This has been a highly educational tour of technology and its many uses in general, but specifically for libraries. I would hope that as new applications are created, there will be a new version of 23 Things to help people include them.
One of the epiphanies is that I just didn't realize that the average person could do certain things such as create podcasts and audiofeeds. I guess I thought companies did that. Also, many of these steps were quite easy to implement as long as the instructions are clear. If there is one piece of advice for 23 Things, it is to ensure that their links work. Perhaps they did not always because URLs change, etc.
I really enjoyed learning how to manipulate images and believe the most useful tools that I will continue to use often include the RSS feeds and Rollyo. Fortunately I was already familiar with LibraryThing/GoodReads and use this tool constantly. Just since starting this master's program 14 months ago, I have read 101 books. Using one of these programs keeps the information fresh.
Lifelong learning is an attitude. As I quickly approach my 50th birthday, I am very proud to say I've got lots of attitude! Just think how much I'll know by age 100!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
eLibrary Books
I am very frustrated with Learning 2.0's 23 Things site as too many of their links simply do not work no matter how many times I try. Fortunately, I could access NetLibrary's site and can see categories of content and can see how useful and desirable this would be for many patrons.
Last year, my own public library offered this service though it is discontinued now. I was a patron only then, so my memory may be a bit incorrect. This service, I believe, was offered through the state of Illinois library system. Patrons would go to their site to pick their title which would then be downloaded to the local library. I then went there to check out an MP3 player with the book already on it.
The system was not perfect. You could not always get the title you wanted any time soon, and the library only had a few MP3 players. It was my impression that the library was not exactly fond of these devices; just more to keep track of perhaps. The portability of the MP3 player has great appeal, perhaps especially for commuters and exercisers. This is an area of technology that I believe will continue to grow.
Last year, my own public library offered this service though it is discontinued now. I was a patron only then, so my memory may be a bit incorrect. This service, I believe, was offered through the state of Illinois library system. Patrons would go to their site to pick their title which would then be downloaded to the local library. I then went there to check out an MP3 player with the book already on it.
The system was not perfect. You could not always get the title you wanted any time soon, and the library only had a few MP3 players. It was my impression that the library was not exactly fond of these devices; just more to keep track of perhaps. The portability of the MP3 player has great appeal, perhaps especially for commuters and exercisers. This is an area of technology that I believe will continue to grow.
Podcasts
This was easier than expected. On Learning 2.0's 23 Things site, two of the three links for podcasting services did not work and I was beginning to think this would be difficult, but PodcastAlley came through. Sorting through the myriad podcasts makes you realize just how many are available for review. My first choice, LibVibes, was outdated. At least it was easy to put in search words, so I could choose from other book and library sites. I posted a couple of URLs to my bloglines.com account easily and the podcasts became easy to access.
Podcasts can be used multiple ways in a library. On an intranet, a library director could deliver messages to staff. On the library's website, podcasts could be a tool used to feature feature book tools, discussions, and the like. Just having podcasts available would send a strong message that the library is current with technology and current thinking.
Podcasts can be used multiple ways in a library. On an intranet, a library director could deliver messages to staff. On the library's website, podcasts could be a tool used to feature feature book tools, discussions, and the like. Just having podcasts available would send a strong message that the library is current with technology and current thinking.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
YouTube is Ubiquitous
Ubiquitous essentially means "everywhere" and that about sums it up for YouTube. People of all ages have sent me links to particularly hilarious videos. Politicians used them for the first time in this recent election. Parts of it are unabashedly commercial, but I have also seen family videos posted.
A library could appear to be really with the times by incorporating clips into their web site or include clips with book discussions. Many authors are featured as are libraries themselves. Videos are considered to be far more commanding than audio feeds alone. Visual messages have always been known to dominate the human learning experience and are considered to be essential when making presentations. Basically, they are one tool among many, but this is one that particularly engages the viewer.
A library could appear to be really with the times by incorporating clips into their web site or include clips with book discussions. Many authors are featured as are libraries themselves. Videos are considered to be far more commanding than audio feeds alone. Visual messages have always been known to dominate the human learning experience and are considered to be essential when making presentations. Basically, they are one tool among many, but this is one that particularly engages the viewer.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Web 2.0 Awards
I chose to explore widgets partly because I just like that word and because I am also trying to understand what widgets are a bit better. "YourMinis" promises streaming online radio and it mostly works. It does not work while you are writing a post, but it does for someone reading your blog. Sometimes selecting a station resulted in music, and sometimes it didn't so I suspect future versions of this will be even better. There are just so many interesting ways to customize our world.
