Following self-guided instruction has always been easy for me. I have to admit to “cheating” and doing many of my assignments at home since I did not have the time at work (so many other pots on the stove to tend to). I feel I learned a lot.
I was not aware that there was a second birth of the Internet – I was aware of many of these applications but not aware that there were considered web 2.0 applications. I always felt that these applications were just an extension of all the wonderful stuff the internet has to offer – a growth of the Internet that was going to come along once more of the masses were online. Look how far the internet has come since its birth. I’m sure HTML wasn’t even a thought yet look how quickly that spread the popularity of the Internet. The explosion of email, the heyday of dot.coms, instant messaging… I see web 2.0 applications as yet another growth of the Internet. I believe in a matter of years, if even that long, there will be yet another growth of the Internet.
As librarians, we have always (or were supposed to) had a high emphasis of adapting to new technologies and guiding our patrons to those. In a way, web 2.0 applications have changed that since many can guide themselves; however, I still believe a wide digital divide exists in our society, and even more so in the world. It is our mission to help ALL of our patrons, and not just the ones blessed to have a computer at home, or elsewhere, where they are not limited to 90 minutes per day. If you are job hunting, taking a course, or emailing family & friends, that hour-and-a-half goes real fast. One may not get the opportunity to delve further into the Internet and all it has to offer.
But I digress. Web 2.0 applications are wonderful, like email was a wonderful “discovery” or Mosaic or Amazon. I enjoyed this self-instruction since it was a way to become more aware of new developments. I did not mind doing many of the assignments at home since it led to more guilt-free browsing than I would have done at work. I also welcomed the feedback on my posts, as well as following my fellow “classmates” progress by reading their posts.
My favorite discoveries were being able to load a slideshow onto a blog (Google Docs) since I could directly apply this to something I was working on for work. No more worrying about copyright if it is my own creation. Although I don’t find myself using it, I liked Rollyo for I could have shown that to students in my computer classes. And being able to load videos straight to a blog was fun (although I am still worried about copyright issues there. My husband tells me that it’s YouTube’s problem and not mine).
I was also pleased to discover that I had already been using some of these web 2.0 applications, without even knowing I was doing anything extraordinary. I would definitely recommend this Play@2Learn program to coworkers. I would definitely do another one of these self-guided instructional courses. And I definitely enjoyed myself. I thank Joan and Joy for the development, for even thinking of this, and more importantly, for leading this when god only knows they have enough on their plates as well.
Thanks to you both.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Downloadable media
I had to try this at home since we are not able to download the required software on our work computers. I did find several titles that I would listen/watch that perhaps I might not have checked out. Audiobooks are great for commutes and other times when I need my hands are eyes... but may not necessarily need the mindpower to pay attention.
I think this is a nice offering our library does. I wonder how much of our circ stats come from these items. I imagine the bit of work to do before the instant gratification would throw some people off; however, there are still plenty of patient people in the world. I am also curious as to how much this costs the library.
I think this is a nice offering our library does. I wonder how much of our circ stats come from these items. I imagine the bit of work to do before the instant gratification would throw some people off; however, there are still plenty of patient people in the world. I am also curious as to how much this costs the library.
Forgot something...
Discovering Web 2.0 applications is a bit like wandering through a used bookstore. You're going to find titles you can't resist because they are so cheap, you're going to find lots of books you wouldn't touch or waste your time on, and occasionally, if you're lucky, you'll find a real gem. I felt the same way about Web 2.0 applications: there were many I couldn't resist since it was so easy, but there was also a lot of applications that would just add to the clutter of my life. And then there are the gems.
My gem pick was Google maps. I already used this and never had an idea that it would be considered a web 2.0 application. Mine's not public but it's nice to have flags for certain shops I may not frequent a lot but still want to remember where they are. Or actually drive routes I chose, rather than one given in driving directions that may or may not be the way I would want to drive to a location.
