This phase of Web 2.0 learning comes to a close, but it has opened many doors to further exploration. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of computer use. However, my journey through 23 Things has forced me to acknowledge that Web 2.0 technology (and beyond) is here to stay. It is therefore to my benefit, both professionally and personally, to be aware of it and to have some semblance of knowledge about it. Technorati, Del.icio.us, podcasts, blogs, RSS, tags, wikis... these are terms that I see out there on the Internet each day. 23 Things has given me definitions of these web tools and practical experience in their use. I also appreciated that this exercise was self-paced and would welcome an opportunity to participate in other discovery programs like this one.
As for Library 2.0 and its influence upon the future for libraries, the look of libraries is certain to change. However, I am optimistic that some kind of "balance" can be achieved between "old ways" and "new ways" as libraries move forward in this Web 2.0+ information age. Dr. Nancy Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, summed up my feelings nicely by saying:
“At a time when one might think that public libraries are becoming obsolete, the Maryland library community is using innovative technologies and research to target community needs to make libraries even more relevant to the 21st Century library user, and that’s something that we all can be proud of." (News Release, March 27, 2006)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Thing #22: Downloadable Audio Books
I spent a large amount of time on this "Thing." Quite a lot of time was spent exploring Maryland's Digital eLibrary Consortium (OverDrive), since this is one of HCL's primary electronic resources. I learned that in addition to digital audiobooks, OverDrive also makes available Adobe eBooks and downloadable video. Curious as to what kinds of items were available, I searched "general fiction" and found 1,820 items: some in Adobe eBook format only, others as audio books only and some in both formats. I also discovered "waiting lists" for some items.
I then visited Project Gutenberg. Wow... quite a site. An inventory of over 22,000 items. I was definitely able to find more variety here.... found several items for "Emily Dickinson," while I found none for her in OverDrive. Some of the features in Project Gutenberg that I like quite a bit:
OverDrive and Project Gutenberg are amazing resources for audio books. Burn to CD capability, as well as the download to MP3 player option, bring audio books to an increasingly larger audience.
I then visited Project Gutenberg. Wow... quite a site. An inventory of over 22,000 items. I was definitely able to find more variety here.... found several items for "Emily Dickinson," while I found none for her in OverDrive. Some of the features in Project Gutenberg that I like quite a bit:
- Larger inventory
- No waiting
- RSS feed of recently published or updated books (nightly update)
- Online Reader
OverDrive and Project Gutenberg are amazing resources for audio books. Burn to CD capability, as well as the download to MP3 player option, bring audio books to an increasingly larger audience.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Thing #21: Podcasts
I have virtually no experience with this medium, so once again, this tutorial was quite informative.
I visited the "MERLIN podcasting learning link" and found the Kankakee Public Library site. They provided a concise definition of a "podcast": "The term comes from combining “iPod” and “broadcast.” An easy way to understand it is audio on demand.... Audio content delivered via RSS." I see that libraries use podcasts to bring story times and in-house events to their customers surfing from home, which obviously can be tremendously beneficial to those unable to attend such library programs in person.
I explored two podcast directories: Yahoo! Podcasts and Podcast.net. I liked the look of Yahoo! Podcasts' home page and was particularly intrigued by their "What We Like This Week - New and Noteworthy" podcasts that the Yahoo! staff members themselves found interesting. I also enjoyed their "What Other People Like" section, as well as the "Popular Tags" group... all right there on the main page. I did attempt to subscribe to a podcast using this directory but was a bit annoyed that I apparently needed to load the Yahoo! Music Engine plug-in before I could capture the podcast. It would not allow me to "just listen" either. I elected to move on to Podcast.net.
Podcast.net's home page is clean and easy to navigate. I selected Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac podcast and quite easily subscribed to it via the RSS link that was right there on the page. (My Bloglines feeds list continues to grow!) I was able to listen to the podcast very easily via Podcast.net Player in Mozilla Firefox. Because of the user-friendliness of Podcast.net, I would be happy to use it again in the future.