Zoho Add-On
Now I am sold even more on web-based software. It was supremely easy to post Zoho to my blog, but even better, I was able to edit the text once I was in the blog. The colors and fonts all carried over into the blog perfectly.
Zoho T(z)est
Today I am writing my blog post using Zoho Writer, an online software tool similar to Microsoft Word. I can instantly see that this is a tool for the new world of work. We are now a global workforce with many employees working from home offices. What a great collaboration tool and time saver. I am reminded of the story of the startup of Federal Express where a college student was told that his idea of delivering documents overnight would never be feasible and would not catch on. The rest is indeed history. This idea could follow that same path and put a serious dent in Federal Express' business.
In a library setting, typical hours of employment are 9am to 9pm and it is common for employees to work all kinds of shifts. Having this tool would facilitate input on documents where multiple opinions are encouraged, such as setting policy, or even working on school group projects. One example could be the weekly work schedule, posted for review:
MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | |
John | 9-5 | 12-9 | 12-9 | 9-5 | 9-5 |
Mary | 12-9 | 9-5 | 9-5 | 12-9 | 12-9 |
So far, I have tested out Zoho's fonts, colors, and a table. Haven't figured out how to resize the table, and I suspect there will be other features that are simply better on Microsoft's products, but in general, I am pretty impressed. We have seen the future.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sandbox Wiki
I could find the sandbox. I could view the various pages within the sandbox. Alas, it would not let me play in the sandbox. Couldn't get past the log-in requirement and wasn't prepared to pay for PBWiki in order to gain access. That said...
There are many ways something similar to this could be used. Just keeping track of the many events at any library would be most useful. In my own, there is a sheet to dig out to find out about the next event and the sheet does not contain information for other departments. Would much rather see it be a click away. For fun, a wiki could also become a way for employees to get to know one another better. Will have to mull this new tool a bit more.
There are many ways something similar to this could be used. Just keeping track of the many events at any library would be most useful. In my own, there is a sheet to dig out to find out about the next event and the sheet does not contain information for other departments. Would much rather see it be a click away. For fun, a wiki could also become a way for employees to get to know one another better. Will have to mull this new tool a bit more.
Whatsa Wiki?
It's finally happened. I get it. Really. Finally. Now I fully understand what a Wiki is and even better, how a Wiki can be used. For readers, especially those of us always with an eye to the next great find, the idea I like a lot and think would be received well, is the idea of allowing patrons to annotate the library catalog ala Amazon.
Who "owns" the library? The taxpayers, of course. But do they feel like they own the library, i.e., that it is really theirs? A great way to create this sense of ownership is to encourage their participation with a Wiki that invites opinions and reviews. I also liked the subject Wikis, but these I suspect take a lot of time to set up in the beginning and require ongoing maintenance as new materials join the library, whereas the annotated catalog seems more likely to run itself once launched. Online communities of readers are appearing in myriad ways and while LibraryThing and GoodReads are great examples of this trend, a local library would add value onto itself by allowing its users to personalize it.
Patrons will catch on. They will get it. Really. One day. And they'll love it!
Who "owns" the library? The taxpayers, of course. But do they feel like they own the library, i.e., that it is really theirs? A great way to create this sense of ownership is to encourage their participation with a Wiki that invites opinions and reviews. I also liked the subject Wikis, but these I suspect take a lot of time to set up in the beginning and require ongoing maintenance as new materials join the library, whereas the annotated catalog seems more likely to run itself once launched. Online communities of readers are appearing in myriad ways and while LibraryThing and GoodReads are great examples of this trend, a local library would add value onto itself by allowing its users to personalize it.
Patrons will catch on. They will get it. Really. One day. And they'll love it!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Libraries are Communities
In reading about Learning 2.0 and Web 2.0, I confess that some of it went beyond my personal library experience. What is absolutely clear, however, is that the core role of libraries hasn't changed. A library embodies community. Just as culture changes over times, though, so does the nature of library services.
A positive initiative is that libraries are working hard to remove barriers to learning and continually finding new ways to provide access to information. Instant messaging, online library catalogs, online databases, and so much more bring the library to the user, without the user potentially ever needing to set foot on the premises. Libraries need better staffing for training users. I have seen this in my own short tenure. Users are easily overwhelmed and the gap is poised to widen.