I've also mentioned StumbleUpon. I love how I am able to browse through hundreds of websites I would have never come across on my own. I've even been guilty of sending links to family or friends. Many I have bookmarked and added to my repertoire of Internet surfing. I didn't need this website (can I call it a website?), but it sure has been fun using it.
Then there's YourMinis : a collection of widgets you can add to your desktop. Way too much extra stuff I probably didn't need - but I had a good excuse since I was exploring for our "class". But I digress, and I did have fun. This web 2.0 application was not as easy or intuitive for me as the others mentioned earlier. And it's likely I won't use it again but it was fun to discover.
My gem pick was Google maps. I already used this and never had an idea that it would be considered a web 2.0 application. Mine's not public but it's nice to have flags for certain shops I may not frequent a lot but still want to remember where they are. Or actually drive routes I chose, rather than one given in driving directions that may or may not be the way I would want to drive to a location.
I've also mentioned StumbleUpon. I love how I am able to browse through hundreds of websites I would have never come across on my own. I've even been guilty of sending links to family or friends. Many I have bookmarked and added to my repertoire of Internet surfing. I didn't need this website (can I call it a website?), but it sure has been fun using it.
Then there's YourMinis : a collection of widgets you can add to your desktop. Way too much extra stuff I probably didn't need - but I had a good excuse since I was exploring for our "class". But I digress, and I did have fun. This web 2.0 application was not as easy or intuitive for me as the others mentioned earlier. And it's likely I won't use it again but it was fun to discover.
Podcasts...sounds like an episode of Star Trek
I've been on a Star Trek jag lately.
I actually already had a podcast listed in my bloglines. Although I might have done it wrong. All my other feeds show up with a count next to them but my podcast never did. However, when I clicked on the podcast title, then clicked on the display button, they would all be displayed. So I didn't listen to past month night sky observations - but now I know to check them like that rather than assuming they would show up the same as other feeds.
I actually already had a podcast listed in my bloglines. Although I might have done it wrong. All my other feeds show up with a count next to them but my podcast never did. However, when I clicked on the podcast title, then clicked on the display button, they would all be displayed. So I didn't listen to past month night sky observations - but now I know to check them like that rather than assuming they would show up the same as other feeds.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
¿did it work?
This is very impressive - I am thrilled with this ability to place my slideshow directly on my blog. I can also edit the slideshow and it is immediately updated on my blog. Instead of worrying about copyright issues, I am able to create my own content and bypass the extra work of checking on who owns what. This would be a tremendous help in the creation of self-instruction blogs for the library.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Wired, data required, information desired, knowledge inspired
A very interesting piece from Clive Thompson’s column in Wired magazine (May 2008)
“Information Overlord: Collected too much data? Let a new Web app separate out the good stuff”
The author speaks of how we live in a time of scavenging for information – there is so much information so readily available that we spend more time sorting and “filing” what we have acquired rather than absorbing the information contained within. So much information is available on the internet… on subjects we might not have researched in the past since time was an issue. Now you can search to your heart’s content on the mating habits of characters from Star Trek… and there’s probably some fan website where this is discussed.
“But this datastream lifestyle offers increasingly diminishing returns because it requires so much active labor.” Clive Thompson introduces a website he has used called Twine; it takes key concepts from your bookmarks/favorites and uses it to find new content for you.
I would love to be able to do this online – as a librarian, you already do it in a more physical aspect (the building) and we have done it online with access to databases and such… but this more customized research is a key skill that unfortunately does not get used much in the public library. At my old library we used to do subject requests which were long detailed searches on more esoteric subjects. Barium producers in the United States who deliver small shipments? New developing medical technology not yet available in reference materials? Amassing information for an author writing a historical novel?
These are skills that all librarians have – these are skills that we are taught. However, I believe a human touch is integral to what we do as well. Reading the body language of an individual asking a question about health will alert us to the fact that the patron is embarrassed and does not want to state what they are looking for. Reading the body language of a teen who makes a face when shown the first items of your search… then asking some probing questions to find out what the teen would enjoy. You can apply this human touch online just as easy. How does the patron currently organize their bookmarks? What has been visited frequently? How about finding what content the patron is bookmarking on individual pages rather than the website in general?