Interestingly, there is a banner that runs across the home page of Yahoo! Podcasts. It reads:
"Yahoo! apologizes deeply, but we will be closing down the Podcasts site on 10/31/07."
I visited the "MERLIN podcasting learning link" and found the Kankakee Public Library site. They provided a concise definition of a "podcast": "The term comes from combining “iPod” and “broadcast.” An easy way to understand it is audio on demand.... Audio content delivered via RSS." I see that libraries use podcasts to bring story times and in-house events to their customers surfing from home, which obviously can be tremendously beneficial to those unable to attend such library programs in person.
I explored two podcast directories: Yahoo! Podcasts and Podcast.net. I liked the look of Yahoo! Podcasts' home page and was particularly intrigued by their "What We Like This Week - New and Noteworthy" podcasts that the Yahoo! staff members themselves found interesting. I also enjoyed their "What Other People Like" section, as well as the "Popular Tags" group... all right there on the main page. I did attempt to subscribe to a podcast using this directory but was a bit annoyed that I apparently needed to load the Yahoo! Music Engine plug-in before I could capture the podcast. It would not allow me to "just listen" either. I elected to move on to Podcast.net.
Podcast.net's home page is clean and easy to navigate. I selected Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac podcast and quite easily subscribed to it via the RSS link that was right there on the page. (My Bloglines feeds list continues to grow!) I was able to listen to the podcast very easily via Podcast.net Player in Mozilla Firefox. Because of the user-friendliness of Podcast.net, I would be happy to use it again in the future.
Interestingly, there is a banner that runs across the home page of Yahoo! Podcasts. It reads:
"Yahoo! apologizes deeply, but we will be closing down the Podcasts site on 10/31/07."
Monday, October 8, 2007
Thing #20: YouTube
I must be one of the few people in Howard County who has spent less than ten minutes, grand total since its inception, on YouTube. Every once in awhile, my son will alert me to something he deems worthy of me taking the time to watch.
When I read YouTube's answer to "What is YouTube?", the circus actually came to my mind. It was like listening to the ringmaster announce the show: "Watch millions of videos," "Share favorites with friends and family," "Connect with other users who share your interests," "Upload your videos to a worldwide audience." All of these functions are technological wonders. However, I do feel as though some users cross the line of good taste. Also, as the parent of an Internet-savvy teen, YouTube's easy accessibility makes my job of policing my child's Internet use just that much more of a challenge.
From a library perspective, it might be quite interesting to incorporate a YouTube-like component to library web sites. Imagine with the click of one button, a video pops up, and you are taken on a librarian-guided virtual tour of your local library. This has no doubt already been done, somewhere.
It is obvious as to why YouTube is so popular, as it taps into the voyeuristic side of our characters. In search of a video that was not "sordid or scandalous," I searched the category "library." Well, I found sordid and scandalous there, as well. However, I also found Nancy Nerenberg's "CLA Library Cheer:
When I read YouTube's answer to "What is YouTube?", the circus actually came to my mind. It was like listening to the ringmaster announce the show: "Watch millions of videos," "Share favorites with friends and family," "Connect with other users who share your interests," "Upload your videos to a worldwide audience." All of these functions are technological wonders. However, I do feel as though some users cross the line of good taste. Also, as the parent of an Internet-savvy teen, YouTube's easy accessibility makes my job of policing my child's Internet use just that much more of a challenge.
From a library perspective, it might be quite interesting to incorporate a YouTube-like component to library web sites. Imagine with the click of one button, a video pops up, and you are taken on a librarian-guided virtual tour of your local library. This has no doubt already been done, somewhere.
It is obvious as to why YouTube is so popular, as it taps into the voyeuristic side of our characters. In search of a video that was not "sordid or scandalous," I searched the category "library." Well, I found sordid and scandalous there, as well.
