The 23 things were a great introduction to some new technology available on the web. The things that we explored could all be integral parts of the library in the future. I think that fun training programs like this are exactly what we need in libraries in order to "keep up with the times". I think that the bigger the effort we make to incorporate these things into the library here at UCSC, will directly correlate to the amount of usage that we receive from our patrons.
Not only can we entice patrons to use the library by incorporating some of the 23 things, but we can also make students live easier by providing them with certain tools that allow them to take full advantage of what the library and the internet have to offer.
We can also make our work more effective by incorporating some of the 23 things that allow us to make little shortcuts to get our work done more efficiently.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
#22. Explore Web 2.0 Award winners (week 12)
I found a very cool website on the list of award winners. The website is called Lulu, and it's a self publishing website. You can write your own books, or whatever you want, and then make them available for people to purchase around the world. Leave it to the internet to make the world of book publishing available to every one. It is pretty amazing to think that I could write a book, post it online, and then sell it to people around the world.
This website could help us organize and house writing from professors on our campus. Maybe that's a stretch, but there has got to be a way to use a website like this to the campus' advantage in order to enhance our collection.
This website could help us organize and house writing from professors on our campus. Maybe that's a stretch, but there has got to be a way to use a website like this to the campus' advantage in order to enhance our collection.
#21. Audio eBooks (week 12)
I found it very frustrating that I could not use itunes with the site listed. I wish that there weren't all of these content battles. That being said, I like the idea of using audio ebooks. I have used audio ebooks before, more specifically I used a site called audible.com. I was assigned the book "The World is Flat" instead of buying the book, I opted to go the audio route. It was great, I downloaded the book, put it on itunes, and then put it on my ipod. I finished listening to the book in like two days, it was great. It allowed me to get some "reading" done on the bus, which was nice, because reading books in moving vehicles makes me nauseas.
I think that it would be amazing if the library started offering audio ebooks. Just think, you would never have the unfortunate experience of trying to check out a book, only to find that it's already checked out and won't be returned for 6 months. This wouldn't work so well with books that you need for research purposes, but would be excellent for pleasure reading books.
I think that it would be amazing if the library started offering audio ebooks. Just think, you would never have the unfortunate experience of trying to check out a book, only to find that it's already checked out and won't be returned for 6 months. This wouldn't work so well with books that you need for research purposes, but would be excellent for pleasure reading books.
#20. Podcasts (week 11)
I subscribed to a food podcast. It has recipes and general cooking tips. It's pretty interesting.
Podcasts are another good way to quickly get valuable information to wide audience. It is hard for me to commit to checking something like a podcast or a bloglines account regularly. I barely have time to check a couple of websites, when I group everything of interest together in one spot, it is great for organization purposes, but if i read it all I would never get any work done. Hence, my bloglines account is overflowing with interesting tidbits of news that I will probably never get to read. I have a feeling that the same thing will happen with my podcasts.
Podcasts are a great idea, but I think the only way that I could get into using them more is if I synced up the podcasts that I subscribe to with my ipod. That way I could listen to them on the go.
Podcasts are another good way to quickly get valuable information to wide audience. It is hard for me to commit to checking something like a podcast or a bloglines account regularly. I barely have time to check a couple of websites, when I group everything of interest together in one spot, it is great for organization purposes, but if i read it all I would never get any work done. Hence, my bloglines account is overflowing with interesting tidbits of news that I will probably never get to read. I have a feeling that the same thing will happen with my podcasts.
Podcasts are a great idea, but I think the only way that I could get into using them more is if I synced up the podcasts that I subscribe to with my ipod. That way I could listen to them on the go.
#19. YouTube (week 11)
I found that most of the interfaces for the video sites were pretty similar. Youtube is still my favorite, but that is mostly because I have used that one for the longest. One of my favorite things to use youtube for is music. Not only can you find original songs, but a lot of times there are instructional videos for learning to play songs too. I also looked up a few recipes.
Youtube could be used many different ways in the library. One of the articles I read for the 23 Things talked about librarians training the patron to use all of the services that the library offers in order to get the most out of their library experience. Well, we could make training videos and post them on youtube. This would allow patrons to train on their own time, and it would save the librarians loads of time, because they only have to do the training one time. I am mean we could even pair training videos with IMs so that if a patron has a question about the video it could be answered right away by a staff member.
Youtube could be used many different ways in the library. One of the articles I read for the 23 Things talked about librarians training the patron to use all of the services that the library offers in order to get the most out of their library experience. Well, we could make training videos and post them on youtube. This would allow patrons to train on their own time, and it would save the librarians loads of time, because they only have to do the training one time. I am mean we could even pair training videos with IMs so that if a patron has a question about the video it could be answered right away by a staff member.
#18. Firefox Add-ons and Extensions (week 10)
I had no problems adding the Cruzcat search to my tool bar. I was also pleased to see some of my favorite websites also had search bars, so I also added expedia, amazon, flickr, and imdb to my tool bar. I think that these little search bars make it very easy for the patron to quickly check to see if we have a book that they want to check out. This function makes it very easy for those outside of the library to check our holdings, again making the library more accessible. This is a great little add on, that I will likely use often. I have to do a lot of holdings checks and that search bar will make life a little easier.
