I've used YouTube intermittently since it became enormously popular several years ago, mostly for finding and listening to music and music videos. Of course, it's a perfect outlet for humor videos, segments from Saturday Night Live, and home videos -- but quite a viable resource for instructional and educational videos as well (something I really had not considered until recently).
Until a couple weeks ago, the concept of "flash mobs" was completely foreign to me. My wife and I were watching the November 17th episode of Modern Family on ABC that features a flash mob segment, when I turned to my wife and asked "what the hell is a flash mob?!" She laughed not so much in response to my question, but more so to the look of utter bewilderment I'm sure was plastered on my face. With this in mind, I am sharing below a video someone just sent to me the other day of a flash mob segment recorded earlier this month at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. I'm not much for dance routines, but this is pretty fun.
And, here's another cool video I found on YouTube that is sure to evoke a chuckle or two. Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
#14
There are several online productivity tools I have been employing for quite some time (though I never thought to label them as such!), so I will keep this entry fairly concise while listing and describing how I use them.
- While I still do not love Gmail as an email application, there are a couple of its (well, Google's) features that I do enjoy quite a lot: Google Docs and Google Calendar. I previously mentioned Google Docs as an application I've used frequently in collaborative settings, specifically for class group presentations or assignments that have necessitated more than one person having access in order to edit/add content. The spreadsheet tool has been quite useful during past holiday shopping seasons -- I have been known to use this in order to keep track of gifts purchased, gifts intended to purchase, where to purchase them, who the gifts are for, the best prices available, and other miscellaneous gifts for backup use. This is nice because, again, I can access the document from any computer with internet access (this would be infinitely more nice if I had a smartphone!), and update and edit it as I progress. It helps that the tools possess the expected Google slickness we've all come to know and appreciate. The calendar is what one would expect it to be, but is very user-friendly and easily accessible -- I don't use it all the time, but it's a handy way to keep track of appointments, work, assignment due dates, events, trips, etc.
- TinyURL is another tool mentioned by NEFLIN that I have used for some time. There are oftentimes laboriously long URLs present after one has been digging deeper and deeper into a website (they get especially long and convoluted in product searches on Amazon and other retail sites), so TinyURL can be used to convert them to a short, concise little piece of code that can be conveniently included in an email text or website as a link that won't take up an entire paragraph and throw off all your tabs.
- An online to-do list called Todoist has been recommended to me by my wife. It seems to be useful in that you can prioritize tasks at hand, sort by date and category (personal, professional, kids, etc.) -- but I've honestly only given it a cursory glance and found it a bit confusing to get underway. I trust my wife, though, when it comes to things like this, so I will keep toying with it and may try to utilize it in the near future if my life gets more complicated as I expect it will!
Lucky Library Thing
Library Thing is completely new to me. I believe I'm a cataloger at heart, and a tool like this is great at allowing its users a quick overview of their book collection (as well as records of books read, to be read, etc.). A great aspect of it is the social connectivity it allows. Unlike our typical social networking sites previously discussed here, LT is a very specific forum to connect people with similar tastes. (I'm a big music nerd, so I'm tempted to see if there's something similar out there beyond the likes of personal streaming sites like Pandora and Last.FM. Of course, there I could run into the danger of "sharing" my music library, even though I'd be just sharing a list of what I have, as opposed to sharing actual mp3s.) I imagine that Library Thing is viewed as a bit more of a high-brow way to connect with other readers -- and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
When adding titles to my library, I began with stuff I've most recently read, and progressed into old favorites and other titles that just came to mind. The most recent book I finished (Dave Eggers' Zeitoun) showed that around a thousand other users also had the title in their library. It was interesting to compare that with a graphic novel (Batman: Hush) with very low numbers and a popular fiction title (each of Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy books) with numbers upwards of ten thousand. These numbers are predictable enough, based on book selling trends and knowing what is new and hot, but even so, still telling. Not everyone who reads popular fiction will feel compelled to share that they do so on a site like Library Thing, much like graphic novel fans probably choose to share their reading habits elsewhere. But I like seeing the potential connections that can be made with other readers, as well as the potential for recommendations of things I may enjoy. It's fun to come across a user who read and loved Chuck Klosterman's Downtown Owl (like me) who is also interested in reading the newly published Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. One. What title have they read that might also be my next new favorite book (and vice versa)?