Enjoy reading.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The wiki is not picky!
Adding content to the Henderson Libraries Play2Learn wiki was easy - almost too easy. I didn't want to add tons of entries under each of the topics since I didn't want to "hog" it up. Fun - and I have to admit to being tempted to "erase" certain parts just to play with people but I didn't :) Someone would erase mine and then it would be a game to see who could keep up. Kinda fun and gives a whole new meaning to Library 2.0 - "Edit or surrender"!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Oh Wiki, you're so fine; you're so fine, you blow my mind, Hey Wiki!
Contrary to how I feel about mass-anything, I think wikis are great! Especially for less "educational" topics like entertainment, crafts, music, anything that peaks our interests. Some subjects lend themselves well to collaboration efforts like wikipedia. For instance, take a look at Star Trek, email, or dating. I didn't know all the different sorts of dating that existed out there. The email entry gives some good tips that others have discovered on their own. And who else but a trekkie would know all the names of each episode, and be able to give a full summary.
Libraries could use this tool as subject guides for those popular questions like "How much is ___ worth?" or "How do I apply for a grant". A wikipedia entry could have sections on websites to visit, books to check out, as well as tips from other people. There could be certain sections open to the public where they could contribute while leaving some sections closed to everyone but staff. I saw several well done wiki entries provided by both public and academic libraries. One had a neat feature which showed if the librarian was online and had a place to instant-message him. He also had a prominent list of FAQs that were well done too. Some libraries, however, I thought would have been better off providing the information in an RSS feed rather than a wiki. Case in point, new book arrivals.
Another use of wikis I thought was great was for events; in particular, the one for ALA 2006 in New Orleans had much information on the area, hotels, personal takes, recommendations... This was a great example of how community members could contribute with the least amount of manipulation.
Another great use was an open wiki (email required) for public library computer class handouts - handouts other librarians had placed up there for open use by fellow librarians. Great idea and a wonderful way to not have to reinvent the wheel!
That's my take on wikis - I admit to being leery to trusting mankind but limited access, or monitors, could help these wiki entries from being manipulated.
PS: The title is sung to the lyrics of Mickey (sung by Toni Basil in this case). Check out all the pop trivia.
Libraries could use this tool as subject guides for those popular questions like "How much is ___ worth?" or "How do I apply for a grant". A wikipedia entry could have sections on websites to visit, books to check out, as well as tips from other people. There could be certain sections open to the public where they could contribute while leaving some sections closed to everyone but staff. I saw several well done wiki entries provided by both public and academic libraries. One had a neat feature which showed if the librarian was online and had a place to instant-message him. He also had a prominent list of FAQs that were well done too. Some libraries, however, I thought would have been better off providing the information in an RSS feed rather than a wiki. Case in point, new book arrivals.
Another use of wikis I thought was great was for events; in particular, the one for ALA 2006 in New Orleans had much information on the area, hotels, personal takes, recommendations... This was a great example of how community members could contribute with the least amount of manipulation.
Another great use was an open wiki (email required) for public library computer class handouts - handouts other librarians had placed up there for open use by fellow librarians. Great idea and a wonderful way to not have to reinvent the wheel!
That's my take on wikis - I admit to being leery to trusting mankind but limited access, or monitors, could help these wiki entries from being manipulated.
PS: The title is sung to the lyrics of Mickey (sung by Toni Basil in this case). Check out all the pop trivia.
Friday, April 18, 2008
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, Library 2.0!
Web 2.0 has been defined as "the 2nd coming of the web" characterized by an "operating platform" where there is open sourcing and a shared network space where one is always online .