#17. Online Applications & Tools (week 10)
Zoho writer was so easy to use. Everything was straight forward and everything worked the first time. I had absolutely no trouble uploading a large word document. I think that sometimes great technologies can be cheapened because they are difficult to use. This is not the case with Zoho. I wish that I had known about Zoho when I had classes that required peer reviewed papers, it would have made life so much easier.
#16. Library 2.0 (week 9)
Michael Stephens brings up a really interesting point that I completely agree with. He says that libraries/librarians need to make good, fast decisions, regarding technology. I think that speed is very important when dealing with technology. There are new niches create on the web every day, some of these could be extremely useful in the library environment. But if these new technologies are not incorporated into the library quickly and made available to patrons then we run the risk of missing out on the benefits that these new things could bring to the library user.
To me Library 2.0 is a way to make libraries a more relevant. Incorporating these new technologies makes the library more accessible, and will make the overall library experience more fulfilling for the patron, which is what libraries are all about, right? I think that the 23 things that we are doing right now is equally as important as the technology that we are learning about. Closing the gap in "tech" knowledge between the patron and the librarian is the only way to make the technology work for us. After all, if the librarians don't know about it, how can we incorporate it into the library?
To me Library 2.0 is a way to make libraries a more relevant. Incorporating these new technologies makes the library more accessible, and will make the overall library experience more fulfilling for the patron, which is what libraries are all about, right? I think that the 23 things that we are doing right now is equally as important as the technology that we are learning about. Closing the gap in "tech" knowledge between the patron and the librarian is the only way to make the technology work for us. After all, if the librarians don't know about it, how can we incorporate it into the library?
#15. Custom search engines (week 9): Rollyo and Google Custom Search
This was my first experience with custom search engines. I decided to make a search engine to help me follow my favorite sports team, The Ohio State Buckeyes. Since I live on the West Coast now I have trouble staying on top of the latest Buckeye football news. So I entered a few sites that I know have some good information, and I also expanded the search to include sites that I didn't list, the results were fantastic.
This is another piece of technology that makes student life much easier. The ability to filter internet search results that easily makes custom search engine very valuable to those doing research online. Had I know about these sites a couple of years ago, I would have had a much easier time researching paper topics.
This is another piece of technology that makes student life much easier. The ability to filter internet search results that easily makes custom search engine very valuable to those doing research online. Had I know about these sites a couple of years ago, I would have had a much easier time researching paper topics.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
#14. Instant Messaging and VoIP (week 8)
This was not my first time using IMs. I have been using them for many years, I have had an AOL IM account for awhile and use it pretty frequently.
IMing in the library could be very helpful. The one good use of it would be for staffers to communicate amongst each other. It's quick, it's easy, and it's informal. It's a great to ask a co-worker a quick question, and it's less intrusive than a phone call.
Another way to use IMing in the library is as a "virtual reference desk". All we need to do is have one person replying to questions that may come in from patrons. We have a wireless network, people bring their laptops to the library, so this would allow them to seek help from anywhere with out having to physically be at the reference desk.
IMing in the library could be very helpful. The one good use of it would be for staffers to communicate amongst each other. It's quick, it's easy, and it's informal. It's a great to ask a co-worker a quick question, and it's less intrusive than a phone call.
Another way to use IMing in the library is as a "virtual reference desk". All we need to do is have one person replying to questions that may come in from patrons. We have a wireless network, people bring their laptops to the library, so this would allow them to seek help from anywhere with out having to physically be at the reference desk.
#13. Wikis 2 (week 8)
So I am not sure if I did the exercise right, but I did add some content to the wiki. I wasn't sure what to add so I borrowed something from the collection planning website. That was my first attempt at adding content. Everything went smoothly, it was very easy to do.
I like the idea of using wikis to plan things with your friends. It seems like it would work well for a group of friends who are hard to coordinate with, or have geographical barriers that inhibit the panning process.
I like the idea of using wikis to plan things with your friends. It seems like it would work well for a group of friends who are hard to coordinate with, or have geographical barriers that inhibit the panning process.
#12. Wikis 1 (week 7)
This was my first introduction to what a wiki truly is. Prior to this lesson my only experience with wikis was the website wikipedia.org. I love wikipedia, several times a week a will read something, hear something on the radio, or see something on tv and I think, "Man, I wish I knew more about ________." Then I head to the nearest computer type in my search request, and, instant gratification. In five minutes or less I can become an expert on practically anything I want to know.
The only danger of relying on wikis or wikipedia for supplying my information is it can be updated by any one. This allows information on the web almost instantaneously, however, its not always the most accurate information. Other than that one caveat, wikis are a great way to get up to the minute information....as long as we know that the there is a slight chance that the information is completely fictional.