I can see how libraries could really extend the connection to their patrons (and among patrons) by using Library Thing. Already, many larger public libraries like the Columbus (OH) Metropolitan Library allow users to review, tag, and rate titles -- finding a way to integrate links to librarians' and users' Library Thing pages would be an even greater advancement. I think that public and school libraries could most benefit from something like this, but many academic libraries are already exploring the potential in this type of communication with interactive LibGuides and the like. If one student finds a particular resource helpful, they can comment on it allowing a fellow student to see that a particular resource may be the exact one they need to explore in finding their desired information.
When adding titles to my library, I began with stuff I've most recently read, and progressed into old favorites and other titles that just came to mind. The most recent book I finished (Dave Eggers' Zeitoun) showed that around a thousand other users also had the title in their library. It was interesting to compare that with a graphic novel (Batman: Hush) with very low numbers and a popular fiction title (each of Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy books) with numbers upwards of ten thousand. These numbers are predictable enough, based on book selling trends and knowing what is new and hot, but even so, still telling. Not everyone who reads popular fiction will feel compelled to share that they do so on a site like Library Thing, much like graphic novel fans probably choose to share their reading habits elsewhere. But I like seeing the potential connections that can be made with other readers, as well as the potential for recommendations of things I may enjoy. It's fun to come across a user who read and loved Chuck Klosterman's Downtown Owl (like me) who is also interested in reading the newly published Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. One. What title have they read that might also be my next new favorite book (and vice versa)?
I can see how libraries could really extend the connection to their patrons (and among patrons) by using Library Thing. Already, many larger public libraries like the Columbus (OH) Metropolitan Library allow users to review, tag, and rate titles -- finding a way to integrate links to librarians' and users' Library Thing pages would be an even greater advancement. I think that public and school libraries could most benefit from something like this, but many academic libraries are already exploring the potential in this type of communication with interactive LibGuides and the like. If one student finds a particular resource helpful, they can comment on it allowing a fellow student to see that a particular resource may be the exact one they need to explore in finding their desired information.
#12
Wiki is one of those Web 2.0 terms that just seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Like Google, it seems to be just been one of those forces of nature that most everyone, everywhere knows about and uses on a regular basis. I don't know precisely when I began referencing Wikipedia. With it being a regular at the top of my Google search results when researching various topics, it just somehow made its way into my (and everyone else's) online subconscious.
I've only recently accurately discovered what exactly the term "wiki" means -- content which is created by anyone, that can be edited and shared by anyone (provided they've been granted access). With this light shed, I realize that I've been using wikis for some time without even knowing it. For a class I took in Spring 2009, my preassigned group had a collaborative document due along with a presentation. Without any deliberation, a member of my group recommended typing up the assignment via Google Docs. (Once again, Google takes the credit here, though it's apparent this method of communicating probably wasn't originated by them!) Being that the group size was three, and the assignment was in three parts, we would each take one part, type up our findings separately, then post them to the final document we could each access and edit at any given time.
As is demonstrated in the Common Craft video on wikis, having a shared document or web page for communication purposes is much more efficient than the inevitable roundabout of emailing every party within a group would. In my past jobs, whether or not someone's email address was carbon copied or included in the 'to' column could result in a line of confusion not easily resolved. For instance, I may email my direct supervisor and cc the president of the company on an email regarding a problem that needed addressing, but then get a response from the supervisor without the president being return cc'd (a simple oversight that may or may not be deliberate). In the haste of obtaining a resolution to the problem at hand, the president of the company may be inadvertently left out of the loop of communication, not knowing the status of the potential resolution at hand. With something like a Wiki, this confusion or lack of information would be eliminated, because everyone with access to the page would, literally, be on the same page.
There is a certain amount of trust inherently involved in working with wikis, and in a library setting this would be of utmost importance. When various library staff are able to contribute different aspects to, say, their library's blog, and notice an erroneous item someone else may have posted, they can easily correct it without much ado (having to contact an administrator, or the author, to have it corrected, etc.). In this realm, wikis would most certainly result in the most accurate information, provided in the quickest, most accessible way.
I've only recently accurately discovered what exactly the term "wiki" means -- content which is created by anyone, that can be edited and shared by anyone (provided they've been granted access). With this light shed, I realize that I've been using wikis for some time without even knowing it. For a class I took in Spring 2009, my preassigned group had a collaborative document due along with a presentation. Without any deliberation, a member of my group recommended typing up the assignment via Google Docs. (Once again, Google takes the credit here, though it's apparent this method of communicating probably wasn't originated by them!) Being that the group size was three, and the assignment was in three parts, we would each take one part, type up our findings separately, then post them to the final document we could each access and edit at any given time.
