I wasn't able to edit the Declaration of Independence--denied permission. I sent the email, so maybe later I can help out Thomas Jefferson. I went ahead and created an account.
Just today I met with Tri-College colleagues, and we are going to use Google Docs to create/edit our upcoming workshop session. I haven't used this tool before, but I'm looking forward to having a real project to work on collaboratively. More on comparing the Google and Zoho tools later...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Thing 9: Collaboration
I'm beginning with Zoho. The idea sounds good--I'm just not sure how easy many people are going to find it to get used to new tools. I like the idea of being able to collaborate online without the constraints of personal software. I'm just not sure how it will work. I'vde tried to import a word document and a spreadsheet, and neither worked (that I could see). I created a document and tried to insert a picture, but that didn't work either (that I could see). Like any software, I don't expect to be a competent user after just a few minutes, but right now I don't see any reason to pursue this.
I do think these tools might work well for people who don't have personal computers. Do libraries teach these tools to users? I'm going to watch for classes in my town.
I did try to create a small test spreadsheet. I thought I could post a link to it in my blog, but instead I inserted the worksheet itselft--not even the printable, formatted view. I'm sure there must be a way to do it, but it wasn't readily apparent to me. It's becoming obvious to me that I need to know more about html to deal with all these images in my blog. Maybe I need to know more about html in general. I know the ILS forms require a greater knowledge than I have.
I do think these tools might work well for people who don't have personal computers. Do libraries teach these tools to users? I'm going to watch for classes in my town.
I did try to create a small test spreadsheet. I thought I could post a link to it in my blog, but instead I inserted the worksheet itselft--not even the printable, formatted view. I'm sure there must be a way to do it, but it wasn't readily apparent to me. It's becoming obvious to me that I need to know more about html to deal with all these images in my blog. Maybe I need to know more about html in general. I know the ILS forms require a greater knowledge than I have.
Thing 8: Share your....
Some sharing tools are more user-friendly than others--at least to this user. So far every site I've played with has been easy to navigate and the results have been satisfying. Not so with PictureTrail. It seemed circuitous--I think I uploaded some images more than 3 times. I hope I finally got enough of them saved to create something worth saving.
Thing 7: Web 2.0 Communication Tools
1. E-mail. I've been using e-mail since the mid-1990s. I graduated from ESU's distance ed. program in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1994. It would have been so helpful to have used email then. I know at one point I was working with a group of 4 other students--all of us from a different state! And no e-mail. We used snail-mail to send our project back and forth! If these tools existed back then, none of us knew about them.
I did read the productivity article. I do use short answers, and I like email to send information to more than one person at a time. I confess I like to get real time notification of incoming messages. I don't spend a lot of time with them, and usually I don't read them right away, but since we use it within the library for communicating among ourselves, I like to see things when they are sent out. I know I could be a bit more productive by only checking at intervals, but...
One of my pet peeves is people who do not use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation in e-mail. It seems like a common courtesy, and can it really take THAT much time??
2. IM. We use IM at the reference desk as one way to "Ask a Librarian." It takes a little getting-used-to, but I like it. I had to get comfortable asking someone to wait while I checked on something. The use of the service is increasing, I think. I also use IM for personal use. It's fun to send a quick message when I see a buddy is online.
You lose some communication cues, like gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, when you use some of these Web 2.0 tools. I've used video chat, with Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger, for personal use, and I think these would work well for Reference service, too. Laptops have built-in cameras now, and wireless access is often available in our libraries. How great would this be for our distance ed. programs! As far as video chat for personal use, it was great to actually see those first halting steps my grandson took and to see that bloody little tooth clutched in those five-year-old fingers rather than just hearing about them. In those cases, a picture was worth much more than a thousand words!
3. I don't use text messaging personally, although my plan includes the service. I'd still have to pay for every message. There are access issues here, though. My husband loves text messaging because his hearing loss precludes easy and comfortable communication using the phone. I was intrigued by the idea of an ILS including texting capabilities. For those of us in academic libraries, that's really reaching students where they're at.
