Friday, January 11, 2008
The final stretch
Why Kon Tiki? I hear you ask. From the confines of a 1950s Lancashire cotton mill town, this seemed like the ideal escape for an impressionable schoolgirl. Before satellites and computers, to navigate westwards across the Pacific by the stars seemed like the ultimate adventure. Besides, I thought the crew were rather dishy. I remember constructing models of the raft at school and studying the historical reason for their journey. Recently I was drawn to re-reading the book and found not a trace of machismo. Instead, it mixed pragmatism with poetry and romance."The world was simple, stars in the darkness. Whether it was 1947 B.C. or A.D. suddenly became of no significance. We lived, and that we felt with alert intensity...we were swallowed up in the absolute common measure of history, endless unbroken darkness under a swarm of stars.."
This 2.0 journey doesn't end on a Polynesian island - it continues.
As suggested in the tasks, some of this emerging social software is suitable for library application, some not. RSS, flickr and del.icio.us are the obvious choices, though we shouldn't entirely discount the trendy, cool "entertainment" ones. As long as people are interconnected via these technologies with their "great good places"*. The key is user participation and feedback; we cannot predict whether our customers will be comfortable using this new technology, but are preparing ourselves in case. Libraries will link to each other, even if the customer/library link takes longer to get off the ground. Our library skills are needed to integrate emerging technologies with existing library systems.
I think I'll be the only person looking at this blog, but it allows me to edit thoughts as the journey continues.
Have just noted in one of the articles for suggested reading, that libraries in Ohio are considering redundancy for employees who do not embrace Library 2.0, and including Library 2.0 in job specifications. Hmmm.
* see link at right - Alan Bundy
This 2.0 journey doesn't end on a Polynesian island - it continues.
As suggested in the tasks, some of this emerging social software is suitable for library application, some not. RSS, flickr and del.icio.us are the obvious choices, though we shouldn't entirely discount the trendy, cool "entertainment" ones. As long as people are interconnected via these technologies with their "great good places"*. The key is user participation and feedback; we cannot predict whether our customers will be comfortable using this new technology, but are preparing ourselves in case. Libraries will link to each other, even if the customer/library link takes longer to get off the ground. Our library skills are needed to integrate emerging technologies with existing library systems.
I think I'll be the only person looking at this blog, but it allows me to edit thoughts as the journey continues.
Have just noted in one of the articles for suggested reading, that libraries in Ohio are considering redundancy for employees who do not embrace Library 2.0, and including Library 2.0 in job specifications. Hmmm.
* see link at right - Alan Bundy
Myspace, Facebook, etc, etc.
Looking at the suggested (Hennepin, etc) sites, it would seem that this technology is aimed at teens. If it connects teens to libraries then that is positive, as they will use these sites for all sorts of nonsense anyway, so may as well make it useful play; maybe they'll be tempted to physically join a library and spend some time there? How do they find the time to do their schoolwork? Facebook seems to be extroverted banter - is this really the face of the library? Maybe it's a case of two opposing cultures here? There might also be problems if public PCs are being used by young people to access Facebook, etc, when there are queues of people waiting to use them for more important purposes e.g. preparation of CVs, banking, urgent emails, etc.
Just read an enlightening article in SMH The Guide 25/2 by Elissa Baxter called In your Facebook. It deals with Facebook and privacy. Such sites are set up to deliver customers to advertisers. Facebook launched its Beacon advertising system in November 2007, and did not give users enough time to bail out. Around 80,000 people formed a group known as "Facebook, stop invading my privacy" There was an apology and backdown from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The author of the article thinks worse scenarios could eventuate when people commit themselves and their ideas so publicly. People may give their DOB, address details, etc. and even if these are on separate accounts, they can be linked, and bank accounts could be accessed. "People think of social networking as akin to private conversations when they should be thought of as words published for all the world to see".
Just read an enlightening article in SMH The Guide 25/2 by Elissa Baxter called In your Facebook. It deals with Facebook and privacy. Such sites are set up to deliver customers to advertisers. Facebook launched its Beacon advertising system in November 2007, and did not give users enough time to bail out. Around 80,000 people formed a group known as "Facebook, stop invading my privacy" There was an apology and backdown from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The author of the article thinks worse scenarios could eventuate when people commit themselves and their ideas so publicly. People may give their DOB, address details, etc. and even if these are on separate accounts, they can be linked, and bank accounts could be accessed. "People think of social networking as akin to private conversations when they should be thought of as words published for all the world to see".
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wiki wiki quick quick
On the positive side we can share facts and ideas. If the wiki is set up by the profession, it can be used in libraries e.g. as an alternative to our SSC library catalogue/fiction lists combo. Good examples are St Joseph's Public Library Subject Guides or, even better iread from the Iowa librarians. Their Book Guide would appeal to all readers as it is user-friendly; they could add their own comments, reviews, etc. making it interactive. We could compare this software with del.icio.us - another interconnective mesh in a different format. Again we could quote Lorcan Dempsey
http://orwblog.oclc.org/archives/000916.html "...has put the library in the user environment, rather than expecting the user to be in the library environment"
For library best practice there is Library Success which includes marketing, branding, community links, promotions, etc.