The diamond in the 'mine' of information overload is that I believe users will learn to recognize the library as a place of solutions and assistance. I treasure our library as a community, information, and culture hub and believe we can be successful in meeting people's information and recreational needs.
A positive initiative is that libraries are working hard to remove barriers to learning and continually finding new ways to provide access to information. Instant messaging, online library catalogs, online databases, and so much more bring the library to the user, without the user potentially ever needing to set foot on the premises. Libraries need better staffing for training users. I have seen this in my own short tenure. Users are easily overwhelmed and the gap is poised to widen.
The diamond in the 'mine' of information overload is that I believe users will learn to recognize the library as a place of solutions and assistance. I treasure our library as a community, information, and culture hub and believe we can be successful in meeting people's information and recreational needs.
Technorati
Today I signed up with Technorati, the blog connection. This seems like a great tool and site for people who like to connect with others with similar interests and for those who track cultural trends. It is also great to see how other blogs are designed. I like the way a simple click can take you to a particular blog post or the entire blog, and the ability to create a Favorites list is time saving. Inserted the Technorati Fave logo on my own blog. This is an important tool among many which attempt to organize, and allow access, to aspects of The Web.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Not Just Tasty, it's Del.icio.us
This is my second experience with exploring Del.icio.us and I have yet to be sold on this tool. I definitely can see how it could be useful for a group project, or for an extended project that one individual is gathering information for. While collecting bookmarks makes sense, I already use "My Favorites" as a tool for this though I can see how a person who works on several computers would benefit from Del.icio.us. It's like a traveling "My Favorites." Over time, I have clicked on lots of links, but the truth is that I usually fall back on the sites that I know I can trust. It really does not matter to me how other people tag sites on a personal level and I guess I need a few more practical examples of how it would benefit me professionally. I will continue to explore it, but at this moment, the verdict is still out.
On a Roll with Rollyo
As a church musician in a "blended" congregation. I have a great deal of freedom to create music I enjoy playing. One of the challenges, however, is keeping the music sounding fresh and new while honoring traditional tunes. I decided to create a search roll using Rollyo that is comprised of music publishers whose sites I check regularly. The search roll is easy to create and I quickly added eight sites. Using several old standbys such as Amazing Grace and It is Well With My Soul, I quickly could see the value of using this tool. A user can easily navigate between sites AND not only does one arrive at the site, but actually goes right to the item containing the song you have listed. This is a significant time saver. A search does result in items you would not care about such as a music CD or links to Target. There are also distracting ads. Overall, however, this idea of grouping sites is valuable in the same way the BlogLines allows people to group their RSS feeds.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Poster "Chic"
One could quickly and easily lose control having fun with image generating. This is my glamour girl daughter, Deanna. Bet she will be inspired to update her own blog now that her tech savvy mom can show her all these fun tools. This image is used with a poster tool.
Generating a New Image
Now isn't this fun. At http://bighugelabs.com/ I discovered how to take a digital photo and modify it using the many tools Big Huge Labs offers. This was easier than expected. Of course, they are hoping you will purchase an actual jigsaw puzzle in this case. This is my flower child son, Elliot, standing in front of the 10 foot sunflowers he grew this summer. I'm thinking about attempting a mosaic made from family pictures, creating a puzzle, and presenting it to Grandpa for Christmas. Just might be a winner.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Infinite Information
If I was not a library science student, I would identify myself as a reasonably ordinary individual. Ordinary individuals, I am convinced, do not have a clue as to the vast number of resources they can tap into to support their interests and their work. I vacillate between being in awe and being overwhelmed. At the least, I have new respect for libraries and their services.
This week, I compared search engines and explored the "invisible web." If I am impressed with one principle, it is that if the answer exists, it is on the web. The trick, of course, is finding it.
Finally, I never used to understand how some people could spend untold hours on the Internet. If one is inclined, however, to play with the many options in customizing blogs, home pages, screen savers, etc., there is plenty to attract your attention. Once it is all in place, though, you can have even more fun changing it again. Ahh, who needs sleep?
This week, I compared search engines and explored the "invisible web." If I am impressed with one principle, it is that if the answer exists, it is on the web. The trick, of course, is finding it.
Finally, I never used to understand how some people could spend untold hours on the Internet. If one is inclined, however, to play with the many options in customizing blogs, home pages, screen savers, etc., there is plenty to attract your attention. Once it is all in place, though, you can have even more fun changing it again. Ahh, who needs sleep?
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