Thing #19: Web 2.0 Awards List
I selected the category "Events" from the Award Categories and explored the #1 pick: "Upcoming." Upcoming is a Yahoo! web tool that enables users to track what cultural, etc., events are taking place/upcoming in any given area, worldwide. I love that I can create my own "watchlist," can search the "most popular events (worldwide)," via venue or event name, and I can add events that may not be on the site. I actually searched a venue where I will be attending an event later this month and discovered that my event was not there. I therefore added it to the site. Upcoming automatically generated a map/driving directions and added this to my post. Pretty amazing.
This type of tool would be a great way to organize library event information. Customers could generate their own personalized "watchlists."
This type of tool would be a great way to organize library event information. Customers could generate their own personalized "watchlists."
Thing #18: Online Productivity Tools
Wow.... add this to my list of things that I knew nothing about. Web-based applications? No need to be concerned about having desktop-based software? Amazing. I explored both Zoho Writer and Google Docs & Spreadsheets with absolute wonder. Zoho Writer captivated me a bit more than Google's offering, as I enjoyed Zoho Writer's "options" and "template library." There was something very familiar in the way that Zoho Writer "felt," not unlike Microsoft Office.
I do wonder what online productivity tools will mean for Microsoft Office's future. With a nod to Thing #15, would Mr. Anderson consider Microsoft Office an "iceberg?"
I do wonder what online productivity tools will mean for Microsoft Office's future. With a nod to Thing #15, would Mr. Anderson consider Microsoft Office an "iceberg?"
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Thing #17: Maryland Libraries Sandbox
Navigated through all of the Discovery Resources, accessed the Maryland Libraries Sandbox, created a login for myself and added my blog to the HCL roster on the Favorite Blogs page. Read a few of the wikis that folks created and posted for fun.... I enjoyed reading them but don't quite feel the need to create one of my own! However, I am glad that I now know how to create a wiki. Perhaps someday, I will revisit the wiki world and create my own....
Thing #16: Wikis
"A wiki is a collaborative web site and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit material."
While the "openness" of this kind of information venue does make me a bit nervous, what an amazing tool it is for gathering/sharing information. I explored a few of the library wikis and was especially intrigued by three of them: Book Lovers Wiki (primarily for patrons), Library Success: A Best Practice Wiki (primarily for library staff) and Library 2.0 in 15 Minutes/Day (patrons and staff). These wikis demonstrate the ways in which libraries can use the wiki medium to provide enhanced customer service at many levels.
While the "openness" of this kind of information venue does make me a bit nervous, what an amazing tool it is for gathering/sharing information. I explored a few of the library wikis and was especially intrigued by three of them: Book Lovers Wiki (primarily for patrons), Library Success: A Best Practice Wiki (primarily for library staff) and Library 2.0 in 15 Minutes/Day (patrons and staff). These wikis demonstrate the ways in which libraries can use the wiki medium to provide enhanced customer service at many levels.
Thing #15: Library 2.0
Library 2.0: "Term used to describe a new set of concepts for developing and delivering library services." This new set of concepts includes the use of technology and how library spaces look/function, with the goal being to "make our spaces and services more user-centric and inviting."
I read a few perspectives from the OCLC Next Space Newsetter and was most intrigued by Rick Anderson's article "Away from the Icebergs." He maintains that there are three major barriers (icebergs) that will impede libraries' forward progress in improving services:
1) His library system has witnessed a decline in circulation the past twelve years. He therefore questions the wisdom of maintaining a large print material collection, arguing that patron demand for such material is declining. I looked at the circulation numbers for Howard County Library over the last years, and our circulation numbers, for the most part in most areas, have increased. Would our customers support a trim of our print collection? Which areas? How much?
2) Mr. Anderson suggests that library personnel have traditionally acted as "teachers," teaching patrons how to conduct research. He argues that libraries must move away from this concept by making our services usable without training. How would this change the "job" of the librarian? What would that job then look like (to use Mr. Belfont's phrase)?
3) Mr. Anderson further suggests that the " 'come to us' model of library service" must change. Rather than have patrons to come to us for their information needs, Mr. Anderson argues that libraries must learn how to "[place] library services and content in the user's preferred environment." Oh my.