Principles defining this include
simplicity
rich interactivity
user participation
collective intelligence
self-service
novel & remixed content
Library 2.0 shares these same principles relying on "radical trust" - trusting your contributors. No barriers to information. "User-centered change" is the heart of Library 2.0 (quoted from a source - but does it really matter what source I used? I'm not inclined to cite although professionally I cringe).
I've read five different takes on what, how, if, when, libraries are or are not Library 2.0...
1. AWAY FROM ICEBERGS
Librarian from UN-Reno says beware of just-in-case collections. They've noticed a drop in circulation numbers. Are these circulation numbers based on circ per capita or just pure circ numbers? Our circulation numbers keep climbing - people are still checking out items. How much of their population has access to computers (or other online means) outside of the library - not using the library's machines? If they have high numbers, this makes sense. Your patrons can access via online rather than physical - even if they prefer the physical. But if you community has high numbers that don't have access online outside the library, and are limited to an hour-and-a-half each day because there are not enough machines... then it doesn't make sense to "punish" these people by not having a physical collection. I do believe you need to be aware of what does and doesn't get checked out, what gets used in-house, and what your community needs. If you are a good librarian, you should already be doing this.
He also says beware of a reliance on user education. "Focus not on instruction but on eliminating barriers to information." I agree with this. I'm not sure if I am comfortable with the McDonalds way of things (You don't need to know how to read to be able to order a meal from McDonalds) because I would like to believe we are an intelligent species but the reality is, most of us are not. So yes, instead of trying to teach our patrons how to access information, we should make it to where they do not need to know how to do it.
Beware the "come-to-us" model of service. Bingo - wholeheartedly. Libraries should be accessed not only from a physical location, but online through digital collections and live reference help. A good librarian is always getting up from behind the desk and approaching patrons, in the aisles, by the catalogs, outside the library, anywhere. We're taught that patrons are intimidated by desks and by "interrupting" the librarian. Customer service skills are HIGHLY important to being a good librarian - you should be making eye contact and greeting every patron, you should be asking if they need help, you should be following up to make sure their question was answered fully, you should have an engaging manner that makes the patron feel they can approach you next time they need help. The best words I hear from patrons is "You helped me before..."
It goes to say that this level of customer service needs to be represented online as well. This level of customer service needs to be everywhere the library is; and the library must be online.
2. INTO A NEW WORLD OF LIBRARIANSHIP
Librarian says to sharpen these skills.
Plan for the users (This should already be in a librarian's skill set. Sadly, it isn't always carried out effectively.)
Embrace Web 2.0 tools (Embracing technology is something that has existed in the profession. Technology is improving and changing light years ahead of how it used to - we need to be able to respond just as fast.)
Control technolust (Another skill you should have. Betamax? Cassette books? Microfilm? Microfiche? MP3s? how long do you hold on? What goes by the wayside?)
Make good yet fast decisions (see above - the world changing at ever increasing speed)
Be a trendspotter
"Gets" content : "The future of libraries will be guided by how users access, consume, and create CONTENT".
Ok, when did it become content? When did information change into content? Is it truth because many say it is? They've determined it to be so based on popular vote? Why, oh why, do I feel like this is Newspeak? The masses scare me. Where has critical thinking gone?
3. TO MORE POWERFUL WAYS TO COOPERATE
Commercial slant - of course it would be wonderful if all libraries could consolidate and pool their resources efficiently and with minimal paperwork (if any at all). And it would be wonderful if OCLC could head that new era. Build new services with Web 2.0 technologies. That's all I got out of this one.
4. TO BETTER BIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICES
UCLA librarian says that librarians have always adapted to new ways of service but that these services were very integratable. YES, oh god YES! It's already built into the "DNA" of a good librarian.
Package and push metadata. (YES!)
Broaden relevance rating (i.e. include circ figures into equation)
Adapt web features (imitate Amazon/Google - I say yes to this, but only the parts that would work for an institution not based on sales. This is the same in merchandising the books at the library - put them out there but don't be driven into doing a solely James Patterson display.)
Expand delivery ("Can't we all just get along?")
