I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the variety of tools available for connecting with other people out in the ether. Ideas about using the tools in the library percolated through my mind, although I'm not sure I'll be able to put any into practice. I discovered how difficult it is for me to get myself to do "work" at home, even when motivated. I've enjoyed having a blog and may decide to continue it in some fashion. I do enjoy flickr, especially finding photos that we put up in our blogs. I was very delighted to see the photos show up.
I do feel that I'm somewhat more comfortable with emerging technologies, or at least, that with instruction they are not out of my reach. As with all things, practice, practice, practice would make them second nature. How do I get myself to commit, when it's not for a class with a deadline? Each of the technologies is kind of a black hole in terms of time. It's easy to be led from one thing to another and another. I was disciplined at points in my life, what happened?
The project format worked for me. There were times when more instructions would have been helpful. I would proceed to the assignment link and be unsure of how what to do next. I know that's vague. I'll try to look back and see where I got confused (but not tonight). I would participate in another project, since there are not many opportunities to get at this information unless you like playing around with technology on your own. I don't. I like my hand to be held very firmly along the way. So, thanks for holding my hand. I guess the unexpected outcome was that I was able to complete the assignments. When I couldn't load flash media and complete Week 1, I thought I was a goner.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Library 2.0 - what it means
Library 2.0, to me, is a set of interactive tools allowing anyone with computer access to add content, visual or printed, to the web. I was pleased to discover that I had used some of the tools prior to starting the class. I uploaded some photographs to Flickr and used RSS feeds. I participated on a very small level of adding photographs to a wiki already in existence. Library 2.0 is a way of communicating with people you know and people you don't already know. It's another way of "broadening horizons" in addition to reading books and traveling. An article I read in Newsweek, "New Wisdom of the Web" calls it the "living web", a term I think is a good description of what is taking place.
I'm not sure when the public library I work in will be able to incorporate some of the L2 tools. The economic downturn, lack of money, staff and time are huge factors. The last library I worked in which was part of a private medical center, had to keep recreating itself and be more "cutting edge" in order to be useful to the staff and administrators, and to keep getting funded. They had a blog and posted podcasts. Academic libraries also seem more able to keep up with changes. I know there are public libraries that are using many of the tools, but I don't think this will happen too soon where I work. A wireless pilot program in one of our libraries was to be expanded to the branch I'm at. That has been cancelled.
A good point was brought up in the first article I read, "We know what Library 2.0 is and is not". Before starting a library blog or wiki, etc. there is a need to determine what users want and what would be helpful to them. I think there will be very disparate movements in libraries, as there has been up until now, depending on finances. I also think the technology and abilities are going to keep advancing rapidly, especially if any millenials become librarians. The people coming out of the library school I attended are far better versed in the web and library 2.0 than I, and many of my colleagues, are.
I'm not sure when the public library I work in will be able to incorporate some of the L2 tools. The economic downturn, lack of money, staff and time are huge factors. The last library I worked in which was part of a private medical center, had to keep recreating itself and be more "cutting edge" in order to be useful to the staff and administrators, and to keep getting funded. They had a blog and posted podcasts. Academic libraries also seem more able to keep up with changes. I know there are public libraries that are using many of the tools, but I don't think this will happen too soon where I work. A wireless pilot program in one of our libraries was to be expanded to the branch I'm at. That has been cancelled.
A good point was brought up in the first article I read, "We know what Library 2.0 is and is not". Before starting a library blog or wiki, etc. there is a need to determine what users want and what would be helpful to them. I think there will be very disparate movements in libraries, as there has been up until now, depending on finances. I also think the technology and abilities are going to keep advancing rapidly, especially if any millenials become librarians. The people coming out of the library school I attended are far better versed in the web and library 2.0 than I, and many of my colleagues, are.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Podcasts
I'm having a hard time with this assignment. I found a podcast I wanted to listen to and downloaded Juice software, but I'm having a hard time learning to use it. I subscribed to the podcast, and it indicates that it is downloading,but it's not. It is supposed to be on library survival tips, but I haven't been able to listen to it. I'm not sure how to get the download to begin.
I did listen to a podcast from NPR, "All Things Considered" called "Podcasts, Part of Higher-Tech Education" on using podcasts in the college classroom. I was blown away that the piece was from 2006. I didn't know much about podcasts back then and here a college was already trying them out. Here is the address for that podcast. I put an RSS feed into my Google Reader for NPR, but it's not showing the podcast I listened to. I'm perplexed. I can see how libraries could use podcasts for tutorials on use of the library and available services.
I downloaded a second podcast software, PrimeTime, and I'm having the same problem using it, as with Juice. I wrote to the contact person, so maybe I'll find out what it is I'm missing. I even read the Read Me information this time.
Just now I was looking at Google Reader and I couldn't access the list of podcasts. Maybe today is not a good day to work with technology. I think I'll try again later.
I did listen to a podcast from NPR, "All Things Considered" called "Podcasts, Part of Higher-Tech Education" on using podcasts in the college classroom. I was blown away that the piece was from 2006. I didn't know much about podcasts back then and here a college was already trying them out. Here is the address for that podcast. I put an RSS feed into my Google Reader for NPR, but it's not showing the podcast I listened to. I'm perplexed. I can see how libraries could use podcasts for tutorials on use of the library and available services.
I downloaded a second podcast software, PrimeTime, and I'm having the same problem using it, as with Juice. I wrote to the contact person, so maybe I'll find out what it is I'm missing. I even read the Read Me information this time.
Just now I was looking at Google Reader and I couldn't access the list of podcasts. Maybe today is not a good day to work with technology. I think I'll try again later.
Monday, December 1, 2008
You Tube
Here's an educational video on preventing falls from 1986.