Some quick informal wikis may not be so good, as they may not be accurate. These are used for entertainment e.g. sandbox.
http://orwblog.oclc.org/archives/000916.html "...has put the library in the user environment, rather than expecting the user to be in the library environment"
For library best practice there is Library Success which includes marketing, branding, community links, promotions, etc.
Some quick informal wikis may not be so good, as they may not be accurate. These are used for entertainment e.g. sandbox.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Podcasts and Vodcasts
Podcasts enable you to listen to music/talk programmes after the event. This is much easier than the old recording method. Material can be down-loaded from anywhere in the world, and "Juice" makes it even easier. Classic books are downloadable. Youtube has some pretty ghastly content, and the bad outweighs the good, but it is worth digging around for a few gems. I enjoyed Surfcam......and the otters...
YouTube - time lapse clouds on mountains with sunset
I could have chosen a really naughty clip or a really hilarious one such as the River Dance Monkeys, but decided to be very conventional with this short video. To use something like this on a presentation would be a good mood-setter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno
Monday, January 7, 2008
Quite del.icio.us
Del.icio.us is a kind of user-friendly digital shared forum, made easy to use because of the tag system. Aboriginal tags are popular for example. The user can check who else has book-marked popular sites and from there can see what else that person has book-marked. This makes searching for information practically boundless. It would be an ideal vehicle for libraries to inter-act, keeping in touch with each other's plans, successes and failures. On a personal level however I feel the tagging of books by customers would not happen for some time yet, but we must be prepared. Again, as with RSS, this tool would benefit teachers and students researching particular topics. It has been said that it's as if you are looking into another user's filing cabinet. Favourites can be bookmarked without being tied to one computer, just by tagging, and your bookmarks benefit other people.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
RSS - its possibilities
Libraries could use these coded feeds (Really Simple Syndication) to keep track of things which are continually changing, and being updated, such as additions to all collections, OHS news, Council news, etc. It would probably be more useful for students, journalists, researchers, lecturers and doctors. Socially, film buffs and bibliophiles could keep up-to-date with new releases in their chosen field.
Funny little guys
What is it about these little guys that makes me smile? - their ready-for-anything faces, their bendy bodies, or the memory of two we kept in the 70s in East Gippsland, Victoria? The female ferret (doe) needs to reproduce, or be de-sexed, as an excess of oestrogen can cause serious health problems. In one amazing effort, our two girls produced twenty one babies (kits) between them, and fun was had by all involved!
How dazzling is the flickr collection
The millions of photos available through flickr are beyond belief. I chose this one because of its interesting composition, with the horizontal lines of the African plain and the water, and the animals entering slowly from the right. You can sense the slow rhythm of their feet, you can feel the quiet bond between mother and calf. Although the picture has not much detail or colour it is a work of art in its simplicity, and has prompted quite a few comments. Flickr is a wonderful tool for enhancing blogs and other presentations. The National Library of Australia has Click and Flick, which enables people to add their images to PictureAustralia, to be shared. Public libraries could build a similar collection of local historical photos for general access. Lorcan Dempsey in his weblog
http://orwblog.oclc.org/archives/000916.html
said "The project (Click and Flick) has put the library in the user environment, rather than expecting the user to be in the library environment"
http://orwblog.oclc.org/archives/000916.html
said "The project (Click and Flick) has put the library in the user environment, rather than expecting the user to be in the library environment"
Beginnings - exploring blogs and flickr
The background reading made so much more sense, once the tasks had been done, so back-to-front here are a few comments.
The KPMG report was interesting from a business/social point of view; it discussed Web 2.0 - our Library 2.0. It describes the decline in the cost of media distribution and development of tools for sharing; data is no longer handled by the experts (taxonomy) but by web-users e.g. with flickr, users tap into their own work. News is now accessed differently; generation Y are the most active users - a "financially fearless tribe". Ebay has even stolen sales from charity shops, and "the digitised consumer expects no limitations". There is a change in the balance of power from the keepers of knowledge to the users - the students, readers, customers, etc. Wikipedia is a public negotiation over knowledge; YouTube has 18 million people producing stuff they think will have appeal, and it is now a case of "niche interest not global interest"
The techno-geek/librarian Meredith Farkas was very readable, not too much jargon. She admits there is no coherent definition of Library 2.0, but learning 2.0 has exposed us all to the social technologies, a plus. "Trying to capture the essence of Library 2.0 is like trying to capture the wind". We should only use this emerging technology if there is a real need, and assess continually. She runs an on-line Uni course which people share (the DRUPAL classroom) and give comments on students' blog posts. Are the technologies TOOLS or TOYS? Each library has a different culture and different needs. Hard-to-access books can be digitised, also a plus in terms of time and convenience. Using Myspace and Facebook, in a two-way process, patrons can request items, the library gives them progress reports. There could be problems with inappropriate comments and their removal. But, does such social chat belong in a snack bar and not in a library? Does it trivialise? Personal data could be accessed by prospective employers, who could Google a person to check their life-style, interests, persona, etc.
