I feel a little silly writing up something about being done, when there are still 2 Things that I need to do, but they're unavailable at the moment. So, I guess it's okay :-)
I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to participate in this discovery program. Not only did it get me "out there" in terms of learning about new web tools, but it also got me thinking about how libraries do and will fit into the Web 2.0 environment.
There's still a lot to learn (and change certainly seems to be the new status quo), but now that I've had a taste of some of those new things, they're not quite so intimidating. Plus, now I have these blog posts of mine and the IUB Libraries Learning 2.0 Project blog as resources to refer to in the future.
I would definitely be interested in participating in another discovery program.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Podcasts
Here's my brief critical review of the 3 podcast searching sites:
I found Podcast Alley the easiest to use (I found LibVibe - library news podcast feed - and an EPA podcast feed there and subscribed to them via Bloglines.) I found the Yahoo! search less helpful, and the Podcast.net search least helpful (it kept freezing up on me).
I also enjoyed listening to a couple of the IU Libraries Survival Guide podcasts :-)
As with news and other changing information sources, I think RSS feeds for podcasts are a great help.
I found Podcast Alley the easiest to use (I found LibVibe - library news podcast feed - and an EPA podcast feed there and subscribed to them via Bloglines.) I found the Yahoo! search less helpful, and the Podcast.net search least helpful (it kept freezing up on me).
I also enjoyed listening to a couple of the IU Libraries Survival Guide podcasts :-)
As with news and other changing information sources, I think RSS feeds for podcasts are a great help.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
YouTube
Librarians' Internet Index pointed me towards this, which I think is interesting: http://www.youtube.com/youchoose
For entertainment, this one is kind of fun :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns314ZNaJb4
And I love this Cookie Monster segment from Sesame Street! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlkplvYdgA
I didn't see the option for embedding videos in a blog post, however. :-(
Being able to view and share video files could be useful in libraries for internal and external tutorials. Internally, this kind of tool might complement the traditional procedures manual nicely, and externally, videos can be used to give virtual tours and support bibliographic/library instruction.
For entertainment, this one is kind of fun :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns314ZNaJb4
And I love this Cookie Monster segment from Sesame Street! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlkplvYdgA
I didn't see the option for embedding videos in a blog post, however. :-(
Being able to view and share video files could be useful in libraries for internal and external tutorials. Internally, this kind of tool might complement the traditional procedures manual nicely, and externally, videos can be used to give virtual tours and support bibliographic/library instruction.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Taking the plunge
Well, I finally did it. I bit the proverbial bullet and joined a social networking site: Facebook. My little sister is on it (she's in college) - and, as it turns out so are several of my friends, though some of my closest friends have MySpace accounts - and she's going to be studying abroad this semester on the other side of the world, so I thought this might be a good way to keep in touch.
Since Facebook placed 1st in the 2007 Web 2.0 Awards, I thought blogging about my joining would be a good way to complete Thing #19 :-)
I'm still a little overwhelmed, to be honest. On the whole, I prize my privacy and much of what goes on here (as with a blog, I suppose) is about sharing information about yourself, so it's a challenge trying to find a balance of participation without total "exposure." I like the fact that you can set your profile so that only your "friends" can view your information, and that you can write messages to individuals without having to tell everyone by writing on the "wall."
In thinking about Facebook and the library setting, I decided to take a look at some recent scholarly publishing on the topic (see my brief reading list below). Initially, I found Mack (et al)'s recommendation to create personal profiles as opposed to institutional profiles surprising, but they explained that this is a Facebook regulation. (Landis also suggests creating a Facebook group for students to join.) It poses an interesting question about continuity, however. Students and library staff come and go, but the library (hopefully!) is more persistent. How can the library establish its sense of continuity? Should it even concern itself with that?
Ah! I "spoke" too soon, Rapple points out that Facebook no longer requires profiles to belong only to individuals. (And, now I see there are many libraries out there!)
Anyway, sounds like this tool has potential for reaching undergraduates especially. Perhaps the undergrads who get hip to the help librarians can provide will become graduates who come visit us at the desk!
Landis, C. Connecting to Users with Facebook. Georgia Library Quarterly v. 43 no. 4 (Winter 2007) p. 6
Mack, D., et al. Reaching Students with Facebook: Data and Best Practices.
Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship v. 8 no. 2 (Summer 2007)
p. 4
Rapple, C. Social networking. Serials v. 20 no. 3 (November 2007) p.240-241
Since Facebook placed 1st in the 2007 Web 2.0 Awards, I thought blogging about my joining would be a good way to complete Thing #19 :-)
I'm still a little overwhelmed, to be honest. On the whole, I prize my privacy and much of what goes on here (as with a blog, I suppose) is about sharing information about yourself, so it's a challenge trying to find a balance of participation without total "exposure." I like the fact that you can set your profile so that only your "friends" can view your information, and that you can write messages to individuals without having to tell everyone by writing on the "wall."
In thinking about Facebook and the library setting, I decided to take a look at some recent scholarly publishing on the topic (see my brief reading list below). Initially, I found Mack (et al)'s recommendation to create personal profiles as opposed to institutional profiles surprising, but they explained that this is a Facebook regulation. (Landis also suggests creating a Facebook group for students to join.) It poses an interesting question about continuity, however. Students and library staff come and go, but the library (hopefully!) is more persistent. How can the library establish its sense of continuity? Should it even concern itself with that?
Ah! I "spoke" too soon, Rapple points out that Facebook no longer requires profiles to belong only to individuals. (And, now I see there are many libraries out there!)
Anyway, sounds like this tool has potential for reaching undergraduates especially. Perhaps the undergrads who get hip to the help librarians can provide will become graduates who come visit us at the desk!
Landis, C. Connecting to Users with Facebook. Georgia Library Quarterly v. 43 no. 4 (Winter 2007) p. 6
Mack, D., et al. Reaching Students with Facebook: Data and Best Practices.
Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship v. 8 no. 2 (Summer 2007)
p. 4
Rapple, C. Social networking. Serials v. 20 no. 3 (November 2007) p.240-241
Friday, January 4, 2008
web apps
Well, that was a little adventure! I tried out 2 of the Zoho office web apps (see the preceding post below). As with anything else, I think they would take some getting used to, but it's pretty neat to be able to publish and share documents so easily. I'd think twice before using these things for group projects in school, though. Maybe I'm just a scaredy-cat ;-) You can keep track of versions and changes, after all...
I did have some trouble when I tried to enter ISBNs in the spreadsheet. It left off the leading zeros.
I did have some trouble when I tried to enter ISBNs in the spreadsheet. It left off the leading zeros.
Trying out Zoho Writer
Will Shortz makes my head hurt with his puzzles.
New web apps make me feel old fashioned.
And here's a Zoho spreadsheet!
New web apps make me feel old fashioned.
| Here is a little table. | Isn't it cute?  |
| Look, Mom, no hand-coding HTML! | The last cell was empty, but now it's not. |
And here's a Zoho spreadsheet!
A "wiki wiki" wiki post
I think wikis are a great way to gather and share information, though they are certainly not for every occasion. I noticed at least one wiki which the founder had abandoned in favor of a blog in order to have more control and escape the avalanche of spam.
Wikis can work well as tools for generating collective pathfinders on one or more topics (though there is of course the question of authority), and I could see them working for planning large events involving people in geographically diverse locations (ALA meetings being a case in point). My family recently threw a small surprise birthday party for my mom. Had the party and the family been bigger than it was, I think a wiki would have been immensely helpful for communicating about invitations, decorations, etc.
I'm not sure how I feel about wikis in a library setting, however. Perhaps they could be useful for sharing information and experiences among library staff. Using them as a collaborative tool between library staff and library users might be too unpredictable and volatile to be successful. Could you create one for the purpose of "cultural exchange" between patrons and librarians? I don't know. Might be beneficial for obtaining user feedback, but as with any such feedback generating device, how could you ensure that people would use it and that the feedback you got was representative of the whole user population?
Wikis can work well as tools for generating collective pathfinders on one or more topics (though there is of course the question of authority), and I could see them working for planning large events involving people in geographically diverse locations (ALA meetings being a case in point). My family recently threw a small surprise birthday party for my mom. Had the party and the family been bigger than it was, I think a wiki would have been immensely helpful for communicating about invitations, decorations, etc.
