I doubt that I will keep up this blog or any other after 23Things is over. However, that does not mean that I fail to see the advantages of a blog, especially for a library. I think I am well motivated to both encourage my colleagues to try Things like blogs and to go ahead and setup a blog for our library that I can allow my colleagues to post on/experiment with. I guess that is the type of person (and librarian) that I am: a facilitator.
I was familiar with almost all of the Things we covered in the 23Things. What stands out for me most is the way novices responded to these Tools and the ideas shared by others. I now have a more multifaceted view of Web/Library 2.0 and can see how it might be implemented beyond how I initially see possible uses.
And just think, with the way things progress, in two years we could have a whole new 23Things to explore.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Thing 21: Student Tools
It seems like it would relatively easy to encourage students to use either the RPC or the Assignment Calculator. Research projects can be overwhelming. A step-by-step guide can be motivational, especially if you can point that there is a light at the end of tunnel.
I am not sure how many students (high school or college) would follow the steps precisely and timely; but I definitely think it would be something students would and could use as a touchstone or base for their research operations.
The level of customization in the Assignment Calculator (i.e. the links other web pages and resources) makes the Tool even more valuable, and it reiterates the idea that this guide (in this online form) can actually be a launching point.
I am not sure how many students (high school or college) would follow the steps precisely and timely; but I definitely think it would be something students would and could use as a touchstone or base for their research operations.
The level of customization in the Assignment Calculator (i.e. the links other web pages and resources) makes the Tool even more valuable, and it reiterates the idea that this guide (in this online form) can actually be a launching point.
Thing 20: Books 2.0
Electronic books are a big part of our library's collection for several key reasons. The price of e-books versus print books is perhaps the most motivational reason. The level of access is a very close second.
Books that are not in paper, analog form are a big part of the future of books. They will not 100% replace printed text; that is because of the market for the printed word and the features and uses of electronic texts. These two sectors of the larger world of Book are not directly in competition with each other. They each have their place and fulfill purposes that are often quite different.
The question "Do you think these Book 2.0 tools hamper or enhance one's reading experience?" is interesting and I could answer yes or no depending on how I qualify my answer. Our fast-paced online world where everything is delivered in short bursts might decrease one's attention span as far as reading a novel or textbook is concerned. Yet, tools like Twittelit can offering enticing introductions that might lead to someone reading a entire book. Other tools like What Should I Read Next? are actually creating more access to books. I don't very many Book 2.0 tools and iterations are really impeding or impinging upon the form of the Book as we know it. I believe I see it this way because I do not think that the printed, analog form of the book is sacred. Someone who does see it that why might be leery of this Book 2.0 business. I enjoy Book 2.0 technology. I think the ideas transcend the page... the screen, the lcd, etc.
As far as making any Book 2.o Tools part of your library, I would offer the same advice as I have with other Web 2.o / Library 2.0 technologies: Use it if fulfills a purpose, not because it is new or trendy. In the case of Book 2.0 specifically, I would say something more precise like: Use it if it actually increases reading.
Books that are not in paper, analog form are a big part of the future of books. They will not 100% replace printed text; that is because of the market for the printed word and the features and uses of electronic texts. These two sectors of the larger world of Book are not directly in competition with each other. They each have their place and fulfill purposes that are often quite different.
The question "Do you think these Book 2.0 tools hamper or enhance one's reading experience?" is interesting and I could answer yes or no depending on how I qualify my answer. Our fast-paced online world where everything is delivered in short bursts might decrease one's attention span as far as reading a novel or textbook is concerned. Yet, tools like Twittelit can offering enticing introductions that might lead to someone reading a entire book. Other tools like What Should I Read Next? are actually creating more access to books. I don't very many Book 2.0 tools and iterations are really impeding or impinging upon the form of the Book as we know it. I believe I see it this way because I do not think that the printed, analog form of the book is sacred. Someone who does see it that why might be leery of this Book 2.0 business. I enjoy Book 2.0 technology. I think the ideas transcend the page... the screen, the lcd, etc.
As far as making any Book 2.o Tools part of your library, I would offer the same advice as I have with other Web 2.o / Library 2.0 technologies: Use it if fulfills a purpose, not because it is new or trendy. In the case of Book 2.0 specifically, I would say something more precise like: Use it if it actually increases reading.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thing 19: Other Social Networking Sites
I looked into gather.com. Wow. It is very different now than when it first launched. You can tell by reading the publishers weekly article. It was originally designed to be a more bibliophile-focused site. Now it is more of a general social networking site. The title of the article is "Can Gather.com Get Book Lovers Online?" and the answer is, apparently, no.
There are users sharing and discussing writing. Yet, the overall feel is still more like a social networking site that exists not as a place to accomplish anything in particular but to just be a part of something.
I searched ning.com for social networks about/for libraries/librarians. The most popular (i.e. most members) was the Library 2.0 network. Not really surprising. Ultimately, I decided not to join this or any of the other networks I looked into. I think there are two types of Internet users: Those who like to socialize and those who just want answers/information. I am more like the latter. If I have information to share, I will try to share it. But mostly I am using the Web as tool and not as a socialization location.
There are users sharing and discussing writing. Yet, the overall feel is still more like a social networking site that exists not as a place to accomplish anything in particular but to just be a part of something.
I searched ning.com for social networks about/for libraries/librarians. The most popular (i.e. most members) was the Library 2.0 network. Not really surprising. Ultimately, I decided not to join this or any of the other networks I looked into. I think there are two types of Internet users: Those who like to socialize and those who just want answers/information. I am more like the latter. If I have information to share, I will try to share it. But mostly I am using the Web as tool and not as a socialization location.
