their messenger service).
I downloaded iTunes a couple of years ago because it is a great way to organize music - and did manage to explore and bookmark some cool internet radio sites - but I never got around to subscribing to podcasts.
Perhaps it's because I never joined the masses in getting an iPod (I always thought it more constructive to read during long commutes). Having an iPod definitely encourages one to follow podcasts (because once you get tired of your music - it's natural to turn to podcasts for some variety).
I was able to find some interesting podcast feeds though - and subsequently added them to the ole Bloglines account. It brought me back to my NPR listening days when I saw Gary Null's podcast - that soothing voice of vegan reason...
My preference was for the Podcast Alley site - because it offered rankings for usage (here's their top 50) - but I could also see how Yahoo's site with their tie-in for podcasting to your Yahoo page could be useful (I already use their messenger service).
boobtube with a vengeance (thing #20)
ok - lemme start off by saying I was a huge fan of Youtube... before Google bought them out and made intellectual property a household name. Where's the fair use Google? :(
I had opened an account with Youtube close to a year ago and had been slowly collecting and sharing my favorite clips from tv shows, animated shorts, and full length movies - but now all that has changed. 3/4's of my clips were unavailable due to terms violations (read "if we cant make money - you ain't welcome to watch") and the result is some pretty slim pickins...
I'm going to throw out a useful site called Video Codezone which allows you to grab and download Youtube videos to your hard drive before they get a chance to disapear. The file is downloadable and converted into any file format you like (.avi for windows media player). The site is very slow though - so if you dont mind downloading a .flv player, there are other sites like KeepVid which allow you to download unconverted video and play it with a flv player
Oh and almost forgot - here's a terrifying video I found on Youtube - inciting Palestinian children to throw rocks at Israeli troops and be martyred for Allah...
I had opened an account with Youtube close to a year ago and had been slowly collecting and sharing my favorite clips from tv shows, animated shorts, and full length movies - but now all that has changed. 3/4's of my clips were unavailable due to terms violations (read "if we cant make money - you ain't welcome to watch") and the result is some pretty slim pickins...
I'm going to throw out a useful site called Video Codezone which allows you to grab and download Youtube videos to your hard drive before they get a chance to disapear. The file is downloadable and converted into any file format you like (.avi for windows media player). The site is very slow though - so if you dont mind downloading a .flv player, there are other sites like KeepVid which allow you to download unconverted video and play it with a flv player
Oh and almost forgot - here's a terrifying video I found on Youtube - inciting Palestinian children to throw rocks at Israeli troops and be martyred for Allah...
and the winner is... (thing #19)
Yay! I knew that we would eventually hit upon the most important habit of lifelong learning - the habit #7 1/2... the one about PLAY!
So - I picked Arcaplay's Website from the list of award winners. This is a gem of a site which allows you to not only play flash-based arcade games on their website, but also gives you the option of embedding your favorite games into your blog, the ability to bookmark your favorites games, and an option to rate and post comments about games for other users.
You can also download these games to your computer - be emailed about new games, or subscribe to their RSS feed.
This site was nominated as an award winner by the SEOmoz website - which tracked various Web 2.0 apps and webistes. An SEO is a Search Engine Optimizer, so chances are they sifted through a lot of chaff to get to the wheat they neatly serve up. Some of the other categories and winners included social networking sites (Facebook), Blog guides (Technorati), classifieds (Craigslist), and search engines (Rollyo).
Enjoy!
So - I picked Arcaplay's Website from the list of award winners. This is a gem of a site which allows you to not only play flash-based arcade games on their website, but also gives you the option of embedding your favorite games into your blog, the ability to bookmark your favorites games, and an option to rate and post comments about games for other users.
You can also download these games to your computer - be emailed about new games, or subscribe to their RSS feed.
This site was nominated as an award winner by the SEOmoz website - which tracked various Web 2.0 apps and webistes. An SEO is a Search Engine Optimizer, so chances are they sifted through a lot of chaff to get to the wheat they neatly serve up. Some of the other categories and winners included social networking sites (Facebook), Blog guides (Technorati), classifieds (Craigslist), and search engines (Rollyo).
Enjoy!
work with me people... (thing #18)
I love the smell of collaboration in the morning...
Our next foray into the realm of inter-connectivity is similar to wikis, but with a heavier emphasis on project-based collaboration.