I'm not sure how I feel about wikis in a library setting, however. Perhaps they could be useful for sharing information and experiences among library staff. Using them as a collaborative tool between library staff and library users might be too unpredictable and volatile to be successful. Could you create one for the purpose of "cultural exchange" between patrons and librarians? I don't know. Might be beneficial for obtaining user feedback, but as with any such feedback generating device, how could you ensure that people would use it and that the feedback you got was representative of the whole user population?
Friday, December 21, 2007
Library 2.0
Oops! I did it again ;-) I read several of the articles suggested in Thing #15 a couple of weeks ago and then forgot to blog about it.
Here are my thoughts/reactions:
Rick Anderson's "Away from the 'icebergs'"
-I'm all for making resources more accessible and easier for patrons to use. However, just because we cannot sit each individual patron down for some good old fashioned instruction, doesn't mean that teaching has no place in today's (or tomorrow's) library. As much as we all would like a one-click solution to our information needs (and as hard as we work to increase patron independence), I think it is very important to provide some kind of assistance/education.
-Though we are no longer in an exclusively print-based environment, I wouldn't call this the "post-print era;" the world has been come more digital, but it's not completely digital.
-I do think it's a very good idea to "integrat[e] our services into [patrons'] daily patterns of work, study and play." If we don't seek to become an integral part of our patrons' lives, we'll be brushed aside and forgotten.
Michael Stephens' "Into a new world of librarianship"
-"Librarian 2.0 controls technolust" and "does not buy technology for the sake of technology" but seeks to improve the user's experience by exploring new technologies and implementing them when and where they will be most useful. Hooray!
-"Perpetual beta." Hmm, this feels a little more uncomfortable. I agree that the library cannot remain static, but staying in temporary/experimental mode doesn't sound especially tenable either.
-I agree that the library is not an isolated entity and that "Librarian 2.0" needs to stay aware of shifting external landscapes in order to plan the internal transformations that happen in the library.
John J. Riemer's "To better bibliographic services"
-Oh how I look forward to the "comprehensive menu of choices [for finding and obtaining materials] in a single place"! That is currently (in my opinion) one of the most frustrating aspects of using a library (and I work in one and have an MLS!).
-I'm not sure how excited I am about the "tagging" phenomenon, but perhaps if we can integrate less structured forms with more structured forms of metadata the result will be beneficial...
Here are my thoughts/reactions:
Rick Anderson's "Away from the 'icebergs'"
-I'm all for making resources more accessible and easier for patrons to use. However, just because we cannot sit each individual patron down for some good old fashioned instruction, doesn't mean that teaching has no place in today's (or tomorrow's) library. As much as we all would like a one-click solution to our information needs (and as hard as we work to increase patron independence), I think it is very important to provide some kind of assistance/education.
-Though we are no longer in an exclusively print-based environment, I wouldn't call this the "post-print era;" the world has been come more digital, but it's not completely digital.
-I do think it's a very good idea to "integrat[e] our services into [patrons'] daily patterns of work, study and play." If we don't seek to become an integral part of our patrons' lives, we'll be brushed aside and forgotten.
Michael Stephens' "Into a new world of librarianship"
-"Librarian 2.0 controls technolust" and "does not buy technology for the sake of technology" but seeks to improve the user's experience by exploring new technologies and implementing them when and where they will be most useful. Hooray!
-"Perpetual beta." Hmm, this feels a little more uncomfortable. I agree that the library cannot remain static, but staying in temporary/experimental mode doesn't sound especially tenable either.
-I agree that the library is not an isolated entity and that "Librarian 2.0" needs to stay aware of shifting external landscapes in order to plan the internal transformations that happen in the library.
John J. Riemer's "To better bibliographic services"
-Oh how I look forward to the "comprehensive menu of choices [for finding and obtaining materials] in a single place"! That is currently (in my opinion) one of the most frustrating aspects of using a library (and I work in one and have an MLS!).
-I'm not sure how excited I am about the "tagging" phenomenon, but perhaps if we can integrate less structured forms with more structured forms of metadata the result will be beneficial...
Technorati
Hmmm; well, I think I've started on this Thing two or three times now and still haven't blogged about it. I liked what I saw in the tutorial, but that didn't really seem to be what I found on the site. Maybe I need to claim my blog in order to get the "discover" view? I'm not sure.
