Showing posts with label librarians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label librarians. Show all posts

Monday

Thing 7. Web 2.0 Communication Tools

Many Web 2.0 tools can be tagged as communication tools. Blogs, Wikis, Flickr, podcasts, & videos all are ways to communicate and share information. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are communications tools for much of the (younger) population, too. The communication tools in this Thing—email, IM, and text messaging, Google Groups, Web Conferencing—make person-to-person or group-to-group communication easier.
Many libraries have added these communication tools as part of their online reference suite to offer users more ways to reach them. The argument for IM, email, text messaging, social network presence via Facebook, et. al. is to reach users where they are in their preferred means of communication. We may like telephones or walk-in users, but users want to communicate with us in their preferred ways. Libraries one debated telephone reference, too—but that was before libraries and librarians were early adopters of new technology!
In this Thing, you will read, listen, and/or watch intros to these tools and how they work in libraries. There are some activities (the numbered items) to try associated with each one. Be sure to do each of the numbered items and then blog about your experiences.
Email
Email has been around longer than the Internet—early inceptions date to the late 1960s using mainframe computers. Now, almost everyone has at least one email address. With more than 1.5 billion email users sending 183 million email messages a day, it would seem email has a secure role in online communication and collaboration, in spite of many new tools. Everyone needs to understand and use email. If you don’t already, consider offering, classes on email for your patrons using these free email services:
Libraries use email for many purposes: Ask a Librarian, update patrons on their holds/overdues, and for library discussion groups to name a few.
1. Email can be a productivity enhancer or a time drain. Explore the productivity aspects of your current email program (things like folders, groups, spam filters). Here are some other productivity hints.

Instant Messaging
Instant messaging (IM) is a real time communication tool that allows users to type into a chat box and send the info to one or more other IM users. It, too, can be a productivity tool or a time user. It is a popular communication among teens, as well as business people because of the instant response possible. Here is how it works.
2a. Watch this video that shows an Instant Message chat with a librarian at the University of Buffalo (Warning: music!).




There are many IM services—popular ones include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and Yahoo! Messenger. Both require downloads to work. Google offers two. Google Talk bundles various services including file sharing if you download the software. Web-based Google Talk does not require a download. Google Chat is built into Gmail.
2b. Read about Instant Messaging and libraries in this Library Journal article.
2c. Set up an IM account with others in your building who are participating in 23 Things On a Stick. Practice IMing each other. (On your own? Contact your multitype or check your region’s participants’ blogs to find an IM partner.)

Text Messaging (SMS—Short Message Service)
Short Message Service (SMS), commonly called text messaging, lets users send short messages of up to 160 characters via cell phone or other communication device. There is a basic cost involved depending on your provider for those who send and receive text messages. With 500 billion text messages being sent per year, it seems that text messaging is permeating our culture. Are you part of the revolution?
3a. View this video demonstration of a Text a Librarian session with an academic librarian.

3b. Read this article about libraries and text messaging in Smart Libraries Newsletter.
3c. Try text messaging another 23 Things participant. See the IM note about finding a partner.

Web Conferencing
Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings or presentations over the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected to other participants via the Internet. This can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendees' computers or a web-based application where the attendees will simply enter a URL to enter the live meeting. These web-based applications are used either with Flash or Java technology.
A webinar is a type of web conference. A webinar can be one-way, with the speaker giving a presentatior or it can be collaborative including question and answer or discussion sessions to allow full participation between the audience and the presenter. MINITEX Webinars are an example of web conferencing.
OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries) is a low-cost Web conferencing service that offers public online programs including book discussions, interviews, special events, library training, writing workshops, and virtual tours of special digital library collections, as well as many library continuing education presentations. A podcast about OPAL is here.
Everyone is welcome to participate in OPAL programs. Usually there is no need to register. Nearly all OPAL programs are offered free of charge to participants.
4a. Read this WebJunction intro to Web conferencing (pdf).
4b. Look at the OPAL Master Schedule. Find an interesting program and join in. You don’t have to watch the whole thing if you don’t have time; watch enough to get a feel for the format.
-OR-
View a MINITEX Webinar.