4. Web Conferencing. I've attended many MINITEX webinars, most recently last week to learn about the new features included in Connexion Client 2.1. They are convenient, and it is wonderful not to have to travel so much for training like we did only a few years ago. Much of the training for the ALEPH ILS is also delivered in this manner. My only reservation is that I am sometimes more reluctant to ask questions or make comments than I would be in person. (Do I think I'll look stupider online rather than in person??) I think this is related to the lack of visual cues again.
Many of the training sessions are archived. Could librarians take advantage of this functionality for frequently asked questions? The basics of using popular databases, how to get started with RefWorks, citation styles are topics we answer again and again. It would be convenient sometimes to direct students, or even entire classes, to archived training sessions.
I did read the productivity article. I do use short answers, and I like email to send information to more than one person at a time. I confess I like to get real time notification of incoming messages. I don't spend a lot of time with them, and usually I don't read them right away, but since we use it within the library for communicating among ourselves, I like to see things when they are sent out. I know I could be a bit more productive by only checking at intervals, but...
One of my pet peeves is people who do not use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation in e-mail. It seems like a common courtesy, and can it really take THAT much time??
2. IM. We use IM at the reference desk as one way to "Ask a Librarian." It takes a little getting-used-to, but I like it. I had to get comfortable asking someone to wait while I checked on something. The use of the service is increasing, I think. I also use IM for personal use. It's fun to send a quick message when I see a buddy is online.
You lose some communication cues, like gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, when you use some of these Web 2.0 tools. I've used video chat, with Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger, for personal use, and I think these would work well for Reference service, too. Laptops have built-in cameras now, and wireless access is often available in our libraries. How great would this be for our distance ed. programs! As far as video chat for personal use, it was great to actually see those first halting steps my grandson took and to see that bloody little tooth clutched in those five-year-old fingers rather than just hearing about them. In those cases, a picture was worth much more than a thousand words!
3. I don't use text messaging personally, although my plan includes the service. I'd still have to pay for every message. There are access issues here, though. My husband loves text messaging because his hearing loss precludes easy and comfortable communication using the phone. I was intrigued by the idea of an ILS including texting capabilities. For those of us in academic libraries, that's really reaching students where they're at.
4. Web Conferencing. I've attended many MINITEX webinars, most recently last week to learn about the new features included in Connexion Client 2.1. They are convenient, and it is wonderful not to have to travel so much for training like we did only a few years ago. Much of the training for the ALEPH ILS is also delivered in this manner. My only reservation is that I am sometimes more reluctant to ask questions or make comments than I would be in person. (Do I think I'll look stupider online rather than in person??) I think this is related to the lack of visual cues again.
Many of the training sessions are archived. Could librarians take advantage of this functionality for frequently asked questions? The basics of using popular databases, how to get started with RefWorks, citation styles are topics we answer again and again. It would be convenient sometimes to direct students, or even entire classes, to archived training sessions.
Thing 6: Online Image Generators
This Thing was really fun! Web pages, brochures, bookmarks--really any materials library generate--can look so much more appealing using these tools. And they're easy! I didn't have to spend lots of time learning to manipulate these images before I had what I considered to be some pretty nice images. I'm going to try to upload a couple of them.
Uploading images to my blog and having them positioned where I'd like them to be continues to be a challenge.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thing 5: More Fun with Flickr
Lots to do here--I only looked at a couple of them. Making puzzles was fun--and easy. Take a look at some of my grandchildren!
I did read about the 10 most intrigueing Flickr applications. I just so impressed with how creative people are--both in creating and using these applications.
I'm thinking about how I might use these tools in the library. They could really jazz up websites! And handouts, brochures, bookmarks, etc. could be a lot more appealing if people were to use these techniques. I'm primarily in technical services, so I see fewer applications on a daily basis. It's important, however, to be familiar with these tools so I will at least recognize opportunities to use them when they present themselves.
Thing 4: Explore Flickr
This is my first experience with Flickr, although I've used a couple of other photo sites. I probably should resize my photos before uploading them, since these are huge files and take quite a while to upload, as well as taking up quite a bit of online space.