Including short films on health topics on a library's web site is an innovative way to give access to useful information. Some patrons learn better visually. I chose this video because it made me laugh. I would not choose it for an actual library website. The narrator's voice became inaudible when he was reading captions that were on the screen. I would use the most updated video I was able to find.
Here's a musical video on MRSA, the superbug that is resistant to antibiotics.
MRSA
One good thing about You Tube is the vast array of creativity that can be found. However, the videos are sometimes out of focus or have voice synching problems.
Again, I chose the video for it's entertainment value. It's been a long day!
One place where videos can be imbedded is as a link from a subject page. For example, if the subject was MRSA, the linked page could contain links to web pages with info on MRSA and include the embedded video as a choice.
Including short films on health topics on a library's web site is an innovative way to give access to useful information. Some patrons learn better visually. I chose this video because it made me laugh. I would not choose it for an actual library website. The narrator's voice became inaudible when he was reading captions that were on the screen. I would use the most updated video I was able to find.
Here's a musical video on MRSA, the superbug that is resistant to antibiotics.
MRSA
One good thing about You Tube is the vast array of creativity that can be found. However, the videos are sometimes out of focus or have voice synching problems.
Again, I chose the video for it's entertainment value. It's been a long day!
One place where videos can be imbedded is as a link from a subject page. For example, if the subject was MRSA, the linked page could contain links to web pages with info on MRSA and include the embedded video as a choice.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Online applications & Tools
Wow! Having just lost all my documents with a hard drive malfunction, I'm excited about the use of document-makers that don't necessarily reside on my hard drive. I should have explored what was meant by off-line use, since I would most likely want also to have an edition on my hard drive. I don't currently do anything fancy with Word or Excel, so whatever features might be missing from Google Docs and Spreadsheets isn't obvious to me. I do have Vista, so I noted that the docx items I create cannot be uploaded in Google, from one of the comments.
I used the Zoho planner to set up some reminders of items to take care of (including completing my homework assignments). I'm not sure if they email or if you have to go into Zoho to look at the calendar listing, in which case I would need a reminder to look at Zoho daily!
I don't know how easily documents could be hacked. I did note that each site had the option to share or not to share. I'd want to learn more about that.
I also checked out Snipshot, which had a lot of ads to purchase the Pro version. I played around with one picture, but was not truly sure whether I saved it over the same picture name (I hope not) or if it's living in the download box from Firefox. I do have an old version of Adobe Elements and need to spend time learning the ins and outs before I would start paying for something else. If you want to do a quick resize or cropping and some tuning up I think Snipshot could work. I tried to undo something I had done (like distort the picture!) and either it didn't work, or I didn't wait long enough for it to work. I would not be inclined to use this tool at the moment.
I used the Zoho planner to set up some reminders of items to take care of (including completing my homework assignments). I'm not sure if they email or if you have to go into Zoho to look at the calendar listing, in which case I would need a reminder to look at Zoho daily!
I don't know how easily documents could be hacked. I did note that each site had the option to share or not to share. I'd want to learn more about that.
I also checked out Snipshot, which had a lot of ads to purchase the Pro version. I played around with one picture, but was not truly sure whether I saved it over the same picture name (I hope not) or if it's living in the download box from Firefox. I do have an old version of Adobe Elements and need to spend time learning the ins and outs before I would start paying for something else. If you want to do a quick resize or cropping and some tuning up I think Snipshot could work. I tried to undo something I had done (like distort the picture!) and either it didn't work, or I didn't wait long enough for it to work. I would not be inclined to use this tool at the moment.
Wikis II
In my last post about wikis, before I set up my own, I commented that book suggestions from patrons can be done via email, phone call, etc. and would not be a useful idea for setting up a wiki. However, as I set the wiki up, it occurred to me that another possibility would be for book reviews by readers that could help in making selections. The problem is mainly that I need reviews prior to publication and I'm not sure that readers would have access to the content. Possibly, there are larger libraries that get prepub copies that could share impressions of the books.
I do search for prepub reviews in a variety of the journals that I am able to access - Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews, however, the vast majority of consumer health and alternative medicine books are not reviewed. Any suggestions?
As to setting up the wiki. Following the instructions made it fairly simple, however, if it were to become a viable wiki, it would take a lot more thought about design and end result desired, than I have been able to do now. I am a member of the MLA09 wiki, which also uses WetPaint and found adding pictures where I wanted them a bit difficult. I tried to set up a picture album and that didn't work. When I decided I wanted to move a picture from the original location where I set it up, I found out that there is no way to delete the photo. I found it fairly frustrating, although I have to add, that I only added entries 2-3 times.
I do search for prepub reviews in a variety of the journals that I am able to access - Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews, however, the vast majority of consumer health and alternative medicine books are not reviewed. Any suggestions?
As to setting up the wiki. Following the instructions made it fairly simple, however, if it were to become a viable wiki, it would take a lot more thought about design and end result desired, than I have been able to do now. I am a member of the MLA09 wiki, which also uses WetPaint and found adding pictures where I wanted them a bit difficult. I tried to set up a picture album and that didn't work. When I decided I wanted to move a picture from the original location where I set it up, I found out that there is no way to delete the photo. I found it fairly frustrating, although I have to add, that I only added entries 2-3 times.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wikis
I agree with the comments that were posted, I'm not sure how to use this in the public library I work in. The uses that came to mind are not things that would be suitable for public input, such as new book lists, bibliographies. They would be better as links on the website. A place for posting patron book recommendations, comments, etc. can by done by sending an email to the library.
I liked the University of Calgary wiki very much. Maybe an internal wiki would work better - for communal writing or commenting on library policies, bibliographies, etc. before they are published.
I liked the University of Calgary wiki very much. Maybe an internal wiki would work better - for communal writing or commenting on library policies, bibliographies, etc. before they are published.
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