Blog Prompts
Communicate your thoughts on these tools in this communication tool--your blog!
  • Describe how your library uses email. Has it improved productivity?
  • Share your thoughts on online reference using some of the other Web 2.0 communication tools.
  • Are you an active user of text messaging, IM, or other communication tools?
  • Which OPAL or MINITEX Web conference (Webinar) did you attend? How was it? What do you think o this communication tool?
Resources
Challenge (optional)
1. Google Groups
Google Groups bundles several services including email, document sharing, wiki features and web creation into one service. People use Google Groups to communicate and share around a topic of mutual interest. Google has these groups of interest to librarians and those who want to know more about Google features and updates:
We have set up this 23 Things On a Stick Google Group so we can share our efforts with 23 Things On a Stick. You will receive an invitation to participate once you have registered your blog.
2. Meebo is an IM aggregator; it lets you view/chat with all of your IM accounts from one window. Nebraska Library Commission has posted a neat video showing one of their training sessions on Meebo for their staff. You can access it on blip.tv at: blip.tv/file/520398. It's about 18 minutes long but interesting if you are considering or want to look into Meebo a little closer for your library this gives you some good information about working with the program and how to set up a MeeboMe widget. If you use Meebo now or decide to try it, blog about the experience.
3. Twitter has had a lot of play in library literature. Described as “…a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”
  • Set up a Twitter account and “Tweet” with some of your co-workers or other 23 Thing participants. How can you use this in libraries?
These presentations from BIGWIG Social Software Showcase 2007 give explanations of Twitter and its expansion features:

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Sunday

Thing 15. Online Games and Libraries

Gaming in libraries has been getting a lot of press in library journals and seems to be snowballing in interest—even getting its own American Library Association TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium in Chicago last year. The library world’s interest in gaming can be seen as a reflection of the general public’s interest.

According to the PEW Internet and American Life Project: America’s Online Pursuits Study, the number of online gamers increased 45% from 2000-2002. Many of these online games are Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMOPRGs). MMOPRGs have had a huge burst of interest in the past few years. Most MMOPRGs require a subscription, but there are a few that require no subscription, and even a couple that require no client download.

One free online game is Puzzle Pirates which allows you to navigate the pirate world based on your skills at various puzzles. Each ship requires multiple crew members, so there is a lot of interaction and collaboration in the community. Start by visiting their wiki, in case you want more detailed instructions before landing in the pirate world. However, this game does have guides, so jumping right in is always an option.

Another option that is more popular in the library world is Second Life. Second Life isn’t, strictly-speaking, a game. There are no objectives to fulfill, no goal at the end, no princess to save.

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by nearly 200,000 people from around the globe. There are shopping malls, events, homes, lands of different types, and best of all, participants can contribute content, buildings, and other digital creations. Second Life also has had some unexpected results—there are virtual classrooms that one can attend and a number of institutions are using those classrooms as another avenue for distance education.

As in "real life," there are libraries. Alliance Library System, one of nine multitype library systems in Illinois, has created Info Island. Info Island offers reference and other services. Read more here.

For this Thing, you have some options…

A. Puzzle Pirates

  1. Try learning two different roles in Puzzle Pirates—bilging is generally were you start. Other options are Learn to Carpent and Learn to Sail.

--OR--

B. Second Life
1. Watch this video tour (warning! music) of Info Island on Second Life.


Take a look at Second Life. If you are feeling adventurous, sign up for an account with Second Life and explore the islands. (Make sure your computer can handle the software requirements.)

Resources

  • PBS built a website around their series The Video Game Revolution that has a lot of useful links to further information and reading about the video game phenomenon. Including Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked.
  • Ohio University has a short video about their reasons for their presence in Second Life.
  • The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County has an FAQ about their Teen Second Life.
  • The Info Island Blog
  • Sirsi Dynix Institute's Teen Second Life: Library Services in a 3D world with Kelly Czarnecki of The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. If you don't want to listen to the audio, there is an option to look at the slides under "supplemental materia.l"
  • YALSA also has an podcast interview with two teens involved in Teen Second Life and Teen Second Life Library Project.

Blog Prompts

  • If you tried Puzzle Pirates, write a blog post about how the interaction was with other sailors.
  • If you chose Second Life, write a blog post about your findings and thoughts on Second Life. Is there a role for Second Life in libraries?

Challenge
1. If you have experience with Second Life or a MMOPRG game try the write a post comparing and contrasting the two environments and what you like and dislike about both and which is your preferred environment.

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Wednesday

Thing 18. YouTube & Other Online Video

By now, the world knows YouTube (started by a Saint Paul Central High School grad!) as the source of all things video on the Internet. And we do mean “all things.” The good, the bad, and the ugly are all there for all to see—one reason many districts and libraries block YouTube. Another reason is bandwidth—like music, video is a bandwidth hog. We recommend you complete this exercise during light Internet usage times.