As is demonstrated in the Common Craft video on wikis, having a shared document or web page for communication purposes is much more efficient than the inevitable roundabout of emailing every party within a group would. In my past jobs, whether or not someone's email address was carbon copied or included in the 'to' column could result in a line of confusion not easily resolved. For instance, I may email my direct supervisor and cc the president of the company on an email regarding a problem that needed addressing, but then get a response from the supervisor without the president being return cc'd (a simple oversight that may or may not be deliberate). In the haste of obtaining a resolution to the problem at hand, the president of the company may be inadvertently left out of the loop of communication, not knowing the status of the potential resolution at hand. With something like a Wiki, this confusion or lack of information would be eliminated, because everyone with access to the page would, literally, be on the same page.
There is a certain amount of trust inherently involved in working with wikis, and in a library setting this would be of utmost importance. When various library staff are able to contribute different aspects to, say, their library's blog, and notice an erroneous item someone else may have posted, they can easily correct it without much ado (having to contact an administrator, or the author, to have it corrected, etc.). In this realm, wikis would most certainly result in the most accurate information, provided in the quickest, most accessible way.
#11
Thing 11 encompasses rating and recommending sites or links to specific content via social media. This is something I've only done on occasion (primarily on Facebook) with the public (well, my public "friends"), probably because I figure people can filter out and find whatever they're looking for themselves. But, this is incredibly useful for bringing an issue or topic to someone's attention who may not be aware of it, or sharing something so completely off-the-wall or amusing that you just can't help yourself. But, doing this via Facebook, is much more of a direct interaction than the following four sites I checked out.
I looked over Mixx, Digg, Newsvine, and Reddit, and opted to try Mixx, based on its readability. (I typically gravitate towards that which is cleanly designed, user-friendly, and aesthetically appealing -- Mixx topped the list for me here.) Mixx was easy to register with (using my Google account), and recommending a New York Times story I found on Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez's recent performance with the band Junip was similarly easy. However, I am not sure that I find recommending a story on Mixx to be quite as useful as simply perusing Mixx for news. (I was the first person to "mixx" that article, and I'm sure I will be only one of a few, at most.) Where I believe this would be a more profound location for friends and others I associate with to recommend it would be on Facebook. Those people know me and can see precisely something I recommended; whereas, if I recommend something on Mixx, it merely shows as being recommended by one person. I'm not sure accessing it via Mixx would garner any more traffic for the article than simply being on the NY Times' website would.
Sites such as the four listed I believe are most useful when it comes to breaking news or issues regarding a more serious, newsworthy topic. Of course, that does not preclude folks from recommending a story regarding the latest Kardashian hubris, but users can filter through those recommendations as well.
I looked over Mixx, Digg, Newsvine, and Reddit, and opted to try Mixx, based on its readability. (I typically gravitate towards that which is cleanly designed, user-friendly, and aesthetically appealing -- Mixx topped the list for me here.) Mixx was easy to register with (using my Google account), and recommending a New York Times story I found on Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez's recent performance with the band Junip was similarly easy. However, I am not sure that I find recommending a story on Mixx to be quite as useful as simply perusing Mixx for news. (I was the first person to "mixx" that article, and I'm sure I will be only one of a few, at most.) Where I believe this would be a more profound location for friends and others I associate with to recommend it would be on Facebook. Those people know me and can see precisely something I recommended; whereas, if I recommend something on Mixx, it merely shows as being recommended by one person. I'm not sure accessing it via Mixx would garner any more traffic for the article than simply being on the NY Times' website would.