Streamline metadata creation
All of these are wonderful and would require cross collaboration. We can't even get city governments to talk to each other (how many public library systems are in your town? How many academic? how many specialized? How often do they all work together without regards to who has to pay for what?)
5. TO A TEMPORARY PLACE IN TIME...
a Futurist says that librarians are flexible (if they're good) and that people will still need experienced tour guides - leading to librarians being "collectible". I like this - futurist agrees with me that Amazon reviews are notoriously open to manipulation. Hell yes. We are librarians - if we are good, we adapt, we change, we flow with our community.
Many of our skills lend themselves well to this Library 2.0 principles. Users have (or should have) always determined what we purchase, programs we offer, developments made. Some libraries/librarians are more responsive than others. If you are proud that you are a librarian, you realize that change is necessary since our society is constantly changing. You should excel at customer service because your patrons are the reason you work. If this isn't true for you, then you are doing yourself (and your fellow librarians) an injustice.
Principles defining this include
simplicity
rich interactivity
user participation
collective intelligence
self-service
novel & remixed content
Library 2.0 shares these same principles relying on "radical trust" - trusting your contributors. No barriers to information. "User-centered change" is the heart of Library 2.0 (quoted from a source - but does it really matter what source I used? I'm not inclined to cite although professionally I cringe).
I've read five different takes on what, how, if, when, libraries are or are not Library 2.0...
1. AWAY FROM ICEBERGS
Librarian from UN-Reno says beware of just-in-case collections. They've noticed a drop in circulation numbers. Are these circulation numbers based on circ per capita or just pure circ numbers? Our circulation numbers keep climbing - people are still checking out items. How much of their population has access to computers (or other online means) outside of the library - not using the library's machines? If they have high numbers, this makes sense. Your patrons can access via online rather than physical - even if they prefer the physical. But if you community has high numbers that don't have access online outside the library, and are limited to an hour-and-a-half each day because there are not enough machines... then it doesn't make sense to "punish" these people by not having a physical collection. I do believe you need to be aware of what does and doesn't get checked out, what gets used in-house, and what your community needs. If you are a good librarian, you should already be doing this.
He also says beware of a reliance on user education. "Focus not on instruction but on eliminating barriers to information." I agree with this. I'm not sure if I am comfortable with the McDonalds way of things (You don't need to know how to read to be able to order a meal from McDonalds) because I would like to believe we are an intelligent species but the reality is, most of us are not. So yes, instead of trying to teach our patrons how to access information, we should make it to where they do not need to know how to do it.
Beware the "come-to-us" model of service. Bingo - wholeheartedly. Libraries should be accessed not only from a physical location, but online through digital collections and live reference help. A good librarian is always getting up from behind the desk and approaching patrons, in the aisles, by the catalogs, outside the library, anywhere. We're taught that patrons are intimidated by desks and by "interrupting" the librarian. Customer service skills are HIGHLY important to being a good librarian - you should be making eye contact and greeting every patron, you should be asking if they need help, you should be following up to make sure their question was answered fully, you should have an engaging manner that makes the patron feel they can approach you next time they need help. The best words I hear from patrons is "You helped me before..."
It goes to say that this level of customer service needs to be represented online as well. This level of customer service needs to be everywhere the library is; and the library must be online.
2. INTO A NEW WORLD OF LIBRARIANSHIP
Librarian says to sharpen these skills.
Plan for the users (This should already be in a librarian's skill set. Sadly, it isn't always carried out effectively.)
Embrace Web 2.0 tools (Embracing technology is something that has existed in the profession. Technology is improving and changing light years ahead of how it used to - we need to be able to respond just as fast.)
Control technolust (Another skill you should have. Betamax? Cassette books? Microfilm? Microfiche? MP3s? how long do you hold on? What goes by the wayside?)
Make good yet fast decisions (see above - the world changing at ever increasing speed)
Be a trendspotter
"Gets" content : "The future of libraries will be guided by how users access, consume, and create CONTENT".