I would be interested to see Mr. Anderson's model of the "Ideal 2.0-age library." He argues that libraries will look different five to ten years from now, but I can only hope that they will still have stately rows of shelved printed materials, librarians who will happily explore those rows with me in search of my requests, comfy couches and lattes at the ready.
I read a few perspectives from the OCLC Next Space Newsetter and was most intrigued by Rick Anderson's article "Away from the Icebergs." He maintains that there are three major barriers (icebergs) that will impede libraries' forward progress in improving services:
1) His library system has witnessed a decline in circulation the past twelve years. He therefore questions the wisdom of maintaining a large print material collection, arguing that patron demand for such material is declining. I looked at the circulation numbers for Howard County Library over the last years, and our circulation numbers, for the most part in most areas, have increased. Would our customers support a trim of our print collection? Which areas? How much?
2) Mr. Anderson suggests that library personnel have traditionally acted as "teachers," teaching patrons how to conduct research. He argues that libraries must move away from this concept by making our services usable without training. How would this change the "job" of the librarian? What would that job then look like (to use Mr. Belfont's phrase)?
3) Mr. Anderson further suggests that the " 'come to us' model of library service" must change. Rather than have patrons to come to us for their information needs, Mr. Anderson argues that libraries must learn how to "[place] library services and content in the user's preferred environment." Oh my.
I would be interested to see Mr. Anderson's model of the "Ideal 2.0-age library." He argues that libraries will look different five to ten years from now, but I can only hope that they will still have stately rows of shelved printed materials, librarians who will happily explore those rows with me in search of my requests, comfy couches and lattes at the ready.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Thing #14: Technorati
I like Wikipedia's concise definition of Technorati: "Technorati is an Internet search engine for searching blogs," about 94 million blogs, as of August '07. I took the "Technorati Tour" and was amused by founder Dave Sifry's comment: "While we love expert bloggers, we've also spent a lot of time making Technorati understandable to normal people." I guess that makes me "normal."
I visited Technorati and searched "Learning 2.0" in the blog posts. It came back with 26,315 posts, but it was obvious that the search had split "learning" and "2.0" into separate, distinct hits. After scrolling through many posts, I had no luck finding anything that was truly "Learning 2.0."
I had better luck searching the Blog Directory: 677 blogs about Learning 2.0.
"Top Blogs" and "Top Favorited Blogs" were primarily technical in nature. "Top Searches" were, I felt, somewhat "disturbing" in content, so I did not linger long in that area. Very odd.
I did not feel the need to "claim" my blog.
I visited Technorati and searched "Learning 2.0" in the blog posts. It came back with 26,315 posts, but it was obvious that the search had split "learning" and "2.0" into separate, distinct hits. After scrolling through many posts, I had no luck finding anything that was truly "Learning 2.0."
I had better luck searching the Blog Directory: 677 blogs about Learning 2.0.
"Top Blogs" and "Top Favorited Blogs" were primarily technical in nature. "Top Searches" were, I felt, somewhat "disturbing" in content, so I did not linger long in that area. Very odd.
I did not feel the need to "claim" my blog.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thing #13: Tagging and Del.icio.us
I did wade through the tutorials, "Us.ef.ul: A Beginner's Guide to Del.icio.us" and "Several Habits of Wildly Successful del.icio.us Users." I also accessed del.icio.us using the PLCMCL2 account, all in an effort to discover the wonders of "the most popular social bookmarking service" (as defined in Wikipedia). I can see that to be able to access your personal bookmarks online, from any location, as well as view the bookmarks of others, is a tremendously helpful tool for those who conduct research. The Firefox perks (e.g., live bookmarks), are interesting as well. I have found that in my own personal use, however, my bookmarks tend to outlive their usefulness, and I delete many of them from time to time without remorse. Del.icio.us is not something that is a "must have" for me at this time but is certainly good to know about.
I did do some research about the del.icio.us name (why this format?) and learned that the name is an example of a domain hack, "an unconventional combination of letters to form a word or phrase."