David Lee King was also very readable, with his "spectrum" ranging from the Luddite position, in 7 stages across to the participation position. At stage 4 the lightbulb goes on, and one starts to assess and trend-watch. Paul Saffo I also found interesting with his 3 fundamental human desires:
*to be of use *to tell stories *to collect stuff
all enabled by technology!
Images such as "in cyberspace there is no distance between 2 points" really started me thinking along new lines. I had the impression that Library 2.0 is a very amorphous term for most people, and we must continually assess.
This is a trial run for blogging and flickr, as part of ssclearning2.0. Just a short text for practice.... very close to my heart are animals, and I am watching with interest the campaign to ban whaling of any kind, be it humpback, fin or minke. Dr. Tim Flannery said this weekend however that he is not too concerned about the extinction of these species, but rather that of smaller marine animals. Closer to home I aim to preserve animal life; ten years ago I came across a tiny black kitten, a mere scrap of life, left behind in a remote paddock by her feral mother who had been startled by our approach. As there were foxes around, it was decided to foster her; she was bottle-fed around the clock for 5 weeks until she weaned herself, and is now a feisty "bush kitty" who sleeps on the bed and has her besotted owner picking and hand-feeding blades of grass as a tonic every morning. Included in this family is an old dog who helped with her development (grooming, cleaning the waste, and socialising) and a wonderful 30 year old registered Quarter horse who has just weathered the equine flu (you little champion!)
Sadly in January old age caught up with him. RIP "On Target" (registered name) aka "Tramp" (paddock name) 1977-2008 A true champion
As Alan Titchmarsh said in his recent book Nobbut a lad: a Yorkshire childhood:
"Dogs command affection, cats command attention, and horses command respect"
The KPMG report was interesting from a business/social point of view; it discussed Web 2.0 - our Library 2.0. It describes the decline in the cost of media distribution and development of tools for sharing; data is no longer handled by the experts (taxonomy) but by web-users e.g. with flickr, users tap into their own work. News is now accessed differently; generation Y are the most active users - a "financially fearless tribe". Ebay has even stolen sales from charity shops, and "the digitised consumer expects no limitations". There is a change in the balance of power from the keepers of knowledge to the users - the students, readers, customers, etc. Wikipedia is a public negotiation over knowledge; YouTube has 18 million people producing stuff they think will have appeal, and it is now a case of "niche interest not global interest"
The techno-geek/librarian Meredith Farkas was very readable, not too much jargon. She admits there is no coherent definition of Library 2.0, but learning 2.0 has exposed us all to the social technologies, a plus. "Trying to capture the essence of Library 2.0 is like trying to capture the wind". We should only use this emerging technology if there is a real need, and assess continually. She runs an on-line Uni course which people share (the DRUPAL classroom) and give comments on students' blog posts. Are the technologies TOOLS or TOYS? Each library has a different culture and different needs. Hard-to-access books can be digitised, also a plus in terms of time and convenience. Using Myspace and Facebook, in a two-way process, patrons can request items, the library gives them progress reports. There could be problems with inappropriate comments and their removal. But, does such social chat belong in a snack bar and not in a library? Does it trivialise? Personal data could be accessed by prospective employers, who could Google a person to check their life-style, interests, persona, etc.
David Lee King was also very readable, with his "spectrum" ranging from the Luddite position, in 7 stages across to the participation position. At stage 4 the lightbulb goes on, and one starts to assess and trend-watch. Paul Saffo I also found interesting with his 3 fundamental human desires:
*to be of use *to tell stories *to collect stuff
all enabled by technology!
Images such as "in cyberspace there is no distance between 2 points" really started me thinking along new lines. I had the impression that Library 2.0 is a very amorphous term for most people, and we must continually assess.
This is a trial run for blogging and flickr, as part of ssclearning2.0. Just a short text for practice.... very close to my heart are animals, and I am watching with interest the campaign to ban whaling of any kind, be it humpback, fin or minke. Dr. Tim Flannery said this weekend however that he is not too concerned about the extinction of these species, but rather that of smaller marine animals. Closer to home I aim to preserve animal life; ten years ago I came across a tiny black kitten, a mere scrap of life, left behind in a remote paddock by her feral mother who had been startled by our approach. As there were foxes around, it was decided to foster her; she was bottle-fed around the clock for 5 weeks until she weaned herself, and is now a feisty "bush kitty" who sleeps on the bed and has her besotted owner picking and hand-feeding blades of grass as a tonic every morning. Included in this family is an old dog who helped with her development (grooming, cleaning the waste, and socialising) and a wonderful 30 year old registered Quarter horse who has just weathered the equine flu (you little champion!)
Sadly in January old age caught up with him. RIP "On Target" (registered name) aka "Tramp" (paddock name) 1977-2008 A true champion
As Alan Titchmarsh said in his recent book Nobbut a lad: a Yorkshire childhood:
"Dogs command affection, cats command attention, and horses command respect"
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