Ok, when did it become content? When did information change into content? Is it truth because many say it is? They've determined it to be so based on popular vote? Why, oh why, do I feel like this is Newspeak? The masses scare me. Where has critical thinking gone?
3. TO MORE POWERFUL WAYS TO COOPERATE
Commercial slant - of course it would be wonderful if all libraries could consolidate and pool their resources efficiently and with minimal paperwork (if any at all). And it would be wonderful if OCLC could head that new era. Build new services with Web 2.0 technologies. That's all I got out of this one.
4. TO BETTER BIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICES
UCLA librarian says that librarians have always adapted to new ways of service but that these services were very integratable. YES, oh god YES! It's already built into the "DNA" of a good librarian.
Package and push metadata. (YES!)
Broaden relevance rating (i.e. include circ figures into equation)
Adapt web features (imitate Amazon/Google - I say yes to this, but only the parts that would work for an institution not based on sales. This is the same in merchandising the books at the library - put them out there but don't be driven into doing a solely James Patterson display.)
Expand delivery ("Can't we all just get along?")
Streamline metadata creation
All of these are wonderful and would require cross collaboration. We can't even get city governments to talk to each other (how many public library systems are in your town? How many academic? how many specialized? How often do they all work together without regards to who has to pay for what?)
5. TO A TEMPORARY PLACE IN TIME...
a Futurist says that librarians are flexible (if they're good) and that people will still need experienced tour guides - leading to librarians being "collectible". I like this - futurist agrees with me that Amazon reviews are notoriously open to manipulation. Hell yes. We are librarians - if we are good, we adapt, we change, we flow with our community.
Many of our skills lend themselves well to this Library 2.0 principles. Users have (or should have) always determined what we purchase, programs we offer, developments made. Some libraries/librarians are more responsive than others. If you are proud that you are a librarian, you realize that change is necessary since our society is constantly changing. You should excel at customer service because your patrons are the reason you work. If this isn't true for you, then you are doing yourself (and your fellow librarians) an injustice.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Technoratti does not rhyme with spaghetti
We were introduced to Technorati today. I was confused - surprising since the website seems pretty straightforward. Is the search box on the main page searching the blog directory? Or the blog directory and posts? Or the blog directory, posts, and post tags? I do not know.
Our exercise was to search "Learning2.0" (I would have had a link here but could not find a suitable one - that in itself is interesting); first in blog posts, then in tags, and also in the blog directory (remember my confusion from earlier)
My results:
20.980 in blog posts
758 posts tagged
20.995 in the directory? This was searched in the search box on the main page
What if people don't tag their posts (I haven't :) ? What if the tags they use aren't ones I would have thought of? The results are so much larger if I search blog posts than if I search tags. And I don't think I searched the blog directory correctly because there are so many results. Hmmm...
Something else we were required to do was to check out the most popular blogs. Again, I was a little confused - is "Rising Posts & Stories" aka popular? Here you could sort by attention (aka popular) or by freshness (aka time/date posted). However, if you clicked on Blogger Central you had a choice of "Top 100 Blogs" or "Popular". The first was sortable by authority (who determines this?) or by number of fans. The second had it broken down into Top 100 By Fans, Top Searches, or Top 100 By Authority. Are they the same thing?
So, the most popular blog was www.boingboing.net. Seems to be a compendium of copyright issues, technology, internet, entertainment... I noticed that many of the top blogs talked about these topics, including blogging. Perhaps this one is the most popular due to the author's writing style? Maybe he's got a lot of friends? Maybe it's one of the older (and more established) blogs on these topics? Who knows. One of my favorites made the list, PostSecret! Different subject matter than most on the top 10.
One more thing - technology is such a broad, BROAD, term. It's like science - you could have science like astronomy, botany, the "science" of cooking, applied science.... I would like to find some narrower terms for technology related to computers, specifically internet.