I did do some research about the del.icio.us name (why this format?) and learned that the name is an example of a domain hack, "an unconventional combination of letters to form a word or phrase."
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thing #12: Rollyo
Rollyo: A great tool for gathering and organizing information on a specific topic. I created a search roll for parenting teens: "Parenting Teens!" Link: http://rollyo.com/calbear86/parenting_teens/In the area at the top of my search roll where it says "Searching for.... in Parenting Teens," I typed the word "curfew." Up popped several articles about that topic. Fabulous! I'm sure that my son, gazing at you here when he was just a young guy, will be thrilled to know that I have all of this invaluable parenting information at my fingertips!
I suppose that one is limited only by one's imagination when it comes to potential uses of Rollyo - - in students' work, careers, hobbies....
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Thing #11: LibraryThing
This exercise is one of my favorite "Things." I explored LibraryThing (http://www.librarything.com/) for some time, created an account and enjoyed creating my online catalog of a few "favorite titles." (Link: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Calbear86) I appreciated how remarkably easy and fun it was to create both the catalog and the widget... It has been quite awhile since I have given concentrated thought as to which books have impacted me the most over the years. Although I do not see myself taking the time to "catalog" my entire library, putting together a "favorite title list" was intriguing.
I plan to return to LibraryThing often for further exploration. I am intrigued by the social aspect of it, given that it connects me with others who have an interest in the same titles as I do.
I am also intrigued by the possible ways that libraries can use LibraryThing to enhance customer service. I especially like the idea (as suggested on LibraryThing) that widgets can be used on library web sites to spotlight "featured materials" in the collections.
A few of my favorite titles (Click on "Thing #11: Library Thing," just above, if you don't see book covers displayed here):
I plan to return to LibraryThing often for further exploration. I am intrigued by the social aspect of it, given that it connects me with others who have an interest in the same titles as I do.
I am also intrigued by the possible ways that libraries can use LibraryThing to enhance customer service. I especially like the idea (as suggested on LibraryThing) that widgets can be used on library web sites to spotlight "featured materials" in the collections.
A few of my favorite titles (Click on "Thing #11: Library Thing," just above, if you don't see book covers displayed here):
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thing #10: Online Image Generators
I visited The Generator Blog and played with several different image generators, such as the Collage Generator and the Snowflake Generator. My favorite, though, was the Puzzle Generator. If you'd like to create a puzzle using your own photo, visit the Puzzle Generator at:
http://www.flash-gear.com/puzzle/
I selected one of my personal photos to create my own photo puzzle! It was fun "putting the pieces together." Give it a try! Can you guess where I took this photo?! http://three.flash-gear.com/npuz/puz.php?c=v&id=2850236&k=19214006
http://www.flash-gear.com/puzzle/
I selected one of my personal photos to create my own photo puzzle! It was fun "putting the pieces together." Give it a try! Can you guess where I took this photo?! http://three.flash-gear.com/npuz/puz.php?c=v&id=2850236&k=19214006
Thing #9: MERLIN and More Feeds
I visited the MERLIN site and added that feed to my Bloglines account. Never having seen MERLIN before, I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information on the home page alone. I could spend hours browsing through the Library News Blogs and still have more information yet to explore on the home page.
I also used the Blogline's Search tool as well as Syndic8.com to search for additional news feeds. I found Syndic8.com to be a bit "confusing," as its screens were cluttered with too much information for ease of my use. By contrast, Blogline's Search tool was straightforward/direct, and I used it to add a couple more news feeds to my collection.
Lastly, I played a bit with the Gaming, Avatars and Virtual Worlds link to create my Avatar in the post below. I've had a small bit of experience with the Avatar technology in my Yahoo account. However, Meez was much more fun to use!
I also used the Blogline's Search tool as well as Syndic8.com to search for additional news feeds. I found Syndic8.com to be a bit "confusing," as its screens were cluttered with too much information for ease of my use. By contrast, Blogline's Search tool was straightforward/direct, and I used it to add a couple more news feeds to my collection.