Sites such as the four listed I believe are most useful when it comes to breaking news or issues regarding a more serious, newsworthy topic. Of course, that does not preclude folks from recommending a story regarding the latest Kardashian hubris, but users can filter through those recommendations as well.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Decadent and Delicious
Tagging is yet another way to categorically organize blog entries, photos, music, books, and various other media. I just went through and tagged ("labeled," in Blogger) my previous blog entries to quickly be able to reference each entry a specific theme or topic arose in. Tagging is ubiquitous on the web. On my local public library's website, users can save or tag items for check-out, either for quick reference at a later time (I have saved lists entitled "Books to Check Out," "CDs to Check Out," etc.) or in assisting themselves or other patrons with finding titles that may suit their interests. For instance, I decided to search for a popular audio item (Taylor Swift's second album, "Fearless") certain to have been reviewed or tagged, which resulted in the unsurprising "country" and "taylor," along with the hilarious, unsubtle "blah." Out of curiosity, I clicked on "blah," figuring this to be a tag utilized by one individual user, and sure enough, found this to link to titles by other country recording artists. I think it's safe to deduce that specific user is not a country music fan. For someone with similar tastes, this particular tag would be useful in advising on titles to avoid (assuming "blah" is unfavorable!). The converse effect can be assumed for titles tagged as "awesome," "enthralling," or "inspiring." Tagging and reviewing products on Amazon (or any other online retailer offering these capabilities, for that matter) serves the same basic function.
Delicious is a tool I haven't previously used, understood, or cared about, to be quite frank. I was skeptical, but after giving it a cursory once-over, I think I may love it. A problem I have constantly come across this past year after beginning to use Chrome as my browser is not having access to my bookmarks when using another computer where I've had to use a different browser. When it's been one of my family's computers (we have an old desktop, my wife's laptop, and a netbook), the solution has been simple: install Chrome and sync my Google account so that my bookmarks are all right there. (I also did this with my work computer at my old job. On my last day there, I promptly un-synced [de-synced?] that machine, and uninstalled Chrome to ensure that the person hired to replace me there wouldn't have access to any of my private information that may have been saved on that computer.) It becomes a problem, though, when you're using someone else's machine, or a public machine such as at the library or a cafe. I have occasion to use a computer at my practicum where I don't feel justified in installing new software, so accessing my bookmarks becomes a bit troublesome. Not a big deal, as I usually remember the URLs I may need while there with ease (save those that are overly long and specific), but it's been problematic at times. With Delicious, this problem is erased!
I can see how Delicious can be a wonderful way for librarians to communicate resourceful links to one another without having specifically communicate a new discovery to one another. If it's something where immediacy or urgency is a non-issue, adding a Delicious bookmark can be the perfect method for a colleague who may only check for new additions periodically. Obviously, if it's something more time sensitive, an old-school-style email will suffice in getting the information to that colleague in a timely manner! With my enlightenment to Delicious, I feel more informed, as well as more confident, in how I choose to find and share information and resources online. As I've learned recently, library users want to access information in their preferred method -- and this applies to me as well. (Duh.) Just because there are all these different ways to share with others doesn't mean that I have to use all these resources. Of course, being well-versed with the available options is great (and encouraged), but knowing what you like and how to use it best to your advantage is a luxury, not to mention the ultimate goal.
Delicious is a tool I haven't previously used, understood, or cared about, to be quite frank. I was skeptical, but after giving it a cursory once-over, I think I may love it. A problem I have constantly come across this past year after beginning to use Chrome as my browser is not having access to my bookmarks when using another computer where I've had to use a different browser. When it's been one of my family's computers (we have an old desktop, my wife's laptop, and a netbook), the solution has been simple: install Chrome and sync my Google account so that my bookmarks are all right there. (I also did this with my work computer at my old job. On my last day there, I promptly un-synced [de-synced?] that machine, and uninstalled Chrome to ensure that the person hired to replace me there wouldn't have access to any of my private information that may have been saved on that computer.) It becomes a problem, though, when you're using someone else's machine, or a public machine such as at the library or a cafe. I have occasion to use a computer at my practicum where I don't feel justified in installing new software, so accessing my bookmarks becomes a bit troublesome. Not a big deal, as I usually remember the URLs I may need while there with ease (save those that are overly long and specific), but it's been problematic at times. With Delicious, this problem is erased!
I can see how Delicious can be a wonderful way for librarians to communicate resourceful links to one another without having specifically communicate a new discovery to one another. If it's something where immediacy or urgency is a non-issue, adding a Delicious bookmark can be the perfect method for a colleague who may only check for new additions periodically. Obviously, if it's something more time sensitive, an old-school-style email will suffice in getting the information to that colleague in a timely manner! With my enlightenment to Delicious, I feel more informed, as well as more confident, in how I choose to find and share information and resources online. As I've learned recently, library users want to access information in their preferred method -- and this applies to me as well. (Duh.) Just because there are all these different ways to share with others doesn't mean that I have to use all these resources. Of course, being well-versed with the available options is great (and encouraged), but knowing what you like and how to use it best to your advantage is a luxury, not to mention the ultimate goal.