This Thing gave me my first experience with tagging. It was fun to search descriptions and tags for photos others uploaded. There are some really great photos out there! I also easily created a couple of sets.
I have a question about tagging. Is it ethical to tag someone in photo without clearing it with them first?
This Thing gave me my first experience with tagging. It was fun to search descriptions and tags for photos others uploaded. There are some really great photos out there! I also easily created a couple of sets.
I have a question about tagging. Is it ethical to tag someone in photo without clearing it with them first?
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Thing 3
Well, I can see that I could easily get carried away with RSS feeds. I had set up a few a couple of years ago, but I never did go back and read them. Now I feel more confident that I will read this information, and I can see that it will be helpful to collect information in one place rather than remembering to go out and check on numerous sites. I know several sites I monitor on an on again, off again fashion have RSS feed capabilities. This should make my life easier.
One of the problems I have with the Internet is that it could easily take over my life. My husband already says I'm addicted to my computer (although I'm usually playing Scrabulous when he says something!) I think using tools like RSS helps me feel in control of the information I need.
P.S. This Thing was easy, although I couldn't view the video. I'll try again tomorrow.
One of the problems I have with the Internet is that it could easily take over my life. My husband already says I'm addicted to my computer (although I'm usually playing Scrabulous when he says something!) I think using tools like RSS helps me feel in control of the information I need.
P.S. This Thing was easy, although I couldn't view the video. I'll try again tomorrow.
Thing 2: Library 2.0
Blyberg blog entry
A couple of musings...Blyberg comments that Library 2.0 is partially a response to a post-Google world that "the frantic search to find our niche is only beginning." This suggests that libraries are reactive rather than proactive. It seems to me the challenge is to react more quickly to technological change, being quick to see the possibilities new developments present and positioning ourselves to utilize these developments to our (and thus our users') advantage. Blyberg suggests there will have to be organizational changes to accomplish this. I'd say at least realignment of responsibilities and acquisition of new skill sets. And, with every opening, re-evaluation of position requirements. Blyberg's entry was posted two years ago. Since then there's been a lot of buzz about open source vs. traditional ILS systems. Perhaps the move to open source is one way libraries can provide some of the user driven content the library 2.0 community feels is essential.
Anderson's "Icebergs"
"Just in case" collections, reliance on user education, and the "come to us" model of service pose real challenges to everyone. In our library we've been talking about which aspects of IL are responsibilities of librarians and which are responsibilities of faculty in a discipline. We've taken baby steps in enabling students access information when and where they want. We still buy print materials and warehouse them, but I think every purchase is seriously evaluated. No easy answers, but we need to examine our practices to see if they are indeed "remnants of a bygone information era." I just find it so hard to know for sure. Maybe if I'm wondering, it is indeed out of date?? So how to keep up?
A couple of musings...Blyberg comments that Library 2.0 is partially a response to a post-Google world that "the frantic search to find our niche is only beginning." This suggests that libraries are reactive rather than proactive. It seems to me the challenge is to react more quickly to technological change, being quick to see the possibilities new developments present and positioning ourselves to utilize these developments to our (and thus our users') advantage. Blyberg suggests there will have to be organizational changes to accomplish this. I'd say at least realignment of responsibilities and acquisition of new skill sets. And, with every opening, re-evaluation of position requirements. Blyberg's entry was posted two years ago. Since then there's been a lot of buzz about open source vs. traditional ILS systems. Perhaps the move to open source is one way libraries can provide some of the user driven content the library 2.0 community feels is essential.
Anderson's "Icebergs"
"Just in case" collections, reliance on user education, and the "come to us" model of service pose real challenges to everyone. In our library we've been talking about which aspects of IL are responsibilities of librarians and which are responsibilities of faculty in a discipline. We've taken baby steps in enabling students access information when and where they want. We still buy print materials and warehouse them, but I think every purchase is seriously evaluated. No easy answers, but we need to examine our practices to see if they are indeed "remnants of a bygone information era." I just find it so hard to know for sure. Maybe if I'm wondering, it is indeed out of date?? So how to keep up?
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