I chose GoogleDocs because I liked the clean interface, ability to publish to both my own blog (through Blogger) and to GoogleDocs, and because of the option to share a variety of files, including text documents, Powerpoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets.
Another feature which I found impressive was the option to save the document as a PDF file - which previously required purchasing Adobe's Acrobat Writer program (currently priced at $449).
Another great feature is the invite function - which allows users to invite people to collaborate on projects - or just to view them with no editing privileges- with the option of allowing invitees to invite others to join in the fun as well.
So - I uploaded a short txt file on tarot card meanings - and published to both my blog and to GoogleDocs - and invited myself (through an alternate email) to collaborate. Heres the file below (complete with preserved font styles and text effects)...
Our next foray into the realm of inter-connectivity is similar to wikis, but with a heavier emphasis on project-based collaboration.
I chose GoogleDocs because I liked the clean interface, ability to publish to both my own blog (through Blogger) and to GoogleDocs, and because of the option to share a variety of files, including text documents, Powerpoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets.
Another feature which I found impressive was the option to save the document as a PDF file - which previously required purchasing Adobe's Acrobat Writer program (currently priced at $449).
Another great feature is the invite function - which allows users to invite people to collaborate on projects - or just to view them with no editing privileges- with the option of allowing invitees to invite others to join in the fun as well.
So - I uploaded a short txt file on tarot card meanings - and published to both my blog and to GoogleDocs - and invited myself (through an alternate email) to collaborate. Heres the file below (complete with preserved font styles and text effects)...
the tarot trumps
the fool ( innocence ) = the magician ( knowledge )
the empress ( understanding ) = apocalypse ( fear )
the emporer ( inspiration ) = the star ( evolution )
the high priestess ( mystery ) = the moon ( illusion )
the heirophant ( harmony ) = the sun ( truth )
the lovers ( prudence ) = the devil ( lust )
the chariot ( humility ) = the tower ( pride )
temperance ( restraint ) = force ( rage )
the hermit ( sacrifice ) = the hanged man ( desire )
the world ( life ) = death ( stillness )
justice ( karma ) = fortune ( whim )
wiki when youre feeling blue (thing #17)
Ill admit - I was kind of shy about this exercise because its one thing to blog when you think no ones reading - but another to throw a post out into a hugely public place like wikipedia. But i was pleasantly surprised to find I could contribute in a meaningful way on topics I was sure of...
My wiki posts were done on the Wikimapia website - which I found on Wikipedia's list of wikis. Its a very cool tool which allows you to share first hand info on any types of sites or geographical locations that you've been to - or know about.
Here's a link to the Greater Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks map page - and there was also a feature which allowed users to open a frame on their web pages to show a map they had saved. This was done by allowing users to draw and drag a square box around an area - while the mapping tool dynamically returned coordinates. Neat! Here it is below...
Check out my posts to help hikers find some Yellowstone bears and scenic mountaintops (Turbid Lake and Avalanche Peak).
My wiki posts were done on the Wikimapia website - which I found on Wikipedia's list of wikis. Its a very cool tool which allows you to share first hand info on any types of sites or geographical locations that you've been to - or know about.
Here's a link to the Greater Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks map page - and there was also a feature which allowed users to open a frame on their web pages to show a map they had saved. This was done by allowing users to draw and drag a square box around an area - while the mapping tool dynamically returned coordinates. Neat! Here it is below...
Check out my posts to help hikers find some Yellowstone bears and scenic mountaintops (Turbid Lake and Avalanche Peak).
the house that wiki built (thing #16)
I have mixed feelings about wiki technology - and I'm sure I'm not the only one..
Ever since Stephen Colbert featured Wikipedia on his comedy show (demonstrating how easy it was to mislead the unsuspecting) - or on a more sinister note the debacle surrounding the post about John Seigenthaler, I've approached wikipedia as a necessary evil...
But in the right hands - wiki technology can be an invaluable and very efficient way of collaborating and disseminating important information. I particularly enjoyed the Library's Best Practices website, because a) the content is by and for librarians and b) the accountability factor (having to verify your email address to be able to post). The lack of accountability in wikis is really the biggest problem I have with them - and anything that can be done to address that is appreciated.