YouTube revolutionized the way video is shared on the Internet by making it easy to upload and share videos. Other video sites have popped up, including Google Video. YouTube is now owned by Google, so it will be interesting to see the how the evolution/merging of the two sites happens. Right now, a search of either one returns results from both sites.

There are dozens of other video sites, but among the Web 2.0 players in this area, YouTube is currently top dog serving up over 1 million video views a day.


In this Thing, you will do some searching around YouTube or Google Video yourself and see what the site has to offer. You'll find everything from 1970s TV commercials and music videos. Plus lots of cool library stuff: library dominos, library tours, library ads, and library jokes. There's also the cult classic Conan the Librarian. See also:
• Web 2.0
•  March of the Librarians I spotted at least one Minnesota librarian in this one--can you? (Put your answer in your blog!)
• Library Musical
• IT vs Librarian

Here's an appropriate Library 2.0 video:



Of course, you’ll also find a lot stuff not worth watching, too. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore and see for yourself what the site has to offer.

1. Explore YouTube or Google Video & find a video worth adding as an entry in your blog. Enter a keyword or words and see what videos have that tag. Like what you find? Click on more in the About This Video box to see a list of other videos with that tag.
2. Place a YouTube inside your blog by following this instructions. These instructions show how to place other video in a Blogger post.
3. Blog about why you chose this video, any issues you had using the sites, and other thoughts.

Resources
Other popular video hosting sites:
 Blog Prompts
  • What did you like or dislike about the sites you explored?
  • Why did you choose the video that you did?
  • Can you see any ways to use video--YouTube or other sites--on your library Web site?
Challenge
1. Feeling brave? Make your own video and upload it to YouTube or Google Video. Promote a program or introduce your library to the community or something else. If you do, be sure to embed it in your blog. We all want to see it!
2. Jumpcut is a Yahoo! product that lets you upload video or photos, re-mix and edit them, and produce a video. It is all online, easy to use, and with many other features, including slide shows and clips to add to yours as you build your movie. And, like most Web 2.0 tools, it offers a community of like-minded participants who want to watch your videos and share theirs with you. So jump right in and make a video to share with us. Post it to your blog and let us know just how easy it is to be creative!
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Sunday

Thing 21. Beyond MySpace: Other Social Networks

MySpace and Facebook may grab the headlines in social networking, but there are many other social networks. Social networks are online communities created around interests with people-to-people recommendations and communication. These specialized social networks allow like-minded users to find and interact with one another, whether around crafts or cars or any other shared interest. In this Thing, we'll take a look at some of these networks.

The first three have broad appeal:


Gather
Gather describes itself as the “leading social networking and media site for adults, with some of the highest quality user-generated content on the internet.” Most of the discussion on Gather is in a debate format, focused around a single issue, book, or theme to appeal to busy professionals. American Public Media is heavily invested in this site as an outlet for National Public Radio listeners. Minnesota Public Radio Groups: Minnesota Readers and Minnesota Life.


WebJunction
WebJunction is an online community and portal that supports library staff with technology and library development materials; provides courses for online learning and professional development; and brings the library community together in online discussions and programs. Minnesota has its own customized version of the site, as a collaborative effort of Minnesota State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, MINITEX Library Information Network, and Metronet, a Minnesota Multitype Library System; and WebJunction. Click on Partners to go to WebJunction Minnesota.


Ning
Ning is an alternative social network that is meant for a higher level of customization by its users. The networks are created around special interests, and any user can easily create a network. You can visit the Library 2.0 group, our specially created 23 Things On a Stick group, or any of the other many library groups created in Ning. Note that the 23 Things On a Stick Ning is no longer active since Ning began to charge for the service in July 2010.

Other social networks provide recommendations and reviews, focus on various political candidates, promote career development, or revolve around an interest like music, pets, or food. Even AARP is getting into the social network sphere.

For this Thing,

1. Read these articles:
2. Join the 23 Things On a Stick Ning. Do at least 2 of the following:
  • Leave comments for another member
  • Upload your photos or video to the Ning
  • Add the Ning badge to your blog
  • Add another of the Ning widgets to your blog
3. Find another social network that might interest you. Explore the ones mentioned already or one of these suggestions:

Education
Music
Food
Movies
Books
Hobbies
Getting Things Done
You get the idea; there is a social network for everyone. And, on the chance you can't find a social network that matches your interests, start one of your own.

Resources
Blog Prompts
  • Are you a member of any online communities?
  • Are any of these social networks appealing to you?
  • What did you find that was interesting and that you might use later?
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