Lastly, I played a bit with the Gaming, Avatars and Virtual Worlds link to create my Avatar in the post below. I've had a small bit of experience with the Avatar technology in my Yahoo account. However, Meez was much more fun to use!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Follow-Up to Previous Post
Logged onto my Bloglines account on my break, just to get a feel for what it is like to have favorite "feeds" gathered in one place. I admit: it is pretty fantastic. I just might make visiting Bloglines a daily fun task....
Thing #8: RSS & Newsreaders
Although I had already been introduced to the world of RSS feeds via HCL training, I admit that I have not been putting that technology to use in my daily life. I have about three sites that I visit each day, so it does make sense to gather that information and place it into one convenient location. I set up a Bloglines account and subscribed to a variety of feeds: library-related news, new CDs at HCL, house and garden news, CNN, baseball headlines, etc. It remains to be seen whether I actually access this information throughout the course of my days, as I tend to visit only about three sites regularly! Otherwise, I just don't feel the need to access that much information.
Nevertheless, it is an amazing technological tool that I can now add to my "toolbox."
Nevertheless, it is an amazing technological tool that I can now add to my "toolbox."
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thing #7: Blogging about Technology
As the parent of a technology-savy teenager, I watch my son in amazement at how comfortable he is with his discovery of and adaptation to new technologies. Be it gaming on the Xbox, IMing friends on the computer, texting friends on the phone, he is "in his element." However, his "favorite" device would have to be his iPod. This technology especially intrigues me. Yes, there are iPods out there, but not just one kind. iPod shuffles, nanos, classics and now the iPod touch bring the concept of listening to music and watching video to outrageous levels! The iPod classic is 4.1" tall, 2.4" wide and 0.41" deep, yet it can store up to 40,000 songs and 200 hours of video. Check out this link: http://www.apple.com/ipodclassic/. I am beyond amazed by this technology. However, my son takes it all in stride and cannot wait for the "next" generation... what will that be able to do?!
Thing #6: Flickr Mash-ups and Third Party Sites
Spent quite a bit of time playing with various sites here. Created a montage of my vacation photos using Flickr's mosaic creator (found through FD's Flickr Toys). I then set that montage as my desktop background on my home computer. I also created the "trading card" seen here using Flickr's Trading Card creator and one of my personal photos. Of these two applications, I was most intrigued by the montage/mosaic-making programs. A fun way to organize and display photos.Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Thing #5: Exploring Flickr
Yes, I am one of those people who has never heard of Flickr but had a great time discovering what it can do. I found this photo in Flickr's inventory, created a Flickr account, and (obviously) played with the "blog this photo" function. This particular photo is of Bloody Lane, Antietam Battlefield, in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Having taken many photos at many Civil War battlefields, including Antietam, this particular photo is especially intriguing to me because it is a black and white print. For me, the black and white adds a surreal quality to the landscape. Photo credit: W. R. Miller.
Thanks to Flickr, I enjoyed many different perspectives of this hallowed ground.
Thanks to Flickr, I enjoyed many different perspectives of this hallowed ground.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Thing #3: Creating My Blog
Lifelong Learning Habits - Easiest:
It would have to be "Begin with the end in mind." While I believe that "not all who wander are lost," I find that for those situations when "staying on task" is key, it is best that I define my end goal and march toward it.
Lifelong Learning Habits - Most Difficult:
It would have to be "Use technology to your advantage." My ignorance about technological tools is vast! If I am to "use technology to [my] advantage," I must collect a few more of those tools for my toolbox! Ahhh, perhaps completing the "23 Things" tutorial is just what I need....
It would have to be "Begin with the end in mind." While I believe that "not all who wander are lost," I find that for those situations when "staying on task" is key, it is best that I define my end goal and march toward it.
Lifelong Learning Habits - Most Difficult:
It would have to be "Use technology to your advantage." My ignorance about technological tools is vast! If I am to "use technology to [my] advantage," I must collect a few more of those tools for my toolbox! Ahhh, perhaps completing the "23 Things" tutorial is just what I need....
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