Thing 18: MySpace Facebook
I think MySpace and Facebook might be a step too far into pop culture. Maybe it works out for some public libraries, especially teen outreach; but I feel clear divisions are often necessary.
I want libraries and librarians to be seen as experts, as individuals and institutions above the endless cycle of fads in pop culture. I want us to be clearly seen as the place to go for information and knowledge... trustworthy and thorough information and knowledge. Some patrons might think nothing of a library being on MySpace or Facebook; but many users of MySpace and Facebook realize how frivolous and time-wasting it can be. I wonder what they think of the library being on these sites. Perhaps they think we have too much time on our hands.
I know exactly what MySpace and Facebook are, and I know my library does not need them. All I can say to the individuals and institutions who choose to utilize these Things is make sure you have clearly defined goals. Don't do something because "all of the kids are doing it" - if it isn't fulfilling a purpose, focus on something that does.
I want libraries and librarians to be seen as experts, as individuals and institutions above the endless cycle of fads in pop culture. I want us to be clearly seen as the place to go for information and knowledge... trustworthy and thorough information and knowledge. Some patrons might think nothing of a library being on MySpace or Facebook; but many users of MySpace and Facebook realize how frivolous and time-wasting it can be. I wonder what they think of the library being on these sites. Perhaps they think we have too much time on our hands.
I know exactly what MySpace and Facebook are, and I know my library does not need them. All I can say to the individuals and institutions who choose to utilize these Things is make sure you have clearly defined goals. Don't do something because "all of the kids are doing it" - if it isn't fulfilling a purpose, focus on something that does.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thing 17: Podcasts
I have not listened to podcasts that much at all. I understand how they can be helpful, though. I went to the Educational Podcast Directory and perused the offerings and still did not see anything that really piqued my interest. The foreign language podcasts were somewhat interesting. I can see the value of hearing a language you are trying to learn.
It's interesting, though: I never hear about anyone actually listening to a podcast but I do hear about people recording podcasts. Are podcasts even listened to that much? In searching for library related podcasts, I see a lot that are essentially spoken blogs. Yes, there are visually impaired individuals who could benefit from a podcast; but many podcasts seem to audible just for the sake of being audible. I say choose your words better and leave them as text.
It's interesting, though: I never hear about anyone actually listening to a podcast but I do hear about people recording podcasts. Are podcasts even listened to that much? In searching for library related podcasts, I see a lot that are essentially spoken blogs. Yes, there are visually impaired individuals who could benefit from a podcast; but many podcasts seem to audible just for the sake of being audible. I say choose your words better and leave them as text.
Thing 16: YouTube
*YouTube. Who doesn't know about YouTube? I guess there could be a few people; and those are always the people who are shocked when you tell them how much Google paid for YouTube.
I chose this video because it is great topic (Boolean operators) that often needs explaining and really benefits from the visual elements added to the video.
Using YouTube is pretty easy. And I had no difficulty finding this type of video because I had this topic in mind before I started searching. If you had a more inexact idea of what you were looking for, searching YouTube could be problematic because of the sheer number of videos. Searching for the word library, for example, returns an interesting variety of hits.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Thing 15: Rollyo
My Rollyo is an academic article/report search of free online databases. They are mostly of a technical/scientific nature. Rollyo is quite useful, as you can see with this specific of search of many resources. I would really like to use this more, perhaps even in a "real" way, but the sponsored links just kill it for me. I really do not want to introduce those into a more academic style search. I will have to investigate it further and see if the pros can outwiegh the cons.
Thing 14: Online Productivity Tools
The start page I checked out was My Yahoo! because I actually used it in the mid-1990's and I wanted to see how things have changed. It is very interesting how the basic idea is nearly exactly the same: Customizing a "home" on the Web where you can find the familiar and venture off into the unfamiliar. I like the customizations you can make and all of the features you can add; but I think I don't use a start page now for the same reason I stopped using them before. Namely, the sameness gets boring to me quickly, actually (and I don't feel like taking the time to change things around) and, despite all of the stuff, I don't feel it is everything I need on a daily basis.
What do I do now then?
One of the best things I have done for productivity and thoroughness is to customize my Firefox browser. Right now, when I open Firefox, 10 tabs open instantly all-at-once to the Web sites I like to begin with and start other activities from. It is like a start page in a way, just multiple pages... perhaps it should be called a start browser.
It is really easy to do this, too. Just go to Tools, select Options, and you'll see a text box with your homepage URL in it. If you want to add more tabs, just separate each URL with a pipe (this thing | i.e.,shift+backslash).
As far as the other tools go, the pdf converters are really handy and I use them quite often. Google calendar is very good, and it is very easy to post in a blog (as you can see I did below) or on a web page.
What do I do now then?
One of the best things I have done for productivity and thoroughness is to customize my Firefox browser. Right now, when I open Firefox, 10 tabs open instantly all-at-once to the Web sites I like to begin with and start other activities from. It is like a start page in a way, just multiple pages... perhaps it should be called a start browser.
It is really easy to do this, too. Just go to Tools, select Options, and you'll see a text box with your homepage URL in it. If you want to add more tabs, just separate each URL with a pipe (this thing | i.e.,shift+backslash).
As far as the other tools go, the pdf converters are really handy and I use them quite often. Google calendar is very good, and it is very easy to post in a blog (as you can see I did below) or on a web page.
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