Using wikis in the Library would be a great way for us to gather information and ideas from people around the world. Two heads are better than one, right? Well, with wikis we have the potential to add a whole lot of heads.
The only danger of relying on wikis or wikipedia for supplying my information is it can be updated by any one. This allows information on the web almost instantaneously, however, its not always the most accurate information. Other than that one caveat, wikis are a great way to get up to the minute information....as long as we know that the there is a slight chance that the information is completely fictional.
Using wikis in the Library would be a great way for us to gather information and ideas from people around the world. Two heads are better than one, right? Well, with wikis we have the potential to add a whole lot of heads.
#11. Folksonomies (week 7): LibraryThing
I have had a LibraryThing account for a few months now. I love the website, I like the way it allows you to keep tabs on your own book collection, and the recommendations page is very thorough. LibraryThing gives you so many suggestions that you will most likely be able to select a quality book based on the choices that they provide. One of the greatest parts about the site is how easy it is to use.
My other favorite part of this learning experience was seeing the practical application of tagging on the Danbury Public Library website. I think that adding the tagging system into CruzCat would be a great idea. It has the potential to be extremely helpful to people who are doing research in the library; and seeing how much UCSC values undergraduate research, I think that we should push to add this to Cruzcat.
Oh, check out my fancy new widget courtesy of LibraryThing!
My other favorite part of this learning experience was seeing the practical application of tagging on the Danbury Public Library website. I think that adding the tagging system into CruzCat would be a great idea. It has the potential to be extremely helpful to people who are doing research in the library; and seeing how much UCSC values undergraduate research, I think that we should push to add this to Cruzcat.
Oh, check out my fancy new widget courtesy of LibraryThing!
#10. Tagging (week 6): Technorati
Success!!!! It took awhile for me to get the right combination of search words, but I was finally able to get Technorati to retrieve my blog. I have to admit, it was a little bit exciting to have a search engine pull up my blog.
I had minimal success with other search engines.
I had minimal success with other search engines.
#9. Social Bookmarking (week 6): Del.icio.us
Del.icio.us was pretty straight forward. It seems like a good way to organize bookmarks, and since its on the web, they can be accessed from anywhere, which is nice. Yahoo recently bought Del.icio.us which means that it will be around for awhile and isn't just a passing fad. This is also good.
My favorite part of Del.icio.us the the cloud view that organizes your tags. I am partial to this style of display, because it allows the user to quickly sort out the most popular/relevant tags.
Del.icio.us was a little difficult for me to get into because the layout of the site was not very appealing. It seems like there are so many web tools out there that people claim will save me so much time, organize my stuff for me, or make my life so much easier; but, if I used all of these sites I would never have time for anything else.
Organizing my book marks isn't that important to me, I think the that the real value of sites like Del.icio.us are when they can be applied to academics. This site could be very useful for allowing student to seek out the most recent and up to date information in their field of choice. Finding articles on the latest medical breakthroughs, conservation biology, etc. will be much easier and consequently faster with sites like this.
My favorite part of Del.icio.us the the cloud view that organizes your tags. I am partial to this style of display, because it allows the user to quickly sort out the most popular/relevant tags.
Del.icio.us was a little difficult for me to get into because the layout of the site was not very appealing. It seems like there are so many web tools out there that people claim will save me so much time, organize my stuff for me, or make my life so much easier; but, if I used all of these sites I would never have time for anything else.
Organizing my book marks isn't that important to me, I think the that the real value of sites like Del.icio.us are when they can be applied to academics. This site could be very useful for allowing student to seek out the most recent and up to date information in their field of choice. Finding articles on the latest medical breakthroughs, conservation biology, etc. will be much easier and consequently faster with sites like this.
#8. Second Life (week 5)
Second Life seems very interesting. The article that I read about it predicts that Second Life will not necessarily be revolutionary in regards to changing libraries and the way we use libraries, but rather it is a major step in the that direction. After exploring Second Life a little more, I would have to agree with that notion.
I watched the video from SJSU and was very impressed with how they intended to use second life. I think that using it to enhance the distance learning program is a wonderful use of technology. This has the potential to allow more people to seek higher education.
As far as using second life to enhance libraries, I believe there is promise there. Many of the services that the library offers could potentially be fulfilled in a well designed user friendly environment. However, as a student, there were times when I wanted to go to the library, and thumb through books, study in a quiet space, or get a break from using the computer. All of these activities cannot be done in the virtual world.
I am very interested to see the role that virtual reality programs like Second Life will play in future libraries.
I watched the video from SJSU and was very impressed with how they intended to use second life. I think that using it to enhance the distance learning program is a wonderful use of technology. This has the potential to allow more people to seek higher education.
As far as using second life to enhance libraries, I believe there is promise there. Many of the services that the library offers could potentially be fulfilled in a well designed user friendly environment. However, as a student, there were times when I wanted to go to the library, and thumb through books, study in a quiet space, or get a break from using the computer. All of these activities cannot be done in the virtual world.
I am very interested to see the role that virtual reality programs like Second Life will play in future libraries.
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