PS: I was not in the mood to tackle the bonus assignment since I'm at the reference desk now and serving patrons - which leads my brain to sizzle out of my ears.
Our exercise was to search "Learning2.0" (I would have had a link here but could not find a suitable one - that in itself is interesting); first in blog posts, then in tags, and also in the blog directory (remember my confusion from earlier)
My results:
20.980 in blog posts
758 posts tagged
20.995 in the directory? This was searched in the search box on the main page
What if people don't tag their posts (I haven't :) ? What if the tags they use aren't ones I would have thought of? The results are so much larger if I search blog posts than if I search tags. And I don't think I searched the blog directory correctly because there are so many results. Hmmm...
Something else we were required to do was to check out the most popular blogs. Again, I was a little confused - is "Rising Posts & Stories" aka popular? Here you could sort by attention (aka popular) or by freshness (aka time/date posted). However, if you clicked on Blogger Central you had a choice of "Top 100 Blogs" or "Popular". The first was sortable by authority (who determines this?) or by number of fans. The second had it broken down into Top 100 By Fans, Top Searches, or Top 100 By Authority. Are they the same thing?
So, the most popular blog was www.boingboing.net. Seems to be a compendium of copyright issues, technology, internet, entertainment... I noticed that many of the top blogs talked about these topics, including blogging. Perhaps this one is the most popular due to the author's writing style? Maybe he's got a lot of friends? Maybe it's one of the older (and more established) blogs on these topics? Who knows. One of my favorites made the list, PostSecret! Different subject matter than most on the top 10.
One more thing - technology is such a broad, BROAD, term. It's like science - you could have science like astronomy, botany, the "science" of cooking, applied science.... I would like to find some narrower terms for technology related to computers, specifically internet.
PS: I was not in the mood to tackle the bonus assignment since I'm at the reference desk now and serving patrons - which leads my brain to sizzle out of my ears.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Hungry for some del.icio.us chow!
Ok, I enjoyed the video. The term "peer driven information directories" struck a chord - that's pretty much what we've been covering these last weeks and it's interesting to see an "official" term for it. I also liked the term "folksonomy".
I feel pretty much comfortable with computers - I have fond memories of writing my own programs in Basic, being the only teen in the adult computer club in the Canal Zone, and loving my Atari 130XE. I have great memories of discovering Mosaic while an undergrad... and spending my alloted "allowance" on pictures of David Duchovny. Ahh, what a great use of my printing allowance (good thing I wasn't a business major). So, I feel like I know more than the average user... that is the average user over the age of 18.
I go on again about the social networking aspect. I admit, I'm not a social person (at least in my private life). I wasn't sure why I would want to use del.icio.us. Ok, I do like the idea of my bookmarks being available anywhere I enter the internet. So that's cool. And it reminds me of StumbleUpon, a website that lets you rate websites and finds new ones for you. But StumbleUpon automatically assigns the tag/s for you, so that's not too helpful. However, if you use Stumble to find the website and del.icio.us to bookmark it... that sounds like a happy marriage. It is interesting to see what others have used as tags... but I find myself getting annoyed with some of the choices. It's an individual thing, of course, so it need only make sense to the initial user.
Another thing mentioned in the video was about following copyright: does anyone follow copyright anymore? It falls under the professional ethics of librarians but I know plenty who don't follow it. I'm wondering what kind of copyright laws are involved with posting links to other websites from your own blog count as. If you're just talking about how wonderful a site is (see my links within posts for instance), are you obligated to get permission to link someone's website? Where does the line get drawn? Are we moving away entirely from copyright law - it seems almost impossible to be able to police? And why would you have to worry about copyrighting in del.icio.us?
I feel pretty much comfortable with computers - I have fond memories of writing my own programs in Basic, being the only teen in the adult computer club in the Canal Zone, and loving my Atari 130XE. I have great memories of discovering Mosaic while an undergrad... and spending my alloted "allowance" on pictures of David Duchovny. Ahh, what a great use of my printing allowance (good thing I wasn't a business major). So, I feel like I know more than the average user... that is the average user over the age of 18.