In any case, I like ability to do "advanced searches," though I'd be happier without all the ads;-) I looked at some of the popular blogs and did some tag searching. I'm not clear on the sorting of results/hits that goes on.
In any case, I like ability to do "advanced searches," though I'd be happier without all the ads;-) I looked at some of the popular blogs and did some tag searching. I'm not clear on the sorting of results/hits that goes on.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Search Rolls for Education
Please try some searches using the search rolls below. Use the dropdown menu to select any of the following search rolls:
"Gen. Ref. for Education" which searches: Ask an Expert, Gale Virtual Reference Library, Internet Quick Reference Shelf, Educator's Reference Desk, Encyclopedia Britannica Online, National Library of Education, and Your Dictionary.
"Educ. Data Search" which searches: Condition of Education, Digest of Educational Statistics, Kids Count Data Book, National Archives and Records Administration, National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), and NCES School District Data Book.
"Cert. & Standards" which searches: Certification Requirements for the 50 States, Nations Report Card, and National and State Educational Standards.
"Education in Indiana" which searches: ASAP (Indiana Accountability System for Academic Progress), IDEANet (Indiana Dept. of Education Access Network), and Indiana Academic Standards.
"Educ. & Fed. Gov." which searches: Federal Education Laws, FedWorld Information Network, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Education Technology Initiatives.
"Rankings & Tests" which searches: Peterson's Education Center, Princeton Review Online, Test Locator, and U.S. News Online Education Rankings.
"Gen. Ref. for Education" which searches: Ask an Expert, Gale Virtual Reference Library, Internet Quick Reference Shelf, Educator's Reference Desk, Encyclopedia Britannica Online, National Library of Education, and Your Dictionary.
"Educ. Data Search" which searches: Condition of Education, Digest of Educational Statistics, Kids Count Data Book, National Archives and Records Administration, National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), and NCES School District Data Book.
"Cert. & Standards" which searches: Certification Requirements for the 50 States, Nations Report Card, and National and State Educational Standards.
"Education in Indiana" which searches: ASAP (Indiana Accountability System for Academic Progress), IDEANet (Indiana Dept. of Education Access Network), and Indiana Academic Standards.
"Educ. & Fed. Gov." which searches: Federal Education Laws, FedWorld Information Network, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Department of Education Technology Initiatives.
"Rankings & Tests" which searches: Peterson's Education Center, Princeton Review Online, Test Locator, and U.S. News Online Education Rankings.
Thing #9
So, I realized that I posted an entry about Bloglines here, but never said anything about the tools used to select the feeds! Here we go then: I wasn't happy with Feedster, because I couldn't get the page to load. I think I like Technorati the best as far as searching and just the layout in general, though I did use Topix.net to find the news feed for my hometown. I used Syndic8.com, too, but didn't like it quite as much as Technorati.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Third Party Flickr Apps
Again, I must have gotten sidetracked in the midst of this Thing. I found the Yahoo! Travel Trip Planner, told my boyfriend's mother about it (because she loves planning vacations), and then promptly moved on to something else! You can get tips from other travelers about places, look up all kinds of information about things to do, places to stay, how to get around and keep it all in a nice tidy package - which you can keep to yourself, share with others who have Yahoo! accounts, or share with the public at large. Pretty nifty!
Flickr
I'm not sure how I missed this "discovery exercise" - I must have gotten distracted by something! The next thing I knew, I was blogging about ways of staying in touch using technology (Thing #7). Anyway, I found this beautiful winter scene - a photo taken by Denis Collette and posted on Flickr - that I'd like to share. I love the way there are warm, bright yellows and even a hint of blue at the heart of the image surrounded by soft snow. I've always thought of winter's beauty as stark, but this image of of the season is anything but stark!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
del.icio.us
This tool seems better suited to keeping track of one's own bookmarks (and making them portable, of course) than to searching for resources on a topic. Where are my "advanced search" features? A "flat hierarchy"? Isn't that a contradiction in terms? Maybe I just need to use del.icio.us (and tags) more often in order to appreciate their supposed nifty-ness. Or, maybe it's fine to use it only as a bookmark carpetbag.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Searching with Rollyo
Did you know you can create an aggregated search tool for yourself and others? I made one for this blog as part of the IUL 2.0 23 Things project. The only thing I had trouble with was getting the URL to work; I ended up posting the search box here instead.