Number 9, Number 9, Number 9...
I've had my Flickr account for some time, but haven't used it in a while (as previously mentioned). With that in mind, presenting a badge or slide deck was something completely new for me. Please see the badge below for a set of photos of mine called Flowers that I took a few years back.
People love pictures, and technology has allowed photo sharing to become virtually instantaneous. Even though libraries have classically been aligned with the power of the word, visual stimulation is key, especially when considering a public or school library where children (who generally gravitate towards what visually attracts them) are prevalent. A website such as that of Columbus, Ohio's award-winning public library is bright, cheerful, and instantly engaging to the digital user. The same goes for the physical library: its open floor plan is inviting, sedated lighting calming, displays eye-catching, and staff ready to assist and plentiful.
In being a digital equivalent or companion, a badge or slide deck could be a very useful way for libraries to replicate thematic library displays. Simply putting together a badge of selected books' covers, which would link to the book's synopsis and/or library status upon clicking, can be yet another engaging way to get users interested in a book or resource they may not have previously been privy to.
(PS - Props to those who recognize this post's title as a Beatles' reference!)
People love pictures, and technology has allowed photo sharing to become virtually instantaneous. Even though libraries have classically been aligned with the power of the word, visual stimulation is key, especially when considering a public or school library where children (who generally gravitate towards what visually attracts them) are prevalent. A website such as that of Columbus, Ohio's award-winning public library is bright, cheerful, and instantly engaging to the digital user. The same goes for the physical library: its open floor plan is inviting, sedated lighting calming, displays eye-catching, and staff ready to assist and plentiful.
In being a digital equivalent or companion, a badge or slide deck could be a very useful way for libraries to replicate thematic library displays. Simply putting together a badge of selected books' covers, which would link to the book's synopsis and/or library status upon clicking, can be yet another engaging way to get users interested in a book or resource they may not have previously been privy to.
(PS - Props to those who recognize this post's title as a Beatles' reference!)
#8
Based on my practicum experience at Denison University's Doane Library, it seems that Web 2.0 tools such as instant messaging (IM), SMS/text messaging, and web conferencing, though implemented and widely available, still are not utilized much in this particular academic library's setting. I imagine that this lack of utilization is due mostly to Denison's small size, both in terms of geography and population. Being a four-year residential school on an intimate campus means that the library is a merely a hop, skip, or jump away! Only once in the two or so months of my service there have I witnessed someone contacting a librarian via the Meebo chat tool -- and that was a hoax or miscommunication of some sort. To be fair, though, I imagine it probably does get more use at night and during the cooler seasons when a student may be less inclined to leave their dorm room.
Beyond circumstances such as these, I think another occasion where chatting and text messaging can be useful are when a student may be ill -- able to do work in their room with a laptop, but physically unable to venture out for various health reasons. As far as web-conferencing or webinaring are concerned, I believe undergraduates would be less inclined to pursue such an avenue of communication, but for graduate students potentially exploring research topics at remote campuses this could be quite fortuitous. I believe the classic librarian would likewise eat up this format because it replicates the face-to-face encounter of the reference desk interview, an experience that has been hugely dwindling in numbers for years.
I'd be interested to see how an academic library at a larger university incorporates these useful communication tools. I don't see any problems with the usefulness of Web 2.0 communication tools in any type of library; where I see the problem is in the utilization. Despite the technological advancements we've seen arise in recent history, there is still a substantial deficit in exploration of these tools on both the user and administrative side.
Beyond circumstances such as these, I think another occasion where chatting and text messaging can be useful are when a student may be ill -- able to do work in their room with a laptop, but physically unable to venture out for various health reasons. As far as web-conferencing or webinaring are concerned, I believe undergraduates would be less inclined to pursue such an avenue of communication, but for graduate students potentially exploring research topics at remote campuses this could be quite fortuitous. I believe the classic librarian would likewise eat up this format because it replicates the face-to-face encounter of the reference desk interview, an experience that has been hugely dwindling in numbers for years.
I'd be interested to see how an academic library at a larger university incorporates these useful communication tools. I don't see any problems with the usefulness of Web 2.0 communication tools in any type of library; where I see the problem is in the utilization. Despite the technological advancements we've seen arise in recent history, there is still a substantial deficit in exploration of these tools on both the user and administrative side.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)