I go on again about the social networking aspect. I admit, I'm not a social person (at least in my private life). I wasn't sure why I would want to use del.icio.us. Ok, I do like the idea of my bookmarks being available anywhere I enter the internet. So that's cool. And it reminds me of StumbleUpon, a website that lets you rate websites and finds new ones for you. But StumbleUpon automatically assigns the tag/s for you, so that's not too helpful. However, if you use Stumble to find the website and del.icio.us to bookmark it... that sounds like a happy marriage. It is interesting to see what others have used as tags... but I find myself getting annoyed with some of the choices. It's an individual thing, of course, so it need only make sense to the initial user.
Another thing mentioned in the video was about following copyright: does anyone follow copyright anymore? It falls under the professional ethics of librarians but I know plenty who don't follow it. I'm wondering what kind of copyright laws are involved with posting links to other websites from your own blog count as. If you're just talking about how wonderful a site is (see my links within posts for instance), are you obligated to get permission to link someone's website? Where does the line get drawn? Are we moving away entirely from copyright law - it seems almost impossible to be able to police? And why would you have to worry about copyrighting in del.icio.us?
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Searching multiple websites at one time
I created a Rollyo account. God, I wish I had known about this less than a week ago so I could have shown my Spanish computer class. What a great way to add credible websites and search all at once (one of our last topics before we finished). I can think of many uses, especially since you can create more than one. At the library, you could create one with local government links... or another of websites related to health... or to antiques so you could price something... or to readers' advisory pages to browse.... WOW, how really really cool.
Many thanks are being sent to our instructors for tuning us on to these. This is awesome!!
BTW, here's mine. It's a cornucopia of different sites but I will finetune them later :)
Many thanks are being sent to our instructors for tuning us on to these. This is awesome!!
BTW, here's mine. It's a cornucopia of different sites but I will finetune them later :)
I ABSOLUTELY love LibraryThing
Yes, I am a big fan. A huge fan. Some of you may know I studied to be a cataloger and interviewed for those positions before I got into reference. It's probably a good thing I didn't become one for I would have driven myself (and coworkers) crazy by talking to myself all the time. At least at the reference desk I'm on the go so I move the chatter with me (and no, nothing has answered me yet).
I have 156 books in my catalog - I'd have more but you're limited to 200 books unless you get a membership (an awesome deal if you ask me - I'm just broke right now). Feel free to take a look at my catalog, or check out a random sampling of my tags off to the side.
I've made up some of my own rules for my catalog. I use the original publication date of the book although I use the cover art of the copy I own (or borrowed). I use reviews procured from Novelist database rather than my own as well as the 1-2 sentence summaries. I use the comments field for series notes (mainly naming all the titles in there) and I absolutely love adding the call numbers (Dewey - but not the generic "Fic"). And the ratings! It was hard to come up with a system but 5 = all time favorite, 3 is still a good rating, 2 = decent read but didn't really stick with me, and 1 = I did not enjoy it at all. So much fun. Between this and World of Warcraft, it's a wonder I ever make it out of my home :)
I have 156 books in my catalog - I'd have more but you're limited to 200 books unless you get a membership (an awesome deal if you ask me - I'm just broke right now). Feel free to take a look at my catalog, or check out a random sampling of my tags off to the side.
I've made up some of my own rules for my catalog. I use the original publication date of the book although I use the cover art of the copy I own (or borrowed). I use reviews procured from Novelist database rather than my own as well as the 1-2 sentence summaries. I use the comments field for series notes (mainly naming all the titles in there) and I absolutely love adding the call numbers (Dewey - but not the generic "Fic"). And the ratings! It was hard to come up with a system but 5 = all time favorite, 3 is still a good rating, 2 = decent read but didn't really stick with me, and 1 = I did not enjoy it at all. So much fun. Between this and World of Warcraft, it's a wonder I ever make it out of my home :)
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