Search for events in the world of libraries using the searchroll at the bottom of the page. (Select Library News as your search engine.)
Then, let me know what you think by leaving a comment!
Search for events in the world of libraries using the searchroll at the bottom of the page. (Select Library News as your search engine.)
Then, let me know what you think by leaving a comment!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
LibraryThing
I created a catalog for my "library" at LibraryThing this morning. Check it out! http://www.librarything.com/catalog/vdearbor
I don't know when I'll ever get all my books entered, but I have to admit that I think it's a pretty nifty little tool - for a small private collection anyway. I'll probably tell my father about it at Christmas. His collection is not exactly small, but he is technically retired, so perhaps he has the time. Then again, my parents are still clinging to dial-up. I wonder how well LibraryThing works with a slow connection? ;-)
I don't know when I'll ever get all my books entered, but I have to admit that I think it's a pretty nifty little tool - for a small private collection anyway. I'll probably tell my father about it at Christmas. His collection is not exactly small, but he is technically retired, so perhaps he has the time. Then again, my parents are still clinging to dial-up. I wonder how well LibraryThing works with a slow connection? ;-)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Bloglines - my inaugural voyage
I just subscribed to about 10 RSS feeds using my new bloglines account - at the prompting of IUL 2.0, of course. This may have been the proverbial kick in the pants that I needed to get connected to the world. We'll see!
Staying in touch
Several of my friends are enthusiastic proponents of social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace. They want me to join in to "keep in touch" with them, but so far, I haven't created any such accounts. Call me old fashioned, but I spend enough time at the computer everyday that I'm not excited about spending more time on these sites. I would much rather pick up the phone (it is a cell phone, by the way ;-)) and actually talk with a friend, than surf through their life on the web. That's not to say that I disagree with the online social networking scene on principal. It's just not for me...right now. (I'll reserve the right to change my mind.)
So, how do I feel about text messages on the cell phone (another form of keeping in touch via screen)? Well, just try not to send me forwards ;-) There are more than enough floating through my email inbox!
I'm a fan of email (as long as I'm not spending too long reading or composing on the computer), and a big fan of snail mail (real letters? woo hoo!), but when it comes down to it, I'd take talking on the phone over those things most any day. Unless there's actually a chance to get together in person, of course!
So, how do I feel about text messages on the cell phone (another form of keeping in touch via screen)? Well, just try not to send me forwards ;-) There are more than enough floating through my email inbox!
I'm a fan of email (as long as I'm not spending too long reading or composing on the computer), and a big fan of snail mail (real letters? woo hoo!), but when it comes down to it, I'd take talking on the phone over those things most any day. Unless there's actually a chance to get together in person, of course!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Welcome!
Welcome to the Room of Requirement! I've started this blog as a part of the IU Libraries Learning 2.0 Project. We're trying out different web technologies and other learning tools to help bring ourselves and the IU Libraries into the ever-expanding world of new technology.
Of the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners, I think the easiest one for me is to accept responsibility for my own learning. It's up to me what I want to learn and also to pay attention to what things I need to learn (even if I don't really want to! ;-) ). The hardest habit is probably viewing problems as challenges. I'm working on that one, though! I do think it's true that you often learn the most from situations that don't go as planned.
I've never hosted a blog before, so please share your comments and suggestions! :-)
P.S. My younger cousin is hoping to go to Swarthmore College in the fall. I just checked out their library site and found this nice blog for getting feedback and responding to patrons: http://trilogy.brynmawr.edu/mt/trinews/2007/01/library_suggestion_book_online.html
Of the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners, I think the easiest one for me is to accept responsibility for my own learning. It's up to me what I want to learn and also to pay attention to what things I need to learn (even if I don't really want to! ;-) ). The hardest habit is probably viewing problems as challenges. I'm working on that one, though! I do think it's true that you often learn the most from situations that don't go as planned.
I've never hosted a blog before, so please share your comments and suggestions! :-)
P.S. My younger cousin is hoping to go to Swarthmore College in the fall. I just checked out their library site and found this nice blog for getting feedback and responding to patrons: http://trilogy.brynmawr.edu/mt/trinews/2007/01/library_suggestion_book_online.html
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