And as for what I found that was helpful? Well - working with 50+ teens a day in reading room with only 8 chairs - programming is the name of the game for me. Getting teens motivated to do anything besides stare at Myspace pages and chase each other around the library is a sometime Herculean task - but here are some pointers and success stories I found in this Library's Best Practices wiki.
Also - a very helpful programming database by the Mid-Hudson Library system which is useful for targeting specific groups and interests, while staying within a budget. Its a gem...
And last but not least - a Genealogy wiki gleaned from the SJCPL Subject Guides which I found helpful :)
Ever since Stephen Colbert featured Wikipedia on his comedy show (demonstrating how easy it was to mislead the unsuspecting) - or on a more sinister note the debacle surrounding the post about John Seigenthaler, I've approached wikipedia as a necessary evil...
But in the right hands - wiki technology can be an invaluable and very efficient way of collaborating and disseminating important information. I particularly enjoyed the Library's Best Practices website, because a) the content is by and for librarians and b) the accountability factor (having to verify your email address to be able to post). The lack of accountability in wikis is really the biggest problem I have with them - and anything that can be done to address that is appreciated.
And as for what I found that was helpful? Well - working with 50+ teens a day in reading room with only 8 chairs - programming is the name of the game for me. Getting teens motivated to do anything besides stare at Myspace pages and chase each other around the library is a sometime Herculean task - but here are some pointers and success stories I found in this Library's Best Practices wiki.
Also - a very helpful programming database by the Mid-Hudson Library system which is useful for targeting specific groups and interests, while staying within a budget. Its a gem...
And last but not least - a Genealogy wiki gleaned from the SJCPL Subject Guides which I found helpful :)
Sunday, December 2, 2007
library land take 2.0... (thing #15)
Having read the OCLC article and the Library Journal article I came away with a couple of points common to both analyses...
1. user participation in the library services model - this seems to be a critical part of the Web/Library 2.0 scheme. Following the lead of sites like Wikipedia, Amazon, and the blogoshpere in general - libraries should be encouraging user participation in the creation, maintenance, and delivery of content. What type of content should libraries be focusing on? Well, things like book reviews, programming requests and suggestions, book discussions, online reference, remote access to library tools and databases, etc... and integrating these new features into current library interfaces (for example - having user reviews of books available in search results for titles being searched for in the libraries OPAC.
2. user oriented services - know your customers, basically. Streamlining the delivery of services to users is another key component of library 2.0. As libraries move away from the model of "storehouses for books" to a one which serves a community of technologically savvy information seekers - our idea of what a library IS needs to change in order to remain relevant. This includes collection development policies (only stocking what sells) providing critical services to diverse populations (the marriage of demographics and programming) and developing an open system which seeks out and responds to feedback.
There were many other points outlined in the articles - but in the interest of time and space - I'll leave off at these two - which struck me as being the most important...
again - user participation, and active, meaningful engagement with the patrons of the library system will become increasingly urgent as Library land enters the 21st century. Addressing these issues through technological and other means will mean the difference between success and failure for the profession. And failure is not an option :P
1. user participation in the library services model - this seems to be a critical part of the Web/Library 2.0 scheme. Following the lead of sites like Wikipedia, Amazon, and the blogoshpere in general - libraries should be encouraging user participation in the creation, maintenance, and delivery of content. What type of content should libraries be focusing on? Well, things like book reviews, programming requests and suggestions, book discussions, online reference, remote access to library tools and databases, etc... and integrating these new features into current library interfaces (for example - having user reviews of books available in search results for titles being searched for in the libraries OPAC.
2. user oriented services - know your customers, basically. Streamlining the delivery of services to users is another key component of library 2.0. As libraries move away from the model of "storehouses for books" to a one which serves a community of technologically savvy information seekers - our idea of what a library IS needs to change in order to remain relevant. This includes collection development policies (only stocking what sells) providing critical services to diverse populations (the marriage of demographics and programming) and developing an open system which seeks out and responds to feedback.
There were many other points outlined in the articles - but in the interest of time and space - I'll leave off at these two - which struck me as being the most important...
again - user participation, and active, meaningful engagement with the patrons of the library system will become increasingly urgent as Library land enters the 21st century. Addressing these issues through technological and other means will mean the difference between success and failure for the profession. And failure is not an option :P
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